Trag Highmountain

Trag Highmountain
Gender	Male
Race(s)	Tauren (Undead)
Class	Hunter
Affiliation(s)	Independent, formerly Baron Valimar Mordis
Occupation	Adventurer
Location	Northrend
Status	Undead
Relative(s)	Elder High Mountain (ancestor), Gorn Highmountain (father), Huln Highmountain, Melgromm Highmountain (presumed)

Template:Graphic novel Trag Highmountain is a tauren from the Highmountain tribe — which is known to have fierce warriors in the Horde. Trag was one of the first tauren to explore Lordaeron, where he befriended a human noble.

Biography

The Barony

Trag Highmountain chanced upon a small human barony in the Alterac Mountains. The barony was controlled by the kind and gentle Baron Valimar Mordis. The two soon became friends and Trag decided to stay. When the Scourge later came and slaughtered his friend and everybody else, Trag hid away...but not before killing some ghouls.

Shadows of Ice

Main article: Shadows of Ice

Sometime later, a now undead Baron Valimar, running from the Scourge, returned to his ruined fortress as a Forsaken and encountered Trag there, and together they worked to destroy the Scourge. They were after a particular Scourge leader, Ichor, who wielded the Orb of Ner'Zhul — which could revive ancient behemoths or even frost wyrms. The Baron wished to use it to raise a large army of undead, but kept some of his plans secret from Highmountain.

A young "human" woman, Anveena Teague, arrived in the vicinity of the castle. She was "rescued" by Trag and the Baron. The Baron's intended to sacrifice the innocent Anveena – who held powerful magic within her — in order to utilize the Orb's power; this did not sit well with Trag. He soon awakened himself to the fact that the Baron he once knew was dead and gone, and that what stood in the Baron's place was no better than the Scourge. He tried to rescue Anveena but was defeated by Valimar.

Trag awoke and confronted the Baron again as he raised his undead monstrosities. Trag closed his huge fist around the Orb in the Baron's hand, shattering it, and causing the frost wyrm that the Baron had summoned to come crashing down onto the castle, killing them both.

Fallen

Main article: Fallen

Though killed by the fallen remains of the frost wyrm, Trag was raised in undeath by the Orb of Ner'Zhul's final magical act. Haunted by visions of Northrend and hearing the call of the Lich King, Trag sought out the Highmountain clan shaman, Sulamm, in hopes of reversing the curse and returning to life. At the Henge of the Earth Mother, Sulamm placed Trag in a trance state, promising to end his suffering; in truth, Sulamm had informed the tribe of Trag's fate, and lead by Ornamm, his kinsmen now attempted to burn him alive in a flaming pit. Within his mind, Trag began to stir. Trag awoke through what he assumed was the same power that returned him to life and was able to escape his kin.

Fear

Main article: Fear (Legends)

Fleeing towards Northrend, Trag avoided his kin and tried to slip past the orcs. The corruption caused Trag to suffer from fits of violent thought, and he felt he would eventually succumb to the power of the Lich King.

However, Trag encountered Thrall, who became aware of his presence through his shamanic magic. Thrall offered to help, but Trag lost control of himself and the two battled. Even after calming down, Trag warned him to run before Trag lost control of himself again. However, Thrall outright refused to fight him, nor abandon him to fight against the voice of the Lich King alone. Thrall then told of how he had once feared becoming the animal Aedelas Blackmoore thought him to be, of falling into bloodlust to escape that fear; but the truth is, bloodlust would have only hidden his fear, leaving it to eat away at him forever. By bringing peace into his soul (possibly by facing his fear and accepting that his past is part of who he is), Thrall conquered his fear, survived, and found his redemption. If Thrall could do it, if Grom Hellscream could do it, so too could Trag if he would allow Thrall to help him. Trag denied that Thrall could do anything for him and warned him away once more. Thrall again refused, and when told that he will would struck down in accepting such a fate, he asked that Trag look him in the eyes "as you do so I know my executioner".

Trag prepared to kill Thrall, only to see in his eyes that he truly does understand Trag's fear, a calm understanding that allowed Thrall to beat his own fear, and from which Trag now draws enough strength to deny the Lich King's demands to kill him. Thrall offered him shelter and safety with the orcs, which Trag turned down; he knew even better than Arthas that his fear would have turned him into a monster, but can't fully trust himself around others just yet. He decided to continue to Northrend and ensure for himself that he will never become one of the Scourge, even if that means self-destruction. Thrall told him that a Horde fleet of ships on the nearby shores of Durotar would be sailing north soon, and offered a small Frostwolf clan mark should he need to contact orcs. Trag turned down the mark but thanked Thrall for the offer; he was kind to someone who might have killed him. Thrall admitted with a smile that he wouldn't have just stood there if Trag had tried, but had judged the tauren correctly. Thrall said he would ask the spirits to watch over Trag and to his surprise bid him farewell by name, even though Trag had not mentioned it.

Trag stowed away on one of the ships and reached Northrend. Even though he was almost sure that he would fail, more so that he would die, Trag was determined to meet his fate... without fear.

Sources

• Shadows of Ice - Volume Two of The Sunwell Trilogy
• Fallen - Volume One of Legends
• Fear - Volume Two of Legends
• Fiend - Volume Three of Legends