The Mogu Empire was the Dynasty of Mogu Emperors of Pandaria, beginning with Lei Shen the Thunder King and his unification of all clans, the construction of the Serpent's Spine and various other structures.
History:[]
Legacy:[]
Pandaren Monasticism[]
The enslavement of all races of Pandaria (with exception of the Mantid) was accredited as the beginning of Pandaren Monks and the Martial Traditions thereof. As spoken by Lorewalker Cho of the Golden Lotus:
"What do you fear most in this world? Have you conquered your fear... or has your fear conquered you?
In the ancient days before the sundering of the world, the mogu emperors ruled over Pandaria. My people were made slaves, and they were afraid.
The Mogu were masters of pain and torture, of dark magics and brutal weapons. No pandaren, hozen, or jinyu could resist the power they held. And my people were afraid.
It was the mogu who built the Serpent's Spine. The most unlucky of slaves were send to aid in its construction and defense, to be fodder for the mantid. And my people were afraid.
As the empire grew, the mogu began to experiment with the secrets of the Value. They crafted terrible weapons of living flesh and stone. And my people were afraid.
In their hubris, the mogu never foresaw that their downfall lay in wait, not among their enemies, but among the oppressed. The day that one slave stood...
... and was no longer afraid."
Creation of the Saurok[]
As discovered by Lorewalker Cho, various adventurers, Pandaren tomes, labs and chambers within the Thunder King's Stronghold and the Saurok Nest where Warchief Vol'jin was betrayed by the Kor'kron, the Mogu flesh-shaping magics allowed the creation of a subservient race of soldiers. According to Cho:
"Let us talk about the nature of power. In my hands I hold a sword. I ask you: Who wields the power? I do, for I wield the sword!
Many thousands of years ago, the mogu held all the power. They ruled this land with fists of iron. But as their empire grew, they needed a way to police it and control it.
They used the powers of the Vale, and their own flesh-warping magics, to twist and shape a race of ferocious lizards into a living weapon. They created an army. An army of Saurok. Bloodthirsty savages created to enforce the will of the emperor.
Ah, but there is a problem with creating a living weapon. Do you see? Who, now, wields the power? The heartless saurok, even with their tiny lizard brains, soon realized the truth of their position. They killed the enemies of the mogu. Then they killed the subjects of the mogu. Soon, they started killing the mogu themselves. The mogu emperor then ordered all of the saurok to be purged. He tried to wipe out their entire race, to no avail. They still plague Pandaria to this day.
So you see - power is easily taken, but should not be lightly given."
Resurgence:[]
With the aid of the Zandalari Trolls, the Mogu Empire seemed to be inevitably resurfacing itself to reconquer and subjugate the Pandaren Races again. As revealed by Lorewalker Cho:
"It is said the God King Rastakhan, ruler of the Zandalari, lords over his mighty kingdom from a throne carved of solid gold. Years ago, as he sat on this opulent seat of power, he was visited by his most trusted prophet: Zul.
Zul warned King Rastakhan of a terrible Cataclysm. For Zul had seen a vision of a great armored dragon clenching the world in his ferocious jaws. King Rastakhan did nothing.
Months later Zul returned, bearing more grim news from his visions. He saw a legion of serpents pouring forth from a gaping fissure that tore open the floor of the ocean. Still, King Rastakhan did nothing.
Finally, mere months before the Cataclysm, Zul returned. Tearing his clothes and throwing down his staff to the ground, Zul spoke of earthquakes and tidal waves. He described the golden capital of Zandalar slowly sinking beneath the waves in the aftermath of the Cataclysm, its once-great people drowning as their mighty works slipped forever beneath the sea.
King Rastakhan grew tired of Zul and his troubling nightmares. To be rid of the prophet, he granted Zul the use of his largest ships, so that he and his followers could seek a new land if his visions came to pass. And his visions DID come to pass.
When Deathwing rose from the Maelstrom, dark, angry waves crashed into the Zandalari capital. The spine of the land broke in two, and soon, the city and all its riches began to slide into the hungry sea. The Zandalari people turned to their King for help, but there was only one Zandalari equipped to help them: the prophet Zul. The prophet, and the mighty warfleet he had assembled while his King sat idle.
You see, the TRUE power of kings and emperors stems from the power to aid their people. The moment they fail, they cede their power to one who can."
The Zandalari Trolls---apparently bound to the Empire before recorded history---had invaded the village of Zuchin Province, looted the Mogu'shan Vaults and the tomb of Lei Shen, raised the Thunder King himself, bolstered the defenses of the Thunder King's Stonghold on the Isle of Thunder and swore fealty with the promise of having a part in the Empire to come.