Legends of Warcraft #15: the rise of Arathor

July 7, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Legends of Warcraft" series — Legends #15. The prehistory of Warcraft in order, from the creation of the universe to the last Guardian of Tirisfal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

Arathor was the first human kingdom of Azeroth. It was born when Thoradin, chief of the Arathi tribe, united the scattered human tribes of the Eastern Kingdoms and built the city of Strom. Shortly after, the elves of Quel'Thalas, cornered by the Amani trolls, asked the humans for help. The alliance between the two peoples won the Troll Wars and gave the humans something they would never let go of again: magic.

Humans before Arathor

The first humans descended from the vrykul who had been changed by the Curse of Flesh. For centuries, they lived in tribes scattered across the Eastern Kingdoms, fighting among themselves and fleeing from the trolls, who were far more numerous and stronger.

One of those tribes, the Arathi, was the most organized. It lived in the highlands that bear its name today, the Arathi Highlands.

Thoradin and the city of Strom

The leader of the Arathi, Thoradin, realized that humans would only survive together. He conquered or persuaded the other tribes and united them all under a single banner. To protect the new people, he built a fortified city: Strom.

That is how Arathor, the first human nation, was born. Its capital was Strom, which millennia later would become the city of Stromgarde.

The elves' request

To the north, the elves of Quel'Thalas were losing the war against the Amani trolls. They had magic, but the trolls were many and regenerated from their wounds. The elves sent emissaries to Strom asking for help.

Thoradin had his conditions. The humans would fight alongside the elves, but they wanted something in return: to learn the magic the elves had mastered. The elves did not like it, but they had no choice.

The one hundred humans

The elves agreed to teach magic to one hundred humans, chosen from the most talented in Arathor. They learned enough to fight, and the elves were careful not to teach them more than that. These hundred were the first human mages in history, and the mages of Dalaran descend from them.

In return, the elves swore loyalty to the bloodline of Thoradin. That oath crossed millennia and explains why Quel'Thalas joined the Alliance of Lordaeron in the Second War: the elves had a debt to the blood of Arathor, which ran in Anduin Lothar.

The Troll Wars

Humans and elves marched together against the Amani. The decisive battle took place at the foot of the Alterac Mountains. The elven and human mages used fire against the trolls, and the fire kept their wounds from regenerating. The Amani were defeated and never regained their former strength.

What Arathor left behind

Human magic. The hundred mages were the seed of Dalaran and the Kirin Tor.
The alliance with the elves. The pact with Thoradin's bloodline will carry weight in the Second War.
The Arathi bloodline. Thoradin's descendants lead all the way to Anduin Lothar, commander of the Alliance, and the Arathi name returns in The War Within, with the Arathi expedition of Hallowfall.
The seven kingdoms. Over time, Arathor split into the human kingdoms players know. That is the subject of episode 17.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who it is | |------|--------| | Thoradin | The Arathi chief who united the human tribes and founded Arathor. | | Strom | The first human capital, which later became Stromgarde. | | The hundred | The first human mages, trained by the elves. | | Amani | The trolls defeated by the alliance between humans and elves. | | Anduin Lothar | Thoradin's descendant who, millennia later, commands the Alliance of Lordaeron. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Arathi Highlands: the ruins of Strom and the city of Stromgarde, occupied by ogres and the Syndicate.
Arathi Basin: the battleground of the League of Arathor against the Forsaken.
Alterac Mountains: the mountains where the Troll Wars ended.
The Hinterlands: the Witherbark trolls and what is left of the troll presence in the north.

Frequently asked questions

What was Arathor?

The first human kingdom of Azeroth, founded by Thoradin, with its capital in Strom, in the Arathi Highlands.

Why did the elves teach magic to the humans?

Because they needed their help against the Amani trolls. Thoradin demanded to learn magic in exchange for the alliance, and the elves taught one hundred humans.

Who won the Troll Wars?

The alliance between the humans of Arathor and the elves of Quel'Thalas, which defeated the Amani at the foot of the Alterac Mountains.

"Legends of Warcraft" series

← Previous: Legends #14: The sacrifice of Tyr Next → Legends #16: Dalaran and Tirisfal