Muato's extended history

[Muato]

Muato is a Tauren male, approx. 145 Azerothian years old.

After being born in Feralas, and suffering the loss of a potential mate many years later, most of his life after 40 was spent as a Druid 'in stasis' in the Emerald Dream. Recently,

he and the rest of the druids were awoken to prepare for the various battles threatening Azeroth, Elune, and the Earth Mother. Shortly after his awakening, he heard the calling

of the Bloodmoon and found himself allied with 'The Bloodmoon Chosen', with whom he fought and consuled until his Great Quest. He is an Elder Druid on a council called

'The Emerald Order', which is a member of the Cenarion Circle.

Muato was born and raised in Thunder Falls, a now-abandoned village in Feralas. The village was located on the bank of a lake created by a waterfall, thus named for the sound

that was ever-present in the vacinity of the village. The town was well-known for it's fine leather craftsmen, as was typical of towns in Feralis. The town also had a specialty ale,

known for it's big bite and strong punch, attributed to the fact it was brewed with water captured as it fell toward the lake. Muato's roots are spiritual in nature, as his mother was

a village shamen and his father was a druid. His mother was the village alchemist and a herbalist, and had a small laboratory hidden behind the great falls where she worked

during the day to support the needs of the village. His father was one of the village leatherworkers, known for his infusion of nature into the armor he sewed. The technique

was later refined to include incorporation of Wildvine into the pieces and eventually became known by leather worked as the 'Tribal' style. Growing up, Muato was an only child.

Because of that, both parents taught him the ways of the shaman and of the druids in order to prepare him for which ever path he chose. Eventually, Muato would choose the

path of the druid, but he was always enthralled by the healing properties of nature, in part because of his mother's teachings. He also took up the tribal style of leatherworking

to continue the family tradition of leatherworkers. He otherwise lead a fairly normal life as a child, working with his father in the tannery sewing armor kits, and walking the forests

and fields with his mother picking herbs for her potions. He learned basic herbology from his mother, but was more interested in the different types of skins from various animals,

and was naturally attracted to the tannery more often than the flora. Through the early years, his father taught him all that he knew about the trade, including the 'nature infusion' that

he worked with. Muato would go out on skinning trips with his father when they needed more skins for the tannery, and saw his father take many feral forms while killing beasts

for their needed skins. He saw the strength of the druids first hand, and wished always to become one like his father. When not helping at the tannery or wandering the forrest

or fields, he studied with the village Lorekeeper, Loratek Runetotem, with the rest of the young cows and bulls of the village. Since childhood, his desire to study with the druids and

learn the ways of Cenarius had never waivered. His father being a druid, and a well known leatherworker, sent a letter to Lorekeeper Hammul Runetotem in Thunderbluff, whom was

a good friend of his, and a customer of his leatherwork. The letter told a story of a young Muato, and how the young bull showed much promise in many areas of a druidic lifestyle,

and asked for Hammul's guidance for Muato. Just before Muato reached the 'Age of Decision', where a Tauren Druid is faced with choosing his path of spirituality, his village was raided

and everyone in it slaughtered. The only survivors were the children of the village who took refuge in a secret alchemy lab behind the falls. A short time later, Muato was

summoned to Thunderbluff to speak with Hammul, who directed him to Camp Bloodhoof to start his studies and training as a Druid. The next 20 years of his life were spent first in

Thunderbluff, then in Moonglade. It seemed becoming a druid was a life-long process, one of endless learning, training, refining and reflection. And it gave him peace and a distraction

from his memories. Muato focused his academic activities and training on the restorative aspects of nature, but always enjoyed attending lectures and debating on the various feral topics,

and found that his heart was somewhat feral. After over 20 years of study and practice, which was relatively short in the way of druids, he was granted sabatical.