Appearance

Physical Description

Over the generations, the Tauren of the Skyrunner tribe has developed light-colored fur in grey, white, and cream. Kanatu is no different. His body is covered in thick, coarse grey fur that has an almost bluish tinge to it. Divided into an outer coat that is coarse and best for protection against wind, rain, and sunlight, and an undercoat that is soft and downy for insulation in the cold air. His mane is a thick half tangled length of braids in a dark grey color. Usually in times past he kept the braids tightly bound and his beard short to avoid the snapping in the wind. However, in recent months it seems that he is growing out both his mane and the beard of his chin. He stands at average height for a bull of his kind but his frame seems to be far thicker and lined with powerful muscle. From horn to hoof he looks like a powerful individual and in overall healthy condition.
 
Warpaints

Ritualistic warpaints decorate his body. Done in the same style as many Grimtotem he utilizes white and creamy yellow paints to color his fur in runic and ancestral patterns. These warpaints are almost always seen on and each day are a different pattern based on his prayers that morning. Of late he has started to use other colors to his daily application such as red, blue, teal, and black.

A long scar runs from his right shoulder to his left hip along the front of his chest. The wound, clearly deep even as a scar, would have killed him to be sure. It healed cleanly though and in time the scar tissue which rose up from his skin covered over with thin pure white but patchy fur. There also is a large wound on his back just above his right hip where it looks like something large and pointy was rammed into his skin. This too has healed over with patchy, pure white fur.

The symbol of his tribe appears to be burned onto the ball of each shoulder. The skin raised up and colored white from the damage. This branding was done when he finished his Rites of the Earthmother and is a marker for his body identification and a sign of his dedication. Though ritualistic branding is not common any longer it is still practiced among the tribe as a whole.

A number of polished brass accessories adorn this bull. Sharp horn tips, a three quarters bull ring through his nose, three hoops in the tops of each ear.

Kanatu has a number of feathers that hang from red ribbons wrapped around his horns. These feathers vary in size, color, paint design, and meaning. Each one was given as a reward to service to the Tribe or to service to organizations outside of the tribe that have chosen to honor him in the ways of the tauren. He has over fifteen on each horn though he can tell you exactly what each one is in honor of.

Three hundred and fifty-seven small brass bells are woven into his mane, braids, beard, and the ribbons on his horns. These small bells represent the death of any creature he deems to be sentient and sapient such as ogers, centaur, naga, and others. Animal life is not counted among these bells. If asked he would explain that these bells are his homage to the dead and his way of honoring their absence from the world, but also as a way for the spirits to find him.

From his horns hang a few small trinkets that have been given to him. A wolf-head wooden carving of Goldrin, and a large black feather said to be able to call the giver to Kanatu's side, from Eneytof. A small clay baby wyvern curled into a ball and sleeping from Koza. A troll protection hex charm made of mouse bones, a few feathers, and a small gem, from Huntha.

For the Feast of Change Kanatu wears a special ceremonial outfit. On his shoulders are two ancient wyvern skulls bleached from time and etched with runic elemental magic that dates back to nearly seven hundred years ago. He leaves his chest bare and paints himself with colors matching the theme of each season is intricate patterns. The iconic gloves are a representation of Skyrunner ideals. One arm is covered in plate and bone, protected from finger to elbow. It represents the hardened mindset of action, protection, and the unyielding fist of judgment and war. The other hand is a simple leather glove with cloth wrappings up to the elbow. This represents the open hand of hospitality, crafting and creativity, and the helping hand that is always at work. He also carries with him the staff of Iteech'atu which is a magical staff with a three-foot-tall crystal at the top. The crystal changes colors with the seasons and is used to channel the necessary magics of the Tribe into the ceremony. This staff is nearly six hundred years old and carries with it great elemental and natural magic. It is likely one of the most powerful artifacts from Skyrunner history.

Feast of Change by KnightOwl via Blizzard Entertainment

For general ceremony Kanatu wears traditional shamanistic lightning-rod shoulders etched with tauren pictograms and runes. The tall rods are a symbolic gesture to the Skyfather as they reach above a tauren's head. He also wears the skull of a grand eagle of Stonetalon which is his Spirit Totem Guide. This representation of his spiritual form made manifest is a special symbolic gesture that he uses only for ceremonies such as burials, mate bindings, naming ceremonies, or rites of recognition.

General Ceremony by KnightOwl via Blizzard Entertainment

A selection of casual garb Kanatu is known to wear.

Casual 1 by KnightOwl via Blizzard Entertainment

Casual 2 by KnightOwl via Blizzard Entertainment

Casual 3 by KnightOwl via Blizzard Entertainment

Kanatu is a generally clean individual. He doesn't seem to take particular care of his appearance but he does bathe and brush out his fur as needed. His mane has grown thick and long over the years but he keeps his beard trimmed short due to how much flying he does. His clothing and armor are rough and battered from use but kept in good condition. In addition to smelling like the wilds and the smoke of a fire, he also uses a few drops of an oil blend to polish his horns, hooves, and mane so that they shine and this gives him a spiced-pine scent.

