| Elthinkle Shortshiv | |
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Title(s) |
S.A.F.E. Officer |
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Gender |
Female |
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Race(s) |
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Class(es) |
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Affiliation(s) |
Gnomeregan |
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Former affiliation(s) |
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Occupation(s) |
Officer of S.A.F.E. |
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Former occupation(s) |
Mercenary |
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Status |
Alive |
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Relative(s) |
Fimzy Mekkawizzle (mother) |
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Mentor(s) |
Thimble Twistblast |
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Student(s) |
Thema Fastmaster |
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Companion(s) |
Thema Fastmaster |
| “ | His name was Thimble Twistblast. A victim to that radiation in Gnomeregan. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have the courage to risk my life for gnomanity's sake. | ” |
–Elthinkle on her competence | ||
Elthinkle Shortshiv (born Elthinkle Mekkawizzle, 35 BDP)[1] is an officer of the Survivor Assistance Facilitation Expedition and covert operative of the Gnomeregan Covert Operations. Before moving to Ironforge, Elthinkle was mentored by Thimble Twistblast at the Gnomeregan Special Forces Academy while undergoing extensive training. As her hometown developed a hateful reputation and posed a threat to Elthinkle's safety, she became a mercenary to escape the past and venture beyond Khaz Modan at a relatively young age.
Suddenly losing her friends and family in the fall of Gnomeregan, Elthinkle united with the exiles of Gnomeregan during Operation: Gnomeregan under Gelbin Mekkatorque's command to defeat Sicco Thermaplugg. She later joined the Gnomeregan Military to reconquer her nation's city and start anew inside New Tinkertown.
Next to her enlistment, Elthinkle would cooperate with the Gnomeregan Covert Operations by Thema Fastmaster's request. After murdering Dimo Whistledata, Elthinkle revealed the truth and received punishment accordingly until being intercepted by the Burning Legion, in which she helped the Alliance defeat them.
Taking part in the war effort redeemed Elthinkle from her heinous actions against Dimo Whistledata and was promoted to officer in S.A.F.E. Since Mechagon Island's discovery by the Alliance and Horde, Elthinkle has situated herself amongst the townsfolk of Rustbolt whilst gaining an appeal for archaeology after being fascinated in its culture.
Biography[]
Youth[]
A concept of how Gnomeregan looked prior to the Uldaman tragedy.[2]
Before the birth of Elthinkle, Fimzy and Gelzo Mekkawizzle were struggling to cope financially with their son, Bilris. Wobblecog was known for its lower-class citizens and mortality rate, which made it difficult to raise a stable family there. Fimzy being late into pregnancy, they had no choice but to remain and support their newborn daughter, Elthinkle. Bilris and Elthinkle got along well as they grew up together alongside her little sister, Emma.
Approaching adolescence, rumours were broadening inside Wobblecog regarding the immoral acts of Gelzo's dealer that he exposed, which only worsened the situation. Because of their children's safety, Elthinkle and her siblings were evicted from the Mekkawizzle family and moved into their new family, the Cogsparks. This was very demoralising for Elthinkle, as it was likely she would never see her parents again.
Life was suddenly different for Elthinkle. Her view of the world was obstructed and became more curious about her fate. From what Elthinkle learnt during her childhood, she extended her knowledge on gnomish technology and began experimenting with tools Patrick Cogspark had stored in his workshop. However, soon did Elthinkle find a passion in serving the military as a combatant. Recognising its importance, Elthinkle enrolled as a trainee at the Gnomeregan Special Forces Academy to pursue this ambition and build her tactical and martial arts expertise.
Throughout Elthinkle's adolescence, she also learned additional languages such as Dwarven and Common. Between her mid-to-late teens, Elthinkle stumbled upon a mentor at the Gnomeregan Special Forces Academy, Thimble Twistblast. The two became intimate during her service at the Gnomeregan Special Forces Academy because of their similarities and ambitions. This derived from his public speaking and many campaigns to reform Wobblecog.
