Muato

I suppose it's a respect thing. Everyone knows why there would be an item listed for 1 copper that would normally be listed for mucho goldo. You're not getting a deal, you're ripping someone off. It's easy to justify that as 'being legal' under the TOS, but I'd like to think we take a higher road than that. Plus, as an officer, I certainly don't want to deal with this issue if someone whispers me complaining that someone in my guild ripped him/her off. -Mu

(( For your continued reading enjoyment, this is a copy of the story Muato told at the CS Clan Gathering on 3/26/08. It was edited and rewritten to fit in-line with the Taurens and WoW lore. It is based off an old Native American tribal tale, so props to the ancient Native American Tribes. )) The Kodo and the Field Mouse Once upon a time, when the Field-Mouse was out gathering wild beans for the winter, his neighbor, the Kodo, came down to graze in a meadow in Mulgore. This the little Mouse did not like, for he knew that the other would mow down all the long grass with his prickly tongue, and there would be no place in which to hide. He made up his mind to offer battle like a man. "Ho, Friend Kodo, I challenge you to a fight! "he exclaimed in a small, squeaking voice. The Kodo paid no attention, thinking it only a joke. The Mouse angrily repeated the challenge, and still his enemy went on quietly grazing. Then the little Mouse laughed with contempt as he offered his defiance. The Kodo at last looked at him and replied carelessly: "You had better keep still, little one, or I shall come over there and step on you, and there will be nothing left! " "You can't do it!" replied the Mouse. "I tell you to keep still." insisted the Kodo, who was getting angry. "If you speak to me again, I shall certainly come and put an end to you! " "I dare you to do it!" said the Mouse, provoking him. Thereupon the other rushed upon him. He trampled the grass clumsily and tore up the earth with his front hoofs. When he had ended, he looked for the Mouse, but he could not see him anywhere. "I told you I would step on you, and there would be nothing left!" he muttered. Just then he felt a scratching inside his right ear. He shook his head as hard as he could, and twitched his ears back and forth. The gnawing went deeper and deeper until he was half wild with the pain. He pawed with his hoofs and tore up the sod with his horns. Bellowing madly, he ran as fast as he could, first straight forward and then in circles, but at last he stopped and stood trembling. Then the Mouse jumped out of his ear, and said: "Will you know now that I am master? " "No!" bellowed the Kodo, and again he started toward the Mouse, as if to trample him under his feet. The little fellow was nowhere to be seen, but in a minute the Kodo felt him in the other ear. Once more he became wild with pain, and ran here and there over Mulgore, at times leaping high in the air like a great swoop. At last he fell to the ground and lay quite still. The Mouse came out of his ear, and stood proudly upon his dead body. "Eho!" said the mouse, "I have killed the greatest of all beasts. This will show to all that I am master!" Standing upon the body of the dead Kodo, he called loudly for a knife with which to dress his game. In another part of the meadow, Gray Wolf, very hungry, was hunting mice for his breakfast. He saw one and jumped upon him with all four feet, but the little Mouse got away, and he was terribly disappointed. All at once he thought he heard a distant call: "Bring a knife! Bring a knife !" When the second call came, Gray Wolf started in the direction of the sound. At the first knoll he stopped and listened, but hearing nothing more, he was about to go back. Just then he heard the call plainly, but in a very thin voice, "Bring a knife!"Gray Wolf immediately set out again and ran as fast as he could. By and by he came upon the huge body of the Kodo lying upon the ground. The little Mouse still stood upon the body. "I want you to dress this Kodo for me and I will give you some of the meat,"commanded the Mouse. "Thank you, my friend, I shall be glad to do this for you,"he replied, politely. The Wolf dressed the Kodo, while the Mouse sat upon a mound near by, looking on and giving his orders. "You must cut the meat into small pieces," he said to the wolf. When the wolf had finished his work, the Mouse paid him with a small piece of liver. He swallowed it quickly and smacked his lips. "Please, may I have another piece?" he asked quite humbly. "Why, I gave you a very large piece! How greedy you are!" exclaimed the Mouse. "You may have some of the blood clots,"he sneered. So the poor wolf took the blood clots and even licked off the grass. He was really very hungry. "Please may I take home a piece of the meat?"he begged. "I have six little pups at home, and there is nothing for them to eat." "You can take the four feet of the Kodo. That ought to be enough for all of you!" "Hi, hi! Thank you, thank you!" said the wolf. "But, Mouse, I have a wife also, and we have had bad luck in hunting. We are almost starved. Can't you spare me a little more?" "Why,"declared the Mouse, "I have already overpaid you for the little work you have done. However, you can take the head, too!" Thereupon the wolf jumped upon the Mouse, who gave one faint squeak and disappeared. If you are proud and selfish you will lose all in the end.

