**Race**: Orc **Class**: Paladin (Oath of Vengeance) **Alignment**: Lawful Evil **Origin**: Northern Orc Tribes **Role**: Zealot, Avenger, Possible Future Champion of [[Gonosh]] --- ### Overview Tarnik is a brooding orc warrior with an unshakable resolve. Scarred by the atrocities committed by elves and humans against his people, Tarnik has dedicated his life to vengeance. A formidable combatant and staunch believer in orc superiority, Tarnik sees his crusade as sacred—an expression of divine will handed down by the war god **[[Gonosh]]**. Whether this belief is true or delusion remains a core tension in his story. --- ### Appearance & Personality - **Expression**: Stern, intense gaze, clenched jaw, always alert - **Posture**: Upright and battle-ready, always armed - **Demeanor**: Controlled rage, but speaks with conviction Tarnik wears blackened armor adorned with carved tusks and the sigils of fallen orc clans. His hair is shorn short save for a ceremonial braid down his back. His voice is gravelly and direct, rarely given to idle words. --- ### Background - Born to a **northern orc tribe** wiped out during coordinated incursions by humans and elves - Raised amid ruin, taught to distrust all outsiders - Claimed to have received a **dream from [[Gonosh]]**, naming him the god's chosen vengeance bearer - No divine confirmation ever occurred—this belief is **entirely self-driven** - Swore an **Oath of Vengeance** - Known among orc warbands for his zeal and brutality in combat --- ### Beliefs & Motivations - Believes civilization has corrupted orcs by suppressing their true, violent nature - Sees himself as an agent of purification, tasked with reclaiming orc destiny through bloodshed - Refuses to entertain peace, compromise, or empathy with elves, dwarves, or humans - Struggles with moments of doubt and loneliness, buried under years of rage --- ### Connections - **[[Gonosh]]**: Tarnik worships [[Gonosh]] with near-fanatical devotion, though the god has never visibly responded - **[[Grumthar]] Ironfurrow**: A fellow orc and reluctant counterbalance to Tarnik’s zeal. Tarnik respects [[Grumthar]]’s strength. - **[[Syllin]] Elanari**: A young elf girl whose presence is a constant reminder of everything Tarnik has sworn to hate. During the Trial of Blood, Tarnik demanded her execution, believing mercy to be weakness. Unknown to him at first, [[Grom]] and [[Cub]] saved her life in secret. Tarnik eventually discovered her identity, but allowed her to remain in the group due to her usefulness. Now, in the Ruins of [[Gor’Karn]], under the influence of the memory-eating mist, Tarnik feels compelled to assert dominance. He has begun considering placing a **slave collar** on [[Syllin]]—both to symbolically reinforce her status and to feed the narrative he tells himself about power and control. This marks a dangerous shift in his behavior and the tension within the group. - **[[Grom]]**: Looks up to Tarnik and views him as the de facto leader of the group. [[Grom]] respects his strength and convictions and has begun learning the orcish ways from him. Tarnik’s ideology has started shaping [[Grom]]’s view of power and justice. - **[[Cub]]**: Often at odds with Tarnik, especially when it comes to morality and the treatment of others. Their clash first became clear when [[Cub]] intervened to protect [[Syllin]] from Tarnik’s wrath, standing up to him in a heated confrontation. Their dynamic remains tense, and their disagreements—especially over life and death—frequently boil over. However, [[Cub]]’s vital role as the group’s healer keeps the peace from fully breaking. --- ### Potential Arcs - **Redemption**: If forced to confront the cost of his path, Tarnik could begin to question his beliefs. [[Grumthar]] or [[Syllin]] may be key to such a transformation. - **Damnation**: Should the fog consume his memories, Tarnik may become a puppet of rage, an orc wraith reborn in vengeance. - **Ascension**: If he survives the trials and communes with the Stone or [[Gonosh]], he could gain divine blessings and become a true champion—or a dangerous heretic leading others to ruin. ---