Classic Reputations

The Argent Dawn is an organization with a simple purpose; protect Azeroth from any threats. Over the years, they have battled the Burning Legion, the Scourge, and the forces of Deathwing himself. Originally comprised of humans and their allies, they have opened their membership ranks to many Horde races, including the Forsaken. Their base of operations was primarily located in the Plaguelands, an area ravaged by the scourge. This puts them in direct conflict with the forces of the Lich King. They formed an uneasy alliance with the Scarlet Crusade, a group that is viewed by many as a group of religious zealots, driven to eradicate the forsaken from Azeroth. At one point, Naxxramas occupied the Plaguelands, ruled over by Kel'thuzad. Having been captured by the Lich King, Kel'thuzad appointed Baron Riverdare as the commander of the forces currently occupying Stratholme. The Argent Dawn, alongside their Scarlet Crusade brethern, managed to defeat Kel'thuzad, forcing him to retreat to Naxxramas. After the Dark Portal was reopened, the forces of the Argent Dawn battled against the Burning Legion. After being attacked by the scourge at Light's Hope Chapel, Tirion Fording formed the Argent Crusade to fight the forces of Northrend, effectively dissolving the Argent Dawn.

A group of battle-hungry fighters has gathered creatures from far and wide to participate in bloody arena deathmatches with heroes of the Alliance.

The Bloodsail Buccaneers are a group of ruthless, merciless pirates. They will attack anyone and everyone. They know no allies and having openly declared war on the goblins of Booty Bay, seeking to capture the port town as a base of operations. Despite their notoriety as pirates, they aren't a very wealthy group of pirates given that they tend to kill all of their victims, preventing them from being robbed again. Despite the ongoing war between the Horde and the Alliance, members of the Bloodsail Buccaneers consist of races from both factions. When the mists revealed the island of Pandaria, the Bloodsail Buccaneers moved in to the Shimmering Expanse, looking to loot it's riches. Recently, the Bloodsail Buccaneers have formed an uneasy peace with Booty Bay and are allowed to dock there.

Creatures have been gathered from far and wide to participate in bloody arena deathmatches with heroes of the Horde.

The Brood of Nozdormu are a group of bronze dragons operating out of the Caverns of Time. They are charged with guarding the passageways of time, protecting them from any outsider that would wish to change the past for personal gain. They become aware of the growing presence inside Ahn'Qiraj and are concerned about the power that the Qiraji yield. They are aware enough to realize that these events will shape the future of Azeroth.

The Cenarion Circle is a neutral group of druids that helps druids across Azeroth. Created by Malfurion Stormrage, the Cenarion Circle was named after Cenarius. They value nature and wildlife and do what they must in order to protect these defenseless creatures. When the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth, the Cenarion Circle fought against Archimonde and his demon horde, who had set their sights on Nordrassil, the World Tree. Malfurion then used the World Tree's power to defeat the Burning Legion, but at a great cost in sacrificing Nordassil's power. Malfurion then abdicated his position as leader of the Cenarion Circle and Fandral Staghelm took over the reins. Fandral would later betray the Cenarion Circle under the influence of Xavius, the Nightmare Lord. He merged a branch of Xavius into the World Tree, corrupting the ancient tree. As Fandral was to be imprisoned, he was jailbroken by the Twilight's Hammer and the forces of Ragnaros. He would then join Ragnaros as the new Majordomo of the Firelands. When the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth, the Cenarion Circle moved it's base of operations to the Dream Grove. They spent most of their energy combating Xavius, the Nightmare Lord in an effort to purify the Emerald Dream. They have also assisted Magni Bronzebeard in attempting to heal the scar in Silithus left by Sargeras.

Led by the brave Scalecommander Cindrethresh, the Dark Talons were trained to be the secret weapon of the black dragonflight. Today, these dracthyr use their skills to turn the tide of any battle regardless of how outnumbered they are.

No matter what is going on in Azeroth, heroes and adventurers can take a break from wars against the Lich King, Deathwing, each other, or the Burning Legion and have some fun at the Darkmoon Faire. Rolling in to town every month, the Darkmoon Faire opens portals in several places, notably Mulgore and Elwynn Forest, allowing for fast travel to the Darkmoon Faire. Spectators can take part of the numerous games and activities available. Magic exists all around the Darkmoon Faire, making it a santuary. Even when the Alliance and Horde are actively at war with one another, the Darkmoon Faire is considered neutral ground, making battle amongst the rival factions impossible. Also found at the Darkmoon Faire are collectors of rare artifacts, including Darkmoon cards.

