Origins / Background

The orcs come from Draenor, another world. They were clans of hunters and shamans long before they were a Horde, and the old ways of the Earth Mother and the elements are still theirs [WCI].

Then the warlock Gul'dan came, with the Burning Legion behind him. The orcs drank demon blood and gave their loyalty to a darker power, and the clans became one Horde. The Horde came through the Dark Portal to Azeroth and attacked the Kingdom of Azeroth [WCI] [WCII].

The Clans

The orcs were never one people at the start. Several clans matter in our story:

• The Warsong Clan, led by Grom Hellscream [WCIII]
• The Blackrock Clan, whose Blackrock orcs still hold Stonewatch Keep in Redridge [Game · Quest: Blackrock Menace]
• The Burning Blade, a cult of shadow whose followers still lurk in Durotar [Game · Quest: Burning Blade Medallion]

Not every orc followed the Horde into corruption. Some clans kept the old ways. That difference is a good place to start your character.