Bakuzan Burlycloud

Bakuzan Burlycloud, heiress to the (Not-So) Fertile Lands Nearest the Serpent's Spine, Tillers Union Sub-Committee Member, Grand Alliance Supplier, Trade Baron of the Four Winds, accomplished chef and caterer...

... pauses to inhale ...

is an Alliance-aligned Mainland Pandaren from Stoneplow in the Valley of the Four Winds. She's mostly known for be-bopping around the Stormwind Cathedral Square and keeping a eye on the goings-on that occur between its citizens. Motor-mouthed and blunt, Baku has no qualms about sharing her beloved Tillers-grown vegetables, noodle bowls and brews with the good people of the Alliance. 

After the events of Patch 6.2, Baku can be found managing her own small trade, export and enforcement company, the Four Winds Trade Company. Barring that, she's likely harvesting strange plants in the wilds of Draenor and beyond, sitting atop light posts in the Cathedral District, or serving new exotic dishes to the guinea pigs - that is to say, customers - of the Alliance.

At a Glance
Baku has a well-built frame, hidden under deceiving layers of fur and leather, as is expected for a Pandaren in her station; she doesn't have ridiculous strength, but she's lifted a few barrels in her time, so chucking around Human-sized miscreants isn't difficult for her at all. She's covered in a light layer of said coarse fur, the rich brown color of the soil she works in; has a slight paunch from insisting on trying every sort of food she can get her paws on ('for research!'). Her heart-shaped face is framed by large but nonobtrusive fuzzy eyebrows. She has wispy brown and white hair on her head, pinned up strategically out of the way, adorned with well-worn but cared-for ornaments; it's almost always cropped short and in some sort of bun or pigtails. She has the Tillers Union insignia branded on her right shoulder; ink tattoos don't really show up that well on Pandaren. Thick callouses on her hands show when they aren't covered with her normal Mushan leather gloves. Baku almost always has an eyepatch covering her left eye, but doesn't seem to need to compensate for lack of vision when it's off, and will take it off when the situation dictates. When she's in darkness there seems to be a soft orange glow radiating from underneath it... Bakuzan is often found wearing varying degrees of loosely-fitting light leather armor, riveted and tanned to withstand the rigors of tedious farmwork; most recently she proudly displays the colors of the Council in accordance with their sponsorship of her Company. She carries strapped to her back a medium-sized keg emblazoned with ornate carvings. It looks to be very old but incredibly durable, and is often filled with Jade Witch Brew, her personal favorite. Her good eye is constantly darting around, both wary and excited of whatever's happening in the vicinity. She has innumerous tiny bottles and pouches strapped to one of two belts she always wears, filled with esoteric cooking ingredients, poison cures, seeds, jugs of tea and bags of rich Valley soil.

Baku smells faintly of fresh-cut oak, chamomile and cut grass at all times. She speaks with a clear-cut Valley of the Four Winds slur that intensifies based on mood or inebriation, and is often a point of ridicule or note by those listening to her speech.

Personality Traits
Inquisitive. Loudmouthed. Borderline hedonistic with food and drink. Always tries to find a way to work food into a situation, especially to provoke, comfort or defuse. Easily embarrassed, but just as easily recovers. Defensive of those with which she forms a bond; always the first to greet a stranger with a meal or a welcoming smile (yet the hand of friendship can just as easily curl up into a fist of animosity). Fidgets quite a bit; hates staying in one place for too long. Often jumps into conversations concerning topics of which she has faint knowledge. Constantly questioning others about their histories or appearances, often without regard for tact. Prone to exaggeration and over-embellishment towards a positive outcome.

The Pandaren are renowned for their steadfast neutrality, but if given the order to choose between their two traditional philosophies Bakuzan would - even with her Alliance favoritism - choose the Huojin way of life. To Baku, apathy is the worst injustice one can perform; sitting around and daydreaming your life away while waiting for your fields to till themselves is inane and insulting.

General History
Pandaren are known for their generosity, but the Burlycloud family is the rare exception. Warring brothers divided their farmlands between growing hops and barley or tobacco - relatively unused before the Mists parted in anything except ceremonies - and their infighting, mismanagement and poor treatment of their farmhands had driven a lot of the ancestors of other Valley residents away in disgust. During her cubhood, Baku had mostly kept to her own family at the insistence of their stubborn hatred, so she wouldn't know many Pandaren family names offhandedly. Eventually, the Burlycloud infighting drove their line to near starvation in their isolation, and an arranged marriage between the Burlyclouds and Shinebarrels' youngest cubs was the only solution that in their desperation could piece together.

