[Concept] World of Warcraft: Path of Honor

[username993720]

World of Warcraft: Path of Honor will introduce a revamped Pandaria, the Mogu race, and the Blademaster class.


Lore
The forces of Horde and Alliance arrive at Pandaria to learn the ancient techniques of the Blademaster. The Burning Blade clan, led by Samuro, and a Night Elven Blademaster clan, led by a Night elf Blademaster, are used as faction representatives of the class. Together with the Hozen and Virmen (now upright), Mogu, Mantid and Pandaren, they learn the art from the Jinyu. They form a movement, called the Jade Lotus, that will play a vital role in stabilizing Pandaria from its many turmoils.

Spoiler: 

Samuro will search for Chen Stormstout, as he feels they have an unifinished business to settle. Upon finding Chen, he invites him to a friendly duel. After the match, they go to celebrate at a local tavern.

Spoiler: 

As the weapon is one of the most important things to a Blademaster, the Jade Lotus will send you on an epic questchain to forge a weapon once wielded by a legendary Mogu Blademaster. The weapon will be customizable.

Since the introduction of the Blademaster ways is seen as a tool of war by many, the various Blademaster races vie for control of Pandaria. They form militarized clans, led by fearsome generals, and launch war campaigns in order to seize land and terminate enemies. The Jade Lotus will have to intervene in order to end the bloodshed.

These clans often employ renegade Shado-Pan members in order to get the upper hand over their enemies. Taran Zhu offers the services of his organization to the Jade Lotus clan, of which the player belongs to. But, the Blademasters claim that their ways are dishonorable. Their differences would lead to an epic showdown between the two organizations. Taran Zhu, tired of their stubborness and their so-called "high ideals", decides that it would be best to show them their value. After managing to convince the Jade Lotus to accept them, the two groups work together for a common goal - to see Pandaria peaceful and harmonious once again.

The denizens of Pandaria have started to worship a pantheon of deities very similar to the Loa. These entities either bless or curse their followers and are said to have come from the spirit realm. Some are weak while some are very powerful. They take multiple forms, with the majority of them being animalistic. Ordinary mortals can become ones if elevated to such a status. These are some of them:

An'she, the Sun God - regarded as the deity of the Emperors of Pandaria. Through him, they deem their rule as divine.
Liu Lang, the Wandering Spirit of Fortune - is considered the deity of luck for adventurers. After his departure from Pandaria, six other Pandaren decided to follow his example and set sail on their dragon turtles to explore the world. They became legends of their own, and are worshipped by different profession trainers for their expertise.
Norushen, the Lord of Wind - worshipped by the Mogu, alongside Ra-Den, especially by the Rajani, as the inspiration for their race.
Sharpfin, the Tutelary Blademaster - worshipped by Blademasters as the ideal Blademaster, for which one has to aspire. He is also seen as a protector and guide.
Konk, the Provocative Hooligan - seen as a figure representing defiance. His followers are adamant on breaking the rules and doing the opposite of what is expected.
Kitsune, the Messenger - seen as a savior from strife and famine. Her children, though, are mischevious.
Xiao-Li and Fao-Mei, the first Mogu - these couple have been the first male and female stone Mogu created by Ra-Den in the imagery of Norushen. Mogu revere them as their ancestors and they are rumored to be the first humanoids on Pandaria.
The August Celestials - seen as the original rulers of Pandaria and the first to walk this land. They are, obviously, regarded as divine and are worshipped by the inhabitants.
Garrosh Hellscream, the Industrialist - regarded as the one who introduced advanced tech to Pandaria, through his Goblin workers' blueprints and tech left behind. Some natives of Pandaria, like the Yaungol, adopted this tech and the reverence to the one, indirectly, responsible for it.
Shen-zin Su, the Ancient of Wisdom - the inhabitants of Pandaria look to him for guidance and advice.
Ra-den, the Keeper of Storms - revered by the Mogu as their patron, especially by the Rajani. Some of the Mogu even formed a cult around him, invoking him in their rituals.
Nalak, the Storm Serpent - seen as the Harbinger of storms. Wherever his spirit is sighted, clouds gather soon after and rain and wind follow. He is considered bad luck for whoever ventures out to sea.
The Earth Mother - her main adherents are Geomancers. They perfected their martial arts based on her nature.
Bwonsamdi, the Loa of Death and Pestilence - introduced by the Zandalari in their invasions of Pandaria, Bwonsamdi is regarded as an upredictable deity. Anger him and he will bring death and calamity to his followers. Manage to appease him, and you might be granted his aid. He is known to have angered many of the other deities of Pandaria with his cheeky behavior.
Lorewalker Cho, the Poet and Scholar - anyone wishing to achieve knowledge and intelligence invokes him in their ceremonies. Or, if they just want to reminisce on one of his ballads.
Elune, the Moon Goddess - often worshipped by members of the Shado-Pan. They look to her for protection and guidance.
Rassharom, the first Emperor of Pandaria - he is respected by all as the founder of the imperial regime of Pandaria.

