Thrall


 * "The beginning of wisdom is the statement 'I do not know.' The person who cannot make that statement is one who will never learn anything. And I have prided myself on my ability to learn."

Thrall (birthname Go'el), son of Durotan (born 2 years ADP), is the former Warchief of the restored shamanistic Horde, and ruler of the red land of Durotar in Kalimdor. After the fall of the Lich King and the increasing elemental unrest heralding the Shattering, Thrall stepped down as leader of the Horde, appointed Garrosh Hellscream as warchief, and joined with the Earthen Ring to combat the rampaging elements.

Youth
Thrall is the son of Durotan, former chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, and Draka. As a baby, he was found amongst the bloody bodies of his murdered parents by Aedelas Blackmoore, commander of the internment camps which held orcs after the end of the Second War. Blackmoore gave him the name Thrall, which was another word for "slave" in the human tongue. Blackmoore returned to his fortress, Durnholde Keep, with Thrall, and raised him as a gladiator — with all the savagery of an orc, but with the keen strategic intellect of a human. He was trained and taught by many, wet-nursed by a human woman, and grew to befriend her daughter, Taretha Foxton. Thrall proved to be an excellent student and a phenomenal fighter.

He was clever, quick and enormous even by orc standards. However Blackmoore's abusive beatings both in and out of the ring began to take its toll. Taretha began to write him letters and secretly delivered them to him in his cage within books, and he wrote back to her. Eventually, he wrote to Taretha that he wished to escape.



Taretha created a diversion inside Durnholde Keep which allowed Thrall to escape from his cell unnoticed. They met up outside the fortress by a cave, and Taretha gave him provisions and supplies. He then left Durnholde, hoping to never return.

However, Thrall was captured and taken to an internment camp run by one Lorin Remka. It was here that he met an old orc with glowing red eyes named Kelgar, who told him of the corruption of Gul'dan, and how the old ways had been so much better for the Horde. He told him that the only one still thinking of embracing this was the undefeated Grom Hellscream, Chieftain of the Warsong clan. When another orc told Thrall that Blackmoore had arrived at the camp looking for him, Thrall escaped again, and sought out Grom Hellscream.

The orcs
After finding the chieftain and proving himself, Hellscream took Thrall under his wing, teaching him the Orcish tongue, and telling him that—based on the tattered swaddling cloth Thrall showed him — he was a part of the exiled Frostwolf clan. After spending some time with Hellscream, Thrall decided to take his leave of them for a while in order to search out his roots in the Alterac Mountains.

After trekking to exhaustion, Thrall was rescued by the Frostwolves and taken to their camp. There he met Drek'Thar, who told Thrall that he was the son of the chieftain of the Frostwolves. After finding his place among the Frostwolves, Drek'Thar taught Thrall the old ways of the Horde, before Gul'dan's corruption, and soon Thrall was accepted as a member of the clan. A frost wolf named Snowsong eventually chose Thrall as her companion. It was some time after that choosing that he was called away by Drek'Thar, and came upon a quiet place where he had never been or seen before. Here he was to be initiated.

In one of the most spiritual experiences of his life, Thrall befriended the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and the Wilds. He became the first new shaman since Gul'dan's vile corruption of the Horde. He returned to the camp a new orc and became fully immersed in the old ways of the shaman and his clan, embracing his role as son of the chieftain. This was a significant and symbolic event, since Thrall was the first shaman to be accepted by the spirits since Drek'Thar's time. Not only did this mean Thrall would be destined to be one of the greatest shamans in orcish history, but it also meant that the spirits finally forgave the orcish race for consorting with demonic powers, and deemed Thrall as the first of a brand new generation of shamans.

The camp was soon visited by a wandering stranger. At first, Thrall spoke pleasantly with him, but began to grow angry when the stranger accused the Frostwolves of hiding away in the mountains. His fury — and orcish pride — growing within him, Thrall informed the stranger that he would join with Hellscream and the Warsong and lay siege to the encampments. The stranger dismissed Hellscream as a "demon-ridden dreamer", and said that the humans were not worth fighting. Enraged, Thrall challenged the stranger to single combat. The stranger threw aside his cloak to reveal well-worn black plate armor and a massive warhammer. After a short but brutal contest, Thrall managed to disarm him, but was prevented from throttling the stranger by some of his clan. It was then that the stranger revealed himself as Orgrim Doomhammer — the Warchief of the Horde. Doomhammer had been contacted by Drek'Thar about the return of the son of Durotan. The Warchief decided to provoke Thrall into a fight to see if Drek'Thar's praise was deserved — and it was. Not only was Thrall able to challenge Doomhammer's strength, he also was able to best him — a feat only once before accomplished by Thrall's father.

Liberation


Doomhammer named Thrall his second-in-command and explained his strategy for liberating the encampments. Per Doomhammer's plan, Thrall infiltrated the camps masquerading as one of the downtrodden, lethargic prisoners, and then riled the orcs up with shows of his shamanistic powers. With the downtrodden orcs revitalized by their restored heritage, they quickly overran the encampments. On the first three encampments, this proved to be an effective tactic. On the fourth, Thrall was too easily recognized, and thus they had to resort to the numbers of the new Horde — and the shamanistic powers wielded by Thrall — to liberate the encampment. At the fifth, however, they were even better prepared — knights from Durnholde had been stationed at the remaining encampments, so that whichever camp they attacked, there would be a greater resistance. During the liberation of this encampment — now the Horde outpost of Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands — Doomhammer was killed, impaled from behind by a knight's lance. With his dying breath, he gave Thrall his black plate and warhammer, and named him Warchief of the Horde.

Thrall's first action as Warchief was to attack Durnholde in an effort to dismantle the entire internment camp system. He secretly met with Taretha, asking her to leave Durnholde with her family, but she refused, hoping that it would never come to battle and fearful of the consequences if Blackmoore noticed her missing (Blackmoore had taken her as his mistress, an arrangement she had never been happy with). When Thrall arrived at Durnholde with the Horde at his back, he confronted a drunken Blackmoore, and asked for a peaceful parlay in order to prevent useless bloodshed. Blackmoore went through a plethora of emotions — from amusement at Thrall's rise to power, anger at what the Warchief was demanding, and grief at how Thrall had supposedly betrayed him. Once again demanding that Blackmoore surrender or be killed; the master of Durnholde gave his response by tossing the severed head of Taretha Foxton into the courtyard, screaming that this was what he would do with traitors.

Thrall screamed in rage and grief, the elements themselves echoing his fury, and he gave the command to attack. During the siege, Thrall cornered Blackmoore in his hidden tunnel, and tossed a sword at the traitorous man's feet. Blackmoore had sobered enough to hold his own against the Warchief — who had been holding back to allow Blackmoore a fighting chance — but when he tried to explain, and asked for Thrall's aid to help him subjugate the Alliance. The Warchief's rage at Taretha's fate broke all barriers, and struck him the mortal blow. As he lay dying, the master of Durnholde expressed pride in what Thrall had become — what Blackmoore had made him or so he thought.

