Greetings, members of the Argent Dawn community! I figured since the Zandalari Allied race will be coming along soon, I’d make a guide and make suggestions about how to truly bring out the “Zandalar Forever!” out of you. I remember making similar guides for Pandaren before MoP, and for Arakkoa and Ogres as pure speculation guides, so I’ll do so again with this. I hope people will use this info to build their characters, but I won’t stop anyone from making their own choices!
General information:
The Zandalari are a proud race of trolls. They are the originals, the prime, the greatest and most respected of the many troll subspecies. While the other tribes live in cities of huts and rough stone structures, their capital of Zuldazar is a city of gold and wonder. The city gives off an impression of greatness that is hard to deny one that makes the kingdoms of men and elves turn green with envy.
The Zandalari live in a caste system, and one’s place in it is determined at childhood. If a child is seen to be blessed by the Loa, they are trained to be priests to serve the deities. If they display strength, they are to be trained as warriors and hunters. If they have neither quality, they are cast into the streets as homeless and petty beggars. The priests hold the highest standing in Zandalari society below the ruler and the Zanchuli Council, with the warriors beneath them, and below them the citizens and below them the beggars and street folk.
While the Zandalari may seem like arrogant and vain at times, they are still trolls. They are savage fighters and call upon brute strength and powerful dark voodoo to aid in their battles. They can also call upon the Loa, their powerful gods that stand among the great deities of Azeroth. The Loa can bless as well as curse, granting the trolls great healing if they are favoured, or curse them to not even recover from scratches if they are judged disappointing.
I will list the Zandalari classes and their place in the lore:
Warrior: Like any troll species, the Zandalari are savage and ruthless in battle. Their armour may seem more ornamental than the primitive garbs of other tribes, but they are effective in keeping their wearer safe from harm. A Zandalari warrior would easily tower over a human or elf, favouring large weapons such as polearms and longswords for overwhelming their foes. Many Zandalari do take up the role of shieldguards, their shields adorned with symbols and perhaps the visage of their Loa to show their foes just who they are dealing with.
Hunter: Living in the jungle, the Zandalari are natural hunters and trackers. The Zandalari hunters are experts of their craft, taming and hunting beasts of great size and strength. The dense regions of Zandalar house creatures such as sabertusks, ankylodons, raptors, brutosaurs, pterrordax and other reptilian wildlife, ensuring that the Zandalari stay on their toes even while in their own home. The hunters of the Zandalari are known for taming the great beasts used by the Zandalari army, training them in Warbeast Kraal.
Rogue: Rogues are a known asset to trolls, and the Zandalari are no exception. These Zandalari are dark and scheming, lacing their blades with poisons drawn from the most venomous reptiles of Zandalar. They lurk in the dense brush of the forest or the dark corners of a city keeping an eye out for potential enemies to eliminate. The organisation known as Shera Ali’kh, Zandali for Death’s Hand, is an organisation of assassins which has served the Zandalari Empire for thousands of years.
Priest: The Loa are the core of troll culture, and while any class can revere a Loa, the Priests stands as their most devout worshippers. They can call upon the divine power of a Loa to heal their allies or inflict great agony upon an enemy. Zandalari priests can grant the boons of their Loa to an ally, granting them a special advantage in battle.
Mage: The Zandalari are known to be the most enlightened of the trolls, so using magic should be of no surprise. Whether granted through the blessings of a Loa such as Jan’alai for fire magi or using arcane energy to weave their spells, Zandalari magi are a dangerous force to be reckoned with. The intellect magi are known for, combined with the cunning and brutality of a Zandalari, are a very lethal mixture.
Shaman: Being a very spiritual people that care for their land, Zandalari shaman are known for being powerful witch doctors closely tied to Loa that are associated with elements, such as Jan’alai or Akunda. The Zandalari shaman can call upon the power of Zandalar’s great monsoons or slicing winds to batter a foe, all the while using totems of power to aid them in battle, such as healing or stasis totems. Some are even known to call upon totems to trap enemies in a frog form so they may no longer pose a threat.