Spoiler: 

Kitsune, the Messenger.

Hostile Creatures
Pandaria's elemental spirits will feature here, with its shores filled with water elementals threatening to conjure a tidal wave that will consume most of the adjacent land. Inland, earth and air elementals are threatening to cause major earthquakes and typhoons that will destroy the civilizations that arose on Pandaria. On Mount Neverest, in Kun-lai Summit, a fire elemental is planning to stir its bowels, prompting a volcanic eruption that will change the entire zone.

The rivers and lakes of Pandaria are filled with a nuisance in the form of Murlocs. These are not the ones who evolved into the Jinyu, but ones who were experimented upon by the Mogu, just like the Saurok. But, unlike the Saurok, they don't resemble the Dilophosaurus. Instead, they look like a cross between a frog\lizard and a turtle. While having either slimy or scaly green bodies, with webbed feet and hands, their backs are covered by shells. They sport a monk tonsure haircut (most likely a water lilly on their head), which holds water and is the source for their hydromancy on land.

Spoiler: 

In Pandaria's farmlands, scarecrow creatures, known as Quebiko, are terrorizing farmers. They were made by the farmers themselves to scare off any pests that would damage their crops. But, Zandalari Voodoo has brought them to life and causes them to attack and scare away anyone who dares to come near the crops.

Spoiler: 

In Pandaria's more druidic parts, the Baku, a race of tapirs, are posing a problem. Originally, creatures of the Dream meant to fight off the Nightmare, they have been corrupted by it and now work against the Dream. Once, used to consume nightmares, like Devourers, they are now consuming dreams instead.

Spoiler: 

Krasarang Wilds
The Veil will also feature here, with Fao-Mei as its ruler in Pandaria. This ancient female stone Mogu was the one who introduced necromancy to the Mogu. Meanwhile, her partner, Xiao-Li is a strong opposer of her. He believes she contaminates the ideals upon which they were created. The entrace to the Veil can be reached by one of Krasarang Wilds' more bushy areas, where light doesn't even penetrate. An ancient and unsettling gate marks the path to the Veil, which was sealed off by Xiao-Li. We will need to unblock the entrance and venture into the strange realm so we could deal with Fao-Mei and her twisted necromancy once and for all. The land is filled with the spirits of the dead due to Fao-Mei's meddling. These ghosts are either hostile or friendly, depending on their characteristics in life and the manner in which they died. We will need to help some of them move on by violently purging them from the land. One of the more powerful spirits would be a female with no lower jaw. Enraged by the mutilation of her face, she takes revenge on anyone she is envious of. Some would be kind enough to tell us their stories and why they are stuck haunting the land. If we manage to solve their issues, we will grant them a safe passage to the afterlife. Fao-Mei has Mogu-Hag followers who stir up the dead and deny them an afterlife.


Townlong Steppes
In Townlong Steppes, the Yaungol are preparing an invasion to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Their numbers have greatly increased and they now, similarly to the Iron Horde, use war technology. Through it, they manage to penetrate the Serpent Spine Wall and siege it. The Blademasters of Pandaria are assigned to protect the wall and the vale from the invading Yaungols, but are greatly outnumbered. In a desperate attempt to gain an advantage over the overwhelming Yaungol armies, the Rajani Mogu clan suggest the power of Lei-Shen, the Thunder King, as a counter measure. They venture to the Mogu crypts, where Lei-Shen is buried, to gain his Thunder Core. But, his vengeful spirit still lingers on, which has to be defeated. Once they have the artifact, it is decided that one of them has to become the Thunder King. Stormspeaker Qian is chosen for that role. With the power of thunder at his disposal, he conjures a storm so powerful, that the land of Townlong Steppes is enveloped by deadly winds and unrelenting rain. With it, the Blademasters finally have a fighting chance against the invading Yaungols, and they drive them off their lands.