Thrall emerged shaken from the castle to find his orcs victorious. Thrall gave a message to Blackmoore's second-in-command, Lord Karramyn Langston, to take to his superiors: to free the remaining orcs, and to cede land for their use. If the Alliance would let them be, they would not trouble the Alliance and would be willing to engage in cooperation and trade. If the Alliance chose to fight them, they would have made an enemy the likes of which had never been seen before — making the old warlock-controlled Horde shrink to insignificance. He then left Durnholde after allowing Sergeant and the surviving humans to walk away unharmed. When they were gone he called upon the Spirit of the Earth to destroy the keep before leading his people to freedom.

Thrall later composed a lok'vadnod ("song of a hero") to commemorate Taretha's sacrifice.

Flight to Kalimdor


Thrall and Grom spent much time gathering together the dispersed forces of the Horde. But it was some time later, when Thrall was with a small force in the Arathi Highlands, that he received a strange dream. He saw armies clashing, and fire raining from the sky, and a voice warning him of things to come.

When he awoke, he realized that it was no dream, it was a vision, granted him by the mysterious Prophet, who enigmatically told him that he was not what he seemed, that he had abandoned his humanity long ago, and that he had foreseen the future with the only hope for the orcs salvation was to leave Lordaeron—sail west to Kalimdor, and there, they would find their destiny.

Thrall obeyed, and gathering the Horde, prepared to make their way across the Great Sea. The clans begun assembling and he constructed a base to give the Horde a place to stay. However, Grom turned out to have been captured by humans, and Thrall quickly stepped in to save him. Hellscream then got the idea, to steal the human ships so that they could leave the human lands forever. With the Horde assembled, they stole the ships, and left across the Great Sea to the forgotten lands of Kalimdor.

Exodus of the Horde


Halfway along their journey to Kalimdor, Thrall's ships were beset by a fierce storm near the Maelstrom and forced to take shelter on a small island. There the orcs met the troll leader, Sen'jin, who told them of a human outpost that attacked his tribe night and day on the island. Fearing for the Horde and the Darkspear Trolls' safety, Thrall and his warriors assaulted the human base, during his stay he reactivated a Fountain of Health and discovered that the isle had active volcanos. Aided by the Darkspear trolls he killed the human leader, an archmage, but then many murlocs attacked the Horde, the humans and the Darkspear trolls. While the orcish and human forces were occupied with one another, the piscine monsters sought out sacrifices for their rituals.

Thrall was then imprisoned within the murlocs' fiery dungeon. He learned from a troll head hunter, with whom he shared a cell, that the murlocs planned to sacrifice them both to a sea witch. Fortunately, though the murlocs were strangely advanced, they were unaware of Thrall's shamanistic abilities, and the warchief was able to escape and free his warriors. One grunt, however, reported that Sen'jin was not in the cells — and that he was taken as the first sacrifice. Thrall raced to the altar, but was forced to watch in horror as the murloc sorcerer killed Sen'jin. Thrall and his warriors were able to kill the three Murloc Guardians maintaining the magic barrier which prevented their escape and the Murloc Sorcerer, but it was too late for the troll leader. The dying Sen'jin revealed a vision — that Thrall would lead the Darkspear tribe to greatness. Thrall then offered the remaining trolls a place in the Horde for the kindness they had shown the orcs.

Thrall emerged from the cave and was confronted by the Sea Witch. She threatened vengeance for the destruction of her altar and worshipers. She placed a curse upon the warchief; that he and all his forces would be swallowed up by the sea. Upon returning to his base camp, Thrall discovered that his ships, damaged by the storm, were not yet ready to sail. He also learned that the island dormant volcano erupted and that the island had begun to sink. The Sea Witch, meanwhile, launched her murloc forces against the Horde, thirsty for vengeance. Nevertheless, aided by the trolls, the Horde was able to hold off their attackers long enough to repair their ships and managed to escape before the isle sunk. The Sea Witch then told to Thrall that a "Dark Tide" would swallow them all and that there will be nowhere to hide.

''The sea witch's curse may have come true, depending on how close her island was to Kalimdor — because Thrall's force was shipwrecked. It can be assumed that other clans, such as Hellscream's, were not among those caught by the storm and driven to the island.''

Kalimdor
The ships had been scattered and many of those on board barely made it to the shores of Kalimdor alive. The clans were scattered, and Thrall slowly roamed the coast, collecting the orcs and trolls he came across as he did. But Grom could not be found. This new land held many strange new creatures, but the most brutal were the centaurs, particularly in their treatment of the tauren.

When Thrall battled a group of centaurs who were attacking tauren, he was unexpectedly greeted by Cairne Bloodhoof, chieftain of the Bloodhoof tribe. Impressed by their fierce but noble behaviour, Cairne offered to help him find the destiny of his people. Thrall told Cairne of the centaur army he had seen advancing to the north, and they quickly departed, as Cairne reported that his village was in danger. Thrall's forces followed Cairne back to their village, where they defended it from the centaurs.

Since the centaurs had driven off all the game in the region, the Bloodhoof tribe would need to abandon their home and travel to Mulgore if they hoped to avoid starving. Cairne agreed to tell the location of the Oracle, who would help the orcs with their quest for destiny, if they would help protect Cairne's caravan to Mulgore. Thrall agreed to these terms, and helped the tauren on their lengthy journey, protecting them and their lumbering kodo beasts from marauding centaurs.

Cairne told Thrall of the mystical Oracle of Stonetalon Peak, who could help them find their destiny in these strange lands. Thrall, glad at having made a new friend in the foreign land, thanked Cairne gratefully, and they parted as allies.

When Thrall arrived at the base of Stonetalon Peak, he was shocked to find Grom Hellscream and the Warsong clan battling humans under the command of Jaina Proudmoore. Her forces had cordoned off much of the pass going up the mountain, and Thrall suspected that hiring some goblins to ferry them up the mountain in zeppelins would allow them to bypass any defenses. However, as Thrall tried to make his way stealthily up to the goblins, the impatient Hellscream unexpectedly attacked the humans, who retaliated by attacking to him and to Thrall's forces. Thrall was forced to stay their wrath by attacking their bases. Finally, he managed to acquire some zeppelins. Thrall confronted Grom, but Hellscream argued that "a true warrior" would have fought the humans without question instead of trying to sneak past them and avoid a battle.

Thrall, worried that Grom's impetuous bloodlust would lead to nothing but trouble, ordered his friend and his clan to remain behind in Ashenvale as Thrall journeyed up the mountain. Grom reluctantly agreed.

