Zul'Drak: Watching an Empire Fall (Deep Dive & Lore Theory) | World of Warcraft

Hello, everybody! Welcome back to another video here on the channel. Today, we are returning to the world of Warcraft for a video on Zul'Drak, one of the most complex and subversive zones in all of Northrend!
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Part I: The Invasion
4:15 - Part II: The Gods Betrayed
9:56 - Part III: The Preservers
16:32 - Part IV: The Empty Throne
Video Footage:
- Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft (2004-)
- Some images were retrieved from Google Images and WoWHead.
Background Music:
- "Zul'Drak" from the WoW WotLK OST
Outro Music:
- "God Hunters" from the WoW WotLK OST
#wotlkclassic #wowclassic #worldofwarcraft
Jediwarlock 2023

[@GhostWarrior334]

Just did this zone in wotlk today, sort of made me sad and question everything I did there. The zones sound theme suits how it ends up after MoP. Empty and silent, wind blowing past the buildings.

[@DIEGhostfish]

I feel like theybshould be able to resettle it soon, they have all those free willed underad now.

[@nakenmil]

@@DIEGhostfish Some kind of "Troll Forsaken" resettling Zuldrak would be really cool.

[@Jediwarlock]

Very true! Thank you for the comment :)

[@josejuanandrade4439]

You theory that Gundrak Keep is abandoned is interesting, however, during the campaign in Zuldrak, Drakuru, the troll that we rescued from Drak'Theron Keep, who betrayed his kin and joined the Lich King, tells us that the keep is the last bastion of power for the Zaldraki trolls. It seems the temple holds a lot of power within, tho is not specified what kind of power, but we could assume he means both military, and mystic. I remember that the questline inferes that Drakuru plans to eventualy assault the Keep with his Army to steal the power inside for his new master. And, at the time, there were lots of rumors about the upcoming troll raid. Being honest, we had grown used to the eventual "troll patch". Vanilla had the Zul'Gurub patch, TBC had Zul'Aman, so getting a troll patch with Gundrak Keep raid made sense, but i am sure the devs simply could not allocate time and resources for that patch in the end... i mean, Ghostcrawler himself did talk about the cancelled Azjol Nerub patch, with a giant underground zone, that got cut because of time, even tho the zone was already in development, and they used what they had done so far to create the 2 nerubian dungeons in Dragonblight. While Metzen himself said that the snake tail was there just because it was cool, he said he didn't know who put it in there... so some devs may have planed to leave it as a possible hint to what was coming in the raid. So the sad reality is that, plans existed, they just ran out of time. But there should had been a whole raid in that place.

[@ExValeFor]

That's what I think myself- a lot of ZD's holes were likely meant to be filled in a small catchup raid, possibly releasing alongside the tournament raid. The end result leaves it feeling uniquely eerie but there's clearly a lot unexplored (like why the trolls are even such a threat to us specifically)

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you for the thoughtful reply! I definitely agree :)

[@justing211]

Zul'Drak is my ~absolute~ favorite zone in the entirety of WoW. Every Troll kingdom seems cursed to tragically end and I thought it was neat/tragic and interesting to witness the fall of one in real time. Although of course I'd rather none of them fall at all. Troll lore is awesome but they always get just absolutely devastated by something

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you for your input! I’ve really learned to love this zone and it’s tragic elements… it’s definitely in my Classic top 3 for sure! :)

[@goshlike76]

You know, I was always fascinated by this zone, simply because it isn't just another lost jungle troll realm. It has an eerie feeling from scratch and it shows you that this goes way deeper than a simple trollish realm going extinct. So glad that you brought this back to light.

[@Jediwarlock]

I’m glad I was able to capture that feeling in the video! Thank you for watching :)

[@TheUzzy79]

i used to dislike this area, mostly because of the zone aesthetic. until i finally decided to level up an alt here. then i fell in love with it. i don't know what changed, but as i started actually exploring it, doing quests along the way, i discovered a charm and unique setting that i, somehow, never seen before. not to mention that the quests are quite easy, fun, basically a fast leveling zone. the drakuru questline is great as well, had a lot of fun roleplaying as a ghoul, lol. great video as usual, mate.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you for sharing! :) it is a hidden gem in my opinion!

[@parantbellum]

So many times I've been questing here, but never grasped the depth of the story. This has been a fascinating voyage. Thanks Jedi, as usual!

