So, You Wanna be an Exile?
Exile. Outcast. [name]’fon. I’ve been seeing a lot of characters with these tags, lately. I play one, myself. My main is a Skullsplitter exile, so I thought it might be conversation worthy to talk about what that really means. We’ll be going over tribal mentality with trolls, the environment that exiles live in, and what behavior certain tribes deem to be deserving of expulsion. Also, a LOT of races in World of Warcraft have exiles in some form or fashion. We’re exclusively talking about trolls.
What is an exile? Objectively speaking, it’s a person who was a part of a society that has been forcefully removed from that society, or has evicted themselves from their tribe. In most situations, a troll choosing to leave their people has committed just as great of an offense as one who actually committed an act to warrant their removal. Your first question might be, why exile them at all? If they caused such a problem, why not just execute them outright? It’s going to take a proper discussion to really answer this question, so let’s get into it. When an exile is performed, especially a public exile, it’s not a means of dealing with a problem so much as it is making a statement. I mean, well, yes you are dealing with the problem by removing it... But we’re not looking so much into what is done, we’re looking at how it’s done. And to understand the impact this has, we’re going to need to look at how tribe mentality exists in troll culture. As a troll, to have a tribe is to survive. When the Sundering split the world, it destroyed the trolls’ empire. There is no better example of how devastating this was than seeing what happened to Zul’Farrak and the whole of Tanaris. That desert used to be a jungle. The entire biome switched. Instead of a humid haze and shady palm fronds, the Farraki tribe was now faced with blistering, dry heat and a hostile, barren environment (more so after the Cataclysm, hence the tribe grouping with the Zandalari). Their hides were scorched, their smaller settlements fell, and their identity as the Razorbranch tribe had been completely eliminated and replaced with ‘Sandfury’. The measures they resorted to during this time were measures put in place to simply live. It would go on to define the tribe’s identity for ages to come... But the largest city, the largest unity of Farraki trolls survived. They lived to make future generations, who would continue to exist in their own ways. Let’s look at it from another perspective. Zul’Gurub... Home to the Gurubashi, and the summoning point for Hakkar. The conflict that stemmed from the blood god’s arrival ultimately resulted in the fracture of tribes once united in that city. The Atal’ai relocated to the swamps, the Bloodscalp tribe took an area by the waters of Northern Stranglethorn, and the Skullsplitter tribe settled closer to the center of the jungle. The Gurubashi have been on a steady decline since, and the Skullsplitters and Bloodscalps have been warring constantly. The Bloodscalps’ numbers were 2500 and the Skullsplitters’ were 1500 and declining rapidly. But there was another tribe, one that was looked down upon and bullied by the others for centuries. One that was driven from their home, and settled on islands. One that Thrall encountered, and pledged themselves to the Horde-- A new tribe of sorts. The Darkspear. If you’re noticing a theme, here, you’re not wrong. The trolls were at their most powerful when they were unified. The fractures are the beginning cause of all downfalls. The ‘glory days’ told of empires, not individuals... And the heroes of legend hailed by troll tribes are the ones who unite, fight for, and die for their people. A lot of the troll antagonists the players have to defeat actually have the vision of the troll empire uniting once more (though the means in which this has been attempted have been questionable), which means that in modern WoW this is still a desirable motive for troll leaders to pursue. Which means that it still carries weight in troll culture. By forcing a troll out of a tribe, you strip all of that away. You’re taking them out of the group and taking their chance for survival away from them. It’s a gesture that says ‘we would be better off without you’ just as much as it says ‘you deserve to die out there on your own’. On the other side of things, to leave a tribe on your own and choose a life of solitude, is to choose to abandon your people, your responsibilities, and your culture. Exile is shame, and death is often preferable to the humiliation. The suffix ‘fon may be ironically worn with pride by some... But intentionally, it is one of the lowest insults a troll can suffer. Now that we have a grasp on the severity of this action, let’s talk about the reality of exile. What environment are these trolls subject to? The specifics vary among the civilizations. Stranglethorn exiles are exposed to the unrelenting jungle, the Sandfury are at the mercy of the open dunes and many, many enemies, the ice trolls of Northrend are subject to the harshest winters and when the largest troll city of the north falls to the scourge, what hope do you have on your own? You’re not sent out there with a buddy and a survival kit. You’re lucky if you don’t get a nose ring knocked out by someone throwing a stone at you, because you probably won’t be allowed to pick it up. And guess what? Everyone else that got exiled for their own acts against their