Hemlock, Orc Hunter
Hemlock is a child of orc internment camps. Much of his early memory consists of glassy-eyed orc adults feeling the absence of the Burning Legion’s demonic energies and of human soldiers treating his people as wild animals. When Thrall’s armies liberated his camp, young Hemlock was primed and ready to fight and die on his feet like a true warrior.
Hemlock considered it an honor to fight alongside Thrall and his allies in the conflict against the Lich King and his Burning Legion masters. He ended up paying a high price for this honor, however, when he was kidnapped during Admiral Proudmoore’s assault on Durotar. Hemlock spent the next two years as a slave in a human camp. When a Forsaken raiding party descended upon the town, taking prisoners of their own for their ghoulish experiments, Hemlock pledged his service to the Royal Apothecary Society in hopes that he could earn his revenge against the humans and their allies.
Hemlock became a cold assassin, killing members of the Alliance at every opportunity. His service to the cause got him noticed by military leaders in the Horde, who sent him out to the front lines of the Burning Crusade in Outlands. When the Lich King brazenly attacked Orgrimmar, it was a foregone conclusion that Hemlock would be at the forefront of the Horde’s military response. Sadly, during the massacre at the Wrath Gate, Hemlock was cut down — not by the Lich King’s minions, but rather by the Royal Apothecary Society itself. Hemlock nearly died there on the frozen snows of Dragonblight, but the timely intervention of the red dragonflight restored him to health to assist with picking up the pieces.
With barely contained fury, Hemlock is now on a personal mission to destroy the Lich King, his undead minions, the traitors in the Royal Apothecary Society, and anyone else that stands in his way.
Personality and Mannerisms
Out of combat, Hemlock is an expert tracker and woodsman. He easily befriends animals and other wild creatures but tends to hold orcs, tauren, and other humanoids at arm’s length. Hemlock is far more comfortable in the wild places of the world than he is in most civilized settlements. He is a child of the frontier, constantly pushing further into the unknown.
In battle, Hemlock is a barely contained berserker, firing arrows or bullets so quickly that his accuracy suffers. He often loses all capacity for speech, descending into a feral rage that only stops when his prey is dead. Because of this, the military commanders that have made best use of him have used him as a solitary strike force rather than as a member of an organized regiment. With his fierce pets and even more fierce personality, Hemlock is his own army.
Hemlock is a pragmatist who has few qualms about sacrificing others to accomplish his goals. He views life as a war and often finds himself at odds with Thrall’s vision of the Horde. In many ways, Hemlock is far more comfortable amongst the Forsaken since they share his savage view of the world and his lack of scruples.
Roleplaying Notes
- For RP reasons, Hemlock should always be a Beast Master hunter.
- When in doubt, pretend you’re Wolverine from the X-Men — especially the version from earlier in Clarmont’s X-Men run.
- The Bridenbrad quests in Icecrown are very much a part of Hemlock’s continuity. They hint that Hemlock does have a respect and camaraderie with his fellow warriors. The beast has a caring heart somewhere buried inside.
- Hemlock always wears his Argent Dawn tabard that was given to him as a mark of bravery during the Lich King’s recent attacks on Azeroth.
- Hemlock rides a swift skeletal horse, a gift from the Royal Apothecary Society when he was in their service.