Zandalar tribe The Zandalar tribe has come to Yojamba Isle in the effort to recruit help against the resurrected Blood God and his Atal ' ai priests in Zul ' Gurub and the Temple of Atal ' Hakkar . The Zandalar tribe includes members of the Zandalar troll and jungle troll races . The Zandalari serve as an overall priest caste for Azeroth ’ s trolls and spend much of their time researching ancient knowledge and magic ; they also oppose Hakkar . Zandalar is an island in the South Seas to the southwest of Westfall on Azeroth . On this island live trolls — thousands upon thousands of trolls . It is understandably a difficult place to visit for anyone who isn ’ t a troll . The Zandalar tribe is the progenitor tribe from which all other troll tribes sprang . The Zandalari trolls make an appearance in Zul ' Drak , recording the fall of the once - mighty troll city . This is the first time trolls have sacrificed their gods and stolen their power ; in Zul ' Gurub , the Gurubashi Priests had fallen under the mind control of Blood God and their Loa ' s power was merely being stolen through them . In Zul ' Aman , the Amani Priests asked their Loa for help in their war against the Horde and the Alliance , and the Loa agreed . History . The Zandalari were the earliest known trolls , the first tribe from which all tribes originated . Over time two distinct troll empires emerged — the Amani and Gurubashi . They existed for thousands of years until the coming of the night elves , who warred with them and eventually drove both empires into exile . Following the Great Sundering , the defeated Gurubashi grew ever more desperate to eke out a living . Searching for a means to survive , they enlisted the aid of the savage Blood God , Hakkar ( aka the Soulflayer ) . Hakkar grew into a merciless oppressor who demanded daily sacrifices from his devotees , and so in time the Gurubashi turned on their dark master . The strongest tribes ( including the Zandalar ) banded together to defeat Hakkar and his loyal troll priests , the Atal ' ai . The united tribes narrowly defeated the Blood God and cast out the Atal ' ai . . . despite their victory , however , the Gurubashi Empire soon fell . In recent years the exiled Atal ' ai priests have discovered that Hakkar ' s physical form can only be summoned within the ancient and once - deserted capital of the Gurubashi Empire , Zul ' Gurub . Unfortunately , the priests have met with success in their quest to call forth Hakkar — reports confirm the presence of the dreaded Soulflayer in the heart of the ruins . And so the Zandalar tribe has arrived on the shores of Azeroth to battle Hakkar once again . But the Blood God has grown increasingly powerful , bending several tribes to his will and even commanding the avatars of the Primal Gods — Bat , Panther , Tiger , Spider , and Snake . With the tribes splintered , the Zandalari have been forced to recruit champions from Azeroth ' s varied and disparate races to battle , and hopefully once again defeat , the Soulflayer . From the " Dark Factions " RPG source book : Tens of thousands of years ago , two great troll empires appeared : the Amani and the Gurubashi . The Amani were forest trolls and the Gurubashi were jungle trolls ; Amani and Gurubashi were the names of the two largest and most powerful troll tribes , which is why the empires received their names . These early empires eventually clashed with the nascent night elves . Drawing arcane magic from the Well of Eternity , the night elves shocked the trolls by handing them a rapid and resounding defeat . The night elves pushed the trolls out of some of their lands and were then able to establish the night elf empire . One tribe of trolls in these ancient days was the Zandalar tribe — the progenitor tribe from which all other trolls arose . Most Zandalari were scholarly and valued knowledge ; however , a significant portion desired conquest instead . These disaffected trolls eventually left the Zandalari to found other tribes . The remaining Zandalari , then , were all of the scholarly and mystical bent . As time went on , other trolls came to regard them as an overarching priest caste for all trolls . The Zandalari preserved troll history , and they worked to further the goals of troll society as a whole . Though they had the respect and admiration of all other trolls , the Zandalari did not attempt to exert any power over them . They averaged ( and still average ) 8 feet in height : significantly larger than all other trolls save the savage Drakkari of the far north . Despite their greater size and knowledge and the respect they commanded , the Zandalari did not wield sovereignty over the other trolls , nor did they seek such authority . When the Sundering came , the wise Zandalari trolls wove swift magics to protect their realm . The land around their territory shuddered ; waves crashed in and trees and soil sank beneath the waves . Through it all , the Zandalari ’ s land remained largely intact . After the Sundering , the Zandalari discovered that their territory was now an island . Seeing no reason to leave it , they set about rebuilding their settlements and continuing their studies . Eventually the Zandalari noticed that their Gurubashi brethren on the mainland were growing rapidly in power and territory , attributing their victories to the influence of the god Hakkar . At first , the Zandalari were glad for the fellow trolls . However , as Zul ' Gurub continued to expand , the Zandalari ' s pleased surprise turned to disquiet . They consulted myths and delved into historical accounts . What they learned horrified them . Hakkar was also known as the “ Soulflayer ” , a name he had richly earned . He filled his adherents with murderous rage and reveled in their dark emotions . The carnage that invariably followed Hakkar suited him perfectly , for having consumed blood he had developed a taste for it . Worse , he became more powerful as he consumed the blood shed in his name , and his tie to the world that was feeding him grew stronger . Every Zandalari who could fight immediately set out for Stranglethorn Vale and brought the terrible tidings to the jungle trolls . The Gurubashi empire was already in a state of civil unrest due to the numerous sacrifices that Hakkar was demanding . With the Zandalar tribe ' s news , the jungle trolls banded together with the Zandalar tribe and rose up in open revolt against the bloodthirsty Soulflayer . Zandalar has long been the heart of all troll culture throughout the world . Zandalari are their own separate sort of troll — not jungle trolls , not forest trolls , not ice or dark or sand . ( However , several groups of other trolls live on Zandalar , including jungle trolls beneath the canopy and ice trolls on snowy Mount Mugamba . ) The Zandalari ' s overall goal remains what it always has been : to maintain troll history and continue their research . They also again oppose Hakkar . Every 6 years , Zandalar also plays host to a meeting of all troll tribes . Trolls from all over the world meet in the great ziggurat - city of Zuldazar to discuss matters of importance to all trolls . Zandalar is neutral ground for trolls . Though many tribes don ' t get along with each other , they all meet on peaceful terms in Zandalar . Alliance with the mogu . Outside of trolls themselves , the larger size and influence of the Zandalari is a mystery , but some explanation may be found in a tale of the legendary mogu ruler , Lei Shen also known as the " Thunder King " . Thousands of years ago before the sundering , Lei Shen , gained some of the power of the titan s and began to establish the great Mogu Empire on Pandaria . At the time the Zandalari were lead by their now mostly forgotten leader , Zulathra , who made contact with the Thunder King and offered an alliance . Although both parties planned to betray each other eventually , the partnership was so fruitful it continued for at least 3 , 000 years . The mogu used their flesh shaping to keep Zulathra alive for thousands of years ( likely even beyond the death of the Thunder King ) and taught the Zandalari arcane magic . The mogu promised immortality although it is clear they could not keep their promise or it was not possible . For some reason the mogu were unwilling to venture forth from Pandaria , so the Zandalari acted as scouts for the mogu and gave them knowledge of lands beyond . Zandalari Troll Wars . " Main article : Zandalari Troll Wars . " Many millennia past , the mogu and troll s met . They should have destroyed each other , but they understood that in a war , pitting strength against strength , the survivor would be weakened and might even succumb to creatures far weaker than it . That would be a tragedy that neither race wanted . With back firmly set against back , mogu and trolls carved out their positions in the world . 12 , 000 - 13 , 000 years ago the Zandalari and the Mogu boasted the most powerful empires in Azeroth . The Zandalari were actually allied with the Mogu warlords who ruled Pandaria , keeping the Pandaren as their slaves . Organization . King Rastakhan , a hoary and formidable witch doctor , rules the Zandalari from his capital of Zuldazar . The Zandalari are mystical and ancient trolls who revere knowledge and history ; their organization is loose . They represent an overall priest caste for all trolls , yet they do not attempt to parley this position into real power with those trolls . Military . The Zandalar tribe is a group of mystical trolls who serve as the priest caste for all other trolls . They have few warriors , and what warriors they do have are dedicated to protecting their home island of Zandalar . Thus , when the Zandalari need people to accomplish tasks in the larger world , they work through agents of other races . Were an unfriendly member of such a race to enter Zandalar , however , he would find himself contending with the Zandalari ’ s warriors . Though few , they are rumored to be excellent fighters . The Zandalari make their home in the jungle . As such , their warriors prefer to attack from ambush , lurking in the trees ’ shadows , in the underbrush , or in the canopy before bursting out to attack . They set themselves up in the wilderness along their enemy ’ s path well in advance , then leap forward when the time is right . They hurl javelins ; then , depending on the reaction , they either continue to fling their weapons , they charge into melee , or they melt back into the shadows to perform the same tactic again . Many priests and witch doctors work among the Zandalari , so almost all Zandalar warriors are in possession of a few bottles of brews they can slug back to make themselves stronger , fiercer , or heal their wounds . Zandalar leaders carry many such concoctions and are sure to have witch doctors at their sides who provide them