Troll Compendium/Forest Troll Tribes

This article is a copy of "The Troll Compendium," an official article by Blizzard Entertainment. It presented a variety of information about trolls. The original article, formerly located at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/trolls/foresttribes.html, did not survive the overhaul of the World of Warcraft Official Website.

Amani Tribe
Where: Lordaeron (primarily in Zul'Aman)

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Unknown

Background: Established long before the Great Sundering, the Amani empire took its name from the strongest tribe of forest trolls at the time. In addition, the tribe takes justifiable pride in counting Zul'jin as one of its members. In spite of his disappearance after the Second War, Zul'jin remains the most famous and respected forest troll in history.

After the Amani empire was shattered by the Troll Wars, most forest trolls settled in areas that were a comfortable distance from Quel'Thalas. However, the Amani tribe sneered at such precautions as cowardice. Beset by the high elves' powerful sorcery, Zul'Aman was greatly reduced in size, but the Amani tribe remained entrenched at the easternmost edge of the enchanted kingdom.

When Arthas led the Scourge into Quel'Thalas during the Third War, the Amani tribe witnessed the resulting slaughter with glee. Acting swiftly, the trolls launched a series of attacks on high elf settlements in the Eversong Forest. To the trolls' surprise, the few high elves who had survived the invasion seemed greatly weakened and put up a poor fight. The Amani claimed a significant portion of the forest before the elf Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider arrived in Quel'Thalas.

Gathering all the surviving elves he could find, the prince gave them a new name: the blood elves. These blood elves began draining magic from nearby creatures, and they seemed to gain new strength. Even worse, Kael'thas organized them into a fighting force that proved frustratingly effective against the Amani tribe's efforts, even after Kael'thas and his strongest warriors left Quel'Thalas to fight the Scourge elsewhere.

In recent days, the blood elves have shown signs of increased magical training and use. The elves' spells have increased in power, and they have rebuilt portions of Quel'Thalas. Most infuriating of all, the blood elves have begun retaking Eversong Forest. Nevertheless the Amani tribe remains fiercely dedicated to its battle against the elves, for the greatly diminished elven populace cannot long prevail alone in fighting both the trolls to the east and the Scourge to the south.

Firetree Tribe
Where: Blackrock Spire

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Unknown

Background: The Firetree trolls are one of two tribes of forest trolls that belong to the Dark Horde, a renegade group of orcs, trolls, and ogres who dwell in Blackrock Spire. Commanded by Rend Blackhand, the Dark Horde has not given up the battle to claim Azeroth, although Rend's forces are significantly smaller than Thrall's Horde. A group of warlocks drives the Dark Horde, which has not relinquished the original Horde's involvement in demonic magic. The Dark Horde is essentially still fighting the Second War, but Rend and his group know that they stand little chance of success, despite their alliance with the black dragonflight.

The Dark Horde's numbers are dwindling, and it has no means of recruiting new members. Realistically these evil individuals are well aware that their days are numbered. Such knowledge has given them a grim mindset: they are desperate, bitter, and completely ruthless in battle.

Firetree trolls revere the memory of Zul'jin and consider the Smolderthorn tribe acceptable allies, but despise all other forest trolls as deserters, particularly the Revantusk tribe, which is loosely affiliated with Thrall's Horde. Ironically the Revantusks consider the Firetree trolls traitors for failing to leave Blackrock Spire and aid Thrall and his followers, for the Revantusks believe that Thrall leads the true Horde. In general, trolls outside the Dark Horde have long since decided that the Firetree and Smolderthorn trolls are insane for allying themselves with the black dragonflight and continuing to fight an unwinnable war (if, indeed, it can be called a war).

Mossflayer Tribe
Where: Eastern Plaguelands (primarily in the northeast and southwest)

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Unknown

Background: The Mossflayer tribe split off from the Amani empire after the Troll Wars and decided to abandon that section of Lordaeron altogether. Even so, humanity continued to harry the forest trolls. The Mossflayer tribe had been driven out of much of its ancestral territory in Lordaeron by the time the Second War broke out.

Like all other forest trolls, the Mossflayers allied themselves with the Horde during the Second War under the leadership of Zul'jin, a famous troll hero from the Amani tribe. When the Horde was soundly defeated, Zul'jin disappeared, and the forest trolls abandoned their orcish allies. Disgusted with the Horde's defeat, the Mossflayer trolls decided they would have nothing further to do with such incompetent and reckless allies.

