Guide to Sunwalker Roleplay

The following is a guide compiled by Moloak to aid Sunwalker role-players on Moon Guard. This is a collection of Blizzard lore and common fanon.

=Culture=

Anxiety of Resurgence versus Tradition
A few years ago, one of the issues of being a Seer or Sunwalker is a feeling of anxiety regarding the establishment of new teachings alongside generations of traditional thought, especially in a culture that regards its elders and ancestors so heavily. Tahu Sagewind, the premier Seer, says:


 * ''“Surely you've been a student once in your life, . You learned from an instructor, and you gained respect for them in some way, yes? Maybe not as a person, but at the least, as one who knows more than you and was willing to teach you. If not, use your imagination...


 * ''What would you do if you came to realize your instructor may not know as much as you thought, and that you may have found a better path?”

A few years later, the worship of An'she is welcomed within Shu’halo culture, but there was a definite aversion to disrespecting elders. Since the time of the Forestlord and the first Druids, the Tauren adopted a nocturnal bias from their interactions with the Kaldorei, and this bias persisted for thousands of years. Those that wish to worship An'she in the name of balance between the two Eyes of the Earthmother might possibly feel some embarrassment or misplaced pride when near their traditional druidic counterparts. An'she worship would also be associated with the younger generations, a new way of life, and because of this it may bear the stigmas of arrogant youth.

However, An’she worship predates the encounters with the Kaldorei, and its resurgence as an ancient practice is welcome.

An'she and the Light
In roleplay: Seers and Sunwalkers believe they draw their abilities from the Sun, called An’she. Unlike Paladins, Vindicators, or Blood Knights, a Tauren’s mysticism and belief in An’she gives him the confidence and willpower necessary to control the energy. Most Tauren disassociate their abilities from other forms, believing An’she is a unique power. (It's important to note that the persistent use of "the Light" by Tauren NPC's is generally regarded as a faux pas on Blizzard's part, because it disregards the Tauren having their own cultural identity.)

Out of roleplay: According to Blizzard, the only requirement for controlling the Light is willpower, and its manipulation is done by sheer willpower:


 * http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1008430853:
 * ''"Without spoiling too much, we can tell you that wielding the Light is a matter of having willpower or faith in one's own ability to do it."

While each individual is capable, this is generally accomplished through the confidence of an entire culture developing their own establishment. In the case of the Tauren, this is the ancient reverence of An’she and the Earth Mother.

Clothing and Decoration
There is a strong link between all facets of Tauren culture, and their appearance and decoration are evidence to this. Facepaint as decoration or for war is related to camouflage for hunting. Adorning with feathers and teeth are also associated with hunting: making sure nothing goes to waste and to bring oneself closer to the spirit of the earth, or to keep track of achievements. So, what specifically would a Sunwalker do?

A weak possibility is branding (AKA scarification). Support for this comes from the worship of the Sun and the fire motifs therein. The brand is seen as a tattoo, as "permanent warpaint". However, there is no evidence to suggest that scarification is considered acceptable or deviant behavior to the Tauren. It's possible that it's okay, that it's inappropriate, or that it's a debated issue. Because of this, opinions of branding are regarded as individual tribal bias.

Piercings are a definite part of Tauren culture. Nose rings and horn rings are common choices, but ear, horn and lip piercings could be just as viable. The material would almost invariably be gold or some other warm-colored metal, to shine as fire and the Sun.

Tauren love weaving and embroidery, and are quite accomplished tailors and leatherworkers. Clothing may bear patterns resembling flames or the sun, and would most likely have warm colors. Armor, too, might follow this when possible, and even bear golden adornments just as the Tauren might bear golden piercings.

Attitude and Demeanor
Tauren are fairly relaxed, slow, controlled, calm, and patient. They are risk-averse and diligent. Even in combat, a Tauren’s immense strength is governed by equally immense self-control.

Seers and Sunwalkers might be a possible exception to this, even if the difference is only slight. Years ago, the need for the Seer or Sunwalker to overcome the anxiety of participating in a new form of worship required a bolder attitude, giving a more unique shape to the psyche of the group. Whereas Mu'sha is the cool calm of the night, An'she is the warmth and fire of life. Sunwalkers might be more extroverted or open to others, and perhaps just as likely to be friendlier as more aggressive. However, this is still tempered by the dominance of the culture they live in.

=History=


 * http://www.wowpedia.org/Sunwalkers:


 * ''“Concurrently with the War against the Lich King, Brightmane and Sagewind discussed whether the Tauren have overlooked a key aspect of balance, noting the night elves' near exclusive worship of the moon, known to the tauren as Mu’sha. Yet both Mu’sha and An’she, the sun, are the eyes of the Earth Mother. ...To properly revere the Earth Mother they hold sacred, the two decided to strive for balance and further explore the powers of the sun, An'she. Brightmane, a warrior who fought on the Icecrown Glacier, remained hopeful that An’she would shine across the sky, and victory would be won by the mortal races no-matter what perils remained.”

