Forest troll

Forest Troll
{{#if:Foresttroll.webp|[[File:Foresttroll.webp{{#ifeq:{{{resizing}}}|no|||200px}}]]}}
Faction/Affiliation	Various tribes, Amani Empire, Horde, Dark Horde, Independent
Racial capital	{{#ifeq:-|-||Template:Sort}}{{#ifeq:-|-||Template:Sort}}[[File:{{#switch:horde|alliance=Alliance|boss=Boss|combat=Combat|hostile=Combat|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare|elite=Elite|both=Both|kyrian=Kyrian|necrolord=Necrolord|night fae=Night Fae|venthyr=Venthyr|neutral|#default=Neutral}}_{{#switch:small|xlarge=64|large=32|small=15|#default=32}}.png|{{#switch:horde|alliance=Alliance|boss=Boss|combat=Mob|hostile=Mob|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare|elite=Elite|both=Alliance & Horde|kyrian=Kyrian|necrolord=Necrolord|night fae=Night Fae|venthyr=Venthyr|neutral|#default=Neutral}}|link={{#switch:horde|alliance=Alliance|boss=Mob|combat=Mob|hostile=Combat|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare mob|elite=Elite mob|kyrian=Kyrian Covenant|necrolord=Necrolord Covenant|night fae=Night Fae Covenant|venthyr=Venthyr Covenant|both|neutral|#default=Faction}}]] Amani'Alor
Formerly	{{#ifeq:-|-||Template:Sort}}{{#ifeq:-|-||Template:Sort}}[[File:{{#switch:neutral|alliance=Alliance|boss=Boss|combat=Combat|hostile=Combat|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare|elite=Elite|both=Both|kyrian=Kyrian|necrolord=Necrolord|night fae=Night Fae|venthyr=Venthyr|neutral|#default=Neutral}}_{{#switch:small|xlarge=64|large=32|small=15|#default=32}}.png|{{#switch:neutral|alliance=Alliance|boss=Boss|combat=Mob|hostile=Mob|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare|elite=Elite|both=Alliance & Horde|kyrian=Kyrian|necrolord=Necrolord|night fae=Night Fae|venthyr=Venthyr|neutral|#default=Neutral}}|link={{#switch:neutral|alliance=Alliance|boss=Mob|combat=Mob|hostile=Combat|horde=Horde|aldor=Aldor|scryers=Scryers|kirin tor=Kirin Tor|rare=Rare mob|elite=Elite mob|kyrian=Kyrian Covenant|necrolord=Necrolord Covenant|night fae=Night Fae Covenant|venthyr=Venthyr Covenant|both|neutral|#default=Faction}}]] Zul'Aman
Racial leader(s)	See below
Homeworld	Azeroth
Language(s)	Zandali, Orcish
{{#if:|Sources: }}

Forest trolls are a green-skinned subgroup of trolls found in the forests of Lordaeron. The forest trolls as a whole are also referred to as Amani, after the ancient empire of the same name, but that name can also refer to the Amani tribe in particular. They are one of the most ancient indigenous races of Lordaeron. Like other trolls, they worship the loa, practice voodoo, ritual sacrifices, and, in some cases, cannibalism. They are generally hostile, focusing on warfare, and have a particular hatred for the high elves, whom they consider the despoilers of their ancient homelands.<ref>Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual#Trolls, Forest</ref>

Long before the rise and fall of the kingdoms of men, the Amani trolls of Lordaeron had built an enormous troll empire. After centuries of war and hate, an alliance of high elves and humans finally dealt a crushing blow to the Amani when they defeated a great troll army at the foot of the Alterac Mountains. The empire did not recover from the defeat, and the trolls never rose as one nation again. Yet some forest trolls survived, each generation nurturing their hatred of the elves in the dark forests of the north for thousands of years. During the Second War, the Amani trolls were briefly allied to the Horde, and the forest troll Zul'jin was one of the greatest heroes the trolls have ever known.

History

The Troll Wars

In the aftermath of Kalimdor's shattering, the forest trolls began to once again expand their lands across the newly formed Lordaeron, naming their new territory Zul'Aman. However, the arrival of the high elves lead to a burning rivalry that would last millennia. The high elves founded their new Kingdom on an ancient troll city that was sacred. This led to the forest trolls attacking the fledgling elven kingdom for the desecration of their city. The stubborn elves, by using magic, drove the trolls back and for a time no conflict arose between the elves and trolls.

After two thousand years had passed the Amani warbands struck out of Zul'Aman determined to destroy the high elves once and for all. They scored victory after victory against the elves, pushing them slowly back. The desperate elves forged an alliance with the human empire of Arathor, teaching one hundred humans the way of magic. The combined human and elf armies met the trolls at the base of the Alterac Mountains. For days the trolls assaulted the allies' lines until at the right moment when the human and elven magi unleashed a fury of fiery magic onto the forest troll army. The searing flames stopped the troll's wounds from regenerating and then the humans charged, slaughtering most of the troll army and driving them back into Zul'Aman. The trolls suffered a defeat from which they would never recover.

The Second War

“D'you want axe?”

— Warcraft II Troll Axethrower/Berserker

At the time of the First War orcish warchief Blackhand sent Orgrim Doomhammer to invite the forest trolls to join the horde. The trolls declined, having little interest in anything beyond their own forests. However at the beginning of the Second War orc forces rescued the trolls' leader, Zul'jin, from Alliance soldiers and in gratitude Zul'jin pledged the forest trolls to the now Warchief Doomhammer. Zul'jin had done what no other forest troll had done since the Troll Wars: he united the numerous tribes of Zul'Aman under one banner and joined the Horde. He hoped that by joining the orcish invaders they could attempt to retake Quel'Thalas from their sworn enemies, the elves. Besides the elves, the warriors of Stromgarde were also then considered traditional enemies of the forest trolls.

The forest trolls contributed their axethrowers, berserkers, and destroyer ships to the forces of the Horde fighting with the Orcs throughout the Hinterlands and Quel'Thalas, slaughtered thousands of humans and elves and razed to the ground all villages they found in their way. Orgrim Doomhammer and Zul'jin attacked the elf homeland and made it to Eversong Woods until Alliance reinforcements could arrive. Doomhammer, however, focused his strength on Lordaeron and did not destroy Quel'Thalas as Zul'jin wanted. When defeat for the orcs seemed inevitable, the forest trolls as a united race abandoned the Horde as suddenly as they joined, but some tribes decided to stay with their orcish allies, notably by being brought to Draenor by Kilrogg Deadeye and then spread among the various clans of the Horde of Draenor, or joining up with Rend Blackhand's Dark Horde at Blackrock Spire.

Recent times

In the aftermath of the Second War, the forest trolls returned to the old ways of rivalry and fighting between the tribes. Two tribes, the Smolderthorn and Firetree joined Rend Blackhand's Dark Horde and have taken up residence in Blackrock Mountain. During the Third War the forest trolls stayed away from the main conflict however a fair percentage of forest trolls fell to the Lich King's powers. They have lost their will and are undead. However, the Forest Troll faction present in the Hinterlands has allied itself with the Horde again, and its members are part of its ranks alongside the Darkspear Trolls.