Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. Yous're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, yous know the how -- but exercise y'all know the why? Each calendar week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make certain you Know Your Lore past roofing the history of the story backside World of Warcraft.

To ask why nosotros fight, is to ask why the leaves fall -- it is in their nature.

The Alliance and Horde have been notoriously at each other's throats since the ii factions began in the days of the Beginning and 2nd Wars. And although I take come up with some crazy theories regarding the innate reasons behind that latent assailment between the two factions, they're simply theories. They may make sense, in a baroque and meta manner, but they are in no way true. Then here we are, left with a simple question: What makes the Brotherhood and Horde and so prone to aggression? Why do they continue to battle, and turn their noses at the thought of making peace?

While I do enjoy coming up with fanciful reasons for all of this, in that location is one breathy, simple reason that stands on its ain: Misunderstanding. Sheer, unadulterated ignorance and a stubborn unwillingness to try and understand. Both sides possess a single-minded obsession with violence and retribution that has never faded, about thirty years after the events of the First State of war. And when you lot step back and take a look at the conflict between the 2 factions with a neutral center, the whole of the aggression turns into a delightful, tragic, almost laughable comedy of errors and escalation.

Permit'south take a look at where some of the mutual misconceptions surrounding both Horde and Alliance take gotten u.s..

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

The internment camps

Post-obit the Second War, the remaining orc forces of the Horde were rounded up and ushered off into internment camps. Equally prisoners of war, they treated with cruelty -- and they succumbed to a strange lethargy, listless and unwilling to fight. Thrall famously liberated the orcs from their cruel prisons and led them to freedom, far away from any Alliance settlement, intent on restoring them to their noble heritage -- heritage he'd heard tales of. Thrall was, after all, raised by humans, not orcs. What he'd learned of orcish heritage was tales told by Grom Hellscream and later, Drek'thar.

But let'south back up a 2nd. Yes, the orcs weren't exactly treated kindly in the internment camps -- they were prisoners of war, after all. Just the very existence of the internment camps was a moment of mercy from the Alliance. Both Thoras Trollbane and Genn Greymane wanted the orcish race slaughtered down to the last after the Second War. It was King Terenas who insisted that the orcs be imprisoned. He was convinced that the orcs would see the errors of their crimes. His actions put a rift in the Alliance of Lordaeron that eventually tore the whole thing apart. Genn left the Brotherhood of Lordaeron over information technology.

In fact, that strange lethargy was a cause of concern for the Brotherhood. Archmage Antonidas was researching it because people idea that it was some sort of disease, and didn't desire it to spread. He theorized correctly -- that the orcs had been nether demonic influence, and that influence was just wearing off. If Terenas hadn't shown a moment of mercy, there would be no new Horde today.

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

Conflict after the Tertiary War

Orc, human, and night elf forces came together successfully to defeat Archimonde at Mountain Hyjal in the Third State of war. So what happened? Territorial disputes. The nighttime elves were unwilling to offer the orcs whatever kind of useable land or resource, and the humans were equally unwilling to do so. In lodge to survive, the Horde had to take what information technology could -- and take what allies it could. Probable the biggest fault Thrall made in his career as Warchief was allowing the Forsaken to join the Horde. Information technology wasn't something he took lightly -- he had to be talked into it by Hamuul Runetotem, who thought the Forsaken had a chance at redemption.

But that deed pretty much airtight the door on whatever hope the Horde had on successfully coming to whatsoever kind of negotiations with the Brotherhood. The Forsaken weren't just misunderstood dead guys -- they were sometime Scourge. They committed horrific atrocities while they were under the Lich King's sway. What's worse, after they broke gratuitous of the Lich Male monarch'due south hold, they went ahead and began slaughtering the rest of the living in Lordaeron. As far as the Alliance was concerned, the Forsaken were monsters -- and in a way, they were right.

Between that, and leftover feelings of animosity from the Beginning State of war, at that place was no way any kind of negotiation stood a chance. Thrall'south Horde was not the Horde of old -- just the allies information technology chose to consort with implied that information technology was the same every bit ever.

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

Alliances during the Called-for Cause

Round 2, fight! As both Horde and Alliance forces entered the Dark Portal and traveled to Outland, tensions continued to build on both sides. Just once again, both sides united to put a stop to the Called-for Legion -- this time, Kil'jaeden. In fact, the interaction between the blood elves and draenei was the perfect illustration of what an brotherhood between the two factions could reach. Even though the blood elves had sabotaged the Exodar, causing it to collapse to Azeroth, Velen was able to distinguish between the elves that served Prince Kael'thas, and after the Called-for Legion, and the blood elves who were just bullheaded followers.

Not only that, but Velen was willing to actually help the beleaguered blood elves and restore the Sunwell. The source of all their power -- the thing that caused all those crazy addictions that eventually led their leader straight to the Legion's doorstep. And Velen didn't ask for a single thing in render. In contrast, the claret elves had the help of the Forsaken, yes -- and were forced to send what little assist they could to Northrend, nether threat of that alliance being broken.

