Arathi Highlands

The Arathi Highlands are located in southeastern region of the continent of Lordaeron, east of Hillsbrad Foothills and south of the Hinterlands. It is a flat but craggy region that has traditionally been the home of the Arathi tribe of humans, who gave the region its name. The main hubs of activity are now Refuge Pointe and Hammerfall, which house bases for Alliance and Horde, respectively. The large city of Stromgarde lies in ruins to the southwest, and pockets of Syndicate resistance dot the land. The Boulderfist Orges also infest Stromgarde City, and prove to be a constant threat to the Alliance, Horde, and Syndicate factions vying for supremacy.

The Syndicate, Boulderfist ogres and the beleaguered human defenders of Stromgarde battle for supremacy in this gray, dismal realm. Prince Galen Trollbane lead the Kingdom of Stromgarde until he was slain by the forsaken, and the once mighty city of Stromgarde is a ruined battleground where the three factions wage guerrilla war. The Trollbane family’s holdings include several ancient human artifacts, and a group called the Caretakers protects and preserves the most important pieces. To the south is the Thandol Span, a massive dwarven construction that bridges the canal between Lordaeron and Khaz Modan.

History
The Arathi Highlands were once the cradle of Human civilization, as it marks the place where the Empire of Arathor was founded and where the first real contact between elves and humans was made, during the Troll Wars. From the great city of Strom, the Human Empire controlled nearly all of the eastern lands. After the Empire's collapse, the city of Strom was largely abandoned save for some stubborn citizens who chose to remain. These remaining citizens founded a new Kingdom known as Stromgarde under the leadership of the house of Trollbane, establishing their capital in the old city of Strom. Over time, they also built a village (later known as Hammerfall) further to the east. During the Second War, the forces of Stromgarde, now ruled by Thoras Trollbane, were an instrumental part of the Alliance's ground forces. Despite this, the Arathi Highlands, and Stromgarde itself was overrun by the Horde.

After the Second War, Stromgarde was rebuilt, and the former village that was to become Hammerfall was converted into an internment camp to hold the hated Orcs. The nation managed to escape the Plague of Undeath but was soon afterward overrun by the Syndicate and Ogres. The remnant of the army was forced to flee the city and take refuge in a small canyon to the north, in what is now known as Refuge Pointe. Now, four years after the Third War, the area has become a battle zone between many different factions. The Alliance fights to aid the battered Kingdom of Stromgarde in recapturing its capital and reestablishing control over the region. The Horde, now in control of the internment camp that once held them prisoner (naming it Hammerfall in honor of the fallen warchief Orgrim Doomhammer), is attempting to establish a forward base to protect its new allies against Alliance attack. The Syndicate is also in the area, trying to claim yet another territory for its jealous nobles. Finally, the Ogres and Forest Trolls in the region are trying to drive out all others and establish a permanent settlement for themselves.

Geography
The Arathi Highlands have a higher elevation than Khaz Modan's Wetlands, but otherwise the geography is similar. To the north is Thoradin's Wall, now collapsed and gaping wide. South is the Thandol Span, which bridges the gap between Lordaeron and Khaz Modan. Mountains to the east prevent easy access to the sea, and the Highlands' western coast is bleak, windswept and cold.

The Arathi Highlands are an area of grassy land in Southeastern Lordaeron. Notable features include the great circles of binding, which are protected by elementals and used to keep some unknown entity imprisoned. The region lies just north of the huge canyon running between the highlands and the Wetlands to the south, which can only be crossed by the Thandol Span. The area is home to the ruins of Stromgarde Keep, which has been overrun by ogres and the Syndicate, with Stromgarde's soldiers holding but a small fraction of the city. The wildlife of the highlands includes giant spiders, carrion birds, and raptors.

Currently
Life After the Great Cataclysm

Unlike its neighboring regions of Hillsbrad Foothills and the Wetlands, the Highlands were spared destruction during the great Cataclysm. Very little has changed geographically. The Forsaken, flush from victory within Hillsbrad, have pushed slightly into the Highlands and slain Prince Galen Trollbane. On the Alliance side, the dwarves have burrowed a deep pass through the mountains north into the Hinterlands, and now a clear path runs from behind Stromgarde Keep to Faldir's Cove. The dark iron dwarves have abandoned their camp near Thandol Span, retreating within the structure, and now the camp is home to a friendly Dark Iron Entrepreneur.

A Bastion of Hope
The sanctum in Stromgarde city is now home to two organizations, the Suffragan Diocese of Stromgarde and Stromgarde's chapter of the Order of the Silver Hand, known as the Order of the Crimson Fist. Many human settlements outside Stromgarde City have been reclaimed from the syndicate and while the League of Arathor continues the fight against the Horde in the Arathi basin, many of the Kingdom's remaining nobles have banded together to deal with the combined threats arrayed against the humans of the highlands. The house of nobles meets frequently to address important matters of the Kingdom's survival during the absence of a Trollbane King while the lands of Alabaster Valley and Seastone have become bastions of hope for battered citizens, taking in refugees by the score.