Highmountain tauren

Not to be confused with Highmountain tribe.

Template:Racebox The Highmountain tauren are an offshoot of tauren found in the region of Highmountain on the Broken Isles. Divided into four tribes (Highmountain, Rivermane, Skyhorn and Bloodtotem), they are the direct descendants of the tauren led by Huln Highmountain who assisted the Kaldorei Resistance during the War of the Ancients. During the war, Huln received a blessing from Cenarius, so that his people would forever have the demigod's favor, granting them the Horns of Eche'ro: moose-like antlers.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the drogbar, who had previously lived in peace with the Highmountain, rose up and stole the sacred  [Hammer of Khaz'goroth], shattering the unity of the four tribes.

History

War of the Ancients

The peaks and valleys of Highmountain have been home to four ancient tauren tribes for millenia: Rivermane, Skyhorn, Bloodtotem, and Highmountain. For generations, the tribes fought each other upon the mountain. Countless lives and even entire tribes were lost in the bloodshed, until one day, Huln of the Highmountain tribe found his people slaughtered by an unfamiliar foe. Though battling with grief, he managed to convince the warring tribes to unite under his own banner to face this new threat: the Burning Legion.

Joining with the Kaldorei Resistance alongside the furbolgs and earthen, Huln and his tauren played a crucial role in several battles during the War of the Ancients. For his bravery, Huln and his people received a blessing from the Wild God Cenarius, so that they would always have the demigod's favor: the Horns of Eche'ro. After the war, Huln returned home. With the aid of a powerful artifact known as the  [Hammer of Khaz'goroth], he banished the black dragon Deathwing from the region and liberated the dragon's drogbar slaves. In Huln's honor, the four tribes renamed their homeland "Highmountain".

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

For centuries, the Highmountain tauren tribes protected the Hammer of Khaz'goroth and lived in peace alongside the drogbar. However, soon after the Burning Legion's arrival on the isles, a drogbar leader by the name of Dargrul rose up and shattered their unity by stealing the hammer and killing High Chieftain Ulan, intending to use the artifact's immense power to take control of the region. In response, Mayla Highmountain, daughter of Ulan and new High Chieftain of the Highmountain tribe, enlisted the aid of adventurers in order to stop Dargrul and reunite the scattered tribes. Despite their efforts, the Bloodtotem tribe betrayed their brethren by joining the Burning Legion. In their place, the drogbar Navarrogg and his Stonedark tribe joined the Highmountain's cause instead.

Appearance and culture

The Highmountain tauren appear largely similar to their Kalimdor cousins, with the main difference being their prominent antler-like horns, rather than the more bovine-looking horns seen on yaungol, tauren and taunka. Both males and females have these antlers, though the ones seen on females are much smaller. The Highmountain tauren inscribe and decorate their antlers to show their particular tribe affiliation or even their rank within that tribe. Highmountain tauren also seem to be somewhat stronger than their Kalimdor cousins, with one example carrying two other smaller (than himself) tauren on his shoulders while he flees from his home.

Much like the Kalimdor tauren, the Highmountain tauren worship the Earth Mother and her two eyes, An'she (the sun) and Mu'sha (the White Lady). It is, however, unclear if they acknowledge the Sky Father.

Not all Highmountain tauren are hunters, but those that are typically commemorate their first kill with a ceremonial drum, stretched with the hide of their quarry. Most trailhead drums are made with rabbithide or foxhide. Hunters typically carry them for the rest of their lives.

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 rememberance of a lost companionship.

For centuries, the Highmountain tauren have fought the basilisks in the Highmountain mesas. The basilisks have adapted to the tauren as thoroughly as the tauren have adapted to the beasts.

Mounts and companions

A tauren riding a moose.

The Highmountain tauren frequently use the large and powerful moose of Highmountain as mounts or cook their meat as food. At one point, moosebone was the most common material for fishhooks: solid enough to carve a barb into, but pliable enough not to break off in the mouth of a large salmon. Many tauren fishermen carved elaborate designs into their "lucky hooks".

