[Guide] Frostwolf Clan: The Lone Wolf Dies, But The Pack Survives 🐺

Telaryn-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 8:48pm

“A family is like a pack of wolves. When all play their part, the pack succeeds. When they do not, the pack fails.”

-Durotan

Hey friends! In light of the clan guides getting popular on the forums, with some prompting from friends I decided to write about the Frostwolf Clan. Despite the appearances of the forums, I have mained a Frostwolf Orc on and off for the last 5-6 years. With proper sources to work with, I present to you this guide.

The Frostwolves are one of the oldest clans running their roots back 800 years ago when the orcs first emerged from Gorgrond. They were among the first to migrate to the Frostfire Ridge, where they forged a life for themselves as hunters alongside the Whiteclaw and Thunderlord clans. Despite being one of the oldest clans, Frostwolves are also a notoriously small clan. During the time of the Rise of the Horde, their population was only 80 strong.

While Frostfire Ridge was their home, the clan made itself known as nomadic hunters. Every season the Frostwolves migrated to Nagrand after the Clefthoof herds.

The Frostwolves notably warred with the Laughing Skull that they shared a border with to the east, as well as the ogres of the Bladespire Citadel who once held dominion over the region. Raids from the ogres were a constant threat that loomed over the clan known for their keen will to survive.

11 years before the opening of the Dark Portal, the ogres’ losing their hold over Nagrand at the hands of Grommash and Kargath caused the Imperator in charge of the Bladespire Citadel fear a similar fate for himself. To get ahead of the curve, the ogres started to kidnap orcs during their raids. They would breed them with their own, birthing the half-ogre slave race of the Mok’Nathal, which they used as their fodder in battle leading to raids at an increasing frequency.

To battle this threat, Garad of the Frostwolves rallied the Whiteclaws and the Thunderlords, but the Thunderlords rejected the call due to the influence of their new Chieftain, Garad’s eldest son Fenris and the animosity between father and son. They managed to capture the leader of the Mok’Nathal Leoroxx, father of Rexxar. Explaining their slavery to Garad, they hatched a plan to siege Bladespire in what would be known as the Battle of Bladespire.

During the battle, Garad’s second son Ga’nar would give his life to save the Mok’Nathal younglings from massacre at the hands of the ogres, buying them time to escape. Although the united orc army would win and break the ogres’ hold over Frostfire for good, Garad never recovered from the loss of his second son and would carry this grief until the end of his days.

The Mok’Nathal were offered land in Frostfire, but Leoroxx rejected the offer knowing that the other clans would never accept them out of fear for being half-breeds.

As the last surviving son of Garad, Durotan became the Chieftain of his clan after Garad left to found the village of Garadar at the request of Ner’zhul to lead and care for those afflicted with the Red Pox.

Less hot headed than his two brothers, Durotan’s reign as the Chieftain was one of caution and measure. When the call to form the Horde was made, Durotan – along with Zagrel of the Whiteclaws – remained one of the most skeptical of the Chieftains. Following Zagrel’s assassination, Durotan reluctantly pledged himself to the Horde out of fear for his own clan’s safety. None the less he and the clan offered resistance to the more extreme ideas of the Horde where reason allowed it, but his biggest concern was the survival of his clan.

Following the fall of Draenor, the Frostwolf Clan joined the Horde in the First War, but they were exiled in secret by Gul’dan by threat of annihilation if Durotan ever spoke of what he had learned from Ner’zhul about the reality of Gul’dan and the Horde.

Settling themselves in a remote valley of Alterac, the Frostwolves lived out their days in relative peace, working in union with the land with the aid of their shaman. They practiced hunting and with Drek’Thar’s aid they formed a spiritual bond with the local wildlife to sustain themselves through harsh winters.

No-one knew what had become of Durotan and Draka for years after they disappeared mysteriously following their assassination, until Thrall arrived and confirmed the truth with Drek’Thar’s aid.

