Hamuul Runetotem

Hamuul Runetotem is the Archdruid of Thunder Bluff and a venerated leader of the tauren people. He is the highest-ranked tauren in the Cenarion Circle. As many of his people do, Hamuul believes very much in the balance between nature and the races of Azeroth. Hamuul was a childhood friend and fierce supporter of High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof, and teaches the ways of druidism to his honored brethren. After Cairne was murdered by Magatha Grimtotem, Hamuul continued his role as advisor to Cairne's son Baine, the new High Chieftain, as well as teaching young druids.

=Druidism=

During the Battle of Mount Hyjal, Hamuul was stirred by the dedication of the druids and was inspired by them. After the Third War, Hamuul sought out the night elf Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, befriending him and asking to be taught the druidic arts. Malfurion agreed, to strenuous and xenophobic objections of former student Archdruid Fandral Staghelm. Hamuul joined the Cenarion Circle, and his new shan'do teach Hamuul many secrets of the wild and blessed him with the touch of nature, thus soon mastering the druidic arts with such proficiency that he rightfully earned the title archdruid for himself. In the few years since that time, Hamuul has become an honored member of the (predominantly night elf) Cenarion Circle and is recognized as the first Tauren druid in nearly twenty generations. Hamuul has a daughter, Bashana, who is a Cenarion Circle member like her father.

=Forsaken and the Horde=

Sylvanas Windrunner sent emissaries to various factions in search of allies. The kind-hearted tauren of Thunder Bluff proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem, striving for diplomacy, 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.

=World of Warcraft=

Hamuul resides in the Elder Rise of Thunder Bluff. From there he mentors young druids. He used to send tauren adventurers to the Barrens as the tauren druids felt some lurking power in the Barrens. Further investigation revealed that the source of the power came from the Wailing Caverns. Hamuul entered to sleep and dreamt about a cult of druids in the cavern.

He was also interested in the studies of Un'Goro Soil and Morrowgrain.

World of Warcraft: The Comic
Hamuul appears briefly in the World of Warcraft comic when Varian and Broll are taken to Thunder Bluff. Following their victory over rampaging earth elemental in the Pools of Vision, Hamuul invites them to his tent where he recounts the legend of Lo'Gosh. He then grants them the gift of a hippogryph feather. Although Varian is confused about the usefulness of the gift, Broll understands what the Archdruid had really given them. They use it to summon a hippogryph to them and flee their slavery.

Much later, Hamuul becomes a part of the new Council of Tirisfal as a representative of the druids.[8] He aids them in their fight against Cho'gall, being one of the many to give Med'an some of his power. Although a difficult fight, they are eventually able to claim victory.

=Stormrage=

In the time since his first meeting with Broll, the two have become close friends. In fact, Broll considers the tauren his closest friend barring Varian and Valeera. Hamuul is frequently Broll's confidante, especially in matters where the latter is troubled by disturbing visions and dreams. When Fandral Staghelm summons the archdruids and Broll to Teldrassil, Hamuul is surprisingly among them. He meets Broll after he lands, the two go together to the decided meeting spot. There, Fandral instructs the gathered that they would be aiding in the healing of the World Tree, along with continuing to find a way to wake Malfurion. Broll, however, starts to continually lose focus and lapse into vivid hallucinations. Hamuul covers him, pretending to speak with him in such episodes. He later suggests to Broll that the visions may have some meaning, as reluctant as his friend is to accept it.

Hamuul's role in the story is minimal until the moment Broll suddenly decides to leave the congregation, pursuing an alternative means to save their teacher. Understanding that what his friend may be planning could have a greater effect than Fandral's own plans, the archdruid covers for his disappearance. However, Fandral is quick to discover the other's actions and even finds that he had stolen the Idol of Remulos. Fandral gives Hamuul a disapproving look, believing the tauren had aided Broll in this but does not say more. Nonetheless, it is enough for the other druids to shun the archdruid, save Naralex and a handful of others. In order to not cause trouble for his friends, Hamuul avoids conversation with them anyway.

Following a break between attempts to heal Teldrassil, Hamuul decides to lay a hand on the tree itself. Shockingly, he is able to hear whispers from the tree, and not like the usual way druids listen to nature speak. He then realizes the World Tree is going mad and attempts to tell the rest of the Circle of this. Fandral, however, dismisses his claims, stating that it is only the old tauren's weariness as they all had been expending so much energy to heal the tree. Fandral then apologizes to him for silently condemning him for Broll's actions, and instructs Hamuul to rest earlier than the others. The tauren, however, is unconvinced his tired mind was playing tricks on him.