Thrall made his way up the mountain, and was surprised to find his path crossing that of Cairne once again. However, Thrall would not be able to access the summit without any air support. So, Cairne suggested that they ally with the wyverns of Stonetalon Mountains. The wyverns were imprisoned by a group of vile harpies, and after a short battle, they were defeated, and the wyverns, grateful, lent their services to Thrall and the Horde. With their help, Thrall defeated the humans guarding the Peak, and entered the mountain.

Thrall and Cairne separated and searched the caverns themselves. After much time, they found the Oracle's chamber, but they also found Jaina Proudmoore, and were about to battle when the Oracle appeared, revealing himself to be the Prophet that Thrall and Jaina had met in Lordaeron. He told Thrall of Grom's corruption, and that the orcs and humans must join forces or be destroyed. Reluctantly, Thrall agreed, desperate to save Grom.

Lifting of the Blood Curse


They returned to the Barrens to find Grom in command of the corrupted Warsong clan, and he moved against them as the demonic invasion of Kalimdor began. An epic battle took place between the Warchief and Hellscream's forces as the fire of falling infernals lit up the night sky. Thrall, with the help of Cairne, fought his way through the ranks of blood-maddened chaos orcs, determined to reach Hellscream at all costs. Finally, after all but defeating Hellscream's cadre of doomguards, felhounds, and warlocks, Thrall faced his old friend. Hellscream taunted the Warchief, revealing to him that the demons didn't forcefully corrupt the orcs, but that the orc chieftains themselves willingly chose to drink the demon's blood, in full knowledge that it would forever enslave them to the Legions dark rule. Enraged at this revelation and betrayal, Thrall charged at his old friend and the armies of Thrall and Grom along with a swarm of doomguards battled. After a long and desperate struggle, Thrall regained control of himself and managed to capture Grom's essence in a Soul Gem and returned it to a Ritual Circle, where with the combination of orcish shamanism and elven magic, the demonic energy was purged from Grom's system. Grom, realizing what he had done, was instantly apologetic, and he and Thrall immediately set out to face Mannoroth in a canyon carved by the falling infernals.

Thrall put an initial assault against Mannoroth, but was subdued quickly, and would have been killed, had Grom not gathered his strength and made a devastating blow against Mannoroth, shattering his plate and driving his axe deep into his belly. This was enough to kill the pit lord, but as Mannoroth died explosive energies burst forth from his body and hit Grom at point blank range. The chieftain of the Warsong clan was mortally wounded. As the demonic, red haze lifted from the eyes of Grom Hellscream and his clan mates, Grom was told that he had freed himself. Thrall approached Grom telling to him that he had freed not just him, but all the orcs from demonic corruption.

Battle of Mount Hyjal
Thrall and Jaina went into Ashenvale, but found a new threat behind them as well as in front. The night elves, cursing them for the killing of Cenarius, attacked them as they attempted to make a new settlement.

The demons and undead, orcs and humans, and night elves were all battling one another for survival, until finally, Thrall received a vision to bring Jaina to a grove at the base of Mount Hyjal. There, he met the leaders of the night elves, Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage. They were surprised at finding each other there, until the Prophet appeared once more, and revealed himself to be Medivh, the Last Guardian of the Tirisfal. He convinced them that they must all ally against the Burning Legion or they would surely and quickly be defeated.

Though uneasy, Tyrande and Malfurion agreed, and they all allied against Archimonde and his plethora of demonic and undead followers.

All the allied races collectively defended Nordrassil and Mount Hyjal with three fortified settlements going up the mountain, Thrall's base having orcs, Darkspear trolls, tauren and goblins, everyone doing their best to slow Archimonde's ascend until the night elves' trap was prepared.

As Archimonde made his way up the mountain towards Thrall's base, he taunted Thrall by saying that his race wasn't worth bothering with and that the orcs were weak. Thrall replied that their spirit is strong and if they are to be defeated at least they are free, and struck out, attacking Archimonde and hurting him a little with a Chain Lightning, before Jaina teleported him away. After a great battle Archimonde was finally destroyed and the Burning Legion was defeated.

Founding of Orgrimmar




Following the victory at Mount Hyjal and the defeat of the Burning Legion, Thrall gathered his people and resolved to find a place for them in the rugged, beautiful lands of the Barrens. He founded Durotar, named after his heroic father. Its capital city was Orgrimmar, named for Orgrim Doomhammer. After many months, things began to pull together. The orcs were fleshing out Durotar, the tauren had gone into Mulgore, and the trolls had settled on the Echo Isles off the coast.

Thrall was soon met by Rexxar, a son of the Mok'Nathal, who had tried to save his scout Mogrin from a group of quilboars, and delivered a message. Thrall read it carefully, saddened by Mogrin's death, and welcomed Rexxar to the newly crowned land. Rexxar considered staying, but said that he would need to earn his keep. Thrall agreed, and sent Rexxar to speak to various citizens of Orgrimmar and see what he could do to assist them in their tasks. He also asked Rokhan the shadow hunter to assist Rexxar. The two were later joined by a wandering pandaren brewmaster named Chen Stormstout, who had been searching the area for ingredients to use in his new concoction. After Rexxar helped him find those ingredients, Chen tagged along with the troll and the Mok'Nathal, eager for adventure. Thrall waited in Orgrimmar, helping build the city.

Rexxar performed his deeds successfully, and Thrall began to respect the beastmaster. But soon he brought ill news that humans were amassing on the shores of Durotar. Thrall was troubled. The treaty he had made with Jaina had hoped to keep such incursions from happening. After several more encounters with human hostiles, there was a summit arranged between Thrall and Jaina. Rexxar encouraged Thrall to send him in his place, sensing a trap. Thrall reluctantly agreed. Sure enough, the "emissaries" were uninterested in talk and unsuccessfully tried to kill Rexxar and his friends, after expressing disappointment that Thrall himself had not come to be slaughtered.

Rexxar returned and told Thrall that there had been a deception. Unable to believe that Jaina would order such a thing, Thrall prepared a note for Rexxar to secret into Theramore to arrange a parlay with Jaina herself. Only by meeting face to face could they ensure any sort of peace between the two races.

After hearing Rexxar's report of Admiral Proudmoore's arrival and intent against the orcs, Thrall realized that the only way to prevent yet another war was to assault Admiral Proudmoore's base and kill him. With Rexxar's help, Thrall enlisted the aid of his old friend Cairne and the tauren, as well as the Stonemaul ogres. While preparations were being made to storm Theramore, Thrall was informed that the island was surrounded by a blockade of ships that the assembled force had no way of breaching. Thrall was frustrated by this news. Then Jaina teleported onto the scene. She assured everybody that she came in peace. She had known nothing of her father's plans and didn't know what to do, she said. Thrall was sympathetic, but told her that her father's actions could destroy Durotar and that the only way to ensure the security of the new nation and his people was to kill Daelin.

