Mulgore

*“Look, [adventurer]. The rolling plains of Mulgore stretch before you: our home, the cradle of the Earth Mother. Here she provides us with all we could ever need, a peaceful and verdant land. This is what you will fight to protect.”*

— Dyami Windsoar

The green, verdant plains of Mulgore are home to the noble tauren. Mulgore is nestled in the foothills of the Stonetalon Mountains to the north, and protected by a natural wall of mountains on all sides. The only pass through these mountains is currently closed off by the Great Gate, which leads into the Southern Barrens to the east.

Mulgore provides bounty for the hunt, as a diversity of wild beasts roam the rolling plains and climb the foothills of the surrounding range. In the northern section of Mulgore, the new Camp Sungraze sits in the shadows of the mesas of Thunder Bluff, a tauren city which towers above the plains. Bloodhoof Village is centrally located and surrounded by the clear waters of Stonebull Lake, while further south on Red Cloud Mesa, Camp Narache stands as the principal training camp for all young tauren.

Despite the serene landscape and the pine-scented breeze, Mulgore is fraught with trouble. Brambleblade Ravine and the sacred Red Rocks are overrun by quilboars, and they continue to spread into the rest of Red Cloud Mesa. The goblin-run Venture Company infests the Venture Co. Mine in the eastern mountain face, while the Grimtotem tribe try to take vengeance against the other tauren by poisoning their water wells. The Windfury harpy tribe lay claim to the extreme northern reaches of Mulgore and the southeast mountain face. A tribe of gnolls known as the Palemane make their home at the cave called Palemane Rock, as well in scattered camps along the southern mountains.

## History

Mulgore is referred to as the ancestral home of the tauren. It is also hinted that the tauren lived here centuries after the Sundering. It's probably the same area as mentioned in the Hatred of the Centaur mythology.

The effects of Thaurissan's spell that summoned Ragnaros during the War of the Three Hammers were sensed even in Mulgore.

Once nomadic, the tauren met with Thrall and his orcs when they landed on Kalimdor. Looking to the orcs for protection, they saw kindred spirits with honor and power. With Thrall's escort, Cairne Bloodhoof led his people to Mulgore and came upon what is now called Thunder Bluff. They constructed their capital upon the lofty mesas, and the city is now a center for trade and commerce. Ruling over the tauren in his old age, Cairne looked one day to hand the mantle of leadership down to his son Baine.

Rexxar and his companions were tasked by Tagar with driving the Stonetalon harpies away from the tauren's kodo herds, for the foul creatures were slaughtering them and leaving their bodies to rot. Mulgore was also home to a large group of centaur, who had captured Baine and thrown Cairne into despair. With the help of Bovan Windtotem, Rexxar rescued Baine and brought the tauren back into the Horde.

With the orcs' help, Cairne and his Bloodhoof tribe were able to drive back the centaur and claim the grasslands of Mulgore for their own. For the first time in hundreds of years, the tauren had a land to call their own. Upon the windswept mesa of Thunder Bluff, Cairne built a refuge for his people, where tauren of every tribe is welcome. Over time, the scattered tauren tribes united under Cairne's rule. There are a few tribes who disagree about the direction their new nation should take, but all agree that Cairne is the wisest and best suited to lead them towards the future.

Though the noble tauren are peaceful in nature, the rites of the Great Hunt are venerated as the heart of their spiritual culture. Every tauren, warrior or otherwise, seeks identity both as a hunter and as a child of the Earth Mother. Tauren who reach the age of maturity, must test their skills in the wilds of Mulgore and prove themselves in the Great Hunt.

The Venture Company has invaded the region and taken over the Thunderhorn Water Well, Wildmane Water Well, and the Winterhoof Water Well. For unknown reasons what appeared to be a small scouting force of Galak centaur could be found roaming the plains of Mulgore. Meanwhile, the dwarves from Bael Modan created the Bael'dun Digsite in order to excavate the area.

However this incursion was against the wishes of Baine Bloodhoof, who saw it as an affront to the Earth Mother, and as diplomatic solutions failed, the Bloodhoof Tauren resolved to drive the invaders out by taking and breaking their pickaxes. At the same time the tauren directed Horde agents to clash with the harpies, quilboar, and gnolls that reside within the region. During this time Horde agents were able to drive the Venture Company away from the wells, thereby restoring it to tauren control.

During the Scourge Invasion, Mulgore was attacked by the Scourge.

## Thunder Bluff

**Thunder Bluff** (sometimes spelled as **Thunderbluff**) is the tauren capital city located in the northern part of the region of Mulgore on the continent of Kalimdor. The entire city is built on bluffs several hundred feet above the surrounding landscape and is accessible by elevators on the southwestern and northeastern sides. Established by the wise chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof and his stalwart tribe, Thunder Bluff overlooks the verdant land of Mulgore from atop a series of windswept mesas. Prior to the construction of the capital, the tauren had lived as nomads for countless generations, often under attack by marauding bands of centaur. With Thunder Bluff’s founding, however, the proud and good-spirited race was finally granted a permanent home.

The city of many tribes is a hub for tauren, welcoming tradesfolk and artisans of every kind.