When Guchulag joins the Earthen Ring at age 27, he spends a lot of time learning about the elements and other aspects of shamanism. He is required to go through a series of trials in order to win the partnership of different elementals.

He chose to go through the Earth trial first, and the Earth Fury charged him with the task of freeing an unhappy earth elemental from its enslavement by a rogue dark shaman. The earth elemental was compelled to fight Guchulag, and the troll was tossed around, battered and bruised but ultimately managed to free the elemental. Because of Guchulag’s willingness to sacrifice himself, the earth elemental pledged to ally with him. Of Guchulag’s four elemental partners, Rumble is the one he feels closest to, the steady one who always has his back.