Following the events of Warcraft 3 and Thrall learning much from the Frostwolves and founding of the Horde, the Frostwolves have taken more of a back seat in the overall story of WoW.

They had their famous episode in Alterac Valley in Vanilla with the Stormpike dwarves invading their home with their imperial mandate to claim artifacts. It’s not clear who struck first as both sides blame each other for initiating the conflict, but one detail is mentioned in the quests around Alterac Valley none the less – the Frostwolves remained the Warchief’s favoured clan through out Thrall’s tenure as Warchief.

Besides that there isn’t much spotlight shined on them through WoW. Drek’Thar makes the occasional appearance in shaman related matters reminding us that he’s still alive and kicking, albeit very old now and training his apprentice Palkar to one day succeed him.

2. Culture and Identity

The Frostwolves are something of an anomaly among orcs. Where other clans are more eager to dominate and use their bloodlust to achieve their goals, the Frostwolves focus more on suppressing their rage and instead finding strength in their numbers – just like a wolf pack. They are traditionally hunters first and foremost, with Durotan remarking in the Rise of the Horde that their concern used to be tooth and claw, not sword and spear.

They are a highly spiritual people and are quick to form bonds with animals, of which the most famous example is their namesake wolves (more on that later). They work with the land rather than shape it to their will and this philosophy seems to stem from Drek’Thar learning the ugly truth behind warlocks and their magic, and how the way of the shaman offers them redemption.

While the concept of orcish honour is usually left vague, in the novel Lord of the Clans we get to see the code of the Frostwolves fleshed out giving them an actual guideline to follow.

“Hmph,” said the old orc. “Thought you were going to die, young one.”
Thrall felt a twinge of irritation. “Sorry to disappoint you,” he said.
“Our honor code obliges us to help those in need,” continued the orc, “but it’s always easier if our help proves ineffective. One less mouth to feed.”

Thrall was taken aback by the rudeness, but chose to say nothing.

“My name is Drek’Thar. I am the shaman of the Frostwolves, and their protector. Who are you?”

Amusement rippled through Thrall at the idea of this wizened old orc being the protector of all the Frostwolves. He tried to sit up, and was startled to find himself slammed down on the furs as if from an unseen hand. He looked over at Drek’Thar and saw that the old man had subtly changed the position of his fingers.

“I didn’t give you leave to rise,” said Drek’Thar. “Answer my question, stranger, or I may reconsider our offer of hospitality.”

Of course it’s later revealed that the hostility with which Drek’Thar treats Thrall also plays into their mindset of having to prove yourself before you’re accepted. While they are more benevolent than other clans with their obligation to help the weak and look after one another like a pack, their good faith only extends so far.

They value a healthy balance between pride and humility. Too much pride and arrogance becomes your undoing. Too much humility and the world will roll over you, as Drek’Thar teaches Thrall the hard way by instructing members of his clan to treat him poorly until Thrall would defend himself:

“I had wondered how long it would take you,” said Drek’Thar. Thrall glanced up listlessly to see the blind shaman standing over him. “You surprised me by lasting this long.”
Slowly, Thrall stood. “I have turned on my hosts,” he said heavily. “I will depart.”

“You will do no such thing,” said Drek’Thar. Thrall turned to stare at him. “The first test I had was to see if you were too arrogant to ask to be one of us. Had you come in here demanding the chieftainship as your birthright, we would have sent you away — and sent our wolves to make sure you stayed away. You needed first to be humble before we would admit you."

“But also, we would not respect anyone who would stay servile for too long. Had you not challenged Uthul’s insults, you would not have been a true orc. I am pleased to see you are both humble and proud, Thrall.”

All through out, the Frostwolves are depicted as very communal and looking after one another. Their mentality is pack-based and their honour code reflects seeking strength in unity. They are also the first to resist tyranny and oppression as the concepts of mercy and honour are their biggest virtues, but their biggest concern comes with the survival of the pack. One shouldn’t be forsaken for the other.

