Orcish Timeline

[Kozgugore]

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Although Warcraft's time lines are shaky at best, here's the closest depiction of the time line exclusively concerning orcish history. Keep in mind that some of these dates are an estimation, as Blizzard hasn't given any official dates for some particular details. The primary source used for the events is the World of Warcraft: Chronicle series.

-800

• The orcs emerge from the subterranean caverns of Gorgrond and begin to spread across Draenor, forming various clans.
• Orcs from the Shadowmoon clan are taught the ways of shamanism by the elements and construct a temple at a site they name the Throne of the Elements. The biannual Kosh'harg festival is established.

-403

• Imperator Molok of the Gorian Empire sends an ogre army to claim the Throne of the Elements and the power of the elements by force. The dissonance between the ogres' reckless arcane magic and the lingering power of Grond's remains creates an explosion that blows apart the orcish temple, leaving behind only a few standing stones and throwing the elements into disarray across Draenor.

-402

• At the Kosh'harg festival, the orcish clans band together to combat the ogres at the urging of Nelgarm.

-400

• The orcs lay siege to the ogre capital Goria. Molok and his sorcerers create the red pox, which begins to spread among the orcs, but Nelgarm and his fellow shaman convince the elements to completely destroy Goria.

-200

• The draenei crash-land on Draenor in the Genedar and create the Council of Exarchs.

-180

• The Temple of Karabor is founded. The Shadowmoon orcs begin to worship the darkened naaru K'ara as a deity, calling it the "Dark Star", but quickly outlaw the practice after discovering that wielding the Dark Star's power causes insanity.
• The naaru K'ure begins attracting the souls of deceased orcs to the wreckage of the Genedar. Orcish shaman begin making pilgrimages to the site to commune with their ancestors, naming the crystal mountain "Oshu'gun".
• A group of orcish exiles dwelling below Nagrand begin tapping into the Void energies bleeding from K'ure. This allows them to use shadow magic but also turns their skin a sickly white, causing the exiles to begin calling themselves "the Pale".

-99

• The orc clans debate over how to respond to the draenei. The Bladewind clan begin raiding draenei caravans, but the attacks gradually cease when the draenei send Vindicators to guard the caravans.

-26

• Grommash Hellscream is born.

-10

• The orc Gul'dan is exiled from his clan and seeks out the Throne of the Elements, where the elements reject him. Kil'jaeden reaches out to him and grants him the power of fel magic in exchange for agreeing to help the Burning Legion manipulate the orcs against the draenei. Gul'dan accepts, becoming the first orcish warlock.
• Gul'dan inundates the Throne of the Elements with fel magic, throwing the elements into disarray across the world, and also uses his magic to create the worst outbreak of the red pox in orcish history. Many orcs contract the plague at the Kosh'harg festival. Under the leadership of the Frostwolf chieftain Garad, the plague bearers establish a village in Nagrand to quarantine the afflicted. The village is named Garadar in Garad's honor after he succumbs to the pox.
• Medivh continues to study demonic lore and Azerothian history and becomes convinced that the world is inherently flawed, too divided by petty rivalries to ever unite into a single force in case of a demonic invasion. He concludes that he needs an army to change things and begins venturing out into the cosmos, eventually discovering Draenor and the orcs.

-8

• Gul'dan returns to his home village and burns it and everyone within it to ash to prevent anyone from learning about his past. He then ventures to the Shadowmoon clan and convinces them to let him join them, claiming that his home village was destroyed by ogres. Gul'dan wins the friendship of the Shadowmoon chieftain, the shaman Ner'zhul, allowing Kil'jaeden to begin manipulating Ner'zhul's thoughts.
• Gul'dan manipulates the Bladewind clan into launching raids on draenei caravans, killing and kidnapping dozens of draenei. Vindicator Maraad and the draenei retaliate and storm the Bladewind village, but when Maraad sees the corpse of his sister Leran he goes into a rampage across the village. Gul'dan kills the few surviving Bladewinds as they attempt to flee. He then returns to the Shadowmoon and tells of how the draenei launched an unprovoked massacre against the Bladewinds. Meanwhile, Kil'jaeden appears to Ner'zhul in his dreams, disguised as the spirit of his deceased mate Rulkan, and tells him that the draenei are planning to destroy the orcs. Ner'zhul calls for a clan meeting at Oshu'gun, where the orc chieftains agree to band together to defeat the draenei, marking the creation of the Horde.