Is it any wonder that the blood elves considered, even briefly, defecting from the Horde? The human relationship between the draenei and the blood elves was barely mentioned past either side. The draenei didn't receive any kind of penalty for what they'd done, and the blood elves received no acknowledgement of their short brotherhood with the draenei, either. In fact, both sin'dorei and draenei were past and large ignored when the war in Northrend began, their curious alliance completely forgotten in favor of fighting the Lich King -- and fighting betwixt the Alliance and Horde.

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

The Battle for the Undercity

Although the battle at the Wrathgate proved pivotal in erasing all tentative peace between Alliance and Horde, for a moment it appeared as though that peace would actually come to pass. Bolvar and Saurfang appeared to be about comrades on the battlefield, fighting side-by-side with apparent respect for each other. It wasn't until Putress launched his assault on both forces that it all came crashing down -- and what the Alliance seemed all also willing to forget was that the attack was not just on Alliance forces, but on Horde forces as well.

When Varian pushed into the Undercity, it wasn't to repossess it for Sylvanas. It was to reclaim information technology for the Alliance. He had absolutely no interest in hearing about what had actually occurred at the Wrathgate. He had no interest in looking at Sylvanas or the Forsaken with anything but disgust. And who can blame him? The halls of Lordaeron were once Varian's abode -- they were shelter and a place of comfort after Stormwind was destroyed in the Beginning State of war. For that affair, Varian held absolutely no love for the orcs, and why would he -- he was merely a child when he watched his begetter die at the hands of Garona.

If Jaina hadn't intervened, information technology's entirely likely either Varian or Thrall would be dead correct now. And the Alliance and Horde would have wasted their time murdering each other over it instead of focusing on the existent issue -- the Lich King. But there'south really 1 moment in history that stands above all as the moment this all began ... and the ramifications of that moment continue to this twenty-four hours.

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

The Horde invasion

The Brotherhood held and has connected to hold an impression of the Horde every bit a bunch of roughshod, unruly savages. While there is truth behind that impression -- the Old Horde was in fact incredibly cruel, ruthless, and bloodthirsty -- the orcs behind the Horde were not acting of their ain volition. They were pawns and puppets of the Burning Legion, tricked into servitude by the manipulations of Kil'jaeden and a very few orcs who were incredibly willing to serve in substitution for power, manipulating the residuum of their race into following adapt. But that was but 1 side of the Night Portal. The other side of the portal was engineered by the man wizard Medivh, who had been possessed by Sargeras in the womb. Sargeras' influence led Medivh to contact Gul'dan and begin the creation of the Dark Portal.

In other words, the invasion of Azeroth was pretty much orchestrated past the Burning Legion from starting time to terminate, on both sides of the equation. In this, it was a massive success -- because the chaos wrought from that initial battle still continues to plague Azeroth to this day. Never listen how many demons take been killed since then, never mind how many victories both sides take won against the Burning Legion -- in this one uncomplicated act, Sargeras and Kil'jaeden guaranteed that Azeroth would be awash in war even without the presence of the Legion.

You know how the Alliance is quietly helping the Darkspear Rebellion in an effort to encourage more Horde casualties on both sides, to ultimately weaken the Horde every bit a whole? This is the Called-for Legion's equivalent of that -- as long as Alliance and Horde are occupied with fighting each other, the Legion tin can continue to sideslip in and assault. Every moment the Legion has been defeated to appointment has been a moment where Alliance and Horde come together. The only exception to this is the State of war of the Ancients -- which took identify thousands of years earlier the Brotherhood and Horde fifty-fifty existed.

Know Your Lore The Alliance and Horde

Sargeras wasn't playing a short game with his possession of Aegwynn. He was waiting for Medivh. He was waiting for Kil'jaeden to consummate his complete corruption of the orcs of Draenor. Kil'jaeden wasn't sent to conquer Draenor by whatsoever stretch of the imagination -- he was sent to find an regular army that could take Azeroth. And he did, with resounding success. If the First State of war had never happened, the Brotherhood would never have existed -- they'd take no reason to. The Horde never would have existed -- they'd take only connected their existence on Draenor. And with a Guardian to watch over Azeroth, the world would continue to thrive.

In just a few calculated moves, Sargeras set up a domino issue that changed the face of Azeroth forever. It put into place a power struggle that continues to distract both Alliance and Horde to this day. And while both sides have been willing to put bated their differences until now, the Horde has a new leader -- a true son of Draenor who is willing to practice whatsoever it takes to obtain victory. Garrosh Hellscream isn't merely a threat to the Alliance. He's the i creature that currently has the power to button the disharmonize between Alliance and Horde into all-out chaos -- leaving the globe open up and vulnerable to another Legion attack. This is what Wrathion sees -- this is why he'southward trying to determine which side will exist the victor in this state of war. Because as long every bit two sides exist, Azeroth will remain in constant danger, an ever-weakening target for the Legion to strike.


While you lot don't demand to have played the previous Warcraft games to enjoy World of Warcraft, a little history goes a long way toward making the game a lot more fun. Dig into even more than of the lore and history behind the World of Warcraft in WoW Insider's Guide to Warcraft Lore.