Jade Forest
After the Burning of Teldrassil, Pandaren invited Night elven refugees to settle in the Jade Forest of Pandaria, just as they had lived in Kaldorei lands many thousands of years ago. These Night elven refugees have assimilated into the land, building a civilization (including some fortresses like Black Rook Hold) alongside their Pandaren allies and even adopting the local tigers as their own version of Nightsabers. They also introduced their typical architectural pagodas, torii gates and moonwells as well as nurturing a local tree and deeming it sacred. As a gratitude to their Pandaren hosts, they taught them the Druidic ways, adding the Druid class to the Pandaren race. The threat to this zone comes from the Mogu, who want to conquer this land for themselves. This group of Mogu discovered Fel magic, remnants left behind by the demons' invasion of Pandaria during Legion, which turned their skin red, their hair shaggy, grew portrusions on their body, made them slightly bigger, and much more aggressive (like Fel Orcs). Together, the Night elves and Pandaren try to push back the invading Mogu forces. There will be a scenario where you, the Pandaren and Night elves will defend a fortress against a Mogu assault. A prominent figure here would be Master Cheng. He is one of the six who followed in Liu Lang's footsteps and set sail on his Dragon Turtle to become a Demon Hunter. Now, fully trained, he returns to Pandaria as the first Pandaren Demon Hunter. He will be a major ally in the fight against the demonic Mogu.


Valley of the Four Winds
In the Valley of Four Winds, the Itachi people live - humanoid weasels with a tribal society. They, like the rest of Pandaria, believe in deities of their own: a fire deity in the form of a female itachi. She is responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife in their culture. A Bear deity, which is central to their society as bear worshippers. This is the most important animal to their tribes. A sea deity in the form of an Orca. This one is prayed to when going on fishing trips. And lastly, an amorphic creator deity, responsible for the world and their people. The itachi people have a long-standing tradition related to the centrality of bears in their culture. They raise bear cubs from youth to adulthood, treating them as sacred and as if they were their own children. Upon reaching adulthood, however, the tribesmen slay the bears in a ceremony to release them from their mortal shells. That's why their villages are filled with tamed bears, but also bear carcasses, upon which they religiously feed. Their society is a matriarchal one, with females being the Shamans of the tribe. Their hardship comes from the Blademaster clans, which want to see them conform to the style and way of life of the empire of Pandaria, instead of staying tribal and barbaric. They, therefore, have to fight for the right to keep their traditions and way of life. They share this land with the Grummles, who have an issue with a mischevious race of nature spirits that look like troll dolls.

Spoiler: 

Isle of Thunder
On the Isle of Thunder, the Umishi people reside. These Mogu, who were once blessed by the Wild God, Malorne, with deer features, have fostered a fondness to the sea. Their constant dealings with it has made them into superb maritime travelers. They have perfected their sea-farring techniques and are, therefore, revering water-related deities such as Nalak and another ancestral deity in the form of a seahorse. Over time, however, they slowly lost their tradition, prefering to stay on land to avoid the dangers of the sea. They are especially afraid of the Kraken. Your mission will be to reinvigorate their old ways and spur them to rekindle their passion for the sea. They need it to resume trade with the rest of Pandaria.

Spoiler: 

Dread Wastes
In the Dread Wastes, a new kind of creature emerged: the Jorogumo, a half-spider half human hybrid, much like the Fal'dorei. These nightmarish creatures tempt their victims with their beauty, like the Sayaad of the Burning Legion, before entrapping them in their webs. When the prey is captured, the illusion is broken and their true, hideous forms are revealed - discarding the attractive humanoid part and turning full arachnid. This is one of the reasons the zone is frightening to many inhabitants of Pandaria. They, like the Mantid, are most likely followers of Y'shaarj. They are probably Nerubians twisted by Y'shaarj's energies. A major threat in this zone, beside them, is the Sha of Lust. Like the Jorogumo, it also has the ability to partially transform into what you are most attracted to - a feature they inherited from Y'shaarj. The strategy against them is to show no emotion, like Pandaren teach, so you wouldn't fall under their influence.

