To expand further on them. These are the classes I think the Ankoan are most likely to have:
Warrior: This one is a given, shouldnāt need explanation
Shaman: The Ankoan seem to worship Neptulon, which is in contrast to the Dark Ironās Fire, and the Kul-Tiranās air.
Hunter: A natural choice
Rogue: The Ankoan seem to take any advantage they can against the naga. Given their Japanese theme, theyād also be fish ninja
Druid: See above, they carry the blessings of the sea, and tend to the depths and shallows.
Monk: After centuries of seperation from their landlocked brethern, they learn monkish arts from the Jinyu.
Mage: Likely their only cloth class, we can see Arcanists in Mezzamere. Likely learning magic from the ancient Highborne ruins scattered in the Great Sea.
So. I mulled over some of the Ankoan dialogue. I did a pet battle WQ on my alt and was alerted to this bit of dialogue:
" Once, the children would fill them with sand and hang them on the coral as decorations.
That was long ago."
This is what I think may be referenced in Okaniās dialogue. The waveblade used to be a prosperous clan. The naga forced them to live a nomadic lifestyle. Then they raided the Waveblade, slaughtering most of them. Including the children and their leader.
With their clan functionally extinct, their leader asked them to swear that they would take vengeance on the naga, Azshara and their civilization itself.
Even when you give a young Nagaās fork (that you presumably wrenched from itās dead hands). Itanu says that he doesnāt care where it comes from though.
Gilgoblins can probably be Druids due to worshipping Graal.
Not to mention they make active attempts to maintain their ecosystem, they are quite different then regular Goblins.
Also I think Junker Gnomes might be a Neutral Allied race.
So my understanding of loa lore is a bit shaky, but I believe that worshipping a loa doesnāt necessarily grant one a path to druidism. Like, the Zandalari pantheon is entirely comprised of loas, but only those that follow Gonk are druids because Gonk is literally ālord of shapes.ā Paāku is followed by their priests and Rezan by their paladins. Other loa arenāt necessarily class-specific though they do have ties to the fauna of Zandalar, such as Kragāwa, Shadra, and Hireek.
Gral is a really minor loa in the pantheon overall, as evidenced by the fact that you donāt come across him at any point in the main Horde storyline for any of the three zones and playable Zandalari trolls canāt pray to him for any benefits. But the interesting thing is that, despite the relative scarcity of Gral as a character, I believe heās the only loa that the Alliance can quest for in Zuldazar. Perhaps a little hint that his followers would play a major role in the Allianceās war effort?
Of course, if it turns out Gral does have the power to bestow druidism upon his followers, I certainly wonāt complain. It isnāt supported by lore at present butā¦ I meanā¦
You get a druidic shape by being blessed by a Loa/Wild-god. Itās why Nelves can take the form of a bear (through Ursoc/Ursol) or a cat (Ashamane).
Hirāeek gives the jungle trolls a bat form, etc.
So long as the loa is willing, theyāll give you the capacity to shapeshift.
Gral is very powerful, probably amongst the most powerful beings in the sea. His astral projection can maul Naga. Heās even bloody called āThe Loa of the Seaā. He can give his followers a shark form, and probably other forms the same way gonk gives his followers multiple forms.
So. I just turned in some flasks to Artisan Itanu and surprisingly, he bowed at me. Thereās also a red ankoan sentry outside the inn with an idle pose I havenāt seen anywhere else.
The red ankoan isnāt a static npc. Most of the guards at the ankoan camp are procedurally generated, meaning their appearance varies daily. The non-ankoan guards, e.g. those in the 7th legion, have their race and gender randomized as well.
There will always be an ankoan guard, red or otherwise, standing in front of the inn. That pose theyāre doing (with the hand on the hip) seems reminiscent of many of the poses they added to various NPCs in BFA, and I couldnāt remember if the guard was always doing that. Unfortunately, I found a video someone made showing off Mezzamere the day patch 8.2 went live, and yeah; theyāre there, making the same pose. It isnāt new.
The only major update for the time being is that they altered the follower campfire a bit by giving it its own pedestal. The campfire itself is now about waist-high rather than just being on the ground. Itās probably a convenience thing more than anything else, but itāsā¦ something. I guess.
Hoping for some real good news this Blizzcon or for 8.3. The story of the ankoan feels incredibly unfinished, and Okaniās dialogue continues to torment me on a daily basis.
EDIT: Iāll also mention that Iām still routinely checking literally every NPC with the gendertable macro I linked some posts above. There has not been any significant change; Okani and Ori are the only two individuals listed as male. Everyone else in the camp does not have that value defined for them.
Normally my hopes would have been dashed, however, the unique Voice Acting, poke lines, textures and Okaniās dialogue leads me to believe that theyāll be the last Allied Race added.