No worries If nothing else, you bumped my post!

Lithola and myself will be there.

Aye! We clomp, and clomp and clomp. And yes, sometimes we get clomped, but it's not so bad with friends! It's a friendly PvP Daily group, so if you're a n00b, or a veteran, or a pee-tub graduate...you're welcome to join. Group generally starts forming sometime after 9pm, and goes until we get tired...usually 11-11:30. I'll make an announcement on guild chat between each BG. Hope to see you there! -Muato

This macro should stun your target for 20-22 seconds, if there are no resists and timed properly, and allow you to pop two heals in-between. It's two macros, so you'll need two available buttons on your toolbar. First Macro (which you can replace Pounce with if you want): /castsequence reset=10/combat Pounce, Mangle (Cat)(), Maim Second Macro: /cancelaura [stance:3] Cat Form; /castsequence reset=120/combat War Stomp, Cyclone, Regrowth, Rejuvenation, !Dire Bear Form, Feral Charge, Bash, Mangle (Bear)(); So, you have to start out in Cat Form, prowling. The first macro casts Pounce (4-second stun), then Mangle, then Maim (3-5 second stun). Stay close to your target. The second macro switches you out of cat form, warstomps (2-second stun), then casts Cyclone (6-second stun), and Regrowth. Start walking away from your target as you continue to spam the macro casting Rejuvination, then shifting into Dire Bear form, charging, then bashing (5-second stun), with a final Mangle. If timed properly, it will stun for up to 20-22 seconds, you'll pop 2 heals, and do some cat-form and DB form dmg. I just wrote this tonight, so I'll be testing and practicing as you all are : ) Let me know how it goes for ya. P.S. For the advanced, you can throw a FF in the first macro right after the pounce, and a Moonfire in the second macro right after the Rejuvination. But, I advise getting the timing down before adding those. -Muato

Happy b-day mom : )

Lithola has family that lives out that way Garris (plus she went to BGSU). Maybe next time we're out that way, we'll arrange a meeting halfway between Columbus and Toledo. You know, grab a beer, eat some vittles...talk WoW -Mu

SO, I've mentioned this on g-chat, but I wanted everyone to know about the rumored bug with PvP bonus honor regarding the daily quest. It seems that if you complete the daily, and turn it in, then continue to engage in PvP, you do not get your bonus honor calculated correctly. To avoid the bug, you must turn the quest in LAST, as in, before you log off for the night. I've been subject to this bug for weeks now, and was always wondering why my honor was 500-1000 pts off the next day. It's been posted on numerous times on Blizz's forums, thought no official response had been made. I do know one thing...since I've been turning my quest in before I log, my honor has been spot-on. Evidence enough for me. So, here is what you need to do to avoid the bug: 1) Get the PvP daily, and complete it...but DO NOT turn it in 2) Continue to PvP until you get tired and are ready to log out for the night 3) Turn in your daily, and DO NOT pvp again until after 3am EST the following day when honor has been calculated and the new daily PvP quest appears Of course, this is all rumor...but it's worked for me in practice, and I'm sure we'll never get an answer from Blizz. -Muato

Friends...I wanted to let you all know that Lithola and I usually find ourselves assisting the call of the Horde in Arathi Basin, Eye of the Storm, Warsong Gulch, or Alterac Valley on a daily basis. If you find yourself there as well, just give a yell, as we'd love to smash heads with you in our company! (( Usually, we group up for the first daily around 9-10pm and then just continue with the same BG until people get tired. So, no matter when you join, speak up and we'll queue for the daily. I'll announce the group when we form, and each time we exit the BG so people can join and leave when they wish. ))

Being a leatherworker by trade, I have many skills that I can lend to the Clan. First, I can take those nasty knothide scraps and make them into whole pieces of valuable Knothide leather! No, it's not magic my friends, it's SKILL. You don't have to be a Liddul Panzie to see that much. Then, after I have made your Knothide, I can further the technique by making Heavy Knothide! Yes, even more valuable! What can I do next you say? Well, the possibilities are endless...just as long as I have the pattern to make it. I followed the Tribal ways of leatherworking, and I am as skilled as anyone in the game, so just ask and I'll tell you if I can make it or not. Furthermore, if you're out killing beasties, make sure you loot them. Who knows...there might be a skinner waiting to use that hide! -Muato

