Orc

Before their fall, orcs lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers and spiritual clans across the rugged landscapes of Draenor. Their culture was grounded in ancestral reverence and deep communion with elemental spirits, guided primarily by revered shamans. Among the disparate clans were the Frostwolves, Warsongs, and Shadowmoon. Though physically formidable and deeply proud, traditional orcish society was defined by survival, honor, and harmony with the natural elements rather than mindless conquest.

The fate of the orcs shattered when Kil'jaeden and the warlock Gul'dan orchestrated their corruption. Tricked into drinking the blood of the demon Mannoroth, the orcs were seized by a supernatural bloodlust. Forged into the original Horde, they nearly eradicated Draenor's draenei before pouring through the Dark Portal into Azeroth. The First and Second Wars saw human kingdoms fall and orcish armies reach Lordaeron's gates, but internal treachery and the unified Alliance of Lordaeron eventually crushed the invaders, herding survivors into miserable internment camps.

Imprisonment stripped the orcs of their demonic frenzy, leaving them lethargic and broken until Thrall, an orc raised in human captivity, escaped. Reconnecting with shamanism, Thrall rallied the Frostwolf clan, freed his kin from the camps, and established a renewed Horde. Heeding prophetic warnings, he led his people across the Great Sea to Kalimdor. There, the sacrifice of Grom Hellscream finally broke Mannoroth's blood curse forever. Today, the orcs have carved out the arid realm of Durotar and built the fortress-city of Orgrimmar, striving to maintain their hard-won honor amidst renewed tensions with the Alliance.