After reading the other (inspiring!) orc clan guides on the forums and there was interest in a Warsong one, here we go.
Table of contents
Clan overview
The Warsong clan is one of the more violent old orc clans. They have a taste for battle to the point their aggressiveness has sometimes been considered a liability in the eyes of the rest of the Horde. Though their eagerness for battle and conquest has seen them march a perilous path more than once, the clan’s tenacious nature has also won them many victories. They are a people difficult to break or cow, and quoting the Monument Thrall erected in honor of their late chieftain Grom, ”May the Warsong never fade.”
History
The Warsong clan migrated from the Blade’s Edge Mountains to Nagrand roughly 800 years before the First War. They roamed the verdant land as nomads, never staying in one place longer than a few months at a time. They did not abandon their choice of a new homeland when it led to frequent skirmishes with the local ogres of the Gorian Empire. Some Warsong generations suffered more than others when their provocation backfired with disastrous consequences, yet the indomitable clan persisted. The long history of hostilities between the orcs and ogres continued to the days of Grommash Hellscream who waged battle with the ogres of Highmaul.
During the rise of the Horde under Blackhand and Gul’dan, the Warsong grew to form the backbone of the newly formed orcish army. They were excellent raiders, as proved by their effective hit-and-run tactics against ogre settlements before the war against the draenei.
When the time came for Gul’dan to offer the demon blood – dressed as a divine blessing - to the clan chieftains and those the chieftains deemed worthy of the honor, Grommash was the first to indulge without hesitation. Approving of his newfound strength, Grom invited all his warriors to drink as well, all of whom were eager to do so according to the book Rise of the Horde. Their bodies were transformed green, broader and thickly muscled. Though Hellscream’s eyes turned red, this effect of the Blood Curse did not seem to extend to all of the Warsong. A quote from the book Lord of the Clans:
“Thrall noticed that most of them had brown or black eyes, not the peculiar, burning red of most of the orcs in the internment camps.”
The Blood Curse’s influence had manic results on the already warlike clan. After the Horde had conquered much of Draenor, a famine threatened the orcs and the Warsong turned even on their wolves to use them as a source of food. They eventually descended deeper into madness in their bloodthirst, and with some other troublesome clans that were difficult to keep in control, the Warsong clan was banished from participating in the first orcish invasion of Azeroth.
When Ner’zhul’s approached the clans left on Draenor, the Warsong agreed to his plans of opening portals to new worlds to conquer, eager to leave their dying homeworld and eager for battle. Grommash led the Warsong, Shattered Hand, Thunderlord and Laughing Skull through the portal in an invasion of the Blasted Lands. The orcs skirmished against the humans for the possession of the Dark Portal, but in the end were forced to scatter.
When news of Draenor having been destroyed reached the orcs, the Warsong first took shelter in the Swamp of Sorrows to regroup, later travelling north to Lordaeron. Though many of the other orcs were captured and taken to the internment camps, the Warsong avoided capture. Despite being outnumbered and hunted by the humans, the Warsong still set on an underground war in fruitless attempts to liberate their kin before the arrival of Thrall. By the time Thrall turned up in the book Lord of the Clans, the war had however taken its toll on the clan:
”Staring right at him with a curious expression on its face was an orc child. Thrall’s eyes opened wider to regard the small male. There had been no children among the Warsong clan. They had been cobbled together after dreadful battles, their numbers decimated, and Grom had told him that the children had been the first to succumb.”
A group of Warsong were initially suspicious of Thrall and he would have been killed were it not for Grom’s intervenion. The Warsong eventually helped Thrall and Orgrim Doomhammer to liberate the orcs from the internment camps.
After the liberated orcs journeyed from Lordaeron to Kalimdor, the Warsong were separated from the rest of the Horde on the sea and found themselves fighting humans under Jaina Proudmoore’s command. Though Grommash had become a good friend of Thrall, he disobeyed the new Warchief’s orders to cease the skirmishes, resulting in the Warsong being sent to construct a new settlement in Ashenvale. The night elves did not take kindly to the clan’s lumber operations in their ancient homeland, and the two races engaged in battle for the first time.
