Quick Overview
The Atal'ai priests pushed Hakkar's worship beyond blood sacrifice toward the god's physical arrival in Azeroth. Their purpose alarmed other Gurubashi and Hakkari priests, turning a cult into the cause of civil war. The schism ended in exile but did not end the threat of Hakkar's return.
Full History
Hakkar the Soulflayer had gained worshippers among Gurubashi trolls who sought strength after the collapse of their ancient empire. His demands for living sacrifices grew more severe as his influence spread. Not every priest who had accepted the blood god supported every demand he made, and differences that might once have remained internal became decisive when the Atal'ai embraced a more dangerous objective.
The Atal'ai sought to summon Hakkar into the world itself. Their willingness to pursue that end horrified other worshippers and jungle communities that feared the consequences of permitting the blood god complete access to Azeroth. The dispute became more than a quarrel over ritual practice. It placed the survival of the troll capital and surrounding peoples against a priesthood committed to its deity's demands.
The opposition expanded until the Zandalari and other troll factions joined an uprising. Hakkar's avatar was destroyed, and the battles wrecked much of Zul'Gurub. The defeated Atal'ai did not submit to the outcome. Driven from Stranglethorn, they established a remote temple in the Swamp of Sorrows to continue their work beyond the reach of their enemies.
Their exile spread the consequences of the Gurubashi crisis across the Eastern Kingdoms. The temple would eventually draw the intervention of Ysera and green dragons, showing how a divided priesthood's ambitions could threaten powers and places far removed from the original struggle in Zul'Gurub.
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