Monk: Zandalari monks have not been seen before, but they are most capable of becoming them. As the races of the Horde have learnt the strengths of former enemies to enhance their own might, the Zandalari are cunning enough to do so themselves. Being naturally agile and strong, the blessings of the Loa to aid in focusing that strength can make a Zandalari monk a certainly powerful adversary.
Paladin: The Prelates are legendary in the Zandalari, the vanguard of Rezan, the Loa of Kings. They have been shaken by the fall of the devilsaur Loa, but they are rising again. The Prelates call upon martial prowess in addition to the divine power of the Loa, smiting down their foes to defend their home and destroy their enemies. With Rezan’s fall, they may look to another Loa to draw their power from.
Druid: Druidism is a fairly recent addition to the ranks of the Zandalari, forwarded by Wardruid Loti of the Zanchuli Council and approved by her Loa, Gonk, who introduced the practice to the Darkspear tribe. Discarding normal druidic forms, the Zandalari assume the form of Zandalar’s ferocious wildlife, such as raptors and pterrordaxes. A particular form unique to them is a humanoid bird-pterrodax hybrid, used by the druids of the Lun’alai.
Bonus Class: Warlock: Zandalari warlocks do exist in lore, but were missed out for some reason. A Zandalari warlock would make a dangerous risk with his power, taking the sounds of many demons and binding them within their own bodies, using them as fuel for their dark magic. Whether or not some Loa approve of this is unknown, but the dark power of demons adding to the natural ferocity of a Zandalari would make such a being very dangerous.
Loa/Class association: As the Zandalari focus on many Loa, their classes can be seen as a reflection of the gods they worship. Here is a list of Loa and which classes I believe suit their followers best:
Rezan: The Loa of Kings, god of the hunt and devilsaur loa. He stands tall and proud above all other Loa as the companion of Zandalar’s rulers. He is known to hold a grudge and does not take slights lightly. Many ravasaurs ridden by the Zandalari are blessed by him, and are regarded as prized mounts by the tribe. He has recently fallen, but as with other Loa, he may return one day. Suggested classes: Paladin, Warrior, Hunter, Priest.
Bwonsamdi: The Loa of Graves, the God of Death. This loa is a wily one, a trickster who loves to make deals that always get paid for in the end. He grants dark power to his followers in exchange for souls, with his most favoured undergoing a ritual as old as the world to gain a great boon from him. He has recently taken Rezan’s place as the Loa of Zandalari royalty, but has no love for Sylvanas or the Forsaken, so his followers may share this enmity. Suggest classes: Warrior, Priest, IC Warlock, Rogue.
Kimbul: The Prey’s Doom, Lord of Beasts, King of Cats, God of Tigers. Kimbul is an honourable Loa who’s temple resides in Vol’dun. His followers were recently butchered by Naga, and honour prevented him from finding more until their deaths were avenged. He is known as the Prey’s Doom for a reason, being a lethal killer, yet harbours great wisdom. As such, his followers must be both predator and thinker. Suggested classes, Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, Priest.
Shadra: God of Spiders, Death’s Love, Silk Dancer. Shadra was a cunning Loa before she was slain by her high priestess, Yazma. Known for being the matron of spiders as the reason why the poison of wyverns is so potent, Shadra represents a darker side of the gods. Her followers use poisons and alchemy to weaken their foes, allowing themselves or their allies to finish the job. There is a tight-knit guild of Zandalari alchemists known as the Shadra’Zan, who’s initiates must concoct a potion made of their own blood and imbibe it. Should they survive, they are made members and can learn the secrets of the Shadra’Zan. Suggested classes: Rogue, Priest, IC Warlock.
Krag’wa: The Huge, The Terrible. Krag’wa is the loa of frogs and known for his gluttonous appetite. His followers were recently butchered in Nazmir, the last being Zentimo, but has begun a new following in the Darkspear tribe. He is demanding and impulsive, desiring great offerings of food from those that follow him. Suggested classes: Warrior, Shaman, Mage, Priest, Hunter.