The Warsong clan failed to gain the upper hand against the night elves and their demigod Cenarius who suspected the orcs to be scouts of the Legion. Darkspear witch doctors who had accompanied the orcs sensed a source of power nearby, leading the orcs to a pool in the forest. Despite the warnings that the pool was cursed, Grom and his followers drank from it to enhance their power. A part of Mannoroth’s plan, they were turned into Chaos Orcs. Though they managed to kill Cenarius and beat back the elves with their newfound power, their will was bound to Mannoroth once more and their blood-craze of years past returned. Thrall’s forces managed to seize the Warsong encampent and purify Grommash. The rest of the orcs were freed from the demonic influence after Thrall and Grommash managed to slay Mannoroth in a fight that cost Grom’s life. Despite binding his people to the demon’s will a second time, Grommash redeemed himself with the ultimate price.
In World of Warcraft: Vanilla
The Warsong clan continued to hold a presence in Ashenvale. The Warsong fighting against the night elf sentinels in the Warsong Gulch were called Warsong Outriders, or simply Outriders.
The Burning Crusade
The way back to Draenor was opened. Thrall discovered the mag’har in Nagrand, among them the son of Grommash Hellscream. Garrosh had become an important figure among the mag’har population despite growing up ashamed of the stories told about his father. He later learned about Grom’s redeeming qualities from the orcs coming from Azeroth, changing his view of his father.
It is possible for Main Universe (MU) mag’har roleplay characters to have entered Azeroth for the first in the aftermath of this expansion. The mag’har from Nagrand are survivors of the red pox or their children. The red pox was a dangerous disease recreated by Gul’dan that prevented many orcs from participating the First War, the Alliance in Outland following the Second War, and the war campaign to Azeroth led by Grom. Urged into quarantine, the orcs at Garadar village were isolated from the activities of the rest of the Horde and their meddling with fel, and hence retained their original skin color.
A quotation from the short story: Heart of War - Garrosh recalls the red pox
When Garrosh was barely a child, the clans had consolidated to form the Horde and spent months in a fervor preparing for what would become known as the First War. Years later, after the Second War, the Alliance had in turn invaded the orcs’ homeland, and Garrosh had longed to join the Horde’s ranks and fight alongside his father. But his chance came and went, and instead he had remained confined to quarantine in Garadar on account of the red pox, barely able to walk, burning with both the fever of his illness and the shame of his weakness. His own father had gone to Azeroth without so much as a backward glance, never to return to Garadar or his son. And he, Garrosh Hellscream, heir to the Warsong clan, had not had the strength to aid his people. The Horde had rejected him. He may have been Mag’har—uncorrupted—but he was also unwanted.
The Horde had ultimately fallen. The humans had destroyed the Dark Portal and imprisoned the conquered orcs, and the immense wars had ended. The Mag’har were utterly alone. Some of the Horde orcs had remained, to be sure, but they had avoided Garadar, wary and disdainful of its sickened residents. The epidemic had run its course, but superstition and bitterness died hard. The orcs had become a dwindling people, fragmented and ever fighting on the edges for survival. Eventually it had become clear that the Horde was truly ravaged, and its enemies had pushed until hope had faded to ashes and survival had seemed an impossible folly.
Wrath of the Lich King
Garrosh accepted Thrall’s invitation to join him in Azeroth as the Warchief’s advisor. Thrall felt that Garrosh’s knowledge of orcish culture and fierce pride could serve the Horde well. Garrosh eventually became determined to restore the orcs’ glory by any means necessary, even if reforged by force.
Garrosh led the Horde Expedition to Northrend as the leader of the Warsong Offensive. Despite its name however, the force did not only consist of orcs but other races of the new Horde as well. The Offensive constructed a base called the Warsong Hold in Borean Tundra. Garrosh became respected by many among the Horde for his successful war campaigns.