(( For your continued reading enjoyment, this is a copy of the story Muato told at the Halloween Costume Party (woot Amayeta) on 10/29/06. It was edited and rewritten to fit in-line with the Taurens and WoW lore. It is based off an old Navajo tribal tale, so props to the ancient Native American Tribes. )) The Mute Tauren Once, in a small tribe high in the mountains, a Tauren calf was born. Unlike other calves, he didn't cry, whine or whimper - he was completely quiet. At first, his parents thought their son was just cautious and quiet, but later realised that he didn't have the ability of speech. It was really rare among Tauren when one was disabled in any way. Sometimes retired warriors may lack a limb, children were sometimes born an extra pair of horns, a second tail or other "extra feature" - but mute Tauren were practically unknown. The childhood of the young Tauren wasn't nice. He had no friends, and he couldn't really fit into any group of calves. He felt uneasy when he couldn't greet an elder Tauren passing by and that Tauren looked at him as if to say, "You're very rude, young Tauren," and even worse when they realised that he was mute, and couldn't apologise to them. Finally, when the time to leave his parents tipi came, he understood that he didn't fit into their society at all. He left the tribe, and lived alone in the mountains today known as Stonetalon. Sometimes he came down to the village to trade skins, and very fine goods he made, like talismans, knives, pouches, quivers for other useful items he needed - clothes, lamp oil, shoes, salt and sometimes books. He was very skillful in all he did, and items he made were not only very high quality, but also very pretty. The handles of the knives beared carvings of Taurens so finely crafted that they looked as if they were alive, and often shaman from far countries came to the village to buy the talismans he made, as the perfectly made symbols after sacrificing them had power higher than their own arts. Despite this, he still had no friend... and because he was unable to proclaim his name, as was required by tradition - None but him knew his true name, so others just called him "The Mute Tauren". One day, wandering in the mountains, he saw a Tauren Cow of outstanding beauty. His heart pounded hard, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep easily anymore. When she noticed, and greeted him, and he didn't reply, she turned away from him feeling offended, and left. He followed her tracks and found her village, but he didn't dare to enter, only watching from a distance. Since that day he often came to the peak of the rocky mountain to watch the village, and his beloved. Despairingly, he found that she had a boyfriend - a young, handsome, wealthy and high-born Tauren bull - and they seemed to love each other. Months passed. He still came to the rocky mountain to watch his beloved, though he no longer held hope... in fact he had lost hope the moment she'd turned away from him. Again, as had happened many times before, he was returning from his viewpoint, back to his tipi, with his heart full of dark thoughts. He was very far from the village when he picked up the scent of a bull - and he recognized it, as he had come across it a few times before - the scent of his rival, the one his beloved loved. Even darker thoughts filled his heart, and he followed the scent quietly. Running up the path in the mountains for some time, he arrived at the edge of a high cliff. He felt the scent of a frightened deer, and the sweat of his rival in air. He looked over the cliff. On the bottom, far below, there was the corpse of the deer and quite nearby - just five or six lengths of fox's tail below the edge, the young bull, hanging helplessly on the wall, with no footholds, and no place to get a better grip with his hooves. All that had to be done was to throw a small rock at him, or even just wait a moment - and his rival would be gone. That was what the Mute Tauren was going to do. But then, a thought ran through his mind - he imagined the girl crying after the loss of her beloved one. He began climbing down the rock shelf. It was extremely treacherous, but he succeeded, helping the young bull to safety, and before the rescued bull could say anything, he ran away, crying inside of his soul. Back in the village, the Tauren bull told his girlfriend the story how he was rescued. He also said that he didn't have the opportunity to thank the unknown bull. They decided to ask their shaman the identity of the mysterious stranger. The shaman knew about him, as a few of his talismans and other items were made by the Mute Tauren. He told them about him, and showed them some of the fine items. He also answered their question about the route to the mute Tauren's tipi - and told the cow that she had been watched for months. The couple decided they would both go there, he - to thank the mute Tauren for saving his life, she - to apologise for ignoring him like a rude person. The mute Tauren was very hospitable. He greeted them using no words and invited to his tipi, giving them warm tea with honey and asking them to sit down. First, the male bull thanked him for saving his life. Then the girl tried to apologise, but she was struggling, unable to find the right words. The mute Tauren saw her embarrassment, and cried deeply within his soul. Finally he couldn't stand his sadness, knelt before her, embraced her knees and laid his head on them, crying soundlessly, and large tears ran down his cheeks. The couple looked at each other. They suddenly understood how he felt, and the male Tauren exclaimed that he was not as worthy of her as the mute Tauren. But, the crying mute Tauren took the lovers' hands and joined them, knowing that he couldn't give as much love and happiness as the other bull. They thanked him for his sacrifice, left his tipi and went to their village, knowing that things couldn't be left like that. After a few days they visited the mute Tauren again and asked him to follow them, and ask no questions. They came to the glade where their shaman was preparing a ritual. The spell, in different circumstances, would be considered as a curse, but this time it was a great sacrifice. The young Tauren bull had decided to share his own voice with the voiceless, give him the power to control his mouth... and the cow decided to share her love between them. The same night, the ritual of three-hand handfastening was completed, and... the story is close to its end. The three of them lived very happily after that, in the mountains far from this village, making fine goods, hunting together and taking care of the children. The Tauren who gave his voice to the Mute Tauren didn't use his own name anymore - since then the two were called The Mute and The Speaking. Even nowadays, it sometimes happens that some Tauren have the ability to share their voices with others from their family, and it is obvious that they have blood of The Mute and The Speaking in them.

