Kul Tiran shamans? I have some concerns…

[Frisören-stormrage]

RE-post from former forum.
Disclaimer: I need training in consistent writing formulas.

After the announcement from Blizzcon saying Kul Tiran humans will be able to play as shamans I was massively confused and with a hype I did not grasp. So, looking into my playtime surrounding the alliance storyline I have come up with some points and counterpoints as to how I see the question of: “Why can Kul Tiran Humans be shamans?”

Tide sages. Sea priests birthed from the first Lord Stormsong how heard the whispers of an unknow entity now known as Tide mother guiding the Stormsongs to the lands we now know as Kultiras. Its thru her whispers the Tidesages became what we know today, regardless if it was Azshara, a Faceless one, a Water elemental or Nezoth himself. Their role in Kultiras is the equivalent of any priest from the main lands except for the source of the beliefs (being the sea) and their direct activity in any sea related venture. I have a link here to get more details I might skip of ignorantly dismiss.

But what do we see Tidesage as in-game? A priest/mage hybrid with water magic with knowledge in binding elements thru their use of “totems”, the capability to “bless” ships and making use of rune magic directly or bound to scrolls. Here is a main problem I have with the tidesages as shamans, they are more akin to dark shamans than any other race-class combination I have compared with. They bind and control, take and remove. They have a hierarchy in their society transferred to the practices of the tidesages that causes the relation to this elemental source to be respectful but more tool then partner.

A shaman gets its power thru the relation with “individual” elements thru trade and bargaining as the goblins mainly do. Thru faith and companionship in/with the elements as the tauren, orcs and dwarfs (wild hammer) do. Can also be from enslavement from a specific elemental like the dark iron dwarfs as we recently got in BFA. Other origins to shamanism in World of Warcraft can be an elementals act of kindness introduce the practice thru desperate individuals or races (Draenei). Lore wise a shaman is powerless without the connection with their elementals (look up doronsmovies for a quick rundown). This we see after Thralls dishonorable and disgraceful use of the elements fighting Garrosh back in WoD, this effect was seen in the shaman order hall campaign as he lost a lot of his power as if unplugged and why he left to ask why his “friends” aren’t happy (not knowing what he did wrong, + the Doomhammer was misused in a sacred orc combat ritual).

However, this can’t be well applied on our playable avatar (for hopefully obvious gameplay reasons) but is important for the characters in WoW to build the world consistency to keep the believability of this made up world. It’s at this point Kul Tiran Shamans makes a big miss in my eyes. They don’t conform to the already existing “rules” and no, I am not pointing to the already void consumed tidesages we see in Shrine of storm but any untouched tidesage like Allen (however curious I get surrounding the voids-ish connection to tidemother). It also cracks when the look of any gear kul tiran shaman will be using as bones, hides and other animal parts. As they can’t use any of the tidesage cloth armor that the tidesages use (no kul tiran can as they can’t play as any cloth class…). And any mail we see in kul tiras is a clean-cut guard outfit using sword or spears.

There are many more points I would like to bring up, but I fear id either nitpick or go into a redundant path of thinking. Like the relation with the earthen ring might be an issue and that the sages basically use all abilities of a naga or hydromancers but maybe in future post. Kul tiran human’s relation with orcs as shamanism is sort of a central concept to truly understand them. You have a specific point of discussion? Bring it up! We might get to talk about it!

There are however two things I find to be a proper addition to Kul Tiran Humans INSTEAD of shamans and that’s Priest and Mage (an argument can be made for warlocks). Not just to mention the class fantasy to be a frost mage akin to Jaina controlling your water elemental sporting the tidesages wardrobe. Or wielding the shadow/void as the teachings of the tidemothers new corrupted whispers and my favorite that I might even enjoy holy priest however trading the more “holy” look towards a watery appearance as the resto shaman have (let’s not forget holy magic is derived primarily from faith, source is almost irrelevant). This in my mind conforms more towards what the tidesages represent within the Kul Tiran society and how the player base can aim to roleplay as one.