[@Jediwarlock]

You are most welcome! :)

[@bingpous]

Really well made, not enough videos on Drakari lore. Zul'Drak is my favorite zone in wow, and you told it's story wonderfully. Thank you for the great video, keep up the fantastic work.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! A hidden gem of a zone, in my opinion. :)

[@fidalf99]

Zul'Drak was the first zone in WoTLK that caught my eye. Sure, Howling fjord has the elevator and Grizzly hills are cozy, but there was something very interesting happening in Zul'Drak, that wasn't spoonfed with quest text, you could see it all around you. At some point I just stopped doing the quests and decided to ascend and explore the dying empire by myself.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes! It's absolutely amazing :D

[@firebutterfly]

Beautiful muted colors, this zone just made me sad. Thanks for posting this 12 months before I finally went through this zone in it's entirety years after Lich King was released. Missed so much of the game through the years that I've not been able to grab all the lore. Great video.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! It's a tragic zone but an excellent one!

[@marz_mitzi]

the real mystery is, what happened to Sseratus, mam'toth ended in ardenweald but not Sseratus. (also there's one extra loa not mentioned that didn't have an altar either, Tharon'ja, wonder why) great video and very in-detail btws!~ Har'Koa deserves a special mention for being the true survivor and surviving (with the help of the player) this mess, and at least Quetz'lun got her revenge, the prophet enjoying eternal deaths

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks for the comment! Tharon'ja is the loa who can be found as a skeletal spirit at the top of Drak'Tharon keep ;) so it kind of has an altar too, just not in the main Zul'Drak zone. :)

[@Dorimen17]

I stumbled on this video today due to KZbin's recommendations and after watching it I decided to give the creator big thumbs up for this piece of work. It's a very interesting and refreshing speculation on bits of lore we're not directly told about but are rather lead to speculate about due to Zul'drak's layout. Really enjoyable video. You've earned another subscriber for it.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much! Welcome to the channel. :)

[@vazak11]

Dang this video was quite solid, nice to see someone try and take the zones structure seriously and consider the world building implications. I agree with a lot of their takes and actually always mixed that the Gundrak dungeon was underground XD Some fun lore you may want to know is that the Drakkari were researching a cure for the plague at Drak'Tharon, so if not for the traitors within who brought it low they may well have been able to keep the Scourge out and counter the plague.

[@Jediwarlock]

That is awesome! Thank you for that detail... and thank you for watching! :)

[@jessyup1368]

Your voice and production quality are fantastic. I'm slowly lvling in Northrend right now, so anything to make this continent more interesting is appreciated. Please keep making these wonderful videos!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much! :)

[@oliverkunning3986]

Yet another amazingly crafted lore video. Zul'Drak is also a favourite of mine and it's a very sombre questing zone to see how their empire was brought low. Your lore speculation surrounding the royal family is every interesting and not something I had considered. It would be great to return to this zone in a future expansion or patch to see what is left of the empire and who the major players occupying the ruins are.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you for the comment! :) I agree!

[@brkpsgll]

I love Zul’drak it is weird it creepy and it is cool. You come face to face with Lich King in one quest. It one of my favs.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes!! Compared to TBC where you really only get "hints" of Illidan throughout the story and only one actual appearance, Wrath did a great job of hyping up Arthas with the little cameos throughout the questlines. :)

[@nakenmil]

You convey the inevitable downfall really well. It makes this zone come across as almost Dark Souls-esque, or maybe more specifically Bloodborne: everything going to hell around you, and you have to hold on for dear life just to go on.

[@nakenmil]

This is another zone I'd love to see a "what are they doing now?" kind of thing for. I understand that an in-game update is pointless, but some kind of lore snippet about the trolls resettling or something else would be awesome.

[@ExValeFor]

@@nakenmil I beleive there's something along those lines in the Exploring Northrend book

[@Jediwarlock]

Very good points, and thank you! I am starting Dark Souls II today and I am getting very interested in those type of storylines :)

[@BasketChase98]

One thing of note is how important the fate of the drakkari becomes after their fall. In Zuldazar as part of the horde campaign they are directly name-dropped in reference to the Prophet Zul’s betrayal of king Rastakhan and the loa Rezan, one NPC remarks something along the lines of “we have studied the fall of the drakkari, and must ensure Zandalar does not share their fate.” In fact, within Zul’drak itself, part of the questline there involves a few Zandalari historians who are there to preserve as much history as they can, starting off the chain that leads you to Har’koa, and asking you to bring back tablets recording Zul’drak’s history from within Gun’drak itself. It’s possible Zul’s machinations were informed somewhat by the Drakkari’s fall, with the information we the player unwittingly helped to deliver to him.

