User:Joshmaul/Grand Army of Kezan

The Grand Army of Kezan is a somewhat grandiosely-named organization of mercenaries who live on the fringes of "society", serving only themselves and living under any roof that will take them. They do not seek conquest, but are merely trying to make a living for themselves in a world torn apart by the Cataclysm.

Their leader, Kitrik the Assassin, is a goblin associated with the Bilgewater Cartel. After a brief stint of service in the blood elf House of Whitehair alongside his brother Kellik, Kitrik returned home to Kezan after the shamans prophecied a potential "change" in the world of Azeroth, a change that would affect the goblin people. He explained to his brother that he wished to ensure there was a Kezan to return to after the war with the Lich King. Upon his return to the lower (and warmer) continents, Kitrik recruited anyone who would follow him and then made his way back to Kezan, where the waiting began for the axe to fall - and for the disaster the seers had predicted to begin.

Though Kitrik primarily operates under the aegis of the Horde - with his cartel allied with them, and he and his fellow goblins operating out of Horde-controlled Azshara - the Grand Army is neutral and welcomes all races. Kitrik is hesitant, however, when it comes to inducting draenei, and he has given many reasons, the most oft-used being that "they're goofy-lookin'"; in private, he admits that he does not believe the draenei to be any different from their eredar kinsmen in the Burning Legion, seeing them as manipulators who seek to direct the other races (those of the Alliance they are affiliated with, primarily) for their own ends.

Primary Races

 * Goblins: The name of the organization and the fact its leader is a goblin gives a strong indication of this race's influence in the Grand Army. Despite the goblins - or at least the Bilgewater Cartel - being members of the Horde, Kitrik maintains his traditional neutrality, selling his services to the highest bidder. Goblins are the largest racial group in the Grand Army, and can be found in all corners of the world of Azeroth - from the South Seas to Northrend. The Assassin's Shield, Kitrik's personal guard, is made up entirely of his fellow goblins.
 * Night elves: Surprisingly, one of the largest minorities in the Grand Army are night elves, particularly those who tire of Alliance politics (particularly the heavy-handedness of the King of Stormwind, the self-appointed "leader" of the Alliance, and the revelations of corruption in the highest levels of the Darnassian government).
 * Blood elves: Like their kaldorei cousins, the sin'dorei are generally those who are tired of the politics, though primarily it is the politics of Quel'Thalas rather than of the greater Horde (though the increasing hostility shown by Garrosh Hellscream is a constant worry). What is surprising, given their track record, is that many of these blood elves are former members of the House of Whitehair, particularly soldiers in their guard force. There are some members of the House of Shadowsun, the exiled Minor House formerly indentured to the Whitehairs, who have also joined the Grand Army to escape the service of the warlock Joshmaul.
 * Forsaken: The free undead are notoriously fickle with their loyalties, given the recent rebellion against Dark Lady Sylvanas Windrunner. Former Deathstalkers, survivors of Sylvanas' purges against that order after Varimathras' betrayal, have been found in the ranks of the Grand Army. After the defeat of the Scourge and the increasing chaos following the Shattering, many Forsaken from all walks of un-life have rescinded their allegiances to Sylvanas in protest of her increasingly genocidal campaigns in Lordaeron and Gilneas. Their major concern is the unrestricted usage of the Forsaken Blight, banned by Thrall following the massacre at the Wrathgate.
 * Worgen: Following Lord Darius Crowley's surrender to Sylvanas, more than a few members of the Gilneas Liberation Front became disenchanted with the seemingly futile efforts to retake their shattered homeland. Many of these worgen, their morale destroyed by the defeats at the hands of Sylvanas and Lord Crowley's quick capitulation just to save his daughter, decided to leave Gilneas altogether and join the Grand Army. While reluctant to write off the effort to free Gilneas from the Forsaken as a lost cause, these fearsome fighters have ultimately bowed to the reality of the situation and have decided to look at the "larger picture", such as the ongoing battle against Twilight's Hammer.
 * Death knights: While not considered a race per se, death knights have their own niche in the world of Azeroth - or at least they did until the death of the Lich King. With the Ebon Blade's purpose fulfilled, its ranks were scattered in the services of the Alliance and Horde. Those who remained above politics, however, ended up either going completely rogue and killing everything they encountered, or joining mercenary groups. As such, a surprising number of death knights have been found in the ranks of the Grand Army - Kitrik is not as set against the living dead as others, being of the opinion that if they could wield a weapon or magic, and serve at his command, they were more than welcome.