However, there is hope for them to play shamans in the future. I don’t think they are there yet but in the start of the next expansion or the end of bfa I see it as a possibility with an immediate interaction with the shaman of the alliance to curve the tidesages in a more reasonable path towards shamanism as it’s just an odd priesthood with dedicated scholars.

Well this was my first post on the wow forums I hope I was not to incoherent in my writing and reasoning as I was trying to be short in my writing is a short laugh. But I am writing about human shamans…… as if tauren paladins and voidelfs was not hard to believe already…

From a player who likes shamans… a lot.

[Thunderage-stormrage (Thunderage)]

A former Reply to my post and my response: From Debellatio 120 Human Paladin

I understand your points and they are convincing. However, I don’t see the current tidesages as being the actual Shamans we will get to play in the future. Often, new races can become a certain class based on “Affinity” and a natural knack for it. After they join a faction, they are trained and they become full fledged members.

This is probably especially true for allied races.

We never saw a priest Nightborne. But we do know they have a special affinity with magic. They join the horde, they become priests.

Kul Tiran humans have a natural understanding of the elements (many areas are populated with elementals - at least earth and water ones… I also think I saw a “honey elemental” but I guess they don’t count). They spend time near the water, they study waves and the ebb and flow of tides. They get accepted in the Alliance and they learn their way with the elements.

Whether they’ll trade with spirits (as the merchants they are at heart), cajole them or rely on a bit of intimidation, this is a RolePlay decision that affects your character and your character only.

Me? I’ll dust up my Dark Shaman ensemble.

0000000000000

My Response:

Hey.

Granted an affinity towards the elements (mainly water) is indeed there. However much I keep seeing old gods whenever I look at them, tabard, art, that mountain “sculpture” (it’s as if the “eye” stare at me, provoking me…) that has been there a long time before the sudden change in the “whispers” from “Tidemother”. However, I still find shamans as a class to (in my mind) be more rigid as to what is required to be getting in regular contact with the elements. Unlike how re-re-description of the “light”, that makes paladins a very open question for other class-races combinations (maghar paladin for example, no I don’t like that idea).

With the stance on how the faction you join will affect your practice of already existing affinities to molded into a class identity. I like this perspective, but I need one thing to really like it: time. A good example in my mind is how blood elf warriors came to be, as they were unique as to be the only race not able to play warriors. But in cataclysm (or was it wotlk?) they were added, now I did like the unique aspect as to not be able to play as warrior but, the horde is based a lot on a warrior culture advocating both a new frame of mind and a superb source of “inspiration” for it to be a logical conclusion. The same can be seen for a few race-class combos in cataclysm as troll druids, human hunter and… gnome… hunters….(perfect pray taming predators). If they wait for kul´tiran shamans to added as of… 8.3 as we get the to… the Azshara zone we might get a good interaction with other alliance shaman to get a good look at their interaction and adaptation. However, its also applies to ward my favored class combo priest. There is also a lot of “hope” for kul´tiran shaman to be well developed in the next patch (8.1) as the incursion might well grant tidesages a mighty enlightening spotlight that might alleviate some for my concern. P.S nightborn priest is as old as nightelf priests are and simply remained in their isolationist barriers unchanged for all this time.

Lastly a question, as someone who might want to go for a kul´tiran dark shaman RP look, what can you use to also seem like a tidsage/kul´tiran? So far from the raid sets only storm orieneted sets like Regelia of the Skybreaker (M), Regalia of the Raging Elements (H) and Cyclone Regalia strike me as good looks (the bulky kul´tiran look might change my mind). However the looking at priest raid sets I get a lot of theme right as Mercurial Regalia, Regalia of the Exorcist, Soul priest´s Raiment (N) and Vestments of the Purifier (M)(tidesage rune user :O)