[@Jediwarlock]

YES! Thank you for sharing. I love how they referenced that Zandalari research we see in the Zul'Drak questline get used in the Zandalari story... very cool tie back :)

[@Donnirononon]

I love these kind of videos. I already know most of the information but i just like how each content creator is creating their own POV of the lore and zones as that allows you to find out something you did not know before.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! I enjoyed making it! :)

[@ederanged7960]

Dude.. Well said, you're right. Each creator/historian has a slightly different take or focus on the lore. Gives us a more complete story.

[@YouEra]

My favourite music from wrath. And wrath ruled!

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, great music for a great zone! :D

[@UltimateGamerCC]

sad dat de Drakkari Empire fell, but dat was Karma, for betraying de Loa is de most unforgivable of sins, mon.

[@Jediwarlock]

True! XD

[@UltimateGamerCC]

@@Jediwarlock and to think in BFA, a similar fate almost befell the Zandalari as well. it would seem that Trolls are fond of Coups as well as Voodoo.

[@Beatlejuiceable]

Very well done! I love these longer videos you make. Keep up the hard work and you channel will keep growing!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! :)

[@RaveMasterSRB]

Wow I never realized Drakari where on pair or second to Zandalari in terms of kingdom power and development.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yeah! I definitely think they were pretty close in terms of power, but I’m sure there are more details about this I am unsure of.

[@Nanigu]

awesome video

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks! :)

[@torsteinlb]

Awesome 😄 loving these zone videos

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! :)

[@Bullet-ve2it]

I love this zone. It was my favourite place back in wrath. That death knight quest was awesome!

[@Jediwarlock]

I’m glad you enjoyed questing through it! That questline is indeed awesome :)

[@Reality.juiced]

Great Job!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! :)

[@Valdrex]

Best soundtrack of any WoW zone or any MMO ever.

[@Jediwarlock]

It has some awesome tracks! :D

[@TumTom]

this was a dope theory!!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks TumTom! :)

[@FallenCorpse900323]

Amazing work! Love your videos! Keep up!❤❤❤

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much! :) Will do.

[@nicholaswoollhead6830]

Banger of a video, mate. This is what I'm here for. Cheers mate.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much! :) It was a big project and I'm very happy with how it turned out!

[@nicholaswoollhead6830]

@@Jediwarlock as you should be. The growth on your channel recently is well deserved. I think you and I enjoy WoW for a lot of the same reasons, but I barely have time to play or read anything these days so it's comforting to be served a little slice of obscure deep WoW lore once in a while by you.

[@TheWoWisok]

Awesome video! Listening to this while leveling in Classic Era

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! Sounds like a perfect fit ;)

[@s9prsche]

I really appreciate the effort and work you put into your videos! Keep it up! I would really like to see what the devs had planned for this zone. It definitely has its own vibes.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! I definitely agree… it’s fun to think about what Blizzard *could* have done in Northrend if they had unlimited time and resources :)

[@gerardadri9389]

One of my fav zones. You reported well on it.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! Good to meet a fellow Zul'Drak enjoyer :D

[@Astronic]

I like these deep zone videos!

[@Jediwarlock]

I’m happy to hear that! :)

[@0blivion1991]

Hey Jediwarlock keep your nice content up liking it a lot! When you will bring the classic+ Videos? I'm wating with impatience for those videos :D

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much! Haha, I tend to have a LOT of ideas so sometimes certain ones get pushed back a few weeks… In terms of longer informative Classic+ videos the next one is a few weeks out, but I have a couple conceptual “fake trailer” type of videos coming out soon! I hope you will enjoy them :)

[@0blivion1991]

@@JediwarlockThanks man. I'm looking forward to it :)

[@Sange4499]

My 1st play through in Zul'drak was awesome, did all the quests, i was so keen on the raid but we know how that goes. It's a real shame, there was so much foundation in the lore for it to have been amazing.