When the Mists parted and the Mantid swarmed the Serpent's Spine at the insane Empress Shek'zeer's command, the rural village of Stoneplow was the first and last line of defense for the unprepared Valley. A nearby Shado-Pan regiment moved quickly to evacuate its residents, but Bakuzan's family were both too close to the initial crack in the Wall and much too stubborn to leave their precious farmland. Bakuzan herself paid a heavy price for this; in the midst of the chaos her mother was attacked and carried off by a Mantid footsoldier. Baku was defenseless to help - she grabbed onto the Mantid's leg and tried to free her mother, but was heavily injured in the attempt. The foul creature swung down at her with one of its kyparite weapons and struck her in the face, knocking her hard back down to the ground from the small altitude they'd reached. Bakuzan blacked out, and when she woke up, she was alone in Halfhill with no recollection of how she arrived there. Her wounds eventually healed, but her eye had been irreparably damaged - for all appearances and purposes, it was encased in Mantid amber. Bakuzan was instructed to stay in Halfhill until the Mantid were cleared out, and was eventually hired on as a farmhand for the Tillers to earn her keep when it became clear to the Mudclaws that such a thing wasn't going to happen. Eventually seeing a way out of what she considered a bleak future in an imminent marriage to an arranged husband through the timely arrival of a travelling Alliance merchant ship, Bakuzan stowed away and ended up alone in Stormwind's massive harbor. Enamored by the welcoming people of this new land and her willingness to do what is right by Pandaria and her mother, she joined with the races of the Alliance.

Bakuzan carries her guilt over not being able to rescue her mother very close to her chest and rarely speaks of the events to anyone but her closest companions.

Baku made a name for herself upon arriving in Stormwind working as a 'meatshield for hire'; years spent building her hardiness up on the farm has toughened her skin and strengthened her muscles, and she takes great pleasure in using her abilities to earn a few coins for a round of brews. She was not a famous adventurer, or a respected commander, or even a well traveled explorer; just the right person at the right time for when she was needed to be there. Bakuzan eventually returned to her oft-rejected roots, and spent most of her time either working on her humble farm growing cabbages and witchberries in the Heartland of the Valley of Four Winds, hovering around Stormwind harassing the citizenry, or training in finer points of the Pandaren culinary arts with the denizens of Halfhill.

After first-hand witnessing the horrors of orc savagery in Draenor, Bakuzan dedicated herself to helping the cause (while still remaining out of axe-throwing distance). Using her clout as a Tillers Council sub-member, earned through tireless dedication towards promoting the Pandaren culture, Bakuzan funded a small start-up. Known as the Four Winds Trade Company, Baku seeks to form supply chains and deliveries to the front lines of Alliance battles in order to aid the war effort (and make a quick coin while she's at it).

Bakuzan and the Strange Case of the Kyparite Eye
Baku did not walk away unscathed from the initial swarm on Stoneplow - she sustained injuries to her face when she was struck by a Kyparite weapon, wielded by a Mantid footsoldier, as it was carrying off Baku's mother. The physical damages all but healed, except, strangely, her eye. For all intents and purposes, it appears as though it's been outright replaced with a Kyparite replica. Bakuzan's left eye is a point of contention among her own kind and a curiosity for people who don't know her history. She often keeps it hidden behind an array of eyepatches; mainly to ward off questions or revulsion from strangers, but when confronted or mocked about it, there's no hesitation from the Pandaren in proving its functionality and uniqueness. When looking at Baku from a distance, it almost looks like she's been socked in the face, and it's swollen up orange-red; upon further inspection, it's actually as though her eye has been completely replaced with a false glass mock-up, carved out of Mantid amber. She can see out of it, almost better than her 'normal' right eye, and in general, it doesn't seem to have left any long-term physical damage. It's been speculated that in the worst case scenario it could eventually spread to fossilize her entire body permanently, but she'll never know for sure -- and who knows the properties of Amber other than the Mantid? Shame that the Alliance and Horde Pandarian campaign seems to have killed off a good portion of the intelligent Amber-shapers that could give her the answers she needs...

Very rarely, when she's heavily injured (either physically or emotionally) enough, the Kyparite in her eye flows out in a hard shell around her to shield her from further damage. It's a completely unconscious action, engaged only by her present state; she cannot just 'will' it to come out of her eye. (( If you've seen the show, compare it to Steven's Rose Quartz Bubble from Steven Universe. Otherwise, keep in mind the range of a Discipline Priest's PW:S: limited, but strong enough to shield when needed. )) The organic crystalline material is unique in that it doesn't make Baku invulnerable, but only materializes as a last-resort option if she's getting banged up pretty badly. It's certainly not indestructible, and has no healing qualities that true Mantid Amber fossilization would have, like in combat with a Paragon.

