While Lei Shen consolidated his empire, the tol'vir guardians of Uldum struggled to resist the Curse of Flesh that had spread throughout their ranks. The affliction slowly weakened the Titan-forged, eroding their strength and clarity of mind. Though their bodies remained sturdy, their spirits began to fracture. Amid creeping decay, the tol'vir remained loyal, waiting for word from the High Keeper Ra—or at least from his mogu servants who had once visited the valley.
At last, a summons arrived. Not from Ra, but from a mogu leader who called himself the Thunder King. The tol'vir had heard nothing of the Mogu Empire's resurgence. Curious, they sent envoys eastward. When they reached the borders of Lei Shen's domain, they were astonished by how advanced their mogu cousins had become. In some cases, the mogu had even reversed the Curse of Flesh—a feat the tol'vir had long deemed impossible.
Lei Shen welcomed the tol'vir warmly and unveiled the wonders of his empire: the towering Serpent's Spine, golden palaces that reflected the valley's sunlight, and machines pulsing with ancient power. Yet the tol'vir also witnessed the brutal treatment of the enslaved pandaren and other races. Though disturbed, they did not intervene. Their primary focus remained the protection of the sacred machines left behind by the keepers in Uldum.
Lei Shen declared that he fully understood the importance of the keepers' work—especially the Forge of Origination. He claimed that as Ra-den's heir, he now held dominion over the keepers' instruments. With the Engine of Nalak'sha and the Forge of Origination under his control, he could reshape Azeroth according to his will. As fellow Titan-forged, the tol'vir would be given an honored place in the Mogu Empire. But Lei Shen would be their leader—now and forever.
Upon learning that Lei Shen had defeated and betrayed the High Keeper Ra, the tol'vir were enraged. They rejected the Thunder King's offer, swearing never to serve a traitor, and promptly departed his territory. Lei Shen allowed the ambassadors to leave, but warned that he would take what he desired by force. He was confident the tol'vir could not withstand the might of his empire.
So confident was Lei Shen in his victory that he invited Zulathra to witness what he claimed would be the greatest conquest in Mogu history. The aging Zandalari leader agreed. Lei Shen had artificially extended Zulathra's life, and high-ranking Zandalari leaders accompanied the priest as an honor guard. They hoped to return to Zuldazar bearing the gift of immortality.
Lei Shen led his mogu and troll forces westward. The Zandalari had heard tales of the lands near Uldum, but had never seen them firsthand. Clear lakes and pristine waterfalls adorned the dense forests of the region. It was an untouched paradise, teeming with life and undiscovered wonders.
The full force of Lei Shen's empire trampled across the land, halting before the monolithic pyramids that formed the guardians' fortress in Uldum. Only a small group of tol'vir emerged from the stronghold to confront the mogu. Lei Shen mocked their numbers, certain that only he could destroy them.
The tol'vir knew defeating the Thunder King's army in open battle was impossible. But they had prepared a final strike. The Forge of Origination, a weapon locked beneath the fortress, had been reconfigured. Instead of eradicating all life on Azeroth, they had set the device to scour only the lands surrounding Uldum.
As Lei Shen led the assault, reveling in his impending victory, the tol'vir activated the weapon. Deep within the earth, the Forge of Origination roared. The ground trembled and buckled as waves of uncreation surged from Uldum, flooding the land with unstoppable force. The tol'vir defenders and nearly every other creature on Uldum's surface perished instantly.
Across Kalimdor, beings witnessed a flash of light on the southern horizon. When it faded, Lei Shen and his allies were gone. The unleashed power had purged nearly all life around Uldum, leaving behind a cracked, barren desert. Pockets of plant and animal life would slowly return over thousands of years, but the lush forests would never fully recover.
The surviving tol'vir took measures to ensure no one would ever attempt to claim that power again. They cloaked the mountain paths leading to the region in magic, sealing Uldum from the eyes of the outside world.
The noble sacrifice of the tol'vir kept the Forge of Origination out of Lei Shen's grasp and prevented any future Mogu emperor from following in his footsteps. The death of Lei Shen and the upper caste of the Zandalari left a vast power vacuum in both empires. Before Uldum was cloaked in the Grand Illusion, a handful of Thunder King loyalists recovered his remains and returned them to the empire. He was enshrined in the Tomb of the Conquerors. Yet with most Zandalari leaders fallen, none remained who could resurrect the Thunder King.
A succession of emperors followed Lei Shen, but none wielded power as he had. The Zandalari spent generations attempting to recover from their defeat in Uldum, now embroiled in frequent conflict with the elves and dwemer.
That cataclysmic event dealt a crushing blow to both empires. Neither would ever reclaim its former glory. And in time, both would crumble and fall.
The elves and dwemer who witnessed these events felt vindicated. To them, the two mad empires—Troll and Mogu—that had long plagued their lands had finally received their due reckoning.
