WARNING: Patch 12.0.7 Spoilers in this post!
When we last saw him, Zul'jan was in a rather depressed state. After failing to defend Zul'Aman from the Twilight's Blade on his own, he witnessed his sister Zul'jarra rally the loa to save their homeland and become their tribe's first hash'ey in centuries. Now, in patch 12.0.7, we witness the start of his next story arc as we explore the origins of the Amani tribe.
The Origins of Elves, Trolls, and Haranir
Before Zul'jan's story begins in earnest, 12.0.7 first starts with a summons from Elder Hagar, one of the Haranir leaders. She has summoned all the elven and troll leaders of Azeroth to Harandar with promises of a revelation for all of them. At the behest of Orweyna, we journey to the Den to witness this reveal for ourselves.
Gathered in the Den are an array of notable characters, leaders of all types of trolls and elves including Queen Talanji in her first appearance since Battle for Azeroth. Despite the unity between elves established with the Dawnwell at the end of 12.0, their tensions with the trolls are still quite intact, and none of them seem particularly keen on being near each other.
Orweyna says: Elder Hagar has called on the elven leaders to join this gathering in Harandar. It is of great importance.
Lor'themar Theron says: It would be an honor. We will join you as soon as we can.
Orweyna says: All manner of elves and trolls are here. We await only the blood elves and the Amani.
Orweyna says: So many old wounds. It makes them tense, being near those who were enemies for so long.
First Arcanist Thalyssra says: Many kaldorei still view us with scorn. To them, we are either cowards who hid from the Legion or traitors who joined the Horde.
Magister Umbric says: For a group that has avoided trolls and elves for so long, the haranir seem rather rushed to tell us something.
Shandris Feathermoon says: The kaldorei will do what we must for the preservation of this world... and the protection of our people.
Rokhan says: De Darkspear spilled blood with some of de trolls and elves here. But I be willing to set aside old rivalries for de common good.
Vereesa Windrunner says: I am told the Amani have been invited as well. Do not expect me to break bread with those murderers.
Queen Talanji says: All of Azeroth respects de haranir for fighting against de Void. But to bring so many old enemies to one place? Watch carefully.
In a currently unreleased cutscene, we see the arrival of the final guests, the blood elves and the Amani, before the reveal from Hagar: elves, trolls and haranir all share common ancestry. Almost nobody gathered reacts well to this knowledge, but Zul'jan least of all, who storms off.
In the aftermath, two notable conversations occur between the respective troll and elf leaders. For the elves, Lady Liadrin clashes with Vereesa and Lor'themar, who have yet to experience the nuances of Amani culture to help overcome their feelings like Liadrin did in Zul'Aman.
Lor'themar Theron says: We share a lineage with the trolls? With the Amani? This... this is preposterous!
Lady Liadrin says: These are shocking revelations. But I have fought beside them, Lor'themar. We share more in common than you may think.
Lor'themar Theron says: And what now? We open our gates to them? Welcome them into the very city they have long sought to burn to the ground?
Lady Liadrin says: No one is suggesting that. This is merely a new perspective, a chance to--
Vereesa Windrunner says: Liadrin. You of all people should understand the pain and loss the Amani have inflicted upon us.
Vereesa Windrunner says: They destroyed our homes and slaughtered our families. They captured and tortured us when we fought back.
Lady Liadrin says: I know, Vereesa. Believe me, I know. It... has not been easy for me to move past my anger. But it is a path worth walking.
Vereesa Windrunner says: Then I admire your grace. You will find I am not as forgiving as a paladin of the Light.
Vereesa Windrunner says: I will never regard the Amani as kin. Not after they robbed me of my true family.
Vereesa Windrunner says: Selama ashal'anore, Blood Knight. Justice for our people.
For the troll leaders, they likewise express doubt that this information will do much good at all, and question why Hagar would think that revealing it would mean anything for the long-standing conflict between their races.
