I can’t stress this enough, this is a collection of fanon mixed with official lore. Use what inspires you.))
I. CULTURE
Anxiety of Resurgence versus Tradition
Years ago, one of the issues of being a Seer or Sunwalker was a feeling of anxiety regarding the establishment of new teachings alongside generations of traditional thought, especially in a culture that regards its elders and traditions so heavily. Tahu Sagewind, the premier Seer, once asked players when spoken to:
“Surely you've been a student once in your life, < class >. You learned from an instructor, and you gained respect for them in some way, yes? Maybe not as a person, but at the least, as one who knows more than you and was willing to teach you. If not, use your imagination...What would you do if you came to realize your instructor may not know as much as you thought, and that you may have found a better path?”
There was a definite aversion to disrespecting tradition in Tauren culture. Since the time of the Forestlord and the first Druids, the Tauren adopted a nocturnal bias from their interactions with the Kaldorei, and this bias persisted for thousands of years. Those that wished to worship An’she in the name of balance between the two Eyes of the Earthmother may have felt some embarrassment or misplaced pride when near their traditional druidic counterparts.
The resurgence of An’she worship would also have been associated with the younger generations, a new way of life; because of this it bore the stigmas of arrogant youth. However, An’she worship predated the encounters with the Kaldorei, and its recognition as an ancient practice is welcomed once again.
An’she and the Light
In roleplay: Seers and Sunwalkers believe they draw their abilities from the Sun, called An’she. Unlike Paladins, Vindicators, or Blood Knights, a Tauren’s mysticism and belief in An’she gives him the confidence and willpower necessary to control the energy. Most Tauren disassociate their abilities from other forms, believing An’she is a unique power. (It’s important to note that the persistent use of “the Light” by Tauren NPC’s is generally regarded as a faux pas on Blizzard’s part, because it disregards the Tauren having their own cultural identity.)
Out of roleplay: According to Blizzard, the only requirement for controlling the Light is willpower, and its manipulation is done by sheer willpower. Unfortunately, this post was made on the old forums:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1008430853:“Without spoiling too much, we can tell you that wielding the Light is a matter of having willpower or faith in one’s own ability to do it.”
While each individual is capable, this is generally accomplished through the confidence of an entire culture developing their own establishment. In the case of the Tauren, this is the ancient reverence of An’she and the Earth Mother.
Clothing and Decoration
There is a strong link between all facets of Tauren culture, with elements tracing back to older traditions. Facepaint as either decoration or for war is related to camouflage for hunting. Adorning with feathers and teeth are also associated with hunting: making sure nothing goes to waste and to bring oneself closer to the spirit of the earth, or to keep track of achievements. So, what specifically would a Sunwalker do?
A weak possibility is branding (AKA scarification). Support for this comes from the fire motifs of Sun worship. The brand is seen as a tattoo, as “permanent warpaint”. However, there is a lack of definitive evidence that scarification is acceptable or deviant behavior to the Tauren. It’s possible that it’s okay, that it’s inappropriate, or that it’s a debated issue. Because of this, opinions of branding are regarded as individual tribal bias.
Unlike branding, piercings are a concrete part of Tauren culture. In fact, the Tauren are renown jewelers, stemming from this long-established practice. Nose rings and horn rings are common choices, but ear, horn and lip piercings could be just as viable. The material would almost invariably be gold or some other warm-colored metal, to shine as fire and the Sun.
Piercing is a ubiquitous practice across Azeroth, developing for different reasons. Like many Shu’halo traditions, piercings may have developed from ancient tride-and-true hunting tactic: camouflage. A likely evolution would be that camouflage led to the use of war paint to identify individual tribes, which led to painting the body for other identifying or purely aesthetic purposes. When the Shu’halo began to manipulate metals, the use of rings for the same identification and aesthetic reasons was a natural next step in body modification.
Tauren also love weaving and embroidery, and are quite accomplished tailors and leatherworkers. Clothing may bear patterns resembling flames or the sun, and would most likely have warm colors. Armor, too, might follow this when possible, and even bear golden adornments just as the Tauren might bear golden piercings.
Attitude and Demeanor
Tauren are fairly relaxed, slow, controlled, calm, and patient. They are risk-averse and diligent. Even in combat, a Tauren’s immense strength is governed by equally immense caution and self-control.
Seers and Sunwalkers might be a possible exception to this, even if the difference is only slight. Years ago, the need for the Seer or Sunwalker to overcome the anxiety of participating in a new form of worship required a bolder attitude, giving a more unique shape to the psyche of the group. Whereas Mu’sha is the cool calm of the night, An’she is the warmth and fire of life. Sunwalkers might be more extroverted or open to others, and perhaps just as likely to be friendlier as more aggressive. However, this is still tempered by the dominance of the culture they live in.
II. HISTORY
http://www.wowpedia.org/Sunwalkers:“Concurrently with the War against the Lich King, Brightmane and Sagewind discussed whether the Tauren have overlooked a key aspect of balance, noting the night elves’ near exclusive worship of the moon, known to the tauren as Mu’sha. Yet both Mu’sha and An’she, the sun, are the eyes of the Earth Mother. …To properly revere the Earth Mother they hold sacred, the two decided to strive for balance and further explore the powers of the sun, An’she. Brightmane, a warrior who fought on the Icecrown Glacier, remained hopeful that An’she would shine across the sky, and victory would be won by the mortal races no-matter what perils remained.”
