 True Horde | |
|---|---|
 Garrosh commanding his followers against the combined Alliance and Darkspear Rebellion assault. | |
| Main leader |
 Garrosh Hellscream † |
| Secondary leaders |
 Paragons of the Klaxxi † |
| Membership |
Kor'kron Dark Shaman Dragonmaw Clan Blackfuse Company Klaxxi |
| Race(s) |
    Orc  Mag'har orc  Goblin  Mantid  Infinite Dragonflight Magnataur |
| Capital |
Orgrimmar (former) Grim Batol |
| Theater of operations | Azeroth |
| Language(s) | Orcish |
| Affiliation | Independent, Old Gods' forces (Y'Shaarj, Infinite Dragonflight) |
| Status | Defunct, assimilated into Iron Horde |
- "The True Horde takes what it wants!"
- —Earthbreaker Haromm
The True Horde (or the true Horde) is the organization formed by those members of the Horde who remained loyal to Garrosh Hellscream after Vol'jin led a rebellion against him. They are devoted to the conquest of Azeroth and orcish supremacy, and as such there are very few other races in it. It is the main antagonistic faction of the final story arc in Mists of Pandaria. After their defeat in Orgrimmar, they were led by Zaela and entered an alliance with Kairoz and the Infinite Dragonflight in order to free Garrosh from custody (or rather buy time in order to transport him to alternate Draenor of the past). Their members have also joined Garrosh's plan later, as part of the rising Iron Horde, which is essentially a successor of this faction.
History
Origins
The True Horde has its very beginnings linked to two incidents: Cairne Bloodhoof's death at the hands of Garrosh, and Vol'jin's subsequent threat of assassination towards the new, barbaric Warchief. Although Garrosh managed to hold the Horde together and lead it through the Cataclysm, a number of altercations with his fellow Horde leaders; including the above mentioned incidents as well as an argument with Sylvanas Windrunner over her use of the val'kyr bred tension amongst the Horde ranks. After the defeat of Deathwing, Garrosh turned attention towards claiming total dominion of Kalimdor for the Horde and towards demoralizing the Alliance. He chose to use a mana bomb, an invention of the blood elves who served under Kael'thas, to obliterate Theramore. The march on Theramore was fraught with the Horde leaders discussing their skepticism on Garrosh's harsh and brutal methods, with the Warchief accusing them of approaching treason. The destruction of Theramore, long considered semi-neutral territory, horrified Baine Bloodhoof and Vol'jin. The attack had the opposite effect Garrosh had hoped for, and the Alliance devoted themselves completely to war with the Horde.
Later, during the Horde's campaign across the newly revealed continent of Pandaria, Garrosh showed increasing signs of instability and desperation. His particular fascination with using the sha and mogu flesh-shaping techniques to create monstrous super soldiers proved to be the last straw for Vol'jin, who denounced Garrosh's intentions and was subsequently forced to fake his death. Garrosh took the opportunity to move on the Echo Isles and place it under strict martial law to oppress the trolls and to prevent an uprising. Vol'jin returned from hiding and with help from Thrall pushed the Kor'kron out of the Echo Isles. At this point Vol'jin declared open rebellion against the brutal dictator, though much of this internal strife became of decreased importance when the Thunder King began his own campaign of conquest once again.
After the Thunder King's death the Darkspear Rebellion began in earnest and Horde leader after Horde leader joined it. When at last even Gallywix and the Bilgewater Cartel joined the Rebellion due to Garrosh refusing to pay them for excavating the Heart of Y'Shaarj, Garrosh re-organized his orc forces into the True Horde and, with the power of Y'Shaarj, began a genocidal campaign to conquer Azeroth and exterminate all non-orcish life.
Some time prior to the Siege of Orgrimmar the True Horde was bolstered by the Paragons of the Klaxxi and their mantid followers, due to Garrosh reviving the Heart of Y'Shaarj.
Siege of Orgrimmar
- Valiant Horde, cry out for the fallen Warchief! Let anger fuel your rage and propel your vengeance for the enemies who stand before you. Our strength shall be the axe, and the power of the Horde will rain down destruction on the puny Alliance. FOR THE HORDE!
—A rallying cry of Garrosh's loyalists[1]
With both the Darkspear Rebellion and the Alliance preparing to strike at Orgrimmar, the True Horde rallied to defend Orgrimmar by having forces present outside the gates and throughout the city itself. Furthermore at some point prior to the Siege the True Horde under orders of Warchief Hellscream, culled nearly every Warlock trainer from the city for consorting with demons. With Orgrimmar seemingly secured from all inside threats, the True Horde prepared themselves for battle against the joint Alliance and Horde (the latter under the name 'Darkspear Rebellion') attack. However despite their best efforts the True Horde suffered heavily casualties and lost many of it's leaders such as Malkorok, General Nazgrim, Helix Blackfuse, and their mantid forces, the Paragons included. Furthermore Warchief Garrosh Hellscream was captured and given to Pandaren custody so that he could be put on trial in Pandaria.
While the True Horde suffered a major defeat, members of the organization such as Zaela and her remaining Dragonmaw were able to escape.
