User:CCRyder95/Timbermaw Furbolg

The Timbermaw furbolg are an allied race affiliated with the Alliance in World of Warcraft: The Waking Dream.

Background
(WIP) The Timbermaw were one of the few tribes to endure the Third War alive and uncorrupted, but the near destruction of their species has caused them to turn inward, shunning contact with the other races of Azeroth. They stayed neutral the following years, only accepting the aid of a few wandering champions who proved themselves sincere in their efforts. However, as the threat of the Nightmare looms and their brethren in the Emerald Dream call out in anguish, the Timbermaw have realized the time to stand idle is no more. Rebuilding sacred bonds and pacts that date back to the War of the Ancients, the furbolg of the Timbermaw tribe have sworn themselves to the Kal'dorei and the Alliance as a whole. What they lack in technological advancements they more than make up for in potent mysticism, unparalleled knowledge of the Dream and sheer tenacity in the face of darkness.

Classes

 * - Generations of tribes being pitted against the merciless wilds have cultivated a strong warrior culture within the Timbermaw. Champions, brawlers and the mighty Ursa warriors are forged through brutal combat, and the bestial furbolg are just as comfortable using traditional weapons as they are with their claws.
 * - The furbolg share their lineage with the mighty Jalgar, the ancient (but extinct) spawn of the Bear Gods themselves. Through this connection and their deep reverence of the wilds, furbolgs wield druidic powers with natural ease. Furbolg druids, known as Totemics, often use their wisdom to lead their tribes as chieftains, but desperate times have called them to use their powers directly. They can even assume forms that were previously unknown to night elf or tauren druids. (The furbolg feral form will actually be a vicious badger, denoting their connection with the wolvar.)
 * - A species can only survive for so long without food, and the furbolg have thrived for greater than 10,000 years. Their hunters share an unburdened physical connection with the land and are unmatched in taking down prey, whether they be beasts or not. Furbolg hunters will start out with a badger pet.
 * - Shamans form the heart of furbolg culture, fostering connections not just between the elements but between people and tribes. These men and women of knowledge have led them along the right path for generations, and when called upon to do battle, the Timbermaw shaman will rain fire and lightning upon their enemies.
 * - Many furbolg warriors choose to fight without weapons, utilizing their sheer bulk and ripping claws to do battle. In addition, they have a strong culture of folk medicine, reverence of the Wild Gods and, of course, the brewing of strong ales. In recent years, Pandaren wanderers have made contact with their ursine brothers and sisters, and the path of the monk has been readily accepted, as if it was always there.
 * - Most Furbolg distrust the arcane as its very use implies a control over the natural world, which is antithetical to their traditions. However, a rare few have pursued the practice in secret. In the caverns of the Barrow Deeps, some shamans have heard the call of arcane magic through the ley lines within the earth, suggesting that order can be instilled within the chaos. Furbolg mages hold the belief that arcane magic is the lifeblood of the world, and that the world may be healed by channeling order and pattern upon it. (In Hearthstone, there is a character called Frostfur, a furbolg mage specializing in ice magic living deep within the earth.)
 * - The Timbermaw have done much in the attempt to cleanse the demonic corruption from their brethren in the aftermath of the Third War. Most remain indelibly marked, but a rare few have learned to look beyond their madness. Exiled from most of society, furbolg warlocks have attempted to reign in their demonic corruption and wield it as a tool themselves. Believing in fighting fire with fire, furbolg warlocks use destructive magics with a surprising degree of skill.

Possible

 * - Religious doctrine was never a large part of furbolg culture, as most revere the natural world itself through the lens of shamanism and druidism. Over the years, the Kal'dorei have managed to gain some converts to the Church of Elune, while others have modified the night elven philosophies to extend to the Wild Gods. (Not as much of a stretch as the other classes, but furbolg religion seems to mostly concern with shamanism and druidism.)

Timbermaw Hold
The capital for the Timbermaw furbolg is Timbermaw Hold. While some curious wanderers may have seen the outer fortifications of the hold, bridging the mountains between Felwood, Moonglade and Winterspring, the greater whole of the fortress lies deep underground. This enclave has now been opened up to to the Alliance, built on a series of natural ramparts within the massive caverns underneath Mount Hyjal. Waterfalls cascade from overhead as the roots of Nordrassil wind their way in like enormous pillars. The Barrow Deeps stretch into the darkness on all sides. In fact, this area will very much resemble Urs'var Barrow within the Emerald Dream.

Here, you will find furbolg warriors training in the open caves while druids, shamans and other ritualists seek solitude in enclosed lodges. In the watery grottos underneath the fortifications one will find the ascetic furbolg mages, listening to the arcane energies that weave in patterns under their feet. If one looks off the ramparts into the abyss of the Barrow Deeps, they may see the emerald fires of the few furbolg warlocks, exiles dabbling in powers forced onto their souls.

Racial Leader
Chieftain Tur Ragepaw: ***

Racial Mount
The mount of the Timbermaw is the Stoutheart Wapiti, an elk of enormous size and strength that is capable of carrying even the largest of furbolg with ease. Their huge bulk belies their grace, as they can weave through the trees of Ashenvale effortlessly, seemingly melting through the branches and undergrowth. Sigils and patterns are shaved or painted onto their hides while ritual ornaments adorn their antlers.