Grimruk was born in the harsh, unforgiving wastelands of the Orcish territories. From an early age, he stood out from the other orcs in his tribe. Bigger, stronger, and faster, he quickly outpaced his peers, earning both admiration and envy. His father, a renowned warrior, saw potential in Grimruk and began training him rigorously in the ways of combat.
Life in the wastelands was a constant struggle for survival. Tribes often clashed over scarce resources, and young orcs like Grimruk were thrust into battle as soon as they could wield a weapon. Grimruk's first kill came at the age of ten, during a raid on a rival tribe. The exhilaration of battle and the taste of victory were intoxicating, solidifying his path as a warrior.
As he grew older, Grimruk's prowess in battle became legendary. He fought in countless skirmishes, earning a fearsome reputation. But it wasn't just brute strength that set him apart; it was his strategic mind and relentless determination. He studied his opponents, learning their weaknesses and exploiting them with ruthless efficiency.
Grimruk's tribe soon found itself at the center of a power struggle between several factions. The elders, recognizing his potential, appointed him as the tribe's champion. It was a role he embraced wholeheartedly, leading his people to numerous victories and securing their dominance in the region. His feats became the stuff of legend, stories of his battles spreading far and wide.
However, the wastelands were not without their challenges. One fateful day, Grimruk's tribe encountered a group of humans. This, in itself, wasn't rare, but the problem was that these humans possessed strength far beyond what his tribe could handle. Although black orcs are the strongest of the orc species, they lack in numbers, and the already harsh environment added to their struggle.
The humans came in waves, and Grimruk had to make a decision. He chose to stall the humans and give his tribe a chance to escape. In the end, Grimruk was subdued but not killed. When he woke up, he found a collar around his neck. Despite his defeat in combat, he was still proud knowing that his tribe had managed to get out of harm's way.
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Grimruk's days as a slave were a far cry from his life as a warrior in the wastelands. Bound by a powerful collar, he was forced into servitude for the very humans he had fought against. The conditions were brutal; he was treated as nothing more than a beast of burden, toiling under the lash of Boran's commands.
That was the expected outcome, but for some reason, Grimruk woke again to find himself facing a man with white hair.
His face twisted with confusion. He should have perished already; he had felt it when Vorgrim's blade severed his head. Fortunately, the man before him now offered an explanation.
"Take your time. It was quite a hassle to break the binding magic that held you. To set you free, you had to experience death. But rest assured, Tonitrum ensured everything would return to its previous state. Whenever you're ready to talk, come find me. Oh, and I'm Canna," he added, before turning to Kael, who looked on with wide-eyed astonishment.
Walking closely behind Canna, Vorgrim gazed at Grimruk and remarked, "Impressive battle, orc. When you're ready, we should train."
Before their battle commenced, Canna consulted Tonitrum about removing Grimruk's binding.
Tonitrum concluded that Grimruk needed to die; slave magic was a complicated type of magic involving binding a soul to an individual, where a single misstep could obliterate the soul entirely. Tonitrum's strategy involved retrieving Grimruk's soul immediately after his death and forcibly reattaching it to his body.
There were strict conditions: Tonitrum had a mere three-second window to retrieve the soul, heal Grimruk's body to ensure it was a suitable vessel again, and seamlessly reintegrate the soul.
This was Tonitrum's first attempt at revival, with a high risk of failure. Despite the odds, they managed to bring Grimruk back to life.