Queen Talanji says: I will have to tell the other tribes. They will not be pleased.
Zekhan says: This could be exciting news. We all come from an ancient line of hunters, and guardians of a secret world.
Zekhan says: What does it matter if de elves share dat ancestry?
Rokhan says: Heh. It matters plenty, Zekhan.
Queen Talanji says: Our people have clashed with de elves for millennia. Dey will not let go of old conflicts easily.
Rokhan says: If dey even believe what Hagar told us.
Rokhan says: Most trolls never seen a haranir, never even heard of dem.
Rokhan says: How do we tell a troll who never left de Echo Isles dat de elves are kin to us?
Zekhan says: De Horde brought many of us together, maybe...
Queen Talanji says: You cannot force a family. Even if we share blood, this will take time.
Kith'ix and Ula'tek
Among the frustration expressed at the information, Zul'jan in particular refuses to believe that the Amani share blood with the elves. In order to prove its veracity, Orweyna invites Zul'jan and Kinduru to the Den of Echoes, where she intends to show them a painting tied to the Amani history.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Proof? What do you mean proof?
Zul'jan says: Orweyna. How do you know Hagar speaks the truth?
Orweyna says: We must go to the Den of Echoes. Follow me.
Orweyna says: The proof lies in one of the paintings within.
Zul'jan says: Bah! You expect me to believe some scratches on a wall?
Orweyna says: Our magic only works for memories of our kin. How can we find paintings of Amani memories if you are not kin?
Within the vision, we witness the founding of Zul'Aman, in their battle against the Old God general Kith'ix. Despite common Amani belief, the vision shows the Amani enduring heavy losses at the hands of Kith'ix and his Aqir army. In order to fight back, they summoned a creature from the Rift of Aln within Harandar: a massive serpent named Ula'tek.
Orweyna says: Give me your hand. Touch the visionstone and bear witness.
Zul'jan says: Dis land looks familiar... dis is Zul'Aman!
Orweyna says: Yes. A desperate battle long ago, between the Amani and ancient enemies.
Zul'jan says: I know dis battle! Dis is our great victory I heard stories of when I was a child!
Zul'jan says: We Amani stood alone, no gokinye, no loa, and we defeated de greatest enemy de trolls had ever known.
Orweyna says: The trolls would have lost but a few took a desperate risk.
Orweyna says: They sought the most powerful presence they could find... and pulled.
Orweyna says: And summoned a creature from a place none should disturb: the Rift of Aln.
Orweyna says: The Rift of Aln is a place of madness and pain, but the Amani found something greater.
Orweyna says: They called it...
Orweyna says: Ula'tek.
While the Amani connection to the elves may have been proven, Zul'jan is even more distrusting after seeing a vision that proves the foundational stories of Amani victory to be incorrect. In his eyes, the Amani cannot have relied on a loa like Ula'tek to found their nation, and intent on pursuing the truth of the matter, he rushes back to Zul'Aman with us and Kinduru in tow.
Zul'jan says: No! This must be lies! De Amani alone won this victory!
Zul'jan says: We will discover de truth of this, gokinye.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: What he means to say is you have our thanks for sharing dis with us. And we must return to Zul'Aman to investigate.
Orweyna says: I can speed your return. Roots guide your path.
Zul'jan's Quest for Knowledge
In Atal'Aman, Zul'jan first starts by searching through Kinduru's records regarding the origins of Zul'Aman. According to each story, tablet, and even Kinduru's communion with the Loa, the record matches Zul'jan's belief that the Amani alone won the battle... but records are not all we find. Hidden within a box that has already been tampered with, we find a damaged spirit mask.
Zul'jan says: Hash'ura! Help me search through Uncle's things while he communes with de loa.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Akil'zon says dey know nothing of Ula'tek. Strange.
Zul'jan says: Because de Amani alone earned de victory.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Numazon? Yes! Those tablets are ancient and worth searching for clues.
