I’m not even going to attempt to justify how they would be relevant in the story; I can’t remember the last time the Mogu were relevant, but suffice to say it’s been a while. And it’s not like they were even a fan-favorite to begin with.
But I’m gonna be honest – I actually think their concept art was freaking sick, and I think they were done kind of dirty by being modified Draenei models.
Now, changing what the Mogu look like now might feel like a bridge too far for some folks, and I get that; we can always just modify the new Draenei skeleton again, and that would be fine.
However, what I think would be infinitely cooler and get us closer to their earliest depictions would be basing them off of the Zandalari model instead.
My rationale is simple:
Just look at the Mogu statues in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
I’ve having trouble finding it, but I’m fairly sure that in their earliest concept art, they were meant to have normal legs, simply with clawed feet. Unsure why they decided to opt for a modified Draenei skeleton, but I would totally take the opportunity to rectify that, personally (or maybe just explain it away as “these Mogu were affected by the curse of flesh, their appearance differs from the ancient/awoken Mogu).
Now, why Mogu?
Honestly, I just think they look pretty cool. I love their Chinese lion/dragon aesthetic, their unique connection with Pandaria, and I think they would actually make a really cool fit for the Monk class; I’m someone who always chooses races that “fit” each Class, but the Monk is so focused around the Pandaren (which is one of the things I really like, but is a double-edged sword), the Mogu are relevant enough that I think they would also be a compelling fit.
Only real modifications I could see from the existing Zandalari would be giving them clawed feet (maybe built-in “sandals”, sort of like the Pandaren have), probably shorter, and maybe adding a bit more bulk (not enough to require altering how armor geometry sits on the model, mostly just bulkier arms, legs, and maybe chest).
As far as story…
My thinking would be that maybe when the Wandering Isle first left Pandaria those thousands of years ago, a small clan of Mogu hid themselves in order to keep an eye on their enemies, for their Emperor’s inevitable return. In the thousands of years since, though, they’ve watched the Pandaren train, amused by their simplicity but a begrudging respect for their dedication to the martial arts.
Despite being hidden away, their proximity to the Pandaren, in conjunction with being cut off from their own original culture, has led to these Mogu being a bit more open-minded to working with other, “lesser” races. Heck, maybe they’ve even decided that the original Mogu empire was weak, and feel part of their purpose is to destroy it and build a stronger empire in its place, letting them embody the idea of self-perfectionism in a more aggressive way.
There’s a small mountainous area south of the Wood of Staves, maybe that’s where the hidden Mogu have lived in secret, with only the Grandmasters being aware of their presence. Rather than attack them, however, they were content to allow the Mogu to remain there so long as they never harmed the Pandaren. Maybe the Wood of Staves was where the Grandmasters would originally meet with the Mogu to share tea, questioning their philosophies, slowly bridging the gap over many generations.
I dunno; I think that would be pretty sick.
Regardless, I think they would be a pretty cool addition, fairly unique, and wouldn’t require a whole new character model (whether revamping as I suggested, or just reusing the Draenei model).
