Thoradin's Wall
Thoradin's Wall is a gigantic heavily damaged wall separating the Arathi Highlands from Hillsbrad Foothills. It was built under the Empire of Arathor to protect mankind from the Amani trolls.
History
Origins
Soon after the establishment of the kingdom of Arathor and its capital Strom, King Thoradin ordered to build a great wall near the capital to shield humanity from the Amani incursions.[1]
According to a story Faerin Lothar was told as a child, a terrible curse once struck the Empire of Arathor, tainting anything and anyone it touched, mutating them into vicious beasts. At the height of the conflict, an army of contorted creatures breached Thoradin's Wall, which had stood a stalwart sentinel over the land for generations.[2]
World of Warcraft
Many centuries later, the wall was still standing but heavily damaged and in ruins.
The Burning Crusade
In the Escape from Durnholde Keep instance of the Caverns of Time, the wall can be seen in considerably better condition, but still quite a bit damaged.
Cataclysm
After Galen Trollbane was raised as an undead by the Forsaken, a camp was built near the wall where undead prince requested the aid of Horde adventurers to retrieve the legendary sword Trol'kalar.[3]
Before the Strom
During the Gathering, Sylvanas Windrunner and her dark rangers were stationed at the wall as agreed by the warchief and King Anduin Wrynn. The warchief's guards were patrolling it, and Nathanos was guarding the Banshee Queen. On the day of the Gathering, the Desolate Council and the other Forsaken came to the wall and headed to the Gathering point. As the discussion between the two parties progressed, some of the Forsaken were rejected and returned to the wall. As Calia Menethil convinced the remaining to go with her, Sylvanas sent the dark rangers from the wall to the meeting field via bats.[4]
Battle for Azeroth
During the Fourth War, as the Alliance and the Horde fought in the Battle for Stromgarde, Brandur Ironhammer and his forces were tasked to retake Dun Garok, only for the Horde forces to drive them back through Thoradin's Wall.[5] Under the command of General Hammond Clay, an Alliance host later marched towards the nearby ruins of Durnholde Keep to secure Thoradin's Wall, where they were eventually encountered by the Horde champions.[6]
The War Within
When King Danath Trollbane, Overlord Geya'rah, and Faerin Lothar returned to the Arathi Highlands to resolve tensions between Hammerfall and Stromgarde, their first stop was Thoradin's Wall. Faerin was awestruck by the sight of it, having only heard stories, but Danath dimissed it as just a wall, warning that excessive reverence for their legends often led to sentiments of Stromic superiority and aggression against their neighbors.[7] However, after Faerin became disillusioned with her Stromic heritage following the defeat of the Red Dawn, Danath told her that the ideals of Thoradin's Wall existed within her, having been his guiding light since they returned.[8]
Thoradin's Wall digsite
A dwarf archaeology dig site follows the northern stretch of the wall on the Arathi Highlands side to just north of Galen's Fall.
In the RPG
Thoradin's Wall, an immense edifice on the northern border, was once a symbol of humanity's strength and defensive might. Now, the wall has fallen to decay and war, and it is collapsed and gaping wide.[9]
Notes and trivia
- The damaged Thoradin's Wall used to share the same model with Greymane Wall before it was updated in Cataclysm.
- In Old Hillsbrad Foothills, passage through the intact wall is blocked by a wooden gate. Behind the wall is still unfinished land containing only discolored land and deformed mountains, as well as a huge ledge from which one can freely fall to their doom.
- The wall is presumably inspired by Hadrian's Wall, the ancient Roman Empire's northernmost boundary in Britannia (now England).
Speculation
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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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- It is unclear why the wall is in ruins, however, one can assume that time may be responsible, as it was erected more than two thousand years ago. It is possible that the local ogre and troll tribes, or even the Syndicate, may have aggravated it as well.
- The presence of a dwarf archaeology site at the wall might suggest it was built, with at the least the partial assistance, of dwarves, which given they have a base built into the mountain nearby would be a reasonable assumption. This is, however, unlikely, as the dwarves were awakened several hundred years later after its construction.[10] Thus, the dwarves could have worked in the wall repairs in the following years.
Gallery
From Arathi Highlands.
Thoradin's Wall
From Hillsbrad Foothills.
Galen's Fall built near the wall.
The gateway.
The closed gateway in Old Hillsbrad Foothills.
References
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 126
- ^ Faith & Flame
- ^
[10-30] The Forsaken Trollbane
- ^ Before the Storm
- ^
Exorcising Dun Garok
- ^ Wall Them Off
- ^
[80] Trouble in the Highlands
- ^ [80] Past Glory
- ^ Lands of Conflict, pg. 88 - 89
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 137
External links
| Hillsbrad Foothills | Arathi Highlands | Old Hillsbrad Foothills | BfA | Alliance warfront | Horde warfront | |
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