Post by Lilitha on Dec 8, 2006 9:20:59 GMT -5
Prologue
Lord Anduin Lothar and the survivors of Stormwind made it to Lordaeron and told King Terenas Menethil II what had happened. After listening to the story, King Terenas called for an emergency meeting to discuss the orc threat. Meanwhile the Orcs start destroying all human settlements south of the Burning Steppes.
Between the destruction of Stormwind and the outbreak of the Second War, it is believed that both Alliance and the Horde went through massive reformations and huge military build-ups to prepare for the coming war.
King Terenas called upon the remaining human kingdoms to aid in the fight against the orcs. He also managed to enlist the Bronzebeard Dwarves of Ironforge, the Wildhammer Dwarves of Aerie Peak and the Gnomes of Gnomeregan. Lord Lothar, himself, went to the High Elves of Quel’thalas. The Elves were uninterested in the coming conflict. They sent a small portion of their force to aid the kingdoms. These Elves taught the humans to wield and use magic. This was the start of the modern day Alliance.
The Second War
Several years after the Dark Portal opened the Horde began their northern offensive against the Alliance. They launched two attacks, one from land coming from the Blackrock Mountain to attack Khaz Modan and one from sea coming from Stormwind to take several islands to establish naval bases. From these islands the Horde landed troops in the Wetlands, Arathi Highlands and the southern coast of Lordaeron.
The Horde’s land assault devastated Loch Modan, pushing the gnomes and dwarves back into Dun Morogh. The Horde did not bother with Ironforge or Gnomeregan. These cities were now cut off from the Alliance except through limited air support. The ground assault pushed further into the Wetlands, taking Dun Algaz, Dun Modr and Grim Batol, converting all of them into fortresses. Grim Batol became the primary base, along with being converted into a hatchery for the enslaved Red Dragonflight. The Alliance and the Horde came to a stalemate on the Thandol Span.
The naval assault was just as effective. The Horde assaulted the southern outposts, South Shore and Hillsbrad, along with sending a large amount of troops into Lordaeron. The humans of Altaerac aided the orc raiders through the Altaerac plains and allowed the Horde forces to invade their rival kingdom and the forests of Silvermoon. This is where the Horde met the forest trolls who had been warring with the elves for years. After rescuing their leader, Zul’jin, the trolls pledged their loyalty to the Horde. Promising the trolls their ancestral lands of Quel’thalas, the Horde and the trolls attack the border of Silvermoon.
The High Elves witnessed the Horde’s strength and were outraged by the assault on their sacred land. They countered the Horde with their own strength. They sent waves of elven Destroyers south to the Hinterlands and to the shores of Lordaeron. Together, Quel’thalas and Lordaeron push the Horde back to Hillsbrad’s shores, but not before Gul’dan stole elven runestones to create ogre-magi and death knights for the war efforts. With the elves now in the fight, the Alliance push the Horde even further back and out of Lordaeron, taking the island of Zul’dare as well. This was the end of the northern invasion of the Horde.
After the invasion, the Alliance concentrated a full scale offensive on the Thandol Span. From there they retook Tol Barad as a stepping stone to Dun Morogh. Though they crushed the majority of their forces, the Alliance never fully took control of Grim Batol. After their armies were shattered the Horde retreated from Khaz Modan.
After the temporary defeat, a brief pause of open combat ensued. The Horde sent for reinforcements from the south, including the aid of the newly formed Death Knights. The Alliance turned towards the north to destroy the remnant of the Horde forces around Lordaeron. Uther Lightbringer and his Knights of the Silverhand were sent to help the victims of the war. A peasant rebellion in Tyr’s Hand led to a discovery of a plot from Lord Prestor of Altaerac, who was actually Deathwing trying to destroy the Alliance from the inside. Learning of their treachery, the Alliance destroyed the small kingdom of Altaerac.
Ignoring the small quarrel in the north, the Alliance pushed their Horde forces back to their capitol of Blackrock Spire. By this time the Alliance found themselves outnumbered, exhausted and in harsh territory. Horde forces were still increasing from Death Knights and the opened Dark Portal. Doomhammer used Altaerac’s betrayal to prepare a massive attack that would push back all the way to Lordaeron, tearing apart Alliance forces along the way. It was daring, but the Horde succeeded in numbers alone.
Before Lordaeron was finally attacked, Gul’dan had found the location of the Tomb of Sargeras. He left Orgrim and took almost half of the Horde with him in an attempt to raise the tomb from the sea and claim the powers of the Dark Titan for himself. Doomhammer sent troops to pursue Gul’dan and his Stormreaver Clan, unknown to him that Gul’dan had already been torn apart by the demonic powers he sought. The Horde was severely weakened, allowing the Alliance a chance at one last siege on Blackrock Spire. In a desperate move to break the siege, Doomhammer called forth the bravery of his remaining forces and charged out of their fortress to greet Lord Lothar and the Alliance. The two leaders dueled in front of the warring forces. After a narrow victory over Lothar, Doomhammer escaped to the south. Turalyon took command of the shattered forces that remained and chased the Horde to the Dark Portal.
Scarred, broken and tired, the Horde tried for one last defense of the Dark Portal. This came to be known as the bloodiest battle of the Second War, the Horde was eventually defeated. Orgrim, along with the other leaders were rounded up and taken to Lordaeron internment camps. Khadgar and some warriors of the Alliance destroyed the Dark Portal. The Second War was over, the Alliance had won.