Among the Horde, the once warlike Orcs were slowly returning to their shamanistic roots under the rule of their young leader. The race would settle on the peninsula of Durotar, within the fortress city of Ogrimmar. The Trolls, heirs to a former world spanning Gurubashi Empire, would be given sanctuary within the great Orc city, but also held onto remnants of their jungle kingdoms in southern Azeroth. Sharing similar shamanistic roots with the Orcs, the nomadic Tauren remained allied with the Horde, settling in the steppe city of Thunder Bluff. Finally, the most unusual member of this union, the Forsaken, would hold sway over the corrupted lands of Tirisfal Glades. Having freed themselves from the taint of the Scourge, these renegade undead under the leadership of the Banshee Queen, have turned the once proud capitol city of Lordaeron into their Undercity.

  Gamers familiar with the mythology and lore of the Warcraft series will feel right at home in this fully realized version of the world of Azeroth. Several core characters from the RTS games are alive and well in WoW and are major players in the sometimes nebulous storyline.