Growing up in one of Gnomeregan's most distasteful sectors, Elthinkle and her family predicted Gelzo's death. The group responsible for the home invasion was led by Dimo Whistledata, whose disagreement with Gelzo during the deal he was involved in years earlier ultimately led to the incident. Dimo's reasoning for the scandal was personal to Elthinkle as it was a risk to her wellbeing: When she still lived with her parents, the thieves promised to trade her for money while she was still a child. His death would fuel Elthinkle's determination in delivering justice.
Ironforge[]
Wobblecog fell untreated and created an exposed outlet for crime, which convinced Elthinkle to seek refuge in Ironforge as she developed a basic understanding of the dwarven language and felt relatively safer outside of Gnomeregan. Despite Elthinkle's relationship with her adoptive parents, she soon moved to Ironforge so she could leave Wobblecog's crude nature at the cost of disconnecting from her friends and mentor, Thimble Twistblast.
Upon departing from Gnomeregan to move into her new home in Ironforge, Elthinkle's siblings followed her footsteps under the same circumstances. The three were curious about their allies' relation to their people and how living there differs from Gnomeregan. To no surprise, Ironforge was a welcoming change and opened a lot of opportunities for Elthinkle to discover. She then continued researching dwarven culture to familiarise herself with the inhabitants of the city.
Searching for Purpose[]
One of the more common Horde camps present in Khaz Modan.[4]
After settling into Ironforge, Elthinkle got a position as a mercenary to present her wits and abilities and fulfil her aspiration in becoming an established fighter. Most of the territories overruled by the Horde in Khaz Modan during the Second War had recovered from heavy losses, however there were many insiders that remained hidden amongst the outskirts of Dun Morogh.
Abruptly, assigned to Elthinkle was a mission to infiltrate a camp that was recently discovered by the Ironforge Guard. The contractor vowed to provide a bountiful supply of goods in favour of her efforts. Without hesitation, she began her journey to search for the uncovered foothold. Reaching to its destination through a hard-fought blizzard, Elthinkle made a halt near the camp to let the intensity of the weather reduce.
While asleep, the Horde rummaged through her belongings and took Elthinkle to the camp unconscious. Bhargran Steelbraid stumbled across her while she was captive and disrupted the slavers. Shooting the chains cuffed around her wrists, Elthinkle outmaneuvered them and slaughtered any sight of the enemy. She quickly became distressed after realising the severity of their cause and released the slaves from their cages. Bhargran redirected Elthinkle to the nearest outpost for reassurance following the assignment.
After returning to Ironforge, Elthinkle confronted the contractor about the ambush and reported his actions accordingly. The Ironforge Military prioritised the request and resulted in the contractor's inevitable exile from dwarven land for betraying the Kingdom of Ironforge. The dwarves of Ironforge governed further notice to change her surname for surviving the death-defying quest.
Friendship with Bhargran[]
Ever so angered by their trust as perceived from her recent contract in Ironforge, Elthinkle pursued on strengthening her resiliency and perception despite the odds placed against Elthinkle from the troublesome competition amidst the city's dwarvish citizens. However, one who brought to her attention was Bhargran Steelbraid. Encouraged by his actions, Elthinkle would form a friendship between Bhargran as she embraced his benevolent personality, which would continue to develop through Elthinkle's adulthood. Acknowledging the perpetual burdens she confronted by pursuing errands as a mercenary, Bhargran introduced Elthinkle to a new hobby: hunting.
Elthinkle became fond of hunting inside Dun Morogh alongside Bhargran, a mountaineer who preferred valuing his pastime discovering the details of his homeland. In return for partnering with Bhargran, he dethroned himself to provide aid for Elthinkle so she could understand the principle of surviving and gathering resources with no additional help. Impressed by her capabilities, Bhargran taught Elthinkle how to use his single-shot blunderbuss long rifle. Now capable of facing the wilderness from a distance, Bhargran convinced Elthinkle to take part in the recent opening of the forthcoming mountaineer training programme stationed in Dun Morogh after willing to cooperate with Bhargran in his endeavours.
