Zandalar troll

**Language(s)** | Zandali

The **Zandalar tribe** is the progenitor tribe from which all other trolls arose. Most Zandalari were scholarly and valued knowledge; they preserved troll history, and worked to further the goals of troll society as a whole. Alarmed by the terrible losses of life among all trolls, the Zandalari tribe traveled around the world to reunite their race and rebuild their once-powerful empire. The Zandalari have begun to conduct bloody raids on territories that had once been "theirs."

## History

### Ancient history

The Zandalari were the earliest known trolls, the first tribe from which all tribes originated. Their society was built heavily on a caste system, and over time those castes evolved into the separate breeds of trolls. 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, and the Zandalar trolls were content to see them go, seeing them as children who would see the folly of youthful rebellion and come back begging for Zandalari approval.

However, the trolls would not return. Over time two distinct troll empires emerged — the Amani and 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.

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.

### Zandalari Troll Wars

Many millennia past the mogu and trolls 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.

Both the mogu and Zandalari held contempt for one another. The Zandalari thought themselves above the mogu for two reasons: the presence of the loa, and that the Zandalari did not use slaves as the mogu did. The mutual contempt between the two would grow to polite indifference. They trusted the other not to attack, because they were confident they would defeat the other. While Zandalari and mogu stood back to back, they did not watch the other and did not see the other falter.

When the Pandaren revolted against the Mogu, the Zandalari displayed their allegiance to their Mogu allies by attacking the embryonic Pandaren Empire. Overcoming this threat was to be one of the Pandaren empire's first tests of strength, but through tenacity, diplomacy, and a unique form of unarmed combat, the pandaren staged a successful revolution that deposed their tyrants and established an empire that would prosper for thousands of years. Despite being defeated and pushed from the island now called Pandaria, the Zandalari, just like the Mogu, remained in Pandaren lore, and slowly turned into "bogeymen".

### The Sundering

The Zandalari 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.

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.

### First war against the Soulflayer

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 the Soulflayer. 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. The united tribes narrowly defeated the Blood God and cast out the Atal'ai. Despite their victory, however, the Gurubashi Empire soon fell.

### Wrath of the Soulflayer

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 arrived on the shores of Azeroth at Yojamba Isle to battle Hakkar once again. But the Blood God had grown increasingly powerful, bending several tribes to his will and even commanded the avatars of the Primal Gods — Bat, Panther, Tiger, Spider, and Snake. With the tribes splintered, the Zandalari had been forced to recruit champions from Azeroth's varied and disparate races to battle the Soulflayer.

### Wrath of the Lich King

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.

The Zandalari reached Northrend and established bases in Zim'Torga and Dubra'Jin.

### The 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.

In years past, the Zandalar tribe, encompassing the wise and scholarly progenitors of the trolls, heroically assisted the Horde and the Alliance with thwarting the nefarious activities of their brethren in Zul'Gurub and Zul'Drak. Yet the chaos unleashed by the recent Cataclysm has reshaped the Zandalari's philosophy about the world and the dwindling remnants of their race. Led by a mysterious prophet known only as Zul, the Zandalari have issued a call to Azeroth's embattled troll populations: unite into a single mighty empire and save their race from extinction. Thus far, the Gurubashi and Amani trolls have answered the summons and received aid from the Zandalari, allowing them to rebuild their respective capitals in Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman. Not all trolls, however, have so eagerly adopted the Zandalari's grandiose vision of a new troll empire. Vol'jin and his Darkspear tribe are opposed to the warmongering espoused by Zul. To prevent the burgeoning Gurubashi and Amani troll forces from wreaking havoc on Azeroth, Vol'jin has reached out to his Horde comrades and members of the Alliance for assistance. Should the Darkspears' campaign fail, a new troll empire shall rise and bring war to a world already beset by suffering and conflict.

The Gurubashi tribe's plan to retake Stranglethorn Vale, leading to the re-added Zul'Gurub as a level-85 five-player dungeon. Their involvement is also touched in Zul'Aman. They are being opposed by Vol'jin and his Darkspear followers, who claim that they are manipulating the Amani and are the real threat. Vol'jin explains that the Zandalari are seeking to create a new troll empire, reaching out to all of the troll tribes, including the Amani, Gurubashi and his own Darkspear tribe - the likes of which would be a grave threat if not immediately dealt with. With aid from both Halduron Brightwing and Vereesa Windrunner Vol'jin was able to create an appropriate battle plan and personally leads a strike force into Zul'Aman and with the aid of adventures puts an end to Daakara and the Zandalari's efforts within Zul'Aman.

