User:Joshmaul/Saavedro of Stratholme/The Threat of the Amani
While dealing with the Legion on Quel'Danas and the Illidari in Outland, Saavedro of Stratholme also travelled to the gates of Zul'Aman to deal with the threat posed by the resurgent Amani Empire...
To the Edge of Quel'Thalas
Zul'Aman had practically sealed itself off from the outside world since the Second War, when the Amani alliance with the Horde splintered following Doomhammer's defeat. Other than the occasional raid between the Second and Third Wars, things remained relatively quiet - in fact, Zul'Aman was practically untouched by the Scourge during their march to the Sunwell.
That changed when Zul'jin, Doomhammer's former ally and now Warlord of Zul'Aman, found out that the Horde had taken in the blood elves - the remnants of the kingdom of Quel'Thalas that had plagued the Amani for millennia. Enraged by the Horde's apparent duplicity, Zul'jin declared vengeance against them.
An encampment led by treasure hunter Budd Nedreck was set up in the Hatchet Hills, in the Ghostlands of southern Quel'Thalas - right at the gates of Zul'Aman. A flight path connecting Zul'Aman to Silvermoon for the Horde and to Light's Hope Chapel (primarily for Alliance making their way to Quel'Thalas from Lordaeron) and Sun's Reach on the Isle of Quel'Danas for all on both sides. The encampment sent in warriors and explorers to clear out the trolls of Zul'Aman and open the way for them to plunder what loot was not taken by the raids.
Loas' Fall
During a lull in the fight for Quel'Danas, Saavedro returned to the Hatchet Hills to deal with the threat himself. The Loa of the bear, Nalorakk, had been killed by Joshmaul months earlier, and Saavedro had found a powerful Amani mask on the troll-bear's corpse that had not been claimed by the others - taking it for himself and continuing on his way. The next of the priests that remained was the Loa of the eagle, Akil'zon.
Saavedro had faced Akil'zon before and had barely escaped with his life - he had not been up to the task of this battle. Now, stronger and better equipped for the task, he returned to put down the eagle once and for all. Much as he remembered it, Akil'zon unleashed electrical storms that trapped the unwary (and killed everyone else if they were too close), and called down waves of his eagles to feed on the party. In the end, Akil'zon fell.
With the Eternal Order guiding him, Saavedro continued on his way into Zul'Aman, discovering various foes more powerful than any troll servants he had ever faced, in Zul'Gurub or anywhere else: Enraptured lynxes, specially bred Amani dragonhawks, and "beast tamers" who could also "tame" the members of his party - Saavedro and his comrades had been forced to kill at least one unfortunate who turned against them. Finally, they came up to the Loa of the lynx, Halazzi - who proved to be more dangerous than Akil'zon. Halazzi had the ability to "split" himself from the spirit of the lynx, thus creating two enemies for the raid to kill, and also called on corrupted lightning totems to blast the enemy. But not even that could save him from death, and he fell in a hot, quick fight.
With Halazzi dead, the raid continued on through the dragonhawk hatcheries to confront the Loa of the dragonhawk - Jan'Alai, the last obstacle before making their way towards Zul'jin.