Cataclysm
Under the newly appointed leadership of Garrosh Hellscream, the Horde attacked Ashenvale to claim the lush forest by force, motivated by the depleting resources in Durotar and Barrens. In the novel Wolfheart that builds up to Cataclysm, Garrosh begins an offensive known as the Ashenvale War. The Warsong Labor Camp that Grom had first established when Thrall had sent the Warsong to Ashenvale was active and dismantled from Alliance siege.
The war for Ashenvale ended in Alliance victory. After the Siege of Orgrimmar Tyrande proposed a treaty in which the Horde would have unimpeded access to Azshara in return for the relinquishment of Horde outposts in Ashenvale.
Though the results of the treaty have not been explicitly stated, it seems hinted at in the Battle for Azeroth short story A Good War that the Horde did indeed abandon its outposts - at least some of them - in Ashenvale.
After the Siege of Orgrimmar and Garrosh's downfall
It is unknown who – if anyone – presently leads the Warsong clan. Battlemaster Gargok of the Warsong Gulch might be considered a figure of influence among what remains of the clan. He was present during a prestige ceremony with other notable lore characters during the quest: A Royal Audience [100] in which the player character is commended for their success and recognized as one of the greatest heroes of the Horde.
There is no information on how many of the Warsong clan were part of the True Horde - also know as Hellscream’s Horde consisting of Garrosh loyalists and hired mercenaries - and how many chose to join the Darkspear Rebellion.
It is possible that a number of Warsong, especially the veterans of the First and Second War with their hindsight of the past struggles, might have agreed that Garrosh was becoming too unstable and desperate as a Warchief. It might also be plausible that some Warsong who were not ready to fight to the bitter end in Garrosh’s ranks simply keep their mouth shut about their thoughts concerning the deposal of Garrosh, whilst quietly longing for his ideas of orcish supremacy.
It is possible that the Warsong who continue to fight in the Horde’s mixed forces relied on Varok Saurfang’s guidance in Thrall’s absence as Saurfang had been made the leader of the Warsong Offensive and Kor’kron.
Without lore to confirm the general stance of the remnants of the clan, this seems to fall down to the individual orc.
The Alternate Universe (AU) Warsong clan
The AU Warsong join the Horde in the Battle for Azeroth expansion. Their mindset and culture seems largely the same as that of the MU Warsong. For that reason I will not go deeper into them in the guide; you can read up on the lore differences here:
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan_(alternate_universe)
Culture and mindset
Though orc clans no longer live strictly separated as they once did, the remaining members of the Warsong clan may still maintain a considerable amount of individuality to distinguish themselves from the other clans. What the Warsong clan lacks in the mysterious enigma department they make up for with the thoroughly warforged air about them.
The clan is renowned not only for their ferocity but the rhytmic songs they chant in battle, their fearsome battle cries and thundering drum marches. This made them one of the most distinguishable orc clans on Draenor and there are many references made to this aspect of them in various lore tidbits, some of which you can find under the Trivia section. If you wish to spice up your Warsong roleplay, consider writing some chants and battle cries to rally up your allies, inspiring them in combat!
Based on the clan’s history and the actions of its former leaders, the Warsong mentality appears to have qualities of feeling superior to others, valuing might over compassion, and finding it difficult to make compromises. They have a long history of conquering and raiding their enemies; if something needs to be taken by force for the benefit of the clan, it is well and just. This seems a recurring pattern for the Warsong ever since their raids against the ogres on Draenor, to their actions committed under Grommash, and what we learn of Garrosh’s mindset during the Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria.
The Warsong clan’s hotblooded nature can take precedence over the wellbeing of the land and sometimes even the mindful use of resources. As an example of this the Warsong forces in Ashenvale showed greed ”in their warring zeal cutting even more wood than they can possibly use, leaving it to rot while their blades bite into fresh trees.” (https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan#cite_note-24)
Ruthless, but capable of showing mercy
The Warsong are often conveyed as ruthless and barbaric, but without the Blood Curse, they are not in a constant manic bloodthirst. Though they do seem to feel the most alive in the heat of combat and enjoy proving their might, their aggressive stance to war can often also be explained by the desire to survive and make a better future for their people.