Zul'jan says: See! De Amani stood alone. No loa! No gokinye!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: And how many Amani died dat day, Jan-boy?
Befuddled Amani Mask says: Get away! Leave me alone!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: A spirit mask! Grab it!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: I never owned a mask like that. Where did it come from? Bring it here, hash'ura.
Befuddled Amani Mask says: Who are you? Don't hurt me!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: You are damaged, friend! Hash'ura, grab my tools and some supplies.
Befuddled Amani Mask says: Dey attacked de city. Dey tried to destroy me!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Who did?
Befuddled Amani Mask says: My... my memory is foggy...
Zul'jan says: De haranir lied. There is no mention of Ula'tek.
Befuddled Amani Mask says: Ula'tek? De ultimate weapon of de Amani?
Zul'jan says: What do you mean a weapon? What do you know?
Befuddled Amani Mask says: Hm?... I am not sure...
Zul'jan says: Numazon is our only lead about Ula'tek. At least until dis mask remembers more.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Do you know who you are? Tell me what you remember.
Befuddled Amani Mask says: I will try--it's fragments. You... you seem familiar though...
After repairing the mask, it tries its best to reveal what knowledge it has. While it is foggy on modern details, it does reveal that it has knowledge of Ula'tek as an "ultimate weapon". Following the tablet's advice to head to Numazon, we head off in search of answers potentially held by the Vilebranch. Within, Zul'jan discovers that a serpent shrine lies somewhere within Atal'Aman, but its exact location and purpose remains unclear.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: We are searching for knowledge, Jan-boy. Not weapons.
Zul'jan says: If Ula'tek is our weapon, we would be fools not to reclaim it.
Zul'jan says: Can de Vilebranch hex sticks restore de mask's memory?
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Not directly, but reinforcing de magic within may help.
Zul'jan says: Between de tablets and de mask, let's hope we find a clue to Ula'tek.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Dis tablet here says de first shrine built in Atal'Aman was dedicated to de serpent's victory.
Zul'jan says: Are dey talking about Ula'tek?
Utilizing the magic held by the Vilebranch, we further restore the mask's memory, enabling it to remember more. It reveals that information about Ula'tek was held by Hex Lord Malacrass, the advisor to Zul'jan's grandfather Zul'jin and the witch doctor responsible for enslaving the loa and cutting them off from the Amani. While Zul'jan is eager to pursue this path to find a weapon that might defend his people, Kinduru is wary, fearing that Malacrass' knowledge would only lead to further ruin.
Befuddled Amani Mask says: De path to Ula'tek lies in de Maisara Deeps. With Hex Lord Malacrass.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Malacrass! This is madness! He betrayed and enslaved our loa!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Vilebranch? Malacrass? We must tell Zul'jarra.
Zul'jan says: She will try to stop me from finding Ula'tek, just like with de lightwood. But we needed de lightwood, and we will need Ula'tek.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: If de ancient Amani sealed Ula'tek away, it may be too dangerous to unleash.
Zul'jan says: Or it may be de weapon we need. For when de elves make war on us. For when de loa abandon us.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: De loa will not abandon us!
Zul'jan says: How can you be sure? They have done it before, ah? Why not put some of that faith in me, Uncle?
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Dis is a fool's errand. Malacrass is dead!
Enchanted Amani Mask says: Even so, it is his knowledge that we seek.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Jan-boy, no good can come from dat villain's writings.
At the Maisara Deeps, we join Zul'jan and the mask in pursuing Vilebranch hexxers that may have knowledge of Malacrass' old records. Along the way, they all taunt Zul'jan and expose his insecurities, while the mask questions Zul'jan's lack of faith in the loa... with some ominously familiar information about Malacrass.
Hex Master Soye'mal says: De loa have failed us for generations!
Hex Master Soye'mal says: We will never... serve de loa...
Hex Master Soye'mal says: Malacrass always said dat binding de loa was just de first step. He had bigger plans than dat.
