Underdev/Echo Isles
This article is a copy of "Echo Isles", an official article by Blizzard Entertainment. It's about the Echo Isles changes in the Cataclysm expansion.
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Vol'jin: The Glory of the Darkspears
Most of Azeroth's savage trolls are infamous for their extreme hatred of other races, but the Darkspear tribe and its leader, Vol'jin, are an exception. Over the years, the Darkspears have proven to be invaluable members of the Horde. Vol'jin in particular is known to offer strategic advice to Warchief Thrall on a regular basis, and the cunning troll played a role in retaking the Undercity after it was overthrown by the rebel forces of Varimathras and Putress.
Yet for all of the tribe's accomplishments, the Darkspears are still plagued by a tragic history of exile. Long ago they were driven from Stranglethorn Vale's mainland by the more powerful trolls of the Gurubashi empire and then settled on a remote island. The Darkspears later sought refuge with the Horde when their isle was destroyed by a mysterious sea witch, and Thrall granted the trolls new lands on the Echo Isles off the coast of Durotar. Aside from a brief exodus when Daelin Proudmoore's fleet arrived to hunt down orcs, the Darkspears enjoyed relative stability until one of their own, Zalazane, drove his brethren from their latest home.
The witch doctor Zalazane had been one of the tribe's leading mystical instructors when he was inexplicably driven to insanity by the powers under his control. Utilizing dark magic, he enslaved many of his fellow tribespeople and amassed an army of mindless Darkspear trolls. Fearing that all of his tribe would come under Zalazane's sway, Vol'jin ordered the remaining free Darkspears to abandon the Echo Isles.
Vol'jin's Darkspears settled in nearby Sen'jin Village, which they have since used as a staging point to attack Zalazane. Over the years, members of the Horde looking to test their worth have braved the Echo Isles to confront Zalazane, and many of them even returned seemingly victorious with his severed head. These victories, however, proved to be nothing more than illusions created by the twisted witch doctor's dark magic. Days after these trophies were taken to Sen'jin Village, they reverted to their true forms: painted rocks and coconuts adorned with wooden tusks, or even the heads of Zalazane's enslaved trolls.
Despite these setbacks and his preoccupation with advising Thrall on Horde-related matters, Vol'jin has spent considerable time formulating a strategy to recapture the Echo Isles. Now he believes that the time to strike at Zalazane has come. As the Darkspear leader and his close allies Vanira and Champion Uru'zin await approval of their plan from the ancestral spirits, they have begun rounding up new troll recruits and staging reconnaissance missions to learn about Zalazane's minions.
Yet Vol'jin's trolls are short on forces, and the enslaved Darkspears on the Echo Isles outnumber them. The Darkspears are well-known for being among Azeroth's bravest combatants, however, and fortunately many non-trolls have expressed interest in assisting Vol'jin, perhaps hoping that restoring the Echo Isles will eventually bolster the Horde's strength.
Vol'jin is also aware of the strategic importance that a Darkspear homeland offers his allies, but he is motivated by more personal reasons. Zalazane's betrayal was an affront against Vol'jin's dream of a better life for his tribe, a destiny that his late father, Sen'jin, envisioned years ago. Only by retaking the Echo Isles will Vol'jin be able to honor his father and at long last secure a permanent homeland for the long-exiled Darkspear tribe.
"Zalazane Must Fall!" Cries Vol'jin
Embedded on the coast of Durotar, the tiny troll Village of Sen'jin is bursting with recent activity. In what some claim is a retort to the overblown assertions of the vertically-challenged High Tinker Mekkatorque, Troll Chieftain Vol'jin has announced his intention to "honor de ancestors n' take back da 'omeland, mon." The call has been given, and the scattered Darkspear tribe has begun to gather at the once-sleepy location. Now the primal rhythm of beating drums and strange clouds of acrid smoke drift aloft deep into the night, arguably a sign of celebration and preparation for an impending offensive.
With the full support of Thrall and his counterparts, Vol'jin is calling upon all factions of the Horde to prepare for an assault on Echo Isles and the twisted witch doctor Zalazane. He will pay for his crimes against the Darkspears and the land bestowed upon them by Thrall! As explained by Vol'jin in the demand for Zalazane's fall today, honorable members of the Horde passing through the village proper -- whether they've never slain a boar in their lives or are the subject of every dragon's nightmare -- will be given a chance to help their upstanding troll brothers in what will surely be the most brutal of attacks. But first there must be preparation. With the Echo Isles on the line, no detail is too small, no spoken word too trivial. And for that reason the noted troll shaman, Vanira, will get adventurers started on the monumental tasks ahead.
Using sacred totemic rituals, Vanira needs frogs for her agenda. It is unclear of her exact intentions with these amphibious lurkers of Sen'jin, but there appears to be a bat handler standing by. Could it be that frogs will soon rain down from the heavens upon the Echo Isles? When asked for further comment, Vanira only remarked that she's seeking "da perfect spies." It seems war is sometimes won with even the most unlikely of arsenals. Spying on the enemy, however, is only the beginning. Vol'jin has spoken of a most-trusted trainer of reinforcements, Champion Uru'zin, who will guide new recruits of all ranges of experience into battle-hardened Darkspear warriors. "Trollin' for volunteers," as Vol'jin remarked, will be a key component to building a strike force capable of overthrowing Zalazane's hexed Darkspears.
Vol'jin argues that the spirits are on the side of his Darkspear tribe. Can animistic beliefs truly manifest into proven battle leverage against Zalazane? Perhaps only Vanira and her beguiled spies can answer this. But it is rumored that, long ago, a tribe of troll druids once called the Echo Isles home. If ever there was a time for good omens such as this, it is now. Only if the spirits truly are on the side of the son of Sen'jin, reportedly only a phenomenon that Witch Doctor Hez'tok can decipher, then the assault will commence! Those who assist Hez'tok in his ceremony will be adorned with Darkspear Pride, allowing adventurers the ability to take on the form of an elite Darkspear Warrior during battle. Wearing such battle garb is an honor to the ancestors of a people long persecuted and plagued by war between tribes.
Should the spirits give their blessing to Vol'jin, Champion Uru'zin will call for all seasoned veterans of the Horde levels 75-80 to aid in the attack. If "at last, everythin' be ready," as Vol'jin put it, his plan is to launch a full assault from the shores of Sen'jin village. Vol'jin exclaimed in his call for such an assault today, "come, now! Join in de liberation of de Echo Isles! Zalazane will fall!" He's gone so far as to offer a particularly rare Darkspear Shroud to those who help bring Zalazane down. Even still, sources report that this foe possesses powerful voodoo and black magic.
Preparations for Zalazane's fall are underway, but will it be enough to best this witch doctor? It's time, proud members of the Horde, to stand with your disaffected troll brethren and recognize the full might of the Darkspear tribe!