The 10.0.7 patch notes say “Goblin Monk NPCs can be found in Kezan”. I’m assuming they are adding them to the MOTHERLODE!! dungeon? It wouldn’t make sense for them to get added to the Goblin starting zone.
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They’d be added to the starting zone if playable Goblins were a thing. I mean, there will already be at least one canonical Goblin monk running around in the form of the Champion. Why not more?
But I guess you’re referring to the fact that the Goblin starting zone takes depicts events before/at the beginning of Cataclysm, while Pandaria and the Monk class tradition didn’t become more well known until some time after. Worgen are kind of in the same boat, which would explain why for the longest, neither race could start as monks. So yeah, having monks in the starting zone would be strange.
But until Blizzard decides to update those starter zones, we’re just going to have to swallow the gameplay/story segregation.
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In my dream scenario they open up Kezan for all players to go to (non-instanced) and they can add the monks there!
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The Pandaren found in TBC lands Such as Blood Elf and Draenei lands are canonly in TBC as the Pandaren quotes watching the ship crash. Mojo Stormslout is the NPC, Sadly I cant link
So its canon Pandaren did wander around pre Pandaria
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It was revealed in BFA that there are other islands that the Pandaren live on and not just the Wandering Isle or Pandaria so it’s not out of the question that they came from somewhere else and found their way to Kezan.
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I think they have to add them to Kezan and Gilneas. I’m pretty sure there are quests given by your class trainer in both zones.
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Looks like they added one in Kezan.
I haven’t seen the one in Gilneas, though. I guess wandering Pandaren taught them both.
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So basically the lore is just one day;
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but an unarmed brawler really seemed like a no-brainer for every race. And there’s plenty of room in monk fantasy for some less Pandaren elements.
I’m glad that’s the case now.
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I really don’t mind it too much. Seems like the sort of thing like Warrior, Rogue, and Hunter everyone would figure out eventually.
But you do get some lore on the differences. Like different organizations like the Farstriders or Mountainers, Deathstalkers or SI:7, etc.
Idk be kinda neat if every major city had their own martial arts school of thought. Warring dojos is pretty fertile ground for fun stories afterall.
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I’m sure Blizzard can think of something. They retconned in Monk Trainers on Azuremyst Isle by having that Pandaren be on the Island the whole time, even when the Exodar crashed.
Might be worth mentioning that there’s been a reference to Pandaren style Monk presence on Kezan in the class mount’s dialogue.
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Ban-Lu?so=search#References
‘Ban-Lu says: Ah, a refreshing swim… Reminds me of the time I swam all the way to Kezan. Grandmaster Rochu wasn’t happy about how shriveled his paws got!’
It’s not much, but it’s something. It’s not like it’d be the first time there were holes in the lore relating to this class.
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And the timeline around Cata is a bit wishy washy in game. Monks start their questing through Cata content. Kezan isn’t much of a stretch given goblin enterprising. Gilneas is a lot more rough given they were isolated until the actual Cataclysm.
Being a monk is less of being an unarmed brawler though, pandaren influence or no. Generally being a monk is about an incredible amount of dedication to turning your body into a weapon and your spirit into armor.
I don’t think monk will ever be disentangled from its pandaren elements. As much as it would be nice to see other race’s takes on monks, its talent tree and class design is tightly bound up in the august celestials and the mists of pandaria. It would require an entire overhaul on the class fantasy that I don’t see Blizzard doing, at all, ever.
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That’s kind of my point, though.
In theory, we have two flavors of druid (Kul Tirans, Zandalari) who’re independent from night elf traditions. And a few flavors of paladin. Even if it hasn’t really been utilized, there’s room in the monk class for some other flavor.
I wish Bliz did more with monks in general, but that’s just me playing favorites.
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New Worgen monk trainer.
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Why wouldn’t it make sense? If goblins can be monks then they’ll have to add them to the starting zone as trainers.
Whoops, guess this technically didn’t belong in this thread.
I’m curious, we see him there as a human, but I wonder if he shows up later as a worgen? Either wat I am going to assume the lore is he either is a “unique” monk, aka martial artist or something, and he taught others the same stuff. Or, because he’s older, he was around and learned how to be a monk from a Pandaren before returning to Gilneas when the wall was put up.
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Really, I kinda think having trainers in the trainers in the Kezan and Gilneas starter areas is hand-wavy. There’s no reason anyone couldn’t discover pandaren monks at some point in their life, no matter what sort of profession they had previously, and decide to dedicate themselves to monk training. There’s just no way to mechanically change class in-game, so you just have to roll one and go from there story-wise. I plan on rolling a worgen monk who found a way to be at peace and control his monstrous side by studying under pandaren teachers. Or something like that.