Frost King Malakk is getting old. He has fought countless battles throughout his life and made great achievements in resisting foreign invasions. The countless scars on his body are the best proof of this.
Unfortunately, he was never able to unify the entire Zul'Drak Empire.
Long ago, the Drakkari Frost Trolls established the Zul'Drak Empire in Northrend. The empire existed as a fragmented tribal system, with each tribe worshipping its own Loa. The tribes were constantly at war with each other, and the country was filled with conflict and strife.
Frost King Malakk longed to unify the tribes, seize power for himself, and unite the empire's forces into one, but unfortunately, he was unable to achieve his goal.
In the icy wilderness of Northrend, the living conditions are extremely harsh. Although internal strife and conflict have kept the Drakkari Trolls fighting and aggressive, successfully eliminating the weak, the population has never been able to increase, and many brave Warriors have died in the infighting.
Marak held his wine glass and looked out the window, his small eyes filled with ferocity and greed.
In the square in front of the Gundrak Palace, a large contingent of soldiers were drilling. A huge shadow loomed over the square, instilling a sense of awe in every soldier.
Currently, the rhinoceros god Akali Guards the palace, and the Loa of Zul'Drak take turns protecting the capital to ensure that power does not fall into the hands of any one Loa. The tribes of Zul'Drak are constantly in turmoil, but the Loa are united.
"The Loa."
Frost King Malakk muttered to himself, knowing full well that the internal strife in the Zul'Drak Empire stemmed from the Loa. They needed to select strong Warriors to serve them while ensuring that the overall strength of the Drakkari Frost Trolls wouldn't become too overwhelming, lest it threaten their own safety.
Of course, Zul'Drak cannot exist without the protection of the Loa. Without these powerful Loa, the Drakkari Frost Trolls might have already fallen to the Grizzly Hills' bear-man tribes' attack.
The Loa are a double-edged sword. They protect the Empire, but they also plunge the various tribes of the Empire into chaos, preventing them from uniting their forces. The ambitious Frost King Malakk has been troubled by this for centuries, yet he has never been able to find a suitable solution.
Every six years, Frost King Malakk would send envoys to the Zandalar in the South Sea to meet with the Trolls of other tribes, thus gaining knowledge of the Trolls throughout Azeroth.
Frost King Malakk looked down on Rastakhan Zandalar God-King Rastakhan.
The Zandalari Empire possesses more Loa Zul'Drak, and they are not on good terms with each other. Rastakhan's Laissez-faire attitude has resulted in Zandalar having great power on paper, but never being able to form a strong fighting force.
The appearance of the Scourge terrified Frost King Malach. He fortified the defenses of Drakkrond, and the strongest prophet of the Zul'Drakroa gods, Saronia, personally oversaw the defense of the fortress. Strangely, the Scourge did not launch an attack, seemingly uninterested in this land.
Since the Lich King Arthas entered Northrend, the Zul'Drak Trolls had never been disturbed. Unfortunately, this did not last long. After the Lich King Arthas awoke, the Horde's army entered Northrend.
Frost King Malakk knew these ferocious Orcs very well. The Drakkari Frost Trolls drank raw blood and ate human flesh; they were an extremely savage and violent race. But compared to the terrifying Orcs Legion, they were as merciful as nuns singing hymns in a church.
The disgrace of the Zandalari Empire serves as a cautionary tale. Frost King Malakk vowed never to be a cowardly God-King Rastakhan, and the Zul'Drak Empire dared to say no to the Horde.
As Frost King Malakk pondered deeply, a young Troll entered the room, his face full of intelligence. This Drakuru, the son of one of Frost King Malakk's generals, who had died for him on the Battlefield. Marak then took Drakuru under his wing, and he had become one of his most trusted confidants.
"Your Majesty," Drakuru bowed respectfully, "The high Priests have all arrived and are awaiting your presence to preside over the meeting."
Frost King Malakk nodded imperceptibly, adjusted his crown, and walked toward the adjacent sacrificial hall, the place where the highest decisions of the Zul'Drak Empire were made.
Upon entering, Frost King Malakk saw a group of gloomy faces.
Normally, relying on the protection of the Loa, the high Priests are arrogant and domineering, not even putting the Frost King in their eyes. Now, the threat from the Horde has made them look very ugly.
Frost King Malakk took his seat on the throne, and High Priest Mufunu spoke first:
"My lord, the war in the Nexus is over. Malygos Aspect of the Blue, has fallen. He was killed by the Horde, the Dalaran Mages, and the Red Dragon Queen. Hundreds of thousands of his subjects were slaughtered, and there are currently no survivors. Out of mercy, the Red Dragon Queen has allowed the Blue Dragonflight to continue living in the Nexus."
Frost King Malakk gasped. The Blue Dragonflight and its hundreds of thousands of subjects were an incredibly powerful force, living in the most fertile lands of Northrend. Frost King Malakk had to pay his respects to the Aspect of the Blue regularly to pray for the peace of the Zul'Drak Empire, but most of the time he could not even see the old Dragon King.
Marak asked with a sigh, "Are the Red Dragonflight really colluding with the Horde?"
"Absolutely true."
High Priest Mufunu answered nervously:
"In the battle against the Blue Dragonflight, both the Red Dragonflight and the Horde suffered losses, especially the Horde, which was severely damaged. Based on my understanding of the Horde will definitely seek to recoup their losses elsewhere, and our Zul'Drak Empire is likely to become the next target."
Frost King Malakk frowned deeply; things were far more serious than he had anticipated.
Slad'ran, the Priest of the serpent god Sseratus, proclaimed, "We have the protection of powerful Loa; what do we have to fear Horde mere tribes?"
High Priest Tua'tua snorted coldly and retorted, "If the Red Dragon Queen personally leads the attack, who among us will stand against her?"
All the Priests fell silent. Slad'ran opened his mouth, but ultimately no sound came out.
Although the Loa are powerful, they are still no match for a being like the Red Dragon Queen.
High Priest Havni stepped forward, his voice hoarse, and said, "The Frost Trolls alone cannot contend with the Horde. My suggestion is to seek help from the Scourge."
"The Scourge?"
The many Priests present were discussing among themselves, and one of Priest shouted:
"I've heard there's been internal trouble within the Scourge; otherwise, the Horde would never have dared to set foot on Northrend. I'm afraid the Lich King Arthas would be too preoccupied with his own problems."
Another Priest said:
"Even the Burning Legion is no match for the Scourge. Even if something goes wrong, they could easily defeat the Horde. Why not send someone into Icecrown Citadel to meet with Arthas?"
"Absolutely not." Another Priest retorted, "Arthas is a human. Humans worship the Holy Light, which claims to Justice, and look down on us Trolls. He won't lend a hand."
"Why not surrender to the Horde?" a Priest whispered. "Like the Zandalari Trolls, they survive even though the Horde constantly Horde their lifeblood."
"Cowards! The Drakkari Trolls have dignity! How can you become cowardly Zandalari Trolls? We would rather die a glorious death than live a humiliating life!" a Priest shouted.
"Stop arguing."
Frost King Malakk shouted, stopping the arguing Priests. His gaze remained calm as he surveyed the crowd, and he declared in a clear voice:
"The attitudes of the Horde and the Red Dragonflight are unclear, so let's not speculate. Which of you would like to speak on my Horde and sound out their intentions?"