Outland

Full History

The world once called Draenor was home to the orc clans long before their armies passed into Azeroth. Their society was altered by the manipulation of Gul'dan, the Shadow Council and the Burning Legion, whose influence turned clan warfare into the conquest of other peoples. Draenor became the place from which the Old Horde launched its invasion through the Dark Portal.

The Alliance eventually carried the war back to the orcs' homeworld. Khadgar, Turalyon, Alleria and their companions crossed the portal to confront the remnants of the Horde and stop the use of dangerous magical artifacts. Ner'zhul, seeking escape and new worlds to conquer, opened several portals at once. The magic tore Draenor apart, leaving fragments suspended amid the Twisting Nether. Its broken remains became known as Outland.

The destruction did not leave the realm empty. Survivors from the orc clans and other peoples struggled among the ruins, while the demonic pit lord Magtheridon established his rule. He occupied the Black Citadel of Hellfire Peninsula and commanded armies across the shattered land. The fortress was a sign that the Legion's influence had survived even the breaking of the world.

Illidan Stormrage came to Outland during the events following the Third War, accompanied by Lady Vashj and Kael'thas Sunstrider. Their forces confronted Magtheridon and seized the Black Citadel. Outland remained a place where the consequences of the old Horde and the wars of Azeroth met: the homeworld of the orcs had survived only as fragments, and the struggle for what remained was far from over.