-7

• The orcs begin launching sporadic attacks against draenei hunting parties. The draenei, assuming that the orcs have simply been agitated by the elemental turmoil, begin organizing and constructing new defenses.
• Ner'zhul's apprehension about the war with the draenei grows. Kil'jaeden appears to him in the form of Rulkan and tells him of powerful beings who could aid the orcs, and the night after Kil'jaeden appears again as a radiant elemental entity and urges him to push the Horde to victory and exterminate the draenei. Ner'zhul secretly embarks on a journey to Oshu'gun to seek the guidance of the ancestors, but Kil'jaeden is aware of his plans and tells Gul'dan to gather allies to control the Shadowmoon, since Ner'zhul can no longer be relied upon. Gul'dan recruits Teron'gor and several other shaman and begin teaching them fel magic.
• At Oshu'gun, the real Rulkan and the other ancestors tell Ner'zhul that he was being manipulated by Kil'jaeden and condemn the shaman for having been used by the demon lord. Ner'zhul falls into despair and is captured by Gul'dan's followers, who treat him as little more than a slave.

-6

• Displeased by the disarray and infighting in the Horde, Kil'jaeden commands Gul'dan to find a single, true leader for the orcs â€" a warchief. Gul'dan convinces Blackhand to take up the position after training some of the Blackrock clan's shaman how to wield fel magic and magically age young orcs, including Blackhand's young sons, Dal'rend and Maim.
• Gul'dan forms the Shadow Council to watch over the orcs and includes Blackhand in the organization, but Gul'dan's trusted Shadowmoon warlocks secretly form the inner circle of the organization. The warlock recruits new members for the council, including Cho'gall and Garona, and creates a group called the necrolytes.
• Zagrel, Chieftain of the Whiteclaw clan, is assassinated by Garona on behalf of Gul'dan for speaking out against the Horde.

-5

• At a clan meeting at Oshu'gun, Gul'dan persuades many shaman into becoming warlocks and convinces the clan chieftains to unanimously vote for Blackhand as their warchief.
• Blackhand orders the construction of the Citadel, later known as Hellfire Citadel, and organizes the various clans into specific roles within the Horde. He also forms a new clan known as the Black Tooth Grin and names Eitrigg, Orgrim Doomhammer and Varok Saurfang as his lieutenants in the Blackrock clan.
• Blackhand sends warlocks to magically age the adolescents of other clans. The orcs' skin begins to turn a sickly green.
• Cho'gall recruits the pale orcs into the Horde and forms the Twilight's Hammer clan.

-4

• The draenei's morale begins to founder as the orcs launch coordinated assaults on minor settlements and outposts across the dying world. Velen and the exarchs, knowing that their only chance of survival is to hold off the onslaught and hope that the Burning Legion does not launch a full-scale invasion, order their forces to withdraw to Shattrath and Karabor. The elemental spirits pool their power into the mighty Firelord, Cyrukh, to stop the desecration of the land.
• The orcs gather for an assault on Karabor. Cyrukh appears in a nearby volcano to confront them, but Gul'dan and his warlocks gather on the volcano's slopes to shatter the being's physical form and infuse its power into the orcs, shattering the last connection between the orcs and the elements. The volcano becomes known as the Hand of Gul'dan.
• The draenei hold the orcish assault at bay for a time but are defeated when the Horde uses the power of the Dark Star to kill or drive insane many of the defenders and permanently darken Karabor, turning it into the Black Temple. Velen and the survivors manage to flee via the harbor.

-3

• The orcs gather at a mountain near the Citadel and drink the blood of Mannoroth at Gul'dan's urging. Durotan forbids the Frostwolves from drinking after having received an anonymous message from Ner'zhul, while Orgrim refuses out of suspicion for the growing corruption of the orcs and Draenor. Those who do drink the blood are driven into a ferocious bloodlust and march against Shattrath as Gul'dan infuses the mountain with fel energy, transforming it into the Throne of Kil'jaeden.
• The victims of the red pox quarantined in Garadar remain isolated from the fel corruption, leading them to become known as the Mag'har, "Uncorrupted".
• Velen leads many Shattrath civilians to a refuge in Telredor. The orcs launch an assault on Shattrath, unleashing the red mist against the draenei. Before long, the city falls to the Horde.
• Many of the survivors retreat to Auchindoun. Teron'gor and other Shadow Council agents are dispatched to the mausoleum, but when they are repelled by the draenei and Auchindoun's spirits they attempt to summon a powerful demon to aid them. Instead, they accidentally summon Murmur, whose arrival blasts Auchindoun apart and levels the surrounding forests. The warlocks bind Murmur within Auchindoun to prevent it from wreaking havoc on the Horde.