(( For your reading enjoyment, this is a copy of the story Muato told at a RP campfire event on 8/9/06. It was edited and rewritten to fit in-line with the Taurens and WoW lore. It is based off an old Cherokee tribal tale of the Bear, so props to the ancient Native American Tribes. )) The Story of the Kodo In the long ago time, there was a Tauren Tribe call the Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee (Beartotems), and in one family of this tribe was a bull who used to leave home and be gone all day on the plains. After a while he went oftener and stayed longer, until at last he would not eat in the tipi at all, but started off at daybreak and did not come back until night. His parents scolded, but that did no good, and the young tauren still went every day until they noticed that his tauren hair was beginning to fall out all over his body. Then they wondered and asked him why it was that he wanted to be so much on the plains that he would not even eat at home. Said the tauren, "I find plenty to eat there, and it is better than the corn and beans we have in the villages, and pretty soon I am going to the plains to stay all the time." His parents were worried and begged him not leave them, but he said, "It is better there than here, and you see I am beginning to be different already, so that I can not live here any longer. If you will come with me, there is plenty for all of us and you will never have to work for it; but if you want to come, you must first fast seven days." The father and mother talked it over and then told the shamen of the tribe. They held a council about the matter and after everything had been said they decided: "Here we must work hard and have not always enough." There he says is always plenty without work. We will go with him." So they fasted seven days, and on the seventh morning al the Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee left the settlement and started for the plains as the young bull led the way. When the tauren of the other villages heard of it they were very sorry and sent their shamen to persuade the Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee to stay at home and not go to the plains to live. The messengers found them already on the way, and were surprised to notice that their bodies were beginning to loose their hair like that of some plains animals. This was because for seven days they had not taken normal food and their nature was changing. The Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee would not come back, but said, "We are going where there is always plenty to eat. Hereafter we shall be called Kodo, and when you yourselves are hungry come onto the plains and call us and we shall come to give you our own flesh. You need not be afraid to kill us, for we shall live always." Then they taught the shamen the songs with which to call them and Tauren hunters have these songs still. When they had finished the songs, the Ahnee-Jah-goo-hee started on again and the shamen turned back to the villages... ...but after going a little way they looked back and saw a pack of Kodo running on the plains.

