Tanchou Revantusk is a young forest troll of the Redwood Tribes. When his efforts are needed in defense of the Horde he will take up his bow and fight as any other headhunter would, but he much prefers to live a more laid-back life, tending to his pet snakes in the Undercity.
History[]
Tanchou has always been viewed as a bit of an outcast in the village of the Revantusk tribe, both for his quietness as a child and his pacifism and unorthodox choice of Loa as an adult. He never played much with the other Revantusk children his age, preferring to explore the wilds around the village alone, and meeting his first snake companion while exploring only cemented his desire to care for animals. The mysterious (and probably quite lost) serpent didn't stick around long before slithering back into the wild in the dead of night, but it sparked a lifelong interest in snakes within the young Tanchou.
As he aged, he would learn the way of the hunter from his mother, eventually becoming a deadly shot and valued marksman of the tribe... When he wasn't out catching more very lost snakes to study in his room. Even now he prefers not to kill other living creatures, but he harbours a slight distaste for (read: he's terrified of) wolves. Gnomes also give him the creeps - they're just too small and stunted.
It was suggested that when Tanchou came of age he would leave Lordaeron and join the Darkspear trolls in providing direct aid to the Horde, as a way of scouting out the faction for the tribe, and it was there that he learned of an array of snake Loa: Hethiss, Dambala and Ula-tek. He had heard whisperings of Dambala from the shadow hunters of his tribe, but never wanted to intrude on their practices, so having other snake Loa to choose from made him very happy indeed.
However, the heat of Durotar and the noise of its capital, Orgrimmar, would quickly get to him, and Tanchou would move within the much cooler stone walls of the Undercity, coming out on occasion to learn more about the Orcs and the Darkspear as the impulse takes him.
Officially he offers his service as a marksman in the name of the Horde, but he hates the way his battle armour rubs on his body and weighs down his shoulders, and - if he's honest - he doesn't really see much of an appeal in killing pinkskins for the sake of it.
Current Events[]
Tanchou has recently taken up herbalism, and along with this he has found a niche within the Undercity to start his snake sanctuary. Initially he was worried about the cooler temperatures and the snakes' inability to thermoregulate, but with his skill in engineering he created heat lamps for his beloved charges to bask under in place of the sun. The menagerie of serpents frolic and play, thriving on the fish that they are somehow able to snatch from the fetid water running through the city.
Tanchou operates his business in quiet competition with the cockroach vendor, Jeremiah Payson. As an aside, he has also been attempting to grow tea in his residence, but he isn't quite sure how to solve the photosynthesis problem yet. Maybe he'll try out hydroponics, first.
Having no plans to return permanently to his birthplace, he chooses to primarily worship the Gurubashi Loa, Hethiss, while making the occasional offering to Jan'alai, the Amani dragonhawk Loa, in the hope that she will protect his snakes' clutches and ensure their survival.
Tanchou, along with nineteen other Troll champions chosen by Shadra herself, ventured into Zul'Gurub to successfully put an end to the reign of the blood god, Hakkar the Soulflayer. Along the way, he helped to free the Gurubashi Loa from Hakkar's control, including his own Loa, Hethiss, whom he is elated to now occasionally hear whispers from again.
Personality[]
Tanchou possesses just the right amount of natural quietness and social awkwardness to make him come across as a bit of a bastard at first glance. He cares deeply for his snakes and his friends (in that order, he would be inclined to say), but he would do close to anything to imply otherwise. His mannerisms and the look in his eyes might convey to onlookers that he's a little feral and maybe shouldn't be trifled with, but at the end of the day he's as soft as the scales of a freshly-shed serpent.
However, despite his usual calm demeanour, when crossed he will strike quickly, without mercy, and often with stinging venom!...
...He also happens to be accompanied a vast majority of the time by a frighteningly violent wind serpent.
Appearance[]
Running through Silverpine Forest with Hecate, Hierophant and Balerion.
Tanchou is a fairly thin, pale green coloured troll, with muscular arms gained from extensive bow usage and longish, bright red hair that doesn't always do what he wants it to. He's a little more lanky than most other members of his tribe, and even at first glance he has an odd look to his face, with overgrown upper eyeteeth peeking out from his lips like fangs.
Like many trolls, Tanchou enjoys jewellery, wearing rings in the shape of snakes on his fingers and two shining gold studs in his right ear. Upon closer inspection one can see the other physical modifications the troll has made to his body - his pupils are slitted like those of a cat, and the tip of his tongue has been cut to form a fork shape. He also possesses a large, intricate snake tattoo on his back, but it can be difficult to see through his fur and the thin layer of moss covering it.
His outlandish attire is subject to minor change, usually, but one thing that absolutely stays is the goggles - he hates the way he looks when his fiery red mop is tucked away into a hat or hood, and he isn't exactly fond of his naturally orange eyes, either. (How does he fit all of that hair inside a hat, anyway?) He harbours a taste for extravagant robes and dresses, his favourite being bright green with the image of a spider emblazoned on the front and back.
While out hunting for skins and meat he will wear a much more muted outfit, consisting of a moss-green leather cape, trousers, belt and pauldrons, a decorated light leather chestpiece and a pair of Catseye Ultra Goggles a fellow Tribesman crafted for him.
Trivia[]
Tanchou's wind serpent and battle companion, Hierophant Green.
- Tanchou is a big snake lover, and he is accompanied in his travels across Azeroth by a large, green, somewhat vicious wind serpent by the name of Hierophant, and a much smaller, more placid black kingsnake he calls Balerion.
- Poisoned weapons are the best weapons.
- His favourite colours include red, green and purple.
- While harbouring a secret taste for gnome meat, he is somewhat of a pacifist - he will kill when he absolutely needs to, but he doesn't like to take unnecessary lives.
- Tanchou keeps more than just snakes! He likes to take random little critters he finds on his travels home with him, and his collection currently consists of a prairie dog, a tree frog, a white rat and - his current favourite - a Cornish Rex kitten. He also has two riding raptors, but he always keeps one boarded in the Sen'jin Village.
Extras[]
Balerion idling in the Ashenvale grass.
- Profile art credit - myself
- Screenshot credit - myself
- Tanchou's toyhou.se profile - includes a little more info specifically on his pets, along with more art and screenshots