The Howling Fjord sits high above the Great Sea on the southeastern tip of Northrend. It is said that in ancient times the vrykul, a race of half-giant warriors, inhabited the land, founding a vast and prosperous civilization.
Then one day, without warning or explanation, the vrykul vanished, leaving behind only deserted villages and abandoned temples.
Now the Alliance and Horde have come to confront the malefic Lich King and put an end to the Scourge. The Alliance has established a staging area in the settlement of Valgarde, but their presence seems to have sparked off an unforeseen event: the return of the vrykul.
These formidable warriors have begun attacking Horde and Alliance settlements, and many of the vrykul are pouring out of the fortress of Utgarde Keep, not far from Valgarde. The vrykul's motives and their whereabouts for the past several thousand years remain a mystery. Regardless, there is no doubt that the vrykul's sudden resurgence has touched off an ongoing battle for control of the region.
Dwarven prospectors, in the meantime, have uncovered mysterious relatives whose skin is etched in strange runes. These iron dwarves may provide the missing link needed for the dwarves to piece together the mystery of their creation.
On the eastern shore, the Forsaken have arrived, carrying a plague of their own to unleash upon the Lich King. Queen Sylvanas has been methodically and patiently overseeing the formulation of this contagion for several years, and the time has come at last to test its effectiveness against the Scourge.
Before bringing the battle to the Lich King, both the Horde and Alliance must overcome the immediate threat of the vrykul and answer the questions that the warriors’ reemergence has posed. Where have the vrykul been? What do they want? Most disturbing of all, what if they aligned with the Lich King?
Perhaps only time will tell. For now, the battle has just begun.