Durotan was willing to go along with the Old Horde’s crimes (although never participated) because it meant securing the safety of his clan to avoid the fate of the Whiteclaws. At the same time he resisted the most extreme of methods, offering the path of moderation instead.

In their isolation after their exile, the Frostwolves retained their traditions and identity while most of the other clans lost theirs during their time in the Internment Camps and the melting pot that is the modern Horde. In many ways the Frostwolves are a relic of the past in the modern world, representing the “orcish honour” that many romanticize with them embracing their old ways.

The Frostwolf Om’riggor tradition involves painting themselves with the blood of their first kill from their hunt and seeking the blessing of their ancestors. Back in Draenor the popular choice for the hunt was traditionally a Frostboar and the adolescent orc would carve their family history as far back as the tusk of the boar would allow as family, tradition and heritage are the cornerstones of their identity. On Azeroth the most appropriate alternative seems to be the rams of Alterac and their horns.
With their tradition of hunting, the Frostwolves are good at wasting nothing from the kill. The furs keep them warm, the meat keeps them fed and the bone has many uses when one gets creative. Making snowshoes from bones and pelts is a popular choice for hunters to traverse easier through deep snow.
The cautionary tale every Frostwolf knows is the tale of Durotan as seen in the Lords of War series. While defending his comatose mother from a pack of Garn, Durotan gave in to his bloodlust and slaughtered everything that moved – including his faithful wolf companion.
The Frostwolves suppress their anger and instead channel their cold demeanor like wolves on the hunt. While they instead seek their strength from unity, it can also be argued that the unnerving calmness with which they conduct themselves carries a psychological impact. Remaining deadly calm in the face of overwhelming odds is a tactic many military strategists in our own history have successfully exploited from the Romans to Zhuge Liang. The first to flinch loses.

While others might deem them wolves without teeth, the opposite is quite true. One only has to observe wolves to understand the Frostwolf ideology.

The naming ceremony, conducted on the ordained “Naming Day” of the cycle* in which the child is born involves the mother, the father, the Chieftain, the Chieftain’s heir and the elder shaman of the clan gathering by a body of water for all to bear witness.

As we see in the comic A Warrior Made, the mother declares the child’s name and the passes the infant to the father who declares the child his blood in the name of his ancestors with the clan as his witness. The Chieftain then goes on to proclaim the child as part of his clan and under his protection, and the Chieftain’s heir makes the vow to uphold the promise.

In the end the Elder Shaman of the clan blesses the child, calling upon all five elements to guide and watch over the child. Given how the entire ceremony is conducted by the relevant parties standing in water, one might assume they also dip the child during the blessing – the comic time skips ahead without confirming.

An important thing to note however is that the ceremony isn’t unique to the Frostwolf clan; in the scene depicted in the comic we see members of other clans come bear witness as the naming ceremony is a big deal for orcs. That said the version depicted is specifically the Frostwolf take on the tradition as the onlookers from other clans state that if it were their clan, they would be drowning the infant in the water instead of blessing it if the child is weak and sickly.

The cycles might refer to the phases of the moon rather than full years. Rise of the Horde and Lord of the Clans make constant mentions about the moon and stars and tracking time through them. Chronicles 2 corroborates the importance of the moon in orcish customs with the Shadowmoon being notable stargazers and diviners.

3. Relations to other clans

The Frostwolves are typically on the diplomatic end of orcs. That’s not to say they are pacifists, but their ideology makes seeking out alliances the preferable alternative to alienating them.

