Weakness is Original Sin

Accepting the advice of Zul'ra Jin, Zul'jin began dispatching scouts to observe the various Forest Trolls tribes across the land. He sought to unify the entire race, much like Orgrim had rallied the Orcs, bringing all Forest Trolls under his banner.

Just as Zul'jin indulged in these pleasant thoughts, reports from his scouts began to trickle back, revealing an unexpected reality: despite their defeat by the Alliance, the major Forest Troll tribes had not been wiped out. Most of them were alive and well, though they were far from pleased.

Beyond the nearby Mossflayer and Darkpine tribes, and the Firetree and Witherbark tribes whose fates remained uncertain after fleeing to Blackrock Mountain, the Vilebranch, Witherbark, and Viletooth Trolls had all retreated to the Hinterlands. There, they had fallen into conflict over tribal matters, even resorting to open violence.

The Viletooth tribe was a rare, weak group among the many. They considered themselves allies of the Horde, and seeing the Orcs captured and thrown into internment camps by humans filled them with sympathy. However, their lack of strength left them unable to offer any meaningful aid.

The Viletooth tribe's stance might have been inconsequential, but the Vilebranch and Witherbark Trolls, perhaps suffering from heavy losses during the war, had grown resentful of the Horde. This bitterness extended to the Viletooth Trolls for their sympathy toward the Orcs and their self-proclaimed alliance, leading to brutal clashes between them.

Ever since the trolls of the Amani Empire had spread throughout the eastern subtropical forests, such infighting had been common. While the Vilebranch and Witherbark tribes certainly harbored resentment toward the Orcs, in reality, they were likely just fighting over territory.

Regardless of the cause, the Viletooth tribe was being targeted for its weakness, and the infighting among these three tribes in the Hinterlands threatened to derail the plan to unify the Forest Trolls.

Zul'jin summoned the Witch Doctors and priests to announce the restructuring of the Amani Empire, receiving their full support. The initiative saw an early success: the Darkpine tribe, already residing in Zul'Aman, and the Mossflayer tribe from the Thalas Mountains and North Valley, agreed to join the Amani Empire.

With the three Forest Troll tribes north of the Hinterlands—including the Amani themselves—forming a bloc, Zul'jin and Zul'ra Jin dispatched troops and personnel to help the Mossflayer tribe establish a foothold at Zul'Mashar. Hamia, the chieftain of the Mossflayer, and his Witch Doctors arrived at Zul'Aman to discuss how to incorporate the remaining tribes.

Regarding the civil strife among the three tribes in the Hinterlands, the other Witch Doctors and Hamia were nearly unanimous: they proposed wiping out the Viletooth tribe to win over the more powerful Witherbark and Vilebranch Trolls. Their justification was that the Viletooth tribe sympathized with the Orcs, and the Orcs were to blame for the defeat.

The reasoning was laughable. If they truly hated those responsible for the defeat, the Witch Doctors and Hamia should have hated Zul'jin for dragging the Forest Trolls into the Horde's war. But they dared not challenge Zul'jin, so they vented their anger on the weak Viletooth tribe and the Orcs already locked in internment camps.

After wavering, Zul'jin chose to follow the consensus. He hoped that compromise would secure their loyalty, and he agreed that the Viletooth tribe was too weak to matter, whereas the powerful Witherbark and Vilebranch Trolls would bolster the strength of the Amani Empire.

Zul'ra Jin scoffed at Zul'jin's logic. In the current situation, one should suppress the strong and gather the weak to make the Amani more cohesive. Destroying the weak Viletooth tribe would only convince the Witherbark, Vilebranch, and Mossflayer that he was a bully who feared the strong, further damaging his already fractured reputation.

Zul'ra Jin offered some counsel regarding Zul'jin's flawed strategy. He did not care about Zul'jin's success—in fact, the lower his reputation fell, the better it would be for his own future coup—but he needed the Amani tribe to maintain its prestige among the Forest Trolls to ensure unification.

Based on his grand strategy, Zul'ra Jin proposed a new suggestion to Zul'jin, but the response was entirely unexpected: Zul'jin ordered him and Lostro to organize troops and march into the Hinterlands to attack the Viletooth tribe.

"Zul'jin, I have never led an army," Zul'ra Jin said, shocked by the decision. Why was he being sent to the front lines so suddenly?

"That is precisely why I am sending you to gain experience. Zul'ra Jin, you will be my assistant in the future, so you must understand the military," Zul'jin replied, his expression indifferent.

"...Very well, as you wish." Zul'ra Jin looked at the impassive Zul'jin and, hearing the unusual way he was addressed, paused for a moment before bowing his head in agreement.

From the way Zul'jin addressed him, Zul'ra Jin easily grasped the truth: the chieftain was growing suspicious of him due to his rising popularity. Well, his intentions were exposed, but if that was how it was going to be, then so be it!

Facing the appointment, which carried an ulterior motive, Zul'ra Jin did not refuse. Zul'jin's suspicion would not vanish with a refusal, and he had no reason to decline anyway. With his followers among the people growing daily, it was time to build his own military force.

Complying with the order, Zul'ra Jin gathered his followers and selected three hundred of the strongest trolls, most of whom stood tall and upright, to form a unit. He equipped them with steel-forged javelins, shields, and hand axes.

In addition to his new unit, Zul'jin organized two other groups of three hundred. One was commanded by Lostro and Dakkalai, while the other was composed of Mossflayer trolls selected by Hamia. A small portion of these men were also equipped with steel weapons.

The nine-hundred-man force was led by Lostro as the commander, with Zul'ra Jin and Hamia serving as his lieutenants, while Dakkalai acted as the staff officer. He was also Zul'jin's envoy, serving effectively as a political commissar.

Once the force was assembled at Zul'Mashar, they immediately began their march south from the wilderness. Zul'ra Jin traveled with the unit across the plains north of the Hinterlands, crossed the high mountains of the Seradane Forest, and entered the vast, primeval forests of the Hinterlands, where towering trees blocked out all but the occasional sliver of sunlight.

Marching for three days through the dense thickets and tangled roots, Zul'ra Jin encountered many beasts roaming the woods—bears, Moonkin, and Ooze. Even Gryphons occasionally soared overhead, though these creatures dared not provoke the marching trolls.

On the evening of the third day, the army set up camp by a river to rest. As dusk fell, Lostro invited Zul'ra Jin, Dakkalai, and Hamia into his tent to discuss the march. Once they crossed the river at dawn, they would soon reach Jintha'Alor, the capital city of the Vilebranch Trolls.