In the earliest years of the Tauren race, An'she was worshipped alongside Mu'sha in reverence to the Earthmother, primarily by Seers. Seers would participate in visions and predictions, perhaps "gifted by a light of clarity from An'she". However, it appears that when Cenarius (also known as the Forestlord to the Tauren) taught the Tauren and Kaldorei of druidism, the Kaldorei passed their nocturnal bias onto the Tauren, and An'she worship disappeared from the culture. Today, the new thought is that worshipping both eyes of the Earthmother is necessary for proper balance in the culture.

=Names, Titles, and Hierarchy=

It appears to be standard convention for a Sunwalker to drop his family or tribal surname and adopt the title "Sunwalker". Examples include: Sunwalker Atohmo, Sunwalker Chagon, Sunwalker Dezco, Sunwalker Helaku, and so on. There is also at least one confirmed case of an actual name change to an NPC:


 * http://www.wowwiki.com/Saern_Priderunner:
 * ''Saern Priderunner is a level 50 tauren located on the Hunter Rise in the city of Thunder Bluff. Prior to Patch 1.1, Saern used to teach tauren players of level 40 and over how to excercise plainsrunning. Since the ability was removed from game, so did Saern's ability to teach players to use it. In Cataclysm, Saern Priderunner becomes Sunwalker Saern, a Paladin trainer in Thunder Bluff.

Blizzard has given no explanation, but it may have to do with sacrificing one's former life and occupation and commit wholly to the path of a Sunwalker, as sacrifice is a recurring theme within the Sunwalkers.

The only exceptional NPC is Aponi Brightmane, the de facto leader of the Sunwalkers: She did not change her name. Again, Blizzard has given no explanation for this. Seers don’t appear to have any official titles or naming conventions.

There appears to be no set hierarchy. Being a Sunwalker is more occupational, with Sunwalkers also doubling as Chieftans, mystics, braves, etc. In ancient An’she worship, the Seers were mystical leaders and spiritual guides, and they appear to have resumed this purpose. Modern Seers are guided by Tahu Sagewind, Aponi’s counterpart during the Wrath of the Lich King.

=Rituals=

Midsummer Fire Festival
Celebrated all over Azeroth, the Summer months and the strength of the Sun bear special significance to Seers and Sunwalkers. The Festival activities can include dancing and singing praises to An'she alongside the Earth Mother, similar to the adoration of the Elements and Spirits that others offer. Around the great bonfires scatted across Azeroth, Sunwalkers could offer open teaching and recite insightful lyrics. Being the fiery individuals they are, they may also be sparring and offering blessings to others.

Smothering (AKA Smudging)
Common to many cultures, the center of this ritual is the burning of incense for some sort of purification. Like many Shu’halo traditions, the history of this practice has its roots in hunting tactics: The hunter would make a paste or smoke crushed herbs to mask his scent from his prey. Over many years, this evolved and fused with culture in the forms of war paint, piercings and incense. The most common purposes for smothering include, but are not limited to, acclimatizing to a new environment, purifying a new home, settling restless spirits, and even hygiene. Smothering is also commonly used as a supplemental activity for another ritual, with the same themes of purification.

A Seer or Sunwalker can burn the herbs with An’she’s mystic fire as a praise and demonstration. A common practice may be to burn the herbs in the palm of the hand, then rub the ash over the body.

Smothering is closely related to smoke bathing, however smoke bathing is considered purely hygienic.

The Sun Dance (AKA Piercing Ceremony)
The Sun Dance is a day-long ritual, consisting of volunteers who are ritually pierced after exhausting themselves as much as possible. The ritual emphasizes self-sacrifice, a core value of the Sunwalkers, and gives poignancy to the piercings the dancers receive.

Piercings are an extremely common practice for many races, and the Shu'halo are no exception. Like many Shu'halo traditions, piercings may have developed from ancient tride-and-true hunting tactic: camouflage. A likely evolution would be that camouflage led to the use of war paint to identify individual tribes, which led to painting the body for other identifying or purely aesthetic purposes. When the Shu'halo began to manipulate metals, the use of rings for the same identification and aesthetic reasons was a natural next step in body modification.

The Sun Dance is a re-adaptation of other dance rituals to emphasize self-sacrifice. The purpose of the dance is to push the dancers to physical and mental strain, wear the body out, and drain the dancer's stamina. The dance can last for several hours, or the better part of the day, and may involve sparring and wrestling between dancers to demonstrate their strength and continue pushing their limits. The dancers can often be bloodied, but there are no stories of deaths occurring. Dancers are not healed until they have received their piercings. In case of an emergency, a dancer is considered to have "failed" the ceremony if he requires healing, or food or water, but it is generally not his own decision to be healed. If a dancer passes through this trial, he is not to clean the blood from his body until the next day.

Once humbled by exhaustion and weakness, the piercing ceremony begins. The dancers would have already selected what manner of body modification they are receiving, including the size, type of metal, and the personal significance of the piercing. In accordance with the Sun Dance, a piercing's meaning typically has to do with some form of sacrifice, especially to a Sunwalker. Common examples include:

Nose rings, usually signifying a surrender of will to another authority. Horn rings, usually signifying a willingness to die in battle. Horn caps, usually signifying pacifism.

Other body modifications may include body piercings of all manners, limb bindings, and in rare cases branding. Different tribes also have their own regulations regarding body modification, or whether the Sun Dance is an appropriate method for receiving body modifications.