Loa

The Loa (the troll name for the often lesser Wild Gods) are a collection of spirits worshiped by trolls on Azeroth. Loa spirits are more powerful than the elementals, but not as powerful as deities. They are ancient to Azeroth, formed by the life giving powers of Freya the Keeper, who also tethered their spirits to the Emerald Dream.

All Wild gods are called Loa by the trolls, but not all Loa are Wild gods. The Loa spirits such as Bwonsamdi and other various loa resembling spirits of trolls have no connection to the Wild gods or the Emerald Dream. They are in fact, ancient and powerful troll ancestors that now live in the Shadow Lands. Not all trolls that die become Loa. What makes a troll spirit a loa is a mystery, though it is speculated that it has something to do with the amount and type of magics they acquired during life.

Background

The trolls draw power for their voodoo magics by performing rituals and invoking the Primal Gods, Old Gods, forest spirits, and ancestral spirits: their Loa spirits and gods. They may appear as a glowing spheres, emanating ancient wisdom and sadness. The undulation of shining tentacles within its surface are said to grant visions of possible futures.

Supposedly, these spirits are mighty entities that grant the faithful extraordinary powers. If a Shadow Hunter calls upon these "voodoo" spirits, they gain special blessings with which they can combat darkness and help those in need. The abilities granted vary according to the Loa the shadow hunter calls upon. Almost any being who has died and transcended death can be worshiped as a loa, including Forsaken shadow ascendants.

Through faith and communion with the Loa, Shadow Hunters learn magic that hinders enemies and aids allies, gaining a unique mix of spells that delve into the more occult aspects of the Loa.

The five high priests in Zul'Gurub each have a corresponding Primal God. High Priestess Mar'li worships Shadra, High Priest Thekal worships Shirvallah, High Priestess Arlokk worships Bethekk, High Priestess Jeklik worships Hir'eek and High Priest Venoxis worships Hethiss.

The three high prophets in Gundrak each have a corresponding Primal God. Gal'darah worships Akali, Moorabi worships Mam'toth and Slad'ran worships Sseratus.

In Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content exclusive to Battle for Azeroth.

This section concerns content that is potentially inaccurate.

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These named Loa appear or are mentioned in the expansion:

• Akunda
• Bwonsamdi <Loa of Death> (Loa of the Grave)
• Gonk <Lord of the Pack> (Loa of Raptors)
• Hir'eek <Loa of Bats>
• Kimbul (aka Eraka no Kimbul)
  • Vunanju (servant of Kimbul)
• Krag'wa <Loa of Frogs>
• Pa'ku <Master of Winds> (Loa of Pterrordax)
• Rezan <Loa of Kings>
• Sethraliss <Loa of Snakes>
• Shadra <Loa of Spiders>
• Torga <Loa of Turtles>

The troll pantheon (Loa gods)

All trolls worship a pantheon of primal forces; a sacred animal represents each aspect of the pantheon. The trolls believe that all substance, living, sentient, or not, all have a it's own spirit and are all considered as Loa. This could range from the ground, to a single warrior. They also believe that when spirits die such as fallen warriors, their spirit lives on and should be honored through ceremonial practice. This includes Voodoo, an important magic used by trolls.

Amani Loa

The trolls of Zul'Aman worship primal beings they call the Forest Gods.

• Ula-tek, Goddess of Serpents.
• Nalorakk, the Bear.
• Akil'zon, the Eagle.
• Jan'alai, the Dragonhawk.
• Halazzi, the Lynx.

Darkspear Loa

• Bwonsamdi, the Guardian of the Dead.

Former Darkspear Loa

• Rezan, the God of the Hunt.

Originally part of the Gurubashi Empire, the Darkspear also continue to worship many of the Gurubashi loa.

Drakkari Loa

• Sseratus, the Serpent.
• Har'koa, the Snow leopard.
• Rhunok, the Arctic Bear.
• Quetz'lun, the Wind serpent.
• Mam'toth, the Mammoth.
• Akali, the Rhino.

Drakkari Gods

• Dubra'Jin
• Zim'Abwa
• Zim'Rhuk, the Wise One.
• Zim'Torga, the Mother of Prosperity.

Gurubashi Loa

• Hakkar, Blood God, and his avatar.
• Shadra, the Spider.
• Shirvallah, the Tiger.
• Bethekk, the Panther.
• Hir'eek, the Bat.
• Hethiss, the Snake.

Sandfury Loa

• Kimbul, God of Tigers, Lord of beasts, King of Cats, the Prey's Doom.
• Mueh'zala, God of Death, Father of Sleep, Son of Time, the Night's Friend.

Shadowhunter Loa

• Legba, Loa of Speed.
• Lukou, Loa of Healing and Respite.
• Ogoun, Loa of War.
• Dambala, Loa of serpents and treachery.
• Samedi, Loa of the cemeteries and the restful sleep of the dead.
• Shango, Controller of the Realm of Storms.

Zandalari Loa

• Zanza, worshiped by the Zandalar Tribe.
• Gonk the Great Hunter, is an ancient spirit Zandalarian tales.

Worshipped as Loa

• Shadow ascendants

Servitors of the Loa

High priests

• Arlokk, high priestess of Bethekk.
• Hawinni, high priest of Quetz'lun.
• Jeklik, high priestess of Hir'eek.
• Mar'li, high priestess of Shadra.
• Mu'funu, high priest of Quetz'lun.
• Thekal, high priest of Shirvallah.
• Tua-Tua, high priestess of Quetz'lun.
• Venoxis, high priest of Hethiss.

High prophets

• Gal'darah, high prophet of Akali.
• Moorabi, high prophet of Mam'toth.
• Slad'ran, high prophet of Sseratus.

Inspiration

The names of the Loa gods are inspired by Loa (also Lwa or L'wha) - intermediary spirits of Haitian Vodou and other Vodoun syncretic religions of similar origin. The character attributes of some of the trollkind pantheon Loa gods are in line with with attributes of their Vodoun namesakes, but others are of pure creative license.

The Loa gods and the troll pantheon, alone, do not seem to be the only root of inspiration from Caribbean cultures for the trollkind race. The trolls' native tongue, Zandali, for example, bears a strong resemblance to the syllabic characteristics of both the Indigenous and Creole languages from the Caribbean and their respective dialects. The trolls' Low Common dialect also resembles the Caribbean dialect of the English language.

See also

Note: This is a generic section stub. You can help expand it by clicking  Edit to the right of the section title.

External links

BlizzPlanet World of Warcraft - The Loa gods Lore By Medievaldragon – January 18, 2008