These are so lightly iterated on, I decided I wanted to try filling in the blanks. Of Course, everything that I state here aside from the canon articles are theory crafted and are ultimately up to the role players to accept. If I was going to rp a class that has little information, I would have to expand upon it logically.
These are the basics and the canon info that we already know.
The history
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Blademaster
Blademasters, also known as Warmasters, are legendary orc warriors of the Burning Blade clan, known for their mastery over swords, axes and polearms.
The ordering of Draenor took place when the orc had begun to spread to all four corners of their planet. They spread from Gorgrond, to nagrand, to frostfire. To shadowmoon and so forth. They met each challenge with a ferocity rivaling that of the saberon.
The ordering of Draenor regarding the orcs took place after the fall of the rulers, the ogres, for defiling the land and invoking the wrath of the elements. On those days, orcs and the elements saw a common enemy and a common ally. The furies saw in the orcs on those days what they could be, as a race of warriors, at their finest. A race of honor, respect, and conviction.
As they spread throughout draenor, the ancient practice of shamanism was formed and then came the blademasters. Originating from the burning blade, these warriors took honor to the extreme and their ways spread to each individual clan in time.
The blademasters are known to have existed long before the corruption of the orcs at the hand of the Burning Legion, when the Burning Blade clan was still dwelling in Hallvalor in Nagrand and using elemental fire magic. Many traveled alone and many traveled together, but no matter what they did or where they went, There was only one constant. Death before Dishonor.
Now that we have that out of the way, onto the more complicated things.
I am aware that the burning blade had simple villagers, profession workers, and shamans, but for blademasters there had to have been an order to things.
Theory Crafted - Blademaster Ranks
Novice - an aspiring warrior seeking to learn our ways. One can take them under their wings and teach them the ways of the blade and all you know.
Blademaster - you have passed your trials already and know all their is to know about being a warrior of your caliber.
Grand blademaster/Warmaster - you become this only so if you have successfully reared a student to blademaster-hood. As you are recognized for your mastery of the blade and mind, as well as leadership in the face of challenge.
Elder - you must have ascended all of the ranks to reach this stage. You are older, experienced in the art of war, those you serve with look up to you for guidance and leadership. You remember the old ways of the clan and have seen much. As an elder, you are recognized as a master of a fighting style or more.
Traditional Practices
Cleaning and blazegrease. Blazegrease/Banner/armor is canon. The composition of the blazegrease is to be considered.
These legendary warriors were extremely traditional. As a blademaster it is customary to not wear chest armor of any kind and to wield only the blades presented to or forged by them as a sign of courage and honor.
The burning blade wore cumbersome banners upon their backs in place of their chest armor, that showed their original clan mark of a flaming sword. Other clans may do this at their whim. The burning blade were also named for their creation of a substance called Blazegrease.
Blazegrease is a sticky, smelly substance applied to the blades of the masters before each battle. Highly flammable, most masters waited for the sparks of battle to light the blade on fire for a heart stopping surprise of being sliced apart and burned alive. Blazegrease was a substance that was created from the hard fat of a clefthoof ground together with the paste of a talbuk. Applied with the oils and inks of the fire ammonite, the oil became extremely flammable drawing as much heat as it possibly could when alit. The flame will last for as long as the blademaster wills it.
It was the masters' responsibility to take care of their blade, the process of blade cleaning was an essential part of their culture as a unified community. A faulty blade will fail you in battle. As a young novice, it was drilled into their heads. If you plan to live by the sword, make sure you don't die by it. And that means keeping yours in tip top shape. The process consists of applying a light oil of talbuk fat and then sharpening with a fine whetstone. You then rub it away with a leather to get rid of any rust. Rub it clean of the oils and re apply the blazegrease. The practice of creating blazegrease was the shamans’ duty.
The tattoos that most blademasters use are inscribed in Kalimag, the language of the elementals which are literal words of power. Much like demon hunters, the secondary reason as to why they don't wear shirts is because these runes deactivate if covered. These runes help strengthen their connection to the elements by physically having them plastered over their body. When a student graduates to master, their mentor will ink their runes for them.
