In the Goblin Empire's territory,
To the west,
In the Gloomwood Valley.
Here lives the largest tribe of trolls in the Goblin Empire—the Gloomwood Tribe. The tribe was one of the earliest allies that joined Emperor Amigul in the campaign against the Titans. Due to their contributions to the establishment of the Goblin Empire, they were granted the Gloomwood Valley as their homeland. The tribe's first leader was granted the title of Marquis of Gloomwood in the Goblin Empire.
Over time, the tribe's leaders passed away, but the successor remained a legendary figure. Over the generations, the Gloomwood Tribe grew into one of the largest and most powerful tribes in the empire, with a population numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They built a large city and several smaller towns at the center of Gloomwood Valley. Within the Goblin Empire, the Gloomwood Tribe holds significant influence.
Although each troll tribe governs its own territory and some of them live in isolated areas, those with greater strength command more respect. The Gloomwood Tribe is one such tribe, and the surrounding troll clans generally follow their lead.
In the year 696 of the Goblin Empire,
The devastating plague, the Blood Plague, spread across the continent, affecting the Gloomwood Tribe as well. Despite receiving early warning of the plague, the tribe suffered tremendous losses. Unlike the goblins, trolls had a longer infection cycle, and while the mortality rate was high, many infected trolls did survive, though they were severely weakened.
The trolls' appearance and physique underwent significant changes. Their tusks grew longer, their bodies became frailer, and their eyes turned a blood-red color. Although the Gloomwood Tribe had been seeking a cure for this affliction, their limited cultural knowledge and the lack of talented alchemists hindered their efforts.
Fortunately, the Gloomwood Tribe maintained close relations with the goblins. When the Goblin Empire successfully developed a remedy for the plague, they requested a large number of De Mega potions from the goblins. After administering the potions to the infected trolls, the plague symptoms were swiftly subdued, and the infected trolls recovered, with no further signs of contagion.
The Gloomwood Tribe was overjoyed by the cure. The tribe sent emissaries to Proadas to thank the Goblin Emperor and held a grand celebration in honor of the recovery. However, just like the goblins, the trolls who had been cured soon began to undergo alarming transformations. Initially, they showed no noticeable changes, but three months later, they began to exhibit extreme physical alterations.
Their bodies grew thick, wolf-like fur, and their tusks became covered in venom. Their eyes turned savage, their bodies shrank but became more muscular, and their posture began resembling that of an upright wolf. The trolls could tolerate these changes, but what truly disturbed them was that, on full moon nights, these trolls would completely lose their humanity and transform into feral werewolves. They would attack everyone around them indiscriminately, including fellow trolls, leading to numerous deaths among the tribe.
Initially, the troll chieftain tried to find a solution. After some research, the trolls' alchemists discovered that the ingredient Moonlight Grass, present in the De Mega potion, was the cause of these transformations. Despite their best efforts, every full moon, the infected trolls would revert to their beastly forms, resulting in more deaths.
Given that the goblins were also occupied with the rise of the Fallen Goblins and could not assist, the Gloomwood Tribe had no choice but to expel the infected trolls from their community. They were banished to the wilderness, and from then on, the trolls referred to them as Werewolves.