The Alliance

Long, long ago, to resist natural disasters and the attacks of trolls, the human tribes scattered across the Arathi Highlands united under a human leader named Thoradin and formed a kingdom. This was the origin of the Empire of Arathor. The famous Wall of Thoradin was built in those days, with every human contributing brick by brick.

After that, the Empire of Arathor used the sturdy defensive wall to keep the trolls firmly outside its borders, then sat back and watched the two sides fight. When the newly arrived High Elves were on the verge of being wiped out by the trolls in the north, Emperor Thoradin finally agreed to send troops to help, in exchange for their magical knowledge and their loyalty to his bloodline.

After the war that destroyed the Troll Empire, population growth and the mages' pursuit of their own interests led more and more commoners, guided by imperial nobles dissatisfied with the status quo, to leave the Arathi Highlands and cross the Wall of Thoradin. They began reclaiming vast tracts of land in northern Lordaeron, eventually leading to the empire's disintegration and the rise of the various kingdoms.

In the council chamber, Anduin Lothar—the only surviving descendant of Emperor Thoradin—felt somewhat awkward as he faced the leaders of the kingdoms seated in a circle before him.

Likewise, the rulers from the various kingdoms felt uneasy in the presence of the legendary emperor's descendant. Even Thoras Trollbane, who had always styled himself a regent and never dared to proclaim himself king, was no exception. Before the white-haired old man came to Lordaeron, the sword that never left his side—Trol'kalar, said to have slain tens of thousands of trolls—had been left behind in Stromgarde for the first time.

No one wanted a newly emerged descendant of an emperor to swagger in and lord it over them, especially these powerful figures who had grown accustomed to wielding authority. Nothing was more infuriating than gaining something only to lose it again!

Fortunately, Anduin Lothar was not the sort to miss the point. He understood that ever since the Empire of Arathor had fractured, its history belonged in the dust, and anyone who failed to see reality would meet a bad end. That clear-eyed understanding set him apart from the other descendants of Thoradin and had allowed him to live in peace until now.

More importantly, he had been born in Elwynn Forest, his home was in Stormwind City, and his kingdom was the Kingdom of Stormwind! He had no ambition to command the kingdoms in the name of his bloodline—only the burning resolve to lay down his life for humanity's survival and the restoration of the Kingdom of Stormwind!

"A treacherous assassination and a slaughter that defied all humanity!"

The tall warrior gestured wildly, using exaggerated movements to show those present how furious he was. His booming voice echoed through the well-insulated council chamber.

"Stormwind City was burned to the ground, and the entire Kingdom of Stormwind was conquered! Nine out of ten people in the Kingdom of Stormwind are dead. Those green-skinned Orcs are beasts who kill without blinking, monsters with no humanity!"

"Only by uniting can we stand against them! Everyone, humanity's fate is in our hands. Victory or annihilation—two paths lie before us all!"

"We must form a united defensive alliance to face our common enemy!"

Lothar leaned forward and pressed both hands firmly on the round table before him, bringing his speech to a close. He looked around at everyone present, as if trying to discern from their expressions whether they were considering backing down.

The council chamber fell silent as each leader considered the information Anduin Lothar had conveyed and the possibility of the human kingdoms forming an alliance.

Just then, Terenas, seated at the head of the table, rapped on it to draw everyone's attention.

The elderly king cleared his throat and addressed the assembly. "According to the latest report from Muradin, the envoy Ironforge sent here, Ironforge is under siege by the enemy, and Menethil Harbor fell two days ago. I fear we will soon face a grave threat. We don't have much time left."

The old king's words sounded like a final ultimatum, laying the last straw upon everyone's hearts.

"Though I don't like our kin who hole up in the snowy mountains or dour Magni, the Wildhammer Dwarves will never lay down their weapons before the enemy!" Kurdran Wildhammer, whom Terenas had specially invited to the meeting, shouted, waving his enormous fist. "Let's smash those green-skins!"

Dwarves were always quick-tempered. Still, he had given the meeting a good start, and his support prompted the representatives of the other kingdoms, who had already been wavering, to state their positions as well.

"I agree." White-bearded Antonidas raised his right hand in support. After all, the Kingdom of Lordaeron was currently Dalaran's biggest patron, and since Dalaran had no standing army, it would most likely be assigned to provide supplies for the war rather than send its own people to the battlefield. For mages, as long as they were alive, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem.

"I agree, too!"

Two booming voices rang out at once. Thoras Trollbane and Aiden Perenolde voiced their support.

Though the Arathi Highlands were easy to defend and hard to attack, the presence of Thandol Span meant Stromgarde would be on the front lines when the Orcs advanced. Since they were bound to be dragged into the war, they might as well embrace it. Besides, the true master of Stromgarde in name was standing right there in the chamber.

Aiden's resolve, however, took everyone by surprise. After all, though the Hillsbrad Foothills could be considered part of the Kingdom of Alterac, they were the private lands of the Barov Family!

Anyone with common sense would understand that Aiden, as king, could not maintain close ties with the kingdom's most powerful nobles. There had to be some reason behind his quick decision, but no one was going to press him on it in this setting.

"I'll make those bastards taste the might of the Kul Tiras navy!" The Kingdom of Kul Tiras had dominated the seas for years, and its admiral, Daelin Proudmoore, had great confidence in his fleet. Even against the Orcs who had conquered the entire Kingdom of Stormwind, he was sure they would never make it back from the sea.

"Fine, I agree, too." Under everyone's gaze, Genn Greymane had no grounds to object. Still, he believed that even if the Orcs made it to Lordaeron, they would never be able to threaten the easily defended Gilneas. He certainly wasn't about to rashly send Gilneas's warriors off to die for someone else.

Seeing the proposal to form an alliance pass unanimously, Terenas nodded in satisfaction. "Then, with Archbishop Alonsus Faol as our witness, in the name of Arathor, we will unite our kingdoms and tribes in an alliance. We will stand together, live together, and die together!"

"Stand together, live together, and die together!"