Historically their closest allies was always the Whiteclaw Clan with the two sister clans co-existing in harmony for centuries. Following the Battle of Bladespire and the liberation of the Mok’Nathal, the Frostwolves viewed the half breeds amiably and the recent heroisms of Rexxar in the service of the Horde only reinforces the decision they once made decades ago.
On the other hand they had very cold relations with the Thunderlords due to the feud between Garad and his eldest son Fenris. During a Kosh’harg Festival 11 years before the Dark Portal, Garad’s heir Fenris publicly denounced his birthright before all the clans and pledged himself to the Thunderlords in what by the time was the pinnacle of orcish political drama.
While the two clans were already at odds prior with the Thunderlords seeking to dominate their land and the Frostwolves seeking balance, Fenris’s stunt only served to cut off all ideas of peaceful co-existance between them in the years to come. They never came to any real blows with one another, but they also never helped each other during hard times.
They were historically the enemies of the Laughing Skulls and warred with them on multiple occasions.
The tradition of the Blackrocks and drowning sickly babies at birth was stark in contrast to the Frostwolves who refused to participate in such due to their already low population numbers. While Orgrim was hailed as a friend of the clan, Blackhand was their very antithesis and the two clans came to many disagreements during their shared time in the Horde, some of them heated.
The Shadowmoon Clan used to be the spiritual guides of the orcish people before their fall and all shaman trained among the Shadowmoon. They acted as the peacekeepers and mediators between the clans, and Rise of the Horde shows Durotan regarding Ner’zhul and his people with clear respect even after the truth was revealed as Ner’zhul gambled everything to warn Durotan in time of Gul’dan’s treachery.
The other clans, namely Warsong and Shattered Hand were very bloodthirsty and were kicked out of the Horde originally due to their uncontrolled bloodlust as Blackhand regarded them as a liability, hence them sitting out the First War. They too are the antithesis of everything the Frostwolves believe in, especially Warsongs with their culture of domination in contrast with the Frostwolves and unity.
But Grommash teaches us in Lord of the Clans that even Warsong can change and learn humility. When setting their differences aside, Warsongs and Frostwolves can turn out to be surprising allies.

4. Frost wolves

Perhaps the most important chapter of this guide.

The Frostwolves are named after their namesake wolf companions. They share a spiritual bond that links the orc and wolf together until death claim either one. Once they are bonded, they are equals. They eat, sleep, hunt and fight together. Separating a Frostwolf from their wolf seems to be a nigh-impossible task as even then death isn’t the end of their bond. In Warlords of Draenor we see Lokra’s wolf Asha returning as a spirit by her side even after the wolf dies at the hands of the Thunderlords.

The Choosing is a ritual in which the wolf is bound to their orcish companion for life – and the wolf is the one doing the choosing.

He also made a unique friend. One evening, as the clan and their wolf companions gathered around the fire as was their usual wont, a young wolf detached itself from the pack that usually slept just beyond the ring of firelight and approached. The Frostwolves fell silent.

“This female will Choose,” said Drek’Thar solemnly. Thrall had long since stopped being amazed at how Drek’Thar knew such things as the wolf’s gender and its — her — readiness to Choose, whatever that meant. Not without painful effort, Drek’Thar rose and extended his arms toward the she-wolf.

“Lovely one, you wish to form a bond with one of our clan,” he said. “Come forward and Choose the one with whom you will be bonded for the rest of your life.”

The wolf did not immediately rush forward. She took her time, ears twitching, dark eyes examining every orc present. Most of them already had companions, but many did not, particularly the younger ones.
Uthul, who had become Thrall’s fast friend once Thrall had rebelled against his cruel treatment, now tensed. Thrall could tell that he wanted this lovely, graceful beast to Choose him.

The wolf’s eyes met Thrall’s, and it was as if a shock went through his entire body. The female loped toward Thrall, and lay down at his side. Her eyes bored into his. Thrall felt a warm rush of kinship with this creature, although they were from two different species. He knew, without understanding quite how he knew, that she would be by his side until one of them left this life behind.

Slowly, Thrall reached to touch Snowsong’s finely shaped head. Her fur was so soft and thick. A warm wave of pleasure rushed over him. The group grunted sounds of approval, and Uthul, though keenly disappointed, was the first to clap Thrall on the back.

