User:CCRyder95/Satyr (Playable)

The Briarbound Satyr are an allied race affiliated with the Horde in World of Warcraft: The Waking Dream. They are rebellious saytr who seek freedom from the burdens placed on them by both the Burning Legion and the Old Gods. Escaped prisoners from Dolmen Brahl, the Den of Briars, they have sworn themselves to the Horde following their persecution by the night elves. Possessing sinister magics and intimate knowledge of the Emerald Nightmare, the Briarbound have been cautiously welcomed as an irreplaceable asset to the Horde.

Background
(WIP)

The roots of the Satyr's curse lie with Xavius, Highborne councilor to Queen Azshara during the War of the Ancients. Having failed his tasks set by Sargeras, the night elf was given another chance at redemption. He returned Xavius to life, but not as he once was. To mark the traits Sargeras valued in him, and to brand him forever as an ally and servant of the Legion, Sargeras transformed and disfigured Xavius' body. Xavius spread his gifts to his brothers and sisters, willing or unwilling, but in the end the Legion was defeated and the satyr were scattered to the winds, operating as independent cults and sects. With the War of the Satyr, their base of power was almost broken completely.

10,000 years after the Sundering, Xavius has sworn his life to a new master and took on the mantle of the Nightmare Lord, goading the corruption of the Emerald Dream from within. His whispers emanated from every tree and root, touching the souls of all misguided satyr still left in the wilds, tempting them with promises of vengeance and power. However, not all of the satyr came under his sway. Some were reluctant to trust Xavius given his past failures. Others were still beholden to the Burning Legion. Some had not made any choice and were simply born into the curse, filled with loathing at their existence.

To solve this problem, Xavius crafted a center of "re-education" within the Emerald Dream. Dolmen Brahl, the Den of Briars, became a prison for those who chafed at the bounds Xavius had wrought. Here, rebellious satyr were wrapped in coffins of enchanted thorns, writhing in agony as whispers of Elder Gods wormed into their ears. Those who resisted the conversion would simply languish there for eternity, forgotten.

The Briarbound Insurrection
Players will begin as a key member during a prison break from Dolmen Brahl. The Nightmare's recent activities have spread its forces thin, and two figures have forged an alliance to crack open the Den of Briars; Tyrus Blackhorn, a recent inmate and rival to Xavius, and Sarahl, a long-time prisoner who was born into the curse. Together, they free a number of prisoners, including you, and quickly overthrow the den. Knowing that the night elves will never accept them for what they are, the Briarbound have forged a pact with the Horde, leveraging their unique talents to the war against the Nightmare.

Classes

 * - Xavius' curse gave both magical and physical strength to all it corrupted. Possessed of hulking forms and surprising agility, satyrs are more than capable of leaping into the fray of battle. Their natural zeal and penchant for bloodshed make them excellent berserkers.
 * - Satyrs have a storied history of beast mastery, drawn to the most dangerous and unnerving creatures that they can find; venomous snakes and spiders, basilisks with petrifying gazes. The corruption of the Emerald Dream has infected many beasts with nightmarish vigor, and the dens of Dolmen Brahl have swollen in response.
 * - Since their inception at the hands of Sargeras, satyrs have been drawn to the corruption of the natural world, spreading toxins and nurturing poisoned life from the earth. When they accepted the power of the Emerald Nightmare this connection increased ten-fold, allowing the direct channeling of corrupted druidic magics. Since overthrowing Dolmen Brahl, the satyrs have continued to experimenting with these abilities, even allowing them to assume bestial forms. While not so far gone as the Druids of the Mandible or Tendril, these druids still bear traces of Nightmare corruption in their spells.
 * - The descendants of the original highborne mages, including Xavius himself, satyrs wield arcane magic with natural ease.
 * - Fel magic was the original source of their curse, and centuries of serving the malign ends of the Burning Legion have made the satyrs gifted warlocks. Even under their newfound allegiances, the path of the warlock is one that many satyrs walk and even encourage. During the final days of the Third War, the most powerful of them were Hellcallers, and they rained emerald fire upon the enemies of the Legion.
 * - Satyrs are born rogues, even with their bulky physiques and cloven hooves. They possess natural illusionary magics that aid in stealth and are practiced in guerrilla warfare. Sometimes referred to as tricksters or shadowdancers, the forces of Azeroth were felled by many of these devilish assassins, striking from the dark woods of Kalimdor.
 * - Satyrs have practiced a form of Dark shamanism for some time, using the power of decay to isolate and subvert the elemental spirits as another method of corrupting the natural world. Many prisoners of Dolmen Brahl had practiced this magic, but some regretful souls have sought council from other Horde races, learning of more meaningful methods of shamanism.
 * - Since their assimilation into the forces of the Old Gods, many satyr have come devout worshippers of the void. Shadow priests adept in mental magics became extremely common among the satyr. Those who succumbed to madness to the point of liability were sequestered in Dolmen Brahl until mustered for a greater offensive. The practice of void magics have continued since the rebellion, but some satyr have secretly chosen a different religious path, remembering the soothing whispers of Elune they once forgot.

Dolmen Brahl
The Briarbound satyr's capital is Dolmen Brahl, an isolated pocket of the Emerald Dream that had been co-opted by Xavius as a prison. Evident by its name, it is one of the many Dolmens; isles of permanence that help stabilize the Emerald Dream. It is a massive tangle of runed stonework shot through with twisting, ancient greenery, resembling Stonehenge if it was built as a labyrinth. Many isolated glades can be found in its depths, holding prisons crafted of enchanted briars and thorns.

Since the Briarbound Insurrection, the satyrs have fortified the prison as their capital. In fact, it was one of the key assets given to the Horde as leverage for their acceptance; a foothold within the Emerald Dream. Portals to the realm are located in both Undercity and Orgrimmar. While it still bears savage-looking thorn woods, almost all traces of Nightmare corruption have been eliminated. Only a few copses of tainted plant-life remain, under heavy scrutiny by satyr druids.

Racial Leaders
Tyrus Blackhorn: ***

Sarahl: ***

Racial Mount
The Briarbound's racial mount is the Cloven Thornstalker. The satyr have found kinship with the kibex of Vorlassar Sierra, a predatory species that mixes traits of both tigers and mountain goats. Their chiseled faces feature both curling ram's horns and wispy beards, but their mouths are full of razored teeth. Cloven hooves help keep their balance on the rough stones that pervade Dolmen Brahl. Unique to this location are the emerald thorns that wrap around their skin. It is unknown if this is some evolutionary adaptation or perhaps Dolmen Brahl itself has marked the species as its own.