The Gelkis Clan Centaur are a tribe of centaurs that settled in southern Desolace. During this time, the centaurs split into five different tribes. Led by Khan Gelk, the Gelkis Clan created a settlement near Shadowprey village, located in the southwest of Desolace. They were once at way with the Magram clan, taking issue with the Magram notion that the centaurs needed to be strong in order to fend for themselves. The Gelkis Clan saw this as sacrilege to Theradas, daughter of the elemental lord of earth, Therazane, as well as mother to Khan Gelk. The Gelkis Clan were the first centaurs to learn to speak common. Despite their disagreement with the Magram clan, the Gelkis clan would continue to grow in power. Where they once solicited allies in their fight against the Magram Clan, they now fight against any outsider. One leader of the clan, Khan Shodo, had three sons. In one conflict, all three sons were defeated. The loss of his male offspring devastated Khan Shodo who then formed an alliance with the Kolkar and Magram Clans, who aided in the rescue of his daughter. After the defeat of Deathwing, Khan Shodo and his Gelkis Clan reunited with the other centaur clans under Aratas, the new High Khan of the centaurs.

The Hydraxian Waterlords are servants of Duke Hydraxis and enemies of the fire elementals, particularly Ragnaros. To this end, the Hydraxian Waterlords would offer assistance to any worthy invaders of the Molten Core, former home to Ragnaros. They would offer their essence, allowing adventurers to reach the sanctum of Ragnaros himself. The Hydraxian Waterlords ultimately serve Neptulon, the elemental lord of water. Neptulon, along with the other elemental lords, once served as heralds of the old gods. Though they initially fought against the old gods, they were ultimately enslaved by the old gods and used as pawns in the war against the titans. Neptulon, along with the other elemental lords, were ultimately defeated. The Hydraxian Waterlords would offer support during the invasion of the Firelands to end Ragnaros' violent reign once and for all. When the Burning Legion returned, Neptulon, along with the other elemental lords, were summoned by the shamans to do battle against the Burning Legion, a battle they would ultimately win.

The Magram Clan Centaur are a group of centaurs that reside with the other centaurs located in Desolace. They were founded and took their name from Khan Magra. When the centaurs relocated to Desolace, the five children of Zaetar and Theradras split into separate tribes and formed their own clans. The Magram Clan became enemies of the Gelkis Clan. They believed that the centaur way of life should be about relying on themselves to protect one another. The Gelkis disagreed with this point of you, arguing that the their mother, Theradras, would always protect them. This pitted the two tribes in a violent conflict that would last many generations. Due to the violent nature of all the centaur clans, Thrall would eventually ally himself with the Magram Clan in order to contain the violence. To accomplish this goal, Horde forces went to Maraudon and killed Theradras. The Magram Clan would then unite the centaurs and lead them into an era of peace. This lasted until the Burning Blade massacred the Kelkar Clan. In response, the centaurs dissolved all alliances and considered themselves enemies of anyone that would invade their territory. The tribes would split once again only to be united under the first high khan, Aratas.

Led by the stalwart Scalecommander Azurathel, the Obsidian Warders were trained to be the shield of the black dragonflight. Today these dracthyr use those skills to defend those most in need against overwhelming odds.

The Ravenholdt are a mysterious group of rogues. They are very selective about who they allow to join their organization. They operate from the shadows, often serving as spies, assassins, and thieves. They are the archrivals of the Syndicate. They were once headquartered in the Alterac Mountains, in a mansion called Ravenholdt Manor. Though the location is no secret to anyone outside the organzation, it is very difficult to find a path to the manor itself. When Deathwing reemerged and threatened the destruction of Azeroth, the Ravenholdt were instrumental in securing a pair of legendary daggers, the Fangs of the Father, that were ultimately used to put Deathwing down for good. When the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth, the may members of the Ravenholdt joined the Uncrowned, a group of rogues dedicated to fighting the Burning Legion.

The Syndicate is a criminal organization and is composed of humans. Despite their membership, they are enemies of the Alliance due to their criminal activity. Members of the Syndicate can be identified by the orange masks they wear which symbolize Alterac, a now defunct kingdom from which the Syndicate originated. They are wanted enemies of both the Horde and the Alliance and have drawn the attention of Sylvanas as well as former Warchief Thrall. They are the sworn enemies of the Ravenholdt. When Deathwing returns and threatens Azeroth, the Syndicate's holdings are nearly wiped out. While most criminal enterprises thrive during times of tragedy, the Syndicate was not able to take advantage of this. During the latest war between the Horde and the Alliance, both factions have capture former Syndicate holdings. However, Syndicate forces still remain at large and look to be rebuilding their power.