Muato's Second Calling When you receive a summons from the Arch Druid of Thunder Bluff, you go. And you go FAST! Muato received suchs a summons, and it was urgent, so he was presented with a special 'Summoning Stone' that held magical powers. The runes on it were unique to each city or village, this one being Thunderbluff, and if you concentrated on the stone for just a few moments, picturing the town in your mind, you would be ported there immediately. Of course, you had to have been there at least once to get the special runed stone and know what to picture in your mind. After picturing Thunderbluff in his head, Muato was standing in front of the inn keeper...a few moments later he was running as a cheetah to the rise where the Arch Druid was waiting. Muato had no idea he would get two pieces of news that would change his life forever. First, news from Feralis. Before Camp Mojache was established as a military stronghold in Feralis, the region was essentially a frontier because of it's isolation and rough terrain. Because of this, the region was a target of frequent raids by the Dire Maul Ogre clan, as well as the Grimtotem Tauren tribe, Thunder Falls being no exception. Aparently, while Muato was away at Moonglade, one such Grimtotem raid occured. The Grimtotem tribe seemed to have an especially fierce desire that day to capture or kill as many Tauren from Thunder Falls as they could. From the start of the raid, there was rumored to be an unusually dark demeanor about the raiding Grimtotem druids, as if a shadow had been cast upon their faces and they had been tormented. Since the first sundering, the village of Thunder Falls had re-built and now housed many skilled leaterworkers, and was more than perpared to defend itself from the Grimtotem threat...however, a new threat made itself known that day: the Silithids had re-emerged from behind the wall, somehow. It seemed that soon after the Grimtotem raid began, the village was overrun by the giant bugs stinging, stabbing, slicing, and killing both Thunder Falls and Grimtotem Tauren alike. At that moment, both Tauren tribes united to present a common front to the giant bugs, but there were just too many silithids, and the Tauren were crushed... almost everyone one of them slain or drug back to the silithid hive for what ever horror awaited. The only survivors of that raid were a small group of Tauren children that were able to hide in a cave behind the waterfall. It seems fate had replayed itself once again... The famous ale brewed there...all those skilled leatherworkers...the place Muato was born and raised. All dead and gone, again. Muato thought he had dealt with this so long ago, but he felt a renewed pain all over again, and one fiercer than before. He could barely control the rage within, and his heart beat with the feral strength of a Dire Bear. His life was destroyed, again. His only comfort was in his parents' teachings of how life renewed itself in a never-ending cycle. "Someday," his father said, "you will be reborn to your decentants...though you will not know yourself. You will be you in spirit, as you were many times before, and will be again, but you will be different. This is the nature of things." Then the second piece of news from the Arch Druid: Muato was called to join the Emerald Dream. Muato doesn't talk too much about the Emerald Dream. Perhaps it's because of the corruption effecting it, or perhaps it because the things seen there need not be talked about. The fact of the matter remains, it is Muato's opinion that the Dream is not right and is slowly becoming corrupt, including it's Green Dragonflight guardians. His tactics needed to be changed. The renewal of nature could not wait, the fury of her had to be unleashed. Being awoken into the 'World of Time' as some druids call it, is a lengthy process, but somehow Amayeta had found out where Muato was sleeping and decided to start the ritual. A good time later, a groggy Muato starred at her as she filled him in on events. "Much work needs to be done." Muato said. "The Chosen have been compromised. Where is Volonazra? I must speak with him immediately. Is the covenant still intact, or has that fallen too?" "I'm not sure, but I know Volonazra will have answers. He actually was the one that found out I knew where you were and asked me to wake you. I can't say I didn't want to." She smiled at him. "I am glad to see you again, Amayeta." and hugged her. "It's been too long." Muato had been selective of whom he gave his friendship to. This was typical for a druid, which is why they mostly kept to themselves, at least in building friendships. When you spend hundreds of years in the Dream, only to find out your friends have long since passed on, you learn to be more selective with your friends. Amayeta had been one of those 'healy' type druids Muato had met at Thunder Bluff during his time there, and he had never forgotten her. There was just....something about her. Time had only just begun to heal old wounds for Muato, mainly those of his lost parents, and of the village now only a memory for most Taurens...that memory erroded by the sundering and earlier by 100 years of passing time. He had purpose from being a druid, but he needed to find those with common ground. He needed comrades he could fight beside, who he could count on, who he could call friends. Soon, he would have just what he needed.