“Tell us her name,” said Drek’Thar.
“Her name is Snowsong,” Thrall replied, again, not knowing how he knew. The wolf half-closed her eyes, and he sensed her satisfaction.

The Frostwolves also keep the first fang their wolf companion sheds as their adult teeth grow as a lucky charm:

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Frostwolf_First-Fang

5. Shamanism

While their clan tradition is hunting, the Frostwolves are a highly spiritual people. In Warlords of Draenor we see many Frostwolf NPCs who traditionally are not shaman at all employ many frost (and in a few cases wind) abilities in their arsenal, including Durotan who according to Rise of the Horde did not have the potential to become a proper shaman himself despite his spiritual affinity.

They were the first orcs since the fall of Draenor and the rise of the Shadow Council to reconnect with the spirits and embrace the way of the shaman again.
While the clan notoriously defied drinking the Blood of Mannoroth, Durotan did reluctantly allow his shaman to embrace the warlock arts by Drek’Thar’s suggestion.

While the Frostwolves sat out the Siege of Shattrath, Rise of the Horde implies that Drek’Thar and the warlocks of the clan who followed him participated in the battle all the same. A fact that Drek’Thar is ashamed of and has made amends for the rest of his life.

A thing to also note about Frostwolves and warlocks is that Durotan notes in Rise of the Horde that when the warlocks started aging children by Blackhand’s order, they targeted the children aged under 6 of each clan that year because orcs begin training at the age of 6. Durotan was bitterly glad that with his clan being smaller in size, the clan only had a couple of orc children that age that were ever forcibly aged.

6. Their places in the modern Horde

The Frostwolf ideology had an impact in Thrall forming the new values for his New Horde as he learned a lot from Drek’Thar. That said, the New Horde that Thrall promoted isn’t the Frostwolf way entirely as Thrall learned a lot from Grommash Hellscream and Sergeant, the good-spirited human who taught Thrall to fight at Durnholde and first taught him the concept of mercy.

As relics of the past, the Frostwolves might come across as overtly traditionalist and can come to disagreements with the Horde sometimes. The most notorious example of this is the Hillsbrad questline in Cataclysm where Drek’Thar decrees that the clan will never aid the Forsaken in military matters:

Drek’Thar says: So you have come seeking our aid?
Drek’Thar coughs.
Drek’Thar says: I… cough I have been alive for a very long time. In that time I have seen and done terrible things.
Drek’Thar says: Things that still keep me awake at nights.
Drek’Thar says: But these terrible things that I have done and the people that I have harmed - I know them… I face them… and I feel remorse for them.
Drek’Thar says: But the Forsaken. cough What do they feel?
Drek’Thar says: They ravage the land and destroy everything that they touch. How many lives have been lost to their vile poisons?
Drek’Thar says: How many innocents have fallen before the Forsaken war machine?
Drek’Thar says: Countless… countless lives… cough
Drek’Thar says: Yes… I have done terrible things, but nothing could ever be as terrible as lending aid to the Forsaken.
Drek’Thar says: You go back to that spineless orc who would not come see me and you tell him that the Frostwolf clan will not aid the Forsaken. Not now, not ever!
Drek’Thar says: BEGONE!

With Sylvanas as the Warchief, this can lead to many Frostwolves being hesitant to go along with her due to the last word from the clan’s stance being refusal to work with them. At the same time the Frostwolf code compels aiding those in need and looking after the weak and protecting the pack as it were, so I can see Frostwolves in Orgrimmar tending to the Forsaken refugees none the less. After all, Drek’Thar only denies military support.

And following in Durotan’s footsteps, they might reluctantly go along for now (although refuse to participate in the crimes themselves) to secure their people’s safety from her notorious wrath. The Frostwolves know when to turn on a tyrant and when to secure their safety. Their code is the one thing they don’t negotiate on.

