Thrall's Role as a Mentor - "Trials" Short Story Analysis
Trials is a short story from the upcoming anthology book, The Voices Within. In this story by Jonathan Maberry, we examine Thrall's role as a mentor to his children and to the Horde.
Thrall, the Leader
Thrall is a character who needs little introduction, but we'll give him a lengthy one anyways. He has been Warchief of the Horde, World-Shaman of the Earthen Ring, Earth-Warder of the Black Dragonflight, Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, and a whole host of numerous titles in between. In all aspects, Thrall is the orc, and the iconic figurehead for the Horde both in-universe and out.
In the early days of his story, Thrall was the face of a new future for orcish culture. After losing themselves to demonic corruption and war, the once-shamanistic orcs who invaded Azeroth with the intent of conquest were reduced to prisoners sapped of their will in human internment camps. The generation of old felt shame for their misdeeds, and a new generation was raised from birth in shackles.
Among that new generation was Thrall, son to Durotan and Draka of the Frostwolf Clan. Young Thrall was found as a baby after his parents refused to continue perpetuating the Horde's crimes, and lost their lives for it. Brought up as a slave gladiator, Thrall knew little more than combat and cruelty — save for the aid of a human woman named Taretha. It was Taretha that gave him the opportunity to escape his shackles, which allowed him to find what remained of his people beyond the internment camps. He met characters like Grom Hellscream who taught him the orcish tongue, and Drek'thar who told him the truth of his heritage.
A young Thrall, as seen in Hearthstone.
In that time, Thrall became the first orcish shaman on Azeroth, and the first to embrace the elements since his people had fallen to corruption on
