Guides › Alterac and King Perenolde Explained: The Kingdom That Betrayed the Alliance

Lore ·

Alterac and King Perenolde Explained: The Kingdom That Betrayed the Alliance

Alterac was the mountain kingdom of the Alliance of Lordaeron, and its king in the Second War, Aiden Perenolde, betrayed the Alliance in the Second War by letting the Horde pass through the Alterac Mountains. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft, the kingdom is long gone; in the original game its mountains hold ruins and the Alterac Valley battleground.

Quick answer: Perenolde joined the Alliance reluctantly, then secretly dealt with the Horde. He was deposed and placed under house arrest, but sources disagree on who acted and on how the kingdom ended. In the original game the mountains hold ruins and a battleground.

The fall of Alterac, step by step
A six-step story of Alterac: one of the Seven Kingdoms in the Alterac Mountains, King Aiden Perenolde joins the Alliance after the others, he lets the Horde pass through the mountains, the union with the Horde is declared treason, he is deposed under house arrest and refuses to abdicate, and in the original game the mountains hold ruins and Alterac Valley. Sources: Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch.

Alterac held mountain passes, and its king knew how the Horde could cross them.

Key facts

  • Kingdom: one of the Seven Kingdoms of the Alliance of Lordaeron (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • King in the Second War: Aiden Perenolde (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • Betrayal: passage through the Alterac Mountains for the Horde (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • Punishment: deposed and placed under house arrest (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • Refused to: abdicate (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • Capital: now ruins in the Alterac Mountains (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
  • In Forever: Alterac Valley battleground quests are listed (Warcraft Tavern)

What was the kingdom of Alterac?

Warcraft Wiki says Alterac lay in the Alterac Mountains, was small compared with the other human nations, and was one of the seven human kingdoms. Blizzard Watch's Know Your Lore column says Alterac was one of the seven kingdoms that formed the Alliance of Lordaeron, and that its capital stood in the mountains where its ruins now lie. For the kingdoms around it, read Lordaeron lore explained.

Who was King Aiden Perenolde?

A king who joined last. Warcraft Wiki says Perenolde feared unity would cost him regional power, and that Alterac joined the Alliance only after every other kingdom had. Blizzard Watch says he was reluctant to join the Alliance.

What did Perenolde do in the Second War?

He sold the mountains. Warcraft Wiki says Perenolde met Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer in secret and, in exchange for the orcs sparing Alteraci settlements, explained how to avoid the mountain defenses. Blizzard Watch says he secretly collaborated with the Horde, let it pass through Alterac and moved his military leaders to distant garrisons. A Warcraft II mission on Warcraft Wiki says the High Command declared Alterac's union with the Horde treason. Read Orgrim Doomhammer's story and the Second War's lore recap.

How was Perenolde punished?

Sources disagree on who acted. Warcraft Wiki says King Terenas Menethil II marched into Alterac, declared martial law and deposed Perenolde, who was placed under house arrest. Blizzard Watch says that after Alterac soldiers were caught fighting for the Horde, Stromgarde's King Trollbane deposed him and placed him under house arrest. Both agree the other kings demanded he abdicate and that he refused. See Terenas Menethil's story.

What happened to Alterac afterward?

The sources give several endings. The Warcraft II mission says Alterac was completely destroyed and that Alliance forces killed Perenolde in the assault, and Warcraft Wiki's Alterac page says the Warcraft novels contradict that. Warcraft Wiki says Perenolde died at an unspecified time, while Blizzard Watch says he was captured and imprisoned for the rest of his life. Blizzard Watch says Perenolde formed the Syndicate, a criminal group, while Warcraft Wiki credits his son Aliden.

Where is Alterac in WoW Forever?

In the mountains above Hillsbrad. Warcraft Wiki says the Alterac Mountains were a standalone zone in the original game, north of the Hillsbrad Foothills, and that Crushridge ogres claimed the Ruins of Alterac, the former capital. Alterac Valley, the battleground, is entered from these mountains. Warcraft Tavern's Forever guides list repeatable Alterac Valley battleground quests as a way to reach Exalted with Ironforge and with the Gnomeregan Exiles. Read the Alterac Mountains guide, Hillsbrad Foothills and Strahnbrad explained and the battlegrounds guide.

The free Lore Forever add-on adds readable zone and quest background as you travel, and the optional Willo voice companion can talk through the history. Both are fan-made.

What is not confirmed yet

  • Blizzard has not published Forever-specific Alterac lore or quests.
  • Who deposed Perenolde: Warcraft Wiki says Terenas, Blizzard Watch says Stromgarde.
  • Perenolde's fate and the Syndicate's founder: sources conflict, as above.
  • Whether the Alterac Mountains zone is playable in Forever is not confirmed here; this article cites original-game data.

Frequently asked questions

Who was King Aiden Perenolde?

Aiden Perenolde was the king of Alterac in the Second War. He betrayed the Alliance of Lordaeron in the Second War by letting the Horde use the Alterac Mountains.

What did Alterac do in the Second War?

Alterac secretly sided with the Horde, according to Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch. Perenolde gave the Horde passage through the mountains.

What happened to Perenolde?

He was deposed and placed under house arrest, and the other kings demanded he abdicate, which he refused. Warcraft Wiki says he died at an unspecified time, while Blizzard Watch says he was imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Is Alterac Valley in WoW Forever?

Warcraft Tavern's Forever guides list repeatable Alterac Valley quests, and a Forever beta data page lists a level 51 battleground, which may differ from release.

What is the Syndicate?

The Syndicate is a criminal organization tied to the Perenolde family and Alteraci nobles, according to Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch. They disagree on whether Perenolde or his son Aliden formed it.

Sources

Reviewed October 27, 2026. This article covers history before and around Forever's setting and does not treat later events as Forever canon. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.

More from the guides