Northern Stranglethorn (also referred to as
Stranglethorn Jungle and Northern Stranglethorn Vale) is a zone in southern
Eastern Kingdoms. It is part of the greater Stranglethorn Vale region,
separated from the Cape of Stranglethorn by The Sundering. This dense, tropical
and resource-filled jungle has holdings of many factions whose agendas conflict
or intertwine in the zone's story. The jungle troll instance Zul'Gurub is
located here.
History
Ancient
history
The Vale was the primary center of the
trolls of the Gurubashi Empire, and their cities were dotted all over the
region.
In troll legends, it is said that the [Stone of the Tides] first made its
appearance on the coast of Stranglethorn. It was found and picked up by a
wandering troll warrior. Intrigued by the blue stone he found, he took it with
him on his journey. As time passed, the troll discovered that the stone gave
him control over water. He could summon water elementals, manipulate the tides,
and accomplish feats that only the powerful mages of the Kirin Tor were able to
manifest. The warrior traveled back to Zul'Gurub to show his newfound abilities
to the Emperor. He gained the court's audience easily with his powers and
gained the title "Tidebearer", leaving his old name behind. The troll
also received a place of honor in the Court of Gurubashi. Tidebearer served the
Gurubashi Empire for years, but as time wore on, he became more reclusive. The
Stone of Tides carried a curse as well. The Bearer of the stone would start to
fade over time until he would disappear from the physical world forever.
Keeping this secret from the Empire, the Tidebearer went to the beach where he
found the stone and walked into the water, where he disappeared. Many
generations later the stone would wash upon the Vale and be picked up by a new
Tidebearer. This process would continue, and Tidebearers would come and go just
as the last before them.
1,500 years before the opening of the Dark
Portal,[3] the powerful Gurubashi Empire was torn apart by a massive civil war.
An influential group of Gurubashi priests called forth the avatar of an ancient
and terrible blood god named Hakkar the Soulflayer and named themselves the
Hakkari, soon a large amount of Gurubashi joined and became devout followers of
Hakkar. With their newfound power, the Gurubashi Empire began to soundly defeat
nearby gnoll clans, murloc tribes as well as trolls who opposed Hakkar. Under
Hakkar, the Gurubashi and Hakkari began conquering large swaths of land as well
as outlying islands around the South Seas, achieving all that they had hoped
for.
The Zandalari began to observe the events
from afar, at first pleased with how the Gurubashi had began to return to
conquest and traditional worship. Though it soon became clear that Hakkar's
bloodlust would never be sated, the fiendish god would drive not only the troll
race to destruction, but the entire world as well.
It did not take long before the Zandalari
rallied their forces and set sail towards the Eastern Kingdoms where they met
with Gurubashi trolls who had hidden their dissent from the Hakkari. The
Zandalari and their new Gurubashi allies quickly learnt that a faction of
Hakkar's most zealous priests, the Atal'ai, were attempting to summon the loa's
spirit into a living form. This would awaken terrible new dimensions of his
power and spell certain doom for the troll race.
Horrified by the plans, the Zandalari hosts
stormed the Gurubashi capital of Zul'Gurub. Battles raged among the vine-covered
ziggurats of the temple city day and night. Though finally, atop of Hakkar's
bloodstained shrine, the Zandalari defeated Hakkar and most of his crazed
followers. A number of his fanatical Atal'ai priests had though escaped into
the jungles surrounding Zul'Gurub, in time these trolls finally settled in the
Swamp of Sorrows north of the Gurubashi capital. In the heart of the wild
marshland, they secretly constructed a great temple to their bloodthirsty loa:
the Temple of Atal'Hakkar.
The last emperor of the Gurubashi was
Var'gazul. From his capital he prepared plans of war, an invasion on an unknown
enemy. However his plans were thwarted by the appearance of Neptulon and his
kraken, which destroyed the land west of Zul'Gurub and sunk the city of I'lalai.
After the Empire's fall the cities of the
troll empire fell into ruin, although they are still populated by trolls.
Booty
Bay
Booty Bay was originally a former small
port town inhabited by humans which was overrun by trolls. Eventually, the
goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel managed to drive out the trolls from the
immediate area to claim the shores of the cove for their new center for
operations in the Eastern Kingdoms — Booty Bay. This happened prior to the
First War, as Booty Bay was already territory of the Steamwheedle Cartel by
then.