Eventually, he and Naralex discover Fandral's duplicity, having been driven mad by the Emerald Nightmare and Teldrassil itself. Shandris Feathermoon, Naralex, and he are silenced before they can act against him, as he easily overpowers them. Fortunately, Malfurion arrives thanks to Hamuul´s warnings echoes not soon after, freeing the three as he fights Fandral. Though they were freed, Naralex was unconscious and Hamuul tried to heal him, but he needed to do more. Hamuul, Broll, Malfurion, and Shandris were then able to warn the other druids, who although not entirely believing them, are of reasonable enough mind to discover the truth themselves. Hamuul is, obviously, one of the first to immediately side with Malfurion, and later plays an important part in their final conflict against the Emerald Nightmare. While many of the others take their fight into the Dream, Hamuul stays awake to defend their bodies against the apparitions that appear in the waking world. After these events, Hamuul takes up the human Lucan Foxblood as his student to further assist him in utilizing his unique abilities.

Following their hard-fought victory, Hamuul is among the many to bear witness to the marriage of Malfurion and Tyrande.

=Elemental Unrest=

During the Elemental Unrest, Hamuul held guard and warned adventurers about the approaching danger.

=The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm=

Hamuul was present with Cairne in Orgrimmar during a ceremony of welcoming Garrosh's return from Northrend, where it was decided that Hamuul will have a meeting with Cenarion Circle's members of supplies for the Horde. After Thrall left for Outland, Cairne met with Hamuul at Red Rocks and discussed how Garrosh let Orgrimmar rebuilt. Chieftain did not like the old-ways Horde and now, Orgrimmar looked like as if it was their bastion. Hamuul explained to Cairne that he was sending messages to the Circle. After all, it was set that the meeting is going to happen in Ashenvale as Remulos was not involved and did not bless the meeting.

Later on, Hamuul and a group of Tauren druids set up a peace summit with Archdruid Elerethe Renferal and a group of Night Elf druids, in the hopes of reducing the rising tensions between the Horde and the Alliance, following the murder and skinning of a group of Sentinels in Ashenvale. A group of Twilight's Hammer orcs disguised as members of the Horde interrupted the druid summit and killed all the Night Elves. When Gorkrak identified himself as leader of the orc band, Hamuul questioned if Garrosh Hellscream had sent him to interrupt the summit. Gorkrak feigned ignorance of who Garrosh was and then signaled another orc behind Hamuul to shoot an arrow into his back. Satisfied that suspicion of the murders was being pinned on Garrosh after murdering the rest of the tauren druids, he ordered Hamuul to be buried with the corpses of the other dead druids and was left for dead. He crawled out the grave as the sole survivor of the summit and called out for an owl to inform Cairne Bloodhoof of what had transpired.

Hamuul was eventually retrieved and ended up at Camp Taurajo to recover. It was here that he learned of the murder of his childhood friend and High Chieftain. Hamuul immediately set to work on advising Cairne's son and heir, Baine, as he had with his father. Hamuul's knowledge, wisdom, and druid contacts set in motion the retaking of Thunder Bluff from the traitorous Grimtotem tribe, restoring Cairne's son as the rightful leader of their people.

Hamuul would later bid farewell to his friend, by Cairne's funeral pyre at the Red Rocks and accompanied Baine to a meeting with Garrosh Hellscream.

As Our Fathers Before Us
Garrosh had arrived in Thunder Bluff at the request of Baine Bloodhoof. Hamuul had opened the negotiations for water supplies to be transported to Orgrimmar and things between the young orc and tauren weren't going very well. After much arguing, Baine had decided to give Garrosh the water he needed. As shipments of water were being sent out, Quilboar continuously attacked the caravans, killing everyone and stealing their possessions. Baine, worrying about what to make of these attacks, sought out Hamuul to see if he had discovered anything. To his disappointment, the Archdruid had not discovered anything.

After much research, Hamuul had finally discovered the reason for the sudden attacks was due to water becoming scarce and the quilboar desperately trying to obtain it. The two then went to tell Garrosh of their discovery, with Garrosh stating if more attacks come about, he would take matters in his own hands.

When another huge attack had passed, Baine had doubts about his leadership and the tauren's place in the "new Horde" that Garrosh rules. Hamuul reassured the younger tauren, saying he is a great leader whether he believed it or not.

Garrosh, fed up with the taurens' peaceful approach to the looming threat of the quilboar decided he, along with fifteen Kor'kron would end the threat once and for all. They invaded the pigmen's home, where they would have met their ends, save for Baine, Hamuul and a group of Sunwalkers coming to their aid after Baine had realized what Garrosh would likely do. After escaping the tunnels, the tauren, along with Garrosh and the quilboar who followed the invaders to the surface, all came to a halt. Hamuul took a step forward, and with a few words slammed his staff into the ground, causing water to pour from the gash in the earth. The water had swept many of the quilboar back down their tunnel, with the rest being knocked to the ground. Baine told those remaining that this new water source was a gift from the tauren for the quilboars' use, and to bother them no longer. With that, Baine sent Garrosh off and he and the other tauren returned home, the quilboar no longer a threat.

Cataclysm
In Cataclysm, Hamuul Runetotem, along with Malfurion Stormrage, assisted Ysera in protecting the recovering world tree Nordrassil from the resurgent Ragnaros.