tribe, as well as the exiles of other (potentially warring) tribes? Now you’ve got to interact with them... On your own. However, something very interesting happened with the Zandalari in Vol’dun. They ended up forming the most coherent society of exiles that we see in the game. Not to say that other groups of trolls going at the wilds in groups and pairs wouldn’t have been possible-- In fact, it probably is. When you’re raised with the mindset that you need people, you’re probably going to try to... You know. Find some people. But we can actually see and interact with the exiles in Vol’dun, and their way of doing things is by far the most organized. I like to believe that the reason we see this here and not in other areas is because of how Dazar’alor is structured. There are castes, explicit royal hierarchies, and formal authorities that the other tribes don’t seem to have. Yes, there are positions of power like shadow hunters and witch doctors, but there’s just something much more... Put together about the city in Zuldazar than there is regarding a tribe that lives within ruins and caves in Stranglethorn. Because of the lifestyle that Dazar’alor provides, the Zandalari exiles in Vol’dun seemingly replicated that to the best of their ability. Not all of them were a part of this, but the ones that were created a reflection of their civilization. This is significant. But the main question still bears to be asked-- What the hell did someone do to end up in this mess? Honestly... This is solely dependent on the tribe’s values. There was an Atal’ai exile in the Hinterlands who was cast out because he didn’t agree with the teachings or the zealotry surrounding Hakkar. The Atal’ai function like a cult, and those who speak heresy against the great god of this cult? That’s a cardinal offense to the utmost highest degree. The Atal’ai have committed heinous, atrocious acts throughout history... But neglecting and refusing Hakkar is something that goes against the very essence of their tribe. Perhaps the most famous exile in the game is Zanzil the Outcast. There are some inconsistencies regarding his origins, but when you follow his lore in Classic content, you learn that he was a Gurubashi exiled for his particular voodoo practices. He was brought back into the walls when Jin’doh had planned to summon Hakkar, but it is mentioned that Jin’doh was one of the ones who threw stones at Zanzil when he was marched out. So why the sudden change? Well, you find your answer in a quest. “Zanzil has methods of bending the minds of others, and his leaders fear him. He uses a mixture of jungle plants on his followers to suppress their will and strengthen their bodies.“ -- Crank Fizzlebub in the quest ‘Zanzil’s Secret’ It wasn’t until the Gurubashi submitted to their final resort, when the tribe turned to the corrupt god of blood, that Jin’doh realized Zanzil may have useful abilities to aid them in their endeavors. Now, we know that using mojo or mixtures to strengthen the body is something that troll cultures do regularly, and it’s either accepted or encouraged in pretty much all troll societies. The problem lies in bending the mind. Without the weight of starvation and endangerment on their shoulders, creating mindslaves and taking away the free will of your own people goes against Gurubashi values. Skullsplitter, too, actually. And probably many others. So really think about the tribe your troll comes from. Do they come from the structure of a golden city, where you have to be mindful of the hierarchies, just in case you piss off the wrong authority? Or do they come from a tribe in the forest, whose main priorities are to protect their homeland while killing any and all intruders and enemies of their people? Perhaps, in this case, showing clemency to an elf or human would bring a troll immediate expulsion. Maybe, instead, they come from a tribe in the jungle that’s just barely clinging onto survival, and the exile has done something to threaten the tribe’s way of life or wellbeing.
Exile is purposeful, deliberate, and direct. It is meant to degrade as much it is meant to punish. Take this into consideration with your exile, and really decide just how harshly they’ve gone against the grain. What have they done to deserve complete and utter banishment? What have they done to earn this isolation from their tribe?
...
...You know, that leads us to another question... Does your exile want to be alone? Do they prefer isolating themselves from others? If so, why? What reasons does your exile have to refuse an ingrained mentality that’s been taught to them since birth? What has happened in their life that has caused them to refuse an entire way of life? What could possibly be so impactful?
It’s a powerful thing, when you really think about it.
(I shouldn’t have to make this part of the essay clear, but I’ll say it anyway. Out of character, and as a person behind the computer, no one has any right to treat you poorly based on what you play. Just as in character actions do not necessarily reflect someone’s out of character opinion of you as a player. The purpose of this article is to provide an opinion about certain aspects of the story, as well as to give an opinion and insight to role players… Not to condone the mistreatment of players behind the characters. Be nice. We’re all nerds looking to have a good time in our own way.) Article: Opinion Piece/RP Tips, Author: Vorzhal, Realm: WyrmrestAccord