Abilities and Ideals.
A fully fledged blademaster is a force to be reckoned with. They undergo intense training to prepare them for what they must face ahead. A blademaster has knowledge of the mystic arts, blessed to them from the elements and taught from their masters. Windwalking, Spell reflection, bladestorm, mirror image, mage blinking, control over fire, critical striking. So forth.
A blademaster is not unlike an enhancement shaman in that they use the elements to assist with their fighting. Different fighting styles use different elements, and the elements themselves teach them spiritually to be better warriors. Valor, patience, Will, honor, and so forth. Every spell that they have comes from the elements somehow or someway. Thusly, particular skills and attacks are fueled by the secondary shaman resource, Maelstrom Energy, which is the built up wrathful energy that they use to enhance normal attacks. Much like how warriors use Rage for their stronger abilities.
Critical strike, which enhances the strength of blow of a blademaster many times over, is thusly fueled by Maelstrom energy.
Windwalking is described as moving so fast that the naked eye cannot see you, effectively going invisible. It also gives the master the ability to blink like a mage.
Mirror image is an interesting one. While I suppose a blademaster is able to create temporary illusions that could attack your opponent, another way of doing it would be to split ones soul into three other copies like a monk.
Bladestorm. Ah the arguably most notable ability a master uses, to spin to quickly as to create an after image of the master becoming a literal torrent of blade and flame.
Other than these abilities, a master depending on what he's learned and how skilled he is, has the resources akin to an enhancement shaman. Though it is mostly fire and earth based.
I would say It wouldn't hurt to get creative over these kinds of things.
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Ah but I'm not done there.
Rearing an Apprenticeship (Theory crafted)
Any orc can become a blademaster, as long as they have the gift of elemancy. From a peon to well seasoned warrior. Undertaking a novice is a hefty task, as it is up to the master to rear them to the best of their ability in preparation for their trials ahead.
Rearing a novice is similar to rearing a knight page. In the beginning, the novice is allowed to wear chest armor and needn't wear a banner. They will use the weapons already provided to them or they will be supplied by their masters. The master will teach them the menial and often considered demeaning tasks of taking care of their master’s blade, inspecting for any blemishes after returned. They will send their students out to actively study animals, recording their findings in behavior. They will perform strength exercises to hone their instinct. Only then when deemed ready to learn will they begin their training.
The training process is an arduous journey. It is customary that a master take on one student, or if they're feeling for a challenge, two or three. They will teach the students the styles that the master is most proficient in, establish their connection with the elements, and pass on their wisdom. It is the master's job to shapen them up and put them through tests that would normally kill the average orc. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Many have died trying to achieve this physical, spiritual, and mental perfection.
Here's the fun part. The actual blademastery itself. We're not called blademasters because we wildly swing our over encumbering axes and hope to land a blow. No, like monks, there are fighting styles that need to be implemented to even give reason to being called a blademaster in the first place. We're basically Orc Samurai.
The Trials
Every clan, no matter what, has an Om'riggor. A rite of orcish passage that allows the pup to prove themselves to the clan which mostly consists of hunting a talbuk, or whatever game creature lives in that general area. All orcs must undergo this. But for a blademaster, you must go a step further. An om'riggor is a rite of adulthood. But a blademaster's trials, is a test to see if you're worthy enough to wield the title.
The trials are made to test the orc physically, spiritually, and traditionally.
The physical trial could be to send your novice to inhospitable territory to see if they can survive on what they know, or pit against other students to see who comes out on top.
Spiritually, this trial can have a shaman place a student in a comatose state where they must transcend the physical body, to find oneself. Move on from past pains, face their darkest fears and doubts and return a proud, stronger warrior.
The final trial is more like a pilgrimage. That would be to forge your own blade, with your choice of metals, and choice of weapon. Which can be A sword, An axe, a polearm, you could even dual wield, or use a fist weapon. When they return, they are deemed officially as a blademaster.
