[Table Top RPG] Setting a campaign in Azeroth - WotLK

[gutogrando]

So, I'm planning to run a DnD 5e campaign for some friends (maybe GURPS 4e, but, whaever), and since I played Wow for a long time, I think it will be best for me, as the GM, to use Azeroth as the setting of the campaign. I´ll probably feel more confortable with Azeroth than any other classic RPG world (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, or even places like the Middle-Earth or Westeros). Since WotLK was my favorite expansion, I'm inclined to put the players at this point in the timeline, on the emergence of the Scourge.

The think is, I'm not a pro on the Azeroth lore. And since wow has such a big large amount of material regarding its own lore, I need some kind summary of this period of time to better plan the whole campaign. Things like:

1. How did the horde/alliance discovered about the scourge for the first time? I heard that, ingame, it was some kind of invasion on the major cities, right?

2. How did both factions learned about the Northrend, a continent until then, hidden from the rest of the world?

3. What exactly both factions intended with the separate expeditions on Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra? Why they marched Northrend in different battle fronts?

4. At what point, exactly, both factions had to join forces to be able to defeat the Scourge?


My plan is to put the party together with the great heroes of the Alliance during their assault on the frozen continent. My luck is that any of my players had ever played Wow, and probably not even Warcraft, so I don't have to be 100% faithful to the lore.


Ps.: Sorry for any grammar error, english is not my primary language.

[Arrashi]

1. Frost wyrms attacking major cities and necropolis floating around.
2. They always knew.
3. Because diffrent part of armies decided for two front attack.
4. At wrathgate.

[Rafoel]

1. How did the horde/alliance discovered about the scourge for the first time? I heard that, ingame, it was some kind of invasion on the major cities, right?

2. How did both factions learned about the Northrend, a continent until then, hidden from the rest of the world?

3. What exactly both factions intended with the separate expeditions on Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra? Why they marched Northrend in different battle fronts?

4. At what point, exactly, both factions had to join forces to be able to defeat the Scourge?

1) The existence of scourge was common knowledge. After all, Scourge was responsible for wiping out kingdom of Lordareon in very recent past. What's more, Blood Elves fought against Arthas under the Frozen Throne just before he ascended as Lich King, and certainly knew what happened there. As they haven't joined the horde until TBC, it's likely that this knowledge was transfered to both factions.

However, it was considered non-problem as long as Arthas and Scourge sat idle on uninhabited land. And, indeed, the whole conflict started with Scourge launching surprise attack against the major cities. The point of the attack was not to conquer anything, but to provoke horde and alliance into sending armies to Northrend.


2) I don't believe Northrend was ever really "hidden". Dwarves were sending expeditions there, looking for resources. Humans had no problems finding it during WC3 campaign. Blood Elves joined Illidan for whole war campaign in Northrend. Races that never had business in Northrend, like taurens, could easily gain that information from their allies.


3) I think they tried to encircle the enemy with multiple-front attacks.... because, well, the true reasons were gameplay-oriented. Don't question the military logics here.


4) They never actually "joined forces". Both factions constantly undermined and sabotaged the efforts of opposite faction in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord. The first case of cooperation happened at Wrath Gate... but it was shortlived because forsaken betrayed the Horde and killed hundreds of soldiers from both factions, including alliance expedition leader Bolvar Fordragon. From that time, factions continued their fight to the very end, ending with Gunship battle at Icecrown in which Alliance/Horde was victorious (depending on what faction you played).

[Deleted]

4) They never actually "joined forces". Both factions constantly undermined and sabotaged the efforts of opposite faction in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord. The first case of cooperation happened at Wrath Gate... but it was shortlived because forsaken betrayed the Horde and killed hundreds of soldiers from both factions, including alliance expedition leader Bolvar Fordragon. From that time, factions continued their fight to the very end, ending with Gunship battle at Icecrown in which Alliance/Horde was victorious (depending on what faction you played).

I belive that the Alliance ending is more canon because it tieds better to other story archs in following expansions for the developing of Varian as a character if he actually tells Muradin to stand back and let Saurfang get his dead son´s corpse. Though it is a pretty insignificant detail and I belive it was never adressed wich ending is canon or not.

[Techno-Druid]

2. How did both factions learned about the Northrend, a continent until then, hidden from the rest of the world?

There were humans living in Northrend for quite some time.

[gutogrando]

Thanks for all the answer guys, you are all great!

As I said, since my players don't know the lore by themselves, I have no need to follow the original lore, but will take the main part of the setting into account. Like i'll probably skip the whole cataclysm exp, and if the time comes, use exotic humans as the native people of Pandaria...

One thing that I found most interesting was about that Forsaken rebellion. Did that really existed? Didn't find anything about it on google

[Rafoel]

Thanks for all the answer guys, you are all great!

As I said, since my players don't know the lore by themselves, I have no need to follow the original lore, but will take the main part of the setting into account. Like i'll probably skip the whole cataclysm exp, and if the time comes, use exotic humans as the native people of Pandaria...

One thing that I found most interesting was about that Forsaken rebellion. Did that really existed? Didn't find anything about it on google

In-game, the whole rebellion was handled during a single instanced quest - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Quest:The_...ity_(Alliance). The quest was removed in Cataclysm though, 7 years ago

Lorewise, it was much more significant. Grand Apothecary Putress, undead responsible for development of new Plague, betrayed his own faction and allied with Burning Legion, taking control over Undercity. The goal of his rebellion can be summarized in his own words "death to the scourge and death to the living". The rebellion was shortlived though. Both factions were pretty pissed, and immediately launched their own separate attacks on Undercity. Putress and his supporters didn't stand a chance. However, as King Varian didn't believe Putress could act on his own accord and without connection to Horde leaders, these events made any copperation between factions impossible in foreseeable future.

[gutogrando]

Yell "you are no match for my creations" while slimes attacks Varian and Jaina... thats pretty stupid -.-

But anyway, in the video, I can see Sylvanas side by side with Thrall in the throne room, probably after they recover it. How exactly that happened? How did Putress took control of Undercity in the first place? He did it in Sylvanas absence, while she was fighting the Lich King? Putress was in Northrend too...

[Aucald]

Yell "you are no match for my creations" while slimes attacks Varian and Jaina... thats pretty stupid -.-

But anyway, in the video, I can see Sylvanas side by side with Thrall in the throne room, probably after they recover it. How exactly that happened? How did Putress took control of Undercity in the first place? He did it in Sylvanas absence, while she was fighting the Lich King? Putress was in Northrend too...

Technically Putress was only a minion of Varimathras, Sylvanas' majordomo who was left in nominal control of the Undercity while she was active in Northrend. I assume both Putress and Sylvanas took a portal back to Undercity from Northrend to be there for the Battle for the Undercity scenario - a two-pronged scenario where the Alliance took down Putress while the Horde cut a swath to Varimathras.