The Matilda.
Enrolling as one of Ironforge's first gnome candidates to be in the programme was enticing to Elthinkle seeing she made an honourable decision to represent Gnomeregan, respectively. Because of Elthinkle's recognisable talent, her recruitment into the Ironforge Military as a gnomish mountaineer was successful. Bhargran was proud of Elthinkle, rewarding her with one of his most profound and distinctive pistols: the Matilda.
Fall of Gnomeregan[]
Obliged to investigate the human city, Stormwind, Elthinkle became more familiar with races of the Alliance as she contributed to many jobs affiliated with Elthinkle's mercenary profession, such as interfering with the Defias Brotherhood's plans or bringing justice to criminals and assassins alike inside the Kingdom of Stormwind. Before her work in Stormwind, Elthinkle observed the effects of the Third War from Azeroth to Khaz Modan. The truth concerning the fall of Gnomeregan was eventually revealed to her following the excavation of the previously titan-forged facility, Uldaman.
What remains to be seen throughout the city following the fall of Gnomeregan.
Desperately looking for answers, Elthinkle rushed back home, only to discover her people's capital city decimated before she could witness it unfold. The city's defences were inefficient during the breach and failed to protect the citizens of Gnomeregan, leading to severe casualties. The dwarves of Ironforge had no choice but to remove existing residents of Ironforge to allow room for the gnomish refugees.
Elthinkle dreaded the thought of her loved ones' dying in the invasion since she was excited to see them again. Many gnome tinkers and engineers hurried to construct Tinker Town for a temporary solution to the invasion. Hundreds of gnomes required medical attention and therefore received treatment to limit the fatalities whilst it was becoming a more functional settlement for the refugees. Following the brunt of the incident, Tinker Town acted as the gnome's new official home to most newborns in Ironforge. For convenience, Elthinkle soon transitioned to Tinker Town so she could nurse the remaining gnomes that reached Ironforge.
Once moving to Tinker Town, Elthinkle waited patiently for Thimble Twistblast and her adoptive parents to arrive, happily enticed to start fresh in Ironforge. Alas, no sign of those she knew showed up, concluding to their passing by assumption.
Recovery[]
Analysing the Third War influenced Elthinkle's morale to fulfil her dream in the Gnomeregan Special Forces and help prepare gnomish society against such criminality. Vengeance affected Elthinkle's life after Sicco Thermaplugg's hazardous undertaking in tainting Gelbin Mekkatorque's reputation. Unfortunately, the travesty now laid in the hands of her people to eradicate all leper gnomes, making it a stressful occurrence for Elthinkle. By utilising her expertise in first aid from the Gnomeregan Special Forces Academy, Elthinkle became a qualified medic in the Gnomeregan Military to help the gnomes of Tinker Town recover from the invasion.
In recognition of his contributions towards improving Wobblecog, a ceremony was hosted for Thimble Twistblast at the mountain range facing Gnomeregan to commemorate the loss of a compassionate leader. Standing firm, Twistblast's peers sobbed as the candles filled the absence of light before accepting his demise.
Operation: Gnomeregan[]
The recruitment poster for Operation: Gnomeregan.
With almost twenty percent of the population mended from Sicco Thermaplugg's menace against Gnomeregan, they could recoup and form a functional military powerful enough to oppose Thermaplugg for his treacherous actions regarding the nation. Revenge was a viable option for the residents of Tinker Town, and Gelbin Mekkatorque's strategic outlook on the situation meant it was time to repel the leper gnomes from Gnomeregan. In desperation, the High Tinker published the recruitment posters for their contemporary operation.
As the recruitment for Operation: Gnomeregan was available to all physically capable civilians and militarists of the nation, Elthinkle took an interest and applied to fight for her people under Gelbin's command. Notified to the Alliance was the besiege on Gnomeregan, and they accepted the offer to help retake it and help replace the damaged property from a once-flourishing metropolis. Juggling multiple jobs simultaneously was challenging for Elthinkle, but she followed through and prepared for the worst.