In Lord of the Clans there is a scene that demonstrates the perception of honor having been down to the individual orc rather than a mutually shared, agreed-on vision among the Warsong. Thrall, upon finding the free Warsong clan after his escape from the internment camp, was initially met with mistrust for being ‘Blackmoore’s pet orc’, and had to prove himself in order to even speak with their chieftain Grom. Three armed warriors attacked Thrall to test his skills as a fighter. Thrall bested the warriors, but was given yet another test by their elder Iskar, Grom’s advisor.
Worthy of notice, at this point in time the Warsong were less under the influence of the Blood Curse than when they first accepted Gul’dan’s gift. The demon masters had abandonded the orcs of Draenor to their own fate, and the Warsong seemed capable of rational thinking.
“You know what this is,” said Iskar.
“A child. A human child,” Thrall replied, perplexed. Surely they did not expect him to fight the boy.
“A male child. Males mature to become orc-killers. They are our natural enemies. If you indeed chafed at the whip and rod, and wish for revenge on those who enslaved you and even gave you a name to mark your low position in life, then exact your revenge now. Kill this child, before he grows to be of an age to kill you.”
The boy’s eyes widened, for Iskar had been speaking in the human tongue. He squirmed frantically and muffled sounds came from his mouth. The orc who had carried him out kicked him disinterestedly in the stomach. The child curled up tightly, whimpering past the gag.
Thrall stared. Surely they were not serious. He looked over at Iskar, who regarded him without blinking.
“This is no warrior,” said Thrall. “And this is no honorable combat. I had thought that orcs prized their honor.”
“So we do,” agreed Iskar, “but before you lies a future threat. Defend your people.”
“He is a child!” Thrall exclaimed. “He is no threat now, and who can say what he will be? I know the clothes he wears, and what village he was taken from. The people there are farmers and herders. They live on what they raise, both fruit and flesh. Their weapons are for hunting coneys and deer, not orcs.”
“But there is a good chance that, if we again go to war, this boy will be in the front line, charging at one of us with a spear and calling for our blood,” Iskar retorted. “Do you wish to see Hellscream or not? If you do not slay the child, you may rest assured that you will not leave this cave alive.”
“If this child takes up arms against me in the future,” he said, choosing his words slowly and deliberately, “then I shall kill him on the battlefield. And I shall take a certain pleasure in the doing, because I will know that I am fighting for the rights of my people. But I will not kill a bound child who lies helpless before me, human though he is. And if this means I never see Hellscream, so be it. If it means I must fight all of you and fall beneath your numbers, I say again, so be it. I would rather die than commit such a dishonorable atrocity.”
He steadied himself, arms outstretched, waiting for the attack that would come. Iskar sighed.
“A pity,” he said, “but you have chosen your own destiny.” He lifted his hand.
At that moment, a terrible scream pierced the still, cool air. It echoed and reverberated through the cavern, hurting Thrall’s ears and piercing him to the bone. He shrank back from the noise. The animal skin covering one of the caves was torn down and a tall, red-eyed orc emerged. Thrall had gotten used to the appearance of his people, but this orc was unlike any he had yet seen.
Long black hair flowed down his back in a thick tangle. Each large ear was pierced several times, reminding Thrall oddly of Sergeant, and the dozen or so rings glinted in the firelight. His leather clothing of red and black contrasted strikingly with his green skin, and several chains attached to various places on his body swayed with his movements. His entire jaw seemed to be painted black, and at the moment, it was open wider than Thrall would have believed possible. It was he who was making the terrifying noise, and Thrall realized that Grom Hellscream had gotten his name for a very good reason.
The shriek faded, and Grom spoke. “Never had I thought to see this!” He marched up to Thrall and stared at him. His eyes were flame-colored, and something dark and frightening seemed to dance in their centers in place of pupils. Thrall assumed the comment to be derogatory, but he was not about to be cowed. He drew himself up to his full imposing height, determined to meet death with an unbowed head.