The Thorium Brotherhood is an elite group of dark iron dwarves with particular skills in blacksmithing. They live separate from the primary contingent of dark iron dwarves due to the violent nature their dark iron brethern in the Searing Gorge. When Ragnaros was banished to the Molten Core, the Thorium Brotherhood sought to make armor and weapons capable of destroying the elemental lord. However, they found themselves unable to handle the guardians of Molten Core where the raw materials could be found. They become friendly with anyone that provides them the opportunity to temper these rare materials and will aid any adventurer willing to brave the perils of the Molten Core for rare blacksmithing supplies.

The Timbermaw hold is a group of furbolgs residing in both Azshara and Felwood. They are at war with the Deadwood and Winterfall tribes, both of whom have been corrupted by demons. The Deadwood tribe has been corrupted by fel blood while the Winterfall tribe has been corrupted by the demon Xandivious. In fact, the Timbermaw tribe is believed to be the only tribe of furbolgs that have not been corrupted by demons in some way. Timbermaw Hold is actually a cave connecting Felwood, Moonglade, and Winterspring. When the Burning Legion first came to Azeroth, the furbolgs were among the first victims of corruption. The Timbermaw tribe retreated to what is now known as Timbermaw Hold. From there, they were able to hide from the Burning Legion until they were defeated by the forces of Azeroth. Because it is widely known of the corruption of the furbolgs, the Timbermaw tribe are wary of outsiders for fear of attack due to being mistaken for their corrupted brethren. When the Timbermaw tribe finally emerged from Timbermaw hold, they were devastated to see the destruction of their beloved forest at the hands of the Burning Legion. Around the time of Deathwing's return to Azeroth, a faction of furbolgs broke off from the Timbermaw tribe and formed the Blackmaw tribe and took over the Timbermaw Hold, renaming it the Blackmaw Hold.

The Wintersaber Trainers are less a faction and more of a name given to two night elves located in Winterspring. As the pair are night elves, the Wintersaber Trainers choose to only interact with the Alliance. Rivern Frostwind is the leader of the duo. He trains winterspring frostsabers, raising them from cubs to one day serve as a mount.

Darnassus was the capital city of the night elves and presided over by Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage. After the Burning Legion attempted to destroy the world tree, Nordassil, the night elves found themselves disconnected due to the spell Malfurion cast to stop Archimonde. This led Fandral Staghelm, the new leader of the Cenarion Circle, to plant a new world tree. The tree, which was called Teldrassil, eventually grew in northern Kalimdor. It was around this tree that the city of Darnassus was created. Whereas most cities build their buildings close together, Darnassus is different in that there are not a lot of buildings and those that exist are purposefully far apart. The city was unfortunately destroyed when Sylvanas ordered Horde forces to destroy the world tree, Nordrassil. The citizens who survived that horrific event relocated to Stormwind City.

The Exodar is the capital city of the draenei and ruled by the Prophet Velen. In addition to the draenei, there are several naaru that can be found. The city is actually the remains of a spaceship that crashed on Azeroth. The draenei are orginally from Argus. They were forced to flee their homeworld after the destruction brought by the Burning Legion. Their first stop was Draenor. However, the found that the Tempest Keep had been overtaken by blood elves. The Prophet Velen led a charge on the Tempkest Keep and managed to escape with a component of the fortress, the Exodar. The blood elves however learned that the draenei had captured the Exodar and set out to sabotage the vessel before the draenei could use it, thinking that if they couldn't have it, no one could. The damage to the Exodar was not immediately known until the draenei tried to fly the ship. The engine immediately malfunctioned sending the Exodar through the Twisting Nether. After spiraling through the chaos of the Twisting Nether, the draenei crashed the Exodar on the Azuremyst Isles on Azeroth. They quickly realized that the vessel was damaged beyond repair and that the ship could never fly again. When the Burning Legion attacked Azeroth, they were drawn to the Exodar, having battled the draenei on Argus. The draenei battled the Burning Legion and managed to eventually drive them back but not before the Burning Legion killed O'ros.