Jaina understood and was willing to help, even if it meant the death of her father. She told Thrall the location of a nearby goblin shipyard which could supply him with ships to break through the admiral's blockade. She begged Thrall to spare as many of her men as possible in the coming battle; even though most of them were following her father, they were the only family she had left after the fall of Lordaeron. Thrall gave her his word that he would try to keep bloodshed on the human side to a minimum and advised Jaina to get to safety, since the battle was about to start.

Using the ships acquired from the goblins, Thrall's forces were able to fight their way onto the isle, where they proceeded to engage Daelin Proudmoore's troops. Rexxar, Rokhan, Chen, and Cairne fought their way directly to Admiral Proudmoore himself and engaged him in combat. Before the battle was over Thrall tried to tell the admiral that this Horde was different from the one he had faced years ago, that they had no interest in conquest or murder. Proudmoore raged that Thrall's race was guilty of genocide, that they would never be able to atone for their rampage through Stormwind and Lordaeron that had left countless innocent people dead. He grimly vowed that he would never stop fighting the orcs, and thus Rexxar was forced to kill him as Thrall had predicted.

As soon as Daelin Proudmoore fell, Rexxar shouted that the battle was over and ordered the human forces to stand down. They complied. Jaina fell to her knees near her father's body, asking him why he couldn't have listened. Rexxar tried to ease the sorceress' pain by telling her that her father was a proud warrior above all else, and that he should be remembered as such. Thrall proclaimed that the Horde had no quarrel with the surviving humans and that they would leave Theramore in peace. He then took his forces back to Durotar and left Jaina to her mourning.

Grateful to Rexxar for all he had done, Thrall extended an invitation to the Mok'Nathal to stay and make a home for himself in Durotar. Rexxar politely declined, telling Thrall that he was a wanderer and his place was in the wilds. But he promised Thrall that he was part of the Horde, and that if his help was ever needed again he would be there. So Thrall said goodbye to Rexxar and resumed building Durotar. For the moment, all was well.

Cycle of Hatred
Three years passed, and Orgrimmar swelled. However, a series of minor incidents between the Durotar orcs and Theramore humans threatened the stability of the entire area. Thrall and Jaina desperately attempted to keep the peace, but the Horde grew out of his control when his chief warrior Burx took an army of orcs and trolls to Northwatch Hold, the same keep Proudmoore used for his operations, and demanded they dismantle it. After the battle began, however, Jaina contacted Thrall with information that his Burx was working for the orcish end of the Burning Blade cult. Infuriated at the idea that an orc would once again serve the Legion (the demon Zmodlor was pulling the strings of the cult), Thrall immediately stopped the battle (with some impressive aid from the Spirits) and denounced Burx. When the warrior protested that he was acting within the Horde's interests, Thrall smashed his skull with the Doomhammer.

The events prompted Jaina and Thrall to pursue a more official Horde/Alliance treaty. Despite the rise of tensions in the last year or so, their actions have halted, though not completely broken, the cycle of hatred.

Thrall remained in his palace, located in the Valley of Wisdom in Orgrimmar. Despite the defeat of the Burning Legion and the elder Proudmoore, the Warchief's life is still far from dull. Threats to Durotar from outside and within force him to remain ever vigilant.

Return to Draenor
A faction of orcs exists in Outland, who remained untouched by demonic corruption. These orcs call themselves the Mag'har, and are comprised of various orcish clans who chose not to join Magtheridon's legion of fel orcs, and appear to have been completely unaffected by the corruption wrought by Kil'jaeden. Upon hearing of them, Thrall immediately made plans to journey to Outland and make contact with the Mag'har. However his advisors urged Thrall to make the proper preparations, instead of leaving Orgrimmar and the rest of the orcs on Azeroth open to attack.

Later on, Thrall makes a brief appearance in Outland for a quest chain to meet his grandmother Geyah and show Garrosh Hellscream his father Grom died a hero's death, and ended the Blood Curse. During this meeting, Greatmother Geyah reveals Thrall's birth name: Go'el, son of Durotan — rightful chieftain of the Frostwolves.

Meeting with Varian
After he returned from Draenor, Thrall brought with him Garrosh Hellscream, son of Grom Hellscream, to be his adviser. Later on the retired gladiator master Rehgar Earthfury also became one of Thrall's advisers. Rehgar and Garrosh had a great discussion: while Garrosh wanted to destroy the Alliance, who he considers the Horde's enemies, and take Azeroth for their own; Reghar wanted to remain open to diplomacy with the Alliance and conserve their treaty of non-aggression with Theramore. Then suddenly Thrall received a call from Jaina to meet at Razor Hill. At their meeting, Jaina told him that Varian had returned and narrated to Thrall the history of Varian's abduction. With Varian's return and willing attendance, Jaina wanted to schedule another peace summit at Theramore in the hopes of easing tensions between the Horde and Alliance. Though Thrall felt uneasy about leaving Orgrimmar during a period when the orcs were feeling restless with Thrall's passive tolerance with the Alliance, Thrall none the less agreed to attend the summit.

When Thrall decided to go to a new meeting with the human King Varian, he brought with him his two advisers: Rehgar and Garrosh and some Kor'kron. Reghar recommended Thrall not to bring Garrosh with them but the Warchief thought it would be a good idea as it would help Garrosh to re-think his attitude toward the humans.



Thrall traveled in a zeppelin to Theramore, where he had a peaceful discussion with an eye toward mutual gain. They first talked of their pasts and then discussed resource problems; like the Horde's war against the night elves for lumber. Varian offered to provide Thrall's people with lumber and in exchange the Warchief offered copper and exotic hides in return. Varian had to end the summit early as Goldshire and Southshore were reported to be under simultaneous distress by the Scourge. Thrall and Varian were about to depart amicably but upon exiting Theramore, the Twilight's Hammer clan invaded the city. The Alliance races of the Twilight cultists attacked the Horde representatives while the Horde races of the Twilight cultists attacked the Alliance representatives. After catching a glimpse of Garona, Varian thought that Thrall had sent her to assassinate him as the Shadow Council had done in the past with his father. After a time battling, the Twilight's Hammer's casualties began to rise. Med'an then entered to protect his mother, and in seeing this, the cultists appointed their attention to the kidnapping of Med'an, while leaving Garona to die. Garrosh blamed the Alliance for the attack while Varian blamed the Horde; specifically Garrosh. Thrall tried to calm down the heated parties and remind them to not jump to conclusions. Thrall tried to convince King Varian that Garona's unexpected assassination attempt was not of his people's making yet Varian remained skeptical of the honor of orcs. Rehgar and Valeera both were sure that neither Thrall nor Varian would stoop to an assassination tactic on neutral ground and tried to rationalize the surprising turn of events. Jaina and Thrall bid each other farewell, both sorry that any chance of a human-orc alliance was ruined. This attack shook the delicate human-orc tolerances, leaving both factions in distrust of one another. Shortly after, Thrall departed back to his home of Orgrimmar.