First
War
When the Horde invaded Azeroth most of
their forces waged war against the humans of Stormwind. However Kilrogg Deadeye
led his Bleeding Hollow clan into Stranglethorn Vale, which reminded the orcs
of their ancestral home of Tanaan Jungle. Thus the Bleeding Hollow were
determined to claim Stranglethorn for themselves, however the Gurubashi refused
to share their lands with outsiders and the two forces would clash in battle.
Though the Gurubashi were weakened by the Gurubashi War their knowledge of the
land allowed for them to launch a guerrilla campaign to drive the invading
Bleeding Hollow out of the region. Kilrogg and his Bleeding Hollow would
eventually be ordered to retreat by Warchief Blackhand after he learned of the
conflict and concluded that too many orcs were dying for no apparent gain.
At an unknown point in time the Darkspear
tribe were forced out of Stranglethorn.
World
of Warcraft
This section concerns content related to
the original World of Warcraft.
The crafty goblin trade princes set up
their mining and deforesting operations here. The goblins have maintained a
tenuous hold over these remote facilities, but they remain threatened by the
jungle trolls' growing obsession with purging their ancient lands of any and
all foreign invaders.
Stranglethorn is as deadly as it is
beautiful. The Vale is inhabited by a large variety of beasts and hostile
creatures that low level characters should not face alone. The primary sapient
inhabitants are the Bloodscalp and Skullsplitter trolls, in the northwest and
east respectively. The troll city of Zul'Gurub sits in a valley in the
northeast, which was once the capital of Troll civilization in Stranglethorn.
In the north is a small village controlled by the renegade Colonel Kurzen.
Other inhabitants include an encampment of ogres. Off the southeast coast is
Jaguero Isle, inhabited by the enormous gorilla King Mukla. There is a renegade
group of sailors, known as the Bloodsail Buccaneers, who have built camps on the
southwestern and southern shores of Stranglethorn Vale. A small population of
Naga can be found in the southwest, and murlocs inhabit some underwater ruins
in the northwest. The Venture Company also has two mining operations in
Stranglethorn. In the northwest, the Zandalar Tribe has its base in Yojamba
Isle. The Water Gate from Deadmines can also been seen north of Yojamba Isle,
though it cannot be entered.
Prior to the start of the Invasion of
Outland, Stranglethorn Vale was invaded by a group of Burning Legion demons led
by Highlord Kruul.
Cataclysm
Stranglethorn Vale has been split by a
large sinkhole containing a raging whirlpool called The Sundering at its
center. The areas part of Stranglethorn are now know as Northern Stranglethorn
(aka Stranglethorn Jungle) and the Cape of Stranglethorn.
The Explorers' League puted together a new
Alliance encampment called Explorers' League Dig Site while the goblins built
besides massive oil pipes in the water also a new Horde town called Hardwrench
Hideaway. Another Alliance camp called Fort Livingston was also errected while
the Zandalari moved from Yojamba Isle along with their structures. Players
learn in Northern Stranglethorn about the political changes Zul'Gurub, rescue
an adorable raptor, and partake in Nesingwary's expanded hunting operations.
The Cape of Stranglethorn traces the escalating conflict between the goblin
pirates of Booty Bay and their rivals, the Bloodsail Buccaneers. Booty Bay is
still the major city run by goblin pirates.
Stranglethorn later came under attack by a
renewed Zul'Gurub under the command of the Zandalari.
Mists
of Pandaria
The Silvershard Mines battleground
introduced in the expansion was set in Stranglethorn Vale.
By the time of the end of the Argus
Campaign, Kirygosa is known to be quietly living here, enjoying a permanent
summer.
Quests
Northern Stranglethorn is a level 20-25
zone in southern Eastern Kingdoms for both the Horde and Alliance. It starts
out separated, with the Alliance going to the Rebel Camp in the north and the
Horde going to Grom'gol Base Camp on the eastern coast. The overarching story
for the whole zone revolves around a Lashtail Hatchling. Nesingwary and his
crew still offer the quests involving hunting the local wildlife.
Wild
creatures
Basilisks
Crabs
Crocolisks
Frenzies
Ghouls
Goblins
Gorillas
Monkeys
Murlocs
Ogres
Panthers
Raptors
Sea giants
Sharks
Jungle Trolls
Tigers
Water elementals
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