-2

• Blackhand turns his attention on Draenor's other inhabitants. Kilrogg Deadeye and the Bleeding Hollow clan launch a campaign against Farahlon, while Grommash Hellscream and Cho'gall topple Highmaul. Elsewhere, the Frostwolf, Whiteclaw and Thunderlord clans are charged with hunting down the ogres, ogron, gronn and magnaron, though only the Thunderlords obey.
• Kargath Bladefist leads a force to conquer the arakkoa capital, Skyreach. The orcs ally with the Outcast arakkoa, who agree to infiltrate Skyreach and sabotage the high arakkoa's superweapon. Kargath and his forces then slaughter high and cursed arakkoa alike, casting some of the former into Sethekk Hollow. These cursed high arakkoa rally under Grizzik, who leads his people to take refuge in Auchindoun.
• Kil'jaeden ceases to communicate with Gul'dan on Sargeras' orders. The orcs begin to flounder on Draenor as the world slowly dies. The threat of starvation causes the orcs to hunt many of Draenor's native creatures to extinction and begin fighting amongst themselves. The Dying Times were upon Draenor.

-1

• Medivh appears to Gul'dan and the Shadow Council and tells them of Azeroth, as well as showing a vision of the Tomb of Sargeras to Gul'dan. The construction of the Dark Portal begins.

0

• The Horde enter the Dark Portal and small skirmishes break out with the humans. Rumors spread of monsters in the swamp; most are dismissed as tales.
• The Frostwolves are banished from the Horde and begin sneaking north to find a new home.
• Blackhand orders the Horde push north and west, far into Stormwind's territories. Many villages and towns are destroyed.
• The Bleeding Hollow clan pushes into Stranglethorn but are met with strong resistance from the Gurubashi, and eventually retreat.
• The First War has officially begun.

1

• The Frostwolves arrive in Alterac Valley, having almost entirely avoided Azeroth's other races thanks to the elements.
• Thrall is born.
• Shocked at their child's green skin, Durotan sends messages through the elements to meet with Orgrim near Loch Modan. The two meet to discuss this revelation and go their separate ways. Orgrim sends his most trusted friends with Durotan and his wife, Draka, for protection, but they turn out to be loyal to Gul'dan. They murder Durotan and Draka and leave Thrall for dead, but the infant is soon found by Aedelas Blackmoore.

3

• Redridge falls to the Horde.
• The Shadow Council moves their operations to Blackrock Mountain.
• The Horde begins their first siege of Stormwind. It's met as a stalemate and the Horde retreat.
• Garona is allowed entrance to Stormwind by the word of Khadgar, who warns King Llane about Medivh's fall to the Legion.
• Seeing the Shadow Council's weakness after Gul'dan's coma, Orgrim challenges Blackhand to a mak'gora. The duel ends in Orgrim crushing Blackhand's skull with his family heirloom, the Doomhammer.
• Garona and Khadgar return to Stormwind to inform Llane of the Guardian's death. In the battle, however, Gul'dan had implanted thoughts of killing allies into Garona's mind. These messages flared bright in her head once more, and she assassinates Llane.
• Stormwind comes under siege from the Horde and the front gates fall. The city falls to fire, and Lothar is forced to gather what refugees he can and flee north.

4

• The Demon Soul is found by orcish warlocks. Alexstrasza senses this and comes to investigate.
• Gul'dan creates the first death knights.
• The Horde pushes north, conquering Khaz Modan and trapping the dwarves and gnomes within Ironforge and Gnomeregan.
• Orgrim builds the orcish fleet in present-day Menethil Harbor, planning to sail around the Thandol Span and into Hillsbrad.
• The Dragonmaw clan bind Alexstrasza in Grim Batol with the Demon Soul, forcing the red dragonflight to the Horde's will.
• The Horde sail north but are outmatched by the Kul Tiras fleet. Red dragons chase off the Alliance and the Horde make landfall.

