The reconstruction. New nations built on new continents by people who had lost their old ones — and a peace that is only holding because everyone is too tired to break it.
What Happened
- Durotar is claimed. Thrall settles his people on barren red rock nobody else wanted, and raises Orgrimmar.
- The Tauren unite. Cairne Bloodhoof drives the centaur from Mulgore with orcish help and founds Thunder Bluff. The tauren join the Horde out of debt and conviction.
- The Darkspear Trolls settle in Durotar under Vol'jin, having lost the Echo Isles to the madman Zalazane.
- Teldrassil is grown. Fandral Staghelm raises a second World Tree. Darnassus is built in its branches.
- The night elves join the Alliance — a decision Tyrande makes largely alone, with Malfurion lost in The Emerald Dream.
- The Battle of Theramore (Yr 26). Admiral Daelin Proudmoore arrives from Kul Tiras and attacks the Horde in defiance of his daughter. Jaina Proudmoore stands aside and lets the orcs kill him to preserve the peace. She has not been forgiven by anyone.
- Gnomeregan falls. Troggs break into the lower levels and a radiation purge is authorised to drive them out. It fails to kill the troggs and kills most of the gnomes. Gelbin Mekkatorque leads the survivors into Ironforge.
- Ragnaros is summoned. The Dark Iron Dwarves draw the Firelord into Molten Core beneath Blackrock Mountain.
- The cold war calcifies. Ashenvale and Hillsbrad Foothills become permanent low-grade battlefronts.
Why It Still Matters
This is the present. Every institution the players interact with is four years old or four years broken. Nothing has settled. Nothing is traditional. Every alliance is provisional and every border is an argument.