Spoiler: 

Kun-Lai Summit
In Kun-Lai Mountains, the Tengu, a race of humanoid kites (a bird of prey), are causing trouble. These bird-people are focused on combat and warfare. Their tools of war are the fan and sword, fitting of their delicate physiques. They are also highy spiritual, employing priests who perform all kinds of religious rituals dedicated to the mountain. In their culture, the mountain is sacred and they, therefore, worship it. They have a rivalry with the Monks of the Peak of Serenity, whom they share the mountain with. They'll, eventually, have to put their differences aside to fight the fire elemental which threatens their mountain.

Spoiler: 

Vale of Eternal Spring
In the Vale of Eternal Spring, the Tanuki, or humanoid racoon-dogs, are the cute, comical relief of the expansion. These little furry fellas are like Bards, going around singing and playing music for anyone who would listen. Most of this land will serve as a sanctuary for players, participating in relaxing activities rather than combat and constant threats.


New Feature: Companion
Players will be able to choose the Monkey King as a companion during their leveling process (like in Delves, but also outside of instanced content), to help them in combat or with their professions, comment interesting remarks (like some Artifacts during Legion), or just provide some company in this, oftentimes, lonely process.

Spoiler: 

New Race: Mogu
The Mogu will be a neutral race, with those who believe in the servitude of the Titans going to the Alliance while those who believe in strength and domination going to the Horde. The available classes will be: Blademaster, Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior. Their racial mount and pet will be the Quilen. Racial traits will include:

Titanic Might: born of titanic magic, the Mogu possess unrivaled physical strength and magical power, increasing their main stat by X.
Cruel Enslaver: your overpowering presence reduces the attributes of nearby enemies by Y.
Power of the Thunder King: conjure a lightning whip to whip at your target, incapacitating them for the duration.
Terracotta Army: summon Z terracotta warriors to fight for you.


New Class: Blademaster
The Blademaster will have 3 specializations: DPS, Tank and Support. The DPS specialization will focus on the traditional damage-dealing samurai fantasy, with quick blade slashes and incredibly fast movement speed. The Tank specialization will be more akin to the Sumo Wrestler, absorbing damage and relying on strength through the use of blunt weapons. The Support spec will draw on the Blademaster's more mystical side.

Races: Orc, Mag'har Orc, Night Elf, Lightforged Draenei, Pandaren, Mogu.
Armor Type: Mail.
Main Stat: Agility.
Weapon Types: Swords, Polearms, Maces, New: Chain Weapons.
Dual-wield: the Blademaster could choose to either wield two-handed or one-handed weapons.
Main Resource: Energy.
Secondary Resource: Balance. Balance is reduced by debuffs affecting you and gained the less you are affected (the scales will tilt one way if you take a full effect. It will move towards the middle if you take a mitigated effect, and will move the other way if you completely negate an effect. Blademasters will have a passive called "Clear Mind, Clear Body" that will be affected by the mastery stat. It gives a chance to reduce the effects of debuffs, up to a point of completely resisting them). The more balance you have, the faster you swing and the harder you hit. It comes from the teachings of Emperor Shaohao to resist the influence of the Sha.
Honor: the Blademaster will have an advantage over other classes by gaining more honor from killing enemy faction players. Collecting the severed heads of enemy players and presenting them to the Quartermaster will award you with extra honor.
Defense: the DPS Blademaster will be able to deflect incoming attacks with its swift parry responses and even reflect some of it back.
Mercenary: as a Blademaster, you can choose to serve various clans beyond the Jade Lotus.
Killing Blow: the Blademaster will be able to execute its enemies, either by a quick slash or a curshing blow, which will cut them in half or smash their bodies.
Mirror Images: the Blademaster can duplicate itself to confuse its enemies. The images will copy the Blademaster attacks at first, but will eventually be able to be separately controlled at higher levels.
Blazegrease: the Blademaster will be able to light its weapon on fire, adding a fire component to its attacks. It can also be triggered by the clash of weapons. Not only can it sear your opponent, causing a DoT, but the sparks flying off of it can ignite patches of flame on the ground.
Wind Walk: the DPS Blademaster can move so quickly that it becomes invisible to the naked eye. Not only does it conceal you from sight, but also greatly reduces any direct attack taken during the ability.
Bladestorm: not the spinning ability of the Warrior, but a series of quick slashes that damage anyone in the vicinity. This will be available at maximum Balance.
Body Moves: the Tanking spec will rely on its body as well as its massive weapon. Some of its moves will be: Headbutt, Body Slam, Knee Kick and Takedown.
Mysticism: the Support spec will conjure mystical apparitions, much like the Mirror Images, to fight enemies and support allies. Anything from ghostly blades to spirit dragons and foxes, this spec will revolve around the role of the mystic.