Following the fall of Arthas Menethil, the Alliance prepared to make a full assault with Mekkatorque in targeting Gnomeregan's airfield and surface command post. Upon completion of their tasks, the rallied exiles of Gnomeregan stormed into the city, successfully tearing through Thermaplugg's irradiated soldiers. Elthinkle and the others fought their way through crowds of troggs, gasping for fresh air as they battled in the radiation. Barely able to rest in time, Thermaplugg continued to delay the assault. Reaching to the central platform, Elthinkle and her allies led into a trap unexpectedly; the Irradiator 3000 was bound to explode within 10 seconds of their brief arrival. As they escaped the explosion via teleportation, Operation: Gnomeregan ended. Elthinkle situated herself in Tinker Town again to ease off from the attack.
Shortly after Operation: Gnomeregan, the Survivor Assistance Facilitation Expedition was founded as Gnomeregan's first organisation to eliminate dangers and provide clearance for those still trapped within the city. Destined to assist the gnomes of Gnomeregan from its radiation, Elthinkle enlisted as an operative of S.A.F.E. Her contribution to the war effort during Operation: Gnomeregan deemed Elthinkle a courageous and trustworthy asset to the organisation, thus becoming a member of the Survivor Assistance Facilitation Expedition before the Shattering.
Hope[]
An aerial view of New Tinkertown during its establishment.
While negotiating the future of Gnomeregan following the operation, the dominant leader of S.A.F.E., Nevin Twistwrench, concluded establishing a new foothold outside of Gnomeregan for the survivors to reinstate themselves. The opening of New Tinkertown was the beginning of a new chapter in Elthinkle's life, as everything she'd hoped for was finally becoming a reality. Partaking in such a straining job meant Elthinkle's only course of action was to prioritise saving Gnomeregan and retire from her previous occupations.
During her life in Gnomeregan, Thimble Twistblast was renowned as 'the voice of Wobblecog' for empowering the community of his hometown and driving crime out of Wobblecog, which forged him into an idealistic role model. His passion for helping others inspired Elthinkle to continue his legacy by spreading his name and possess the habit of mentoring the youth when possible.
Long after her debriefing with Nevin, Elthinkle met Thema Fastmaster, one of her students. Thema often accompanied Elthinkle on her darkest days in rescuing her people from the radiation, regardless of how capable she was. Proud of Thema's accomplishments in volunteering for S.A.F.E., Elthinkle suggested the Gnomeregan Covert Operations since Thema's participation in the Gnomeregan Military provided an advantage for recruitment. Eager to work alongside her friend, Thema convinced Elthinkle to partake in the role.
Eventually agreeing upon her idea, Elthinkle and Thema enlisted into the Gnomeregan Covert Operations. Their collaboration together led to forming a stronger friendship between the two, and Elthinkle would hysterically call Thema 'Elthinkle's sidekick' as a sign of appreciation. Elthinkle was already learning how to overcome situations she had never encountered before as they were more focused on supplying aid for the Alliance rather than placing Gnomeregan as their primary aim.
Elthinkle was given a gnomish cloaking device that would activate by pressing a button wired to a detachable small metal pipe that sat on her belt. The device temporarily makes the user invisible, which helped in staying covert during special operations. Elthinkle's service in the Gnomeregan Covert Operations influenced her to stand by the Alliance and began assisting them with the aftermath of the Cataclysm.
Snowball[]
A glimpse of Kun-Lai Summit beside the Shado-Pan Monastery.
When Azeroth's leading forces discovered Pandaria, the Gnomeregan Covert Operations sent Elthinkle to mitigate the Horde from progressing further into the continent. Besides the prolonged war between the Alliance and Horde, Elthinkle found a domestic rabbit confined to one of the many merchants in Kun-Lai Summit. Her supposed expedition with Thema Fastmaster, along with the remaining of the partnered covert operatives, turned into a tender loving experience for Elthinkle after taking care of her new pet rabbit, Snowball. Thema moved him to a more suitable habitation in New Tinkertown, following the allegiance against Garrosh Hellscream for his war crimes.
