Darkspear trolls
A fierce jungle tribe driven from Stranglethorn and nearly destroyed, until Thrall's Horde took them in. The Darkspear now live on the coast of Durotar and hold a place of honour in the Horde, and in Forever they fight Theramore for islands they call their own.
- Lore name: Darkspear
- Homeland: Once Stranglethorn Vale; now Durotar and the Echo Isles
- Capital: Sen'jin Village; the Horde's Orgrimmar
- Starting zone: The Valley of Trials, Durotar
- Home faction: Darkspear Trolls
What the client says
Troll (Horde)
Lore name: Darkspear. Languages: Orcish, Troll. Starts in Durotar. Classes: Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock (new in Forever), Warrior. Racials: Beast Slaying, Berserking, Rapid Regeneration, Regeneration.
The client's character-creation text: Once at home in the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, the fierce trolls of the Darkspear tribe were pushed out by warring factions. Eventually the trolls befriended the orcish Horde, and Thrall, the orcs' young warchief, convinced the trolls to travel with him to Kalimdor. Though they cling to their shadowy heritage, the Darkspear trolls hold a place of honor in the Horde.
Who they are
The Darkspear are one tribe among many trolls, and not the biggest. Other tribes and wars pushed them out of the jungles of Stranglethorn. When the orcish Horde came to their aid, the Darkspear swore themselves to Thrall and sailed with him to Kalimdor. They keep their old ways (voodoo, the loa spirits, headhunting pride) and they are fiercely loyal to the Horde that saved them.
Though they cling to their shadowy heritage, the Darkspear trolls hold a place of honor in the Horde.
From the game client: Troll, the race description in the WoW Forever client
Warcraft background: Trolls are among Azeroth's oldest peoples: the Gurubashi and Amani empires once covered much of the continents. The Darkspear's leader Sen'jin died helping Thrall escape a sea witch on the islands off Kalimdor; his son Vol'jin led the tribe after him. The Darkspear settled the Echo Isles off Durotar, but the sea witch Zalazane's voodoo drove them to the mainland village named after Sen'jin.
Homeland and capital
The Darkspear live on the southern coast of Durotar: Sen'jin Village on the shore, and the Echo Isles offshore. They share Orgrimmar with the orcs. Their old home is Stranglethorn Vale, where the Gurubashi trolls of Zul'Gurub and the Zandalar on Yojamba Isle are a reminder of what trolls once were.
This tribe of exiled trolls has joined forces with Thrall and the Horde. They now call Durotar their home, which they share with their orc allies.
From the game client: Darkspear Trolls, the faction description in the WoW Forever client
Allies and enemies
- Allies: the orcs above all; the Horde; the Darkspear Raiders, the troll nation's fighters in Forever.
- Enemies: the Alliance and, in Forever, Theramore in particular; other troll tribes such as the Gurubashi and the Amani; murlocs and naga on the coasts.
- Respected: the Zandalar, the troll priests who call all tribes to fight the Blood God.
Language and names
Trolls speak Orcish and Troll (Zandali). Troll names often have hard or clicking sounds and apostrophes (Sen'jin, Zul'jin, Vol'jin). A second name could be a family, a loa the character honours, or a deed.
Notable figures
The client's troll and Darkspear texts name Thrall as the warchief who brought them to Kalimdor. The Darkspear's own leaders are Warcraft background.
Racial abilities as flavour
Regeneration and Forever's new Rapid Regeneration are the trolls' famous ability to heal from almost anything; Berserking is battle frenzy; Beast Slaying is a hunter's heritage. See Races.
In WoW Forever
In WoW Forever: Trolls can now be Warlocks, one of six new race and class combinations: a natural step for a people who already deal with spirits and shadowy powers. Forever also adds the Darkspear Islands, a 15 vs 15 battleground off Kalimdor where the Darkspear Raiders fight the Theramore Expeditionary Force for what the client calls the trolls' ancestral islands.
Loyal to the troll nation, the Darkspear Raiders battle the Theramore Expeditionary Force for control of their ancestral Darkspear Islands.
From the game client: Darkspear Raiders, the faction description in the WoW Forever client
RP hooks and character ideas
- One of Forever's first troll warlocks, who sees demons as just another kind of spirit to bargain with, and makes the orcs very nervous.
- A Darkspear Raider fighting for the islands, who has sworn to see the tribe's banner flying there again.
- A witch doctor from Sen'jin Village who remembers the Echo Isles before the sea witch's voodoo.
- A headhunter who hunts for sport in Stranglethorn and trades stories with the Zandalar.
- A troll who owes Thrall their life and would say so to anyone.
- A young troll born in Durotar who has never seen a jungle and wants to.
Sources
- Troll in the client (Races)
- Darkspear Trolls (Reputation)
- Darkspear Raiders (Reputation)
- World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next Panel Recap (Blizzard)