| Stormhorn Tribe | |
|---|---|
|
Chieftain (Last) |
Orga the Totemic |
|
Governing Body |
Chieftain |
|
Government Type |
Nomadic Tribal Chiefdom |
|
Status |
Destroyed |
In the age of the Long Vigil, the nomadic Tauren continued the familiar lifestyle they had lived for as long as they had known. However, in the ten thousand years preceding the Tauren's conversion from a nomadic lifestyle to one of settlements & cities, many tribes came & went like the seasons. Most of these tribes and their names have been lost to history, though their stories and legends perhaps live on in the tales regaled by tribal elders of other tribes.
The Stormhorn Tribe was once among the many tribes whose very existence had been all but forgotten. Legends and tales of a betrayer tribe who sought to steal the Tauren's ancestral homeland of Mulgore for themselves have existed in story for thousands of years, but the name of the tribe & the exact details of their betrayal were not remembered or passed down with the Tauren's oral history as generations went by and the story's details were changed or lost. The only traces that now remain are ancient skulls & trinkets, etched with the power of storm itself.
Early History & Characteristics[]
The Stormhorn Tribe, as far as Archaeologists have been able to confirm, did not exist before the War of the Ancients. At some point after the tribe's founding, they managed to learn some kind of magical enchanting or imbuing process. By combining this knowledge with their Shamanic arts, the Stormhorn earned their name & their horns glowed and crackled with the energy of a thunderstorm. The process was known as Horn-Etching & horns were covered in complex, intricate designs that amplified magical ability. Every Tauren born into the tribe was gifted with these pieces of practical art, even if lacking in apparent magical prowess. It was eventually learned that certain patterns could provide even greater power, but because these etchings were permanent (and because of the nature of horn regrowth), younger generations came to command stronger, more potent magical capabilities for their arts than their elders, leading to an unusual culture of youth reverence & (relatively for Tauren standards) mild disrespect for tribal Elders.
Though the standard archetypes of a Tauren tribe were found among them, it appears that the Stormhorn had a unique order among its tribal ranks. According to Night Elven Sentinels who had some dealings with the tribe, they were known as Thunder Hands. These lightly clad soldiers appeared to be former Shaman who, forsaking any kind of physical enhancement, began focusing solely on magical arts. These drew the attention of the Druidic and nature-oriented Night Elves, who kept watch of the Tribe's Thunder Hands. Clad in the most powerful of horn-etchings, the Thunder Hands were a respected group among their fellow Tribesmen but quietly disdained by Tauren from other tribes.
The Great Feud[]
The details regarding the Great Feud are not as well recorded as the Second Great Feud. The Night Elves, who had been in contact with the Stormhorn, attempted to sway the Tribe from entering into the conflict (primarily to avoid devastating the fragile lands of central Kalimdor, who were becoming more & more barren as the centuries passed). It wasn't until the final stages of the war did the Stormhorn commit to the effort, aligning themselves with the Bloodhoof and Grimtotem Tribes against a group of unknown Tauren tribes. While kept to a minimum in their use, the Stormhorn's Thunder Hands were apparently devastating on the battlefields of central Kalimdor.
The Second Great Feud[]
Following the conclusion of the Great Feud, the Stormhorn shared in the glory of victory. With many of their rivals now destroyed, the central fields became more open for nomadic life and, for the most part, life returned to normal. The Night Elves, however, were growing concerned with the Stormhorn's use of what appeared to be arcane magic. The power the tribe commanded could spark similar usage among other Tauren tribes in order to compete. Plans were drawn by the Sentinels to have the tribe meet its end, but these specific plans would not come to pass.
Nearly a thousand years after the Great Feud had ended, the fragile ecosystem of central Kalimdor suffered a devastating loss. The Great Totem War destroyed the last remnants of forests in the region, forcing the Stormhorn into dire straits. Without any local plantlife to be used in their enchantments, the source of their power was threatened. A chieftain rose to power, known as Orga the Totemic. With promises to reclaim the Tauren homeland and hold onto the power 'they so rightly deserved to command', Orga struck a bargain with the Centaur that apparently included the creation of a Centaur nation & restoration of life to the lands now known as Desolace in exchange for Mulgore's control being given to the Stormhorn.
When informed of this development by the Sentinels, the Bloodhoof and Grimtotem tribes rallied others together to wipe out the Stormhorn. With this the Second Great Feud began for the Stormhorn's great betrayal for the sake of power. Though Mulgore was not retaken, the Stormhorn were wiped out & Orga was killed beneath a landslide. The Thunder Hands were hunted down by the Wardens & executed in the years after the Feud's end. Though it was unclear if every Stormhorn was hunted down, the process of Horn-Etching was not seen after the Feud anywhere across Kalimdor, at least not by those who were able to tell the tale.
Legacy[]
For many generations after, the very names of Orga and Stormhorn were synonymous with traitor & magical adornments were prohibited by nearly all Tauren tribes. Yet at some point, the impact of the betrayal became less relevant to succeeding generations & eventually the names themselves were lost. Some believe the tribe's affinity with (presumably) arcane magic along with their betrayal are what ultimately pushed the Tauren away from the arcane permanently. There have been other Tauren with the name 'Stormhorn' well after the original Stormhorn tribe's downfall, but it is unlikely these Tauren were related to the original tribe (and were likely unaware of the similar names as the name & legend of a betrayer tribe had been disconnected from each other some time after the Second Feud's end).
Following the Cataclysm & the surge of amateur archeologists spreading across the world alongside the troves of unearthed, ancient bones & trinkets are what ultimately brought about the awareness of the tribe's existence. Connecting with ancient Tauren legends and with several Night Elves who actively dealt with the Tauren during this time period ultimately allowed for their history & relevance to Tauren culture to be brought to light. The greatest find, however, was a chasm in the western half of the Barrens. In a relatively small chamber was discovered the skeletal remains of Orga the Totemic. His name inscribed on his two twin totems, both carved out of solid rock & having survived the crushing avalanche which killed Orga. Though the skull & other bones remain in the hands of the Tauren of Mulgore, the Totems were seized & have been cataloged in Ironforge.
While unconfirmed, it's been put forth by some among the Dwarven Archeologist circles that the Stormhorn Tribe may have been responsible for the creation of the Thunder Lizards thanks to selective breeding & magical manipulation. To date, there is no proof to support these claims.