He opened his mouth to reply to Grom’s comment, but the orc chieftain continued.
“How is it you know of mercy, Thrall of Durnholde? How is it you know when to offer it, and for what reasons?”
The orcs were murmuring among themselves now, confused. Iskar bowed.
“Noble Hellscream,” he began, “we had thought that this child’s capture would please you. We expected —”
“I would expect that its parents would track it down to our lair, you fool!” cried Grom. “We are warriors, fierce and proud. At least we once were.” He shuddered, as if from a fever, and for a moment seemed to Thrall to be pale and tired. But that impression was gone as quickly as it had come. “We do not butcher children. I assume whoever caught the whelp had the presence of mind to blindfold it?”
“Of course, lord,” said Rekshak, looking offended.
“Then take him back where you found him the same way.” Hellscream marched over to the child and removed the gag. The boy was too terrified to cry out. “Listen to me, tiny human. Tell your people that the orcs had you, and chose not to harm you. Tell them,” and he looked over at Thrall, “that they showed you mercy. Also tell them if they try to find us, they will fail. We will be on the move soon. Do you understand?”
The boy nodded. “Good.” To Rekshak, he said, “Take him back. Now. And the next time you find a human pup, leave it be.”
Relationship with their wolves
The Warsong are skilled riders, typically favouring speed and maneuverability in battle. Yet their companionship with the wolves is different compared to the innate bond the Frostwolf clan established with the frost wolves. It isn’t to say a Warsong would not value their companion, but the Warsong had a tradition of earning their wolf rider status by subduing their mount, breaking the beast’s will through a difficult trial. It is unknown if the remaining Warsong orcs still practise such trials or if they prefer more practical means of obtaining a mount. With old clan traditions dissolving in the modern Horde, it probably depends on the individual. The trial of old played a part in gaining a status among their clan.
The old wolfrider trial
To earn the status of wolfrider, a Warsong had to go through a series of arduous trials. To prove themself worthy of the wolf, the orc had to first test their strength and tenacity by gathering a heavy stone from a quarry and carry it on their back into the lands of their enemy. After cutting their way through the enemy’s ranks, the orc was to place the stone in a place of prominence and set upon it a trophy of their foe in order to display their strength for all to see. Once the display of strength was completed, the orc had to head to the wolves’ hunting grounds and subdue the largest member of the pack in the presence of the beast’s kin. If they survived the ordeal, the wolf would answer to the orc as its new master. Finally, the Warsong believed that it was not enough for a wolf to regard an orc as its master; instead, to ready the beast for riding, its will had to be broken completely. Once the aspiring wolfrider had subdued their beast, they would mount it and ride it to the top of the tallest peak in Nagrand. If the wolf was willful, the orc would be thrown to their death on the mountain slopes, but if they survived, the will of their mount would have been successfully broken. Then, the orc could finally call themself Wolfrider.
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan
Warsong Trivia
- The Warsong clan color has been depicted both red (Beyond the Dark Portal) and purple (Warcraft 3 and artwork in Chronicle Volume 2). In World of Warcraft red seems more likely judging the color of their battle standards in the game and because on Draenor the Warsong used to make crimson battle standards from the skin of Bloodhoof clefthoof.
- Warsong Outriders however wear a black tabard with the white Warsong skull crest on it.
- ”Upon his ascension to chieftainship, Grom’s jaw had been tattooed a uniform shade of black. Around his neck hung a necklace of bones. Durotan knew their meaning: Among the Warsong, it was tradition that a young warrior wear the bones of his first kill, inscribed with his personal rules.” (Rise of the Horde, p87).
- ”There had been mutterings about the mysterious circumstances under which the former chieftain had died, but the Warsong did not challenge Grommash’s leadership. Durotan thought it was no wonder. Though youthful [only a few years older than Durotan and Orgrim], Grommash was intimidating.” (Rise of the Horde, p86).
