World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 by Blizzard Entertainment

enthralled by the aqir. These ferocious stone tol’vir, known as “obsidian destroyers,” almost overpowered the Drakkari. But years of battle had shaped the tribe into cunning fighters, and they devised brilliant ways to topple and shatter their foes.
    The Gurubashi also encountered corrupted titan-forged. These trolls had ventured southwest, where the aqir had overrunAhn’Qiraj, the prison complex housing the Old GodC’Thun. Upon infiltrating the stronghold, the insectoids had enslaved theanubisath giants who guarded the prison.
    Early engagements between the Gurubashi and the aqir proved disastrous for the trolls. The insectoids and their mighty anubisaths slaughtered several large Gurubashi encampments. Thereafter, the Zandalari instructed Gurubashi priests to separate their tribe into smaller, more mobile raiding groups instead of large armies. This new tactic allowed them to constantly harass the aqir, bleeding the insectoid armies dry over a period of many years. Though they were never able to completely wipe out the aqir, the Gurubashi eventually won uncontested control of the surrounding territory.
    Meanwhile, the Amani had set out to destroy Kith’ix. They tracked the C’Thrax’s trail far to the northeastern woodlands, cutting through an unending mass of aqiri guardians. In a final savage battle, the entire tribe flung itself in a suicidal attack against Kith’ix and its remaining insectoid minions. Only a tiny fraction of the troll army survived. Even so, the C’Thrax succumbed to its tireless hunters.
    Though the cost was high, the fearsome reputation of the Amani became legend among the other tribes. Atop the site where they had killed Kith’ix, the trolls established a new settlement. It would one day grow into a sprawling temple city known asZul’Aman.
    With the C’Thrax gone, the aqir no longer fought with as much ferocity or purpose. The war between the trolls and the aqir shifted dramatically. Extermination of the aqir became the trolls’ new imperative.
    After many centuries of brutal fighting, the trolls shattered the aqir empire, containing the insectoids in the far northern and far southern reaches of the continent. Central Kalimdor was permanently scoured of their presence. The surviving aqir fortified their underground colonies against further troll aggression. They showed no more interest in fighting. In time, the trolls proclaimed themselves victorious.

T HE N ERUBIANS , Q IRAJI , AND M ANTID
    Three distinct cultures would arise from the aqir empire. The insectoids in the north gathered near the underground prison ofYogg-Saron. Due to their proximity to the Old God, these aqir would gradually evolve into a race called thenerubians. Their kingdom would become known asAzjol-Nerub .
        The aqir in the southwest made their home in Ahn’Qiraj, the conquered prison complex of C’Thun. The captive Old God’s foul presence would slowly warp the aqir’s forms over time, molding them into a race known as theqiraji .
        The aqir in the southeast congregated whereY’Shaarj’s essence still polluted the land. These insectoids would eventually transform into a race called themantid. Even before the aqir empire fell, they would establish the great colony ofManti’vess near the Vale of Eternal Blossoms .

    Without war to bind them together, the troll factions grew ever more distant and insular. The far-flung strongholds of the different tribes blossomed into vibrant homes, temple cities, and eventually empires in their own right. The Zandalari withdrew to their mountain plateaus to pursue spiritual knowledge, but they would always maintain an immense influence over the disparate troll societies.

I n the later stages of the war with the trolls, one enclave of aqir gathered at the southern edge of Kalimdor. Below the roots of the greatkypari trees, they established a new empire. These insectoids, known thereafter as the mantid, saw no purpose in continuing a battle they knew they were