I have always said it was the stupid political move to have attempted to gain support from just one faction. Had Talanji been smart and acted more like say Marin Noggenfogger she would have practically gotten both faction working for her for free.
All she would need is to tell the Alliance she would keep her people neutral while telling the Horde she would join them if they aided her. Heck, Chronicles is further proof with Brann going out of his way to make sure Ghuun didn’t threaten anyone even if it cause a strategic disadvantage to the Alliance. Heck, Anduin might even just help just because he is that sort of guy willing to help people in need.
voljin the terrorist attacked the zandalari much like he attacked horde
he always killed his own people. thankfully talanji was smart enough to look past his crimes
We can only speculate as to why Talanji decided to just approach the Horde, and not try to recruit both factions. However one thing to consider is that Rastakhan was unaware that she was venturing to Orgrimmar, she had merely told him she was exploring. Her returning with Horde forces would be one thing, but with both the Horde and Alliance would be another, especially as it would be a tough sell to the Zandalari people.
So it’s likely she figured it would be easier to see the aid of one faction to their people over both. Thus she focused on the Horde, which was easier to work out as she wanted the strength of Horde champions to deal with the unrest within Zandalar, while Sylvanas sought the might of the Zandalari navy. So there was something each side brought to the negotiating table.
It’s also important to remember that the Zandalari weren’t all that thrilled with the Horde establishing themselves in Zuldazar. We had to work to create bonds between the Zandalari and the Horde. I can’t image how the Zandalari would have recruited to the Alliance being allowed to walk around the place.
Plus if you want to talk about stupid political moves, there’s Anduin just straight up having Talanji tossed into the Stormwind Stockades, instead of being in more comfortable quarters with the goal of talking to her, royalty to royalty.
I mean Talanji and the Horde were on route to deal with G’huun when Brann arrived with Alliance forces. So that’s an example of a joint venture.
Yeah, that would have been a problem, because that’s bound to create issues down the road. Each side waiting for a different declaration and then suddenly Talanji realizing that she’s going to have to break her word to one, which would create problems. Suddenly the Alliance champions who have been allowed to be within the city, have the knowledge to stage attacks on the Horde’s newest allies, the Zandalari suddenly find themselves with lessened forces to help them as the Horde turns elsewhere and the Alliance follows as the war moves to other avenues, and hell maybe the Zandalari just decide to kick both the factions out, only to open themselves to other attacks with neither side unwilling to lift a finger to the people who first warred with, and then used, them.
As of chronicles they through her in prison after they sought out kul’tiras. ofcourse she wasen’t going to negotiate with them aftet they through her in prison
Plus it would sell better to the Zandalari to receive aid from fellow Trolls (aka Darkspears) and their allies than the Alliance. I’m honestly fine with Talanji only seeking the Horde for aid but she should not have been the focus on why the Alliance arrested her and Zul. Zul was the one who was leading the Zandalari efforts in Cata and MoP so there is already history between the two.
While that is true, both sides had issues there. Mainly, Talanji was travelling with Zul. And after what he pulled in Zul’aman, Zul’gurub and the Isle of Thunder, it’d be incredibly stupid if the Alliance hadn’t tried to kill or imprison him when they could. Even Rokhan admitted freeing Zul was a horrible idea when he saw him (but they needed Talanji and she was with him).
When Sylvanas tasks us with freeing Talanji, she says something like:
“The boy king has something that does not belong to him. I want it back.”
Sylvanas seems to know about the Zandalari delegation. She says “I want it back” as if she sees the Zandalari delegation as hers. So, there was some sort of previous ground work discussion to initiate the meeting.
Also, Zul was advising her, and he was seeking the release of Ghuun, the downfall of Zandalar, and the death of the royal family- he was working towards that end. So, half assed helping her limp along with one Faction would keep her afloat long enough to get his goals accomplished, while getting both Factions to help might of stopped Zul’s plan. Sort of like “quiet quitting” - keep doing enough to keep appearances, but still working your way out the door for your own ends.
“Why doesn’t Talanji ask for help from the Kingdom that, in living memory, assassinated the king of the neighboring troll kingdom for not just accepting Stormwind violently stealing a ton of their land?”
Clearly Stormwind has such a good track record with Trolls that they’d absolutely be willing to help, right?
Better then allying with the possessed undead body of a race who sealed the slow decline of her race and the faction with that was lead by a troll that outright rejected them and was responsible for their reconquest attempt failing miserably.
The Alliance still regained its old ally that happens to have the superior navy(who’s leader will be part of TWW) while Talanji lost her father and as far as we can tell still does not have a navy either(TWW show Horde ships and I dont recall seeing Zandalari ones). All in all I think the Alliance came out on top.
Did we ever get any official canon context for how and why the Zandalari contingent were captured in the first place?
As far as I remember and can dig up references for, the only information presented to the Alliance player is post-breakout, when Shaw reports:
Master Mathias Shaw says: Recently, Horde agents broke into the Stockades and freed two Zandalari prisoners.
Master Mathias Shaw says: A princess. And a prophet."
I’ve seen the theory that the Alliance was after Zul because he was a declared antagonist since Cata, and that sounds like the most logical explanation, but I’ve only seen that from players and never confirmed in-game.
We have Chronicles, as much as it butchers how the series of event play out that specifically states Talanji was trying to make a deal with the Horde and the Alliance found out.
On this note we still have the last of the Exploring Azeroth series. Let us see what that will state on the matter.
Did you miss the fact that the Alliance held her prisoner?
Did you also miss the fact that to break her out, Horde agents set a dozen alarm fire to Stormwind itself? And then sank a good chunk of Stormwind’s fleet?