As the Alliance and Horde expeditionary forces officially set sail for the Pandaria Continent, the Northern Alliance began its own operation.
Lordaeron did not take part in the expedition to support the Shaohao Dynasty. They already had more than enough troubles at home.
Marshal Garithos led Lordaeron's First Legion across the ruined Thoradin's Wall and into the Arathi Highlands.
At Refuge Pointe, Lordaeron's army joined Prince Trollbane's Stromgarde restoration force, then charged together toward Stromgarde City.
Stromgarde City, the thousand-year-old capital of the Arathor Empire, had long since lost its former glory. All that remained were vast stretches of crumbling walls and dilapidated buildings.
The forces occupying this ancient city were even more complicated.
The western district was occupied by remnants of the Shadow Council from the old Orc wars, while a bandit organization from the Arathi Highlands and the Alterac Mountains lurked nearby.
In the eastern district, a large group of completely abandoned Scourge undead wandered aimlessly.
These undead had been left to fend for themselves since the days of the old Lich King Arthas. Arthas himself had probably forgotten there was still a bunch of worthless cannon fodder here.
After the new Lich King Sylvanas took power, she had never paid any attention to these unwanted remnants of the undead either.
So these mindless undead had remained in Stromgarde, using a large graveyard by the easternmost city wall as their lair.
Recently, a large number of Kobolds had also poured into the area, fighting the wandering undead for territory.
The central district was likewise occupied by undead, but these were free undead who retained the self-awareness they had possessed in life.
Before their deaths, these undead had all been Stromgarde nobles or generals. After the Lich King's power weakened, they broke free of mental domination and regained their