Thodak the Blacksmith

Thodak the Blacksmith was a Mag'har orc warrior from Outland who joined the Horde after the Invasion of Outland. He fought in the war against the Lich King, the Alliance-Horde war, and the war in Draenor. He fought for the Darkspear Rebellion during the Siege of Orgrimmar, and during the third invasion of the Burning Legion he was named Battlelord of the Valarjar by Keeper Odyn, wielding the greatsword Strom’kar against the Legion alongside Highlord Alexia Dremundd of the Silver Hand. During the Blood War he was sent by Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner to hinder the mission of The Crew of the Admiral's Pride.

Early Life (5 years before the First War to 25 years after the First War)
Thodak was born into the Warsong Clan on Draenor when the Old Horde was young, but he never witnessed its invasion of Azeroth. As an infant Thodak became afflicted by the plague known as the “red pox” and was sent to Garadar with the other plagued orcs.

Due to this, Thodak was not among those who drank the blood of Mannoroth or went through the Dark Portal, and thus remained free from demonic corruption, one of the Mag’har.

After the destruction of Draenor, Thodak fought alongside Garrosh Hellscream and other Mag’har warriors to protect their people during their many hard years on Outland, fighting off attacks by ogres, fel orcs, and worse, until the Dark Portal opened once more.

The Burning Crusade (26)
Thodak witnessed the bravery of the champions of Azeroth during their battles on Outland, and he wished greatly to see this world that would produce such honorable warriors. He was also heartened to learn that the Horde had abandoned their demon blood-fueled ways and returned to the honorable shamanistic traditions of their roots. He was proud to join this New Horde and fight alongside its champions against those who would see them destroyed.

It was during this time that he first met Alexia Dremundd, who as a member of the Argent Dawn was acting in Draenor as a liaison between the Alliance and Horde in Outland. Alex was surprised by his thoughtful nature, while Thodak was surprised by her courage and honor.

After the end of the Invasion of Outland, Thodak stepped through the Dark Portal and seeing Azeroth for the first time.

Wrath of the Lich King (27)
When the Lich King began his invasion of Orgrimmar, Thodak was faced with the horrors of the Scourge for the first time. He fought bravely against the endless undead, and when the call came, he gladly sailed to Northrend to join the Warsong Offensive and battle the armies of the Scourge under the leadership of Garrosh Hellscream and Varok Saurfang. He grew to respect Saurfang greatly during this time, recognizing the old orc's great wisdom and honor. Thodak was among the Horde heroes who battled through Azjol-Nerub before the Wrathgate, clearing much of the subterranean kingdom of the Scourge, but was severely wounded in the final battle against Anub'arak, and was still recovering during the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate.

Thodak later fought in and became one of the champions of the Argent Tournament, alongside other heroes like Alex, who was by this point a champion of the Argent Crusade. Thodak was among the heroes that battled and defeated the Lich King atop Icecrown Citadel.

Cataclysm (28)
When Thrall passed the mantle of Warchief to Garrosh, Thodak trusted Thrall’s wisdom. Thodak was among the Horde warriors led by Garrosh in the assault on the Night Elven forests of Ashenvale before the Shattering, fighting to claim the bounteous resources of that land for the Horde.

After the Cataclysm rent the world, Thodak answered the Warchief’s call to join the war fleet assaulting the Twilight Highlands. He was instrumental in Warlod Zaela's rise to Chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan and the clan's return to the Horde, fighting alongside them against the Twilight's Hammer.

Mists of Pandaria (30)
Thodak was among the first of the champions of the Horde sent to the newly discovered Pandaria by Garrosh. He fought against the members of the Alliance who also landed on the new continent, and helped establish the Horde's first few bastions on Pandaria. After Garrosh came to Pandaria however, Thodak noticed a change. Garrosh had always been aggressive and headstrong, but he had become enamored with the power of the Sha, despite all the devastation Thodak and others had witnessed at the creatures' claws, or perhaps because of it. Garrosh grew ever darker and more willing to sacrifice honor for the sake of victory, something Thodak would never have imagined his Warchief capable of. Despite their history, Thodak began to realize that this was not the same Garrosh he had fought alongside in Outland for so many years.

When Garrosh attempted to assassinate Vol'jin, Thodak knew that something had to be done. He began working with the Darkspear Rebellion but did not act overtly yet, hoping to find a peaceful solution, but that was not to be. Garrosh went even further than assassination, stealing the Heart of Y'Shaarj, unleashing the Sha of Pride, and desecrating the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Thodak joined Vol'jin's Darkspear Rebellion and fought to reclaim the honor of his Horde, battling against Garrosh's forces in the Siege of Orgrimmar and leading the charge against Garrosh himself. Thodak watched as the defeated Garrosh was taken into Pandaren custody, hoping that would be the end of it. But it was not.

Warlords of Draenor (31)
Garrosh escaped imprisonment and with the help of a bronze dragon traveled to an alternate version of Draenor's past, creating a new Horde, with which he launched an invasion of Azeroth. Thodak was among the first to volunteer to join the fight against this Iron Horde.

