Wildkin

The wildkin, a beast half-bear/half-owl, acts as a powerful force for good and a staunch ally of the night elves. While good-tempered and wise, the wildkin fights fiercely against evildoers, especially undead and the forces of the Burning Legion.

These bird-faced humanoids are considered an abomination by most, but actually find favor with night elves. The wildkin have long been considered a sacred animal by the night elves and the tauren. The priests of Elune see the wildkin as imbued with the spirit and strength of the Moon Goddess, and the druids see them as guardians and protectors of nature.

Description
Wildkin resemble a cross between an owl and a bear, hence the name of the related breed, owlbears. They stand upright at about 10 to 12 feet tall, and their body is covered in hairy feathers, usually brown or white. Their arms have a wing-like shape that end in clawed talons, and their heads have a beak and antlers. These odd creatures also emit a distinctive sound when riled, sounding like a combination of growl and screech. Wildkin feathers are very highly prized in certain circles for their rare magical properties.

Wildkin possess a high intelligence and often understand good reasoning. Most wildkin do not speak, but they understand Darnassian. Some particular wildkin, namely the ones that acted as Watchers at the time of the Third War, seemed to be capable of speech. They prefer the serenity of nature and stay away from populated areas, frequenting the Barrens or the glades of Mount Hyjal. There are also considerable numbers in Darkshore. Some wildking can be found in the Hinterlands and Winterspring. They are known to assist night elves and ancients in guarding locations that those races deem important. Wildkin are very territorial, and as such are good guardians.

Most wildkin treat peaceful travelers with respect, sometimes coming to their aid or assisting lost visitors out of their forests. Wildkin are slow to anger, but they fight fiercely and relentlessly when roused. They ferociously attack hostile creatures on sight. They have a particular hatred of all undead and minions of the Burning Legion. The great beasts slash with their claws and stab with their beak in combat. A badly injured wildkin may retreat and pursue enemies later, once it heals. Heroes who encounter wildkin either come away speaking of their incredible gentleness or their tremendous ferocity.

Wildkin mate for life and bear fuzzy gray cubs that do not develop their claws and brilliant plumage until 2 or 3 years of age. Night elves consider the shimmering pelts and golden eyes of the wildkin to be beautiful. Full-grown wildkin exceed 10 feet in height and weigh between 1,000 and 3,000 pounds, and sometimes even more.

History
Some night elf scholars claim that wildkin are the creation and favored pets of Elune. They claim that Elune created the first wildkin in the early days of the world to serve as guardians to Cenarius. Desiring a creature of might to claim as her own and disenchanted with the violence of wolves, Elune combined the best traits of her beloved night birds, the owls, with the brute force of benevolent bears. The result: a swift, elegant, and fiercely loyal hunter. Other scholars claim that wildkin were the misguided creation of a sorcerer. Regardless of their origins, wildkin have been the beloved allies of night elf druids of the wild and ancients alike since the time of the War of the Ancients.

During the time of the Third War, besides regular wildkin, enraged and berserk wildkins could also be found in the wilds. This were stronger and more resilient versions of the regular wildkin.

Lately, adventurers traveling through the Hinterlands report strange wildkin attacks. The wildkin seem confused, even maddened, and attack relentlessly and randomly. Some also have mutations, such as deformed limbs, scabbed pelts with large bald patches, or red eyes. No one knows how this wildkin corruption began.

Over time, many wildkin seem to have either forgotten their sacred charge, or lost the site they were trying to guard and now roam across both continents. These are usually refered to as "owlbears".

Even though the wildkin were once numerous in Darkshore, such are their ties to the land that the Shattering that devastated Darkshore also decimated their numbers. Several enraged wildkin spirits started roaming parts of Darkshore after this. The wildkin Aroom was the last of his tribe and a powerful elder with a strong connection to Elune. He lived at the Moontouched Den, and was involved in the quest.



Breeds
Besides the regular wildkin, there are other breeds that can be found throughout Azeroth. Sometimes the word "wildkin" is used to refer to all of these breeds.

Owlbears
Owlbears are lumbering, misshapen creatures, beloved by the night elf druids and treants alike. They are benevolent by nature, but fearsome when roused or angered. Though they stay away from populated areas, they are often found in the serene glades of Mount Hyjal.

The owlbears are also described in Appendix Three of Manual of Monsters, though these owlbears seem to be slightly different from the previously described. According to this source, owlbears are probably the result of unusual natural selection. They roam all terrain and feed on anything they catch, but they prefer to live near settlements were they can steal livestock to complement their hunting. Owlbears are nomadic, and live in caves or fallen trees until their chicks grow up to be strong enough to keep up with the owlbear's frequent moves. They can be found all over Azeroth, usually in groups of one or two, and sometimes in familiy units. Most farmers in Azeroth call them a blight.

Owlbeast
Owlbeasts, larger and more powerful cousins of wildkin, seem derived from the same species, but their origins remain shrouded in mystery. The night elves claim that Elune also created the owlbeasts to serve as her guardians, but owlbeasts do not possess the gentle natures of wildkin.

Owlbeasts embody chaos over good; they fly into uncontrolled rages in combat. No one knows what sets off an owlbeast’s wrath, so cautious adventurers give the creatures a wide berth. Owlbeasts attack relentlessly and fearlessly. They fly into a frenzy immediately upon entering combat and fight to the death. Owlbeasts grow to almost 20 feet tall and weigh 3,000 pounds or more. They prefer colder climates than do wildkin, and as a result they develop white or silver feathers in the snowy season. Like wildkin, owlbeasts do not speak, but understand Darnassian.

Owlbears can be found in Darkshore, the Hinterlands and Winterspring. Some owlbeasts in the Hinterlands exhibit the same corrupted mutations as their wildkin cousins in that region.

Owlkin


Owlkin are beast-like humanoids found on Azuremyst Isle, related very closely to wildkin. Like their many cousins of similar form, the owlkin are large creatures that look like a cross between an owl and a bear, with antlers sprouting from their bird-like heads.

This specific breed is not normally hostile to other humanoids. However, the draenei ship The Exodar recently crashed nearby, and the radiation from the power crystals of the ship have caused some of the Nestlewood Owlkin to become Mutated Owlkin. The owlkin have also absconded with some of the draenei's spare parts which were scattered about the area (see ). Recently, some draenei have been inoculating as many of the unaffected owlkin as they can, hoping to protect the innocent creatures (see ). Unfortunately, for the Mutated Owlkin it is too late.

Moonkin

 * For the mob, See Moonkin



Moonkin are large, flightless, sapient bird-like humanoids native to the night elf areas in northern Kalimdor, such as Darkshore. Sometimes called an "owlbear", these large bipedal creatures have the size of an upright walking bear, but with bird-like features such as a beak, feathers, and flightless wings. They also drop eggs of various sorts.

All druids used to have to fight a moonkin named Lunaclaw in order to earn their Bear Form before class quests were removed. If they choose a third tier talent in the Balance tree druids can assume Moonkin Form themselves, a form nicknamed "Boomkin".

They are related to the wildkin, though it is not clear what differences there are between them, or if "moonkin" is just another name for wildkin.