I know its fairly common for players to display animal like behaviors based off of their druids preferred animal forms or even conduct partial animal transformations as a display of power, skill or personal taste, but what about the features becoming the new baseline? Are there archdruids walking around with a hidden tail, wearing baggy robes to hide their fur? Are their children who happily play tag between lessons despite the budding antlers and razor sharp claws?
The named kaldorei druids I know of are Broll Bearmantle who was born with horns and was depicted as having grown them as if it were a natural feature, and Malfurion Stormrage who was gifted antlers by Cenarius later in life. setting our Deer Malfurion aside as a definite outlier is Broll a once in a human lifetime birth or is the rarity more caused by the relatively small population of kaldorei born as compared to those still living after their conversion to druidic magic?
Secondly I have a few questions regarding the animal features in general. Is it only antlers that are a naturally born omen for great druidic prowess and Malfurion is special having gained other features or are the features seen on Malfurion all singularly “Available” to druids of great power? Secondly do the antlers function like a normal cervids antlers where they have growth and dropping periods, are their points that Broll and Malfurion are walking around with velvety horns and people have to ignore the awkwardness of seeing their horns pop off during the winter months?
Pretty rare. The most common one we see in lore is Antlers, which have been grown by Malfurion Stormrage, Broll Bearmantle, and Arvell. So it’s at least a handful have them.
These traits are 100% NOT genetic. These are the effects that life magic has upon a mortal’s soul. The energy of various Wild Gods of nature can transfigure a mortal shape to better reflect the power within them. It is exclusive to your mortal soul, nothing you pass on through your flesh.
Trolls demonstrate these Nature magic effects as well. Such as when they take on the Form of a Loa Avatar. Which is a full-body embodiment of their Patron nature God’s primal might. Loa Avatars such as Shadra, Hethiss, Bethekk, Shirvallah, Hir’eek, Jan’alai, Nalorakk, Halazzi, Akil’zon, Sseratus, and others have all been shown to achieve partial or total Loa Avatar transformations for Spiders, Shakes, Panthers, Tigers, Bats, Dragonhawks, Bears, Lynxes, and more. It is uncertain if these Loa Avatar states are permanent or not. As the individuals using them have all died during boss encounters.
What High said, it increases with mastery, Malfurion is an amalgam because he is quite literally a Druidic demi-god on par with his Shan’do Cenarius.
Particularly skilled Druids may EVENTUALLY manifest one animal like extension, but this is based on their clan and its specific forte. A druid of the antler for example will grow horns, Feral Druids of the Claw cat claws, bears get hairy or man hands I guess? Kinda redundant when you’re a Kaldorei but…
Also: I don’t know about Malfurion but, Cenarius at least actually does shed his antlers. They were used for artifact power during Legion. He’s got a great rack.
So yes as Highvalor mentioned it’s incredibly rare. Firstly for Kaldorei originally orange eyes were already rare, this was before they knew it meant a powerful connection to Nature. (Which is why orange eyes were a male only thing and females had silver eyes). Then the antlers were unheard of until Malfurion and Broll.
Remember we’re talking thousands of years, and only 2 confirmed cases.
As mentioned Malfurion has spent a ton of time in the Dream so his connection o Nature is second to nearly none.
I assume they work like normal and they fall off. I mean it’s NATURE magic so why wouldn’t it be natural?
Do keep in mind one of the few things all Kaldorei do retain from their primal ways are the sharp canine teeth.
It is quite rare. At the same time, it is part of the druid fantasy. If it makes you happy and doesn’t detract from the character themselves just do it.
It in no way has to do with Thely specifically as she already rocks enough boats being an undead druid, I couldn’t handle the eyerolls if she suddenly sprouted antlers ^^'!
I was unaware of Arvell, and I have recently learned about Thalyss Greyoak from the Traveler series so we are up to at least 4 confirmed! Thalyss also has a rack that definitely rivals Broll and Malf’s!
I decided “screw it” and gave my druid the antlers as natural growths because 1) I like the birds but think the notion that he is wearing antlers is goofy and 2) I’ve been playing him for almost 20 years and we’ve both earned it, damn it.
