World of Warcraft
When you walk through Shattrath City or the swamps of Zangarmarsh, you see them everywhere. They look like Draenei, but twisted. Their backs are hunched, their faces are deformed, withered and aged prematurely. They seem cut off from the holy light that radiates from their pristine cousins.
They are the Broken (Krokul in their native tongue). To the untrained eye, they might look like monsters or beggars. But in reality, they are the most tragic survivors of the Horde’s genocide.
The Red Mist, A Fate Worse Than Death
How did the noble Draenei become the Broken? It was because of biological warfare (they were gassed literally).
Decades ago, when the blood crazed Old Horde laid siege to Shattrath City, aside from the classical axe and fire, Gul’dan’s warlocks unleashed a horrific weapon known as the Red Mist. This pox was designed to cut the Draenei off from the Light.
Those who didn’t die from the plague were mutated. Their bodies shrank, their skin molted, and most painfully, they could no longer hear the song of the Light. They were cast out by their own people (who feared the disease was contagious) and forced to survive in the wild, becoming nomads. Some of them became slaves to the Naga, forcing them into hard labor. We encounter them in the dungeons of Coilfang Reservoir.
But for some, the mutation didn’t stop there. Those who gave in to total despair or were exposed to too much dark magic devolved even further into the Lost Ones. You have seen them while questing, small, mindless, aggressive creatures lurking in the swamps of Swamp of Sorrows or some parts of Outland. They are a grim reminder of what happens when a Broken loses the last shred of their sanity. It is the ultimate fear of every Krokul, to forget who they are completely.
The Ashtongue Deathsworn
Among the Broken, one tribe rose to prominence, The Ashtongue. Led by Elder Sage Akama, they allied with Illidan Stormrage to overthrow the Pit Lord Magtheridon, hoping to reclaim their holy temple (Karabor/Black Temple).
But Illidan betrayed them. Instead of returning the temple, he claimed it for himself. This brings us to the Ashtongue Deathsworn, the faction we encounter in The Burning Crusade.
On the surface, they serve Illidan. They guard the Black Temple and kill his enemies. But in the shadows, they are plotting. Akama plays a dangerous game, serving the Betrayer while secretly conspiring with Maiev Shadowsong to bring him down. When we raid the Black Temple, aside from just exterminating demons, we are helping a resistance movement from the inside.
Back in TBC, gaining reputation with the Ashtongue Deathsworn was kinda important. Every class wanted their specific Ashtongue Talisman trinket.
Important Figures
Akama, the leader of the Ashtongue and one of the somewhat complex characters in WoW, but I think isn’t very well known by players. He isn’t a villain, but he has done terrible things to ensure his people’s survival. We also fought the “Shade of Akama” boss, a manifestation of Akama’s doubt and subservience to Illidan. Freeing his soul was key to the raid’s progression. To maintain Illidan’s trust, Akama became a jailor. He helped imprison Maiev Shadowsong, the very person he would later ally with. He purged anyone who stood in Illidan’s way. He sacrificed his honor to save his people from total extinction. That is why his soul is split in the raid, the shade represents his guilt and corruption.
Farseer Nobundo is perhaps the most important Broken in history. When the Light abandoned him after the Red Mist exposure, Nobundo fell into despair. But in the wilderness, he heard something else, The Wind. The Elements spoke to him when the Light would not. Nobundo became the very first Draenei Shaman. He later traveled to the Exodar and taught his new path to the Draenei, bringing the Shaman class to the Alliance.
The Broken of Argus
The story of the Broken isn’t limited to Outland. Years later, in the Legion expansion, we discovered that not all of them fled to Draenor. Some were left behind on the Draenei homeworld, Argus. Led by Chieftain Hatuun, these Krokul survived for thousands of years hiding from the burning Legion in the shadows of their ruined world. Unlike the Ashtongue, the Argus Krokul are bitter. They resent Prophet Velen for abandoning them when he fled with the Exodar. They survived not by the Light, but by adapting to the Void.
Personal Thoughts on The Broken
The Broken are a reminder that survival comes at a cost, I find them kind of similar to Blood Elves’ history. They lost their elegance, their city, and their connection to the Divine. Yet, they endured. Whether it is Akama plotting in the shadows or Nobundo listening to the storms, the Broken prove that even when the Light fades, hope remains.
So next time you see a hunched Broken worker, you might aswell show some respect. They have survived a genocide that would have broken anyone else (aside from blood elves).