[@Jediwarlock]

I agree! Great lore that could have been made even better with a raid. :)

[@k0rnas]

Spending a lot of time in Zul'Drak as Hunter looking for Gondria :)

[@Jediwarlock]

Oh yes, I bet! :)

[@ExValeFor]

re: the leadership of Gundrak and the Zandalari's involvement. I think it may be worth looking ahead to a little more post-MOP lore, and im quite glad you went thay far already. I believe it's expanded that the Zandalari also extricated some of the Drakkari leadership. It's not unfeasible to think that it was retconned that after the PCs clear out the Gundrak underground, the Zandalari extract the Drakkari holed up within? The Zandalari leader, Zul, clearly didn't find the Drakkari's methods that reprehensible since he later resorted to them during BFA, leaving it somewhat possible that Malakk was the Drakkari ruler as of WOTLK (but obviously didn't exist at the time, or possibly may have been reused from a GD raid concept).

[@DIEGhostfish]

Zul also had to learb the Drakkari power theft trick from someone other than Malakk, mamely, torturing it out ofna Zandalari Preserver. INdicating the Frost King didn't know it.

[@ExValeFor]

@@DIEGhostfish That's actually a very good point, I completely forgot that. This means it's far more likely Malakk is just some royalty stooge whom Zul installed as acting ruler of the Drakkari

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@ExValeFor Or JW's idea that the royals initially objected coult be true.

[@UltimateGamerCC]

you wont be seeing that here, Jediwarlock be a Classic player only, a pity i know, but he has already made his stance on the matter quite clear.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@UltimateGamerCC Classic player, but he used MOP lore to help influence his thinking in this very video.

[@blacksun6245]

I really hope that the drakkari trolls become a playable race later down the line They have a really interesting history

[@Jediwarlock]

They would make for such an interesting allied race! Especially with a cool backstory/starting experience. :)

[@TheKingOfBears.]

Zul'Drak is still my favorite zone in the game. A close second would be Grizzly Hills or Howling Fjord.

[@Jediwarlock]

I’m glad you enjoy it! It is definitely in my top 3 :)

[@brettessex5634]

"The boy dem scorge move WICKED, duppies and not a lie' me a'tell, nutting Ire, me gwarn bun da loa so mi can rise up on some rasterferi ting and clart fi scorge, Tell da brukfoot pickney arthas mi pop live carn, mi big up miself a certi skengman troll, is a bigman ting, like Brukitah, brukitah, leng fi Skeng" -Drakkari (probably)

[@Jediwarlock]

Sounds about right XD

[@rasgrul8778]

this whole zone should of been a massive raid

[@Jediwarlock]

That would've been awesome! :)

[@vhaelen326]

your interpretation of the use of the saronite in the crashed necropolis i find questionable at best, as far as im aware there isnt a single instance of the scourge using saronite in such a fashion, its main use is for the production of armor and weapons as canonically saronite has passive spell absorption/reflection which is extremely powerfull and as the undead scourge minions have no will of their own there are no downside for the use of the incredibly powerfull materials. i find it much more likely that the shipment of saronite was meant to arm the undead trolls and make them almost immune to any kind of magic the loas might unleash against them

[@Bramandin]

Wow, after watching all of this, just wow. This awesome lore only stands to punctuate how much RDF took a shit on whole world of warcraft. I just got teleported to some meaningless dungeon and thought it kinda obsolete prety quickly. If I was made to go through all of this as akid, my mind would have exploaded from too much cool.

[@Jediwarlock]

I'm glad you like this Classic/WotLK lore as well! I agree that retail lore just disappoints me and upsets a lot of old lore through retconning and the like... maybe someday Blizzard will go down a better path :)

[@ulfgaar7724]

Personally, I think the quest design in Zul'Drak was absolutely terrible, with some of the most boring and frustrating quests in all of WoW. However, the story of the zone that they were telling is still some of the best and most overlooked storylines in the entire game. Hell, even the soundtrack perfectly describes just how desperate and hopeless the Drakkari are. It's weird how a zone with completely terrible quest design and objectives can still work its way around to tell an absolutely fantastic story.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, it is weird! The soundtrack especially is awesome I'm glad you mentioned that! :D

[@ffarkasm]

This is my favourite WotLK zone. Gundrak is quite disappointing though.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, they definitely could have done more with it! :o