[Skytotem]

Slavery is for those too weak to live under their own strength, it has no place in the Horde.


Edit: And frankly it's past time for some Mogu to realize all it does is weaken their society, given how it backfired on them in the past.

[Clone]

Cool ideas but Japanese theme deserves its own expansion and not be tacked on to MoP. The blademaster race for Alliance should be Draenei instead.

[username993720]

Slavery is for those too weak to live under their own strength, it has no place in the Horde.

That's why the Pandaren overthrew them.

Edit: And frankly it's past time for some Mogu to realize all it does is weaken their society, given how it backfired on them in the past.

It serves as a distinction between Horde and Alliance Mogu. Much like Pandaren has Tushui and Huojin.

Edit: following your comment, i've decided to change it from slavery to strength.

Cool ideas but Japanese theme deserves its own expansion and not be tacked on to MoP.

There's no japanese land that i know of. The closest thing is Kaldorei lands, and it is not fit for such an expansion idea. People suggest Draenor, but it has barely any japanese themes to it. I don't want them to come up with yet another non-existent place like Khaz Algar and litter the world map with more clutter. The good thing about Pandaria is that it has other asiatic themes outside chinese ones, serving as a perfect set for a japanese expansion. If Blizzard can make Quel'thalas into a Void vs Light expansion and Northrend into a Titan expansion, then they can make Pandaria into a japanese expansion.

The blademaster race for Alliance should be Draenei instead.

Draenei also have nothing to do with the samurai. The only reason i put Lightforged there is because Blizzard listed one of them as a Blademaster. Samurai is a japanese profession and, therefore, fits the japanese Night elves. Draenei are more of a Byzantine\Greek race.

[LemonDemonGirl]

Cool ideas but Japanese theme deserves its own expansion and not be tacked on to MoP. The blademaster race for Alliance should be Draenei instead.

Maybe there could be a Japanese-inspired island near Pandaria?

[username993720]

Update: added a 3rd, support spec that is about mysticism to the Blademaster class.

Maybe there could be a Japanese-inspired island near Pandaria?

There could be. But, why not use existing material?
This expansion concept utilizes Pandaria's denizens and locations, so there's no need to replicate it to somewhere else.

[Clone]

There's no japanese land that i know of. The closest thing is Kaldorei lands, and it is not fit for such an expansion idea. People suggest Draenor, but it has barely any japanese themes to it. I don't want them to come up with yet another non-existent place like Khaz Algar and litter the world map with more clutter. The good thing about Pandaria is that it has other asiatic themes outside chinese ones, serving as a perfect set for a japanese expansion. If Blizzard can make Quel'thalas into a Void vs Light expansion and Northrend into a Titan expansion, then they can make Pandaria into a japanese expansion.



Draenei also have nothing to do with the samurai. The only reason i put Lightforged there is because Blizzard listed one of them as a Blademaster. Samurai is a japanese profession and, therefore, fits the japanese Night elves. Draenei are more of a Byzantine\Greek race.

Visual thematic not a good reason. Orcs didn't have Japanese elements until they added Blademasters. Draenei also have 1.5 blademaster in the story as opposed to 0 for nelfs. I can understand not wanting to clutter the map but I still feel they Japanese theme deserves to be their own thing.

