Sand troll

Sand trolls (aka Sandfury trolls, or desert trolls) are a race of trolls apart of the Sandfury tribe. They live in the deserts of Southern Kalimdor.

Ancient history
Several thousand years prior to the War of the Ancients, the Sandfury tribe was originally part of the Gurubashi empire. The Great Sundering split the jungle trolls' territory, which left the Sandfury tribe in the middle of the desert of Tanaris. The capital of the Sandfury is the troll city of Zul'Farrak, but they have few other remaining settlements - Tanaris has long since reclaimed them, leaving it dotted with buried ruins. The trolls have been forced to give up the majority of Tanaris to outsiders, and are thus fierce to defend what remains theirs.

Long ago the Sandfury waged a brutal war against the qiraji. The martyr Theka was slain and thus Zul'Farrak still stands because of his brave sacrifice. Even in death he maintains a vigil over his beloved city, and it is said that the dozens of insectoid warriors who killed him were cursed to live as mindless scarabs, scuttling at the martyr's side.

Modern era
By a few years after the Third War, much of the Sandfury homeland lay in ruins, its cities squatted in by invading ogres and Wastewander bandits. The tribe had developed hostility toward both the Horde and the Alliance, as well as the silithid descendants of the Aqir, and the goblins who founded the nearby city of Gadgetzan in service to the Steamwheedle Trade Princes. Adventurers from those factions were in part attracted to Zul'Farrak due to Sul'thraze the Lasher, which was rumored to reside in Zul'Farrak. Chief Ukorz Sandscalp was obsessed with restoring his tribe to its former glory, raised on stories of a time when trolls lorded over their ancient lands without interference from foreign interlopers. Nevertheless, new battles broke out daily between the sand trolls and a wide assortment of interlopers.

Alliances with other powers
Shortly before the Shattering of the world, the Sandfury trolls were working with Cho'Gall and the Twilight's Hammer. Led by Hydromancer Kulratha, they attempted to have the great hydra Kai'ju Gahz'rilla attack Stormwind and Thunder Bluff. Adventurers led by Varian Wrynn and Cairne Bloodhoof defeated Gahz'rilla and killed Kulratha.

After the Shattering the Sandfury did not seem to have a particularly active connection to the Twilight's Hammer, having none of the ambassadors present in other cities such as Shadowforge. Neither Alliance nor Horde have made any moves to crush the trolls of Tanaris, although the Bilgewater Cartel goblins attempted to ally with the Dunemaul ogres that occupy several former troll settlements.

By a short time after the Shattering, Zul'Farrak had become a wasteland. In their desperation the Sandfury tribe joined the Zandalari together with the Amani, Gurubashi and Drakkari in their attempt to reclaim their former glory.

Mists of Pandaria
An expedition comprising of all troll tribes united under the Zandalari banner arrived upon the northern shores of the mist-shrouded continent of Pandaria and quickly dispatched their representatives to reforge their old alliance with the mogu. In that expedition they used the synonymous tribal name "Farraki" rather than "Sandfury".

Appearance
Sand trolls have coarse, cracked skin tending toward brown and gold colors, bearing only a rough resemblance to their jungle troll ancestors. Unlike most other trolls, some sand trolls' tusks are black instead of ivory-colored.

Culture
he tribe mostly keeps to itself and attacks all outsiders. To survive the harsh desert lands the Sandfury trolls learned the secrets of blood magic - drinking blood allowed them to access the darkest voodoo powers. They also practice necromancy upon their own dead, allowing their ancestors to help the tribe survive in their harsh desert environment. The powerful loa Bwonsamdi watches over the spirits of the Darkspear trolls, but many of the Sandfury tribe's fallen members are offered no such protection after death. These tortured spirits obey Zum'rah, a cruel witch doctor who uses his dark magic to force the city's dead into unending service. The Sandfury trolls have worshiped a monstrous hydra called Gahz'rilla for thousands of years. Ever wary of the beast's icy wrath, the trolls will only rouse Gahz'rilla when they have plentiful sacrifices to sate the ravenous creature's appetite.

Sandfury trolls seem to have one of the most diverse number of social units in their society, ranging from Axe Throwers, Hideskinners, Blood Drinkers, Guardians and Executioners who act as the warriors and hunters of Zul'Farrak, to the Shadow Hunters, Soul Eaters, Firecallers and Witch Doctors who are potent Voodoo casters. It is rumored that slaves are also employed by the Sandfury tribe as warriors, and extra labour. A number of priest-type trolls such as Zealots and Acolytes seem to be at the core of the sand troll civilization, acting as religious leaders. Drudges and Cretins seem to perform the menial labor, similar to the role of peons.

Trivia

 * Sand trolls arose by adapting to the beating of the hot Tanaris sun after being separated from the Eastern Kingdoms in the Great Sundering. A sand troll empire has never been formed - in fact the only known tribe of sand trolls is the Sandfury.