Darkspear agents inside Zul'Gurub have discovered that Jin'do is wrestling Hakkar the Soulflayer into submission, holding him by spirit chains and stripping out his power into himself. They enlist adventures to put an end to Jin'do's mad plans once and for all. Upon destroying the spiritual chains holding the Soulflayer in place, Hakkar turns upon Jin'do, and utterly destroys him, leaving only the corpse of Jin'do the Broken. Hakkar then returns the adventurers to the mortal realm, promising to deal with them another time, before vanishing. Though Hakkar is free, the Zandalari have lost their hold on Zul'Gurub.

### Mists of Pandaria

After the mists of Pandaria collapsed, the Zandalari were intensely curious about Pandaria, even more so perhaps than the Horde and Alliance were.[6] Even with their defeat in Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub the Zandalari have decided to continue their war efforts and appear in the Kun-Lai Summit of Pandaria. Having set up their base of operations on the island north of the mainland, they now pour down the shores of the region, attacking the denizens.

Long before the pandaren have established their empire on the continent, the Zandalari were allies with the then-ruling Mogu and fought the pandaren for a long time. Now that the mists cloaking the continent have disappeared, the warmongering tribe returns to the ancient continent once more. With their homeland damaged by the Cataclysm, the Zandalari wish to make Pandaria their new home, before Zandalar sinks beneath the sea. To support them in their campaign, they plan to reforge their old alliance with the Mogu by reviving Lei Shen, the Thunder King.

The forces of Zandalari in Pandaria are led by Prophet Khar'zul under direct orders from the mysterious dark prophet Zul. Most of them are involved in the art of spiritbinding: a common art of dark magic practiced by them and their mogu allies, that can transfer a spirit into a new host body. They plan to reanimate the teracotta bodies slumbering within the crypts of Valley of the Emperors in Kun-Lai Summit in order to fuel the growing mogu army intended to reclaim Pandaria, and eventually the dreaded figure that terrorized the land and "lesser races" inhabiting it in ancient times, the infamous emperor Lei Shen, the Thunder King himself. The Zandalari eventually manage to reclaim the body and move it to the Isle of Reckoning, where the prophet made his lair. The Zandalari along with the help of all united troll tribes and mercenaries started to assault Zouchin Village near the Summit's coast, but the invasion was ultimately repelled, the prophet slain, but it was too late to stop Thunder King's resurrection.

Some of the Zandalari have managed to break into Mogu'shan Vaults, searching for arcane secrets. Gara'jal the Spiritbinder is leading the incursion.

Several weeks after Lei Shen's revival, the Zandalari sent a second attack force to Zouchin Village. Led by Khal'ak, the purpose of this attack was to secure a landing spot for Zandalari ships going between Pandaria and the Isle of Thunder. The attack was met with resistance from the Shado-Pan, as well as Tyrathan Khort and Vol'jin. Despite the defense, the Zandalari successfully took Zouchin and the pandaren living there were forced to flee.

Khal'ak and her forces would later travel to Tu Shen Burial Ground in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms to revive Lei Shen's trusted Warlord Kao. Once again they found resistance from the Shado-Pan, though they were taken prisoner by the Zandalari save for Vol'jin, who Khal'ak attempted to convince to leave the Horde and join the Zandalari. Khal'ak and her forces brought the prisoners and Vol'jin to the Isle of Thunder, where Vol'jin freed his comrades and they returned to the Shado-Pan Monastery.

The Zandalari, their Mogu allies, and their Gurubashi and Amani servants attacked the Monastery and found themselves facing The Thirty-three. Despite the overwhelming numbers, the Zandalari forces fell to traps and the superior fighting skills of the Monastery's defenders. Khal'ak was killed when Vol'jin pierced her throat with a monk technique.

Most of the Zandalari have joined Lei Shen in his island fortress - Throne of Thunder. Under Lei Shen's orders, the Zandalari begin building massive ships in areas already under Mogu occupation. Zandalari and mogu forces have landed at most of the coastlines in Pandaria, and have begun to invade the surrounding regions. This Zandalari army that marched on the island of the Thunder King is not the entire Zandalari race, but one branch of their force that's cruising out around the world.

Sometime after the events at the Isle of Thunder, the Zandalari have turned their focus on rallying the Frostmane tribe of Dun Morogh against Ironforge, but their plans were thwarted by Moira Bronzebeard and Varian Wrynn.

## Appearance

Zandalar trolls are much taller and more muscular than standard trolls. They have blue to gray skin colors and yellow glowing eyes. Unlike the other troll races, Zandalar stand upright.

## Culture

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. 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.

### 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 guerilla tactics, which can make the enemy foolish. Priests and witch doctors help these endeavors with divination magic.

### Membership

You are either born a Zandalari or you are not; you cannot enter into the tribe unless a parent is a Zandalari.

Averaging eight feet in height, the Zandalari trolls are among the largest, strongest trolls in the world; only the Drakkari ice trolls of Northrend are 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.