Echoes of Doom
Thrall arrived to Orgrimmar but the Lich King executed his plan and made a Zombie Infestation. Grand Apothecary Putress however, was able to find a cure from the Scourge's plague. Seeing this threat, Thrall met with Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, Garrosh Hellscream, Varok Saurfang, Grand Apothecary Putress and Rehgar Earthfury in Orgrimmar to discuss what to do about the Scourge.

After consulting Saurfang and the spirits, Thrall favored a more cautious approach to dealing with the Scourge: an advance scouting party to the frozen continent before committing troops, as well as meeting with Jaina Proudmoore to find out what the Alliance were planning to do about the Lich King. Garrosh however, felt that dealing with the Alliance would put the Horde in danger and wanted to take the Horde's armies and conquer the humans and then march to Northrend and crush the Scourge; advocating that the Horde should rule all of Azeroth. Thrall, irritated by Garrosh's recklessness and bold challenges to his authority, answered that the humans were not a threat and that he would not underestimate the Lich King by walking blindly into a Scourge trap. In order to make an example of Garrosh's impudence, Thrall then provoked Garrosh to challenge him to a duel by saying that he would not make the same mistakes as his father, Grom Hellscream. Frustrated with his leader's apparent lack of action and the insults to his father, Garrosh challenged Thrall to a duel in the Ring of Valor to settle the matter. The two orcs fought for some time until it seemed Garrosh had gained the upper hand. He began to taunt Thrall, but the battle was interrupted by a Herald of the Lich King threatening Orgrimmar with destruction. Hearing this, Thrall used Chain Lightning on Garrosh and both left the ring, with Thrall telling the younger Hellscream that they would settle their dispute later. The city was attacked by countless abominations and frost wyrms and a few death knights.

Thrall and Garrosh led the forces of the Horde in repelling the Scourge attack, with the help of Saurfang, Sylvanas, Reghar, the city defenders, and some adventurers. After the Scourge assault force had been dealt with, Garrosh asked to be sent to Northrend again. This time, Thrall agreed and ordered Saurfang to begin preparations for war.

Broken Peace


As the combined Horde and Alliance forces began their assault upon Angrathar the Wrathgate, an uprising broke out within the Forsaken capital Undercity. Varimathras and hordes of his demonic brethren overran the city, slaying all those who would not submit to their dark rule. Sylvanas herself was nearly killed in the coup, but managed to escape with a number of loyalists and fled to Orgrimmar. Determined not to allow the Dreadlords a foothold in Horde territory, Thrall and Sylvanas planned an immediate counter-attack. In the midst of their planning, Jaina Proudmoore arrived bearing terrible news: in the wake of Bolvar Fordragon's death, Varian had ordered an assault on Undercity to bring Bolvar's murderer Grand Apothecary Putress, a Varimathras loyalist, to justice and to retake Lordaeron for the Alliance.

Thrall along with Sylvanas and Vol'jin led the assault into Undercity itself to reclaim it for the Horde. After fighting the Forsaken rebels and the demons within, the combined might of the Horde slew the traitorous demon Varimathras. However, the joy of victory was short-lived as Varian, having killed Putress and hearing the orcish cries of victory, arrived on the scene. He confronted Thrall and declared that peace could never be achieved after discovering the horrors the Forsaken had created in Undercity. Just as the two forces charged at one another, Jaina stopped them from killing each other by teleporting Varian, herself and the Alliance army back to Stormwind. As Thrall lamented on the broken peace between the Alliance and the Horde, Varok Saurfang arrived and reminded Thrall of his duty to lead their people. In order to ensure that no more Legion-aligned abominations crawled out of the Apothecarium, Thrall sent a legion of Kor'kron Guard led by Bragor Bloodfist to guard the Undercity from threats outside of it and any that may remain within following .''

Secrets of Ulduar
When Brann Bronzebeard learned that the Old God Yogg-Saron had escaped his ancient prison in Ulduar he hastily informed Rhonin, who asked Jaina to summon Thrall and Varian to the Violet Citadel for an emergency council. Correctly guessing the gravity of the situation, Thrall made haste to Dalaran with Garrosh. Upon arriving at the Violet Citadel, he was intercepted by Jaina, who was desperate to avoid a confrontation with Varian, who was already within. When Jaina told them what had happened, Thrall listened to Garrosh's doubt with irritation, then proceeded to Rhonin's chambers, where, predictably, Varian and Garrosh exchanged harsh words that eventually led to a fight. Thrall was unable to stop the fight, but a frustrated Rhonin succeeded in doing so. Rhonin pleaded to all in the room to put aside their differences and work together against their common threat. Varian flatly refused citing the events of the Wrathgate as reason to never work with the Horde again and departed, while Garrosh offered the opinion that a true warchief would never partner with cowards. Thrall expressed disappointment at Garrosh's actions.

Crusaders' Coliseum


Thrall, accompanied by Garrosh Hellscream, attended the Crusaders' Coliseum in Icecrown. Upon arrival Tirion greeted them personally. After a heated exchange of words the two were escorted into the colliseum by their host.

Later, he and Garrosh observe the Trials, surrounded by a congregation of the Horde's representatives.

Political Difficulties after Northrend
Thrall's life would change in the events leading up to the Shattering.

When Garrosh Hellscream and his soldiers finally returned home from Northrend, Thrall held a banquet in the young orc's honor, also authorizing bonfires to be lit in Orgrimmar. Unfortunately Durotar had been suffering a very severe drought and caused one of the bonfires to become a conflagration that destroyed several buildings. Thrall himself tried to calm the flames using his shamanic powers, but found that the fire was hell-bent on destruction, resolving to snuff out the flames forcibly, an act he regretted. He realized that something was very wrong with the elements and that they were out of control, and pondered the situation.

There were other troubles, such as an orc attack on a group of Sentinels in Ashenvale which was in direct violation of the Horde-Alliance treaty. The Sentinels had been skinned and then chopped up into pieces, left for carrion feeders. Whether or not they had been alive when they were skinned was debatable. The skins of the murdered night elves were hung on trees that had painted Horde symbols depicted on them; written with elven blood. Since the Night Elves have ceased to allow Horde members into Ashenvale in protest of the Wrathgate; many orcs celebrated this attack. He received a letter from King Varian Wrynn demanding to denounce the attacks and turn over any attackers he can find to the Alliance for justice. Thrall refused to turn over violators of the treaty (he had suspects but didn't have proof and it would also hurt orc morale) and also refused to apologize for the thievery of the Night Elves' goods, the murders, or the brutal methods in which they were performed. Though he did express anger that the treaty had been violated, his unwillingness to reprimand those who use brutal methods to assault Alliance members has weakened his popularity with Alliance leaders.

Calming the Elements
After a meeting with Jaina Proudmoore and Eitrigg, Thrall decided that he was going to have to travel to Nagrand in Outland to converse with the elements there and try to discover why the elements in Azeroth were so out of control. He appointed Garrosh Hellscream acting warchief of the Horde and presented him with Gorehowl, before setting out on his quest.

