The Zul'Mashar Trolls had lived in the Eastern Weald for tens of thousands of years.
Even the great trailblazing knight of the Empire of Thoras, Lordaen, had failed to conquer this land.
But no kingdom lasted forever. That was especially true of a settlement like Zul'Mashar, on the fringe of the Troll Empire.
The Zul'Mashar Trolls had once enjoyed a glorious past. They had ruled the entire Eastern Weald, and were a branch of the Amani Trolls.
They had built enormous altars to worship their Loa spirits.
They had raised a mighty army to patrol their territory day and night. That lasted until they joined the war between Zul'Aman and the humans and long-eared ones.
Now, they were confined to a corner of Zul'Mashar. The only reminder of their former glory was, perhaps, the altar that would still be standing a thousand years from now.
That was why Zubrin Twistbranch often came here. The contrast between past glory and present decline filled the last great Shaman of the Horde with worry.
Just two days ago, their last chieftain had been killed by Tareshen, a warlord of the Amani Trolls. Twistbranch had planned to summon all the tribe and slaughter the band of Amani Trolls to avenge their elderly chieftain!
But when he saw how indifferent his fellow tribesmen were, his resolve crumbled.
The Zul'Aman Trolls had fallen on hard times too. The ugly long-eared elves had driven them deep into the forest, but they still had several legendary figures. Their chieftain, Zul'jin, was a hero among the Trolls. The Hexer Jin'do was a powerful spellcaster.
Twistbranch had also heard that Zul'Aman had made a great discovery: they could borrow the power of their gods. If they succeeded, the Trolls would surely be able to reshape the order of the entire