Sunwalkers

The Sunwalkers are an order of tauren paladins,Consecrated Note it was founded by Aponi Brightmane after theological discussions with Tahu Sagewind about the importance of balancing out the night elven focus on moon-worship through reverence of light as part of their worship of the Earth Mother. As such, they are warriors who wield the power of An'she, the sun in tauren mythology, as they did in the past.Ultimate Visual Guide, pg 129
Although not as numerous as some of the more ancient paladin orders, the Sunwalkers' ways are no less powerful and their members are no less respected.The Way of the Sunwalkers They are the most militant branch of the tauren armies within the Horde.Blind Them! (Alliance) These paladins exist alongside the Seers, tauren priests led by Sagewind, who also rediscovered the use of the Light through the power of An'she.
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Aponi pledged her order's support to the reformed Order of the Silver Hand in their war against the Burning Legion. At the time of the Fourth War, the Sunwalkers left the ranks of the Silver Hand after its splintering, and supported once more the Horde against the Alliance.
==History==
===Foundation===
During the war against the Lich King, in the Elder Rise of Thunder Bluff, Aponi Brightmane and Tahu Sagewind discussed whether the tauren have overlooked a key aspect of balance, noting the night elves' near exclusive worship of the moon, known to the tauren as Mu'sha. Yet in their culture, both Mu'sha and An'she, the sun, are the eyes of the Earth Mother. The pair concluded that the night elves, through their ties to tauren druids, passed on their cultural prejudice against the sun to their tauren students. To properly revere the Earth Mother they hold sacred, the two decided to strive for balance and further explore the powers of the sun, An'she. After she fought on the Icecrown Glacier, Brightmane remained hopeful that An'she would shine across the sky, and victory would be won by the mortal races, no matter what perils remained.An Injured Colleague
===As Our Fathers Before Us===
When Garrosh Hellscream and his Kor'kron left Thunder Bluff to confront the Bristleback quilboars in Brambleblade Ravine, Baine Bloodhoof ordered Hamuul Runetotem to prepare the Sunwalkers, as the Warchief may need their assistance whether he wanted it or not. Flanked by a handful of Sunwalkers, Baine saved Garrosh while the quilboar retreated in their tunnels after the tauren paladins killed many of them. However, when quilboar far larger than the others came to fight them, Baine ordered his group to retreat to the surface, where they boarded a goblin zeppelin to return to Thunder Bluff.As Our Fathers Before Us
===Cataclysm===
At the time of the Cataclysm, the paladinhood was officially created by Aponi Brightmane and began recruiting to train tauren paladins.
In the Valley of Wisdom of Orgrimmar, the paladin trainer Sunwalker Atohmo, an honored member of the order, requested to meet young tauren paladins who impressed him as brave defenders of the Horde and followers of their ways.Follow the SunMeet with Sunwalker Atohmo After the Shattered Hand clan discovered that the Dark Irons and Twilight's Hammer are increasing their collaboration, Atohmo sent the Sunwalker adventurers to gather their weapons with elemental powers, and to break them over the The Black Anvil in Shadowforge City.Weapons of Darkness (tauren) On the orders of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, he also sent them to Shadowfang Keep to recover materials and the holy symbol of Commander Springvale for the creation of weapons at the height of their dedication.A True Sunwalker
===Mists of Pandaria===
At the time of the Alliance-Horde war, Baine Bloodhoof and several tauren of Thunder Bluff had dreams of a valley, golden with blossoms, filled with the hope of peace. Baine Bloodhoof ordered Sunwalker Dezco and his Dawnchaser tribe to sail into uncharted waters in search of this mysterious place. Guided by the visions of Dezco's pregnant wife, Leza Farwalker, the last vessel was able to find Pandaria, and landed on the southern shore of Krasarang Wilds. After heading inland by canoe, the group and a few Sunwalkers followers set up camp at Thunder Cleft.Sunwalker Dezco#Gossip
Among the expedition members, one Sunwalker Scout was sent to patrol around the Krasari Ruins, where he was killed by Alliance adventurers before he could report their presence. Another was found dead by Horde adventurers at Krasarang River, killed by a mogu arrow while he was sent by Dezco to investigate the Temple of the Red Crane.Going West
During the battle for Lion's Landing, as a Kor'kron commander, Sunwalker Chagon led the Horde troops against the Alliance forces, and tried to take control of Lion's Landing's keep to prevent their expansion deeper into Pandaria.
===Warlords of Draenor===
During the war against the Iron Horde in , a few Sunwalkers could be met and recruited as followers at the Frostwall garrison.