Fool's Game[]
A map identifying the points of interest across Coldridge Valley.[5]
Associating with many gnomish organisations in Dun Morogh gave her quite a name amongst the community of Ironforge and New Tinkertown because of Elthinkle's contributions to reconquering Gnomeregan and active service in the military. Although abandoning the past to build a better future for her people, many questions remained unanswered concerning Gelzo Mekkawizzle's death.
Curiosity swayed Elthinkle's perspective on revenge when Dimo allegedly appeared in Dun Morogh decades after his last recorded crime. Ready to question the intentions of her father's killer, Elthinkle began a thorough search of Dimo in Dun Morogh to arrest him for justice. Going alone into the woods of Dun Morogh uninformed was a dreary turn of events as she was searching for a cold-blooded murderer who could compose an ambush to make Elthinkle his next victim.
Unlike what most would expect, Elthinkle identified the characteristics of Dimo from what she could memorise through the front window of a reasonably small cabin nestled in Coldridge Valley. When Elthinkle carefully approached the cabin, hoping it was the person she had been looking for since Gelzo's murder, Dimo confronted Elthinkle with an intrusive introduction: a switchblade to the throat.
The two squared off in a merciless fight after her resentful response to Dimo. Elthinkle received a gash across her left cheekbone, unlike Dimo, who received a critical injury because of Elthinkle's superior finesse. Laid against the wall in defeat, Elthinkle executed Dimo with her pistol, the Matilda, once he uttered she was "as pathetic as her father" disrespectfully. Such eruptive behaviour left Elthinkle feeling discouraged after doing exactly what Dimo did to her father. Elthinkle's morale to continue servicing as a soldier for the military lowered, resulting in turning herself in for what she had done. The hindrance was also obstructing Elthinkle's will to justify what she committed.
Conviction[]
Gul'dan and the Burning Legion inflicting havoc upon Azeroth during their third invasion.[6]
While the Burning Legion initialised their third invasion upon Azeroth, Elthinkle was convicted within dwarven province after turning herself in for committing a crime against Dimo Whistledata, the one who murdered Elthinkle's father, Gelzo Mekkawizzle. All that she had accomplished faded into obsolescence as Elthinkle's reputation would cascade before honouring both Gnomeregan and the Alliance any further.
Where Elthinkle was drafted in Ironforge contained a sizeable crowd of displeased visitors, eager to heckle her for an answer to Dimo's misfortune. Confident to reveal his unspeakable crimes, Elthinkle strained herself from the guards, hoping desperately to change their perspective of the actual situation at hand.
Many were unsure what she was trying to state, but some jurors sided with her argument and remained hopeful for the possibility of Dimo's redistributed accounts among the victims of his petty crimes. Their time was brief before the demons' arrival to Dun Morogh, bound to destroy the city and render their decisions pointless. The trial continued with both sides determining its outcome until the walls of Ironforge trembled. Those who attended the trial were mildly concerned of the peculiar atmosphere that enveloped them.
From the opposite side of the room behind Elthinkle's position was Bhargran, in which they laid their eyes on each other, prepared to oppose the potential threat. The entrance opened instantaneously towards the crowd accompanied by a dwarven militant notifying the participants of the trial regarding the Legion's appearance. The opening of the doors revealed the terrified civilians of Ironforge hurrying to safety as Elthinkle attempts to break free of the guards' shackles, clumsily escaping Ironforge in desperation to help protect the innocents of Dun Morogh and fight off the invading demons.
Joining the Fight[]
Awaiting to be unrestrained at the Gates of Ironforge, Elthinkle stared at the sky of Dun Morogh, witnessing the severity of their invasion from afar. Thema Fastmaster raced tirelessly from New Tinkertown so she could convince Elthinkle to assist the Gnomeregan Covert Operations and alert her of the Burning Legion's undoubtful terror upon Dun Morogh's citizens. Releasing Elthinkle from her constraints, Thema worried about how the very crime Elthinkle committed might've affected her on an extensive level. Although reluctant to speak about her case, Elthinkle turned and placed her hand on Thema's shoulder, clarifying that she would never relinquish what she loved the most: protecting gnomanity and their allies.
