Wow Tauren RPG

The tauren possess a structure of spiritual hierarchy. The most talented and powerful shaman traditionally hold positions of power, though rulership is not limited to spellcasters. Shaman interpret the voice of the Earth Mother and the wishes of the ancestors; sometimes these interpretations lead to the rise of hunters and warriors in the tribe. Such is the case with Cairne Bloodhoof, the former chieftain. The leader of a tribe uses the title "chief" and/or "chieftain." The three most powerful healers in the tribe support the chief, the most powerful of whom takes the title "seer." A chief generally consults his seer and her two contemporaries before making a decision, but this consultation is not required. The leader of the United Tauren Tribes — Baine Bloodhoof, these days — also uses the title "chieftain." During council meetings, chiefs make recommendations to the chieftain, but again the final decision is the chieftain's alone to make. "Chief," "chieftain", and "seer" are genderless titles. Aged female shaman sometimes take the title of "crone" or "elder crone", which others use as a sign of respect.

The language of the tauren is often harsh and low sounding, which is reflected in the names of their children. The last name of a tauren is usually a family name, handed down through the generations. If the tauren has performed some act that has made an impression on the elders of his tribe, however, he may choose to take on his own last name to commemorate that act.[122] Tauren have several names. They receive a name at birth and another during a ceremony to celebrate reaching adulthood. This adult name describes some event in their lives or some notable individual characteristic: for instance, Blackhide, Earthborn, Halfhorn, Hidemaker, Riverwatcher, Scar, Splithoof, Stormchaser, or Windrunner. A tauren may also acquire a third name that he uses when dealing with outsiders.[128]

Male Names: Azok, Bron, Turok, Garaddon, Hruon, Jeddek. Female Names: Argo, Serga, Bessey, Beruna, Halfa. Family Names: Darkthorn, Thunderhoof, Stormhorn, Quillsplitter, Stonebreaker, Plainstalker, Spiritwalker.

Yaungol

Main article: Yaungol Though previously indicated to be an ancient offshoot of the tauren race, the yaungol are actually the ancestors of both the tauren and the taunka. Unlike the two offshoot groups, the yaungol remained in the land later known as Pandaria, even after the Great Sundering separated them from their northern cousins. As a result of living in the harsh Townlong Steppes, a land they are forced to share with the dreaded mantid, the yaungol are a much more violent people than their tauren or taunka descendants, using oil and fire to succeed in battle. They were introduced in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria.

Taunka

Main article: Taunka An ancient offshoot of the yaungol race dwelling in Northrend, the taunka were thought to have been lost forever but were rediscovered by orcish forces based in Warsong Hold. Due to dwelling in the unforgiving frozen wastes of Northrend, the taunka have taken to commanding the elements by force rather than asking them for aid. However, much like the tauren, the taunka have chosen to ally themselves with the Horde. They were introduced in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.

Highmountain tauren

Main article: Highmountain tauren Direct descendants of the tauren led by Huln Highmountain who fought in the War of the Ancients, the Highmountain tauren have lived in peace in the region of Highmountain on the Broken Isles for millennia, until the shamanistic drogbar rose up and stole the [Hammer of Khaz'goroth], shattering their unity. They were introduced in World of Warcraft: Legion.

Harpies have clashed with the tauren on several occasions. During the Third War, a group of harpies from the Stonetalon Mountains started poaching the tauren's precious kodo herds, slaughtering them mercilessly and leaving the beasts to rot in the sun. The threat was only dealt with once Rexxar set out to kill the witches.[68] The Windfury harpies are one of the tauren's natural enemies in Mulgore,[116] and the shu'halo collect their feathers for ceremonial headdresses.[58] The tauren take pride as the protector of the Stonetalon Mountains, which unsurprisingly caused them to come into conflict with the nearby Bloodfury harpies.