Muato is a Tauren male, approx. 145 Azerothian years old. After being born in Feralas, and suffering the loss of a potential mate many years later, most of his life after 40 was spent as a Druid 'in stasis' in the Emerald Dream. Recently, he and the rest of the druids were awoken to prepare for the various battles threatening Azeroth, Elune, and the Earth Mother. Shortly after his awakening, he heard the calling of the Bloodmoon and found himself allied with 'The Bloodmoon Chosen', with whom he fought and consuled until his Great Quest. He is an Elder Druid on a council called 'The Emerald Order', which is a member of the Cenarion Circle. Muato was born and raised in Thunder Falls, a now-abandoned village in Feralas. The village was located on the bank of a lake created by a waterfall, thus named for the sound that was ever-present in the vacinity of the village. The town was well-known for it's fine leather craftsmen, as was typical of towns in Feralis. The town also had a specialty ale, known for it's big bite and strong punch, attributed to the fact it was brewed with water captured as it fell toward the lake. Muato's roots are spiritual in nature, as his mother was a village shamen and his father was a druid. His mother was the village alchemist and a herbalist, and had a small laboratory hidden behind the great falls where she worked during the day to support the needs of the village. His father was one of the village leatherworkers, known for his infusion of nature into the armor he sewed. The technique was later refined to include incorporation of Wildvine into the pieces and eventually became known by leather worked as the 'Tribal' style. Growing up, Muato was an only child. Because of that, both parents taught him the ways of the shaman and of the druids in order to prepare him for which ever path he chose. Eventually, Muato would choose the path of the druid, but he was always enthralled by the healing properties of nature, in part because of his mother's teachings. He also took up the tribal style of leatherworking to continue the family tradition of leatherworkers. He otherwise lead a fairly normal life as a child, working with his father in the tannery sewing armor kits, and walking the forests and fields with his mother picking herbs for her potions. He learned basic herbology from his mother, but was more interested in the different types of skins from various animals, and was naturally attracted to the tannery more often than the flora. Through the early years, his father taught him all that he knew about the trade, including the 'nature infusion' that he worked with. Muato would go out on skinning trips with his father when they needed more skins for the tannery, and saw his father take many feral forms while killing beasts for their needed skins. He saw the strength of the druids first hand, and wished always to become one like his father. When not helping at the tannery or wandering the forrest or fields, he studied with the village Lorekeeper, Loratek Runetotem, with the rest of the young cows and bulls of the village. Since childhood, his desire to study with the druids and learn the ways of Cenarius had never waivered. His father being a druid, and a well known leatherworker, sent a letter to Lorekeeper Hammul Runetotem in Thunderbluff, whom was a good friend of his, and a customer of his leatherwork. The letter told a story of a young Muato, and how the young bull showed much promise in many areas of a druidic lifestyle, and asked for Hammul's guidance for Muato. Just before Muato reached the 'Age of Decision', where a Tauren Druid is faced with choosing his path of spirituality, his village was raided and everyone in it slaughtered. The only survivors were the children of the village who took refuge in a secret alchemy lab behind the falls. A short time later, Muato was summoned to Thunderbluff to speak with Hammul, who directed him to Camp Bloodhoof to start his studies and training as a Druid. The next 20 years of his life were spent first in Thunderbluff, then in Moonglade. It seemed becoming a druid was a life-long process, one of endless learning, training, refining and reflection. And it gave him peace and a distraction from his memories. Muato focused his academic activities and training on the restorative aspects of nature, but always enjoyed attending lectures and debating on the various feral topics, and found that his heart was somewhat feral. After over 20 years of study and practice, which was relatively short in the way of druids, he was granted sabatical.