Elthinkle and Thema rushed back to New Tinkertown so they could assemble a plan with her associates on launching an assault against the Legion before they possess control of the region. Unable to keep themselves organised under tremendous pressure, the team set foot into Kharanos where they can strike the demons at the heart of Elthinkle's homeland. Brasen to face them head-on similarly to her tactics during Operation: Gnomeregan, Elthinkle was deployed with her squad to battle the Legion alongside the Ironforge Guard, who most questioned how she was doing so despite her actions. Unlike what most gnomes recognised, the dwarves of Ironforge never fathomed what Elthinkle was capable of until her allegiance in saving their people from catastrophe.
The fel-corrupted lands of the Broken Shore featuring the Tomb of Sargeras.
Able to retreat from the Legion's grasp before strengthening in numbers again, Elthinkle proposed a rendezvous where the forces of Azeroth were preparing their assault on the Broken Isles. The instant she gathered sufficient intelligence on the battle was when Elthinkle advanced to the Broken Shore with the Alliance to prevent the increase of the Legion's presence on Azeroth. Clashing against them within its twisted nature was a tough feat to accomplish, so the heroes of Azeroth upheld a declaration to form a universal organisation in contending with the demons under the Kirin Tor and other definable individuals who supported those that opposed the Legion invasion. This would then conduct the formation of the Armies of Legionfall, whose purpose was for absolute unification stationed in Deliverance Point at the Broken Shore; Elthinkle followed suit to finish what she started.
Redemption[]
With the Burning Legion intercepted from corrupting Azeroth, Elthinkle stepped into the lands of the Broken Shore once more, dispatching the demons to the Twisting Nether while they were retreating from Azeroth shortly after the defeat of Sargeras. Opposed to their sadistic ways, Elthinkle slew them vigorously amongst Alliance forces until the Legion finally fled.
The soldiers of the Alliance and Horde raised their weapons above themselves as they cheered in triumph whilst Elthinkle shifted through the crowd to reach Deliverance Point and inevitably return to New Tinkertown. Coming back to see the effects of the invasion on Dun Morogh was a disheartening experience, not only because of its destruction but to those who died in vain as it unfolded unexpectedly.
Arriving at New Tinkertown, the community welcomed Elthinkle from her undertaking to the Broken Isles and revealed their gratitude for contributing to the defeat of the Legion. Elthinkle rose through the ranks to become an officer in S.A.F.E. because of her lasting status in the organisation. Elthinkle's everlasting mistakes deemed worthwhile leading up to Elthinkle's redemption, even with all the hardships included between those she admired or despised. To express her appreciation for the associates of New Tinkertown, Elthinkle proposed a speech respecting the deeds they carried out together, and how she would eternally cherish those moments.
Mechagon[]
Confronting the Menace[]
Personality[]
Depicted from Elthinkle's actions towards rescuing the people from her beloved city, Gnomeregan, Elthinkle is a compassionate and ambitious person. Whether it would relate to Sicco Thermaplugg or losing what she loved dear, Elthinkle despises evildoers who disturb her allies unless they justify their aim. Leadership is apparent when associated with her motives, as she is determined to aspire the less fortunate. Because of her experiences, Elthinkle has developed a rather persistent personality that has benefited herself and others' lives, which is apparent from her accomplishments in S.A.F.E.
Notes and trivia[]
- Elthinkle's armoury page can be found here.
- Her nickname is 'Ellie'.
- She doesn't use poisons and shadow magic as they go against her beliefs.
- She is still learning how to speak fluently in Common.
- Elthinkle is 0.91 metres in height.
- She has a slight dwarvish accent.
- Elthinkle prefers the outdoors.
- Her favourite animal is a rabbit.
- Elthinkle has previously undergone appearance changes that are considered out of character.