Withering Schism

The **Withering Schism** is an ongoing political and cultural shift within the Witherbark Tribe, slowly but continuously dividing the Tribe into two separate parts: the **Lowlands** and the **Highlands** **Witherbark**. Great effort has been conducted to prevent an official split between the two halves of the Tribe, but as the Witherbark have declined over several years, some scholars believe that a split is inevitable.

# Background

After the fall of the Amani Empire during the Troll Wars, the vassals tribes of Amani took on back their distinct independence from the Empire, resulting in the rise of new nations such as the Vilebranch Tribe in Jintha'alor, but also the Witherbark Tribe in Zul'nalor.

The Witherbark controlled territory in the Hinterlands, but the majority of their forest kingdom was located within the Stromic Lowlands and Highlands. While strong, the fracturing of the Empire and the unified Human Tribes into the Arathorian Empire only weathered and eroded the Witherbark Kingdom over several centuries. Even as the Arathorian Empire itself fractured and the Human Kingdoms rose in their place, they were able to weather the storm despite the constant conflict.

Soon enough, the Witherbark Kingdom had eroded significantly with Shadra'alor becoming disjointed from the rest of the kingdom that lay on the Thandol Span. The Witherbark Kingdom itself sat on either side of the southern Ucheldir Mountain Range with only one major pass keeping the entirety of the tribe connected. This major pass is where Zul'nalor had long stood and so long as the fortified temple-city sat as the crown jewel and heart of the kingdom, the Tribe would remain intact and unified.

# The Doom of Zul'nalor

As the Witherbark Kingdom slowly lost territory in their wars with Stromgarde or Wildhammer Dwarves, several individuals among the Witherbark began experimenting with magics that beyond theirs to practice. The powerful hexxer known as **Zul'ketus** began to gather followers and practice the profane magics of the grave in direct opposition to standard practices to the Loa of Graves, Bwomsamdi.

Bwomsamdi tasked the city's priesthood with rooting out Zul'ketus' cult and the rise of a 'Death Defiler'; the Loa of Graves gave the city one year to achieve such. The prelates and priests managed to capture Zul'ketus and many of his followers via an informant and he was exiled -- but Bwomsamdi did not answer their offerings and the 'Death Defiler' still plagued the city.

On the final day of Bwomsamdi's deadline, the Death Defiler revealed himself -- performing a ritual and making himself into a powerful Lich while his followers broke into the sacred tombs and began raising the mummified remains of old warriors, twisting them to their will.

A legion of Undead was unleashed upon the denizens of Zul'nalor and drove many from the city. It was only a final act of nine of the Witherbark's most powerful prelates, hexxers, witch doctors, and shadow hunters -- including the Witherbark's High Priest for Bwomsamdi -- that the city was sealed and the Death Defiler was... 'defeated'.

Zul'nalor was forevermore considered a cursed place. The Witherbark as a tribe were divided -- Zul'nalor lay in the only major pass they held the divided east and west, the Lowlands and the Highlands. In time, this divide would only widen.

This event is known as the Doom of Zul'nalor. Due to sealing of the city, it closed off the only major pass dividing the two halves of the Kingdom; only several small, narrow passes across the mountains remained within the Witherbark's control.

# A Slow Division

The effects of the Doom were immediate and quite pronounced. Any form of administration that the Kingdom had previously fell to the local leaders of the villages, with their 'jin of the Witherbark having descended to the Lowlands. It had become chaos within the first few years -- famine had slowly become widespread as the more fertile lands were cut off from the villages that required it. As things worsened, local leaders began to rise up and create larger and larger retinues for themselves.

Worse yet, the marcher lords within the Kingdom of Stromgarde advanced their border wars against the Witherbark where-ever they could. Increasing, the Witherbark Kingdom began to fracture.

There were attempts to remediate the rising problems, however. First of which was for the 'jin to travel between the two halves of the slowly degrading kingdom in order to facilitate some kind of order. Strong, loyal warriors were promoted to act as the 'jin's agents and given authority to do as was necessary to keep the villages in line and preserve the territorial integrity of the kingdom.

Every six months, a festival was held in one of the two halves -- in order to more strongly facilitate and exchange goods, stories, and tighten the social fabric so that the Lowlander and Highlander Witherbark would not drift too completely.

Lastly, when a 'jin dies, it was up to the village leaders and priesthood to choose another to ascend in their place. It was generally agreed that each half would switch on who ruled for that generation. Once a Lowlander 'jin fell, a Highlander 'jin would take their place and vice versa.

