The Frostwolf clan of orcs is one of the two major factions who fight for control of Alterac Valley. Their story is one of resistance, betrayal and exile by their own race for refusing to give in to demonic corruption, as well as being the orc clan of one of the Horde’s greatest leaders, Thrall.
The Frostwolf Clan Symbol
Like all orcs, the Frostwolves originated on the world of Draenor. Approximately 800 years before the first contact between orcs and humans in the First War, the clan was founded in the snowy region of Frostfire Ridge as one of several who migrated from the savage neighboring region of Gorgrond. The clan took its name from the close bonds they were able to form close bonds with the wolves native to the region. Around 11 years before the First War, the clan was led by chief Garad. While they faced the typical struggles of the wilderness and occasional clash with other clans like the Laughing Skull, their chief threat came from the Bladespire Ogres led by Imperator Kelgrok. The ogres had recently bred a new race of soldiers to help them conquer the orcs. This new race would become known as the mok'nathal and were results of forced breeding between ogres and orc slaves. Garad and his allies captured some of the mok’nathal in a raid on ogre strongholds and, discovering they were abused slaves rather than willing servants of the ogres, formed an alliance with the mok’nathal leader Beastmaster Leoroxx to destroy the Bladespire Ogres forever. After a terrible battle, and many causalities on both sides, the ogres were driven from their fortress and Leoroxx strangled Imperator Kelgrok within its burning heart. While the Frostwolves offered the mok’nathal land in Frostfire Ridge, the halfbreed instead opted to carve out their own land in Gorgrond so as to avoid any prejudice from pureblooded orcs. Chief Garad would later die from the Red Pox, a sickness magically created by the ogres, leaving his son Durotan in charge of the Frostwolf Clan.
Frostfire Ridge, original home of the Frostwolf Orcs.
Three years later, Durotan, his wife Draka and the Frostwolf shaman Drek'Thar attended a gathering of all the orc clans to hear a proclamation from the shaman [Hearthstone Card (Ner’zhul) Not Found] that the mysterious race known as the draenei were planning to destroy the orcs. Ner'zhul and other shaman like Drek'Thar believed they had been given this information by the revered ancestral spirits, something very important in orcish culture, but in reality it was a manipulation by Gul'dan and the demons of the Burning Legion to bring the orcs down their first step of being slaves to the demons. While Durotan had suspicions about both the claims of draenei aggression as well as the revelation of a new magic called ‘fel’ that all shaman were to study in the wake of the sudden loss of elemental powers. Eventually, the call came out for all the orc clans to unite into a single Horde to wage war on the draenei with Blackhand as the warchief. Reluctantly, the Frostwolf chieftain gave in to all of these demands as he feared the consequences of being the lone voice of opposition against such powerful clans.
The brutal Blackhand, chief of the Blackrock orcs, did not inspire loyalty from the Frostwolves, but they were forced to follow him nonetheless.
While the Frostwolves allowed warlocks to come and imbue their warriors with fel magic, quickly aging and empowering them, the last straw for Durotan was when Gul’dan persuaded the orcs to drink the blood of the demonic pit lord Mannoroth. This act would give the orcs great physical strength, but also turned them into berserk blood-crazed minions of the Legion, robbing them of their free will. Durotan had received a secret warning from the shaman Ner’zhul, who had realized his mistakes after being betrayed and imprisoned by Gul’dan, and refused for the Frostwolves to drink the demon blood. Gul’dan only refrained from killing him for his defiance because he couldn’t afford to upset the clan before their planned attack on the draenei city of Shattrath the next day. As the war continued, the orcs wiped out all other races on their world who stood against them, the demon blood giving them a need for destruction and conquest. After making their own world practically unlivable, The Dark Portal was constructed by Gul’dan and the possessed mage Medivh to bring the orcs to Azeroth as a new world to conquer.
Gul'dan offers the Blood of Mannoroth. While the Frostwolves refused to drink it, Grommash Hellscream eagerly stepped forward to be the first.
