Template:War
The First War between orcs and humans was fought following the arrival on Azeroth of the orcish clans of Draenor. The human kingdom of Azeroth was completely destroyed, its survivors forced to flee to Lordaeron.
Chronology
- Initial battles do not go well for the Horde. Expecting an easy victory against a weak opponent, the Horde rushes to assault the fortress of Stormwind Keep, only to suffer a defeat of catastrophic proportions. Few orcs survive the initial battle.
- Gul'dan invokes shadow magic to enshroud the Black Morass in a blinding mist. The mist obscures the retreat of the last remaining orcs and prevents the human forces from pursuing them.
- The Horde is humiliated by its unexpected rout, and the tribes swiftly descend into turmoil. Chaos ensues, with factions blaming each other for the Horde’s defeat.
- Gul’dan manipulates a ruthless dictator onto the throne of the Warchief. Known as Blackhand the Destroyer, the new Warchief rallies the tribes back together again and prepares them for a new assault on Azeroth. The Horde begins raiding activities against outlying human settlements near the Morass.
- Medivh sends Gul’dan another vision, teasing him with images of the Tomb of Sargeras and the power it contains.
- The Horde surges into Azeroth again, decimating towns and villages and plundering everything in its path. The towns of Grand Hamlet, Sunnyglade, Goldshire, and Moonbrook are destroyed.
- Durotan, chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, is ambushed and slain by rival orcs. The assassins leave Durotan’s infant son for dead, but the young orc is quickly discovered and saved by a band of humans under the command of Aedelas Blackmoore. The infant is taken as a slave and given the name Thrall.
- Lord Anduin Lothar realizes Medivh’s betrayal. He leads a small band of warriors to Medivh’s tower and confronts the wizard. Lothar slays Medivh’s body and destroys the spirit of Sargeras. Medivh’s spirit escapes, however.
- Blackhand the Destroyer is betrayed and slain by Orgrim Doomhammer, a trusted general and close friend. Doomhammer replaces Blackhand as Warchief of the Horde.
- Stormwind Keep falls before the full might of the Horde and is sacked. During the battle, King Llane is slain by one of Gul’dan’s assassins, the half-orc Garona.
- Spies loyal to Orgrim Doomhammer capture and torture Garona. In agony, she reveals the existence of the Shadow Council and directs them to the location of Gul’dan’s warlocks near the ruins of Stormwind Keep.
- Doomhammer dispatches his elite wolfriders to the ruins. They slay or execute most of Gul'dan’s warlocks and disperse the remaining members of the Shadow Council. Gul’dan pleads for mercy and offers complete submission. Doomhammer accepts and grants him mercy.
- Lord Anduin Lothar concedes that the Kingdom of Azeroth has been lost. He rallies his countrymen and leads them in a desperate retreat across the Great Sea, eventually landing upon the shores of Lordaeron.
See also
References
BlizzPlanet Warcraft Timeline