Gonk: The Lord of the Hunt, Loa of Shapes, Packstrider. Gonk is a powerful Loa, able to make many of them bend the knee and allow some of their followers to revere multiple Loa at once, which became instrumental in allowing Druidism to take root in Darkspear and Zandalari culture alike. He is a ferocious Loa, going on hunts with his pack, and his followers and their ability to assume new forms reflect his nature. His following also includes warriors and hunters that ride great ravasaurs into battle. Suggested classes: Warrior, Hunter, Druid.
Jani: Patron of Scavengers, God of Garbage, Lord of Thieves. Jani represents the underdogs of Zandalari society, the homeless and the penniless, those that require on theft to survive. His name is often used by Zandalari as an insult to those they think lower than themselves, but Jani tends to pull pranks to get revenge on those who slight him, especially favouring biting people in the butt. Suggested classes: all.
Pa’ku: Loa of the Winds. Pa’ku is the loa of the pterrordax, aloof and arrogant as her species suits her. She soars above the sky and helps guide the wind in the sails of the Zandalari navy. She is demanding of tribute, and tends to drop those who she dislikes onto rocks from great heights. Suggested classes: Warrior, Hunter, Priest, Druid, Monk, Mage.
Akunda: Loa of Storms and New Beginnings. Akunda is the thunder lizard Loa. He holds mastery over storms, but he is especially known for his ability to cleanse painful memories from his followers, allowing them to begin again with a clean slate. This ability is useful in his temple in Vol’dun, where exiled criminals wishing to forget their guilty pasts may start anew as his followers. Suggested classes: Warrior, Shaman, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Monk.
Gral: The Shark Loa. Gral is a wise entity, deciding to take the long view on things and watches over every voyage that crosses the ocean. His temple was torn down five years before the Horde’s arrival in Zandalar by a Naga attack, and his temple was considered to be rebuilt, but it remained only talk when Gral seemingly vanished. He has made a recent reappearance when great heroes took the fight to the Naga and may yet gain a following again. Suggested classes: Warrior, Hunter, Priest, Mage, Shaman, Monk.
Torcali: The Moving Mountain, The Wandering Bulwark. Torcali is the direhorn Loa, and she is also the loa of the harvest. She ensures the crops of Zandalar are ever fruitful and that their people are well fed. Her followers are know as the Torcalin, and those who bear shields in battle to protect their allies are often of this order. Suggested classes: Warrior, Paladin, Priest.
Hir’eek: Lord of the Midnight Sky. Hir’eek is the Loa of bats and one of the darker Loa due to his appearance and the reputation of bats. He has darker powers at his disposal, but fell to corruption at the hands of the blood trolls and had to be put down. He may yet return, as the Loa are Wild Gods. Suggested classes: Warrior, Priest, Rogue, IC Warlock.
Zanza: The Restless. One of the first Zandalari Loa encountered by outsiders, Zanza was a Zandalari who proved that the greatest of their people can ascend to a place among the gods. Zanza and other powerful spellcasters were known to possess powerful voodoo, something the high elves could not begin to understand or overpower during their conflicts with the Amani, so they stole that power to make their elven librams and weave the troll’s own magic against them. Suggested classes: Priest, Mage, Shaman, IC Warlock.
Sethraliss: A great snake Loa who commands lightning, Loa of Zandalari and Sethrak alike. Killed in battle against the dreaded C’Thrax known as Mythrax the Unraveler, she returned to life but was being corrupted by a group of renegade Zandalari and her renegade followers, the Faithless. With the Faithless defeated, Sethraliss has rejuvenated herself and is revered again by troll and sethrak both. Suggested classes: Warrior, Shaman, Hunter, Priest, Monk.
Lun’alai Loa: An unknown Loa presumed to be Elune, one regarded as not even a Loa by many Zandalari. Her followers regard their matron with respect, and their dealings with her are of balance, not bargains. They prefer to stay in their animal forms as they truly embrace the balance of nature. Suggested classes: Druid.
And that is my guide to the Zandalari and how I believe their classes fit into the lore and which Loa each class is best suited to. I hope people will take at least a bit of this information, or at least enjoy the read!
That’s enough information for me about it. I just wanted to know. Thank you!