Lots of fun times with shedim there too.

French Shedim: twice the horror!

Yeah, I definitely wanted to write The Tauren into my game, but thus far, they've been the toughest in integrate.

Originally, I postured them to be replacements for the SR Troll, but the WoW Ogre filled that spot much better. So now I've got a Flagship WoW Race, and really don't have a good spot to put them.

The Native American stereotype was the easiest path to take, but I felt like I was cheating. The NAN is already in game, and plays a crucial part of early canon, and I didn't wanna shit on that. I also didn't wanna cast aside Blizzards take on the Tauren, and that they are a Shamanic People, and tend to be dialed into Mother Earth.

So I tried to ask myself, if I was a Corp, why would I want to hire a Tauren? Where do they fit into society. Where do they make their money?

So thinking in PURELY stereotypes...

I'd hire a charismatic elf. I need a sales department. I'd hire a hard working Dwarf or Tech Savvy Gnome or a crafty Goblin. I'd hire Orcs or (WoW) Trolls for security, they have some natural advantages that make them effective hunter/killers. Humans, obviously, I'd hire. Ogres are brutes, but big (8-15ft), and notoriously dense. thus difficult to equip, and to transport or train. I'd think they would be good security or manual laborers in hazardous or remote locations. So I'm left with Taurens, who are big enough to pose a logistics problem, smart enough to be tough to manipulate, and have issues (stereotypically) with Strip Mining Mother Earth.

What I landed on, was a sort of innate green thumb, much like the innate "work ethic" possessed by the Dwarves. Tauren are valued by the Corps as Agricultural workers, and many Tauren are contracted to work in environments where crops cannot grow. Thunder Bluff Agriculture (Shameless Theft!!!!) is the largest privately owned Agricultural Operations company in the world, and is wholly owned by Tauren Investors. Many AAA corps contract TBA to handle startup, and often manage day-to-day operations for their farms. TBA also specializes in Awakened Agriculture, and is world renowned for their work in the field.

Another interesting point about The Tauren existing in the 6th World, would be the impact on people or nations who viewed the Cow as a holy icon. The Hindus for example, don't worship the Cow, but treat it as a Sacred Animal. What about if some Tauren in India brought about some sort of Theocracy?

Anyway, I still think they are lacking, and don't think I'm finished polishing the idea.

OK, so I laid it out there, thoughts?

Actually it's not a mental image, it's a fact.
The house of my parents is built on top of a nice 15 meter basalt flow that happened to be flowing some 15000 years ago. This basalt flow also happens to end on top of a maar that exploded some 150000 years ago. ( said maar is just in the center of Clermont Ferrand, which would make it quite fun if it was to explode again. )
The last active volcano seen in Continental France is just 4000 year old.
The last active volcano seen in a French departement ( county ) is still active.

I know nothing about WoW, but uh... Wow. That's pretty cool.