6

• The Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills ensues, leaving much of the landscape in ruin. The Horde's death knights prove triumphant over the Alliance's paladins.
• The Horde frees Zul'jin from human captivity, who in turn pledges his tribe, the Amani, to the Horde's cause.
• Garona escapes capture from her handler, Eitrigg.
• Horde forces move through the Hinterlands, suffering attacks from the Wildhammer clan of dwarves.
• The Horde moves to Quel'Thalas and Gul'dan assists in dismantling the elven runestones, which he later utilizes to create two-headed ogres.
• With the assistance of the Horde, the Amani finally begin retaking parts of Eversong. The high elves are pushed back to the walls of Silvermoon, but fail to breach them. Orgrim realizes his resources should be pooled elsewhere and moves his forces southwest towards Alterac, leaving the Amani. Zul'jin would never forgive the Horde for this.
• Realizing the might of the Horde, Aiden Perenolde strikes a deal with the orcs. They will be allowed passage through Alterac if they spare his city. Orgrim readily accepts and moves on to Capital City.
• The Horde begins their siege of Capital City but is met with a strong opposition. Gul'dan, having finally learned the location of the Tomb of Sargeras, abandons the Horde with the Twilight's Hammer and Stormreaver clans, causing the Horde's loss in the Second War.
• Gul'dan raises the Broken Shore and makes his way through the Tomb. Defying Kil'jaeden's plan of turning the Tomb into a portal for the Legion, however, the warlock attempts to take all its power for himself. He and his followers are torn apart by monstrous demons while the rest of his clan is defeated by the Dragonmaw.
• Cho'Gall and the Twilight's Hammer clan flee west to Kalimdor.
• The Horde flees south but is quickly followed by the Alliance, the Kul Tiras fleet and the Wildhammer clan.
• Khaz Modan is liberated and the dwarves and gnomes readily join the Alliance.
• Siege of Blackrock Spire - the Alliance lays siege to Blackrock Mountain.
• Orgrim slays Lothar in combat but is swiftly defeated by Turalyon and captured.
• Khadgar destroys the Dark Portal.

7

• Dal'rend and Maim Blackhand bolster Horde remnants at Blackrock, forming their "True Horde".
• Most orcs fled into the wilderness, travelling in small packs or alone.
• The Alliance begins the Orcish Internment.
• Aedelas Blackmoore is named lord of Durnholde and secretly raises Thrall as his slave.
• Nethergarde Keep is established to keep watch over the rift that still exists in the Blasted Lands.

8

• Ner'zhul reforms what little Horde is left on Draenor.
• In search of new worlds to conquer, Ner'zhul tasks Teron Gorefiend and the remaining death knights with acquiring artifacts of power; the Scepter of Sargeras, the Eye of Dalaran and the Book of Medivh.
• Ner'zhul re-opens the Dark Portal with the Skull of Gul'dan.
• Deathwing pledges his flight to the Horde if they'll take a large number of his eggs with them back to Draenor. Ner'zhul agrees.
• Teron Gorefiend and the death knights retrieve all three artifacts and return them to Ner'zhul.
• The Warsong are tasked with preventing the Alliance from entering the portal, but are beaten back by Turalyon's forces, the Sons of Lothar.
• The Sons of Lothar invade Draenor, beating back the Horde to Hellfire Citadel. Ner'zhul flees south with the three artifacts to Karabor, now called the Black Temple.
• While searching for nesting areas, Deathwing and his flight come under assault from the gronn. The most ruthless, Gruul, becomes known as the Dragonkiller after nearly killing Deathwing himself.
• Ner'zhul uses the power from all three artifacts to call open innumerable dimensional portals. The influx of power tears apart Draenor into what it is today; Outland.
• Many orcs fled Draenor to Azeroth and most were captured. Khadgar, still on Draenor, closes the Dark Portal from his side, trapping the Sons of Lothar on a dying world.

15-18

• Thrall, the son of Frostwolf Clan’s chieftain Durotan, who was taken by the humans as an infant, escapes from Blackmoore’s control and begins to search for his lost heritage. He learns of the existence of the Warsong clan â€" the only clan remaining that is undefeated by humans â€" and of its ferocious leader, Grom Hellscream. He reunites a number of renegade orc clans and leads them in revolt against the Alliance. After joining with Orgrim Doomhammer and Hellscream, Thrall frees the captive orcs and reforms the Horde. Doomhammer is slain in battle and Thrall becomes Warchief of the Horde. He reintroduces his people to the abandoned shamanistic culture of their ancestors.

