Tauren Roleplay Project

We all know the myth of the elusive Tauren roleplayer, yes? Many roleplayers wish to see more Tauren around, try out and be a part of Tauren roleplay and so on but there hasn't been a concrete platform for some time now. I've hunted down and had chats with ex or willing Tauren roleplayers with the concept I am about to share with you, dear community, and I have found nothing but lots of support and guidance.

((This is all an idea and is not finalised, we have decided to put it forward to the community for criticism, guidance, advice and support))

So with this in mind I jumped ship with my holier than thou Paladin and created a Sunwalker. I and a few others came up with the idea for a mini-hub based in a "district" of Thunderbluff or Bloodhoof village. To create a tribe/union/community for Tauren players to be a part of and integrate ourselves within Horde roleplay.

We'd start with an event. The horns would be sounded, calling all Tauren to Thunderbluff. The nomadic and scattered Tauren past the Mulgore wall will heed this call and come. With the blessing of High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof this new tribe will be formed for the lost and wandering Tauren as of the sundering. You would be invited to on a "hunt" rite (shopping list scavenger hunt) to test your worth to the tribe. Once completed everyone will attend a ritual and ceremony inducting them into their new family.

From there the tribe will either have a Chieftain lead it or a "council" type leadership under the authority of Baine Bloodhoof (Thus the tribe would be under the Hordes banner, have the same values and ideals as the Horde Tauren and so on rather than their own). If a council type leadership is chosen there would be one representative from each path in Tauren culture, such as a High Sunwalker, Arch-Druid, High Brave etc, to represent each of said paths. The main leadership would then come from Lore, such as the Taurens current stance on Horde politics and warface rather than being something that would not make sense.

The Chieftain option is obvious. There will be a Chieftain of the tribe that leads it and makes the decisions, perhaps some council members that help ((Officers)). This will be a more flexible route to take as decisions could be made that may differ from Horde Tauren lore.

The tribe will ICly and OOCly intergrate with Horde roleplay, generating fresh and new events, participating in other events and casual roleplay during them and bringing a Tauren presence to the server. The tribe however will mainly reside within the mini-hub in Mulgore.

We plan to start out with a channel (/join taurenrp) for those who are interested and wish to show their support, and to ask for help or guidance. I encourage you to join if you feel this is something that tickles your fancy or it may in the future. We then plan to, with the help of the community plan and finalise the tribe, introduction event and the future of the tribe. Then we will grab signatures and begin!

Please feel free to tell us how bad this idea is . Criticise, support, comment, ask questions or make suggestions! Pass this on to anyone you may feel would be interested. Thanks!

Edit: We'd also like to add that when this gets off of its feet this can also become a home for any Tauren alts you may have. Giving you a reason to play those lovable cow alts you have lurking on your character selection page!

Tauren Interested:

Spoiler:

Name is also not final. Nothing is. Just what we have in mind. Please feel free to add anything that you may feel is relevant also!

I hate cows, but would totally rp with you. Like

bump!

Posting a similar thread on other realm and rp forums to try and attract some migrants.

Can non moomoos attend to this? that would bring a purpose to my little troll shammy <3

Bump!

Brilliant idea, shame my Veranax is going back to Alliance but! *Makes another Shu'halo*

Will make sure my lot are fully aware of this to aid however we can. (Y)

I believe the idea is great, and starting with a tribe is something that could add a lot of structure. On the other hand, to make it easier to grow and easier to fit things to your current need without reinventing the structure, perhaps a more flexible system could work? It's just an idea.

For an under-represented race, perhaps something like the three hammers, or Ere Argus is needed: something that isn't restricted to one tribe but is open for "all tribes". This permits experienced roleplayers to come along with their own tribe, with its thematic background, outfits and interpretations of some rituals.

This would severely mess up the idea of your council-like structure, but for a tribal community like the tauren, your council-like system feels a tad too formal. While I do not doubt even tribal cultures have their politics, I believe it is more on a level of social standing than the Stormwind politics of title-inventing. Such a formal system might also prove overly structured to be flexible at the start, when you needed it the most!

Instead, I would recommend a more community based "meeting" and decision making, following the model of the "Community of Light" and "Arcane Conclave". Even though these community meetings manage to dodge all forms of formal hierarchy (with all the fliexibility this freedom offers), they still prove an effective structure to gather people, gather thoughts and make plans on.

I'm not going to find the time to start a Tauren and partake myself, sadly, but I do think the above might help. You could still form your tribe within this guild and place a more hierarchical system in it to give people structure, if they want it.

To the poster above, I agree I don't think the tribal nature of the Shu'halo are based around politics but more around each tribes individual traditions. I must disagreeon your idea of a multitude of tribes messing up the idea of a council given the races general attitude I think each tribe ( If it were to boil down to that) having a spokes person would serve an equal purpose.

I must admit I like the idea of different tribes coming together rather than a new one being formed. Each tribe as I mentioned has its own traditions, rites and goals. In my own honest opinion a collective group consisting of different roleplayers from different guilds (that is of course if the guilds Shu'halo are in their own sense a tribe of their own) would add far more diversity to RP and would result in far more positive and interesting RP.

It also would break the myth of the servers "Clicks" if guilds start coming together rather than each being shunned for its ideals and wants it further expands the servers RP as a whole and will undoubtably lead to more people wishing to give it a try.

So I support your idea, whole heartedly. Anything myself or my members can do to help you feel free to send us a message ingame or on these forums!

Althaeron wrote:I must disagreeon your idea of a multitude of tribes messing up the idea of a council given the races general attitude I think each tribe ( If it were to boil down to that) having a spokes person would serve an equal purpose.