In the earliest years of the Tauren race, An’she was worshipped alongside Mu’sha in reverence to the Earth Mother by a class of mystics called Seers. Seers would participate in visions and predictions, perhaps “gifted by a light of clarity from An’she”. However, it appears that when Cenarius (also known as the Forestlord to the Tauren) taught the Tauren and Kaldorei the druidic arts, the Kaldorei passed their nocturnal bias onto the Tauren, and An’she worship disappeared from the culture.
Today, the accepted dogma is that worshipping both eyes of the Earth Mother is necessary for proper balance in the culture.
III. Names, Titles, and Hierarchy
It appears to be standard convention for a Sunwalker to drop his family or tribal surname and adopt the title “Sunwalker”. Examples include: Sunwalker Atohmo, Sunwalker Chagon, Sunwalker Dezco, Sunwalker Helaku, and so on. There is also at least one confirmed case of an actual name change to an NPC:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Saern_Priderunner:Saern Priderunner is a level 50 tauren located on the Hunter Rise in the city of Thunder Bluff. Prior to Patch 1.1, Saern used to teach tauren players of level 40 and over how to excercise plainsrunning. Since the ability was removed from game, so did Saern’s ability to teach players to use it. In Cataclysm, Saern Priderunner becomes Sunwalker Saern, a Paladin trainer in Thunder Bluff.
Blizzard has given no official explanation, but the most likely reason is that these NPCs have a character limit in their name, and it wasn’t feasible to have such long names on the NPCs. Within roleplay, one may imagine a commitment or vow to sacrifice one’s former life and occupation and commit wholly to the path of a Sunwalker, as sacrifice is a recurring theme within the Sunwalkers.
The only exceptional NPC is Aponi Brightmane, the de facto leader of the Sunwalkers: She did not change her name. Again, Blizzard has given no explanation for this.
There appears to be no set hierarchy within Sunwalkers. Being a Sunwalker is more occupational, as Sunwalkers commonly double as chieftans, mystics, braves, etc. An individual Sunwalker’s stance within society and among their peers depends on other factors, not them being a Sunwalker.
In ancient An’she worship, the Seers were mystical leaders and spiritual guides, and they appear to have resumed this purpose. Modern Seers are guided by Tahu Sagewind, Aponi’s counterpart during the Wrath of the Lich King. Unlike Sunwalkers, the Seers don’t appear to have any official titles or naming conventions.
IV. Rituals
Midsummer Fire Festival
Celebrated across Azeroth, the Summer months and the strength of the Sun bear special significance to Seers and Sunwalkers. The Festival activities can include dancing and singing praises to An’she alongside the Earth Mother, similar to the adoration of the elements and spirits that others offer. Around the great bonfires scatted across Azeroth, Sunwalkers could offer open teaching and recite inspiring prose. Being the fiery individuals they are, they may be sparring with some and offering blessings to others.
Cleansing
Common to many nomadic hunter/gatherer cultures, the center of this ritual is the burning of incense for some sort of purification. Like many Shu’halo traditions, the history of this practice has its roots in hunting tactics: The hunter would make a paste or smoke crushed herbs to mask his scent from his prey. Over many years, this evolved and fused with culture in the forms of body paint and incense. The most common purposes for cleansing include, but are not limited to: acclimatizing to a new environment, purifying a new home, settling restless spirits, and personal hygiene. Cleansing is also commonly used as a supplemental activity for another ritual, with the same themes of purification.
A Seer or Sunwalker can burn the herbs with An’she’s mystic fire as a praise and demonstration. A common practice is to burn the herbs in the palm of the hand, then rub the ash over the body.
Cleansing is very closely related to smoke bathing, however smoke bathing is considered a purely hygienic, non-ceremonial task.
The Sun Dance (AKA Piercing Ceremony)
The Sun Dance is a day-long ritual, consisting of volunteers who are ritually pierced after exhausting themselves as much as possible. The ritual emphasizes self-sacrifice, a core value of the Sunwalkers, and gives poignancy to the piercings the dancers receive.
The Sun Dance is a re-adaptation of other dance rituals to emphasize self-sacrifice. The purpose of the dance is to push the dancers to physical and mental strain, wear the body out, and drain the dancer’s stamina. The dance can last for several hours, or the better part of the day, and may involve sparring and wrestling between dancers to demonstrate their strength and continue pushing their limits. The dancers can often be bloodied, but serious injuries are incredibly rare. That said, dancers are not healed until they have received their piercings. In case of an emergency, a dancer is considered to have “failed” the ceremony if he requires healing, food, or water, but it is generally not his own decision to be healed. If a dancer passes through this trial, he is not to clean the blood from his body until the next day.
Once humbled by exhaustion and weakness, the piercing ceremony begins. The dancers would have already selected what manner of body modification they are receiving, including the size, type of metal, and the personal significance of the piercing. In accordance with the Sun Dance, a piercing’s meaning typically has to do with some form of sacrifice, especially to a Sunwalker.
Other body modifications may include body piercings of all manners, limb bindings, and in rare cases branding. Different tribes also have their own regulations regarding body modification, or whether the Sun Dance is an appropriate method for receiving body modifications.