12,000 Years Before the Dark Portal
Lei Shen's death weakened the Mogu, yet their civilization still ruled the valley. The empire's slaves suffered terribly under Lei Shen's savage successors. Each ruler seemed crueler than the last.
The final Mogu emperor, Lao-Fe, earned the title "Binder of Slaves" early in his reign. He lived a life of decadence, convinced that his supply of intimidated slaves would never run dry. To enforce obedience, Lao-Fe destroyed slave families for even minor infractions. Parents were torn apart; children were sent to the Serpent's Spine to die as livestock feed before mantid swarms.
Such was the fate of the family of a Pandaren brewmaster named Kang. His son was sent to the mantid, and his wife was killed trying to stop it. After the Mogu left his home and shattered life behind, Kang nearly succumbed to despair. But soon, his thoughts turned to a single question: why? Why did the Mogu inflict such profound suffering?
Kang reflected on the enslavement of his people and reached a radical conclusion. Extreme cruelty toward slaves was not a sign of the mogu's strength, but a symptom of their deepest weakness. They had become utterly dependent on their servants; without slaves, they were nothing. Their power was built on fear, not resolve.
Kang devoted his life to exposing that weakness. Outside the forces sent to defend the Serpent's Spine, no slave was permitted to touch a weapon—a violation punishable by death. So Kang resolved to make his own body the weapon. To avoid the ever-watchful eyes of the mogu, he disguised his combat movements as artistic dance. He fused flexibility, strength, and rhythm into a flowing form of motion, nearly impossible to recognize as a fighting technique.
Once he mastered his technique, Kang challenged his fellow slaves to strike him. None succeeded. His "dance" made him agile and untouchable. The slaves begged Kang to teach them how to fight without weapons. Kang agreed, and word of this strange new fighting method spread quickly among the oppressed throughout the Mogu Empire.
Hundreds of slaves adopted Kang's teachings and dedicated themselves to mastering this new art, which would later be known as the monk's path. When rumors of the movement reached the ears of the mogu, Kang relocated his followers to Kun-Lai Summit. He knew his students were not yet strong enough to overthrow their oppressors. In secret, the pandaren rebels built a monastery among the wind-swept peaks and began training further as instruments of justice.
It was in Kun-Lai Summit that Kang discovered something unexpected: the prison of Xuen, the White Tiger. Kang allied with the August Celestial, learning the secrets of inner strength hidden within every heart. Xuen passed down wisdom and philosophy to Kang, who then shared it with his followers. With those teachings, the pandaren monks were finally ready to fight.
Their first great victory came at the Mogu'shan Vaults, the sacred chamber housing the Engine of Nalak'sha. There, the rebels drove the mogu from the source of their flesh-shaping power. The pandaren's devastating assault prevented the empire from creating new distorted soldiers. This singular victory not only emboldened the pandaren, but also inspired other races to join the rebellion.
The hozen, jinyu, grummles, and the proud bovine race known as the yaungol all joined the effort to overthrow the Mogu Empire. Slowly but surely, the revolution grew. Kang had been right: the mogu had become too reliant on their slaves, and as more rebels rose, the empire descended into chaos.
The grummles, masters of communication and trade, disrupted the mogu's supply lines. The mighty yaungol led strike forces to sow chaos in the northwest. The cunning hozen dug tunnels to infiltrate the mogu's strongest fortresses. The mystical jinyu communed with the waters of the land to divine the future, guiding Kang's forces on when to strike and when to retreat.
Eventually, Lao-Fe's forces retreated to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, the heart of the Mogu Empire's power. Kang knew that the enchanted land could sustain them for as long as they wished. Therefore, to defeat the mogu, the rebels would need to reveal themselves and launch a direct assault.
Kang did not hesitate. He led the charge himself, striking deep into the vale. He fought Lao-Fe one-on-one and defeated him, though the pandaren suffered grievous wounds in return. The Slavebinder and the former slave died together.
Filled with triumph, some freed slaves considered exacting revenge on the surviving mogu, slaughtering them as they had slaughtered their followers for thousands of years. But one of Kang's most promising students calmed their bloodlust. As the keeper of pandaren history, the student Song had memorized many of Master Kang's philosophies and stories. He retold Kang's tales again and again to the freed slaves, reminding them of Kang's commitment to true justice—not vengeance.
Yet a new threat began to emerge. When T'Shaarj died, his rotting remains scattered across the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and the surrounding lands. Over time, the evil of the Old God seeped into the land itself.
During his travels, Song became acutely aware of the dark power lurking in the earth. The lingering essence of Y'Shaarj clung to and amplified negative emotions, giving rise to malevolent spirits known as the sha. By spreading Kang's teachings, Song hoped to help the pandaren and other races nullify the Old God's influence and neutralize the sha.