The vicious, boar-like quilboar have long clashed with both the centaur and the tauren over land and food.[109] One tauren group inhabited the southern parts of the Barrens for decades and considered the land to be holy, but they were driven off by the quilboar. While some tauren were able to forgive being driven from their ancestral lands, others, such as Auld Stonespire, were not and considered the quilboar's actions to be a sin worthy of the most severe revenge.[110]

The Bristleback tribe have long been at war with the tauren of Red Cloud Mesa, ambushing hunting parties and stealing from the village by dark.[111] For years they encroached on Camp Narache, and the great Cataclysm finally drove them from their dens to spread like locusts across the land.[112] Chief Squealer Thornmantle set upon Greatmother Hawkwind and took her life.[113] The thorncallers began calling up great roots to choke out all other life in the mesa,[114] and the Bristlebacks began training wild boars to be used against the tauren.[115] A band of Bristleback quilboar also began ravaging the Red Rocks, the holy burial ground of the tauren.[44]

Due to a drought that struck Central Kalimdor shortly after the Shattering, a group of quilboar began raiding Horde caravans and water shipments. Though Warchief Garrosh and his Kor'kron tried to put an end to the quilboar with force, it was Baine and Hamuul who resolved the conflict by creating a new river for the quilboar to take their water from.[83]

Although centaur, tauren, and quilboar all hate each other, the three races come together to do trade at Flayers' Point in Desolace. But there is no love lost between them, and brawls erupt like clockwork every five minutes, earning the trading post the nickname "Slayers' Point".

Tauren and centaur tribes have long feuded with each other over the lands that the two nomadic races shared. The centaur are known for their brutality and savagery, but support from the Horde has turned the conflict in the tauren's favor, allowing them not only to survive but also to prosper.[106] The barbaric centaur over-hunted giraffes for decades, but it was the tauren who saved them from extinction.[107] The tauren claim that the centaur have always existed to scourge the land,[14] even though the shu'halo were actually indirectly responsible for the centaur's creation by awakening Theradras.[11]

Despite this, friendship between a tauren and a centaur can be made as seen with Ironhoof and Dorthar.

The Grimtotem "Some see our people as gentle giants, or noble savages. They have never seen us fight against our own kind... against betrayers from within. The Grimtotem were offered mercy in exile, and they have scarred their own home to spite us. They will no longer be tolerated in Mulgore."[103] — Baine Bloodhoof The Grimtotem tribe stand as an aggressive extreme of the usually pacifistic tauren, wishing to eradicate the "lesser races" from Kalimdor and to retake the tauren's long lost ancestral holdings.[104] Even before their exile, the Grimtotem showed open hostility towards the other tribes, going so far as to attack the settlement of Freewind Post and almost eradicate an entire village in Stonetalon.[105]

After the battle for Thunder Bluff and the exile of the treacherous Grimtotem, they sought to ruin Mulgore itself as they were driven out, sending a force led by Orno Grimtotem through the Stonetalon Pass and poisoning several sacred tauren water wells throughout Mulgore.

Of all the Alliance races, the night elves are the ones with the best relations to the tauren, due to their shared druidic tradition and connection to nature. Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem strives for diplomacy and willingly works side by side with the night elf druids in the Cenarion Circle.[98] The tauren have shown an incredible propensity to the tenets of Cenarius, and by their proxy the Horde is welcomed within the safety of Moonglade. The preservation of Azeroth is a common goal that the two races both share.[99] One notable example of close friendship between shu'halo and kaldorei is that of Tholo Whitehoof and Anren Shadowseeker. However, despite the bond between the two races, there are some tauren who believe that the night elves' pride still limits their sight.[100] Prior to the War of the Shifting Sands, the night elves and the tauren had apparently been involved in a blood feud dating back centuries.[101] Some of the kaldorei during the War of the Ancients, such as Desdel Stareye, also seemed to regard the tauren who came to their aid as barbaric and uncivilized in nature, although this attitude seems to have considerably lessened over the millennia.

The Grimtotem tribe, after being driven from Mulgore, briefly allied with the Alliance in the Stonetalon Mountains,[102] but the pact was broken shortly afterwards.