Gilneas was originally one of the seven human kingdoms. Led by Genn Greymane, the people of Gilneas did not initially support the Alliance feeling that they were mighty enough to stand on their own. They did not go to war with the Alliance however, and aided the Alliance in their war against the Horde. After the war, Genn Greymane ordered the construction of a mighty wall to separate Gilneas from the rest of Azeroth. Upon completion, it was decreed that no outsiders, even other humans, were allowed in Gilneas. Because of their isolation, they were unable to gain assistance from allies when they were attacked by the scourge. The wall kept the scourge at bay for many days but eventually, the scourge would overtake the wall. As a last ditch effort, Genn Greymane ordered his archmage Arugal to release the worgen from the Emerald Dream to battle the scourge. The worgen were ultimately successful but their bloodlust knew no allegiances as they began attacking the humans in Gilneas, converting them to worgen as well. Because of their isolation, the rest of Azeroth remained ignorant of the fate of the Gilneans. Warlod Garrosh Hellscream would order Sylvanas to attack Gilneas with her army of forsaken. This attack finally pushed the people of Gilneas to request aid from the Alliance, formally joining the faction. During this time, Genn Greymane entreated the aid of a night elf priestess named Belysra. It was she who discovered a way for the Gilneans to maintain control over their feral nature, eventually allowing them to live in peace with their curse. She, and other night elves would spread the knowledge throughout the Gilnean kingdom.

Gnomeregan is the capital city of the gnomes, located in Dun Morough. The city itself has a tragic history. Originally founded by mechagnomes, a race of constructs created by the titans, the gnomes came to value technology and documenting their knowledge. They were discovered by the dwarves who were impressed by their technological prowess. This led to an early alliance between the two races as they collaborated to build what would later be known as Gnomeregan. During the second war between the Horde and the Alliance, a force of orcs tried to capture the city. However, they were not ready for the clever machinations of the gnomes and many fell victims to gnomish booby traps. These two events made it an easy decision for the gnomes to throw in with the Alliance. For a time, they mysteriously disappeared. It would later be known that the city of Gnomeregan was sacked by troggs. In an effort to stop the invasion, High Tinker Mekkatorque ordered his followers to flood the lower levels with dangerous radiation. This plan backfired however as the radiation mutated some of the troggs and wiped out a significant portion of the gnomish population. The gnomes then fled to Ironforge, the capital city of the dwarves. After the defeat of the Lich King, the gnomes, with assistance from the Alliance, were able to retake their city.

Ironforge is the capital city of the dwarves, built into a massive mountain in Khaz Modan. Unlike other racial capital cities, Ironforge is fairly racially diverse. This is likely due to many of the gnomes relocating to Ironforge after their city of Gnomeregan was overrun by troggs. Ironforge was once the home of three different dwarven clans; the Bronzebeards, the iron dwarves, and the Wildhammer clan. After the death of king Modimus Anvilmar, there was no immediate succesor. This led to a war between the Bronzebeards, the iron dwarves, and the Wildhammer Clan with the Bronzebeard clan emerging victorious, banishing the other two. The Bronzebeards would appoint Magni Bronzebeard as the new king of Ironforge. After the second war between the Horde and the Alliance, the dwarves helped with the Alliance effort to rebuild. In seeing a difficult in moving supplies quickly between the two kingdoms, Magni Bronzebeard recruited High Tinker Mekkatorque to construct a massive tunnel bewteen Ironforge and Stormwind City. After the defeat of the Lich King, Magni Bronzebeard became ill. Rather than reignite the war between the three clans, each clan elected a representative to serve on a council that would rule over Ironforge.

Stormwing City is the capital of Stormwind, the highest populated human city. It also one of the last free standing human cities. Because of what it represents, it has been attacked and destroyed on numerous occasions. It was sacked during the second war between the Horde and Azeroth. It was then rebuilt only to be destroyed again by Deathwing. It was originally founded by knights and clerics and has been ruled over by the Wrynn family since it's foundation. Stormwind City is home to the Cathedral of Light, an awe inspiring, spiritual epicenter. Many of Azeroth's most revered spiritual leaders can be found at the Cathedral of Light. One of the most impressive sights of the city is when you first walk through her gates. Lining the pathway to the heart of the city is the Valley of Heroes, a series of five statues depicting important Alliance heroes. King Anduin Wrynn is the current leader of Stormwind City following the death of his father, Varian Wrynn at the hands of the Burning Legion.

