The Zandalari Trolls

What’s not to love about the Zandalari trolls? They have ancient temple cities, history reaching back to the earliest days of Azeroth, really ornate armor, and most importantly (and I cannot stress this strongly enough), DINOSAURS. They have dinosaurs, people!

Most of Zandalari history is shared with their cousins in the other tribes, and is mentioned in detail in our article on the Darkspear tribe. However, the Zandalari Empire itself became an important player in the Fourth War, after having been isolationist and inward-facing for most of its history.

The rise of a dangerous cult outside the control of Zandalari authorities was long ignored by King Rastakhan and his advisory body, the Zanchuli Council. Eventually, these rogue cults, called blood trolls, would present an existential threat to the Zandalari Empire. Seeking aide, Princess Talanji, Rastakhan’s daughter, would go in search of help. She and her father’s advisor, the Prophet Zul, wound up arrested by the Alliance and imprisoned in Stormwind.

This arrest was based upon previous attacks by renegade Zandalari against Horde and Alliance forces following the Cataclysm and ensuing events. These renegades turn out to be acting on the orders of Zul, and not King Rastakhan. The Horde manages to rescue Talanji and Zul from the stockades, and escape the city with a little help from Zul setting fires in the city to keep the humans busy. Eventually, the Horde hero arrives in the capital Zul’dazar, where Talanji gives them a breakdown of the dire situation Zandalar finds itself in. Rastakhan is not only facing an outside threat from the blood trolls he ignored for so long, but from within as well, from his own Zanchuli Council.

As the hero forges their way across Zandalar, they find that the blood trolls are attempting to free the being they worship, G’huun. This entity is imprisoned in a giant pyramid in the center of the Nazmir swamps, a Titan facility used to imprison and research Old Gods. G’huun, while not an Old God itself, has been experimented on and believes itself to be a vanguard for the Old God N’zoth. Helping the blood trolls turns out to be none other than Zul, who finally betrays Rastakhan at the culmination of the leveling questline on Zandalar. In addition to Zul’s betrayal and the blood trolls of Nazmir, Rastakhan’s own top general, Jakra’zet, betrays him in the deserts of Vol’dun, helping the Faithless faction of sethrak awaken a C’Thraxxi Warbringer named Mythrax, who seeks to free G’huun by destroying the three seals to his prison, one housed in each of the three great pyramids scattered across Zandalar.

With the help of Horde expeditionary forces, the Zandalari Empire would defeat the forces of G’huun and take the fight to G’huun itself, saving the Zandalari, and the world at large, from the threat he posed. This would bring the Horde and Zandalari Empire closer together, and lead to Zandalari forces helping the Horde in their raids and attacks on Alliance lands. The Zandalari were sorely needed by the Horde, as the Horde’s navy stood little chance of putting up a fight to the massive Kul Tiran fleet.

However, this relationship with the Horde during a global conflagration would paint a target on Zul’dazar. After feigning an assault on Nazmir and drawing away much of the Zandalari and Horde army, the Alliance would push in from the sea and land at Zul’dazar, fighting their way up the great pyramid and laying waste to the prelates guarding Rastakhan. The Alliance commander, Gilnean King Greymane, gave Rastakhan a chance to surrender. Needless to say, the king of Azeroth’s first and oldest empire had nothing to say to what he viewed as invading barbarians, and so after a mighty clash, Rastakhan lay dead in his throne room and the Alliance began leaving Zul’dazar. The Horde would chase and attempt to kill the Alliance commanders, Jaina Proudmoore, Genn Greymane, and High Tinker Mekkatorque (of the gnomes). However, aside from injuring the High Tinker, the Alliance forces for the most part left victoriously, as the Zandalari and Horde fleets were left in tatters by the Alliance’s initial assault.

Eventually, after Rastakhan’s funeral, Talanji would take the throne and formally ally with the Horde. She would also join the rebellion against Sylvanas, ostensibly putting her on the same side as the people who killed her father. The armistice would mean Rastakhan’s death is not avenged, which continues to be a sore point for Talanji and a potential rift in her alliance with the Horde.

Zandalari trolls can play as warriors, paladins, death knights, hunters, shamans, rogues, druids, monks, mages, and priests.

Zandalari racials are based on their unique troll nature, as well as their history as a religious empire focused on the worship of the loa.

1. City of Gold. Zandalari have been wealthy and powerful for millennia. Loot extra coin from monsters. 

2. Embrace of the Loa. Every 5 days, a Zandalari can pray before a particular loa’s shrine to gain a buff.

3. Pterrodax Swoop. Every 15 minutes, a Zandalari can summon a pterrodax to slow their falling speed. 

4. Regeneratin’. Every 2.5 minutes, a Zandalari can channel a powerful heal whereby they regenerate their health to full.

Zandalari have a very strong visual style, from their ornate golden armors, to great golden pyramids, and to the armored dinosaurs they ride and wage war with. They ride great raptors and triceratops, use sauropods as caravan animals, and even put armor on devilsaurs (think T-Rex) and point them at enemies. They also ride pterosaurs. War dinosaurs. What else can someone want? Well, there’s more! Zandalari druids get unique shapeshifting forms, where, you guessed it, they turn into dinosaurs! So if you want to play a unique race with a strong Meso-American vibe and a central role in Azeroth’s history, or if you just want to ride dinosaurs around, then either way the Zandalari are great choices. So, until we meet again, may the loa watch over you!