- Every Warsong should know Gorehowl. It was the famous weapon of the Hellscream lineage. In both Main and Alternate universe the two-handed axe was used by Grommash to defeat the demon general Mannoroth. It might be considered a legend by now that Grommash’s great-grandfather used Gorehowl to kill six legendary gronn.
- When it comes to weaponry the Warsong design their weapons with holes that cause them to ‘howl and wail when swung through the air’.
- Fitting the clan’s flair and name, the Warsong groove their bullroarer to generate a high-pitched whistling noise rather than the low hum most other clans prefer. A bullroarer is a piece of wood that is spun to generate a droning noise capable of traveling long distances. The purpose of the Warsong bullroarer has not been explained but because the source is based on an item called ‘Screaming Bullroarer,’ it might be inclined towards intimidating the foe. According to real life Wikipedia the bullroarer is an ancient musical instrument and a device for communicating across great distances.
- They made war drums from Talbuk hides and ogre skulls. (Archaeology item: Warsinger’s Drums)
- ”A Warsong family’s tent was usually marked with a long pike thrust into the ground - often adorned with the skulls of defeated enemies.” (Archaeology item: Warsong Ceremonial Pike)
- "The Mak’Rogahn (or “duel of will”) is a Warsong clan’s custom whereby someone may challenge another to prove his worth. The contenders fight in the pit until one of them is unable to continue. It is a pure display of will to survive any hardship and endure all pain. If one of the contenders surrenders, he is excommunicated from the clan. If neither surrenders, both are honored—the victor for winning and the loser for the will to fight to the end. Unlike Mak’gora it is not supposed to be a fight to the death, but accidents happen.
Mak’Rogahn was employed by Grommash to cull the shame from the day when an ogre raid nearly wiped out the clan." (https://wow.gamepedia.com/Mak'Rogahn )
Sources
World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2
Rise of the Horde (book)
Lord of the Clans (book)
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_Outriders
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Orc
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Garrosh_Hellscream
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Conqueror_Krenna
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Blood-curse
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Siege_of_Orgrimmar
https://wow.gamepedia.com/True_Horde
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Gorehowl
https://youtu.be/aXlBuY-S3KU
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsinger%27s_Drums
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Agents_of_Destruction
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_Ceremonial_Pike
https://www.wowhead.com/spell=166743/howling-blade
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan_(alternate_universe)
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Ashenvale_war
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_Labor_Camp
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Mak'Rogahn
Links to other orc clan guides
[Guide] Frostwolf Clan: The Lone Wolf Dies, But The Pack Survives 🐺 - #10 by Aerilen-argent-dawn
Thanks Telaryn’s for providing sleek formatting reference!
If I seem to have forgotten something important about the general picture of the Warsong clan, please do not hesitate to drop a comment below. Something I found difficult while working on this guide is that there’s so much information available it proved a challenge to keep the guide quick to go through but informative, trying to select the lore parts that someone considering to roleplay a Warsong orc might benefit the most from.
I also stress this guide is not about how everyone should roleplay their Warsong orc - they might well have abandonded their clan heritage in the new multicultural Horde. But hopefully it offers something to think about for people interested in playing one, from their history to the design of their weaponry.
I might keep editing the guide a little the coming days after reading it over and over. Edit: Screw it, this will be the most editedededed forum post on AD.
![:slightly_smiling_face:](https://d1bg94bbsh66ji.cloudfront.net/en/wow/images/emoji/twitter/slightly_smiling_face.png?v=6" ":slightly_smiling_face:")
already!![:eyes:](https://d1bg94bbsh66ji.cloudfront.net/en/wow/images/emoji/twitter/eyes.png?v=6" ":eyes:")
![:wolf:](https://d1bg94bbsh66ji.cloudfront.net/en/wow/images/emoji/twitter/wolf.png?v=6" ":wolf:")
![:no_good_woman:](https://d1bg94bbsh66ji.cloudfront.net/en/wow/images/emoji/twitter/no_good_woman.png?v=6" ":no_good_woman:")