[username993720]

Visual thematic not a good reason. Orcs didn't have Japanese elements until they added Blademasters.

Yes, Orcs are not japanese but turkic\magyar. But, i can't leave them out as they are the founders of the class in Warcraft.

Draenei also have 1.5 blademaster in the story as opposed to 0 for nelfs.

Yes, with Lantresor. But, the Draenei are more Byzantine\greek than asiatic.
Night elves are the most japanese playable race in WoW right now, so there's no way i'm leaving them out.

I can understand not wanting to clutter the map but I still feel they Japanese theme deserves to be their own thing.

Yes, but i'm using elements of pandaria. If i just copy paste pandaria elements into another continent, that would defeat the purpose.

[Golden Yak]

Some nice concepts here! I like the creatures derived from japanese mythology.

I will echo the sentiment that a japanese-themed land could be in an entirely new place rather than in a Pandaria revamp - maybe some element of the new continent of Avaloren (not the whole place, but a part of it).

[username993720]

Some nice concepts here! I like the creatures derived from japanese mythology.

Thanks.

I will echo the sentiment that a japanese-themed land could be in an entirely new place rather than in a Pandaria revamp - maybe some element of the new continent of Avaloren (not the whole place, but a part of it).

What do japanese themes have to do with Avaloren? It's based on Avalon of the Arthurian legend.

Pandaria already has the elements i'm looking for in a japanese expansion. If Quel'thalas and Northrend can be revamped, why not Pandaria?

[Nibelheimy]

Thanks.



What do japanese themes have to do with Avaloren? It's based on Avalon of the Arthurian legend.

Pandaria already has the elements i'm looking for in a japanese expansion. If Quel'thalas and Northrend can be revamped, why not Pandaria?

Its a fair point. Japan and China are very different. There is absolutely room in the game for a new landmass with Japanese influence. We could have a revamped Northrend where it is melted and full of volcanoes and all the Tuskarr are now represented with Hawaiian themes instead of Inuit, but why?

[Eldryth]

If you want a Japanese-themed land, why not go with a deep cut and use that theme for Hiji? It's a complete blank slate, just a small island in the South Seas on really old maps. I definitely don't agree with completely changing Pandaria's culture.

[username993720]

Its a fair point. Japan and China are very different. There is absolutely room in the game for a new landmass with Japanese influence. We could have a revamped Northrend where it is melted and full of volcanoes and all the Tuskarr are now represented with Hawaiian themes instead of Inuit, but why?

I'm not saying they're the same. I'm saying Pandaria also has japanese themes already, so it's a perfect place for such an expansion instead of making one up. Half of the concept wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for pandaria.

You think the revamped Northrend will be nordic again? It might be more greek influenced, with the emphasis on titans.

If you want a Japanese-themed land, why not go with a deep cut and use that theme for Hiji? It's a complete blank slate, just a small island in the South Seas on really old maps. I definitely don't agree with completely changing Pandaria's culture.

Fiji is not a japanese island in real life and in-game it shares a striking resemblance to Plunder Isle, which might mean they're the same place (also not japanese).

[THEORACLE64]

I'm not saying they're the same. I'm saying Pandaria also has japanese themes already, so it's a perfect place for such an expansion instead of making one up. Half of the concept wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for pandaria.

You think the revamped Northrend will be nordic again? It might be more greek influenced, with the emphasis on titans.



Fiji is not a japanese island in real life and in-game it shares a striking resemblance to Plunder Isle, which might mean they're the same place (also not japanese).

Pandaria is primarily based on traditional Chinese culture. Although Japan preserved a lot of that, a lot of Pandaria is based upon Chinese culture with Kun Lai being essentially Nepal. There’s some little influences from a lot of Asian countries generally, but Japanese there is not.

[username993720]

Pandaria is primarily based on traditional Chinese culture. Although Japan preserved a lot of that, a lot of Pandaria is based upon Chinese culture with Kun Lai being essentially Nepal. There’s some little influences from a lot of Asian countries generally, but Japanese there is not.

Wanna bet?

