 Dorthar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Centaur |
| Affiliation(s) | Garad'kra, Horde |
| Status | Alive |
|
Dorthar is a centaur who, after being abandoned by his kind after the Cataclysm, helped the Garad'kra defeat Aratas and his centaur army. Dorthar went on to join the Horde himself, the first of his race to do so.
Biography[]
Dorthar originally comes from Desolace and claims to know the area better than anyone else.[1][2] He is smaller, weaker, and more misshapen than most centaur,[3] and he originally lacked the combat skills of the rest of his people.[4]
Malgar with the captive Dorthar.
Dorthar was one of the centaur who joined the army of the High Khan Aratas. While the army was camped in the Northern Barrens, a group of perfect ones led by Verdrak—whom Dorthar admired—took him out for a nightly patrol, only to then reveal that they planned to kill him as he was deemed to be too weak and repulsive to fit in Aratas' vision of a "pure" centaur race. The execution was interrupted when Malgar the orc appeared and killed the perfect ones. Dorthar, who had at first mistaken Malgar for the vengeful spirit of Zaetar himself, surrendered and told the orc about the perfect ones and their plan to conquer Azeroth. Malgar left Dorthar alive and returned to Aratas' camp[3] while Dorthar rejoined the centaur army.[5]
Dorthar in his original armor.
The following dawn, a battle erupted between the centaur and the Garad'kra militia. Dorthar hid away from the fighting[6] until Aratas tried to kill Malgar by throwing a spear at him. Dorthar saved the orc's life by jumping in front of him with his shield. The Garad'kra defeated Aratas' forces, but the khan himself escaped back to Desolace. Feeling abandoned by his kind, Dorthar approached the Garad'kra. He was nearly killed by Ashra Valandril until Malgar intervened, allowing Dorthar to tell the Garad'kra about how Aratas had enslaved many orcs and planned to invade Thunder Bluff and Orgrimmar with his army. Dorthar accompanied Malgar and the Garad'kra as they set out on a zeppelin journey to Desolace to stop Aratas.[7]
Shagara and Rada'jin bonding with Dorthar during a training session.
During the voyage, the Garad'kra's leader Shagara helped teach Dorthar how to fight and use his strengths and weaknesses to his advantage; she told him that although he was not as large and swift as other centaur, he had "the heart of a wolf". The rest of the Garad'kra soon joined in on the exercise, knitting the team closer together and training them to work as a unit. Dorthar also formed a friendship with Ironhoof the tauren, despite the long rivalry between their two peoples. Malgar noted the irony in the situation: the Garad'kra had set out to kill centaur, and yet it was a discarded centaur who brought them together.[8]
Dorthar swearing the Blood Oath of the Horde.
On arrival in Desolace, Dorthar provided Shagara and Ironhoof with information about the geography around Maraudon and helped them form a plan. While the Garad'kra confronted Aratas outside Maraudon, Dorthar and Malgar freed the orc slaves. Dorthar let Malgar do the fighting, since he couldn't bring himself to kill his fellow centaur. He then offered to lead the slaves to safety and convinced a reluctant Malgar to join his friends in the fight against Aratas.[9] With Malgar's help, the Garad'kra were able to defeat both Aratas and his elemental father, ending the centaur threat and saving the Horde.
Dorthar accompanied the Garad'kra back to Orgrimmar. Weeks after Aratas' defeat, in a ceremony in the Ring of Valor attended by Malgar and the rest of his new friends, Dorthar swore the Blood Oath of the Horde and joined the Garad'kra, thereby becoming the first centaur to join the Horde.[10]
Quotes[]
- "My body may be scarred, but my heart is as centaur as yours. I would willingly give my life if it served our kind."[3]
- Dorthar: "You should be beside your friends."
Malgar: "It is not my place."
Dorthar: "You are wrong. Malgar, nobody knows this land as I do. I will easily guide your people to freedom. I give you my word."[9]
Gallery[]
Fan art[]
Dorthar wielding Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury (unknown artist).
References[]
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 88
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 105
- ^ a b c Bloodsworn, pg. 62 - 65
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 92 - 94
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 70
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 81
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 85 - 90
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 92 - 98
- ^ a b Bloodsworn, pg. 102 - 105
- ^ Bloodsworn, pg. 140