Is Cenarius a Druid?

[foos]

Hi guys this might be a bit off topic, but i had a debate with my friend over the identity of Cenarius. I am telling him that Cenarius is a druid but he claims that he isn't because he considers Cenarius a Demi-God which i am not disagreeing. However I am telling him that Cenarius was the one who taught Malfarion Druidism and also practices Druidism which makes him ultimately a druid-god. He claims that Cenarius is not a druid and that the first druid is Malfarion.

If Cenarius can summon trents, root someone, and casts nature magic, which all points to druidism = being a druid. My friend refuses to accept this.

I even tried to apply deduction with him using examples that: Varian is a King, but also a warrior but just because of his "position/race" it doesn't make him any less of a warrior/gladiator. Just like Kratos is the a God but also a warrior hence he is the GOW. He feels that isn't official and therefore refuses to accept.

He refuses to accept any unofficial references such as Wiki. I was wondering if anyone can provide us a clear answer or even if a Blue can "officially" claim something so we can put this argument to rest. lol

[shoc]

If you define Druids are powerful individuals who can evoke the power of nature to smite their foes and heal their enemies, then yeah, absolutely Cenarius is a druid. I would even argue that he is the druid. Being a demigod doesn't really change their character class when it comes to classical RPG archetypes.

Cenarius taught Malfurion and the Tauren the ways of druidism, which means that becoming a druid simply means having knowledge of druidism and being well attuned with nature, so by that logic Cenarius is the most druidic of all the druids since he is the ultimate source of knowledge. I don't think that because he inherently gained the knowledge due to the nature of his existence that somehow it invalidates his having the knowledge at the end of the day.

[MechaCThun]

If you mean "is Cenarius a druid who may shift into a cat, bear, moonkin, bird, seal, stag while also command the healing essence of nature and the fury of the sun, moon, and stars" ... I mean, I wouldn't doubt it. Being the patron to all druids I'm sure it's well within his vast power to do so.

Like Shoc said, he taught the mortal races of Azeroth the ways of druidism, so one could say by default he is a druid. Gameplay reasons have a way of confusing us for lore/story reasons.

[Aucald]

If you define "Druid" as one who practices and/or employs the power of Druidism then Cenarius is definitely a Druid. As said before he taught Malfurion how to be a Druid in the first place, lessons he couldn't have imparted without knowledge of the art himself. But if you define "Druid" as the mortal practitioners of Druidism, or the Druidic orders such as the Cenarion Circle, then it becomes a bit fuzzier to define. Personally I hold to the first definition and see Cenarius as perhaps the first Druid entity and the progenitor of the class itself. Cenarius being an Ancient or a demigod doesn't matter, he functions as a combination Balance/Resto Druid in most of his appearances (he probably doesn't indulge in Feral that much because he *is* already an animal hybrid).

[foos]

Seems like everyone has agree on this so far in this form. I don't have an active WoW account so cannot post on their forums, but someone mentioned that his class is "Keeper of the Grove" which is confusing because I thought they are druids as well. Is there no "Official" Blizzard documentation anywhere that states that he is a Druid? Because I use a lot of examples but he just disregard anything "unofficial". It makes no sense if Cenarius is not consider a druid... But then again there are Dryads? they re in tuned with nature but are not consider druids?

[Aquamonkey]

He claims that Cenarius is not a druid and that the first druid is Malfarion.

Malfurion is the first mortal druid. Nothing says Malfurion was the first druid ever.

[Aucald]

Seems like everyone has agree on this so far in this form. I don't have an active WoW account so cannot post on their forums, but someone mentioned that his class is "Keeper of the Grove" which is confusing because I thought they are druids as well. Is there no "Official" Blizzard documentation anywhere that states that he is a Druid? Because I use a lot of examples but he just disregard anything "unofficial". It makes no sense if Cenarius is not consider a druid... But then again there are Dryads? they re in tuned with nature but are not consider druids?

