Shared Topic: Identity & Affiliation

Akabeko at Redcow asks

"How does your character define themself?
What part of their identity is most important to their personality and self-presentation?
In meatspace, we have so many affiliations, it's anyone's guess whether we consider ourselves a tuba player first, or a student, a Gators fan, a New Yorker, a mother, a nerd, a liberal. Our identities are comprised of so many different aspects of life that it's hard to tell which parts different people will choose to define themselves.  In game, there are less game-related ways to identify.  You can identify as:your class - your specyour race - a particular subgroup (Mag'har, Wildhammer) your faction - a faction other than Horde/Alliance."

Whew that's a good question but the first one I have to wrestle with is which character?  I have several that I've developed deeply.  But I've mostly given loving to my Alliance characters so far in posts so lets talk about the Horde.

Blow, Winds, and crack your cheeks!
Rage!  Blow!

Apprentice Deepvein is a goblin who is trying to discover what else is possable with Shamanism.  Shes seen the Tauren, Orc, and Troll shamans and their loved and needed by their people and can do so much more than the Goblin ways.  The fact Thrall deeply impressed her didn't hurt of course.  She identifies herself as a member of the Earthen Ring first - but she owes a debt to the Horde for giving her someplace to sleep and making sure she didn't starve so she fights alongside their forces.

She would like to be a healer but so far its something she has yet to really grasp.  Earth and Fire are her main elements and they unleash themselves well in combat.

After her focus on Shaman comes Engineering.  Tinkering and blowing things up, sure, up also things like multiphasic vibrospirit shifting devices and her pet project, a seaforium cupcake launching warbot.  Weaponized cupcakes are the way of the future!

For looks she sticks to her 70 PvP gear (very shaman and dramatic looking or her 'engineering' outfit.  I've had good responses from both I havent had anyone ask why she wears spats though, sort of disappointing, I had my answer all primed and everything.

It is always easier to destroy than to create.

Then we have Nightwill, my Tauren Hunter.  She identifies as a member of the Horde and a Tauren, but not one of the 'modern' Tauren.  She believes the Tauren were meant to wander and the Cairn took them away from their true path.  A Beastmaster she shares a link to her lion companion Foehammer the two of them hunting their foes as one savage force (Oh and to mention it, he is one of Humar the Pridelord's get not one fo the imitations, and was named before HALO).

I am not a monster, I am a predator, and you are simply my prey.

A member of the Priderunner tribe (the members of them were very few and now are removed from game) she found herself mostly alone, so she spent much time serving as a member of the Horde forces against the Alliance.  The Frostwolf gave her a place to call home and she fiercely defends them to this day for it. But she is tired of the blood and battle.  A Senior Sergeant in Thrall's forces she saw so much bloodshed she grew weary.  Especially as she believes she carries a lifedebt for everyone shes killed.  she started working more as a mercenary in Outlands and even managed to form friendships with some of the Alliance.

I hunt for it is my passion.  I kill for it is my nature.

But with the Cataclysm the Alliance invaded Camp Taurajo and murdered the hunters there.  Nightwill had retired to live there with her mate after he had convinced her to give up the war in Northrend.  Grieved beyond words she returned to the fight.

When I did the southern barrens quest chain for the first time it was with her.  When I reached Camp T the emotional impact was strong (should be they paid psychologists to help write the stuff).  The Taurajo Looter did their idle animation of laughing during a bad moment and I went and killed them all.  I still regularly go back there and turn on track humanoids and kill every last one of them.

They have killed without mercy, we shall give them none in return.

For clothes Nightwill favors dark leather suited for night stalking, or what I've managed to save of the older level 60 PvP gear look - worn with the Frostwolf tabbard..