Regarding God of Tigers G'hnir's refusal to accept any more followers, Zul'ra asked the devout Kurtaki a great many detailed questions. Some of them even irritated the devout follower, but Zul'ra had no choice but to keep asking. This was his trial.
Rastakhan's task had been assigned casually, but he had made it clear from the start that Zul'ra was there to study in Zandalar. If he failed the trial, the consequences hadn't been specified, but at the very least, he would probably be confined in Zandalar.
To be honest, during his time in Zandalar, Zul'ra hadn't minded the idea of living a carefree life there until old age. But being sent to an altar for sacrifice or demoted to a commoner because he failed the trial—that would be the real tragedy.
To prevent that possibility, Zul'ra had to do his best to complete the trial and find out why G'hnir had refused his followers. The best way to solve the problem would have been to ask G'hnir directly, but unfortunately, no one knew where the great Loa had wandered off to.
The Loa were unpredictable. Since he couldn't find G'hnir, Zul'ra could only start with his followers. He suspected that some Troll had committed blasphemy, much like the lord of Fengxian Prefecture in Journey to the West had offended the Jade Emperor.
Perhaps God of Tigers was acting just like the Jade Emperor, withholding rain from Fengxian Prefecture for three years and ignoring his followers in a fit of pique, waiting for them to come and ask what was wrong—then ordering the devout to punish the blasphemer.
Based on this guess, Zul'ra asked Kurtaki about G'hnir's followers in various places. G'hnir's worshippers were spread throughout Zandalar, and even as far as the Tanaris Desert on the continent of Kalimdor. Fortunately, the devout Kurtaki had already traveled to all those places, so Zul'ra wouldn't have to cross the sea himself.
From Kurtaki, Zul'ra learned that the Troll followers in each location hadn't done anything improper. Kurtaki also dismissed his theory. If there had been a blasphemer, G'hnir wouldn't have quietly refused his followers like this. He would have flown into a rage, issued a divine decree, and demanded that the blasphemer be severely punished.
Kurtaki's rejection of his theory didn't upset Zul'ra. Instead, he carefully discussed the situation with him. As they talked, he noticed something unexpected: all the followers Kurtaki had visited seemed to be Trolls.
"Kurtaki, does the King of Beasts have any non-Troll followers?" Zul'ra asked the devout Zandalari Troll as soon as the question occurred to him.
"Non-Troll followers?" Kurtaki couldn't help looking momentarily surprised.
"Yes. I noticed that you've visited many of the King of Beasts' followers, but they all seem to be Trolls. Have you considered investigating among followers of other races?" Zul'ra nodded.
Loa was a general term for any being that had transcended death, so Loa followers came from many races, not just Trolls. Some demigods even had descendants of their own race who worshipped them as ancestors.
"I hadn't considered that, but perhaps we can start there." After listening to Zul'ra, Kurtaki thought it over carefully, then raised his already glowing eyes in agreement.
"Exactly. Perhaps we can begin in Zandalar. Kurtaki, you could come with me to ask the Tortollans near Port of Rastali." Zul'ra nodded at Kurtaki's suggestion and offered his own.
"What?" Kurtaki looked up at Zul'ra. He wanted him to go and question the Tortollans too?
"What's wrong? Don't you want to personally follow the King of Beasts' trail?" Zul'ra blinked at the startled Kurtaki.
"Of course. I will certainly set out to follow the King of Beasts' trail." Hearing Zul'ra, Kurtaki hurriedly nodded, moved by his devout faith.
"That's even better." Zul'ra smiled at Kurtaki, who had nodded and promised to lead by example. Inside, though, he sneered. You're not going to sit here and order me around while I do all the running.
Kurtaki really had intended to let Zul'ra do the legwork while he waited for news, but Zul'ra had turned his words against him. His faith left him no choice but to accompany Zul'ra to the Tortollan camp near Port of Rastali.
Zul'ra had a good reason for bringing Kurtaki along. Besides being annoyed at the idea of Kurtaki sitting around like a lord while he waited for news, he also wanted to make use of Kurtaki's influence. As a Zandalari scholar-priest, Kurtaki could call on Zandalari soldiers and commoners to help them.
Zandalari society was organized by caste. Those of lower castes had to obey those above them, while higher castes were permitted to wear more finery. With the Golden Bracers on his arms and the skulls on his skirt, Kurtaki quickly got a commoner to ask the Tortollans for information.
The Tortollans were another race living on Zandalar. Just as their name suggested, they had large, spiked turtle shells, beak-shaped mouths, and fearsome layers of horn on their heads and limbs. Their whole appearance was like that of a giant snapping turtle standing upright like a person.
On Zandalar, races other than Trolls weren't safe, but the Zandalari Trolls had accepted the Tortollans as neighbors. The Tortollans traveled around sharing their knowledge and didn't cause trouble; besides, their shells were thick, and they were followers of the turtle Loa, Torga.
With the help of a few intermediaries, Kurtaki successfully got the news from the Tortollans. On Darkwood Beach, northeast of the Vol'dun desert on Zandalar, there was indeed a Tortollan village that worshipped the King of Beasts, G'hnir.
When he heard the news, Kurtaki could barely contain his excitement. He wasn't bothered that G'hnir had Tortollan followers. On the contrary, he felt honored, believing that the King of Beasts was broad-minded.
After his excitement had settled a little, Kurtaki went to ask Rastakhan for help. The King of Zandalar sent a warship to escort them. That was the benefit of having him take part in the task. If Zul'ra had gone to Darkwood Beach alone, there was an eighty percent chance Rastakhan would have made him walk all the way. What kind of trial would it be without a challenge?
At any rate, Kurtaki successfully secured a warship, and Zul'ra boarded a Zandalari Golden Warship for the first time. True to its name, the ship had gleaming golden blocks at its bow. But once aboard, Zul'ra discovered that they weren't gold at all, just a rustproof alloy.
On the way to Darkwood Beach, Zul'ra carefully inspected the Golden Warship. Most Zandalari warships were single-masted vessels with very broad prows. Piles of bright yellow metal blocks formed a beast-head ornament at the front, animal fangs were lashed along both sides of the hull, and the sharp ram on the keel was clad in steel.
Besides their imposing appearance, Zandalari Golden Warships were also equipped with weapons such as ballistae and launchers, which fired explosive rockets and burning oil. The explosive rockets were one thing, but the burning oil was the real weapon.
The burning oil was made from petroleum collected in the swamps of Nazmir. Once sprayed, it ignited on contact with air and kept burning even when doused with water, like the Greek fire of the Roman Empire on Earth. Looking at it, Zul'ra could already picture enemy ships howling as they burned to ash. This is good stuff. I'll have to find a way to get my hands on the recipe when I get back.
Thanks to Yīn Shū Chéng Xiān for the tip. Thank you.
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