Compared with the Hillsbrad Foothills, the Arathi Highlands could hardly be called barren, but the land was certainly less fertile.
The rolling hills left little flat land suitable for cultivation. Only a few relatively level stretches could be cleared for farming, and these had become farms.
For that very reason, fewer people lived here.
Rhode and his companions traveled east along the main road all morning, yet encountered only a handful of passersby.
Of course, that did not mean the Kingdom of Stromgarde-or Stromgarde itself-was weak.
In fact, under King Thoras Trollbane's rule, Stromgarde might not have ranked among the greatest powers, but few dared provoke it.
During the Second War, at the critical moment when the Kingdom of Alterac betrayed the Alliance, Thoras Trollbane had personally led his army against Alterac's capital without delay. In the end, he had salvaged the desperate situation and turned the tide of the war in one stroke.
Later, King Thoras Trollbane had sent his nephew Danath Trollbane with nearly half the kingdom's army to follow the Alliance through the Dark Portal, taking the fight all the way to the orcs' homeland.
Statues of Danath Trollbane and the other heroes who had ventured into Outland-Turalyon, Khadgar, Alleria Windrunner, and Kurdran Wildhammer-had been erected in Stormwind City's Valley of Heroes.
Of course, that was because everyone believed they were missing or dead.
In reality, well... not one of those heroes was in trouble. They were all alive and kicking, ready to show their stuff in future expansions.
All in all, Stromgarde was still quite a powerful kingdom.
The party of five had now passed a fork in the road and continued onward.
At the next fork, they should be able to turn off and reach the royal capital, Stromgarde.
According to Arthas, although the demon's