Seeking redemption for his wife and son's death, Sunwalker Dezco traveled alone without his clan on alternate Draenor and researched the way the fanatic Adherents of Rukhmar worshiped the light in different ways than the Sunwalkers.Gloriously Incandescent
===Legion===
Prior to the Battle for the Broken Shore, some Sunwalkers could be seen at the sparring ring of the Dranosh'ar Blockade, where Horde champions fought in preparation for the assault on the Broken Shore.
In order to learn more about the location of the Truthguard, the paladin Orik Trueheart asked the Sunwalkers for help to communicate with the spirit of the vrykul Gorvold Ironbrow at Shield Hill. The tauren order provided assistance by sending Tahu Sagewind to assist them in their quest.To Northrend
Following the disastrous conflict, Aponi Brightmane led the Sunwalkers to the Sanctum of Light, beneath Light's Hope Chapel, in order to pay their respects to the fallen Highlord Tirion Fordring of the Argent Crusade. In order to defeat the Burning Legion, Aponi pledged her order's support to the new Highlord of the Order of the Silver Hand. Subsequently, many Sunwalkers joined the reformed Silver Hand, and some could be found training new paladins in the Armory of the Silver Hand.
The ongoing offensive on the Broken Shore also drew the interest of many paladins who wished to join the ranks of the Silver Hand, some were Sunwalkers awaiting to be judged by the Highlord itself who eliminated the Legion infiltrator among them.Judgment Awaits
During the Assault on Light's Hope Chapel by the Knights of the Ebon Blade, who came to retrieve Tirion's body and make him the last member of the Four Horsemen, a few Sunwalker Braves fought alongside the Silver Hand forces to repel the undead invaders. While they were defeated, the Light itself intervened and burned the surrounded death knights, forcing them to flee and granting victory to the paladins.The Fourth Horseman
Some tauren paladins were later present at Deliverance Point during the Assault on Broken Shore, where they could be seen fighting against the demons, while those injured were healed by their Silver Hand allies.
===Battle for Azeroth===
During the Battle for Stromgarde, the Sunwalkers fought on the fields of the Arathi Highlands alongside Lady Liadrin and her Blood Knights.Sunwalker Champion They faced off against High Exarch Turalyon, who led the Knights of the Silver Hand and the Army of the Light troops in the name of the Alliance, indicating that the Order of the Silver Hand has splintered once again at the beginning of the Fourth War.
During the Alliance War Campaign, some Sunwalkers served as Horde Emissaries in Zuldazar to help their Zandalari allies at the Warport Rastari, where they could be seen healing Injured Bladeguards. As these emissaries were also sharing secrets that the Horde have regarding the Alliance, they were sent by the Alliance champion into a void rift on Shandris Feathermoon's orders.Void Vacation
===Shadowlands===
In the Barracks of Orgrimmar, the paladin trainer Avaros Dawnglaive asked to meet young tauren paladins who impressed him as brave defenders of the Horde.Meet With Avaros Dawnglaive (tauren) He sent them to fight the Dark Irons and Twilight's Hammer in Blackrock Depths, and at Shadowfang Keep to obtain materials for the creation of weapons at the height of their dedication, as Sunwalker Atohmo did in the past.
==Culture==
The path of an exemplary Sunwalker is to be a brave defender of the Horde and a follower of their ways, while their first duty is to preserve and protect life.The Stoneplow Convoy (Horde) Every Sunwalkers strive to be a beacon of hope,Bleeding Sun, pg. 2 and all know that in all things there was only one true path, one right decision.Bleeding Sun, pg. 19
As a young sunwalker continues their training, they will learn how to lead rituals to honor An'she and the Earth Mother, and will grow closer to the Light. In their faith, the Light is associated to An'she, which gives them their powers.Life (quest) It is important to note that they don't use solar magic, since it is associated to nature magic rather than holy magic.Don Adams on Twitter: "No, they use solar magic. More comparable to the solar magic used by druids." When they refer to the Light, they use the terms "An'she's light",Bleeding Sun, pg. 33 "the light of the Sun", and "Sun's light".Tauren paladin trainers' quotes In order to use their holy powers, they may pray to An'she silentlyBleeding Sun, pg. 32 or verbally.Bleeding Sun, pg. 30
The power of An'she can appear either as red flames emerging from a white-hot source or as golden magic similar to other divine magic.The Sunwalker Kodo's eyes and war-drums noticeably emit red and orange flame, while in contrast the saddle emits faint waves of golden light. Sunwalker Dezco has specifically used An'she's powers to weave protective shields of light, channel holy energies through his mace to crumble enemies such as the mogu to dust, and heal others' wounds with "bright yellow light". However, Dezco mentioned that the sha's presence and influence in Pandaria was weakening his Sunwalker powers.Sunwalker Dezco gossip text - "I feel the call of the Light, far to the north of here. But this place...It has not known the light for many, many generations. The sadness in the earth is quelling the gifts granted me by the light. My wife, she is suffering, and none of my abilities are able to help her."