After the heroes of the Horde and Alliance pushed back the invasion of the Iron Horde, Thodak was named by Vol'jin as the Commander of all Horde forces in Draenor. Thodak thus led the Horde's forces in the War in Draenor, eventually being promoted to the rank of General. He brought the Frostwolf Clan into the Horde and fought against the Iron Horde across Draenor, eventually fighting alongside the Alliance against Gul'dan's new Fel Horde in Tannan Jungle and assaulting Hellfire Citadel, killing Archimonde after Gul'dan summoned the demon lord to Draenor.

Legion (32)
Thodak fought for the Horde in the Battle for Broken Shore, and after the battle went out to fight demons along the shore once more, encountering a group of Vrykul warriors also fighting against the demons. He fought alongside them, cleaving his way through countless demons until he faced off against a Pit Lord. He killed the demon, but his greataxe was shattered and he nearly died in the process himself. One of Odyn's Valkyr saved him from death and carried him to the Halls of Valor, where Odyn praised his skill in battle and declared him to be one of his Valarjar.

Odyn sent Thodak to Tirisfal Glades to find a weapon worthy of his might, and there he met the ghost of King Thoradin and killed Zakajz the Corruptor, a powerful C'Thrax Thoradin had defeated millennia before with his enchanted blade Strom'kar. With Thoradin's blessing, Thodak claimed the magical sword for his own. Returning to the Halls of Valor, Odyn declared that Thodak had proved his worth as Azeroth's greatest warrior and named him the Battlelord of the Valarjar.

Odyn then told Thodak about the Aegis of Aggramar, one of the Pillars of Creation and a powerful relic that could be used in the war against the Legion. But to claim the Aegis, Thodak was told he would have to go through several trials within the land of Stormheim. Traveling to Stormheim, he journeyed to Aggramar's Vault, where he reunited with Alex, now wielding the Ashbringer as the Highlord of the Silver Hand, who had come to Stormheim on a similar mission. They banded together to overcome the trials of Stormheim and claim the Aegis before it could be taken by God-King Skovald, the ruler of Stormheim's Vrykul who had sworn himself and his people to the service of the Burning Legion. Together Thodak and Alex passed the Trial of Might, the Trial of Will, and the Trial of Valor, fighting ancient Titan constructs, Felskorn Vrykul, enslaved storm dragons, and the spirits of ancient Vrykul kings.

The two heroes delved into Helheim itself and faced off against the wicked Helya, who sought to keep them in her realm, but Odyn's power pulled them back out of the cursed realm. Finally, the two of them journeyed to the Gates of Valor, fighting through the Legion forces blocking the entrance to the Halls of Valor. Thodak and Alex fought through Odyn's champions within the halls and claimed the Aegis of Aggramar. Skovald sought to steal it from them, only for the heroes to turn the artifact against him and slay the false God-King. Together the triumphant heroes brought the Aegis to Dalaran.

Thodak was called by Odyn to recover the Gjallarhorn, an artifact with which they can call all the Keepers to join their fight against the Legion, and after doing so he returns to the Halls of Valor, where Hymdall sounds the horn. They received a message then from Thorim, from which they learned that Ulduar and its Keepers were under assault by the Legion's forces. Thodak and several of his champions battled through the Legion forces in Ulduar and saved the Keepers, though Hodir fell into a trap and was lost on the wrong side of a demonic portal.

Thodak then rallied the Valarjar and leads Odyn's armies to the Legion prison world of Niskara, where they battled through endless demon hordes and finally fighting a fel-corrupted Hodir, drawing out Lady Ran'zara, the eredar sorceress who corrupted Hodir, freeing the Keeper from the demonic corruption, adding him and the other Keepers to the ranks of the Valarjar.

The Blood War
(The Blood War)

Appearance
Thodak is large and burly, even for an orc, with rich brown skin, amber eyes, and long black dreadlocks that he has tied together into a massive drealock-ponytail. He wears patchwork armor of mixed plate and leather, with various spikes across it. For most of his career he wielded a massive orcish greataxe, though during the Third Invasion of the Burning Legion he lost his greataxe in battle, instead taking up the ancient greatsword Strom'kar.

Personality
Thodak is a true warrior, with a love of battle and a strong sense of honor. However, unlike many younger orcs, Thodak understands the value of peace. He will often seek a peaceful resolution to a conflict before a violent one, a habit which has led some to accuse him of weakness. They are all silenced when fighting does come, as few are a more terrible sight to behold on the battlefield.

Thodak respects honor, strength, and wisdom above all else, and is able to recognize both, even in his enemies. He is an honorable adversary and a loyal ally. His loyalty is to the Horde above all else, and if need be he will fight even those he thinks of as friends to defend it.

Notes & Trivia

 * Thorak’s name is a nod to the Nerdist CelebriD&D with Terry Crews, in which Terry Crews played a Mag’har Orc warrior named Thodak the Blacksmith.