Upon his arrival, he met with his grandmother, who advised him to turn to the Mag'har female Aggra for shamanic instruction. Aggra wasn't particularly fond of Thrall and often made comments about and toward him bordering on the snide, sometimes referring to him as "Slave." However, she dutifully took him on a vision quest in Garadar in order so that he would become truly connected to the spirits, and a true shaman.

Thrall eventually met with the elements of Draenor, the Furies, all of whom except the Fury of Earth were unable to help Thrall understand what was happening in Azeroth. However the Fury of Earth was able to help him after ingesting a small rock Thrall had brought with him from Azeroth, and the Fury told him that the elements were afraid of a shattering, a cataclysm akin to the one that had broken Draenor.

As Thrall prepared to return to Azeroth to attempt to prevent the cataclysm, Aggra revealed that she had secretly been growing more and more attracted to him and wanted to go with him to Azeroth, but only if he refused to be weak. Thrall welcomed her company and the two became mates.

Upon returning to Azeroth, Thrall learned that the Grimtotem tauren had staged a coup, that Cairne Bloodhoof was dead, and that Garrosh was the unwitting killer. He attended his old friends funeral and bid his final farewell to his companion. The former warchief took with him the smallest piece of his old friends runespear to forever remember him. The fragment was etched with a single rune, whose meaning did not escape Thrall - "healing".

Not long after all this, a massive earthquake hit, which caused a tsunami to hit Stormwind Harbor, a sinkhole to appear off the coast of Westfall, and the very ground to split beneath Thrall's feet. Thrall decided to make his way to the Maelstrom, which he sensed was the center of the cataclysm, to attempt to calm the elements. Aggra agreed to go with him, and they set out together, stopping first at the Lost Isles before continuing to the Maelstrom to prevent Azeroth and the Elemental planes from becoming one. Thrall and Aggra have been there ever since.

Cataclysm
''Thrall, the Horde's warchief, is a living symbol of nobility, strength, and unwavering courage. He led the orcs from the internment camps of Lordaeron into a new era of freedom and prosperity, and under his leadership the Horde has established itself as a major force on Azeroth. As a shaman, Thrall has a deep connection with the elements, and their wisdom has proven to be a great boon to the warchief. But although the Horde's faith in its warchief remains strong, some orcs who relish the tales of orcish ferocity and martial prowess are frustrated with Thrall's decisions. It remains to be seen whether his recent differences with Garrosh Hellscream are a one-time event or a hint at the shape of things to come.''

Thrall plays a major role in the events of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Promotional art showed Thrall and Cairne Bloodhoof rescuing small orc and blood elf children from a pile of rubble, probably from a quake brought on by the Cataclysm itself.

He first appears on the Lost Isles, part of the goblin starting zone, where he helps bring the goblins into the Horde. As the storyline plays out, we learn that Thrall was captured by agents of 7, and the goblins, having recently fled Kezan, play a part in rescuing him. In gratitude Thrall aids the goblins in their battles across the Isles, where after beating Trade Prince Gallywix, he proclaims that the Cartel will join the Horde and have a home in Azshara, and allows Gallywix to remain as the Cartel's leader; sending goblin agents to speak with Thrall's successor Garrosh Hellscream.

As tensions within the Horde begin to rise in Thrall's absence, notably between Warchief Garrosh and Chieftain Vol'jin, Thrall steps back into the picture to reassure the Darkspear chieftain that Garrosh was the right choice to keep their Horde united.

As one of (if not the) pre-eminent shamans of Azeroth, Thrall steps away from his duties as Warchief to join with the Earthen Ring. He journeys to the Maelstrom at the center of the Great Sea, where Deathwing made his return to Azeroth from the depths of Deepholm. The corrupted Aspect's entry has shattered the barriers between Azeroth and the Elemental Plane, and Thrall lends his powers to stabilize the rift.

Rage of the Firelands
At the Maelstrom, Thrall strains himself attempting to commune with the elements. Able to feel how broken the world is, and with the elements remaining silent for him, Thrall tells Aggra that he will have to work without limits to fulfill this task. As he ponders the meaning of this, his elemental calls are finally answered - by none other than Ragnaros the Firelord. Ragnaros gives Thrall a vision of the Firelands, ensuring him that its flames will engulf both the world tree and the world beyond it, showing Thrall's reinforced home of Orgrimmar washed over in a tide of fire as the final Hour of Twilight approaches. Stunned, Thrall falls to the ground, and the cackling Firelord dissipates. Thrall then begins his journey to Mount Hyjal with Aggra.

After the druids and their allies thwarted the invasion of Hyjal by the Twilight's Hammer and Ragnaros, an air of peace settled on the sacred mountain. As new growth bloomed across the region, members of the Earthen Ring and Cenarion Circle, along with the noble Dragon Aspects, convened at the ancient World Tree of Nordrassil. Among the gathered heroes were the legendary archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, the former Horde warchief and accomplished shaman Thrall, and his strong-willed companion, Aggra. Together, this illustrious assemblage was to unite its wondrous powers and restore the World Tree for the good of Azeroth.

Yet this auspicious event ended in tragedy. The details are still unclear, but word has spread that an incredibly powerful Twilight's Hammer agent, shrouded to hide his identity, interrupted the ceremony and struck down Thrall with dark magics... casting his spirit into the four domains of the Elemental Plane. If these terrible rumors hold true, the Earthen Ring -- indeed, all of Azeroth -- has potentially lost one of its greatest champions. While the Aspects concede that Thrall may be lost to the elements forever, Aggra believes that her mate can be saved and calls on the aid of adventures of both the Horde and the Alliance to venture into the Skywall, the Abyssal Maw, Deepholm, and Firelands to rescue her beloved from an eternity of torment. Before adventures can return Thrall's spirit to the natural world they must help him overcome his doubts, his willfulness, his desires and his rage before he is bound to his elemental cage.

The identity of Thrall's assailant is revealed to be none other than the former Archdruid of Darnassus, Fandral Staghelm - now allied with Ragnaros and Deathwing. Noting that an individual known as the "Twilight Prophet" had deemed Thrall the cult's final obstacle, Fandral goes about removing him from the picture - not with death, but turning Thrall's great bond with the elements against him; his raw essence scattered to their elemental domains. Aggra, however, is unwilling to give up on Thrall - and resolves to restore her mate's essence in its entirety.

His self-doubt manifests itself in the plane of wind, where Thrall expresses regret over his decision to pronounce Garrosh Warchief, noting that he will lead the Horde to ruin. He mentions that he has failed both the Horde and the Earthen Ring, and that he is unworthy of Aggra. He laments that he believes his own weakness has delivered Azeroth into the face of ruin. The plane of water displays Thrall's desire, where he is seen laying down his weapon in front of Varian and making peace with his enemies. It was also shown that he desired to be free of the burdens of leadership and start a family with Aggra. Thrall's patience is viewed in the plane of earth, where he is frozen in stone to symbolize his patience and resolve. Thrall's raw, unhinged emotion is seen in the various elemental planes - fire, where Thrall's hatred towards Gul'dan, for the murder of his parents is witnessed; Varian, for declaring war upon the Horde; Blackmoore, for the act of forcibly enslaving another; and even Thrall's rage towards Garrosh for his role in Cairne's demise is seen.

