Trogg

Trogg
Faction/Affiliation	Independent,Axis of Awful,Old Gods' forces
Character classes	Barbarian,Healer,Rogue,Shaman,Warrior Geomancer,Raider
Racial leader(s)	Tribal chieftains
Racial mount	Saurolisk
Homeworld	Azeroth
Environment	Caverns
Area(s)	Eastern Kingdoms,Kalimdor,Kul Tiras,Northrend

Thetroggs are a race of brutish, cave-dwelling humanoids, originally descendants of the first type oftitan-forged manufactured by theForge of Wills. Known for their low intelligence, troggs often come into conflict with their distantdwarven relatives.

Some troggs that somehow managed to make their way intoDeepholm were not afflicted by theCurse of Flesh, unlike their cousins on Azeroth, and are therefore known asstone troggs, the "true form" of troggs.

History[]

Origin[]

Following their war with theOld Gods, thetitan-forgedkeepers set to work creating a new generation of titan-forged by using theForge of Wills. However, their initial designs proved too complex, and the result was a race of stone-skinned brutes known thereafter as "troggs". Distressed by the savage creatures, the keepers refined their design, resulting in theearthen race. The keepers could not bring themselves to destroy their already-existing defective creations, and instead the giantessIronaya created the vault ofUldaman to serve as a stasis chamber for the troggs. However, some troggs later managed to escape the vault and began wandering the world.^[1] One group somehow managed to make their way intoDeepholm viaUldum more than 15,000 years ago.^[1][2] These troggs were not afflicted by theCurse of Flesh, unlike their cousins on Azeroth, and are therefore known asstone troggs, the "true form" of troggs.^[3]

During the reign of themogu empire,Emperor Tian encountered troggs. The emperor, who needed messengers and deliverymen, warped the troggs usingflesh-shaping, enhancing their strength, smell and sense of direction, creating the firstgrummles.^[4]

Recent history[]

Buried deep within the earth, the troggs slept undisturbed for thousands of years until the dwarves excavatedtitan strongholds, such as Uldaman. Once disturbed, the troggs poured out of the ground, eager to take out their aggression on their distant dwarven cousins.^[5][6] The troggs gleefully slaughtered the dwarven explorers, forcing the survivors to flee back toIronforge. The dwarves were relieved to find that the troggs didn't pursue them, but in truth, the troggs were hunting them from underground by carving tunnels through the earth. As they neared their prey in Ironforge, the artificial noises produced by the great factories in thegnomish capital ofGnomeregan caught the troggs' attention.^[6]

The troggs burrowed into the lowest levels of Gnomeregan, encountering no resistance from the physically smaller and weaker gnomes.High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque organized defenses to hold the invaders at bay, but the troggs repeatedly burrowed through the earth to bypass the defenses.^[6] The troggs continued besieging Gnomeregan throughout theThird War. Despite their ingenuity, the gnomes were heavily outnumbered and couldn't hold back the invaders. The troggs eventually dug into Gnomeregan's engineering quarters, cutting the gnomes off from their best inventions and placing dangerous and unstable materials in the hands of the simpleminded creatures. The traitorousSicco Thermaplugg convinced Mekkatorque to bathe the overrun sections of the city in lethal radiation to kill off the troggs.^[7] In truth, however, the radiation was meant to anger the troggs and kill the gnomes,^[8] and in a few days the radiation wiped out nearly eighty percent of the gnomish population, forcing the survivors to flee to Ironforge.^[7]

During theCataclysm, an earthquake destroyed the home of theRockjaw tribe of troggs inColdridge Valley. Believing the dwarves to be responsible for the earthquake,^[9] the Rockjaws came to the surface in numbers never seen before and lashed out in anger at the nearby dwarves ofAnvilmar.^[10] The hordes of troggs also forced theFrostmane tribe ofice trolls to move east, causing the trolls to come into conflict withKharanos.^[11]

A large amount of troggs inLoch Modan were also enslaved byTunnel Ratkobolds loyal to theAxis of Awful. The koboldgeomancers managed to create some kind of parlor trick to control the brutes, as the troggs are ultimately "creatures of the earth".^[12]

Description and culture[]