The yeena'e ceremony is an ancient ritual that was nearly lost to memory before the Sunwalkers breathed new life into it. It is an ancient ceremony honoring the dead, and taking place just before dawn. The ritual is conducted with quick drumming and ceremonial garb, beginning as An'she rises to bleed his light into the world, and ending once he has ascended fully above the horizon. It is believed that, as An'she bleeds, sacrificing part of his light to announce the coming of the dawn, he is helped by the yeena'e, "those who herald the dawn", spirits of great ancestors who died in the process of saving lives or, in some cases, making new ones. The ceremony appears to honor those spirits that have finally joined the yeena'e.Bleeding Sun, pg. 1 - 2
==Notable members==
Name	Title 	Role(s) 	Affiliation(s) 	Status
 	Chieftain 	Founder and leader of the Sunwalkers. 	Thunder Bluff, Horde 	
 	Sunwalker 	Paladin trainer and an honored member of the Sunwalkers. 	Thunder Bluff, Horde 	
 	Sunwalker 	Kor'kron commander during the Lion's Landing attack. 	Thunder Bluff, Kor'kron, Horde 	
 	Dawnchaser Chieftain	Chieftain of the Dawnchaser tribe and prominent Sunwalker.	Dawnchaser tribe, Thunder Bluff, Horde	
 	Sunwalker 	Member of the Warbraves during the Island Expeditions. 	Thunder Bluff, Warbraves, Horde 	
==Items==
==In the TCG==
In the Trading Card Game, the Sunwalkers cards have many quotes related to their faith, their duties, and their god An'she:
*"Even in the darkest of times, the sun will always rise to begin a new day."Amah the Sun's Grace
*"The sun provides warmth to all of the Earthmother's children."Amano, Herald of the Sun
*"I strive to be like the sun, providing warmth, comfort, and illumination to all those who want them."Dawnstrider Sunward
*"I strive to be as Thunder Bluff... tall, strong, and bathed in the light of An'she."Haku, Son of Morning
*"May you bask in the light of the sun."Kuatha Mornhoof
*"Like An'she, the sun, we bring light to the darkness."Mulgore Guardian
*"The Destroyer has returned, and I have turned to the Sun for guidance."Rekwa Proudhorn
*"The light of the sun gives life to all of Azeroth. Take this gift for granted, and I will unleash the sun's fury like nothing you have ever witnessed."Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun
*"I hope that each passing day brings me one step closer to An'she."Sunwalker Lighthorn
*"The light of the sun will surely help guide us, even in the deepest depths of the earth and sea."Sunwalker Nahano
*"In the name of An'she and his eternal light, I will do all that I can to keep you safe."Tauren Sunhoof
*"Our sun, An'she, is the right eye of the Earthmother. I am her right hand."Thanu Sunhorn
*"We protect our tribe just as the sun protects us from the harsh winter."Thunder Bluff Sunwalker
==Notes and trivia==
*Kor Bloodtusk thought of them as tiresome and described them as "pacifist sun spirit filth".Blind Them! (Horde)
*Kang Bramblestaff was impressed by the Sunwalkers' fighting style and intended to learn from them.Kang Bramblestaff#Quotes
*The Sunwalkers' level 20 class mount is the Sunwalker Kodo, and the level 40 class mount is the Great Sunwalker Kodo.
*In the alpha of Cataclysm, Bowe Dawnhorn was a young Sunwalker captured by the Bristleback quilboars during the quest The Captured Sunwalker.
==Gallery==
;Trading Card Game & Hearthstone
File:Amah the Sun's Grace TCG.jpg|Amah the Sun's Grace / 
File:Blessing of the Just TCG.jpg|Blessing of the Just
File:Dawnstrider Sunward TCG.jpg|Dawnstrider Sunward
File:Warcraft tcg tauren paladin by james Ryman.jpg|Huruk Lightvow
File:Kuatha Mornhoof TCG.jpg|Kuatha Mornhoof
File:Rekwa Proudhorn TCG.jpg|Rekwa Proudhorn
File:Sunwalker Lighthorn TCG.jpg|Sunwalker Lighthorn
File:Sunwalker Proudhoof.jpg|
==Videos==
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==See also==
*Sun paladin
==References==
 
Category:Religions
Category:Cataclysm
Category:Organizations
pl:Sunwalkers