The Frozen Throne #6: Rexxar and Durotar

September 16, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"The Frozen Throne" series — The Frozen Throne #6. The story of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, from Illidan's escape to Arthas becoming the Lich King. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

Rexxar's story in Warcraft 3 is the Horde bonus campaign in The Frozen Throne: The Founding of Durotar. There is no Illidan, no Kael'thas, no Scourge. There is a wanderer who is half orc, half ogre, with a bear at his side, helping Thrall protect a nation that has just been born. And it ends with the death of Admiral Daelin Proudmoore on the walls of Theramore.

A new nation in Kalimdor

After the Battle of Mount Hyjal, Thrall leads the Horde to eastern Kalimdor. The orcs settle in a harsh land near the coast and name it Durotar, in honor of Durotan, Thrall's father. The capital is Orgrimmar.

The peace with Jaina Proudmoore's humans still holds. But the new nation has enemies on every side: harpies, centaurs, quilboars and something worse coming from the sea.

Who is Rexxar

Rexxar is a beastmaster of the Mok'nathal clan, half orc and half ogre, who came from Draenor. He had left the Horde after its leaders betrayed one another. He travels with Misha, a bear he found as an orphaned cub in Feralas.

At the start of the campaign, Rexxar is tired of solitude and of other peoples' wars. He sees the orc Mogrin mortally wounded by quilboars. He arrives too late to save him. Before he dies, Mogrin asks Rexxar to take a report to Thrall in Orgrimmar. Rexxar agrees.

Taming the land

In Orgrimmar, Thrall offers hospitality. Rexxar prefers to work to earn his place. Thrall puts him to work helping his leaders and introduces Rokhan, a Darkspear troll scout from the Echo Isles, who becomes a travel companion.

Rexxar helps the goblin Gazlowe bring down kobold-filled tunnels beneath Orgrimmar. He gathers herbs for the seer Drek'Thar. He kills the harpy Bloodfeather, who was attacking caravans, at the request of Captain Nazgrel.

Along the way, he meets Chen Stormstout, a pandaren brewmaster searching for rare ingredients. His first brew is undrinkable, but Chen joins the group anyway.

The ships of Kul Tiras

From the observatory, Rexxar sees a large army on the coast. The soldiers bear the anchor of Kul Tiras. They destroy an orc camp. Thrall does not want to break the peace, but he promises to protect the Echo Isles.

On the islands, the Darkspear leader Vol'jin says that human ships are bombarding the troll villages. With magic, he turns Rexxar and his companions into spirit wyverns. They sink five warships and light the signal fires, and the Darkspear flee to the mainland.

Afterward, the humans ask for a meeting with Thrall. Rexxar is suspicious and goes in his place. It was a trap. Soldiers surround Rexxar, who escapes.

Thrall decides to demand answers. He writes a letter to Jaina and sends Rexxar to deliver it on Theramore Isle.

Old hatreds

In Theramore, Jaina denies ordering the attacks. She and Rexxar find a human base on the coast, burned and overrun by naga.

Then Jaina's father arrives: Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore of Kul Tiras. He calls the orcs monsters who must be exterminated and orders everyone arrested. Jaina clears a path with a blizzard and teleports away. Rexxar escapes through the harbor.

Thrall's allies

The Horde needs more strength. Rexxar travels to Mulgore. There he finds Cairne Bloodhoof in mourning: centaurs have kidnapped his son, Baine. Rexxar rescues Baine, and Cairne agrees to fight alongside the Horde.

In Dustwallow Marsh, a new chieftain, Kor'gall, rules the Stonemaul ogres. He refuses to help the Horde and makes Rexxar go through trials. In the end, the two duel. Rexxar wins, becomes leader of the Stonemaul, and the ogres join the Horde.

Thrall makes a battle standard from three items Rexxar gathers and names him Champion of the Horde.

First blood

Proudmoore's forces advance on Durotar. Thrall holds the defense, and Rexxar attacks the admiral's fortress at Tidefury Cove. The Horde wins, and Proudmoore falls back to Theramore.

Thrall swears to besiege Theramore. But he hopes Jaina will stay safe.

A blaze of glory

Kul Tiras ships blockade Theramore. Rexxar doubts the Horde can take them on. Then Jaina teleports in. She says she had no part in her father's plans. She points to a goblin shipyard where the Horde can build ships and asks Thrall to spare her men. Thrall gives his word.

Rexxar, Cairne, Rokhan and Chen take the shipyard. The Horde fleet breaks the blockade and sinks Kul Tiras' six warships.

The attack on Theramore comes from three sides: trolls and ogres from the west, tauren from the south and orcs from the southwest. Rexxar fights his way to the citadel, defeats the admiral's personal guard and kills Daelin Proudmoore. His last words are full of hatred: "Death to the black-blooded!"

Rexxar orders the remaining soldiers to lay down their arms. Jaina arrives and weeps over her father's body. Rexxar tells her that, above all, Daelin was a proud warrior.

Rexxar's fate

Thrall thanks him: Rexxar saved the nation. He offers him a home in Durotar. Rexxar refuses. He is a wanderer and belongs to the wild lands. But he promises that he will always be part of the Horde and that he will answer when Thrall calls.

The Horde goes home. Peace with Theramore is restored, and Thrall says he holds nothing more against the humans.

What this changes in the story

This campaign closes Warcraft 3 on the Horde side. It explains how Durotar, the tauren and the Darkspear trolls truly came together. And it plants a long wound: Kul Tiras isolates itself from the Alliance and blames Jaina for betraying her family.

That wound returns in Tides of War, when Theramore is destroyed, and in Battle for Azeroth, when Jaina returns to Kul Tiras.

Episode timeline

Thrall founds Durotar and Orgrimmar.
Rexxar takes Mogrin's report to Thrall.
Rexxar helps Orgrimmar and meets Rokhan and Chen.
Kul Tiras attacks the Echo Isles and sets up an ambush.
Daelin Proudmoore arrives at Theramore and attacks the Horde.
Cairne and the Stonemaul ogres join the Horde.
Rexxar kills Daelin in Theramore and turns down a home in Durotar.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Rexxar | The Mok'nathal beastmaster, Champion of the Horde. | | Misha | Rexxar's bear companion. | | Rokhan | The Darkspear troll scout from the Echo Isles. | | Chen Stormstout | The pandaren brewmaster. | | Thrall | The warchief who founds Durotar. | | Cairne Bloodhoof | The tauren chieftain, Baine's father. | | Daelin Proudmoore | The grand admiral of Kul Tiras, Jaina's father. | | Jaina Proudmoore | The leader of Theramore, Thrall's ally. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Durotar: Orgrimmar, Razor Hill and the Echo Isles, where the campaign begins.
Dustwallow Marsh: Theramore, Jaina's island, and the lands of the Stonemaul ogres.
Mulgore: the land of Cairne's tauren.
Blade's Edge Mountains: Rexxar lives at Thunderlord Stronghold, in Outland.