The Burdens of Shaohao is one ofWorld of Warcraft’s most treasured epics, depicting bravery, honesty, and wisdom. It explores the rich cultural beliefs of the pandaren and the history of their tranquil home. Thelessons that Emperor Shaohao learned impact Azerothto this day and provide a gentle lesson for all who come to venture into Pandaria.
Told in several parts, the Burdens of Shaohao is a story depicted in dynamic artwork, soulful music, and the detailed narration of a pandaren historian, Lorewalker Cho. Blizzard Entertainment originally released them to set the scene for Mists of Pandaria, and they remain to this day some ofWorld of Warcraft’s best works of art.
A Grave Fate Awaited Pandaria Long Ago
Ten millennia ago, Emperor Shaohao’s reign had only just begun, and he stood ready to inherit the majesty of the Pandaren Empire. However, when he consulted a jinyu soothsayer, he was told that a grave fate awaited his people.WoWfans know that around this time, the War of the Ancients was taking place. This was the Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth, and it took the combinedmight of dragon Aspects, Wild Gods, and mortals to fend them off. Even so, the Well of Eternity would collapse in on itself, splitting the continent apart in a catastrophe known as the Sundering.
Horrified to learn what the future for his realm held, Shaohao sought guidance. He needed to find a way to save his people from the wrath of the Sundering, so heascended Pandaria’s mightiest mountain, Neverest. Gracefully swimming above the clouds was the Jade Serpent, Yu’lon, the spirit of wisdom. She told Shaohao he needed to seek out the heart of Pandaria, and that when he faced troubles, the land itself would teach him a way through.
Shaohao and WoW’s Formidable Sha
The Sha of Doubt, and the Lesson of the Reed
Perplexed by her advice, Shaohao confided in his close friend, the Monkey King. But when thefierce winds of Pandariasuddenly swept his friend into the sky, Shaohao panicked. At that moment, the Sha of Doubt began to take form, twisting its way around the emperor and halting him in his tracks. As the wild storm battered his skin, Shaohao noticed the reeds beside him. Those that resisted the wind snapped in two, but those that bent with the gale instead persevered. Yu’lon was right, Shaohao realized. He understood the land’s lesson and stopped fighting his doubts, and the moment he let them go, the Sha dissipated.
The Spirit of Hope Against the Sha of Despair
Without apprehension, Shaohao set off after the Monkey King. When he arrived in the treacherous swamps of the Krasarang Wilds, he suddenly began to sink into the bog.The Sha of Despairwas consuming him whole, sucking him deeper into the suffocating mud. He cried out for help, and heard a voice. It was another August Celestial, the spirit of hope. The Red Crane landed on the boughs of a great tree, showing Shaohao the way. The roots stretched deep into the ground, allowing it to rise high above the swamp. Shaohao found purchase on one of the roots below, and the emperor hauled himself free.
The Emperor of Pandaria Overcomes His Negative Emotions
The Black Ox and Shaohao’s Fear
The next part of Shaohao’s journey would take him beyond theSerpent’s Spine Wallto a sha-infested land where the brutal and militant Mantid reside. Hesitant to enter, Shaohao caught sight of the Black Ox standing proudly among the wastes. The spirit of fortitude urged Shaohao to carry on, promising that he would find his way. Before long, the emperor discovered that the Monkey King was trapped by mantid warriors. Trembling with terror, he looked to nature as his guide once more. Shaohao saw the resplendent Kypari tree above, a plant infamous for its sticky sap. He overcame the Sha of Fear that had rooted him and struck the tree, raining globs of resin down on the Mantid to hold them fast. Finally, Shaohao had found his friend, and now he needed an army to stop the demonic invasion looming on the horizon.
The White Tiger Senses One Last Burden
High upon thefrigid peaks of Kun Lai, an elite contingent of pandaren warriors trained day and night to protect the empire. Known as the Shado-Pan, they have long been famed for their skill and discipline. All were tutored by the White Tiger himself, the spirit of strength. At Shaohao’s arrival, the tiger knew exactly what the emperor wanted and why he should not have it. Shaohao’s confidence belied a fatal weakness, that of untempered emotion.
The White Tiger decided to test the young emperor. The August Celestial handed Shaohao a staff, challenging him to touch even one of his warriors. If he succeeded, the Shado-Pan would be his. As the tiger expected, Shaohao failed again and again, until finally, all his pent-up rage burst forth in the form of a Sha.The Sha of Anger raced towards the emperor, but before it could kill him, one Shado-Pan soldier gave himself up instead. That sacrifice taught Shaohao the meaning of true strength and that there are things worth giving one’s life for.
Shaohao and the Sundering That Shook the World
The sky darkened, the earth trembled, and all pandaren knew the end had come. They gathered in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, filled with fear, rage, and despair. Shaohao realized that they needed to learn the lessons he had, but for that, they needed time. Pandaria had to survive the coming storm, and at last, he understood. The emperor was the true heart of Pandaria, and only he could save his people. Shaohao closed his eyes and gave his own life force to the land, shrouding it in a dense mist. As the rest of the world shattered in the Sundering, Pandaria was spared, floating free like a blossom in the breeze.
Just as Shaohao had intended, in the following generations, the pandaren came to shed the very same burdens he had. Their culture evolved into one mostly immune to the Sha, and they carried the lessons of Shaohao in their hearts forevermore.Pandaria remained hidden from the rest of the world, a land concealed by Shaohao’s breath to this day.