Returning Home: First Breath of the Four Winds
Upon Bakuzan's pilgrimage to Stoneplow, she was horrified to find her family homestead and its acres had been burned to the ground. After an untold time of kneeling in the blackened dirt, sobbing, she picked herself up to realize that the areas around the small village were littered with remnants of Alliance and Horde armaments alike; Baku then had a moment of brevity - the Alliance had attempted to aid her people ever since their untimely introduction on the Wandering Isle, going so far as to lay down their lives to amend the Sha situation they had unwittingly aided in unleashing. What had she done for them since arriving in Stormwind, other than sit on lightpoles and drink all their ales? Nothing. Becoming a Stormwind Guard was a hopeless pipe dream; a waste of time - a farce, really. What was she going to protect? She couldn't even protect her own family. Bakuzan rose off the ground and dusted herself off; mindlessly sifting through the rubble of her house, she retrieved an old shovel - the only thing she took from the wreckage - and set off towards the temple of the Black Ox, Niuzao, for meditation and self-reflection.

Upon arriving, Baku noticed the meager rations of the monks in training. They looked barren and almost bland; plain harvests from the Valley - brews, noodles, roasted fish, the occasional broth - but it filled up the trainees as if they were eating an entire banquet. That's when it hit her; Baku's way to aid the Alliance. Cooking for a handful of friends was one thing. Supplying meals to an entire army was definitely another. The disciples of Niuzao had given her many saying to reflect on during her stay in the temple; the saying that stood out the most hit Baku the hardest, as it spoke to her repressed feelings concerning her family's death -

' To fight out of fear or anger is to fight a war that never ends.'



Bakuzan could not continue to fight a war that had long since been over. The Mantid were all but wiped out; their Empress, deposed. There was no other way for Baku to move but forward; the path that lay ahead was one that she had stepped on some time before - in service to the Alliance that had so easily welcomed her in as one of their own. After a period spent in meditation, Baku left the temple and headed for the first portal back to Stormwind. She had work to do. Many sleepless nights passed. Bakuzan perfected, of all things, an instant noodle ration that Alliance infantry could keep with them for sustenance during long campaigns. Sure, a conscripted mage can magically conjure food with the Arcane arts, but nothing like what the Pandaren are capable of cooking - chiefly when its ingredients are enriched by Valley soil and Vale waters. When tested with late-night patrolling members of the Stormwind Guard, the meal was a resounding success - using the kit provided the 'customer' with a piping hot bowl of nutritious and filling noodles. Bakuzan now looks for customers with which to provide her meals, envisioning a clientele list for the Four Winds Trade Co. that would rival a Goblin cartel in size...

Romance / Relationships
Baku is what would be known as 'grey-demisexual', meaning that she is very rarely physically attracted to anybody. Barring that, she very seldom develops romantic feelings for anyone that she hasn't been in close emotional contact with for a very long time. She has plenty of motherly-sisterly-friendly love to give, just not in a partner-type way. This doesn't mean she's not open to playful flirting, emotional connections and romantic/caring actions, but any physical actions outside of hugging, hand-holding or casual friend-schmoozing are normally a big no-no for Baku and she will often react very violently - either physically or verbally - as a response. Baku has no issue with simply leaving the scene if someone looks like they're interested in her.

Bakuzan unfortunately does have an arranged-marriage fiancee, Shunryu Shinebarrel, that absolutely repulses her. Not much is known about the Shinebarrel family at present - only that they were once a prominent source for materials grown in the Valley and used for production of Pandaren brews. Their granary has been destroyed in the Mantid raid on Stoneplow, and their fortunes scattered to the wind along with their product, and the once-prideful, snobby family members were forced to live as beggars; like the Burlyclouds, the Shinebarrels were not gun-shy about creating enemies in higher places, and to this day not a soul in the Valley can say either family name without a grimace or, at best, a look of pity. The youngest Shinebarrel, Shiyu-Nei, was sent off to the Eastern Kingdoms to train up her innate skills in the Arcane. Sources say the slovenly Shunryu can often be found sleeping under the steps of any bar in Pandaria. So far he hasn't found Bakuzan, and she's personally trying her hardest to keep it that way.

Otherwise, Baku has made several close friends during her adventures in Stormwind. She's generally friendly to everyone she meets during her outings; far from any prejudices towards appearance - even towards Death Knights. Knowing what it feels like to be alone in the city, Baku is more than willing to show around new visitors to Stormwind, or intervene when she deems it necessary when someone might be in trouble (or rarely, is the source of the trouble). Due to her rough-and-tumble, flighty and oft-obsessive demeanor, Baku's on a first name basis with many of Stormwind's inhabitants and visitors - for good or for worse.