Sources:
Lord of the Clans
Rise of the Horde
Chronicles Vol. 2
Lords of War: Durotan
Warcraft: Legends Vol. 4 - A Warrior Made: Part I
https://twitter.com/DaveKosak/status/410920130273488897
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Wolfskin_Snowshoes
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Frostwolf_Ancestry_Scrimshaw
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Frostwolf_First-Fang
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Return_to_the_Pack
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Frostwolf_Ghostpup
https://wow.gamepedia.com/In_Defense_of_Frostwolf

I am always happy to answer questions below regarding anything I might have missed.

Manata-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:28pm

Glad you went ahead and made this, Telaryn! A good compilation of things that account into making the Frostwolf clan distinct from the other old clans.

Gardhal-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:29pm

Massive thumbs up from me, very comprehensive and has sparked some inspiration for gaps in my own Frostwolf Frostsinger character.

Grathmog-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:32pm

This, now… This is a worthy post.

Chíeun-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:32pm

The sane clan!

Well written.

Manata-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:42pm

Sorry to hijack your thread baby but since you keep pestering me about it - would anyone be interested in a Warsong clan aka orc normies guide? Like to Vote not to clutter this thread with too much offtopic

Telaryn-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:42pm

I think you should do it

Financial-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:47pm

Do it (in ten characters)

Banrhun-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 9:54pm

Looks like we found the perfect people for guides on the Frostwolf and Warsong Clan.

Aerilen-argent-dawn · February 1, 2019, 10:26pm

And so the age of of forum posting was over, and the age of constructive roleplay guides began; a golden age, for sure.

(Good work Telaryn, enjoyed the read xox)

Belok-argent-dawn · February 2, 2019, 12:51am

frostwolf = best clan

Kunzel-argent-dawn · February 2, 2019, 10:16am

Guides with sources are my fetish.

Demirgen-argent-dawn · February 2, 2019, 2:15pm

Pretty sweet guide.

Frostwolf rpers are definitely in luck when it comes to the greater source material devoted to that clan, to help creating their character based on the existing lore.

Maybe we should make a super thread, where all the guides are in it?

Telaryn-argent-dawn · February 3, 2019, 3:25pm

Edited in the Naming Day ceremony under Culture and Identity, describing its depiction in A Warrior Made and how it differs from other clans.

Vraxxar-argent-dawn · February 4, 2019, 6:49pm

I was poking around in the webs looking for that frostwolf wolfmask, when I stumbled across this:
“The veterans of the clan are called Greyfurs.”
It is AU frostwolves. But I wonder if it is a thing for MU as well.
And for some reason I can’t include links. But it’s wowpedia, alternate frostwolf orcs.

Kotur-argent-dawn · February 4, 2019, 8:38pm

Great guide friend! Good job!

By the way, how did you format the text so that it is hidden until you click on the > if you do not mind me asking? I am still clueless as to how to modify the text on these forums.

Telaryn-argent-dawn · February 4, 2019, 8:41pm

Glad to hear you like it!

And the new code of the forums allows you to format collapsible text by

[details="Click me to show more text!"]
More text!
[/details]

Sindaru from the Fallen Leaf wrote a good guide about forum formatting.

Kotur-argent-dawn · February 4, 2019, 8:42pm

Telaryn:

Glad to hear you like it!

And the new code of the forums allows you to format collapsible text by
[details="Click me to show more text!"]
More text!
[/details]
Sindaru from the Fallen Leaf wrote a good guide about forum formatting.

Thank you!

Demirgen-argent-dawn · February 6, 2019, 5:56pm

Edit:
Just repeated myself.

Janga-argent-dawn · March 1, 2019, 5:42pm

Although I don’t roleplay an Orc myself, I found this a very interesting read!

[Guide] Frostwolf Clan: The Lone Wolf Dies, But The Pack Survives 🐺

Table of contents