Durotan had begun to speak out more and more against Gul’dan and the use of fel magic as its destructive power became obvious, both on their world and on sacred aspects of orc culture. As a result, the Frostwolves were shamed among the clans as being weak. Still, with the world of Draenor dying, the Frostwolves had little choice but to join the rest of the Horde in the invasion of Azeroth through the Dark Portal. While they initially took part in the First War against the humans they encountered on Azeroth, Durotan was threatened by Gul’dan in secret and told that the Frostwolves were no longer part of the Horde and must go into exile, never to be seen again or the entire clan would be destroyed. Having learned that his wife Draka was pregnant, Durotan decided not to risk Gul’dan’s wrath further by defying him again. Making himself a martyr might help turn the Horde against Gul’dan and his corruption, but he wasn’t willing to do that at the cost to his clan and family. Upon going into exile, the Frostwolves suffered in the harsh and unfamiliar terrain of this new world, but were saved by an unexpected vision. The shaman Drek’Thar discovered that, much like Dreanor, Azeroth had its own elemental spirits and, while Dreanor’s had been silenced, Azeroth’s were very present and powerful. With this reminder of his heritage, Drek’Thar renounced his prior used of fel magic asked the elements for help. They showed him the hidden path to a northern snowy mountain range known as the Alterac Mountains.
Alterac Valley, nestled within the Alterac Mountains, became the new home of the Frostwolves.
Managing to avoid conflict with humans thanks to the elements, the Frostwolves settled in Alterac, making it their new isolated home in exile. It was there that Draka gave birth to her son Go’el. However, to the horror of his parents, the baby’s skin was tainted green by the fel magic that had infested the entire orcish race. Not content to retain their own safety at the cost of the entire race being cursed for all future generations, Durotan and Draka had Drek’Thar send a secret message to Durotan’s old friend Orgrim Doomhammer of the Blackrock clan. While the other Frostwolves would stay safe and hidden in their new home, the chief and his family met in secret with Doomhammer to discuss how they might cleanse the orcs of this curse and overthrow the corrupt leadership of Gul’dan and Blackhand. However, unknown to Doomhammer, the guards he sent to escort Durotan and his family to safety were secretly loyal to Gul’dan’s warlocks and murdered the unsuspecting Durotan and Draka in the forest, leaving the baby to freeze. However, little Go’el was found by a human hunting party led by a corrupt noble named Aedalas Blackmoore. Blackmoore decided to keep the baby orc and raise him as a gladiator slave, naming him Thrall.
Aedelas Blackmoore raised and trained Thrall as a gladiator to help line his pockets with winning bets, but it turned out that raising an orc to be strong and smart, all the while abusing him, wasn't a very smart idea.
With the death of Durotan, Drek’Thar became the new leader of the Frostwolves, using his rekindled connection with the elements to keep them safe. After many years, Thrall escaped his imprisonment under Blackmoore and ran into Grommash Hellscream and his wandering Warsong clan. From Grommash, Thrall began to learn about his orcish heritage, of which he had been previously unaware, and was sent to find the hidden Frostwolf clan. It was upon finding his lost kin that Thrall learned the identities of his parents and studied shamanism with Drek’Thar as his teacher. Later, he left Alterac Valley to free other captive orcs and unite the clans under a new Horde.
Frostwolf Keep, stronghold of the Frostwolves after they decided to remain in Alterac Valley, later to serve as a defense against Alliance forces.
After Thrall’s Horde has been established in the land of Durotar, named after his father Durotan, the Frostwolves chose to remain in their snowy home in Alterac Valley, lending their aid to the Horde when needed. However, the Frostwolves were soon catapulted into conflict with a group of dwarven explorers called the Stormpike Expedition who were searching for ancient relics and natural resources in the mountain regions. Who is responsible for the conflict has been a matter of debate and propaganda as each side accused the other of being the aggressors, as well as who truly had rights to the land. The conflict between Frostwolves and Stormpike has lasted ever since with no end in sight as a proxy fight for the strategic location of Alterac Valley between the Alliance and Horde.
The Frostwolf clan's fight against the Stormpikes has lasted for many years in Alterac Valley as they fight to hold onto the land they have claimed for their home. They still maintain their tradition of bonding with the snowy wolves who serve as fierce allies in their fights.
Comments
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