Tauren Paladins

been there. done that.

Invisusira wrote:Tauren paladins are about as likely as native America Christians. (Pre-Columbus.)

We're playing in the post-Columbus Horde at this point - anything to swap from the puny Belf to the mighty cow!

Invisusira wrote:Invis is not pleased.

Why so serious?

First: No.
Second: No.
Third: No.

Cows are meant to be eaten!

Ebbitt wrote:First: Yay!
Second: Will transfer mine for the Horde (actually human)
Third: Ebbitt (not sure if i'll change the name)

This, except for the fact that I have two 80 paladins. >_>; So I suppose like a good blowjob, I'll work both sides.

Invisusira wrote:

fixed or.. wut

see also

Grehn|Skipjack wrote:

Invisusira wrote:

Dark Trepie wrote:If you ask me, Tauren Paladins make a whole lot more sense than Blood Elf Paladins.

It really doesn't, though. My main......................


BEEF?


is that Tauren are one of the LEAST likely races to become a paladin. Think about it. Theirs is a shamanistic society.

Tauren paladins are about as likely as native America Christians. (Pre-Columbus.)

Theirs is a druidic society, based around the balance of all things. They see a world watched over by the Earthmother, and her two eyes, An'she and Mu'sha. An'she is a deity represented by the sun, and Mu'sha is represented by the moon. The druids and Night Elves chiefly worship the deity the Tauren know as Mu'sha, or Elune.

The flip-side to that that hasn't been explored as of recent is that of An'she, the sun. It is believed that An'she may be the embodiment of what the Humans refer to as the Holy Light. If you think of it this way, it makes sense that to put things in balance, the tauren would be able to become at least priests along the same lines as Troll or Forsaken priests. It is then possible that with the clusterfuck that is the Silver Hand at the moment, and Tirion not being a xenophopic prick like the last Silver Hand, and with the Blood Elves, lead by Lady Liadrin, that the Tauren would be open and able to train as Paladins.

Before the Third War, the Tauren were a scattered people, nomads following the creatures they hunted to survive. When they joined the Horde and moved to a permanent location in Mulgore, that opened a lot of information about that world that wasn't open to them previously. Tauren have the virtue and the nobility of spirit to be Paladins. Probably far moreso than any other horde race.

Edit: Formatting. Didn't realize I typed up a wall of text.

On Priests...

The thing is, a Priest isn't just "lolLightandShadow." The Priests have always been the representation of the race/culture's beliefs. For the Humans/Dwarves/Draenei/Blood Elves, it's been the Holy Light. For the Night Elves, it's been the Sisterhood of Elune, for Forsaken, it's been the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, and for Trolls it's been faith in Voodoo and the Loa (with emphasis on the Loa). The Tauren have always believed in the Earthmother and guarding her creations, along with revering their honored ancestors. Their religion has always fallen under Druidism. They haven't been able to be "Priests" because Druids, essentially are their Priests. To make a separate sect of Priests would be to put that sect into worship of the Earthmother's Eyes. Which, really, is like the Draenei worshiping the Naaru, over the Light they herald. Could they? Sure. But it doesn't fit in with the rest of their society.

On Paladins...

Where a Priest would at least be "following the balance" by utilizing both Light and Shadow (Day and Night), a Paladin is a singular focus on the Light. There's no balance to be had here, there's no counter balance on the Night Elf side to this, and it's even more select than a Priest sect would be. I don't see how, while it might be possible for a Tauren to do such a thing, for it to be acceptable within their society. There's the rub. Magatha's already been seeding doubt (or at least trying to) on the basis of them changing much of their lifestyle/lore. It doesn't fit that when the tiny steps you've made have led to questionable results, you'd then move in a more extreme variant.

But hey, there's no sense in trying to bring lore into this. It's an excuse to broaden the spectrum of racial/faction changes, which means more money, and the Tauren were likely seen as the most benevolent and thus most the easiest to make up an excuse for.

The Priests have always been

The Tauren have always believed

Their religion has always

Ya? Times change. Get over it.

The earth was flat.
The atom was the smallest thing.
Pluto was a planet.

The world changes and evolves. What is to say that the World of Warcraft is any different. The only thing holding it back and causing problems are old codgers like you who think that WoW is a story to be told instead of an ever-changing world. The cataclysm itself has proven you wrong; has proven that the world and it's lore can change.

