Basic Lore Guide For Pandaren Role-Players!

So you wanna write a backstory and role-play a Pandaren! What are they like? What's the difference between Wandering Isle Pandarens and mainland Pandaria Pandarens? Ever wonder how Monks came to be? What is this "Sha" anyway? Perhaps this guide can help you! Read on!

Source: Compiled official information from Blizzard's March 2012 Media Event. Sections/Titles are modified but information is verbatim.

-Who are the Pandaren?

The Pandaren are an ancient, intelligent race who have been cut off from the world at large since the time of the great sundering that split apart the continents of Azeroth. If a single trait could sum up the Pandaren culture, it's that they live in the moment. They embrace life with gusto. A Pandaren does everything with vigor, focus, and intensity. Every meal is an event. Every moment with the family is cherished. Every project or work of art demands their full attention. Every nap is treated as if it will be the last! The Pandaren work hard, play hard, fight like animals, love with all their soul, tell impossibly tall tales, drink like they mean it, and sleep like the dead.

On the whole, Pandaren are slow to anger and prefer measured solutions to problems. But underneath all of that practiced civility, there is a bear to contend with. When a Pandaren focuses on combat, each blow rings with the weight of his or her entire body. Living "in the moment" also means getting lost in the fury of combat; a Pandaren monk in the midst of battle has fists like wrecking balls and a roar that can be heard from horizon to horizon.

However, it takes a great deal to get a Pandaren wound up. On mainland Pandaria, negative emotions such as fear, anger, or despair can literally take on a physical form and stir up trouble. For this reason, Pandaren emphasize and cultivate a quiet life of inner harmony and focus. Conflicts, no matter how bitter, are quickly forgotten over cold drinks once the matter is resolved. The Pandaren sense of inner peace and love of life is infectious. Spend any significant time with a Pandaren and you, too, can't help but get lost in the moment.

-Why has Pandaria been hidden this whole time?

A veil of impenetrable mists has cloaked Pandaria since the time of the Sundering and the reign of the last Pandaren emperor. Previously, ships entering the mists have lost their bearings and spun about aimlessly before returning to the open ocean. As for the Pandaren, they looked out toward the mist-veiled seas and many presumed that the rest of the world had perished in the Sundering.

Sometime in the wake of the Cataclysm, the mists abruptly vanished. Alliance and Horde naval fleets, engaged in skirmishes around the world thanks to the new Warchief's aggression, suddenly found a new continent where once charts showed open seas. With both factions escalating their feud into a global conflict, the war for Azeroth shifts in a new direction.


-What is the Pandaren starting zone, the Wandering Isle?

Many generations ago, a particularly bold pandaren named Liu Lang set out to see what was beyond the mists by setting sail upon the back of a giant sea turtle. As the turtle grew, so did Liu Lang's desire to explore the world. Others joined him, until eventually a whole colony of pandaren explorers travelled the ocean, living atop the expansive "Wandering Isle." Although the Wandering Isle hasn't made landfall in many years, those who live there are still ignited by the spirit of adventure.

Chen Stormstout is a native of the Wandering Isle, as are any players who choose to create Pandaren characters. They are a rare breed, on the whole far more adventurous than their land-locked and long-lost relatives on mainland Pandaria.

Edited by Santiágo on 8/23/2012 7:36 AM PDT
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-Your Panderen: Horde or Alliance?

Just as it's comparatively rare for a Pandaren to be struck with an urge to wander the world, it's rarer still that one would feel compelled to align oneself with a faction such as the Horde or Alliance. Only those who are convinced these factions are the key to healing Azeroth would even consider pledging their allegiance to one faction or the other.

The decision to join a faction comes at great personal cost, as any fellow Pandaren who join the opposite faction -- including friends or relatives -- will likely never be heard from again. Pandaren who choose to align themselves with the Alliance or Horde do so because of shared values and personal beliefs regarding their overall worldview and the best way to move forward after the Cataclysm.



-Pandaren Leaders and Figureheads for Alliance/Horde




-Pandaren history of interaction with Horde and Alliance

Pandaren wanderers are very rare, but the deeds of a few are recorded in recent times. One brave soul that spirited his way into the annals of Azerothian history was the brewmaster Chen Stormstout. Warcraft III players may recall his chance meeting with Rexxar in the game's bonus missions, where he worked together with Thrall to found the new orcish homeland in Durotar. Later, he accompanied heroes such as Vol'jin and Jaina Proudmoore to liberate Theramore and protect the fledgling Horde from annihilation. Never one to stay put for long, Chen moved on, always seeking new ingredients for the perfect brew. Players will be able to catch up with him as he resumes his adventures on the Pandaren mainland.

Edited by Santiágo on 8/23/2012 1:01 AM PDT
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-How Pandaren Monks Came To Be



Although Pandaren monks have since incorporated weapons into their attacks, they remain focused on chi as a source of power and are still devastating when fighting with open hands. In the wake of events on the Wandering Isle, Pandaren monks will travel to key places throughout Azeroth to share their wisdom with young Alliance and Horde trainees.