Troggs are powerfully built, with muscular arms hanging almost to the ground. They have some vague similarities todwarves in their shaggy beards, stout forms, and thick bands of muscle that appear to have been carved from granite. However, that is where the similarities end, for they also tend to have a sloped, apelike posture as well as the heavy browridges and pronounced canines of a predator. Troggs have jagged, bony growths on their shoulders and elbows, a testament to their rocky heritage.^[13] They also have heavy minerals in their physiology.^[14] Troggs are known for their foul smell, which resembles a mixture of mold, mange, and sour monkey.^[13][15]

Troggs are much larger and physically stronger thangnomes^[6] and can be easily twice the size of a gnome. One trogg is usually a match for four or five gnomes, assuming they are armed and experienced in subterranean warfare.^[13]

Force of will and a strong sense of cunning are the only driving factors in the psyche of the trogg. Troggs are known to engage incannibalism; they consume stone and anything else they can acquire — including other troggs.^[16] Troggs value strength over anything else,^[9] and so the biggest, strongest, and most vicious trogg often becomes chieftain through displays of power.^[17]

Though they are cunning in battle, troggs usually do not possess high intelligence. Instead, they depend on their ferocity and tough hides to see them through. Most are vicious fighters, though some slightly more intelligent troggs have become spell casters as well.^[5]

Most troggs loathe traveling aboveground and instead prefer using their jagged claws to dig tunnels through the earth.^[6] Some troggs are known to hoardtitan artifacts, and some luminaries inIronforge's prestigiousExplorers' League have pointed to this behavior as a reflection of the dwarves' own reverence for such wondrous devices.^[18] Exquisite specimens of trogg engineering are nearly indistinguishable from simple rocks,^[19] and their most advanced craftsmanship apparently takes the form of using rocks as tools.^[20] However, troggs are also known to have developed axes, arrows, and even rudimentary spoons.^[21]

According toHigh Examiner Tae'thelan Bloodwatcher, one must not be so hasty as to overlook the troggs. While they may be simple, they know things about the deep, hidden places ofthe world.^[20]

Notable[]

Name	Role	Status	Location
Argh	Brawler's Guild gladiator	Killable	Bizmo's Brawlpub,Deeprun Tram;Brawl'gar Arena
Boss Bruggor	Leader of theRockjaw tribe	Killable	Frostmane Hold,Dun Morogh
Boss Galgosh	Stonesplinter chieftain	Killable	Ironband's Excavation Site,Loch Modan
Brawler	Guard ofGrawmug	Deceased	FormerlyStonesplinter Valley,Loch Modan
Feegly the Exiled	Dwarf exile who turned into a trogg after being exposed to the [Tear of the Moons]	Killable	Southern Barrens
Gasherikk	Appeared duringOperation: Gnomeregan	Deceased	Gnomeregan (Operation: Gnomeregan)
Gnasher	Guard ofGrawmug	Deceased	FormerlyStonesplinter Valley,Loch Modan
Grawmug	Leader of aStonesplinter incursion inLoch Modan	Killable	FormerlyStonesplinter Valley,Loch Modan
Grimlok	Stonevault chieftain	Killable	Stone Vault,Uldaman
Grubbis	WandersGnomeregan with his petbasilisk,Chomper	Killable	Hall of Gears,Gnomeregan
Hammerspine	Presumed leader of theRockjaw tribe	Killable	Gol'Bolar Quarry Mine,Dun Morogh
Magosh	Stonesplinter tribalshaman	Killable	Ironband's Excavation Site,Loch Modan
Morloch	Trogg champion claimingIrondeep Mine	Killable	Irondeep Mine,Alterac Valley
Murdaloc	Bane ofAgmond	Deceased	Formerly south ofAgmond's End,Badlands
Oggleflint	Former chieftain of theRagefire troggs, now serving as food forAdarogg	Deceased	Ragefire Chasm
Revelosh	Thief hoardingTitan artifacts	Killable	Hall of the Keepers,Uldaman
Warosh	Ogre mage cursed into a trogg byUrok Doomhowl	Alive	Hordemar City,Lower Blackrock Spire
King Gobbamak		Killable	Operation: Mechagon
Uncle T'Rogg		Killable	Mechagon Island

Groups[]