with more . If they expect to go to battle , the trolls drink the brews immediately beforehand , allowing them to crush their enemies with ease . If battle is joined , Zandalar priests and witch doctors support their warriors with enhancement spells and healing in addition to entering the fray directly . Bloodlust and inner fire are particularly devastating — spells that affect many allies at once . Of course , the spellcasters don ’ t mind blasting their enemies when the situation calls for it , and Zandalari potion docs spend battles hurling explosive potions into enemy ranks . The few Zandalari warriors take the front lines , though they prefer to soften up the enemy with thrown javelins and axes first . This tactic also allows their spellcasters more time to cast beneficial spells on them before melee is joined . Zandalari warriors are fierce and wild , and they do not often retreat ; once a troll throws himself into melee , he isn ’ t coming back until the enemy ’ s corpses lie about him . Zandalar warriors perform other functions as well , including reconnaissance , discovering the best places to set their ambushes . They also harry enemy forces with guerrilla tactics , which can make the enemy foolish . Priests and witch doctors help these endeavors with divination magic . Location . Zandalar is a sizable island a ways southwest of Westfall . Two huge mountains rise from its green canopy ; one of these mountains is in fact the great ziggurat - city Zuldazar , while the other is snowy Mount Mugamba . Other , smaller ziggurats — the domains of troll priests and witch doctors — also jut from the jungle , and birds and stranger beasts fl it above and among the trees . Troll priests and witch doctors live all over the island . It is a lush and tropical place , and a deadly one . Membership . You are either born a Zandalari or you are not ; you cannot enter into the tribe unless a parent is a Zandalari . The trolls of the Zandalar tribe are among the largest , strongest trolls in the world . ( The Drakkari ice trolls of Northrend are just as big . ) They are just as ferocious as other trolls , and just as cunning , if not more so . A typical Zandalari spends his days hunting in the jungles or fishing along the coastlines . Many spend their days researching ancient lore and cataloguing history . Religion is important to the Zandalari — they are the trolls ’ priest caste , after all — and they revere their pantheon of primitive , animalistic gods that take the forms of bats , snakes , and the like . Zandalar priests carve totems and engage in rituals , while Zandalar witch doctors brew potions and administer to wounded trolls . The Zandalari are constantly vigilant against invaders . And even though they may be powerful , a worgen or an orc could overwhelm them , so they try to remain secure and safe . Rewards . There are also unique head and leg enchants which requires a reputation . See Zul ' Gurub Enchants . Upon reaching a reputation , you can receive a neck slot item ( as well as some gold and rep ) , e . g . the Maelstrom ' s Tendril from Falthir the Sightless . You can upgrade these items as your reputation improves . There is also a class specific Zul ' Gurub Trinket by defeating the 4 Edge of Madness mini bosses and collecting each of their quest items . Which of the 4 bosses that spawns is not random and instead based on a complicated Spawn Calendar . Because of this it will take a minimum of 1 month for all 4 bosses to spawn . In Cataclysm . With the Gurubashi trolls destroyed and the Blood God no longer an issue , most Zandalar trolls have returned back to their home land Zandalar , leaving Yojamba Isle empty . Exalted reputation with this faction would become a Feat of Strength . It is not easy to become exalted . The Images from the Trailer for patch 4 . 1 , show the Zandalari telling the trolls , that the trolls face extinction unless they ally with them , telling them how Zul ' Furrak went from being the jewel of Tanaris to being a wasteland , and how Zul ' drak has fallen to the Scourge . The Zandalari orders Jindo the Godbreaker to restart the rituals in Zul ' gurub , and the Amani to avenge the death of Zul ' jin . The end of the trailer shows Vol ' jin of the Darkspear walking away , the Zandalari questions his loyalty to his people , for which Vol ' jin replies that his people ARE the Horde . Speculation . The Zandalari ' s sudden willingness to unite the two former troll empires under their own leadership seem to be a strange turn of events . Considering the fact , that they have remained withdrawn and neutral for thousand of years , it is rather odd that they now wish to unite and strengthen the Gurubashi and Amani tribe . All in all , this does not seem like the usual neutral , lore - interested , Hakkar hating Zandalar trolls . Mist of Pandaria . With the discovery of the continent Pandaria , the trolls of Zandalar isle have made a new appearance . They have , like the Horde and Alliance , invaded the continent . They can be found in numerous places and have apparently made an alliance with the Mogu . The trolls can be found in the Kun - Lai Summit and also on the Isle of Thunder , where they have resurrected an ancient Mogu Emperor . It is revealed in Kun - Lai Summit through NPCs that the homeland of the Zandalari , Zandalar , was destroyed during the Cataclysm , explaining that they are in Pandaria to make a new home .