-Threats within Pandaria

Just because Pandaria is isolated doesn't mean the continent is at all peaceful. Looming dangers, new and old, threaten to overwhelm the empire as players arrive.



-What is Sha?


Edited by Santiágo on 8/23/2012 1:08 AM PDT
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-Other Races and Creatures in Pandaria


Ferocious and impetuous, the Hozen are a short-lived race. They have their own uniquely filthy language and a determination to always improve their station, no matter how inept their efforts. While the pandaren respect their tenacious hunger for life they're also wary of the chaos created by such recklessness. The ever-expanding hozen are often the bane of the nearby jinyu, and it's up to the Pandaren to play the role of reluctant peacekeeper.

The industrious and amphibious Jinyu dam the rivers in order to create lakes around which they make their home. The Jinyu live under a rigid caste system, with warriors and priests chosen at a young age. Many of the Jinyu elders are Waterspeakers. Placing a staff into the river, these sages listen to the knowledge of the island as it flows downstream. Any events that touch the rivers will make their way down to the Jinyu, giving the Waterspeakers a connection to the future. While the Pandaren balk at the overly rigid structure of Jinyu life, they hold in great reverence this power to gain insight into what's to come.


Other unique races include the dangerous lizard-like Saurok, the superstitious diminutive Grummles, the obnoxious scavenging Virmen, or the ferocious nomadic Yaungol tribes.

-Factions In Pandaria


~The August Celestials: Four powerful ancestor spirits have always watched over the lands of the pandaren: Yu'lon the Jade Serpent, Xuen the White Tiger, Chi Ji the Red Crane, and Niuzao the Black Ox. Each of their four temples will call on the service of bold adventurers.



~Order of the Cloud Serpent: This order of flying warriors was founded long ago, during the Zandalari wars. Gain their favor, and they'll reveal the secrets of training a cloud serpent to become a loyal mount.



There you have it! Hope this helps when creating a backstory for your character along with fan-fiction. Looking forward to Pandaren role-players here in Wymrest! :D
Edited by Santiágo on 8/23/2012 1:10 AM PDT
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90 Night Elf Mage
I dig this! <3 Thanks for writing this all up.

My pandaren was going to be just another alt, but I'm slowly considering RP...
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Glad to hear it! :D I didn't write this though, just modified it and compiled accordingly to help role-players. Blizzard actually released many of the info here during the March 2012 Media Event. <3
Edited by Santiágo on 8/22/2012 8:39 PM PDT
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90 Blood Elf Death Knight
Good Job.
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90 Goblin Mage
Always did love Pandaren since Chen was introduced on the bonus maps. It just seems unreal that Blizz put so much love into their lore, and really made it work. Agh! So hard to believe the expansion is only a month away! I can't wait, and reading over all this info just makes me want it more.

Actually, you had some stuff I didn't even know about - namely about the Jinyu. Didn't realize they had a caste system, though I haven't played Alliance on Beta much either. Thank you for compiling this information. I hope it'll give players an idea of what it means to play panda.
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87 Blood Elf Death Knight
Voted for sticky, to go with the other Racial RP guides!
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90 Goblin Shaman
Oooo, nice compilation! I was hoping someone would get around to lumping all this stuff together in a thread ^^
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85 Gnome Warrior
Thanks for putting this here on the WrA forums. There are some that don't know where to look. And for those of us that do, it's still a great read.

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20 Night Elf Druid
A wonderful beginning point for any Pandaran players, thanks so much for posting it!

Now my only problem is that, philosophically, I won't ever be able to play a Horde Pandaran, and I really like seeing both sides of EVERYthing. *sighs* Oh, well, at least I have my rogue over there.

I know it's a month away, but I swear, on patch day, I'm picking up the novels that I've missed getting, including the new one, so I'll have something to do while I wait!
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90 Blood Elf Priest
This makes me feel good in my decision to make a Pandaran mage to join the Alliance, it seems that race/class combo will fit in very well with the ideals here.

Thanks so much for posting this! <3
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No problem, friends! Glad I can help!
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Early morning bump. :D
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86 Tauren Druid
I'm pondering doing something a bit different with my panda-I'm looking at race changing my 85 hunter, then zipping through the opening part fast as I can. When my friends catch up, she'll be in Paw'don Village, and after some confrontation, end up being hired by them as a guide-and to seek vengeance on the Horde who killed her family.
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90 Goblin Shaman
08/30/2012 04:18 AMPosted by Duskie

That is an awesome idea O_O

I hope someone will try it on a large scale!
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90 Draenei Paladin
What is the lifespan of a Pandaren?

Great job btw OP.
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90 Goblin Warlock
08/30/2012 07:32 AMPosted by Moonsword
What is the lifespan of a Pandaren?

I've heard it might be comparable to a dwarf, but that was a while ago. I don't think they're as long-lived as elves (of either flavor).
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90 Draenei Paladin
08/30/2012 07:34 AMPosted by Minzel
What is the lifespan of a Pandaren?


Thanks! I was just curious since their existence goes as far back as the Sundering.
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