The Tushui Pandaren are a group of pandaren that joined with the Alliance when mists parted, revealing the island of Pandaria. Tushui is not a clan name, but is a philosophy. They believe in discipline and a clear definition of right and wrong. They place these values above all else, even it means sacrificing one's self. The Tushui Pandaren train by doing tai chi together. They are led by Aysa Cloudsinger and can be found both on the Wandering Isle and Stormwind City itself, having officially joined with the Alliance.

The Silverwing Sentinels are a group of night elves that are driven to reclaim Ashenvale from Horde forces. A group of orcs known as the Warsong Outriders have invaded the Warsong Gulch. The Silverwing Sentinels stand in defense and will work to eliminate the orcish invaders from their land. The conflict between these two groups reached it's pinnacle when the Horde invaded Ashenvale for the first time. The Silverwing Sentinels are led by Su'ura Swiftarrow.

The Stormpike Guard are members of the dwarvish Stormpike clan that have come to Alterac Valley. Led by Vanndar Stormpike, the Stormpike Guard are looking to plunder Alterac Valley of minerals and other useful resources. The Alterac Valley has been deemed an area of strategic importance not only by the Stormpike clan but by Magni Bronzebeard, then king of Ironforge as well. To secure a foothold in the region, the Stormpike Guard constructed Dul Baldar as a base of operations. This puts them in direct conflict with the Frostwolf orcs who see the Stormpike Guard as invaders to their homeland and their attempts to mine the area as a direct attack on their sacred mountains.

The League of Arathor are the remaining citizens of the former kingdom of Stromgarde. Once one of the greatest human cities in Azeroth, Stromgarde has had a tragic history. During the war with the Burning Legion, the king of Stromgarde Thoras Trollbane, was murdered by his son Galen, no doubt inspired by Arthas' murder of his own father around the same time. This weakened the kingdom of Stromgarde, opening it up to be overrun by both forces from the Syndicate as well as a nearby clan of ogres. Galen Trollbane would eventually be defeated by Horde forces only to be raised as a forsaken. When the Burning Legion returned, Galen was propositioned by death knights to raise his father, Thoras Trollbane, as one of the new four horsemen to fight against the legion of demonic invaders. When the Horde and the Alliance went to war again after the defeat of the Burning Legion, the League of Arathor would battle against Horde forces in their native home, ultimately proving successful at defending their rebuilt kingdom.

The Bilgewater Cartel is a group of goblins that have officially allied themselves with the Horde. They are led by Trade Prince Gallywix, the only known goblin with a jiggly chin. They take their name from their former home, the Bilgewater Port, which was destroyed by Deathwing upon his return to Azeroth. They have a mostly friendly rivalry with the other goblin factions: the Steamwheedle Cartel and the Venture Company. While they are all goblins, they value profits above all else and will not hesitate to cut someone's throat to get ahead. After Deathwing came to Bilgewater Port and announced the world was ending, a nearby volcano began to erupt. Being the noble goblin that he is, Trade Prince Gallywix charged goblins 1 billion macaroons for safe passage out of the Bilgewater Port. In return, Gallywix made slaves of those who booked passage and left the rest to die. They would then be fired upon by Alliance ships who were trying to capture Thrall. The goblins would take up residence on the Lost Isles and eventually made allies of Thrall and other orcs. They managed to impress the orcs who agreed to defeat Trade Prince Gallywix for them. Gallywix surrended but was spared by Thrall in exchange for formally joining the Horde.

The Darkspear trolls are a tribe of trolls that were once part of the Gurubashi Empire. After the tribes of the Gurubashi split, the Darkspear trolls fled the Stranglethorn Vale and settled on the Darkspear islands, which they named after themselves. There, they encountered a group of hostile murlocs. Having defeated them, they found new enemies in humans that were in search of orcs. They were eventually saved by the Horde Warchief Thrall. The Darkspear Trolls and Thrall and his band of merry orcs would then be captured by Zar'jira. Thrall was able to free himself, the orcs, and the Darkspear trolls but was unable to save the Darkspear chieftan, Sen'jin. Grateful for the orcish aid to the Darkspear Trolls, newly crowned chieftan Vol'jin would thank Thrall and the Horde by formally joining their ranks.