Instead, the trolls focused on trying to keep humanity from overrunning all of Lordaeron. When the plague of undeath began spreading across the land, the Mossflayer tribe was quick to take advantage of the blossoming chaos. Because the plague was designed to convert only the human race into undeath, human defenses soon faltered, and the Mossflayers managed to retake parts of their ancient territory.

The plague has since had taken its toll on the landscape. The verdant lands in which the Mossflayer tribe settled now form the northeast corner of the Eastern Plaguelands. The plants and animals, while not undead, are diseased [sic] and decaying. Yet despite these nightmarish conditions, the trolls have refused to relinquish the lands they had just recovered.

A large hunting party of Mossflayer trolls left their settlement some time ago in search of live game to take back to their people. The hunt took them far from home, for many animals had been affected by the plague. At last the trolls came upon several animals that seemed healthy. Slaying the beasts, the trolls rewarded themselves by feasting on a portion of the hunt.

Unfortunately for the hunting party, a powerful lich had deliberately altered the beasts. Any living creature that consumed the animals' flesh would be converted into undeath. Afterwards, the lich was able to impose his will upon the undead trolls. Following the lich's commands, most of the undead trolls formed a base of operations in the southwest of the Eastern Plaguelands.

One of the undead trolls was given a horrifying mission by his new master: to return home and infect the rest of his people. Hameya managed to hold onto his willpower long enough to scribble a brief account of what had occurred. His desperate note offered a reward for anyone who killed him before he reached his home.

Recent reports on the Mossflayer tribe paint a grim picture of subsequent events. A large number of fresh graves have been dug near the village, and several undead trolls have been spotted, hiding themselves among their unsuspecting brethren. It would seem that no one was able to stop Hameya in time, and he succeeded in accomplishing the lich's dread mission. Unless the Mossflayers come to their senses and flee the Eastern Plaguelands, the tribe will certainly be transformed in its entirety.

Revantusk Tribe
Where: Hinterlands (primarily in Revantusk Village)

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Primal Torntusk

Background: Never one of the larger tribes in the Amani empire, the Revantusk tribe was nearly wiped out by the Troll Wars. Reluctantly the trolls yielded to practicality and moved a safe distance away from the elven invaders. Like other forest trolls, the Revantusks swore that one day they would have their revenge.

The Second War gave the forest trolls that opportunity. Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer asked the trolls to ally themselves with the Horde. In return, Doomhammer promised that the Horde would vanquish the high elves and assist the forest trolls in reestablishing the Amani empire.

As leader of all the forest trolls at the time, Zul'jin eventually accepted Doomhammer's offer. A few tribes of forest trolls joined their new allies on the battlefield. Shortly thereafter, the Horde burned down the borderlands of Quel’Thalas and slaughtered many high elf civilians. Furious at this wanton destruction of life, the elves subsequently committed all their resources to the war, which the Alliance ultimately won.

Several additional battles later, most of the vanquished orcs on Azeroth were rounded up and placed in internment camps. In the war's disastrous aftermath, the Horde was shattered, and many forest trolls deserted their former orc allies without a moment's hesitation. The Revantusks had little choice other than to flee as well, for their numbers were far too few to liberate the captive orcs, particularly when the orcs themselves seemed uninterested in freedom. Because they continued to feel some loyalty toward the Horde, the Revantusks were the target of many attacks from other forest trolls. Eventually the Revantusk tribe relocated to the coast of the Hinterlands, where they hoped to avoid further notice.

Then the courageous orc Thrall began reassembling a new Horde. He resolved that his people would return to their shamanistic traditions and establish a nation of their own. Word of the revitalized Horde and its noble goals soon reached the Revantusk trolls, who were still dwelling in Lordaeron. The news stirred the trolls' interest, and the tribe immediately dispatched its speediest runners to make contact with the orcs.

Thrall was wary of the trolls at first, but he came to see that the Revantusk trolls were unique among forest trolls in a fundamental way. The Revantusk tribe had never had much in the way of the fighters or resources, and so it had instead decided to specialize in the trickier art of negotiation. By the time they spoke with Thrall, the Revantusks had acquired a reputation for trustworthiness that was well deserved.

