Zandalar Tribe Reputation & History

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 in the Sunken Temple. 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 diffi cult place to visit for anyone who isn’t a troll. The Zandalar tribe is the progenitor tribe from which all other troll tribes sprang.

History

The Zandalarians were the earliest known trolls, the first tribe from which all tribes originated.

Over time two distinct troll empires emerged- the Amani and the 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, also known as 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 Zandalarians have been forced to recruit champions from Azeroth's varied and disparate races to battle, and hopefully once again defeat, the Soulflayer.

From: Zandalar Tribe at the Official site.

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. The averaged (and still average) 8 feet in height: signifi cantly 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 surprised 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 fi lled 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

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.DF 167

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 fi re 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 benefi cial spells on them before melee is joined. Zandalari warriors are fi erce 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.DF 188,189

Location

Locations Zandalar is a sizeable 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.

Reputation