Ultimately, Thrall's essence is restored. He stands before Aggra, as Go'el, son of Durotan, and he and Aggra become life-mates. With his resolve renewed, Thrall overcomes his predicament, with the chains that had once bound him shattered -- all that he once was, and more.

Locations



 * Orgrimmar, Grommash Hold: (Overseeing the Horde; Removed in Cataclysm).


 * Nagrand, Garadar: (Reuniting with his heritage; Removed in Cataclysm).
 * Old Hillsbrad, Durnholde Keep: (Escaping the Keep [In the past]).
 * Hyjal Summit: (Defending the World tree [In the past]).


 * Orgrimmar, Ring of Valor: (Duelling Garrosh, over a tactical dispute; Removed after Wotlk opening event).
 * Undercity, Lordaeron: (Storming the Undercity to reclaim it from its usurpers; Removed in Cataclysm).
 * Argent Tournament, Icecrown: (Observing the tournament alongside Garrosh).


 * Orgrimmar, Grommash Hold: (Appointing Garrosh as acting Warchief of the Horde; Removed after Cataclysm opening event).
 * Nagrand, Throne of the Elements: (Seeking council on healing Azeroth; Removed after Cataclysm opening event).
 * Lost Isles, Gallywix Docks: (Assisting the Goblins against 7).
 * The Maelstrom: (Leading the Earthen Ring in holding Azeroth together).

Quests
From his position in Orgrimmar, he started the following quests:

From within Durnholde Keep (Past) he starts the following quest:

From his rock overlooking the Maelstrom, he starts the following quest:

Freed from the Blood Curse
Grom: "Thrall, the blood haze has lifted... the demon's fire has burned out in my veins. I have freed myself..."

Thrall: "No, old friend. You've freed us all."

The Fall of the Dark Horde
yell

yell



The Vision of Fire
From the Patch 4.2.0 trailer:


 * Thrall stands over the great rift within the Maelstrom, channelling his energy into sealing it, when Aggra approaches.
 * say
 * say
 * say
 * say
 * say
 * Aggra turns and walks away. Thrall is seen shortly after seated on the rock, communing with the elements.
 * say
 * The rift within the Maelstrom glows incredibly bright red, and a pillar of fire bursts from it. As Thrall stares in astonishment, Ragnaros rips through the rift!
 * yell
 * yell
 * Ragnaros raises Thrall into the air with a pillar of fire.
 * yell
 * ''As Thrall hovers into the air, images of the Firelands flash through Thrall's mind. The images then change to a view of the forests of Mount Hyjal, surrounding the World Tree Nordrassil.
 * yell
 * ''Suddenly, Nordrassil is set ablaze, and a great wave of fire envelops Mount Hyjal and beyond, heading for the city of Orgrimmar as Thrall watches from nearby.
 * yell
 * ''The gates of Orgrimmar explode and crumble, as the wave of fire continues.
 * yell
 * Ragnaros laughs maniacally as the fire wave approaches Thrall.
 * yell
 * ''Back in the Maelstrom, Thrall falls to his hands and knees, overcome by the vision.
 * say
 * say
 * Aggra helps Thrall to his feet.
 * say
 * ''Thrall smiles and touches Aggra's cheek, then holds her to him.
 * say

Tactics


The most critical part of the strategy is to give the Horde as little warning as possible. Mainly since Horde players tend to feel more obligated and passionate about defending Thrall than any other WoW leader. The slightest mention of an attack on Thrall is enough to send a fair number of players to his side. Diverting attention can be done either by using a warlock to summon, or if you are careful, gathering across the bridge west of Orgrimmar, then riding to Thrall's room at full speed. Approaching from Ratchet may not be the best option because of the number of Horde leveling in the area, so the best option is riding by the river from Azshara, making good use of a death knight's Path of Frost. Once on Thrall's room, use AoE spells to take care of the guards, then a simple tank and spank strategy on Thrall. Vol'jin may be offtanked at the same time, or Thrall can be taken down first by approaching from the left side of the room as you enter and Vol'jin may be optionally taken care of afterward. Two raids (80 people) are recommended.

He can be done easily with a 40 man raid if done right. With a well geared 40 man raid group you can drop him easily if summoned in and done without alerting many Horde.

The arena inside Orgrimmar is a great spot for summoning if you manage to successfully place a warlock and his summoning support in there. A decoy may be used as well, most likely a couple rogues attacking the bank or some other crowded area as this will take the Horde's attention from the attack, having them to think it's just an isolated act from bored players.

With the advent of the Wintergrasp battleground, a new technique is to wait until Wintergrasp has initiated and then storm Orgrimmar. Note that success is limited due to it being predictable, after being used once, it will be expected later.

His death was originally the requirement for.

World of Warcraft quotes

 * Greeting
 * "Lok'tar, friend. What is it you wish?"
 * "Welcome to Orgrimmar. Have you come to serve the Horde?"


 * Aggro
 * "Lok'narosh!"
 * "For Doomhammer!"
 * "Your time has come!"

Lore quotes

 * "Blackmoore gave me the name so I would never forget that I was something he owned, that I belonged to him. I never will. I will keep the name, and one day, when I see him again, he will be the one who remembers what he did to me, and regret it with all his heart."
 * "Blackmoore! Tonight you sleep in hell!"
 * "How easily the mind can be turned to hate from a place of fear - an instinctive, natural, protective response. Instead of focusing on the things that unite us, we focus on what divides us."
 * "To pretend it [the demonic corruption] did not exist is to forget how dreadful the impact was. To make ourselves into victims, rather than claiming our participation in our own destruction. We chose this path, we orcs. We chose it right up until it was too late to turn back. And having made that choice, we can, with the knowledge that we have of the end of that dark and shameful road, choose not to take it."
 * "I can only pray to the ancestors that I am never placed in the same position as my father—torn between what I know in my heart is right and the defense of my people. It is why I continue to strive to uphold the tenuous peace between us and the Alliance. Because few offenses and insults in this or any other world are sufficient to warrant the slaughter of children."
 * "I offer no judgment on anyone save a handful of individuals who knew full well what they were doing, knew that they were trading the lives and destiny of their people for gratification in the moment, and did so gleefully. For the others...I can only shake my head and be grateful that I was not forced to make the choices they did."
 * "When I reached adulthood, I became Orgrim's friend, as had my father before; and it is I who have fulfilled the prophecy of the Doomhammer. In their honor, this land is named Durotar, its greatest city, Orgrimmar."
 * "Our spirit is stronger than you know demon! If we are to fall, then so be it! At least now... we are free!"
 * "Let all that you do be done for the Horde."

