Vol'dun

Azeroth is a vibrant planet, yet several renowned deserts scar its continents, and Vol'dun stands as one of them. However, none of Azeroth's deserts were formed naturally. The story of Vol'dun stretches back to the time of the Titans' descent upon Azeroth, and it is inextricably linked to the artificially created Old God, G'huun.

G'huun should, in essence, be considered a creation of the Titans themselves—a byproduct of their research into completely eradicating the corruption of the Old Gods by studying the power of the void. Yet, the experiment was only halfway complete when Loken's treachery erupted in Ulduar to the north, diverting their attention from the ongoing research in Uldir. The Titan Guardians had no choice but to bury the Titan facility underground, leaving behind a few lesser Titan Guardians and Loa to watch over it. They established three sealing facilities around Uldir to ensure G'huun could not escape. Simultaneously, to prevent any unforeseen accidents, the Guardians installed a small reconstruction device within Uldir, capable of completely evaporating G'huun should a crisis arise within the facility.

But as millennia passed, the Guardians never returned. The explosion of the Well of Eternity triggered a world-shattering cataclysm, and one by one, the three seals began to fail. G'huun began to relentlessly seek escape from Uldir's confines, corrupting the Titan Guardian within. This act, however, drew the attention of N'Zoth, whose servants arrived at Uldir to investigate. Among them, the Herald Zek'voz was the most unfortunate. The moment it landed on the island of Zandalar, intending to corrupt and conquer the Zandalari tribe for N'Zoth, it triggered Uldir's defense mechanism. The lesser Titan Guardians captured Zek'voz, disassembled it, and preserved its remains within Uldir's archives.

Another servant of N'Zoth, the Faceless General Mythrax, proved far luckier. He set his primary target on the seal in Vol'dun. At that time, Vol'dun was still a vibrant jungle. Mythrax unleashed a bloody rampage, slaughtering all the snake people and trolls living in the jungle. To protect Vol'dun and its creatures, Sethraliss, the snake god worshipped by the snake people, engaged in a decisive battle with the Old God's servant. Though ultimately defeated, she detonated the sealed pyramid Atal'Aman in Vol'dun. While the Serpent God Loa and Mythrax perished together—both being demigods, their deaths were more a temporary cessation of activity—it can only be said that Sethraliss temporarily prevented the Old God from fully corrupting Vol'dun. The price, however, was that the Titan energy within Atal'Aman swept across the entire region, transforming the lush jungle into a desolate desert.

It is clear that the Twilight Cult chose to establish their base here as a continuation of their ancient, interrupted plan. Simultaneously, they aimed to subjugate the isolated Zandalari Trolls to N'Zoth, adding new servants to their master. The Temple of Akunda in the south was chosen for its excellent geographical advantages. It is surrounded by mountains, their peaks stretching skyward like fingers, rendering ground attacks almost impossible. Furthermore, its distance from the coastline made it inaccessible to ships and difficult for artillery fire to cover.

Of course, the spies of the Hidden Blade and the Knights of the Silver Hand did not possess Galen's foresight. Their knowledge was limited, making it difficult for them to grasp the true situation.

"We have just arrived in Zandalar. This land has never been a primary focus for the Alliance. Additionally, the Zandalari Trolls have always been wary of foreign forces, making it difficult for our Hidden Blade agents to infiltrate," Vanessa explained, now pointing to the central area of Vol'dun. "If you wish to catch up with your target, I believe it would be best to seek assistance from the locals."