Muato's Quest Muato stands up from his place around the fire circle, weary from another day of battles and stress. He stretches his hands up to the sky in an attempt to ease the pain of his tired shoulders. It helped a little, but the pain returns just as quickly as it left. He lets out a deep sigh. As he steps a bit closer to the fire, the dancing flames accentuate the tiredness of his face. This meeting of the Elders was the last thing he wanted to call this evening, but it had to be done. He had put it off long enough as it was. "Bloodmoon, Elders of the Chosen, my faithful friends, I am weary. The combined effect of battles, both with darkness and with the alliance, and the strain that comes with a leadership role have finally taken their toll." Muato rolls his shoulders in an attempt to rid himself of the tired, aching that seems to always be there. "Dreamwalker once spoke of a need to 'Mend the spirit'. I believe his wound was too great to be healed in the waking world, so he resides in the spirit world with the remaining druids, in the Emerald Dream, while his body lays in stasis in the Stormrage Barrows. Fighting the battles there are just as important as fighting them here, as both worlds are connected in a way not many understand. Just know that one can not exist without the other. So, the cause is just, as the Dream itself is becoming corrupt...a sign that the shadow is winning." Muato takes a deep breath. "My wound is not unlike Dreamwalkers, in many ways. But I have not allowed the wound to fester so long that it can not be healed. However, I need to work on that healing with haste...otherwise it may threaten to destroy all that I have worked to build, and all that I hold precious. This I know for truth." Muato sighs. "So, it is with haste that I make my way to Moonglade, to the Stormrage Barrows to enter the dream. Only through this path will I be able to slay the unseen demons of the dark, and heal the spirit wound to my soul. I know that I have many allies there to help with my quest, but in the end the quest is my own. I only ask for your understanding and patience in my absence." Muato reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, round object. "There is still one Tauren who remembers the atrocities at Thunder Falls, and I will never forget those that died to save us who were so young." Muato turns the small object around in his hand, then makes a fist around it. "This is a 'Falling Stone' from the old village of Thunder Falls. The people in my village would pile rocks and stones at the base of the falls to be smoothed through the force of the water as it fell. These stones were used to make works of art and adorn rings, necklaces, and other jewelry. The name has been forgotten over time, but not by me. This is perhaps the last remaining stone of it's kind." Muato opens his fist, and the stone glistenes with blood in the firelight. "As I hid in my mother's lab behind the falls, with the rest of the Tauren children, while the town was looted and burned, I wept for my mother. My tears fell upon this rock, and mixed with the waters from the waterfall pool, now red with the blood of the fallen. The blood color seeped into the rock-face itself, and has never worn away. This stone gives me strength of spirit in times of dire need, and serves as a rememberance for those that fell to save the children of Thunder Falls." "So, I leave this stone with you as a bond that I will return, and I charge that you keep it until then." Muato places the stone on his empty seat. "Ish nah por ahh my friends, may the Earthmorther watch over you and give you strength." Muato salutes the circle and walks into the night, his tabbard draped over his chair with only the gleaming red Falling Stone placed on top.