Other

 * ''"I am sorry that I did not come sooner, young Hellscream. There is so much that I have to tell you about your father, but first you must tell me where I may find the Greatmother.
 * "I have dreamed of this moment all my life, Greatmother. 'Till now, all I've had were Orgrim's stories about my parents and their adventures on Draenor. He was my greatest teacher and dearest friend. He died a hero... They all died as heroes - and for all of them, a song of honor remains."
 * "Blood and thunder, champions of the Horde! We fight on this day for our fallen brothers and sisters! Mourn them not for they all died with honor in their hearts! Though we face great conflict, our might combined shall obliterate those who would oppose us! The grave injustices committed against the Horde will be met by an unstoppable force of reckoning!"
 * "COWARD! You think to stop the Warchief of the Horde with pebbles? I will show you the true power of the elements!"
 * ''"It ends like it began...All that we have fought for in this world is lost. The hopes and dreams carried by my father and mother... by Doomhammer... Gone...If only you were here right now, old friend. You would know what to do."

Elemental Bonds

 * Plane of Fire
 * ''"My parents... murdered before I could know them... betrayed... GUL'DAN!!! If I must burn my way across the afterlife, I will find you in whatever hell you've hid in! I will have my revenge! DO YOU HEAR ME?!!"
 * ''"Raised as a slave... to KILL for human amusement! Death was too good for Blackmoore... ANYONE who would enslave another... deserves WORSE than death! All are guilty! ALL must pay!!"
 * ''"King Varian... you wish to make war on my people?! You shall have your war, human! You will see the fury of the Horde rage through your cities! You will see your throne split in two! THIS I SWEAR!!"
 * ''"Garrosh... Garrosh... CAIRNE WAS MY BROTHER!!!"


 * Plane of Earth
 * ''"We are patient."


 * Plane of Air
 * ''"Failed... I have failed this world... The elements will not speak to me... The Earthen Ring has lost faith in my leadership... My weakness has delivered Azeroth into oblivion..."
 * ''"Oblivion... nothing but oblivion."
 * ''"I have failed the Horde as Warchief... Garrosh will lead it to ruin... My people... to ruin... Cairne, my brother... why did I not listen?"
 * ''"I know your face... Aggra... oh my heart, can't you see? I am... nothing... Selfish at all I've done, accomplished, all for the sake of pride alone... I am... unworthy of you."

Personality
Despite Thrall’s open acceptance of visitors into his society, the orcs have not yet relinquished all of their old hatreds and preconceptions about other races. Still, they honor his leadership and will treat visitors to Durotar fairly, albeit somewhat roughly. He takes individuals at face value and treats them with respect until their actions prove that they should be dealt with otherwise. Even when crimes are committed, the harshest punishment that Thrall will mete out is exile — banishment into the almost lifeless wastelands of the Barrens, where the elements judge who lives and who dies. However, if someone under his leadership causes dishonorable and unnecessary bloodshed, or worse, consorts with demons, Thrall's policy is clear: a death sentence carried out by the Doomhammer.

To friends, Thrall is warm and generous, freely swapping stories and information. Hospitality is extended to everyone, but Thrall expects all visitors to contribute in some way to Orgrimmar’s survival. Visiting hunters often bring meat or fur in exchange for refuge from the elements, and human traders from Theramore Isle periodically bring casks of salt ale and seed for crops. While in Orgrimmar, visitors are under Thrall’s protection and he will not tolerate any threats or violence against them.

Thrall is a natural-born leader. He is rarely alone, and in battle often spends much of his time directing his troops. In solo combat his tactics are subtle. He mixes a judicious amount of melee with powerful spellcasting.

Trivia

 * The servers Thrall US and Thrall Europe are named after the former Warchief.
 * Thrall was going to be voiced by Clancy Brown in the unreleased game Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. He is voiced by Chris Metzen in Warcraft III, World of Warcraft and their expansions.
 * At BlizzCon 2010, Chris Metzen claimed that Thrall and his wielding of the Doomhammer was inspired by.
 * Thrall might be somewhat inspired by Caesar of 'Planet of the Apes'. Caesar was the son of a pair of talking chimpanzees (who also were murdered like Durotan and Draka) and was also raised as a slave, until he finally rebelled and led the Apes to freedom. Like Thrall, Caesar wishes to live in peace with the humans.
 * The Thrallmar outpost on the Hellfire Peninsula in Outland is named after the Warchief. It is the Horde's staging area to recolonize the orcs' former native planet. Although few individuals will remember their planet before it exploded (Drek'Thar, for example, told the Mok'Nathal Rexxar that he fought alongside other Mok'Nathal on Draenor), all orcs will be shocked to see the state in which it lies now.
 * "Go'el" was the name chosen by Durotan and Draka for their only son, but they could not give him that name until the Naming Day of that cycle; when Durotan and Draka were killed, his name remained unknown to him until he met his grandmother in Garadar over two decades later.
 * The name Go'el in Hebrew means "redeemer", derived from the verb lig'ol, "to free". A Go'el was a close Kinsman, whose duty was to perform any task a man could not perform by himself. Another duty of the Go'el was to free his kinsman from slavery — appropriate, considering Thrall's role in liberating the orcs from generations of enslavement to fel magics, as well as being held in human internment camps. ("Go'el" is one of the traditional titles of the Messiah.)
 * Go'el could have been inspired by Superman's Kryptonian name Kal-El. Thrall and Superman's origins are alike in many ways: both are aliens from a doomed planet, both their birth parents were killed while at a young age, and of course they both have special powers.
 * After Jaina and Thrall's forces were forced to work together after the meeting with Medivh, the two leaders soon became good friends. Thrall stated that Jaina reminds him strongly of Taretha Foxton, but Jaina has stated no specific reason for her trust in Thrall. Their relationship is nonetheless strong, even having endured the battle of Durotar, which cost Jaina her father and Thrall many of his warriors. They still consider each other allies. Some fans have speculated that Thrall and Jaina were (or will be) romantically involved at some point, but lore eventually denied this.
 * The novel The Shattering officially puts any speculation of romance between Thrall and Jaina down, as Thrall meets Aggra. The novel also seemingly makes a reference to this popular speculation, as Eitrigg comments to Thrall that Jaina would make a fine mate for someone one day if she so chose. However, as a human, she "cannot be [his]." Thrall merely laughs at the notion of having any mate, with so many crises at hand he has to deal with. Chris Metzen jokingly answered a question about the matter at Blizzcon 2010, "Thrall is meeting a nice girl from Nagrand and gonna have little brown babies. Let's put it to bed. Funny choice of words there."
 * The White Punch Card that drops in Gnomeregan for the Alliance quest has many lines of binary code printed on it. When decoded, it reads "Thrall and Jaina sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G", as an in-joke for the fans.