The tauren are not as hostile to the Alliance as some of the other races that comprise the Horde,[90] though many Alliance members consider them to be little more than beasts.[91] Varian Wrynn notes that the tauren are the only Horde race that do not make him want to immediately reach for his weapon, but they, too, have made themselves untrustworthy by siding with the orcs.[92]

Tauren have poor relations with the dwarves of Ironforge, as the dwarves' constant digging in the earth has caused them to come into conflict with the tauren. The tauren see their digging as scarring the Earth Mother, and that the dwarves are hollowing and defiling the land.[93][94][95] The Stonespire tribe of tauren were nearly wiped out by the dwarves of Bael'dun Keep, and as a result Gann Stonespire, one of the few survivors, severed all ties with the Horde and went rogue to exact vengeance or die trying.[21] The tauren don't seem to get along well with the Wildhammer clan, either, as it was their gryphon riders that firebombed Camp Taurajo.[96] Roon Wildmane and Hemet Nesingwary is one of the few cases of friendship despite the enmity between the two races.[97]

Of all the Alliance races, the night elves are the ones with the best relations to the tauren, due to their shared druidic tradition and connection to nature. Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem strives for diplomacy and willingly works side by side with the night elf druids in the Cenarion Circle.[98] The tauren have shown an incredible propensity to the tenets of Cenarius, and by their proxy the Horde is welcomed within the safety of Moonglade. The preservation of Azeroth is a common goal that the two races both share.[99] One notable example of close friendship between shu'halo and kaldorei is that of Tholo Whitehoof and Anren Shadowseeker. However, despite the bond between the two races, there are some tauren who believe that the night elves' pride still limits their sight.[100] Prior to the War of the Shifting Sands, the night elves

The Horde

"The world is torn, and our Horde allies have turned down dark paths. We must guide them. Even in the darkest hour, we will bravely hold our heads high, and honor the Earth Mother in all we do."[81] — Baine Bloodhoof The tauren remain stalwart allies of the Horde, even after Cairne's death. The Grimtotem tribe, is, in fact, the only tribe to have never formally joined the Horde.[82] When a great drought struck Horde-controlled lands in Kalimdor and quilboar raids became frequent, Garrosh demanded that the tauren deliver water from Mulgore to Durotar. The Farwanderers tribe, who were not used to remaining static, disapproved of Garrosh's rule and Baine's passive obedience at the Warchief's every command, and so considered leaving Mulgore. However, they were eventually convinced to remain in Mulgore, and the Horde, after Baine dealt with the quilboar problem.[83]

Following the destruction of Camp Taurajo, a group of tauren were unsatisfied with Baine's rule, and so the High Chieftain banished them from Thunder Bluff but did not take further action. Despite this, the tauren tribes retain respect for their High Chieftain.[84]

The Forsaken When Sylvanas Windrunner sent out emissaries to various factions in order to protect her budding nation, the Forsaken, the kind-hearted tauren of Thunder Bluff proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem saw the potential for redemption in Sylvanas' people, even though he was fully aware of the Forsaken's sinister nature. Thus, the tauren convinced Warchief Thrall, despite his misgivings, to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde.[85] There are some tauren, such as the Elder Council, that wish to cure the Forsaken,[86] and Bena Winterhoof, who wept when first seeing the undead, claims that she was given a mission by the Earth Mother herself to save their new undead allies from their curse.[87]