20

• As the Third War begins, the Horde captures Alliance ships and makes a dangerous journey past the Maelstrom to the unexplored lands of Kalimdor. The Horde unwittingly offends the night elves by gathering lumber, and the following battles push Grom Hellscream to drink demon blood for greater power. Horde and Alliance forces unite against the Burning Legion, destroying the demon Archimonde and defeat the Burning Legion. The surviving mortal forces establish new colonies on Kalimdor. Thrall and the Horde found a homeland in the desert of Kalimdor, naming it Durotar.

22

• Admiral Proudmoore, Jaina's father, arrives on Theramore with the remainder of the Kul Tiras navy. He lands on Kalimdor and engages the Horde in a series of battles. The Horde pushes the battle back to Theramore, killing Admiral Proudmoore but leaving Jaina and those loyal to her alive.

25

• World of Warcraft begins.
• King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind is kidnapped, and his son, Anduin Wrynn, is temporarily crowned. The black dragon Onyxia is discovered in Stormwind City. An assault is launched on Blackwing Lair, home of the black dragon Nefarian. In the deserts of Silithus, the qiraji launch an invasion at the behest of the Old God C'Thun. Kel'Thuzad launches an attack on Azeroth from the dread citadel Naxxramas in the Eastern Kingdoms.

27

• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade begins.
• The blood elves of Quel'Thalas join the Horde. In Kalimdor, the draenei crash-land off the northern coast, and ally with the Alliance. The Dark Portal is rebuilt and re-opened by Lord Kazzak, and both Horde and Alliance forces travel to Outland. There, the orc Garrosh Hellscream is discovered by Warchief Thrall, and taken back to Azeroth to act as an advisor. Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider of the blood elves allies with the Burning Legion, attempting to summon the demon lord Kil'jaeden to Azeroth. The Sunwell is restored with the heart of the naaru M'uru.

29

• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King begins.
• The Lich King launches a new assault on Azeroth, attacking Stormwind City and Orgrimmar. Alliance and Horde forces both travel to Northrend to combat the Lich King. The Argent Crusade is established. Death knight defectors from the Lich King's armies form the Knights of the Ebon Blade, allying with both Alliance and Horde. Garrosh Hellscream is sent to lead the Horde forces in Northrend. The Lich King is defeated.

31

• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm begins.
• Thrall steps down from his position as warchief and appoints Garrosh Hellscream as the new leader of the Horde. The former Dragon Aspect Deathwing bursts through into Azeroth from the Elemental Plane, shattering the surface of the world as tensions between the Alliance and Horde continue to build. The worgen of Gilneas join the Alliance, and the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel join the Horde. The elemental lords Ragnaros and Al'Akir are slain. as well as Cho'gall, leader of the Twilight's Hammer cult. The Dragon Aspects expend their titan-given power to kill Deathwing, and the Age of Mortals begins.

33

• World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria begins.
• All-out war erupts between the Alliance and Horde when Warchief Garrosh Hellscream destroys the city of Theramore with a mana bomb. Archmage Rhonin dies, and Lady Jaina Proudmoore takes his place as leader of the Kirin Tor, a council of some of Azeroth's most powerful magi. Pandaren residents of the Wandering Isle ally with both the Alliance and Horde as the continent of Pandaria is discovered. The sha are released on Pandaria, and the Thunder King, Lei Shen, is resurrected. Garrosh orders the assassination of the Darkspear leader, Vol'jin. Jaina forcibly removes the Horde from Dalaran, throwing the magocratic city-state's support behind the Alliance. Vol'jin begins the Darkspear Rebellion, pitting Horde against Horde. The Alliance covertly assists the Darkspear rebels, and Garrosh's reign as warchief is ended.
• Most of the Kor'kron are wiped out.
• Garrosh is dethroned and captured, then moved to Pandaria for trial.
• Vol'jin replaces Garrosh as Warchief of the Horde.

35

• World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor begins.
• Garrosh Hellscream is taken to the Temple of the White Tiger in Pandaria to stand trial for his crimes. During the trial, Garrosh escapes justice. In the Blasted Lands, the Dark Portal's energies shift from green to red, and new orc invaders emerge from the portal, calling themselves the Iron Horde. Both Alliance and Horde forces launch a defense to combat the new threat, eventually leading an assault on the Dark Portal itself. Azeroth's defenders charge through the portal, determined to dismantle it from the other side and defeat the Iron Horde.

37

• World of Warcraft: Legion begins.
• Sylvanas Windrunner becomes Warchief of the Horde.
• The Burning Legion openly launches full-scale invasions on Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.