Hex Master Jintagga says: Malacrass was de greatest of de Vilebranch!
Hex Master Jintagga says: Hex Lord... return to us...
Hex Master Jintagga says: Ula'tek was Malacrass's obsession: a way to return to de Amani Empire!
Hex Master Uy'okan says: Little Zul'jan, come to do his sister's bidding!
Hex Master Uy'okan says: You will always be... in your sister's shadow...
Hex Master Uy'okan says: Vordaza was de Hex Lord's favored apprentice. If any have Malacrass's scrolls, it is her.
Enchanted Amani Mask says: You do not share your uncle's faith in de loa?
Zul'jan says: I have lived my entire life without dem. Why should I?
Enchanted Amani Mask says: True. Dey were here for generations, yet our empire has crumbled.
Zul'jan says: What did Malacrass do to de loa?
Enchanted Amani Mask says: Your grandfather asked de loa to help fight de elves and other gokinye. Dey refused.
Enchanted Amani Mask says: So Zul'jin and Malacrass decided to take de power dey needed, instead of begging for it.
Enchanted Amani Mask says: Malacrass infused avatars with de loa's power--avatars like your grandfather.
Zul'jan says: So he researched Ula'tek. If Grandfather could wield de power of our greatest weapon, then...
Enchanted Amani Mask says: He could reclaim stolen lands. Rebuild de empire. Realize his dream.
Ultimately, we learn that Malacrass' notes on Ula'tek are being held by Vordaza within the Maisara Caverns dungeon. As we set off to retrieve the notes, Kinduru again protests Zul'jan's reckless pursuit of knowledge, while Zul'jan defends the need to find protection for their people beyond the loa.
Zul'jan says: Uncle! The scrolls are with Vordaza in de Maisara Caverns.
Zul'jan says: Our best lead to Ula'tek are those notes in Vordaza's possession. Don't get blood on dem.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Jan-boy, dis has gone far enough. We must stop following Malacrass's footsteps! Lest we anger de loa.
Zul'jan says: De loa? If we can harness Ula'tek's power, we will not need de loa.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: How can you say dat? De loa made your sister hash'ey! Dey helped us defeat de Twilight's Blade!
Zul'jan says: What about when de elves invaded our lands? When de Trollbanes hunted our people? When my grandfather was tortured?
Zul'jan says: And still, we had to beg them to aid us against the Twilight's Blade.
Zul'jan says: No, Uncle. We must take the power we need to protect the Amani, like my grandfather did.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Your grandfather led de Amani to catastrophe, Zul'jan!
Zul'jan says: My grandfather did what was needed. The Amani stand alone. And the Amani never die.
12.0.7's Cliffhanger
Using Malacrass' notes, Zul'jan discovers that the shrine to Ula'tek within Atal'Aman is not just an altar to the serpent, but also holds the key to unlocking Ula'tek's power. While he rushes off, Kinduru insists Zul'jarra must be informed. The mask, meanwhile, is eager to see Zul'jan's pursuit of knowledge that even Malacrass never uncovered.
Zul'jan says: We haven't had any luck here. Did you succeed in getting Malacrass's notes?
Zul'jan says: De key to Ula'tek is hidden in de serpent shrine of Atal'Aman! Let's go!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Zul'jan, wait! We need to tell Zul'jarra!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Zul'jan! Stop!
Zul'jan says: If de key is within, we will have to smash de shrine open.
Zul'jan says: Let me know when you're ready.
At the shrine, Zul'jan's attempt to smash it open triggers an ancient failsafe. As ancient spirits attempt to prevent us from releasing the power held inside, Kinduru pleads with Zul'jan to cease his course of action, albeit to no avail.
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Zul'jan, something's happening!
Strongblood Jak'mo yells: Death to all who seek de serpent's power!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Stop! We don't need to do this!
Zul'jan says: Yes we do, uncle! De Amani must stand strong! We carve our own path!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Do not be tempted by power like your grandfather! He brought ruin to us all!