The Huojin Pandaren are a group of Pandaren that allied themselves with the Horde after the mists parted, revealing the island of Pandaria to outsides for the first time in thousands of years. Led by Master Ji Firepaw, the Huojin believe that the ends justify the means. This puts them at a philosophical difference with the Tushui Pandaren, who allied themselves with the Alliance. When the forces of Azeroth would descend upon the Wandering Isle, an Alliance ship would crash into the turtle, severely wounding him. Through the efforts of both the Huojin, the Tushui, as well as Alliance and Horde forces, the turtle was ultimately healed. These events led the Huojin to leave the Wandering Isle and formally join the Horde.

Orgrimmar is the capital city of the orcs and of the Horde in general. It was founded by then Warchief Thrall after leading an orcish rebellion against their human overlords. This rebellion coincided with the second invasion of the Burning Legion. While the humans and night elves were battling back the massive army of demonic invaders, as well as the rise of a new power in the Lich King, Thrall led his people to Kalimdor where he met the Darkspear trolls. His wanderings would eventually lead him to discover the Tauren, thus forming the Horde. Orgrimmar was built inside of a giant canyon and is truly an impressive sight to behold. In honor of his mentor and former Warchief of the orcs, Orgrim Doomhammer, Thrall named the new orc capital Orgrimmar.

Silvermoon City is the capital city of the blood elves, located in Quel'thalas. Silvermoon City was founded by a high elf, Dath'Remar Sunstrider. He stole some essence from the Well of Eternity and used it to create the Sunwell. His people would use it's magical energy to build the city and change the environment around Quel'Thalas to make it always spring. Silvermoon initially pledged it's allegiance to the Alliance after they came to the aid of the high elves when they were at war with the Amani trolls. The high elves would then be attacked by Arthas, leading an army of scourge with a goal of descrating the Sunwell. Arthas was ultimately successful and wiped out a significant portion of the high elf population. Kael'thas Sunstrider would return to Silvermoon and destroy the Sunwell and it's taint, renaming his people the blood elves in honor of their fallen brethren. During Arthas' invasion of Quel'thalas, Sylvanas Windrunner was slain and resurrected to become a banshee queen. After leading the forsaken to join the Horde, she would fight to have her former kin, the blood elves, abandon the Alliance and join with the Horde instead.

Thunder Bluff is the capital city of the tauren. Located in Mulgore, Thunder Bluff consists of a city built across several plateaus that overlook the rest of Mulgore. Throughout their history, the tauren had been troubled by the violent centaurs and usually found themselves the losers of these conficts. Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof entreated the aid of the orcs. Together, the orcs and the taurens were able to defeat the centaurs and claim Mulgore in the name of the taurens. It was there that Cairne had the serene city of Thunder Bluff built, a safe haven for his people. This act of brotherhood led the tauren to join with the Horde. When Thrall chose Garrosh Hellscream as his successor, Cairne Bloodhoof disagreed and challenged Garrosh to a duel. The duel was to the death with Garrosh emerging as the victor. Shortly after this, Thunder Bluff was overtaken by Magatha Grimtotem who slaughtered many of the citizens of Thunder Bluff. It was only through the combined efforts of Jevan Grimtotem and Jaina Proudmoore that Blaine Bloodhoof, Cairne's son and newly chosen chieftan of the tauren, was able to defeat Magatha Grimtotem and expel her followers from Thunder Bluff. Thunder Bluff is often viewed by outsiders as a center of peace and enlightenment.

Undercity was the capital city of the forsaken. It was built underneath the ruins of Lordaeron Castle. It originally served as a crypt to the royal family of Lordaeron. When Arthas Menethil became a death knight in the service of the Lich King, he killed his father, King Terenas Menethil and claimed the Undercity for himself. It was from there that he launched numerous campaigns against the forces of Azeroth. After the defeat of Archimonde at Mount Hyjal, Arthas was summoned back to Northrend to defend the Lich King from Illidan Stormrage and his army. During this time, a legion of undead forces, led by Sylvanas Windrunner, broke free of the Lich King's command and fought against their former master. After the Lich King was defeated, Arthas took up the mantle, becoming the new Lich King and thereby abandoning the Undercity. Sylvanas Windrunner led her army against the remaining contengent scourge forces. Sylvanas was successful and claimed Undercity as her seat of power. Sylvanas then realized that despite her victory, she needed allies. Knowing that the Alliance would never accept them, she turned to the Horde. She convinced the tauren that all the forsaken wanted was redemption. Realizing that the Horde needed allies, Warchief Thrall reluctantly agreed to an alliance with the forsaken.