Earthen Ring — A worldwide organization of the most powerful shaman on Azeroth, originally founded by tauren shaman. Elder Council — Ruling council of the Earthen Ring. Also functions as a governing council in Thunder Bluff.[20] Longwalkers — Scouts and messengers who serve only Baine, and before him, Cairne. Outrunners — An organization dedicated to ensuring the safety of all who travel through Mulgore's plains.[78] Seers — An order of tauren priests formed in the wake of the Cataclysm. Led by Tahu Sagewind. Sunwalkers — An order of tauren paladins formed in the wake of the Cataclysm. They are the most militant branch of the tauren armies within the Horde.[79] Led by Aponi Brightmane. Tauren are found as members in a multitude of independent organizations, most notably the Cenarion Circle and the Twilight's Hammer cult. Some individuals are adventuring explorers such as Trag Highmountain (who was one of the first tauren to appear in Lordaeron and the Eastern Kingdoms) and the ancient Watcher Xarantaur, who is assisting the bronze dragonflight. Over the years, some pirates had journeyed to Kalimdor and recruited or impressed various tauren into their crews,[80] and shu'halo pirates can be found as members of the Blackwater Raiders, Bloodsail Buccaneers, Northsea Freebooters and the Dread Crew, just to name a few. As such, these criminal tauren were among the first to appear in the Eastern Kingdoms, and some even call Rustberg Village of Tol Barad home, becoming fishermen. A sole tauren was also a member of the infamous Defias Brotherhood.

Tribes/clans

Bloodhoof tribe — Leading tauren tribe within the Horde. Led by Baine Bloodhoof. Dawnchaser tribe — Tribe who set out to find Pandaria. Led by Sunwalker Dezco. Dawnstrider tribe Farwanderers tribe — Considered leaving the Horde due to disapproving of Garrosh's rule. Led by Greyhoof Farwanderer. Grimtotem tribe / clan — Renegade tribe, known for being much more aggressive than other tauren. Led by Magatha Grimtotem. Highmountain tribe — Led by Ornamm or Sulamm. It's unclear if this tribe has any relation to the Highmountain tauren. Ironhoof tribe - According to Durgan One-God, the tauren of Old Ironhoof live in the Desolace area called the Last Forest.[77] Ragetotem tribe Skychaser tribe — Spiritual leaders of tauren shaman. Wiped out by the Grimtotem. Steelrage tribe Stonehoof tribe Thunderhorn clan / tribe Wildmane clan Winterhoof tribe Tribemother Torra's unnamed tribe whose members perished during the Siege of Orgrimmar and the Battle for Broken Shore. Note: These may not all represent tribes, but only special names given later in life or surnames.

Clawhoof Cliffwalkers — Dwell on top of Cliffwalker Post in Stonetalon Mountains. Led by High Chieftain Cliffwalker. Cloudsongs — Took on the role of spiritual leaders after the Skychaser tribe was wiped out by the Grimtotem. Darkmane Eagletalon tribe Hawkwind tribe - Chief Hawkwind's tribe from Camp Narache Longstride Mistrunner Runetotem clan — Tonga Runetotem describes Mura Runetotem as a clanmate. Skyseer Stonespire tribe — Gann Stonespire was a member of a tribe that was mostly wiped out by the dwarves of Bael'dun Keep. Wheathoof Whitecloud Wildrunner Windtotem Younghoof

Tauren are large, muscular humanoids with bull-like heads. Tauren are mostly muscle, having incredibly developed physiques and brawny frames most suitable for combat. Soft, downy fur (usually quite short) covers the tauren body, with manes growing along head and neck, the lengths of the arms, and the shins. Tauren men and women almost always wear their hair long, and the males prefer braids to any other style. Coloration can range from solid black to blond and even to white, or mottled pelts with a range of spots and different colors.

Tauren are large, muscular humanoids and bovine in appearance, complete with hooves and horns. They weigh anywhere from 400 to 800 pounds.[citation needed] Their immense bodies are covered with fine, short fur that ranges in color from black to gray to white to red to brown to tan and any mottled combinations or variations thereof. When tauren grow old, their pelts start to become dotted with gray.[74] During the summer months, tauren use their ears and tails to flick off flies.[18]

Fleet Master Seahorn remarks that most non-tauren find them indistinguishable from one another. In fact, most non-tauren find them indistinguishable from a certain four-legged farm creature.[75]

Tauren can see in the dark better than humans.[76] Horns are most prominent on males, although all tauren have horns. Tauren wear natural clothing — leather or hide, and some cloth. They prize jewelry, designing fine trinkets of ivory, bone and amber. From these materials they make bracelets or necklaces, and sometimes adorn their horns or locks with such beautiful displays of artistry.