"The various peoples of Pandaria and their history are a composite, re-interpretation, and parody of mostly Chinese history and mythology, Japanese history and mythology, and some themes common East Asian mythology generally, with some other sporadic sources like other fictional universes."

"The Golden Lotus may be a combination of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate symbol, in combination with the White Lotus movement"

"The Shado-Pan's history against the Mogu, Sha, and Mantid, suspicion of outsiders, being founded by Emperor Shaohao style of combat, tactics, and clothes resemble depictions of Japanese ninja (and their depiction in manga/anime like Naruto) in combination with visual motifs from the Red Turban Rebellion that led to the defeat of the last Mongol dynasty of China, parallel to the Pandaren revolution against the Mogu."

"Mogu are inspired by Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian cultural elements."

"The inspiration behind Mogu are likely a combination of Chinese Mogwai/Mogui and Japanese Oni."

"The August Celestials are based upon the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology. The Four Symbols are also common to Japan, and other nearby cultures."

"Culturally, the jinyu share many elements with Japanese cultural themes, such as Satay Byu's being a "Jinja" (ninja) and various samurai motifs."

"The isolation of Pandaria is likely based on the isolationist policies of Ming dynasty China or perhaps the Sakoku isolationist policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shongunate."

[Eurhetemec]

Wanna bet?

"The various peoples of Pandaria and their history are a composite, re-interpretation, and parody of mostly Chinese history and mythology, Japanese history and mythology, and some themes common East Asian mythology generally, with some other sporadic sources like other fictional universes."

"The Golden Lotus may be a combination of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate symbol, in combination with the White Lotus movement"

"The Shado-Pan's history against the Mogu, Sha, and Mantid, suspicion of outsiders, being founded by Emperor Shaohao style of combat, tactics, and clothes resemble depictions of Japanese ninja (and their depiction in manga/anime like Naruto) in combination with visual motifs from the Red Turban Rebellion that led to the defeat of the last Mongol dynasty of China, parallel to the Pandaren revolution against the Mogu."

"Mogu are inspired by Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian cultural elements."

"The inspiration behind Mogu are likely a combination of Chinese Mogwai/Mogui and Japanese Oni."

"The August Celestials are based upon the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology. The Four Symbols are also common to Japan, and other nearby cultures."

"Culturally, the jinyu share many elements with Japanese cultural themes, such as Satay Byu's being a "Jinja" (ninja) and various samurai motifs."

"The isolation of Pandaria is likely based on the isolationist policies of Ming dynasty China or perhaps the Sakoku isolationist policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shongunate."

Whilst I broadly agree that Japan is a significant element in the mix of East Asian cultural and mythological inspirations for Pandaria, what are the sources for these quotes? I notice a lot of qualifiers like "likely" and "may be" which suggest they aren't from Blizzard, so presumably this is players theorizing?

If anything I think there are a number of likely Japanese-inspired elements in Pandaria which were sort of given a more China-friendly paint of coat, quite consciously, by Blizzard, because Blizzard were aware that dropping Japanese elements into a largely China-themed expansion would not be received well by the Chinese market.

[username993720]

Whilst I broadly agree that Japan is a significant element in the mix of East Asian cultural and mythological inspirations for Pandaria, what are the sources for these quotes? I notice a lot of qualifiers like "likely" and "may be" which suggest they aren't from Blizzard, so presumably this is players theorizing?

WoWpedia.

If anything I think there are a number of likely Japanese-inspired elements in Pandaria which were sort of given a more China-friendly paint of coat, quite consciously, by Blizzard, because Blizzard were aware that dropping Japanese elements into a largely China-themed expansion would not be received well by the Chinese market.

The Pandaren Brewmaster was originally japanese:


Even the concept for the Pandaren race depicts them as samurai:

[Kyphael]

Aren't the Jinyu inspired by Japanese culture?

[username993720]

Aren't the Jinyu inspired by Japanese culture?

Yes, alongside Cambodian (Khmer).
That's why i chose them to teach the other races the way of the Blademaster.

[Kyphael]

Yes, alongside Cambodian (Khmer).
That's why i chose them to teach the other races the way of the Blademaster.

I thought so. They're pretty badass. I would have taken them over Drak'thyr as a playable race.