Weapons and Combat
Despite the casual assumptions she gets thanks to her species, Bakuzan is not a traditional monk; she has no patience for their renowned meditation techniques or spirituality. She spent her childhood on a farm lifting heavy barrels, eating sparsely and fighting off virmen and other pests. At best, her fighting style can be boiled down to a stubborn refusal to die and the traditional Pandaren method of 'drink until it doesn't hurt anymore'. She rarely brute-forces her opponents out; instead, she toughs it out until she's worn them down. She doesn't mind getting into spats, and won't hesitate to physically start a fight when incensed. Since starting the Company, however, Bakuzan has taken to more of a backseat healing role; choosing to use her innate talents with plant life siphoning and redirection to aid her allies in battle.

(( Bakuzan is ICly NOT a monk, trained in either the Ox stance OR Serpent stance! She uses the Serpent stance in-game as a proxy for her plant-channeling abilities. Baku always keeps a floating Thalassian planter next to her as a 'battery' in areas where flora is scarce. As far as her healing goes in-game, think in terms of a resto tree druid, drawing upon powers of nature for healing, but in a much more rough-and-tumble fashion. Unlike the Druids of Moonglade, Bakuzan will not hesitate to physically pull the life out of a plant to imbue her allies with its life-saving energies. )) Baku made off with an old brew keg as a souvenir while helping Chen Stormstout; she grabbed it when he was distracted trying to prove himself to his Uncle Gao at the Brewery. It's made of old, tough Jade Forest-oriented wood and is durable with hard metal bands holding it together. She carries it strapped to her back by way of a self-made harness and often uses it in combat. Anytime you 'see' her throwing a keg, it's this one! She yoyos it back towards her with the decorative ribbon bands tied around the metal holding it together. Very tactical and practical. She often pairs this keg with a set of antique steins used as close-contact bludgeons, 'borrowed' from a bar in Ironforge. She hasn't been back, either to return them or pay her long-overdue tab. She likely won't be.

Baku unearthed a shovel in the burnt ruins of her family's home; uncharred by the flames that took the small house, but still scuffed and worn from years of age, it's the only relic she was able to find. The handle is emblazoned with an ornate 'B'; the metal looks worn and rusted, and appears as if it would be extremely heavy to wield - but Baku is able to carry it as if it weighed nothing at all. If one were to look hard enough at the shovel's head and shaft, it glows an almost imperceptible green-white. Her best guess is decades of use in the Valley soil has imbued it to somehow never break or bend. Due to her upbringing in the Valley and subsequent work as a farmhand, Bakuzan is attuned to the natural energies that flow from both the Mists and the magical Valley soil. Thanks to this, she has a special way with plants; more than just a green-thumb, she can 'understand' them, in a way; both to accelerate growth and to shroud herself in a camoflauge-type covering of native Azerothian plant life. This is nowhere near Baku's normal way of healing or channeling from plant life; she mostly uses it to show off to a dinner audience, or conversely, hide when absolutely necessary. Baku additionally has limited healing capabilities from these techniques, and her resistance to and awareness of poisons and disease are greatly heightened. We're talking elephant tranquilizer dose sizes of poison to affect her. This is a Pandaren; they routinely drink until they can't stand up, and that's just the non-Tiller-oriented; since she's accustomed to being around brews, pesticides and fertilizers, you'll have to try pretty hard to knock Bakuzan on her ass.

The Bakuzan running the Company is much different than the Bakuzan that landed alone in Stormwind's harbor - she's much more likely to try and end disputes with a compromise or a cold shoulder. Smashing a potential contact in the face with her shovel doesn't bode well for business. Unfortunately, pride is still Baku's biggest downfall; when provoked she puts more into showmanship and bluffing than any actual combat, and due to lack of decent experience odds are she'll trip or knock herself out first when sober. Despite said bravado and swaggering when finally pushed to violence, Bakuzan will never kill or seriously injure anyone she's in a fight with unless it's absolutely necessary for her own survival. She talks a mean game, but will absolutely not perform a killing blow unless she's backed into a corner.

Musical Influences
Keep these in mind if you're actively interacting with Bakuzan; they help set the mood in context! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N39RLxqSok http://tinyurl.com/vivahappyoffvocal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68EzgPTsjVU http://tinyurl.com/bakuzansdrunkagain
 * - Soul Education - Jamiroquai [ main theme ]
 * - Viva Happy - Mitchie M [ general theme #1 ]
 * Honeycomb Highway - (Sonic Lost World OST) [ general theme #2 ]
 * - Monokuma-Sensei's Lesson (Dangan Ronpa OST) [ drunken theme ]
 * - Sly Cooper & The Thievius Raccoonus - Piranha Lake [ brawling theme ]

http://tinyurl.com/piranhalake
 * - Happy Boy - Harrison - [ infatuation theme ]

https://soundcloud.com/harrison_music/happy-boy http://tinyurl.com/bakushungover
 * - HANGOVER - PSY feat. Snoop Dogg