Tauren speak taur-ahe and orcish.

Here follows a sampling of tauren names taken from World of Warcraft and the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.

Sample male names: Motah, Ahul, Varg, Dezco, Turak, Helaku, Hurnahet, Torwa, Huum Sample female names: Tamaala, Winnoa, Chepi, Hahrana, Kamu, Torra, Jyn, Isashi, Tawn Sample last names: Ragetotem, Huntsworn, Lighthoof, Hawkseye, Dawnchaser, Thunderhorn, Winterbluff The Dawnchaser tribe have a rare tradition of giving their newborn "weaning names" until they are old enough to receive a true name.

Tauren halberds are used by tauren chieftains. Tauren halberd When roused by battle, the gigantic tauren chieftains employ enormous halberds that are capable of tearing through solid trees with one mighty swipe.[1]

The weapons are not limited only to chieftains as Kaw the Mammoth Destroyer had one. Tauren use the axe head and spear-like spike of this traditional weapon to devastating effect. Wise opponents keep their distance from anybody strong enough and furious enough to carry this gigantic halberd. The hook on the back of the halberd can be used to make trip attacks.[2]

Spiritwalkers can use tauren halberds and tauren totems. A Thunderous Brave with a totem weapon in the War of the Thorns. Tauren totems are both a weapon and a building used by the tauren.

They are also called totem poles and represent a link to the tauren's past. The carvings provide a focus for shamanic arts or illustrate stories of famous events or heroic tales,[1] becoming symbols of triumphs and trials of the warrior they are given to.

The unique pair of massive wooden totems strapped to the backs of tauren braves are a common but impressive sight. When a brave falls in a battle, a member of their family makes their mark on the totem, adding a new life to the story.[2] When roused, tauren are fierce fighters and use their mighty totems to smash their enemies into the dust of the plains.[3]

"Tauren" units use totems as weapons in battle. After Cairne's death, his son Baine took up his enormous totem as his own.[4] As all of Cairne's weapons were blessed by a shaman, this would allow the totem to strike and harm incorporeal spirits as if they were any solid opponent.[5]

If this massive weapon looks like it's an intricately carved tree trunk, that’s because it is. The tauren prefer to spend their time decorating and meditating on their totems, but they are also perfectly willing to hit foes over the head with them. Said foes quickly learn the error of disturbing a meditating tauren.[6]

The kodos are the racial mount of the tauren. Swifter and slightly smaller than their wild cousins, kodo mounts nevertheless demonstrate the same resilience and fearlessness found in their untamed brethren, traits that serve them well when bearing their equally resolute riders.[67] When the tauren settled in Mulgore, they also brought the kodos with them.[68] Many kodos hold a special bond with the benevolent tauren race.

Like rest of the Horde in Kalimdor, the tauren use wyverns, which they consider sacred,[69] as their flying mounts.

Brown Prairie Dogs are their racial pets.

The shu'halo use pine nuts in most dishes: meat, fish, vegetables, even baked into breads or sprinkled over sweet pastries. The very best pine nuts come from the trees upon the very mesas of Thunder Bluff.[59] The fine and noble spice bread of Thunder Bluff is traded in countless settlements in the most far-away lands, even by the tauren's staunchest foes.[60] One of Thunder Bluff's most important staples is cornmeal; bowls of corn may be found in nearly every home,[61] and cornmeal biscuits, once merely a staple food among the tauren tribes in Mulgore, have traveled along various trade routes and are now enjoyed in many regions across Azeroth.[62] One of the great delicacies of Mulgore is the crayfish that dwell in lakes and streams. They are particularly popular during weddings or the celebration of a birth.[63]