He walked from one end of the fallen empire to the other for the rest of his life, sharing Kang's wisdom and encouraging all beings to find emotional balance within themselves. As Song's stories spread, others began to follow in his footsteps. More and more pandaren journeyed across the land, telling tales and nurturing inner peace in everyone they met.
These "Lorewalkers," as they came to be known, became not only skilled storytellers but also mediators of conflict, easing tensions with allegories and parables that helped all sides see reason and find common ground.
Thus began an era of peace and prosperity in and around the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. The pandaren, along with the other races who made the region their home, flourished. A new kingdom—built on principles of justice, wisdom, and virtue—rose to watch over the land once ravaged by war.
At that time, the Mogu Empire stood tall at the peak of its glory, ruling vast territories with an iron fist and ancient magic. In the fertile central plains of Kalimdor, a race of intelligent bovine known as the Yaungol roamed their ancestral lands. These sturdy creatures lived in harmony with nature, following the rhythm of the seasons and the whispers of the wind, guided by a majestic being they called a demigod: Cenarius.
Unlike many other Wild Gods who resembled beasts or elemental spirits, Cenarius bore a more human-like appearance. He was a noble half-stag, his body draped in robes of wildflowers and living vines pulsing with natural energy. He walked among the nomadic yaungol not as a ruler, but as a teacher and protector. He taught them the secrets of the forest, how to speak with nature spirits, and the art of living in tune with the wild world. Cenarius watched them multiply with pride, as if they were his own children.
But that harmony did not last. The yaungol, growing in number and strength, began to feel cramped sharing hunting grounds with the trolls who inhabited the surrounding regions. Tensions rose, and though Cenarius urged them to stay and seek peace, the yaungol chose to head south in search of untouched lands. They hunted and expanded until they reached the edges of the Mogu Empire.
The reigning emperor at the time, Qiang the Merciless, a tyrant who worshipped strength and physical perfection, was captivated by the yaungol's muscular bodies and extraordinary endurance. He ordered his flesh-shapers—sorcerers and alchemists who manipulated flesh and soul—to capture the nomads and transform them into stronger, smarter servants, while suppressing their wild instincts. The yaungol were forcibly tamed, made to forget nature and submit to the imperial machine. For generations, they suffered under Mogu tyranny, becoming tools of war and brute labor, stripped of freedom and identity.
Yet the yaungol spirit never truly died. Alongside slaves of other races, they eventually rose in a great rebellion that shook the empire's foundations. Their cruel masters were overthrown, and the yaungol reclaimed the freedom that had long been stolen.
That freedom came at a steep price. Their strong oral storytelling tradition was nearly wiped out, destroyed by Mogu laws forbidding them from speaking of their heritage and origins. Much of their rich history faded into vague shadows. Some yaungol still clung to myths of the demigod who once watched over them, though his name and face had blurred in memory. Others insisted the past should be abandoned entirely, and that a new destiny must be forged through strength and courage. Disputes arose, and in some cases, led to bloodshed among kin.
Most yaungol rejected violence and chose to head north, determined to return to hunting and living among nature spirits. Some nomadic tribes journeyed across the continent, traveling long distances until they reached the cold climate near Storm Peaks. Other tribes settled in the warm central regions of Kalimdor, where they were reunited with their ancient benefactor, Cenarius. Returning to their ancestral hunting grounds allowed them to rediscover nearly lost traditions. Those who studied directly under Cenarius learned druidic magic from nature, while others mastered the arts of shamanism, summoning spirits and commanding the elements.
However, not all yaungol left the valley. Those who remained soon clashed with the pandaren and other freed slaves. The physical transformations imposed by the mogu had not fully suppressed the yaungol's bold nature and aggressive instincts, and conflict after conflict erupted, especially over land and resources.
Fearing open war with their former allies, the yaungol moved westward, settling beyond the Serpent's Spine. The region was wild and dangerous, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the mantid—ferocious creatures that emerged every hundred years in massive swarms, threatening to wipe out entire populations. This cycle of destruction, combined with constant internal strife, forged a strong warrior tradition among them. The yaungol in this region became far more savage and resilient than their northern kin.
Over generations, energies radiating from the Well of Eternity and ancient guardian machines around Kalimdor began to alter the yaungol in unique ways. Tribes that remained near the valley continued to use the name "yaungol," though they grew more warlike and aggressive. Tribes that settled in central Kalimdor, near the Well of Eternity, began calling themselves "tauren," marking a shift in identity and life philosophy. Meanwhile, tribes that journeyed north toward the Forge of Wills called themselves "taunka," adapting to the harsh, unforgiving icy terrain.
These scattered groups maintained contact with one another for years, exchanging stories and knowledge, preserving fragile ancestral bonds. But when the Great Sundering finally shook the world and shattered the continent into fragments, all ties between the tribes were severed. The world changed, and the yaungol, tauren, and taunka were forced to walk their own paths, carrying fractured legacies and memories nearly lost.