(( This is a work in progress, but I wanted to carry it over from the boards at BMC while I was there. This is Muato's recent history, aka starting at the timeline of WoW. His history pre-dates the Horde / Alliance truce, and continues to present day. I just finished the story of how Muato came to be with the Crushers, so check it out! )) How Muato first came to be called to the BMC To keep busy since waking, Muato had practiced his skill in leatherworking to keep it sharp, and to honor his father and the slain leatherworkers of Thunder Falls. He also liked using different types of animal skins for their natural properties of toughness or magical resistances, and frequently sewed in flora, in memory of his mother. After awhile, he noticed certain types of flora actually provided beneficial qualities to the armor it was sewn into, so it became kind of a trademark to his leatherwork. The wildvine in particular, would provide varied results based on how the vine was sewn into the armor. While collecting skins and wildvine in Stranglethorn, Muato came accross an albino variety of wildvine found in the higher altitudes of the hills of Stranglethorn. He had never seen such a brilliant white variety, and was curious if it provided the same benefits as the normal green and purple kind. As he collected the herb, he thought how odd it was to see the vine with no flowers at this point in the season, just buds. After returning to his home in Moonglade, he started tanning a piece of Kodo skin he had collected earlier that week in preparation for the new armor he would make. Kodo skins seemed to be the best for testing additive effects because of their pristine nature and lack of any detectable magical enhancements. His druid friend Mora Windcaller came to tea that evening, and immediately noticed the white wildvine sitting on the tanning bench by the window. Startled at seeing it actually there, she walked over to it and touched it, feeling it's leaves and inhaling the fragrance of it's blossoms. Blossoms? It didn't have blossoms when I collected it, Muato thought. "Where did you get this?" Mora asked. "I found it in Stranglethorn as I was collecting Wildvine. Haven't you seen albino wildvine before?" After all, she was an accomplished herbologist, and he doubted there was an herb on earth she hadn't seen. "Actually, no I haven't. And it's not wildvine, though I can see how you made the mistake...they are very similar in appearance. I'm not sure, but I think it's Elune's Moonvine. If it is, you are very lucky to have one Muato, they are extremely rare. They only live for one day, the day of the full moon, growning from seed to mature vine, blossoming in the full moonlight, and dying at sunrise." Muato took notice of the moonlight from the fullmoon coming in the window. "Hmmm...so do you know any recipies that require the blossoms? I only need the vine for stitching." Muato stated. "No, I don't." she said. "I'm afraid their rarity has made study of them slow, at best. I would be glad to take the blossoms with me to the alchemical lab before dawn, perhaps there is a way we can preserve one. You don't mind if we have tea another time Muato, do you?" "Not at all." he said. "It'll give me time to work with the vine before it decays, if it does as you suggest. There is always time later for tea." Muato smiled at his old friend as she stared at the vine, fingering the blossoms. He got up and walked over to her. "Go ahead Mora, take them and go to the lab. You'll need to gather some of the technicians and other alchemists. I'm sure the other 'flower pickers' will want to see this as well." Her head whipped around to give him a face to face view of that long elven face and pointed ears. Her eyes were tight, momentarilly filled with a flash of anger, but then a wry smile touched one corner of her mouth. She really did hate when he referred to the herbologists as 'flower pickers', but he only did it to get a reaction out of her. She turned away from him to collect her blossoms. "So, what are you going to make with the vine?" she said over her shoulder. "I'm not sure yet." he said. "I'll have to make a decision quickly though, it seems I don't have much time. Maybe a harness, or a chestpiece if this kodo skin yields enough usable leather." He motioned at the kodo skin stretched across a bench with a number of clamps holding it in place. "At least I'll have an idea what properties it yields if I sew it into kodo leather." Mora nodded as she collected the last of the blossoms off of the vine and placed them in her herb pouch. "Well, you only have one chance at this," she said, "so you'd better make it a good one." She smiled that wry smile again at him again. "I'll let you know what we find out about this herb. Tea tomorrow evening then?" Muato nodded. "See you then, old friend." He hugged her, careful not to crush the herb pouch at her side, and watched her walk out of the tannery down the path to the alchemy lab. Sitting there alone, Muato thought about what he would do with the vine. It stared back at him, bare of all it's buds and flowers now...just the raw material he would sew into the leather directly. It really was a brilliant white, almost hypnotic in it's glow. All of a sudden, Muato saw a flash, and he was standing in the middle of a large city, with many small buildings with white columns, gazebos, and open walled structures. Everything looked misty though, washed out. He knew this to be a vision, though it was the first that wasn't facilitated by smoking a combination of herbs, or accompanied by a ritual. There was a large temple in the northwest, so he made his way there under the fullmoon. Walking into the temple, there was a beautiful garden that covered the entire interior floor. At the center, was a statue of an elf holding up a bowl to the sky, with water pouring down from the edges of the bowl. The moon seemed to shine directly into the room, concentrating on the bowl the elf held. The moon shown in through a domed window cut into the ceiling above, making the water a brilliant white. He looked down to see the vine in his right hand, also glowing a brilliant white, enchanced by the moon...and a leather chestpiece made from Kodo leather in his left hand. I guess that decides that, he thought to himself about the leather chestpiece. The elf statue's eyes started to glow a brilliant red, and the shade of the moonlight gradually changed from the brilliant white to blood red, as if the moon was being doused in blood. Then the water puring in from the bowl turned a blood red, flowing down into the lower pool, mixing with the white water, devouring it until the entire pool was red. The light shining in, the entire pool of water, and the light surrounding him was now a deep blood red. The statue seemed to talk to him then, but only in his head. "You are called into service, Muato. We need you amoung the chosen to provide guidance and consuling, as well as to defend us. Though, it seems you need us as well." "Who are you, and who are 'The Chosen'?" Muato thought. As if the words were spoke aloud, an answer came. "I am that which makes war against her enemies. I am that which selects those who are worthy to defend her. I am her General, and her protector. I am the Bloodmoon, and she is Elune. You shall aid me in my charge." "But what am I to do? Where shall I go?" This time he mouthed the words, but no sound came out. "You are to seek out those that are also chosen. You will know them, for they will seek you as well. There is a Shaman called 'The Bloodmoon', whom I have instilled with a portion of my essence. Seek him out first, for he is most wise and worthy to lead the chosen. He will need counseling and aid though, and you shall provide it. But be wary, for there are other elements at work that would seek the destruction of such a group, even from within. Now go, seek out The Bloodmoon." With that, the vision faded into mist, and finally into darkness. Muato opened his eyes, and saw the dim interior of his tanning room, lit only by the moonlight, now back to it's familiar bright white. He looked over to the tanning bench, expecting to see the Kodo hide and the vine, but was instead staring at a completed chestpiece made with the Kodo leather and the sewn with the vine. Muato picked up the chestpiece and put it on over his robes. A little snug, but without the robes it would be a perfect fit. The edges of the chestpiece glowed a brilliant white where the vine was used to stitch the pieces together. Just then he noticed the outline of a full moon on his chest. The outline seemed to gather light from the edges and reflect it inward, finally recreating the image of a full moon on his chest. He immediately set out for Thunder Bluff in search for the one called Bloodmoon.