These reforms and practices spanned over several generations and for the most part, began to slow the destructive descent of the Witherbark, stemming the tide that might have befallen them sooner if they fell to infighting. It was not perfect, certainly; warlords would rise up and attempt to take their place through strong-arming and violence, but in all... things might have seemed like they would simply fall into place.

# Zul'jin's Rise & Fall

By the time of the Opening of the Dark Portal, the divisions of the Witherbark were more pronounced from when the Doom befell Zul'nalor. The common parlance of 'Lowlander Witherbark' and 'Highlander Witherbark' were common in the vernacular of the Trolls and had become so even among Humans.

Despite the attempts to maintain the system of swapping the title of 'jin between the two halves with the death of each, it caused the ruling elite of the tribe to become more ruthless and politicking, creating an environment of enmity despite the desire to create unity. Soon enough, a powerful warlord or hexxer would rising with each generation on both sides of mountain, allowing for a clear choice to be given, but in many cases only caused more and more strife.

The final attempt at any real unity came with the rise of the Amani Warlord and 'jin, Zul'jin. Defeating other tribes, the Amani Warlord came to both halves the Witherbark -- not individually, but ordered them to meet with him at the same time. He challenged them both to a duel and in the end, fought them both simultaneously and still yet defeated them. They pledged their loyalty...

And in the Second War, they both fell. Stromic Highlanders from several Clans united and unleashed themselves against the Forest Trolls and their Orcish allies, carving a bloody swathe in several battles across the Stromic Lowlands.

The death of the leaders of the two halves of the Tribe devastated what unity was left. Several competing warlords and hexxers began to compete for who would rise to the top... but the conflict caused much of the activity between the two halves that would normally unify them to falter and erode.

# A Race to the Bottom

Over the next few decades, the civil strife among the two halves of the Witherbark continuously eroded the unity between the Lowlander and Highlander Forest Trolls. Soon enough, they were almost completely distinct from each other -- each one taking a measure of pride in being 'Lowlander Witherbark' or 'Highlander Witherbark'. As external threats began to mount, the Witherbark focused less on their strife within themselves and more on defending what they had.

A Warlord known as **Zalas Witherbark** had risen among the Lowlands Witherbark, however, and managed to convince many Highlander Witherbark warriors to join his cause after the Scourge had invaded and devastated Stromgarde. United with the Boulderfist Ogres, they managed to take and hold larger and larger portions of land that had once been theirs. The truth of it was that Warlord Zalas might have been the next ascendant 'jin.

He fell, however, and the Witherbark continued to fall further. Ojin'ba consorted with magics of the grave, cursing herself and her followers and even the powerful warriors such as Nimar the Slayer and Witch Doctor Mal'jin could not prevent the near-extinction of the Lowlands Witherbark.

# A Renewed Hope?

The Highlands Witherbark managed to begin to rally around several warlords and powerful Hexxers, seeing the the strife caused by Zalas' fall. Among them rose the Herald of Haran-ka, Hexlord Vasan. Already an influential member of the Tribe, Vasan had been instrumental at staving off the extern threats from the Highlander Clan Sutherland after the Second War and then further, the Scourge and Forsaken Dreadgrave Legion.

In the Lowlands after the Fourth War, an old warrior known as Zathik had managed to rally a sizeable warband. Having already taken the loa Nalorakk as his own, he was approached by Nalorakk's Herald, Jila, who bid him to prove his strength -- rebuild a minor temple near the old Witherbark Village and aid in renewing the Atal'Nalori... and the Nalo'zasi Chosenclaws would be able to be called to his aid, when needed.

He managed to do this -- the aftermath of the Fourth War distracted many, so the rise of a would-be Warlord of a dying tribe would be nothing to truly pay attention to. He managed to rebuild this minor temple -- **Nal'mazar** -- and even renamed the Witherbark Village to Zeb'nalor in dedication to his Loa.

With extinction on the line, both Hexlord Vasan and Warlord Zathik began to entreat with each other. Although the two were rivals for the title of 'jin, their need for cooperation stood a greater chance for their Tribe to survive. Both agreed to accept an embassy with the Zandalari Empire and to make Vusai the Speaker to the Council of the Five Branches.

With peace reigning and the Witherbark beginning to rebuild, both ascendant leaders are seeking for the symbols of power to elevate themselves as 'jin... and perhaps to open Zul'nalor once and for all -- to break the seal... and unite the Witherbark once again.