The trolls were impressed by Thrall and his dream. Even so, they remembered the recklessness and corruption of the first Horde. Thus, the Revantusks declined to rejoin the Horde, but they did agree to a pact of friendship and mutual assistance.

Today the Revantusk tribe continues to live in a village along the southeast coast of the Hinterlands. Due to the tribe's small size and the Revantusks' pact with Thrall, all other forest trolls regard the Revantusk trolls as weaklings and enemies. Similarly the honorable Revantusks regard other forest trolls as traitors to the Horde. There is also a long-standing enmity between the Revantusk tribe and the Wildhammer clan of dwarves, who dwell in the Hinterlands and are considered enemies of the Horde.

Smolderthorn Tribe
Where: Blackrock Spire

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Warmaster Voone

Background: The Smolderthorn trolls are one of two tribes of forest trolls that belong to the Dark Horde, a renegade group of orcs, trolls, and ogres who dwell in Blackrock Spire. Commanded by Rend Blackhand, the Dark Horde has not given up the battle to claim Azeroth, although Rend's forces are significantly smaller than Thrall's Horde. A group of warlocks drives the Dark Horde, which has not relinquished the original Horde's involvement in demonic magic. The Dark Horde is essentially still fighting the Second War, but Rend and his group know that they stand little chance of success, despite their alliance with the black dragonflight.

The Dark Horde's numbers are dwindling, and it has no means of recruiting new members. Realistically these evil individuals are well aware that their days are numbered. Such knowledge has given them a grim mindset: they are desperate, bitter, and completely ruthless in battle.

Smolderthorn trolls revere the memory of Zul'jin and consider the Firetree tribe acceptable allies, but despise all other forest trolls as deserters, particularly the Revantusk tribe, which is loosely affiliated with Thrall's Horde. Ironically the Revantusks consider the Smolderthorn trolls traitors for failing to leave Blackrock Spire and aid Thrall and his followers, for the Revantusks believe that Thrall leads the true Horde. In general, trolls outside the Dark Horde have long since decided that the Smolderthorn and Firetree trolls are insane for allying themselves with the black dragonflight and continuing to fight an unwinnable war (if, indeed, it can be called a war).

Vilebranch Tribe
Where: Hinterlands (primarily in the east)

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Vile Priestess Hexx

Background: The Vilebranch tribe split off from the Amani empire after the Troll Wars and returned to their ancestral lands, in the area that is now called the Hinterlands. Like all other forest trolls, the Vilebranch allied themselves with the Horde during the Second War under the leadership of Zul'jin, a famous troll hero from the Amani tribe. When the Horde was soundly defeated, Zul'jin disappeared, and the forest trolls abandoned their orcish allies.

Furious at the orcs' failure to live up to Doomhammer's promise, the Vilebranch trolls returned home and eventually discovered that the Revantusk tribe had moved into the area. The Vilebranch decided that the small Revantusk tribe would be an easy source of victims for ritual sacrifices.

In this assumption, the Vilebranch were mistaken. The Revantusks fought back with strength and cunning, and the Horde began sending reinforcements to aid the Revantusk tribe. Nonetheless, thanks to their unusually large numbers, the Vilebranch trolls remain confident to this day that they will defeat the Revantusks once and for all.

Witherbark Tribe
Where: Hinterlands (primarily in the south) and the Arathi Highlands (primarily in the southeast)

Category: Forest trolls

Leader: Unknown

Background: The Witherbark tribe split off from the Amani empire after the Troll Wars and returned to their ancestral lands, in the areas that are now called the Hinterlands and the Arathi Highlands. Like all other forest trolls, the Witherbarks allied themselves with the Horde during the Second War under the leadership of Zul'jin, a famous troll hero from the Amani tribe. When the Horde was soundly defeated, Zul'jin disappeared, and the forest trolls abandoned their orcish allies.

The Witherbarks living in the Hinterlands have since happened across the Revantusks and launched many attacks against the small tribe, but the dwarves of Aerie Peak have also become a noticeable threat. In the meantime, the Witherbarks living in Arathi Highlands have grudgingly allied themselves with the Boulderfist ogres in order to wipe out a far more hated enemy: the Horde forces who have constructed the settlement of Hammerfall.