Get over it.

lmao, defensive much?

Yes, times change. Typically, a massive disaster will only strengthen a society's strength in belief of their particular religion. It really does make no sense that a catastrophic change would bring about an acceptance of a completely different religion in a deep-rooted shamanistic society.

Undead paladins would make much more sense. Sure, it would almost be blasphemous - and they could get some good story out of that, too. But, being fallen humans, it would work and make sense. Tauren just straight up don't.

Bottom line, Blizz just wants something and makes up the lore for it afterward. We all know this by now.

Invisusira wrote:Undead paladins would make much more sense. Sure, it would almost be blasphemous - and they could get some good story out of that, too. But, being fallen humans, it would work and make sense. Tauren just straight up don't.

So much this.

Forsaken seeking redemption in the light? Ok, you can get some epic storylines out of that. Forsaken seeking to harness the power of the god kept in the basement? Duh.

Undead paladins would make much more sense. Sure, it would almost be blasphemous - and they could get some good story out of that, too. But, being fallen humans, it would work and make sense. Tauren just straight up don't.

Testify. Undead Blood Knights would have been much much much better. And with the Lich King gone, and "vengeance against Arthas" last-year's-chapter, Forsaken could use a new and startling motivation. Undead still have room for an additional class though. /crosses fingers

However, I can dig Tauren Priests. Tahu mentions that Druidism is heavily influenced by Night Elven faith and by extension, the Night Elven Priesthood. All his talk of "balance" makes me think a small Tauren clergy COULD be made of malcontent Druids who seek to establish something of their own to balance the Night Elf influence. Tauren Priests might have nothing to do with An'she or Holy Light, or anything specific. Tahu's asking questions of spirituality, and will probably examine the faiths of his allies and enemies to help build a better Tauren system of belief. He's a disillusioned protagonist with a solid ethic. /highfive

Voldiir wrote:

The Priests have always been

The Tauren have always believed

Their religion has always

Ya? Times change. Get over it.

The earth was flat.
The atom was the smallest thing.
Pluto was a planet.

The world changes and evolves. What is to say that the World of Warcraft is any different. The only thing holding it back and causing problems are old codgers like you who think that WoW is a story to be told instead of an ever-changing world. The cataclysm itself has proven you wrong; has proven that the world and it's lore can change.

Get over it.

I'm all in favor of WoW taking place in a living, breathing world. An ever-changing world. A believable world. It has to be in order for it to be a decent story. The two are not mutually exclusive, they are symbiotic. To be a good story, it has to be a believable world, and to be a believable world, it has to be a story told well.

The problem is, while times change, and people change, they have to do so sensibly. People change, sure.

The Night Elves forsook anything Arcane in light of the War of the Ancients and the Cataclysm.
They also opened their borders in the light of the Third War, and joined the Alliance.

The Humans took up learning magic and allying with other races in light of troll aggression.
The Humans of Dalaran opened their gates to the Horde in light of the threats of Malygos and the Lich King.

The Blood Elves went from holding the Light as sacred as a result of interracial teachings, to reviling it in the wake of the Scourging, and back again in light of M'uru's sacrifice, all within the span of one expansion.

The Trolls gave up cannibalism for the sake of joining the Horde.

The Tauren took up shamanism and settled down in light of their newfound victory over the Centaur and bond with the Horde.

People change. But they need a good reason to.

Because in light of catastrophes, as Invis said, people tend to strengthen their convictions. The Druids of the Kaldorei held fast to their teachings after the Cataclysm, the Draenei have ever believed in the Light despite their ordeals, as have the Humans, and the Trolls believe in loa despite all that has happened to their empires.

When do they forsake their religions?

For Power, as with the Orcs.
Out of spite and disillusionment, as with the Belves/Forsaken.
And to seek new hope, as with the Draenei and Orcs of the New Horde.

I'm fine with change, if it is reasonably written, from a reasonable standpoint. This isn't that. What is it?

invisusira wrote:Blizz just wants something and makes up the lore for it afterward. We all know this by now.

That's what it is.

I'm fine with change, if it is reasonably written, from a reasonable standpoint. This isn't that. What is it?

TBH we don't know what it is, except the possibility that Aponi and a few other Tauren are Tirion Fordring fanbois. So we wait.