The Highmountain Tauren

Long ago, during the War of the Ancients, a tribe of tauren would distinguish themselves and be given a gift by Cenarius. These tauren are the next race we’ll be looking at; the Highmountain tauren.

For generations before the Legion’s arrival, the mountain tauren of the area called Highmountain fought with each other for dominance. Four tribes sought to control the passes and peaks of the mountain range, the Bloodtotems, Rivermanes, Highmountains, and Skyhorns. The Bloodtotem tribe were vicious warriors, but cruel and unwelcoming. The Rivermanes were peaceful, focusing on farming and shamanism. The Skyhorms were daring, taking the the skies on great eagles. It is from the Highmountain tribe that the region would get its name after the Great Sundering.

As the War of the Ancients rages, and the tauren fought alongside the kaldorei, furbolgs, earthen, and the Wild Gods, one tauren war leader proved himself above all others; Huln Highmountain He successfully led all four tribes into battle and helped stop Legion advances numerous times. His most important battle during the war was when he came to the defense of Eche’ro, the great moose Wild God. As a reward for their bravery, Cenarius gifted Huln and the four tribes with a symbol of his favor in honor or their rescue of Eche’ro; moose antlers instead of their normal tauren horns. From that day on, every member of the four tribes would grow moose antlers.

After the war, Huln would again lead his people as they used a titanic artifact to banish the now-corrupted and mad black dragon aspect Neltharion (now Deathwing) from their lands. In doing so, Huln also freed the drogbars, a race of powerful cave-dwellers, from their slavery to Deathwing. Many of these drogbar would go on to become allies of the tauren.

In honor of their leader’s accomplishments and sacrifices, the four tribes named their homeland Highmountain, after the tribe of Huln, and since then, the Highmountain name has been one of prominence among the tauren of Highmountain.

During the events of Legion, the unity of the Highmountain tauren would be shattered when the Bloodtotem tribe makes a deal with the Legion, betraying their fellow tauren. Eventually, the Bloodtotems would be replaced by the Stonedark drogbar, after the heroes of the Horde and Alliance helped the Highmountain tauren to overcome the Legion’s machinations.

In the aftermath of the Legion conflict, Mayla Highmountain, chieftain of Highmountain, would seek to reunite with her people in the Horde, the tauren of Kalimdor. The heroes of the Horde help her overcome an eldritch incursion in Highmountain. The would take part in the Fourth War, but would have reservations about Sylvanas Windrunner’s actions, eventually taking part in the rebellion against her.

Highmountain tauren can play as warriors, death knights, hunters, shamans, druids, and monks.

Highmountain racial bonuses are based off of their reliance on their mountain homeland, and of course, their great size and power.

1. Bull Rush. Every 2 minutes a Highmountain can charge forward for 1 second, knocking down enemies for 1.5 seconds.

2. Pride of the Ironhorn. The Ironhorn clan of Highmountain are natural miners. Mining skill starts at 15 points rather than 1, and also mines faster.

3. Mountaineer. Life in the high altitudes and harsh landscapes have made Highmountain tauren a hardy people. Versatility increased by 1%.

4. Rugged Tenacity. Highmountain toughness allows these tauren to take less damage from attacks than others.

5. Waste Not, Want Not. Highmountain tauren leave no supplies or food behind to waste. Change to get extra meat and fish when looting.

Highmountain tauren offer a fresh set of racials and a unique side-story for players who want a tauren with some extra flair. They also have a very nice home zone in Highmountain, on the Broken Isles.  Besides, who wouldn’t want to play as a giant, imposing moose-man?