Specialized Equipment

Armor

Created from Elementium ore, Corehound later and bones, and forged in a fire fueled by the heart of a corehound this armor is unique in many ways though perhaps the most stand out element would be the living nature of it. The armor set communes and connects with Kanatu unlike most armor as it allows him to channel his shamanistic power through the materials. Storing some power in a feedback loop of sorts that has the side-effect of setting parts of the armor alive with blue flames and red floating embers.

Weapon

Kanatu fights primarily with his large ancestral totem, Skyrunner Totem. The huge log, carved generations ago and bound by many spells, rests on his back at all times except for sleep it seems. Since his return from Mount Hyjal he's also been working on retraining his fighting style to include his new one handed mace, Blazefury.

Special abilities

Resurgance of Shamanism

Kanatu was raised up to be a powerful shaman. He turned from this path during the Northrend Campaign that took his mate from him. He blamed the elements for not being able to save her and so turned from their blessings. In time though he came to realize his mistake. Though he will always keep the teachings and faith of a Sunwalker he returned to his path of shamanism so that his people would not be without one. This took him to the Molten Front and there he regained his connection with the various elements of Azeroth.

Kanatu is a powerful shaman. Focusing on Fire and Wind as his dominant companions he takes Earth as a constant addition to give him strength and solid footing in combat. He has almost no skill as a healer, unlike his father, but he can from time to time call on water to form ice spikes or to chill an enemy. His most notable trick is to set a blaze and then call forth howling winds to create firedevils that cause chaos and intense heat among his enemies.

Ancestoral Magic

Ancestoral magic flows through the hearts of most tauren though among their chieftains it seems particularly strong. Pulling on their dead ancestors tauren chieftains can gain insight and wisdom in matters of diplomacy but also foresight, strength, and instinctual training in combat. Kanatu has a strong relationship with his ancestral family and will often spend long hours in prayer with them to gain their wisdom though this relationship comes with a cost. Being so close to the spirts can cause his attention to drift on occasion and seeking the wisdom of the dead also demands following their bidding from time to time without the understanding of why.

Sunwalker Powers

Sunwalkers are mighty warriors and healers within the tauren people. A relatively new or rediscovered path for the shu'halo Kanatu seems particularly strong in his abilities with this Sun and Light-based magic. It is hard to tell where the line is drawn for Sunwalkers though with his elemental background the manifestation of most of Kanatu's abilities appears more fire-based in nature. Before he was a Sunwalker, Kanatu was a well-known shaman. Specializing in the elements of Earth and Air he was well known among the Earthen Ring.

Mentality

Personal history

For brevity sake Kanatu's history is broken up here by relevant expansion. Many places in his history are left blank to provide places where other players can connect with his past and as such you won't find full documentation of every time he took a breath here. Instead, basic information is placed here for clarity.

Kanatu was raised in the traditional way of the Skyrunners and educated with their practices of Catechism, Storytelling, and Mentorship. He learned to fight under his mother's mentorship along with the assistance of great warriors such as Narv Hidecrafter, Nataka Longhorn, and previous War Councilors. His shamanistic training was done by his father and by the other shamans of the tribe. Though he and his father did not utilize the same call to the elements they shared a great power with them. Being the next in line to become Chieftain he was specifically groomed on many topics of diplomacy, war, trade, mathematics, magic, and various cultures even as a young child. Though this teaching would later prove to be skewed and incomplete he has since then taken to reading or listening to histories spoken by more reliable sources than his reclusive father.

In later years when he became a young adult, he learned from many other sources. Taking with him the way of learning from his people he was always, and remains to this day, a student. Learning by observation, listening, and asking questions. In this way, he was able to learn several languages, cultures, and skills including music, art, and various ways of war. He also learned other skills to a minor degree including metalsmithing, leatherworking, pottery, sewing, herbal tea remedies. Currently, he is trying to get his five-times great grandfather Knilsu Skyrunner to give up his method of brewing Firewater.

person.sexuality

• Relationship Status: Single

• Sexuality: Heterosexual

• Gender Identity: Male

Known Languages

• Taur-ahe- 100%

• Orcish- 100%

• Common- 70%

• Troll: Zandali,Amani,Gurubashi- 90%

• Thalassian- 50%

• Kalimag- 100%

• Titan- Reading only for artifacts and the like-30%

• Pandaran- 65%

• Furbolg- 85%

Personality

Motivation

Kanatu is motivated only by his people and his religious beliefs. His personal conviction on what he thinks is right for his tribe is a strength that he carries with him everywhere and most of his choices come down to the perceived betterment and protection of those under his charge. It can get him into trouble as he can overwork himself and put himself into situations that are not particularly safe which can be an issue as he is the leader of the Tribe. His secondary motivation comes from a personal code that he applies to himself to live an honorable life to the Ancestors and the Earthmother. This personal code has never, to anyone's knowledge, been openly shared but the results are consistent and steady. Kanatu is not known for acting on a whim or out of character for himself because of this code.
 