When the Alliance allied with the Grimtotem tribe in Stonetalon Mountains, Force Commander Valen asked "Cookie" McWeaksauce to cook up the finest of tauren cuisine; an offering no tauren, "not even a grim tauren", could refuse.[64] It consisted of eagle eggs, ram meat and a special cheese kept by the local kobolds.[65]

[Thunder Bluff Marzipan] is a traditional tauren Hallow's End treat.[66]

The totem poles of the tauren people represent a link to their past. The carvings provide a focus for shamanic arts or illustrate stories of famous events or heroic tales.[50] Tauren villages use smoke signals to coordinate hunts over great distances, or, occasionally, to signal distress.[51] One respectful greeting gesture of the tauren is to touch one's heart, then forehead.[52][53] A tauren salute is carried out by placing their hand on their chest, over their heart, and stamping on the ground.[18] Another respectful gesture is to incline one's head (though this might look to other races as if the tauren is about to charge).[54] An ancient tauren custom at the beginning of peace talks is to share a ceremonial pipe among the participants. The pipe is filled with herbs, lit, and subsequently passed from person to person, with each individual being encouraged to think on what they hope to achieve with the meeting.[55] During one meeting with fellow Horde members, Baine Bloodhoof advocated the use of a speaking stick — a branch with feathers, beads, and bits of bone tied around it. Only the person holding the stick was allowed to speak.[56] Young tauren perform the Rites of the Earthmother in order to become braves and gain the respect of elders in Thunder Bluff. These Rites consist of the following: Rite of Strength: the first ceremony, proving physical strength. Rite of Courage: to prove bravery in the face of the enemy. Rite of Honor: to uphold the honor of your people. Rite of the Winds: willingness to seek the unknown. Rite of Vision: willingness to follow the guidance of the spirits. Rite of Wisdom: to honor one's ancestors. After completing the Rites, the brave must continue proving their worth in order to retain their status.[57] One ceremony apparently involves a tauren presenting themselves before the High Chieftain whilst wearing a special feathered headdress. At least one of their siblings is required to witness the ceremony.[58]

The tauren and their shamanistic understanding of winter, along with their recent emergence into druidic endeavors, fit in well with the legend of Winter Veil. They focus almost entirely on the renewing aspects of the lore however, leaving legend worship to those races (as they view it) less in tune with the nature of things. Many tauren choose this time as the right time to give thanks for the blessings of their new home in Mulgore.[48] Some tauren disapprove of the modern Winter Veil celebrations, claiming that the goblins have "polluted" the true meaning of the holiday.

Each tauren tribe has its own rites to honor their dead, but nearly all perform their rituals at Red Rocks. The tribes differ in their sacred tinder for the funeral pyre. The Eagletalon tribe uses earthroot, the Bloodhoof tribe prefers peacebloom. The ceremonies themselves are focused on the same thing: sending off beloved family and braves to be reunited with their gods, the Earth Mother and Sky Father.[43]

Once the proper rites have been performed, the spirits of the deceased join the Earth Mother to find peace,[41][42] and deceased tauren ancestors are welcomed at the "hearth of the ancestors".[45] It is believed that the spirits of dead tauren walk in the shadow of the Spirit of Life.[35]

It is customary for a widow, child, or grandchild to keep a pyrestone from the funeral pyre of an especially loved one. These stones are carried in a pocket and rubbed for courage, comfort, or in remembrance of a lost companionship.[46]

The Dawnchaser tribe believes that honored ancestors who gave their own lives to save, or create, other lives become yeena'e ("those who herald the dawn" in Taur-ahe) — spirits who aid An'she in announcing the coming of dawn

“Earth Mother, into your arms we give one of our own. She is Unaya Hawkwind, my mother, and Greatmother to us all; the wisest of our tribe. May her spirit fly to you swiftly; may the winds carry her gently, and the grass whisper her name. Watch over her as she has watched over us; let her look down on us with joy, through the eternal gaze of An'she and Mu'sha, until we too join her in death. For we are all born of you, and shall all return to you.”

