Zuldazar enjoyed the title of Golden City within the Zandalari Empire. When Talanji was little, she had believed it was a name the tribal leaders and the Zanchul Council had invented out of thin air to bolster their people's confidence.
After all, Talanji had grown up in Dazar'alor. No matter how exquisite its decorations or magnificent its buildings were, familiarity had made them unremarkable.
When Talanji first came of age, she had possessed a rebellious streak, like most children. Put simply, she loved arguing.
Whenever members of the Zanchul Council recounted Zuldazar's glorious history, they always began with the Golden City, brimming with pride.
At such moments, Talanji would invariably interrupt with an ill-timed remark. "Where's the gold? If the Golden City doesn't have any gold, how can you call it the Golden City?"
The council members had treated Talanji as a child back then. They humored her rather than arguing.
But if Rowan had heard that, he would surely have fired back, "Do sweetheart cakes come with a sweetheart? Are husband-and-wife lung slices made from a husband and wife's... never mind, that gets a little bloody."
After arriving in Zul'Aman, Talanji saw the squat huts of the Forest Troll kingdom, the dilapidated stone altars, the crude shrines dedicated to their gods, and the barely clothed inhabitants of its Royal Capital. Only then did she realize that none of the Troll clans were doing well.
If she really had to pick the best of a sorry bunch, Zuldazar, the Zandalari Empire's Royal Capital, did indeed deserve the name Golden City.
Once Talanji and Zul identified themselves, Zul'jin granted them the finest hospitality.
Tens of thousands of years ago, the great Troll tribes had united to face the Old Gods' armies of Aqir.
Back then, Zandalar had been the capital of