The Forging
Those who succeeded in passing first two trials must undertake their last. They will go on a pilgrimage to anywhere in azeroth/Draenor and return to their master to forge their own blades and create their own banners. It was a long journey.
The blade’s material and shape is up to wielder. It is advised one pick said traits that would suit best to them and what he/she is proficient in. The fallback material to which most blades were created from is Blackrock steel.
Once finished, they must have a shaman inscribe runes of power upon the blade and then name it. The blade is the soul. Honor is their life. Forsake neither. Or suffer shame and death.
Rearing an Apprenticeship (Theory crafted)
Any orc can become a blademaster, as long as they have the gift of elemancy. From a peon to well seasoned warrior. Undertaking a novice is a hefty task, as it is up to the master to rear them to the best of their ability in preparation for their trials ahead.
Rearing a novice is similar to rearing a knight page. In the beginning, the novice is allowed to wear chest armor and needn't wear a banner. They will use the weapons already provided to them or they will be supplied by their masters. The master will teach them the menial and often considered demeaning tasks of taking care of their master’s blade, inspecting for any blemishes after returned. They will send their students out to actively study animals, recording their findings in behavior. They will perform strength exercises to hone their instinct. Only then when deemed ready to learn will they begin their training.
The training process is an arduous journey. It is customary that a master take on one student, or if they're feeling for a challenge, two or three. They will teach the students the styles that the master is most proficient in, establish their connection with the elements, and pass on their wisdom. It is the master's job to shapen them up and put them through tests that would normally kill the average orc. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Many have died trying to achieve this physical, spiritual, and mental perfection.
Here's the fun part. The actual blademastery itself. We're not called blademasters because we wildly swing our over encumbering axes and hope to land a blow. No, like monks, there are fighting styles that need to be implemented to even give reason to being called a blademaster in the first place. We're basically Orc Samurai.
The Trials
Every clan, no matter what, has an Om'riggor. A rite of orcish passage that allows the pup to prove themselves to the clan which mostly consists of hunting a talbuk, or whatever game creature lives in that general area. All orcs must undergo this. But for a blademaster, you must go a step further. An om'riggor is a rite of adulthood. But a blademaster's trials, is a test to see if you're worthy enough to wield the title.
The trials are made to test the orc physically, spiritually, and traditionally.
The physical trial could be to send your novice to inhospitable territory to see if they can survive on what they know, or pit against other students to see who comes out on top.
Spiritually, this trial can have a shaman place a student in a comatose state where they must transcend the physical body, to find oneself. Move on from past pains, face their darkest fears and doubts and return a proud, stronger warrior.
The final trial is more like a pilgrimage. That would be to forge your own blade, with your choice of metals, and choice of weapon. Which can be A sword, An axe, a polearm, you could even dual wield, or use a fist weapon. When they return, they are deemed officially as a blademaster.
The Forging
Those who succeeded in passing first two trials must undertake their last. They will go on a pilgrimage to anywhere in azeroth/Draenor and return to their master to forge their own blades and create their own banners. It was a long journey.
The blade’s material and shape is up to wielder. It is advised one pick said traits that would suit best to them and what he/she is proficient in. The fallback material to which most blades were created from is Blackrock steel.
Once finished, they must have a shaman inscribe runes of power upon the blade and then name it. The blade is the soul. Honor is their life. Forsake neither. Or suffer shame and death.
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If wanted, I have created fighting styles and have a blademaster disc that you could join. See what you think.
1 Like
Most impressive.
I’m very impressed with this description of the Blademasters.
Myself I’ve been trying to mimic one in-game as a Survival Hunter.
- 2H Sword
- Windwalking Macro (Camouflage & Aspect of the Cheetah)
- Bladestorm (Butchery)
- Mirror Image (Mirror of the Blademaster trinket)
1 Like
(Ward to read later)
Playing on EU as a student, this made for some wicked theorycrafting in my brain. Kudos for putting this together!
orcish blademaster story = the story of looking cool af
imgur
.com/ehyvk37
cant wati for prepatch