Zul'jan says: He tried to unite de tribes! To take back de land dat was stolen from us!
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: You do not need Ula'tek's power, Jan-boy! We have Zul'jarra, de hash'ey, to protect us!
Zul'jan says: And when de loa abandon us again? We cannot rely on dem!
Strongblood Jak'mo says: I promised de Amani... Never again...
Loa Speaker Kinduru says: Our ancestors are warning us! Hash'ura, help me stop this!
In an unreleased cinematic, Zul'jan opens the shrine to find a dagger: the Fang of Ula'tek. Despite Kinduru's warnings, the dagger begins to explode with dark energy in front of Zul'jan, and Kinduru jumps in front of his nephew to protect him from the blast. When Zul'jan comes to, his uncle is dead, and the mask reveals itself as none other than the spirit of Malacrass. Preying on Zul'jan's distrust of the loa, Malacrass convinces Zul'jan to take the dagger and finish his quest for knowledge to find Ula'tek.
When we awaken from the blast, we find ourselves within Amani'zar Village alongside Orweyna. She informs us that Zul'jarra arrived not long after Zul'jan departed, returning Kinduru's body to the village to undergo funeral rites. Despite her despair, Zul'jarra is insistent that Malacrass is to blame, not her brother, and sets out alongside a regretful Orweyna to pursue him.
Orweyna says: You're awake! You were out for quite a while.
Orweyna says: Zul'jarra is at the loa shrine attending to Kinduru. Come.
Zul'jarra says: What will we do without you, Uncle?
Zul'jarra says: I see. Hash'ura, would you honor us by helping with de death rites? De herbs are on de cart.
Zul'jarra says: As for Zul'jan, he has always obsessed over our ancestors' legacy. And our grandfather's glory.
Zul'jarra says: But to join forces with Malacrass? Dat fool! I warned him about dat villain. He manipulated Grandfather, and now...
Zul'jarra says: Malacrass did this. He killed my uncle. I know it in my bones. And now he has my brother in his clutches.
Zul'jarra says: We have to find dem. I have to save him. Zul'jan is a dolt but he is my brother... and de only family I have left.
Orweyna says: Zul'jarra, I bear responsibility for putting your brother on this path. I will help you find him.
Zul'jarra says: Thank you. This is not your fault Orweyna, but I welcome your help.
In one last farewell to her beloved uncle Kinduru, Zul'jarra recalls all that he taught her throughout her life, and how vital he was in setting her on the path of becoming hash'ura. The patch story ends on a somber note, with Zul'jarra in mourning and intent on pursuing her brother.
Zul'jarra says: Uncle, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I should not have made Zul'jan your responsibility.
Zul'jarra says: He's always trouble. Remember our trip to de coast? Little Zul'jan tried to swim across de strait! You were so mad!
Zul'jarra says: When our father died, you helped our mother raise us. Told us stories of de loa, taught us what it means to be Amani.
Zul'jarra says: Then when de Twilight's Blade nearly beat us, you were de one to put me on de path of de hash'ey.
Zul'jarra says: You are de reason why de loa came back to us. You never lost faith in dem. And you never lost faith in me.
Zul'jarra says: You were a second father to me, Uncle Kinduru. I will miss you. And I hope dat I have made you proud.
The Story Continues in 12.1
In a new format, the story of 12.0.7 is now explicitly framed as a chapter one of the story yet to come in patch 12.1. In the quest journal and achievement tab, we can even see the names of all the upcoming campaign chapters, which offer some insights as to where Zul'jan's story might be heading.
With the achievement description in mind, this story will evidently be taking us to the isle of Atal'Utek off the coast of Zul'Aman, which has been waiting behind dense fog since the launch of Midnight's alpha testing. What exactly awaits us on the island remains to be seen, but 12.0.7's story offers an enticing cliffhanger as we pursue the true history of the Amani Empire.