• Bonegnasher — Found inNorth Pass Caverns inDrustvar.
• Caverndeep — Found inGnomeregan. Led byGrubbis.
• Gravelflint — Found atRemtravel's Excavation inDarkshore.
• Grimestone — Found inTiragarde Sound.
• Ironbound — Found inStorm Peaks.
• Irondeep — Found inIrondeep Mine inAlterac Valley. Led byMorloch.
• Pebblestone — Found inisland expeditions.
• Ragefire — Originally found inRagefire Chasm, but were wiped out by theDark Shaman. Led byOggleflint.
• Rockjaw tribe — Found inDun Morogh. Led byHammerspine.
• Scrapbone — Found inMechagon Island.
• Stonesplinter — Found inLoch Modan. Led byBoss Galgosh.
• Stonevault — Found inUldaman and theBadlands. Led byGrimlok.

In the RPG[]

This section contains information from theWarcraft RPG which is considerednon-canon.

Background[]

The creature is a grotesque parody of a dwarf, with oversized head, bent spine, arms that drag along the ground, and a mouth filled with ragged, oversized teeth. It wears rough, smelly hides and carries a crude club covered with spatters of blood. The creature is barrel-chested and powerfully-built, with a thick forehead and jutting lower jaw. Malicious cunning is apparent in its deep-set eyes.^[22][23]

Troggs have a distinctly neanderthal look — low, sloping forehead; thick skin covered with bristly black hairs; and the long arms and bent spines of an ape.^[23] Troggs are a barbaric, almost "caveman-like" race with very low intelligence but a great capacity for violence of all kinds. They were the titans' first attempt to create life from living stone, but the experiment was a failure. Dwarven scholars postulate that the experiment went wrong due to the interference of theOld Gods.^[22] (The successful second attempt gave rise to the dwarven race.) When the titans saw how brutal and misshapen the troggs were, they buried them in vaults all over the land that would become Khaz Modan. The main vault of troggs was the old Titan city ofUldaman in Khaz Modan. There they stayed for countless ages, until the dwarves began excavating Uldaman. The dwarves dug too deep and released the troggs from their ages-long slumber. Now the troggs have begun to spill out of every deep hole to spread terror across the dwarven kingdom. The troggs have an unnatural hatred of their “pretty” cousins the dwarves. They may be dumb, but they are hell-bent on taking out their aggressions on the dwarves.^[22]

They are dull-witted and savage, but possess a ferocious cunning that makes them dangerous despite their lack of civilization. Troggs are related to dwarves, but if anything, the two races are distant cousins. Some legends say that both dwarves and troggs descended from the original earthen race left behind by the titans after the world was shaped in ages past. While the dwarves evolved into the stocky creatures known today, the troggs retained a stronger connection to the stone from which they were made. For reasons not yet fully understood, the troggs' evolutionary path led them to their present state — crude, stupid creatures only barely above the level of beasts. Troggs look and act nothing like their distant cousins, however. They dwell in rocky areas, but don't mind living above ground if they must. They eat just about anything, supplementing their diet of plants and raw meat with dirt and rocks they crush between powerful, flat teeth. The resulting gravel helps with digestion and is partially absorbed into their bodies, increasing their toughness. Troggs stand about 5 feet tall in their normal hunched-over state, but if they draw themselves fully erect, they exceed 6 feet in height. They weigh around 300 pounds. Troggs do not speak, but can make themselves understood with guttural growls and grunts.^[24]

Troggs are brutal and cunning in battle (indeed, that is their approach to most things in life). Their flesh is living stone, offering them a useful natural armor.^[22] Troggs lack subtlety in combat (or in anything else, or that matter). They typically rush toward the closest opponent and bash it over the head until it dies, then move on to the next victim. A trogg usually begins combat by raging.^[25]

Troggs are usually barbarians. Warriors and rogues are less common, with healers and elemental shaman being the only known spellcasting classes (though even they are exceedingly rare). Arcane casters are wholly unknown among the troggs, as are tinkers. Some scholars argue that with proper education a trogg could learn such skills, but so far no one has bothered to try teaching them. While hunter might seem to be a logical class for a trogg, that class is rare among them — apparently, these creatures lack the patience required for animal handling. Although an adventuring trogg is not an impossibility, such a creature would have many hurdles to overcome — the primary ones being stupidity and language. Troggs are almost universally brutish, primitive menaces in civilized lands. They are ugly, smelly, barbaric savages that most would sooner kill than look upon. A trogg that could get past these social stigmas would be an exceptional individual indeed.^[25]