The enormous Great Eagles of Highmountain are revered by the Skyhorn tribe, who use them as mounts in much the same way as the Frostborn dwarves of the Storm Peaks.

Notable Highmountain tauren

Name	Role	Affiliation	Status	Location
Huln Highmountain	Leader of the tauren tribes during the War of the Ancients and wielder of  [Talonclaw]	Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Unknown
Ulan Highmountain	Former High Chieftain of Highmountain, killed by Dargrul	Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Unknown
Mayla Highmountain	Daughter of Ulan and current High Chieftain	Highmountain Tribe	Alive	Various Locations
Jale Rivermane	Rivermane chieftain	Rivermane tribe, Highmountain Tribe	Alive	Various Locations
Lasan Skyhorn	Skyhorn chieftain	Skyhorn tribe, Highmountain Tribe	Alive	Various Locations
Torok Bloodtotem	Bloodtotem and later Feltotem chieftain	Bloodtotem tribe, Burning Legion	Killable	Various Locations
Rethu Ironhorn	Legendary miner and blacksmith and one of the first settlers in Highmountain	Unknown	Deceased	Broken Isles
Warbrave Oro	Highmountain warbrave, killed by Dargrul	Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Various Locations
Oakin Ironbull	Rivermane emissary to the Bloodtotem tribe, killed by Marakhan	Rivermane tribe, Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Various Locations
Trand Prepfoot	Founder and leader of the Prepfoot	Prepfoot	Alive	Prepfoot Compound, Highmountain
Dorro Highmountain	Former chieftain of the Highmountain Tribe and wielder of  [Talonclaw], killed by Dakarr	Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Lair of the Beast, Stormheim
Apata Highmountain	Descendant of Dorro, accompanies survival hunters in search of Talonclaw but is killed by Dakarr	Highmountain Tribe	Deceased	Various Locations

Tribes

From top to bottom: Skyhorn, Bloodtotem and Rivermane.

• Highmountain — The namesake, dominant tribe of the Highmountain tauren, to which the others have traditionally sworn allegiance. Currently led by High Chieftain Mayla Highmountain. Based out of Thunder Totem, the capital of all of Highmountain.
• Bloodtotem — The most cruel, violent and reclusive of the tribes. They represent the element of earth, and their totem animal is a fierce creature with an upturned snout and a wide grin. Led by Torok Bloodtotem. Over the course of the Highmountain storyline, the Bloodtotem reveal that they have allied themselves with the Burning Legion and rename themselves the "Feltotem". Initially based out of Torok's Bluff, but later relocate to Feltotem on the western coast.
• Ironhorn — Master craftsmen and blacksmiths, descended from the legendary Rethu Ironhorn. Dwell at the Ironhorn Enclave near the top of Highmountain Peak.
• Prepfoot — A recently-formed group who believe that Deathwing has not been defeated and will soon return to Highmountain and cause the ocean to swallow the entire region. Their founder and leader is Trand Prepfoot, and they are found exclusively in the Prepfoot Compound.
• Rivermane — A peaceful and diplomatic tribe mainly focused on agriculture, fishing and shamanistic water magic. They represent the element of water, and their totem animal is a bear. Commonly looked down upon by the other tauren, but nonetheless provide the fish and crops that feed the entire mountain. Led by Jale Rivermane. Initially based out of Riverbend, but are forced to relocate to Thunder Totem after Riverbend is destroyed by the drogbar.
• Skyhorn — A proud tribe of hunters and pathfinders that have formed a close bond with the giant eagles of Highmountain. They represent the element of air, and their totem animal is an eagle. Led by Lasan Skyhorn and based out of Skyhorn.

Gallery

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  As shown at Gamescom 2015.

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  Concept art of Highmountain tauren architecture.

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  Tauren fighting drogbar outside Thunder Totem.

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  A collection of various tauren and drogbar Archaeology artifacts.