— Chief Hawkwind during the funeral ceremony of Greatmother Hawkwind[41] The tauren consider death to merely be the shadow of life and hold that the ending of things is as natural as the birth of them.[35]

Despite now having a permanent home in Thunder Bluff, the tauren choose not bury their dead,[35][42] as they keep many traditions they held during their travels across Kalimdor.[43] Rather, they prepare the body for its return to the elements and place it at one of their sacred grave sites.[42] Only the most valiant tauren are laid to rest at Red Rocks, the tauren's sacred burial ground. It is an honor bestowed upon the great warriors who helped found and defend Thunder Bluff and those who have given their lives for the greater good of their tribes and chieftains.[44]

When a tauren is cremated, it is done with ceremony and ritual. The body of the deceased is ritually bathed and wrapped in a ceremonial blanket before being placed atop a pyre, after which a fire is lit beneath them. The ashes are offered to the winds and rivers, to become one with Earth Mother and Sky Father. As the ashes fall to the earth and the smoke rises to the sky, both the Earth Mother and Sky Father welcome the honored dead, and An'she and Mu'sha witness their passing.[34] This death ritual speaks of the tauren's origins as nomads, and if their loved ones are freed to the wind and fire, they can wander in death as they did in life if they so choose.[35]

Each tauren tribe has its own rites to honor their dead, but nearly all perform

Corn pollen is used in ceremonies that involve life, whereas the dust from cremated tauren is used in rituals of the dead. The tauren believe that the Earth Mother weaves the strands of fate. Darkness is not considered evil by the tauren, for it is a naturally occurring thing, and therefore right. Believed to be the ill omen of a coming age, white tauren are held in near reverence by their people, often becoming reclusive priests who wander the land in search of kindred spirits. Tauren legends abound regarding the great horned kodos of Kalimdor's Barrens. Some myths tell of rare kodos that are bound to the spirits of the sky and storm, thus allowing the colossal beasts to harness the powers of lightning itself. Sun rocs feature prominently in primitive tauren mythological cycles. Shu'halo ancient myth tells of three powerful artifacts — [The Rattle of Bones], [The Drums of War] and [The Writ of History]. If the tales are to be believed, they were gifts from the Earth Mother herself. The tauren chieftains hold such sacred bonds with their Earthmother that they can actually be reincarnated after they die in combat. Though this ability is very rare, it makes the wise, benevolent chieftains a dangerous foe to threaten.

The tauren worship the Earth Mother as their creator. According to the tauren myth Sorrow of the Earthmother, when the Earth Mother saw her children falling to the corrupting whispers from below the earth, (the work of the Old Gods)[31] she tore out her eyes and set them spinning endlessly across the sky. Her left eye became Mu'sha, the moon, and her right eye became An'she, the sun. Neither of both is better than the other, and together they see with balanced vision - they are the tauren's own "Light".

The earliest history of the tauren is recorded in a series of myths. These chronicle the period of time from the creation of the world to the appearance of the centaur, speaking of the creation of the tauren by the Earthmother, their meeting with Cenarius, and the coming of the centaur.

Due to night elven influence, tauren druids long revered only Mu'sha, as Mu'sha is considered to be the tauren equivalent of the kaldorei moon goddess, Elune. During the War against the Lich King, the warrior Aponi Brightmane engaged in a theological discussion about this matter with Tahu Sagewind. Aponi pointed out that in all else, the tauren strived for balance, and she wondered if they had neglected a key aspect of balance in all things. As a result of these discussions, following the Cataclysm, the Sunwalkers, an order of tauren paladins, and the Seers, an order of tauren priests, arose, wielding the power of the Light through An'she.

Besides the Earthmother and her two eyes, an entity known as the Sky Father is also worshipped.

