Underdev/The Gods of Zul'Aman

This article is a copy of "The Gods of Zul'Aman", an official article by Blizzard Entertainment. It's about the The Gods of Zul'Aman implemented in the game.

The original article, formerly located at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/implemented/2p3.html, did not survive the overhaul of the World of Warcraft Official Website.

Article

The latest major content patch for World of Warcraft, The Gods of Zul'Aman, adds an impressive array of new challenges, features, changes, and rewards to World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

Zul'Aman is a 10-person raid dungeon located in the Ghostlands, with enemies and spoils that pick up where Karazhan leaves off. This outdoor raid dungeon is home to the vicious Amani forest trolls and their leader, the infamous Zul'jin. You and your band of heroes will battle the dungeon's six bosses, including four avatars of Zul'Aman, each bearing the aspect of a different ferocious creature. Zul'Aman also features a challenging bonus reward structure based on completing certain objectives within a time limit, which provides an extra level of challenge – and thrills – for seasoned raid groups.

The other defining characteristic of The Gods of Zul'Aman is the bounty of rewards, both material and intangible, that it offers many types of players. The powerful epic items found in Zul'Aman are just the beginning. There is a host of new purchasable rewards as well, from the gladiator rewards of Arena Season 3, to the dozens of new Badge of Justice rewards and the full set of new Honor rewards. There are also more useful and fun items such as the new Flying Machine flying mounts, which can be built and operated by skilled engineers. Among the more abstract benefits to players are faster leveling to 60, the revamping of Dustwallow Marsh with new quests, new daily quests for dungeons and battlegrounds, and many class balance changes. This is just a sampling of the bounty that awaits in The Gods of Zul'Aman.

Vengeance for Zul'jin

Banished from Kalimdor long ago for their use of arcane magic, the forebears of the high elves sailed to the Eastern Kingdoms and made landfall on the shores of Lordaeron. As the elves headed farther inland, they were drawn to the verdant woods of the north, which resembled the elves' former homeland. The native forest trolls of the Amani empire fought the elves' advance to no avail. Unable to overcome the elves' arcane magic, the Amani were driven south, and the triumphant elves founded their kingdom of Quel'Thalas on land that had belonged to the Amani for millennia.

The embittered trolls regrouped and assembled a massive army. Roughly four thousand years after their defeat in the Troll Wars, they unleashed a furious assault on Quel'Thalas, determined to reclaim their ancestral lands. The high elves' magics were no match for such overwhelming numbers. In desperation, the elves allied with the human nation of Arathor and turned the tide of battle, decimating the troll warbands. Over two thousand years later, the trolls began to rise up again, their once-scattered tribes uniting under the cunning warlord Zul'jin.

During the First War, the Horde offered the forest trolls a place in the Horde. At that time Zul'jin refused, for he felt that his people needed no assistance in battling the elves. He only agreed to join the Horde's ranks when the orcs proved their worth by rescuing a group of trolls shortly before the Second War began. Yet Zul'jin grew furious when Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer not only failed to destroy Quel'Thalas, but also abandoned the siege against the high elves in favor of an attack on Lordaeron. The forest trolls stayed behind and kept fighting. Zul'jin slaughtered countless elves, but even so, he was captured. Chained to a crumbling pillar, he endured hours of torture that cost him his right eye. When his captors were attacked by a small troll warband, the resourceful Zul'jin capitalized on the opportunity, using a fallen spear to cut off his own arm and secure his freedom. Returning home, he began rebuilding his army, and even as he remained behind Zul'Aman's walls, his legend grew.

Years later, as the trolls slowly recovered from their devastating defeat, Zul'jin learned that the high elves had nearly been annihilated by the Scourge. He planned a final campaign to end the bloodline of the elves permanently, but soon thereafter many of his mortal enemies (now calling themselves blood elves) joined the Horde. Furious at the Horde's latest betrayal, Zul'jin was pleased when the witch doctor Malacrass approached him with a devious plan to crush the elves once and for all. Malacrass had studied the Zandalari high priests and their ability to call upon the favor of the animal gods. He also knew that the elves had magically bound one of the mighty naaru, using it to channel the power of the Light into their own ranks. Malacrass had devised a similar plan: to seal the power of the animal gods within the bodies of the Amani's strongest warriors. Zul'jin quickly approved the plan and lent his full support. Malacrass experimented tirelessly and succeeded in imbuing four warriors with the essence of mighty animal gods: the lynx, dragonhawk, bear, and eagle. Some adventurers fear that Malacrass may have bound a fifth, even darker essence within his own soul....

Many treasure hunters still seek out the legendary relics of the forest troll empire inside Zul'Aman, ignoring the danger of Zul'jin's return. As more would-be heroes disappear, the warlord's loyal army grows ever stronger from the sacrificial pyres burning within the walls of the city. Soon the time for Zul'jin's vengeance will come.

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