#once again i state i borrowed the name from my blood troll

[frutavel]

blizz should have an expasion where its just Blackreach 2.0 nd its all dark trolls. idk maybe we find out what happened to them nd we get to run around in near pitch blackness w/ nuthing but mushroom light to guide us. i dont trust them to make it Epic tho i think you should do it instead. go Ham bro. Hog wild. i am Eagerly Awaiting lore 👁👁

God I'd love it if they did, caves are at the same time my worst fear and my biggest love, just because of the sheer size of some cave systems and like. What's hidden down there? I have the same thing with the deep ocean, past the pressure point nobody knows what amazing type of animals or plant life or who knows what else are out there to be found, and my biggest dream is to still be alive when we find a way to dive all the way down there so I can know what wonders can be found in the deep.

(Don't even. Don't get me started on underwater cave systems, dear lord I love them so much and I hate them with a passion)

So you bet I'm gonna take this idea and run it down as best as I can (always accepting help of course! If you have any ideas or headcanons you'd like to share send it my way!!). I hope to deliver!

So here's a bit of lore for you! And a bonus at the end :D

The city is named Zul'Rukol. Rukol means tusk in Zandali, nobody knows why exactly it was named that, theories include it being in reference to the cave's rock formations looking vaguely like tusks. The original founders are long gone and they didn't leave a lot of context behind.

It doesn't have a leader, because the dark trolls have no leader. The happenstances and inner workings of the city are taken care of by a handful of trolls, each with their own strenghts, chosen by the city's inhabitants based on their competence - somewhat of a council, if you will.

Most dark trolls cast aside their surface cousins' thirst for battle and conquer and instead turned to a more peaceful and natural connection to the earth and its spirits (taken from wowpedia - and I will die on this hill), so Zul'Rukol is viewed as a sanctuary. Inner conflicts are rare, because even the rowdiest of trolls know to respect the rules, and those who don't aren't welcome.

It's far from being the only major dark troll city in the world, but it's probably the biggest. Other cities built into caves exist, and there's still smaller villages both underground and even some hidden on the surface, but many of the great dark troll cities are abandoned, and seeing as their numbers dwindled over the centuries, there's many lonely souls and scared families who seek the safety of a major settlement.

Those born outside Zul'Rukol don't typically know it's location, but they know it is there, they know it's real, and they have their ways of finding it - once there, they can come and go as they please, stay as little or as much as they'd like, but every single dark troll in Zul'Rukol is expected to keep the city's whereabouts a secret. It's one of the last safe heavens for dark trolls in Azeroth, and for most of them, it's better to keep it away from prying eyes and curious ears, so it continues to be safe.

Non dark trolls may have heard of a magnificent city hidden away beneath the earth, but to them the stories of Zul'Rukol are nothing but legend. They know the city by many other names, and there's many rumors floating about what's hidden in its streets, but very few encouraging rewards to be found other than the thrill of discovery. And seeing as it's hidden deep enough to make even the bravest adventures turn back, unless the inhabitants choose for some reason to lead travelers into it, it's unlikely Zul'Rukol will be found by non dark trolls anytime soon.

Some of the populace are permanent residents, some of them stay only long enough to fulfill their own personal quests, some of them come and go and come back again. The trolls in there keep a sense of independence, while also knowing they'll be cared for if they need. They help eachother, because if they don't, no one else will - and they make their system work, and it works wonderfully.

Zul'Rukol got it's problems of course, like every city it's size does, but they're usually quick to solve - there's a lot of interest in keeping things smooth down there from all parties involved.

And speaking of size, the city is huge. It's main force is in a clearing, at the very bottom of the cave, above a partially flooded chamber. The buildings are built into the stone, carved around the needs of the trolls, and it fits most of the populace. There's shortcuts to the surface for quick exit, pathways dug deep into the rock thought for evacuation purposes, but thankfully so far they're only used as a quick way in and out of the surface, to make hunting, resource gathering and overall travel easier. The openings into the surface and very well hidden, so that no unsuspecting traveler accidentally falls into the city.

Beyond the main structures there are miles and miles of tunnels, smaller clearings, hidden lakes and chambers, and it's all occupied. The buildings and villages get scarcer the farthest away from the main hub, but there's life bustling all around the cave system.

And for that surprise! I stole my blood troll's name, because idk if I want to keep him, but that's not important now! What's important is

He

An inhabitant of Zul'Rukol, one of the less permanent ones but who made most of his life in the caverns below. He's been away for too long now and desperately missing home, but he can't go back until he finds what he's looking for in the surface. And nobody knows what is it that he's after - not even himself :)