Hamuul assists in the freeing of Tortolla and succeeds in bringing the powerful ancient onto the side of the Guardians of Hyjal. He and Malfurion join with Cenarius in Sulfuron Spire and together push back Ragnaros into the Firelands. With the immediate threat dealt with, though Ragnaros still at large, Hamuul suggests that they confer with the leaders of the Horde and the Alliance to best plan their next move. He appears to be wearing the druid Tier 6 armour.

Hamuul is attacked by a powerful Druid of the Flame, Leyara, after her induction into their corrupted order by Fandral Staghelm. Leyara is elated with having supposedly killed the powerful Archdruid of Thunder Bluff, and leaves. Hamuul's body is later found by the Cenarion Circle, who quickly transports the Arch-druid - clinging onto life - to the Sanctuary of Malorne. Subsequently, the player has a chance to be offered a daily quest from Dorda'en Nightweaver at the Sanctuary of Malorne related to the ongoing treatment of Hamuul's injuries. Over time, Hamuul begins to recover his strength.

Later, Leyara reappears and begins to chide Malfurion for his own weakness, noting that she will destroy him just as she did Hamuul. However, Malfurion only mentions that Hamuul is not dead at all, and a revitalized Hamuul himself disposes of her - wishing her to finally find peace in death. The two friends then retreat.

During the battle into the Firelands, Hamuul, along with Malfurion and Cenarius, assisted heroes in doing battle with Ragnaros in his most powerful form, finally ending the Firelord's power.

=Tides of War=

Hamuul was present during the meeting of the Horde leaders when Garrosh revealed his plan to attack Theramore when Baine and Garrosh confronted one another about the plan Hamuul stepped forward to aid Baine as Malkorok did for Garrosh until both were ordered to stand down. Following the Razing of Northwatch, Hamuul joined his High Chieftain and other members of the Horde in a secret meeting in order to discuss Hellscream's actions (the use of molten giants to destroy Northwatch and giving the Alliance more than enough to send aid Theramore). However thanks to treachery from within the group was discovered and Baine pointed out that the meeting only occurred because Garrosh would not see them. After Hellscream retorted that he did not answer them, a disgruntled Hamuul pointed out that Thrall would have seen them only for Garrosh to point at his brown skin and ask if he looked like Thrall. In response Hamuul retorted that no-one would mistake Garrosh for Thrall, an insult that went over Garrosh's head (who was mollified) and caused Malkorok to narrow his eye at the Tauren.

Following the seemingly failed attack on Theramore, Hamuul would then bare witness to Hellscream unleashing the Focusing Iris empowered mana bomb on the city.

=Legion=

The Cenarion Circle planned to move the bulk of its forces to the Dreamgrove in Val'sharah, the ancient forest where Cenarius taught Malfurion, in order to combat the return of the Burning Legion. Hamuul, Malfurion, Naralex, Zen'tabra, Remulos, and a druid hero opened a portal to the Emerald Dream at the Stormrage Barrow Dens, allowing their forces to move swiftly over vast distances.

Hamuul later led a small party consisting of himself, Skylord Omnuron, Zen'tabra, and Celestine of the Harvest to Mount Hyjal to investigating reports of a demonic presence in the area. Overwhelmed, they were soundly defeated and the Well of Eternity was almost completely destroyed. The arrival of the druid hero and Lyessa Bloomwatcher, who had come to cleanse [G'Hanir, the Mother Tree] was their salvation, and the three druids were healed just in time to battle Destromath. Destromath was defeated when the newly cleansed G'Hanir was used to summon many wisps to defeat him, and afterward, Hamuul stayed behind to ensure that Omnuron and his forces could reestablish themselves on the mountain.

Hamuul and his daughter Bashana later help to cleanse the Emerald Dreamway when it comes under attack by the Emerald Nightmare. Afterward, Hamuul pledges himself to the Archdruid of the Dreamgrove.

Hamuuul attended a dinner with the Horde leaders after the defeat of the Burning Legion.

=Before the Storm=

Sometime after the Argus Campaign, Hamuul had a bad dream about Azeroth. Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, her escort, Baine Bloodhoof, and Master Gadrin gathered in Spirit Rise to discuss the tragic event, the loss of druids in Silithus, and even suggesting to build a new Cenarion Hold. After Sylvanas said that she would discuss what the Bilgewater goblins could find in Silithus with the rest of the Horde, Hamuul asked her if she would share it with the Alliance as well. Sylvanas was sure that King Anduin wouldn't share theirs with the Horde so she didn't see why she would do that. Hamuul responded that Azeroth belongs to all, to which Sylvans said that one day "all" will hopefully mean only the Horde, but in the meantime, she would choose the Horde over the Alliance that destroyed Taurajo. The archdruid wanted to oppose her again, but she cut him off stating that she would not take it well. She is the Warchief and she decides. Hamuul receded, his ears close to his skull. Although he previously opted to have the Forsaken in the Horde, Sylvanas now considered him a thorn in her side.

He later attended a feast for the Highmountain tauren in Thunder Bluff.

Battle for Azeroth
Hamuul was part of the dual Cenarion Circle and Earthen Ring forces aiding Magni Bronzebeard to heal Silithus from the wound inflicted by Sargeras.

See WoWPedia