The Arathi Highlands were a relatively enclosed region, with only three ways to reach these highlands: Thoradin's Wall, Faldir's Cove, and the Thandol Span built by dwarves in the southern Arathi Highlands.
Today, all three locations were firmly controlled by the Kingdom of Stromgarde, making it difficult for foreign enemies to invade the Arathi Highlands.
After gaining the allegiance of Duke Falconcrest, Galen Trollbane turned his gaze to the lands outside the Arathi Highlands-specifically, the region where the Kingdom of Stromgarde could expand: the Hillsbrad Foothills.
The alliance between the Syndicate and the Stonesplinter Ogres led Galen Trollbane to decide that before expanding, he had to eliminate the last hidden danger within the Arathi Highlands: the orc outpost of Hammerfall.
Hammerfall, formerly the only orc internment camp in the Arathi Highlands, was the fifth camp liberated by the New Horde. Here, the Old Horde Warchief Orgrim died in battle, handing Doomhammer and the Black Plate Armor to Thrall before his death, which heralded the birth of the New Horde.
It could be said that Hammerfall held unparalleled significance for the New Horde, and they would never easily abandon it.
Previously, the Kingdom of Stromgarde faced internal and external troubles with insufficient strength, coupled with the threat of the Scourge. Therefore, Galen Trollbane had sent food from the Witherbark Trolls of Witherbark Village to the Hammerfall orcs to prevent them from attacking Go'Shek Farm again due to food shortages.
Coming this time, Galen Trollbane directly mobilized thirty thousand Stromgarde militia troops along with engineering equipment. If the orcs of Hammerfall stubbornly refused to leave the Arathi Highlands, he would have no choice but to take Hammerfall by force, even at the risk of offending the New Horde.
In any case, it would still take the New Horde a few more years to develop again.
Hammerfall had fifty thousand orcs, outnumbering the thirty thousand Stromgarde militia troops. However, among the fifty thousand orcs, true warriors numbered only a little over ten thousand, while the rest were the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled; otherwise, they would not have been left behind in Hammerfall instead of following the New Horde to Kalimdor.
With just over ten thousand orc warriors alongside more than thirty thousand elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, the elite thirty thousand Stromgarde militia troops could still conquer it-especially since his side had Galen Trollbane, a Heroic Rank Warrior, along with two Ninth Rank powerhouses: the Paladin Rex Doom and the Archmage Ansirem Runeweaver. Based on previous intelligence regarding Hammerfall, they possessed at most a single Ninth Rank powerhouse.
Hammerfall was located in the northeasternmost part of the Arathi Highlands. Back then, it could be described as easy to defend and hard to attack, or else it would not have cost the Horde so much to capture it.
Yet ever since the orcs converted the internment camp into Hammerfall, they simply had not had the time to repair Hammerfall's defensive structures, merely crudely using docks to block the previous breach.
Without complete defensive facilities, even with the advantage of the highlands, it was difficult to withstand the well-prepared thirty thousand Stromgarde militia troops.
The thirty thousand Stromgarde militia troops surrounded Hammerfall but did not launch an attack immediately. Relying on his strength as a Heroic Rank Warrior, Galen Trollbane rode alone to the gates of Hammerfall.
The orcs of Hammerfall did not shoot arrows to attack while Galen Trollbane was all by himself; orc battles prized honor, and they would not stoop to such actions.
Even so, with his sharp eyesight, Galen Trollbane could still see the angry glares of the orcs atop the Hammerfall walls, wishing they could tear him to pieces.
"I am Galen Trollbane, prince of the Kingdom of Stromgarde and ruler of the Arathi Highlands. I have only one purpose in coming today, and that is to hope you can leave the Arathi Highlands and move away from Hammerfall. If possible, I do not wish to make enemies of you. Orc warriors of Hammerfall, behind me stand thirty thousand elite Stromgarde militia troops. We have already clashed countless times twenty years ago, and I believe you understand that if you refuse, the final victor will still be us.
"I understand orc traditions, and I am willing to initiate a Mak'gora to fight a fair duel with the strongest orc of Hammerfall!
"If I win, the orcs will move out of Hammerfall and leave the Arathi Highlands, and I will not make things difficult for you.
"If you win, then I swear upon the honor of the Trollbane family that from this day forth Hammerfall shall forever be the territory of the Horde."
Galen Trollbane's words visibly startled the orcs of Hammerfall. They had not expected Galen Trollbane, a human, to actually know about Mak'gora.
On the surface, Galen Trollbane respected orc traditions, avoiding a bloody war between the two races as much as possible, portraying himself as a human who placed immense value on honor.
However, only Galen Trollbane knew that he dared say this entirely because he knew all the orc powerhouses of the Horde were currently in Kalimdor. Otherwise, any orc Heroic Rank powerhouse would not be a match for Galen Trollbane, who had only recently broken through to the Heroic Rank.
The New Horde right now was at its strongest. Grommash Hellscream, the god-slaying chieftain of the Warsong Clan, was still alive, and the Saurfang brothers were all present as well. Any one of these three could easily crush Galen Trollbane.
Yet, stepping out from Hammerfall was not that robust Ninth Rank orc warrior, but rather an elderly blind orc with a white beard and hair.
Upon seeing the other's appearance, Galen Trollbane shuddered instantly. He recognized this blind old orc: he was Drek'Thar, the High Shaman of the Frostwolf Clan and a genuine Heroic Rank powerhouse.
This shouldn't be happening. Drek'Thar should have followed New Horde Warchief Thrall to Kalimdor; Drek'Thar had remained in Kalimdor all the way until the Battle of Durotar, so why was he appearing in Hammerfall now?
Do not be fooled by Drek'Thar's advanced age, nor the fact that he was an elemental shaman. One had to know he was a powerhouse who had immersed himself in the Heroic Rank for decades, and the elements of the Arathi Highlands were extremely active. Galen Trollbane truly was not this opponent's match.
The only fortunate thing was that Drek'Thar showed no intention of attacking. Instead, he raised his head and spoke to Galen Trollbane, "Prince Galen Trollbane, I am Drek'Thar, prophet of the Frostwolf Clan. Since you know of Mak'gora, you must understand our orc history. Hammerfall is the place where our former Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer fell in battle, and my Frostwolf Sharp Ear also died right here. Beneath this land lie countless orc souls, and we can never easily abandon it."
"I naturally understand, but Prophet Drek'Thar should also realize that the Arathi Highlands are the territory of the Kingdom of Stromgarde. How can one tolerate another sleeping soundly beside their bed? Hammerfall is a spike driven into the body of the Kingdom of Stromgarde, and I must pull it out. I believe you understand this just as well." Shaman priests were inherently the wiser bunch among orcs, let alone the fact that Drek'Thar was one of the few shamans honored as a prophet; he naturally could understand this logic.
Prophet Drek'Thar understood that Galen Trollbane would never yield in the slightest. If the Kingdom of Stromgarde wished to revitalize, it had to fully control the Arathi Highlands.
If it were an orc Heroic Rank warrior, they would likely fight Galen Trollbane to the bitter end, but Prophet Drek'Thar considered the fifty thousand orcs of Hammerfall to be far more important.
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