The Frostwolf clan are a group of orcs that were once native to Draenor but followed Durotan through the Dark Portal with the other orcs once they realized their world was dying. On Draenor, they were native to the Frostfire Ridge, hence their name. The Frostwolf Clan was one of the few clans that refused to blindly follow Gul'dan and was suspicious of his intentions. That suspicion was amplified when Gul'dan imbued the orcs with fel energy and their skin changed from brown to green. Chief Durotan forbade the Frostwolfs from drinking the Blood of Mannoroth. This made Durotan and the Frostwolf clan enemies of Gul'dan. When the orcs came to Azeroth, Gul'dan no longer needed the Frostwolf orcs and ordered them exiled. The Frostwolf Clan eventually settled in Alterac Valley. Durotan and his wife Draka would give birth to a son they named Go'el. Gul'dan eventually ordered the execution of both Durotan and Draka. After their murder, the infant Go'el was found by Aedelas Blackmoore who rescued the poor child. Go'el was raised as a gladiator in Durnholde. He was also slave and as such, his master gave him a new name, Thrall. Thrall would eventually escape and rejoin the Frostwolf clan, learning of his ancestry and taking his rightful place as clan chieftan. It was from here that Thrall would form the beginnings of the modern day Horde. The Frostwolf Clan would stay in Alterac Valley rather than join Thrall in Orgrimmar. The Stormpike Guard, a legion of dwarves, would come to Alterac Valley looking to strip mine the area of resources. Seeing this as an attack on their homeland, the Frostwolf Clan would respond violently, putting the two groups at war.

The Defilers are a group of forsaken intent on claiming the Arathi Basin in the name of the Horde. This pits them at odds with the League of Arathor, a group of humans, citizens of the now fallen kingdom of Stromgarde. Though they are technically members of the Horde, the Defilers show more loyalty to other forsaken than they do with the rest of the Horde and would not hesitate to do battle against the allies should the needs of their people take precedence.

The Warsong Outriders are members of the Warsong clan operating out of Ashenvale. They were originally sent to Ashenvale by Grom Hellscream, to cut down the trees in the area. They use the lumber to support various Horde efforts around Azeroth. They are seen by the night elves as invaders to their home turf. The night elves dispatched a unit of their own to counter the orcish invasion. The Silverwing Sentinels stand ready to oppose the orcish aggression in the area. As night elves, they value nature and see the mass logging of trees in the forest as not only a sign of disrespect, but an affront to their spiritual beliefs. The two groups continue to clash over this difference but thus far have managed to contain their aggression to the Warsong Gulch area of Ashenvale.

Booty Bay is a goblin run port town in Stranglethorn Value. The town was originally built by humans and was a popular destination of pirates given the hidden nature of the cove that the town resides in. The humans left Booty Bay after a troll uprising. The trolls in turn were driven out by the goblins who still control the town today. Booty Bay is a faction of the Steamwheedle Cartel. Despite the goblin allegiance to the Horde, the town of Booty Bay remains neutral territory.

Everlook is a goblin run city located in Winterspring. It is the last town a traveler can visit before reaching Mount Hyjal. The town was built as a trading post for travelers making the journey to Mount Hyjal. It also thrived due to the thorium and arcanite found in the mountains of Winterspring. Despite the goblin allegiance to the Horde, the town of Everlook remains neutral territory. The thorium mined in the nearby mountains has drawn the attention of the Thorium Brotherhood as well as the other dark iron dwarves.

Gadgetzan is a goblin run city located in Tanaris. It is also the capital of the Steamwheedle cartel. As with other Steamwheedle cartel cities, it is faction neutral, despite the goblin allegiance to the Horde. The city of Tanaris was once built in the middle of the desert in Tanaris. However, when Deathwing returned to Azeroth, the desert flooded, turning Gadgetzan into a beachfront property. The city would later be attacked when the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth. It would be successfully defended by a coalition of Horde and Alliance forces.

Ratchet is a goblin run city located in the Barrens. It is a port city and like the other Steamwheedle cartel cities, it is faction neutral. After the forces of Azeroth defeated Archimonde at the World Tree, Thrall commissioned the construction of Orgrimmar. He hired a goblin named Gazlowe among others who completed the job much to Thrall's satisfaction. Gazlowe used the money from that job to create the initial settlement of Ratchet. When the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth, Ratchet was attacked by demons. Gazlowe and the local mercenaries were eventually able to drive back the demonic forces.