Loa
The Loa are a loose pantheon of primal forces worshipped by trolls; a sacred animal represents each aspect.[1] Power can be drawn by worshippers by performing rituals and propitiating the Loa. Traditionally these rituals are done by priests, who are dedicated to a single Loa[2], but anyone may leave offerings. Different troll tribes may call upon different sets of Loa[3], but it is always likely that a subordinate tribe will worship largely similar Loa of the leading tribe. The Zandalari tribe nominally worships all Loa of all tribes, acting as a priest caste[4], but there are a few exceptions.
Upon death, Loa may be able to return eventually[5], but it is possible to be destroyed spiritually and never to return.[6]
Very rarely a troll can become a Loa, such as Zanza the Restless or Bwonsamdi. Nothing is known about this process.
| Name | Form | Title | Worshippers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akali[7] | Woolly rhino | Rhino god[7] | Drakkari |
| Akil'zon[8] | Eagle | Eagle god | Amani[8] |
| Bethekk[9] | Panther | Loa of panthers | Zandalari |
| Bwonsamdi[10] Samedi[11][12] |
Troll | Loa of death Loa of the grave Loa of cemeteries and the restful sleep of the dead[11][12] |
Darkspear[10] Gurubashi |
| Dambala[11][12] | Adder | Loa of serpents and treachery[11][12] | Darkspear Gurubashi |
| Elortha no Shadra[13][14] Shadra[15] |
Spider | God of Spiders[13] Mother of Venom[13] Silk Dancer[13] Death's Love[13] The Venom Queen[15] |
Darkspear Vilebranch Witherbark Gurubashi Sandfury[13] Zandalari |
| Eraka no Kimbul[13] | Tiger | God of Tigers[13] Lord of Beasts[13] King of Cats[13] The Prey's Doom[13] |
Sandfury[13] |
| Gonk[16] | Raptor | Loa of raptors The Great Hunter[16] |
Darkspear Zandalari[16] |
| Halazzi[17] | Lynx | Lynx god | Amani[17] Drakkari Zandalari |
| Hakkar | Mutated wind serpent[18] | The Soulflayer The Blood God |
Gurubashi Skullsplitter Bloodscalp Vilebranch Witherbark Sandfury |
| Har'koa | Snow leopard | Snow leopard goddess | Drakkari Zandalari |
| Hethiss[19] | Snake | Loa of snakes | Zandalari |
| Hir'eek[20] | Bat | Loa of bats | Zandalari |
| Jan'alai[21] | Dragonhawk | Dragonhawk spirit | Amani[21] Drakkari Zandalari |
| Legba[22][12] | - | Loa of speed[22][12] | Darkspear Gurubashi |
| Lukou[23][12] | Bog beast[24] | Loa of healing and respite[23][12] | Darkspear Gurubashi |
| Mam'toth | Mammoth | God of the mammoths | Drakkari |
| Nalorakk[25] | Brown bear | Bear god | Amani[25] |
| Ogoun[23][12] | Cobra[26] | Loa of war[23][12] | Darkspear Gurubashi |
| Quetz'lun | Wind serpent | Wind serpent goddess | Drakkari |
| Rhunok | Arctic bear | Arctic bear god | Drakkari |
| Shango[11][12] | Ram[27] | Loa of storms[11][12] | Darkspear Gurubashi |
| Shirvallah[28] | Tiger | Loa of tigers | Darkspear Zandalari |
| Sseratus | Snake | God of snakes | Drakkari |
| Tharon'ja | Wind serpent | Loa of wind serpents | Drakkari |
| Ueetay no Mueh'zala[13] | - | God of Death[13] Father of Sleep[13] Son of Time[13] The Night's Friend[13] |
Sandfury[13] |
| Ula'tek | Viper[29] | Serpent goddess | Amani |
| Zanza[30] | Troll | Loa of Zandalar[31] The Restless[30] |
Zandalari[31] |
Endnotes
- ↑ Dark Factions, pg. 89
- ↑ Zen'tabra's gossip on the Echo Isles: "Dey still be wantin' us ta work just for one o' dem at a time, not wit all de spirits at once."
- ↑ World of Warcraft: The Magazine Volume I Issue IV (2011), pg. 85
- ↑ Troll Compendium, Zandalar Tribe
- ↑ "Proof of Demise: Gal'darah", Dalaran: "I will see to it that the very essence of the god is kept safe until it can be handed over to the Zandalar tribe. Perhaps they'll be able to find a way to reincorporate Akali from it?"
- ↑ "Blood of a Dead God", Zul'Drak
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Rampage", Zul'Drak
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Zul'Aman raid boss, Akil'zon
- ↑ Zul'Gurub raid boss, High Priestess Arlokk
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bwonsamdi during Zalazane's Fall: "Darkspear... it been a long time since I heard de drums... since I drank de ritual offerings. I be watchin' over your dead, Vol'jin, and for NOTHIN'. Why have de Darkspear forsaken Bwonsamdi, eh?"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Magic & Mayhem, pg. 47
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 Horde Player's Guide, pg. 68
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 Tablet of Theka
- ↑ Zul'Gurub raid boss, High Priestess Marli
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Shadra
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Zen'tabra's gossip during "Zalazane's Fall"
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Zul'Aman raid boss, Halazzi
- ↑ Maybe? His children are categorised as wind serpents, but it is very unclear what he is specifically.
- ↑ Zul'Gurub raid boss, High Priest Venoxis
- ↑ Zul'Gurub raid boss, High Priestess Jeklik
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Zul'Aman raid boss, Jan'alai
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Magic & Mayhem, pg. 45
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Magic & Mayhem, pg. 46
- ↑ While not exactly a traditional animal, this is probably the most appropriate creature. Like the real life loa and his antecedent god, she is associated with plants. Later in World of Warcraft, she is shown as a podling, which has the right idea, but such creatures do not even exist on Azeroth.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Zul'Aman raid boss, Nalorakk
- ↑ Based on one of Ogun's actual sacred animals, though a dog would have been more in line. There are, however, no dogs associated with trolls, but there are plenty of cobras in Stranglethorn.
- ↑ Based on one of Shango's actual sacred animals, but it is awkward considering the lack of goats in Stranglethorn.
- ↑ Zul'Gurub raid boss, High Priest Thekal
- ↑ Based on their venomous nature and tendency to give birth to live young, while also giving a different kind of snake out of the vast number of snake Loa.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Zanza the Restless
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Zanza the Restless' gossip