The Keepers of the Groves are technically the children of Cenarius (e.g. Zaetar, Remulos, etc.), and the title isn't a class more per se but the collective term for what kind of entities they are (quadrupedal humanoids with the body of a stag and the upper torso of a Night Elf, and some limbs replaced with treant-like alterations). Not sure Cenarius' children share in his nature as an Ancient or demigod, if they're killed they don't seem to be able to resurrect from the Emerald Dream the same way Cenarius did.

[JTHMRulez1]

No. He is obviously a Demon Hunter.

[Wildmoon]

It's hard to say. Are Old Gods shadow priests? Does Avaina count as druid because she utilize some aspects that is in Druidism too?

[Enthralled]

He is a Wild God who knows all nature magic and who becomes the patron of mortal druids.

[UnluckyAmateur]

Is Gul'dan a warlock?

[kensim]

Classes (hard definitions) don't exist outside of gameplay. In the game all mages can use all the spells at equal power and proficiency in specific subsets and strata called specs. In lore there are mages of a variety of skill levels and specialties.

In gameplay terms if you had to assign a class to Cenarius it would be Druid. In the lore he is the patron of all Druids, the inspiration and knowledge bearer.

Ask your friend this, the Cenarion Circle is an order of druid led by Malfurion, if Cenarius applied for membership would he be allowed in. The answer is yes, because Cenarius is a Druid (amongst other things)

[PursueTheChase]

Will he accept an article written on the wiki, seeing as that's how most people get their lore? If so tell him to check under character class in this:

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Cenarius

[Aquamonkey]

Cenarius is Druid in the TCG.

[shoc]

Seems like everyone has agree on this so far in this form. I don't have an active WoW account so cannot post on their forums, but someone mentioned that his class is "Keeper of the Grove" which is confusing because I thought they are druids as well. Is there no "Official" Blizzard documentation anywhere that states that he is a Druid? Because I use a lot of examples but he just disregard anything "unofficial". It makes no sense if Cenarius is not consider a druid... But then again there are Dryads? they re in tuned with nature but are not consider druids?

'Keeper of the Grove' is the race, the male equivalent of Dryads.

[Deleted]

Cenarius isn't a druid, he is a Rogue. He only transmogs like a druid.

[Aucald]

It's hard to say. Are Old Gods shadow priests? Does Avaina count as druid because she utilize some aspects that is in Druidism too?

You could say the Old Gods are effectively "priests" of the Void Lords, given their nature as their direct creations. But in the same manner as Cenarius is a Druid because of his mastery of Druidic magic, the Old Gods would be Shadow Priests due to their mastery over that form of magic (e.g. wielding Void energies, creating material creatures along the Void wavelength, causing insanity/fear/despair, etc. etc.) Aviana is a bit of a special case as she doesn't quite have the same portfolio as Cenarius does - she seems more like a combination Druid/Shaman than anything. If I were to classify her with a Warcraft class it'd be Druid, though; especially as the Druids of the Talon emulate her set of abilities.

[FuxieDK]

Malfurion is the first mortal druid. Nothing says Malfurion was the first druid ever.

The jury is still out on that matter..
According to Tauren legend, Cenarius taught the Tauren druidism before elves even existed..

Xarantaur, as an example, was taught by Cenarius.. We only knows he's over 10K years old, but not exactly how old. Only that he predates the sundering, but it does prove that Tauren was taught seperate of elves. Later Tauren forgot druidism, only to be retaught by Malfurion..

[Wildmoon]

The jury is still out on that matter..
According to Tauren legend, Cenarius taught the Tauren druidism before elves even existed..

Xarantaur, as an example, was taught by Cenarius.. We only knows he's over 10K years old, but not exactly how old. Only that he predates the sundering, but it does prove that Tauren was taught seperate of elves. Later Tauren forgot druidism, only to be retaught by Malfurion..

The chronicle stated that Cenarius taught Druidism to taurens first but it also stated that Malfurion was the first mortal druid. It likely means that those taurens who were taught never became druids.

[Hyde]

He's a keeper of the grove.