The former inhabitants, at least in the case for Humans, who were overly aggresive Troll tribesmen on a perennial killing frenzy on any newcomer in a hundred mile radius away from their lands whose only approach had always been instant slaughtering.
Sure the writing is pretty stupid to make the Trolls universally insane to the point the moral ambiguity is completely rubbed off, because the Humans stopped a band of bloodthirsty murderers from genociding them in turn. The Humans minimized an ever-present, vicious threat who wasn’t up for compromises.
Before you bring up the Orcs and Ashenvale. Let me change the context to suit the comparison: The Orcs land in Durotar and are shortly afterwards repeatedly attacked from the Night Elves, because maybe some Elves lived there in the desert before the Orcs landed, they don’t show any remorse and they’re not willing to compromise. After the Orcs manage to defend themselves, the Night Elves keep coming regardless. Until they are stopped for good in their own lands. Now, the Orcs would have been right to put down the Night Elves, at least as a power.
But even then, to assign a fault for those ancient victories over the current Humans to say that they are guilty of countless genocides is stretching it at best.
Don’t remember the Night Elves setting a massive pyramid full of Trolls on fire.
No?
Ashenvale, Hyjal, Azshara, Darkshore (bar Shatterspear Valley, which was left untouched until they decided to join the Horde and attack) were always Night Elven.
The Night Elves lived together with the Dark Trolls afterwards. They even fight side by side with them in the Third War.
“The night elves knew that the Shatterspear lived in their territory, but as long as the trolls were not hostile, they were apparently quite content to leave them and Shatterspear Vale in peace.”
Lmao, I can’t even