"Legends of Warcraft" series — Legends #7. The prehistory of Warcraft in order, from the creation of the universe to the last Guardian of Tirisfal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.
The great troll empires were born from war. When the trolls spread across the continent, they ran into the empire of the aqir, the insects of the Old Gods, and were forced to unite to survive. Two empires came out of that war: the Gurubashi, in the southern jungles, and the Amani, in the northern forests. Together with the Zandalari, they defeated the aqir and split them into two kingdoms, one at each end of the world.
The aqir empire of Azj'Aqir
Even with the Old Gods imprisoned, the aqir were still strong. They had an empire of their own, Azj'Aqir, with giant hives at the center of the continent, and they wanted to conquer the world for their masters.
The aqir expansion reached the trolls' lands. On its own, no tribe was strong enough to hold them back.
The Gurubashi and the Amani
Two great tribes formed in this period:
- The Gurubashi, in the southern jungles, where Stranglethorn Vale is today. Later, their capital would be Zul'Gurub.
- The Amani, in the northern forests, where Quel'Thalas and the Hinterlands are today. Their capital was Zul'Aman.
The two empires were rivals in many things, but they had a common enemy.
Read more: Amani: the biggest troll empire and Legacy of the Amani.
The war against the aqir
The Zandalari, the Gurubashi and the Amani fought together against Azj'Aqir. The war lasted for generations, and the trolls won. The aqir empire broke in two, and each half fled to one end of the continent:
- In the north, the aqir founded Azjol-Nerub, the kingdom that would give rise to the nerubians, in Northrend.
- In the south, the aqir founded Ahn'Qiraj, the kingdom that would give rise to the qiraji, in Silithus, serving the Old God C'Thun.
These two kingdoms show up again much later in the story: Azjol-Nerub is destroyed by the Lich King and the Scourge, and Ahn'Qiraj is sealed by the night elves and the dragons in the War of the Shifting Sands.
Read more: Ahn'Qiraj and the War of the Shifting Sands.
The height of the trolls
After the victory, the trolls lived through the height of their power. The empires grew, the cities filled with temples, and the loa were worshipped all over the continent.
But this world had a weak spot. A troll tribe had stayed near the Well of Eternity, and its energy was turning those trolls into something else: the night elves. They would build an even greater empire, and the consequences would be much worse for everyone.
What comes next
The next great chapter in the history of Azeroth is the War of the Ancients, when the night elves, under Queen Azshara, bring the Burning Legion to the world and the continent splits apart in the Great Sundering. That war is episode 8 of this series.
Read more: The War of the Ancients.
Who's who in this episode
| Name | Who it is | |------|--------| | Azj'Aqir | The empire of the aqir, the insects that served the Old Gods. | | Gurubashi | The troll empire of the southern jungles, with its capital at Zul'Gurub. | | Amani | The troll empire of the northern forests, with its capital at Zul'Aman. | | Azjol-Nerub | The kingdom the aqir founded in the north, which gave rise to the nerubians. | | Ahn'Qiraj | The kingdom the aqir founded in the south, under the Old God C'Thun. |
Where to see it in WotLK
- Zul'Gurub, in Stranglethorn Vale: the capital of the Gurubashi and the temple of Hakkar.
- Zul'Aman, in the Ghostlands: the capital of the Amani, remade as a raid in TBC, with Zul'jin.
- Azjol-Nerub and Ahn'kahet, in Dragonblight: the remains of the nerubian kingdom.
- Ruins and Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, in Silithus: the kingdom of the qiraji.
Frequently asked questions
What were the troll empires?
The main ones were the Zandalari, in Zuldazar, the Gurubashi, in the southern jungles, and the Amani, in the northern forests. Others came later, such as the Drakkari of Northrend.
Who were the aqir?
A race of insects that served the Old Gods. They gave rise to the nerubians, the qiraji and, in Pandaria, the mantid.
How did the trolls defeat the aqir?
The Zandalari, the Gurubashi and the Amani joined forces and defeated the aqir empire, which split between Azjol-Nerub, in the north, and Ahn'Qiraj, in the south.
"Legends of Warcraft" series
← Previous: Legends #6: The rise of the Trolls Next → Legends #8: The War of the Ancients
- Legends #1: The Creation
- Legends #2: The origin of Azeroth
- Legends #3: Time to leave
- Legends #4: A new beginning
- Legends #5: The evolution of Azeroth
- Legends #6: The rise of the Trolls
- Legends #7: The new empires (you are here)
- Legends #8: The War of the Ancients
- Legends #9: After the Sundering
- Legends #10: The split of the Elves
- Legends #11: The Sunwell
- Legends #12: The end of the Pantheon
- Legends #13: The betrayal of Loken
- Legends #14: The sacrifice of Tyr
- Legends #15: The rise of Arathor
- Legends #16: Dalaran and Tirisfal
- Legends #17: The Seven Kingdoms
- Legends #18: The War of the Shifting Sands
- Legends #19: The song of Aegwynn
- Legends #20: The War of the Three Hammers
- Legends #21: The last Guardian
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