The tauren are a simple people, and as a result, their rites tend to not be particularly complex. They have no need for elaborate words or rare items in their ceremonies. What the good earth provides is almost always sufficient. Corn pollen is used in ceremonies that involve life, whereas the dust from cremated tauren is used in rituals of the dead. The tauren believe that the Earth Mother weaves the strands of fate.

They don't hear the good hunters, unfortunately. While mighty warriors defend the tauren's homes, shamans show the ancestors' past and druids discover the Earthmother's will, hunters learn many aspects of those roles and blend them together. They represent the heart of the tauren people, and are looked to for guidance and protection. Despite killing the animals, the tauren are taught never to waste anything given to them by nature and to give back what they can. They learn the fine balance that exists in nature and that if they honor the Earthmother, she will bless them in return.

Many tribes claim that it is a gift to be blessed with the aptitude to use magic or to talk to the ancestors, but tauren warriors are taught that they are just as gifted. They are a special breed also, not unlike the druids and shamans, and are just as important. They are the ones called upon to defend the borders, to hunt the centaur, and to go to war. Every warrior plays a role in their tribe, and they must all go through the same rites.

Despite their enormous size and brute strength, the remarkably peaceful tauren cultivate a quiet, tribal society. However, when roused by conflict, tauren are implacable enemies who will use every ounce of their strength to smash their enemies under hoof. They are noble and proud and have never, despite significant adversity in the past, succumbed to their enemies. Like the orcs, the tauren now struggle to retain their sense of tradition and noble identity.

Their buildings are called long houses and great tents.

The tauren are a noble race that embrace the natural world. They have shed their nomadic roots and united in their ancestral lands. Their race may be one of spirituality, reverence for nature, and respect for elders, but it also possesses powerful warriors that willingly fight when the situation demands it. A calm and steady people, the shu'halo strive to live honorable and dignified lives filled with respect for nature and the Earth Mother. Although strong and capable warriors when roused in battle, most tauren reserve combat for when all other options are exhausted. They prefer course of wise discussion and careful rumination before embarking on any great endeavor, and they have great respect for the wise, spiritual and elderly among their people. The tauren are not wrathful by nature, but sometimes a thirst for justice causes them to take up arms in anger.

“Into the brave hearts of her pure children, the Earthmother placed the love of the hunt. For the creatures of the first dawn were savage and fierce. They hid from the Earthmother, finding solace in the shadows and the wild places of the land. The Shu'halo hunted these beasts wherever they could be found and tamed them with the Earthmother's blessing.”

— The White Stag and the Moon Though the noble tauren are peaceful in nature, the rites of the Great Hunt are venerated as the heart of their spiritual culture. Every tauren, warrior or otherwise, seeks identity as both a hunter and as a child of the Earthmother. Tauren, young or otherwise, seek to prove their bravery by setting themselves against the creatures of the wild. Hunting is a tauren's greatest honor; at times they hunt for food, at times for honor, and at times to earn the Earthmother's teachings. Hunters are important to the tribes as a strong part of tauren tradition and history, and are respected and revered if they serve their people well. Young gazelles quickly learn to flee when they hear the war cries of of tauren hunters in Mulgore.

The tauren [ˈtɔɹən] (shu'halo in their native language of Taur-ahe and sometimes pluralized as taurens) are a race of large, bovine humanoids who dwell on the great plains of Central Kalimdor. For countless generations, they were constantly harassed by the violent centaur, who forced the tauren into a nomadic lifestyle in the harsh Barrens. However, during the Third War and the Horde's invasion of Kalimdor, the tauren and the invading Horde became allies, and the Horde aided the tauren in driving off the centaur from the sacred lands of Mulgore. High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof established the capital city of Thunder Bluff, and to this day the tauren remain one of the most stalwart allies of the Horde, even after Cairne's death and the ascension of his son, Baine Bloodhoof.

Despite their enormous size, the tauren are a peaceful and honorable people who nonetheless are fierce fighters when roused. Hunting and shamanism are held in high regard in their culture, as is their worship of the Earth Mother and respect for the land and nature.