Well.. I think we are both suggesting a similar idea, where we are working with spokespersons. But we seem to interpret the OP differently. I was under the impression he would build a "council" with fixed positions, say arch-druid, High Brave etc.
While this is interesting to represent each "path", it doesn't promote flexibility towards different tribes. Imagine you start off with 2 tribes, filling in these positions and a third tribe comes along.. then this requires replacing, demoting or political RP to get that third tribe in the council.

If you would work with a structure with spokespersons like we both seem to suggest, (such as the community of light), you immediately offer flexibility towards the number of tribes. It also allows your tribes to send forth a different spokesperson per subject. That way, you can leave it to a tribe's size and RP how they handle different subjects. Do they have a Tauren responsible for their armed forces? A lead hunter? Or simply an elder? The tribe itself can choose which and work alongside other tribes with different structures without an issue.

Stuff like this makes me want to change Ixirar to a tauren..

Ixirar wrote:Stuff like this makes me want to change Ixirar to a tauren..

Ishnu is bestowed on those that walk amongst the grace of the Earthmother... ( We also have cookies! Well... Uh... It's just flatbread with raisins in it but... Nobody has to know!)

After reading through these replies today, as I was rather busy yesterday, I would like to say I agree with the above suggestion from Althaeron and Jeanpierre. A "union" of the tribes would be better fitting and accessible to a wider range of players and also let players get involved who are already a part of guilds yet these players will have IC obligations to their current guilds it will at least give them the option to get involved. So something like representatives or Elders from each tribe possibly attending these meetings. However I believe personally when you speak of the community of Light there is already a large playerbase for this yet when concerning the Tauren there is not. I wanted to create a tribe as I can't see numbers booming in the early days rather that it will barrel role slowly. So if you imagine this union there may be one player from each tribe, maybe three or four from the more popular tribes such as the Bloodhoof.

So luckily this is still in an early planning stage so these changes could be made and tweaked before we begin. I'd appreciate if this thread is pointed toward anyone with similar experience, other Tauren/Tauren wannabe's and for said people to help use make the plans or even just give some support. Also so I know who would be interested in this even in the early days with an alt because even the smallest contribution helps greatly in the early days.

I have yet to create a list of people interested and I think this may be the next step. If you know any put their name forward here and ask them to join /taurenrp

Thanks for the awesome advice guys. Helping alot! <3

P.S. It appears that I have been Blizzard Forum banned for advertising this concept on various Blizzard realm and roleplay forums for "trolling/spamming".

Not once did I post it multiple times on the same forum *Sigh*. It seems blizzard are more interested in hindering creative project advertisement than actual forum trolls which their forums are full of.

hi there great idea theres really not enough tauren rpers around and a chance to rp in mulgore will be great. give me whisper in game

May I remind everyone to join /taurenrp on any of your characters so we can chat in game about this. I need to create an interested list.

Edited main post, creating the list of Tauren interested in the Union. There are more but I need to get a hold of their names. Estimated about 10-15 currently. Contact me ingame.

deleted

Some updates.

Shu'halo Mesa Union
(translated to The Tauren Union of Mulgore, the looking for a more fitting word for union but may stick with it.)

The horns of Thunderbluff will be blown, calling all of the scattered children of the Earthmother to their ancestral lands. They will be made an offer, an oath and a promise. That no longer they are to wander, alone and scattered that the Sundering and the Hordes call for warriors has resulted in. They are ofcourse allowed to carry out their obligations to the Horde however all children of the Earthmother will be offered a home and people to share it with. The union will be a collective of all Shu'halo tribes that wish to join. It will be lead by Carine Bloodhoof like any Horde aligned Tauren tribe however have a collection of Elders or representatives to guide the Union.

This promise will be made to all that would listen. All the union would ask of the Shu'halo is that they do not forsake their ancestral and ancient ways. That they call Mulgore their home once more and live as one. To prove you are willing to uphold this oath a rite must be completed. This rite will take the form of a hunt. You must set out and collect certain items from within Mulgore and the Thunderbluff. This will demonstrate the knowledge you hold of the Mesa and how capable you are.

Once completed you will join the Union and be taken to where the Union would reside (still being determined). From there elders will be elected and a meeting will be held. The Union will be then announced to the Horde, the purpose of it and to ensure they are not a separate faction of Tauren and still serve the Horde though that the Shu'halo and their homeland must always come first.

The point of this Union is to unite Tauren roleplayers and to bring out the Tauren inside us all! ICly the point will be to give the scattered Tauren a home and a family. To give them the chance to return to the Mesa and a banner to stand behind regarding the wellfare of the Tauren and the Horde, representing the race in these dark times.

I will keep adding to this, as always give your comments and suggestions. Criticise where you feel fit and join /taurenrp. Post your characters name that you are interested in joining with here or contact me in-game on the usual characters. I will comprise a list of the people interested shortly and post here for all to see. /taurenrp will be used for in-game discussion until this is final.

Thanks.

The guild has been created but it does not exist ICly yet. Please get in touch with any member for an invite. A full write-up of the upcoming events and information on what and who we are will be available soon.

My Tauren would probably stop for a graze with you guys, but she's currently guilded. :O Tricked by a fast-talking goblin who used her naivety to get her aboard a ship. XD She believes she's helping people atm. But she'll be available for RP as soon as I find my authenticator.

Excellent! This is fine we are a union not a tribe so are open to all Tauren no matter their obligations. We know ICly that the Tauren walk many paths in the Horde now and although we would like them to return home to us the fact that they may recognise it still as an option and know we are there for them is all that matters. This goes to all Tauren already guilded just join the channel /taurenrp. This is our OOC channel and meetings/events will be spoken about here.

Interested! Very much even.

My tauren is called Tarune. I'll be in the channel every moment that I am on it.

I would find this interesting and in theory it sounds acceptable. I will "try out".