The Untamed Valley
While the True Horde was defeated at Siege of Orgrimmar, remnants of the True Horde were still at large such as Mashok and his group of Kor'kron Dark Shaman, who sought to use the elements of Pandaria to strike at the Alliance and Horde. However Mashok and his forces would eventually engaged Lyalia, Maraad, and a group of Pandaren in battle and most of them would be slain. Though Mashok would not only survive but would also be taken into custody to Lion's Landing.[2]
War Crimes
Meanwhile with Garrosh captured in the Temple of the White Tiger and being put on trial, Zaela would serve as the leader of free the True Horde remnants, of whom her Dragonmaw clan consisted the bulk of, and they would hide within the fortress of Grim Batol. While licking their wounds a message from a a dragon would send Zaela to recruit others loyal to the True Horde such as orc Shokia and the blood elf Thalen Songweaver. Soon after Zaela and her forces launched an attack on Westguard Keep in Northrend, in which they free the goblin Harrowmeiser and subsequently hire the services of the Northsea Freebooters.
Under Zaela commands the the True Horde and the pirate allies journeyed to Pandaria with the goal of causing a distraction to last long enough for Kairoz to free Garrosh and escape. At some point prior to the attack on the Temple, Zaela allies her forces with the Infinite dragonflight who aid in the attack on the template, during which Thalen drops mana grenades across the battlefield and Harrowmeiser pilots the zeppelin carrying Shokia. When Zaela discovers that Garrosh was able to escape thanks to Kairoz, she calls for the True Horde to retreat from the battle and abandon's her pirates allies to their fate.
Warlords of Draenor
After Garrosh's escape to Draenor, most of the True Horde forces joined him in creating the Iron Horde,[citation needed] presumably making the former defunct.
Zaela remained a warlord of the Dragonmaw clan in Blackrock Spire and was joined by the Ironmarch invasion force. In the Mountain, they intended to unleash a weapon of mass destruction capable of destroying Stormwind and large swaths of land surrounding Blackrock Mountain.
The Blackfuse Company became a main supplier of technology for the Iron Horde, led by Pauli Rocketspark, who replaced Helix Blackfuse after his death. The company is responsible for the creation of nearly the entirety of the Iron Horde's infrastructure and advanced siege weapons they are using.
Leadership
- General of the True Horde:
Nazgrim - Leader of the Kor'kron: Malkorok
- Chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan: Warlord Zaela
- Dragonmaw Officials:
- Overseer of Ragefire Chasm: Overseer Elaglo
- Overseer of Razor Hill: High Overseer Bloodmane
- Sub-leaders in Razor Hill:
- Kor'kron assassin charged with killing Vol'jin: Rak'gor Bloodrazor
- Kor'kron Commanders:
- Commander Knucklecrusher
- Commander To'karg
- Commander Ag'toz
- Kor'kron Assassins:
- Head of the Kor'kron Subjugators: Gul'tar the Subjugator
- Chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan:
- Leaders of the Dark Shaman: Earthbreaker Haromm and Wavebinder Kardris
- Dark Shaman in the Ragefire Chasm: Dark Shaman Xorenth
- Kor'kron Dark Shaman:
- Leader of the Kor'kron remnants in Pandaria: Mashok
- Dark Shaman in the Ragefire Chasm:
- Chief Engineer and Leader of the Blackfuse Company: Helix Blackfuse
- Blackfuse Officials:
- Hired mercenaries (presumed):
Mokvar collected money from Orgrimmar's banks.
Organization
Unlike the New Horde, the True Horde is almost purely orcish as they believe exclusively in orcish supremacy and the subjugation or annihilation of all 'lesser' races. They're extremely brutal and militaristic, being almost entirely composed of military and are hostile to anyone who's not an orc. Despite this, they have a significant amount of goblins in their ranks, who invent and operate the various war machnies of the True Horde. They will always fight to the bitter end, and every soldier is expected to die on the battlefield if they have to, something they consider to be honorable. In addition they are completely merciless, willing to execute innocents if they refuse to help them. However they expressly forbid the use of warlock magic and drinking demon blood, practices that led to the destruction of the Old Horde.
The True Horde is of the view that they should simply take what they want by force, a view that extends to even the dragonflights. This view also extends to the Dark Shaman, an organization from Ragefire Chasm that Garrosh incorporated into the True Horde to bolster his caster forces. These Dark Shaman dress in warlock-style garb and force the elements to serve them, creating twisted versions in the forms of ash, smog, slime and rust.
In keeping with these views, and the Old God worshiping origins of the Dark Shaman,[citation needed] the True Horde's central power source is the Heart of Y'Shaarj, the last fragment of the deceased Old God. As a result the True Horde are indirect servants of the Old Gods, and possessing the Heart of one was enough motivation for the Klaxxi to join the organization as well. As the oldest and most powerful warriors of the mantid empire, the Klaxxi give a significant advantage to the True Horde and with these powers of an Old God at their command, the True Horde could have become nigh unstoppable.
Technology
Devised by perhaps one the last few remaining goblins in the Horde, Siegecrafter Helix Blackfuse, the technology of the True Horde is some of the most terrifying to appear on Azeroth. It consists of massive iron siege weapons such as the Iron Juggernaut, special crawler mines, and a weapon of mass destruction known as the iron star; a massive rolling bomb that crushes and burns anything in its path before exploding with enough force to wipe out whole squadrons. The True Horde also uses salvaged technology from the mogu and mantid empires, such as the mogu's terracotta soldiers or the mantid's sticky bombs.
Trivia
- The True Horde is in many ways a sort of prototype to the Iron Horde, an organization Garrosh creates after escaping to the alternate Draenor of the past. Several of its members also join the Iron Horde in a later point, such as Zaela and Blackfuse Company.
- In the time before Garrosh and his followers rose to power, two other groups had also claimed to be the "True Horde": The Dark Horde and the Fel Horde. With Warlords of Draenor, both Vol'jin and Thrall have also started to refer to their Horde as the "true Horde".
References
| |||||||||||||||||||||||