Likes and Dislikes
Likes

• The wind, the adrenalin that comes with the feeling of falling, mountains, the cold, good food, the Hunt, strong partners, his son... sometimes, sharing things he has made or gathered, bread baked with fruit and nuts and cheese, Spicy Swoop Wings, Mulgore Firewater, a good dance around the fire

• Time-waisters, people that cannot make a choice, being forced to stay on the ground, Centaur, Night Elves, being surprised, people breaking their word, threats to his people, being told he cannot do something.

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Find Shelter in the Sky"

Social

Birthplace

Desolace; Skyrunner Village

Current Residence

Desolace; Skyrunner Village

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Chieftain of the Skyrunner Tribe, Argent Champion of Thunderbluff, Friend of the Canarian Circle, Friend of the Earthen Ring, Skymaster

Family Ties

Religious Views

Kanatu is extremely religious in his observations of the world. From the Elemental and Ancestral spirits to the three aspects of the Earthmother. All of his choices seem to come down to if it is the right thing for his people and if it will honor his Ancestors and the Earthmother. He considers those without faith of any kind to be willfully ignorant and without honor or code. What is a man if he cannot believe in something?

Like many tauren Kanatu holds Animism. Animism teaches that all creatures and some objects have souls or spirits. Tauren believe that plant-spirits, nature-spirits, and earth-spirits exist and that everyone must treat these spirits with respect. From this belief he holds to the idea that anyone who denies the reality of nature spirits severs their connection to Azeroth, the Earthmother, and even others that do not deny their reality. Individuals like this are dangerous as they are lost, confused and spiritually adrift in the world. Many of the alliance cultures confuse Kanatu and he both pities them their disconnect from the earth but it also angers him that they would turn their backs on what is true. He understands his faith in everything having a soul to be spiritually superior to any other outlook on the natural world.

This idea is a bit of a dichotomy within Kanatu himself with how he practices shamanism. Traditional shamans within the Horde, more specifically the orcs, fall into the idea of worshiping elementals and never bending their will to the caller. In many ways Kantu finds this philosophy to be unbalanced. Treating the fire realms of elemental spirits with respect and care as if they were themselves living and breathing beings is one thing, but worshiping them is something different. It is this distinction that sets him apart from many Horde Shaman who follow Thrall's example. An example that in the end left him near powerless because of his 'sins' against Garrosh as he heard it.

He is also willing to bend the elements and spirits to his will as a matter of survival. While Dark Shamans use Decay to repress a spirit and bind it to their will and Horde Shamans use Spirit to calm enraged spirits to not feeling their inner emotions and thus being able to send them back to their own realm, Kanatu walks between these two paths. Beliving, like the taunka do, that survival is paramount to service to the elemental spirits of the world. If he or his people are dead they cannot protect and serve. So in times of great darkness, he will often force the elemental spirits to answer his call. Unfortunately, the air around Dark Shamans is so deeply abhorrent to most that even these rare acts of forcing his call on the elements would make him an enemy to elementals. The taunka understands this concept much more considering their harsh living environment.

Social Aptitude

Kanatu is a fairly charismatic individual and has an easy time talking in front of large groups or individually with someone. A skilled listener and genuinely interested in the various going on of his people large and small he tends to involve himself a great deal with his people. Among strangers, he can be a bit more standoffish and reserved. Preferring to watch, observe, and make quiet judgments before involving himself. His pride usually makes it seem like he is being cockier than he really is and he tends to anger fairly easily.
Speech

Kanatu has a slow way of speaking that comes from deep in the belly. This slow way of speaking could never be mistaken as being slow himself but he seems to take great care that he never as to repeat himself. As such his statements are clear and pronounced smoothly, even, or perhaps especially, with languages that are not his native tongue. His deep voice can easily pull vivid imagination within the listener and when he chooses to tell a story it can be quite riveting. As can his singing voice though he has not sung any songs in many years so if he did start again no doubt his tone would be rough. In normal context, he is fairly easy going and laughs a good bit. When speaking from a place of authority on a matter his voice is unmistakable and can often have a hard edge to it that hints at danger.

• Threats against his blood family or his people

• Disrespect to the Earthmother, Spirits, Elemental Spirits, or the natural world

• Disrespect to elders or the honored members of society

• Cowardice

• Blind Faith

This individual is not independently wealthy as he does not trust the idea of currency. Feeling that the use of currency, though convenient, opens the way to laziness and cheats where the practice of bartering is more fruitful for all those involved and is more celebratory of the individual creator. All his wealth comes from the collective resources of the Tribe that he has at his disposal. From lands, goods, and services Kanatu can pull a great deal together should the need arise but he has little in the way of his own personal wealth. What he does have comes from the content of a modest hut big enough for two. In this hut, he has stored many trinkets, baubles, artifacts, and items from his travels, and collectively they would offer a large bit of gold. As it is though he has never looked into selling off any of the items.