Culture[]

Troggs worship the massive reptiles known assalamanders. Troggs will attempt to capture and train young salamanders as mounts. If these primitive humanoids slay or encounter a slain salamander, they will feast on its remains and make crude armor and weapons from its claws, teeth, and hide.^[26]

Language[]

Troggs do not normally speak, although they can use grunts and bellows to get their messages across. Troggs with exceptional intelligence sometimes learn to speak Low Common; truly gifted individuals might learn Common or Dwarven.^[25] Some troggs use Low Common or Dwarven as their primary languages.^[22]

Notes and trivia[]

• Before their origin as the first generation oftitan-forged to be manufactured by theForge of Wills was revealed inChronicle Volume 1, several older sources implied that the troggs were the direct result ofearthen being afflicted by theCurse of Flesh.^[27][16]
• Brann Bronzebeard has theorized thatkobolds (and, by extension,snobolds) evolved from troggs.^[28]
• "Trogg" is a reference to the word "troglodyte", meaning "caveman". The model name for troggs is troglodyte.
• Despite not actually being directly related to dwarves, there has actually been a witnessed transformation from dwarf to trogg: the case ofFeegly the Exiled. Several members of theHorde assisted Feegly in acquiring a relic of the titans, excavated from the archaeological dig inBael Modan, in the southern reaches of theBarrens. Upon receiving the item of his desire, Feegly proceeded to rub the artifact, named by the dwarves to be [Tear of the Moons]. ChantingPower! Glorious power!, Feegly was transformed into one of the fearsome troggs. He died moments later, and the Tear of the Moons fell to the ground and shattered, leaving no trace of the mysterious jewel to be studied.
  • Some other dwarves considered the troggs to bemutants.^[29]
• Warosh was anogre mage of theSpirestone clan until he challengedUrok Doomhowl. Urok stole [Warosh's Mojo], and then cursed Warosh into the form of atrogg.
• Before the introduction of themechagnomes, it was suggested by some players that thegnomes were somehow related to the troggs.
• Whilestone troggs have separate models,Forged Iron Troggs use normal trogg models.

In Hearthstone[]

This section contains information exclusive toHearthstone and is considerednon-canon.

Uldaman, now that's the place for a true explorer! Venomous scorpions, creepy stone guardians, ancientTitan machinery. . . it's great! Well, except for the Troggs. Nobody likes Troggs.^[30]

Troggs were first introduced toHearthstone with theGoblins vs Gnomes expansion. Many trogg cards gain in power whenever an enemy spell is cast; this may be meant to be a representation of their low intelligence and inability to learn magic, and that they, therefore, become angered when spells are cast near them. Alternatively, this may depict the trogg absorbing or "eating" the spell, as the triggered effects of both theBurly Rockjaw Trogg andStonesplinter Trogg cards are labeled as "Metabolized Magic".

In theLeague of Explorers adventure, a giant trogg calledChieftain Scarvash serves as the first boss of the adventure's second wing,Uldaman.

Gallery[]

• 
  The trogg model as it appeared prior topatch 7.3.0.
• 
  A trogg skeleton.
• 
  Concept art of aMongrel Horde trogg.
• 
  Battle for Azeroth concept art.
• 
  Morloch user portrait inHeroes of the Storm.

Hearthstone

• 
  Burgly Bully
• 
  Burly Rockjaw Trogg
• 
  Chieftain Scarvash
• 
  Chasing Trogg
• 
  Trogg Beastrager of theGrimy Goons.
• 
  Trogg Exile
• 
  Pillager Drasar, a female trogg.

Patch changes[]

• Patch 7.3.0 (2017-08-29): Model updated.
  

See also[]

• Stone trogg
•  Grummle
•  Kobold
  •  Snobold
•  Earthen

References[]

v e Trogggroups Caverndeep Gravelflint Irondeep Ragefire Rockjaw Stonesplinter Stonevault Stone trogg Murkstone Needlerock / Felrock Verlok Bonegnasher Grimestone Ironbound Pebblestone Scrapbone