When the bloodcrazed orcs first burst through the Dark Portal onto Azeroth, Elwynn Forest was the main obstacle on their path to Stormwind. Much of their bloody campaign took place here, among the trees and hills of Elwynn. The orcs chopped down many trees – what they didn't use for lumber they scorched with their weapons and magic. Though the orcish horde suffered early defeats in Elwynn and Redridge, a new warchief known as Blackhand the Destroyer rallied his people to many important victories. When Stormwind fell to the invaders, its populace fled north to Lordaeron. Though few remained near enough to Stormwind to report on its condition, it is widely believed to have served as a base for the orcs that did not chase the humans north. Nevertheless, with many of the orcs defeated and rounded up at the closing of the Second War, the humans returned to Stormwind and crushed most of the lingering orcs with the help of Lordaeron soldiers and paladins. By the beginning of the Third War, Elwynn Forest was already under the full control of the Alliance and nearby Stormwind City was nearly fully reconstructed.
During the dark days of the Scourge's assault on Lordaeron, many refugees made a perilous journey through the mountains of Khaz Modan to reach Stormwind. Some could not make it and settled in Menethil Harbor or Ironforge. The veracity of humans cannot be underestimated, however, and little by little the majority of these refugees arrived at their destination. Stormwind slowly evolved from the ruins of an old human city to the new capitol of the Alliance following northern Lordaeron's fall to the Scourge. By the end of the Third War, Elwynn showed few signs of the orcs' destructive touch, and for a time it was even more peaceful than it is now. However, recently there have been incursions on Elwynn territory by various organizations of both man and beast alike. The Kobolds, in their greed, have tunneled into most mines in Elwynn and chased all but the bravest miners out of the tunnels with sharpened picks. The ocean-dwelling Murlocs have followed Azeroth's rivers inland and are even constructing makeshift villages on riverbanks. The Gnolls of Westfall and Redridge have claimed an area along the forest's borders and are the most intelligent of the lot, wielding discarded human weaponry and organizing under a leader known as Hogger. The biggest threat, however, is the Defias Brotherhood. These disgruntled former citizens of Stormwind now pillage abandoned cottages throughout Elwynn, mug travelers, and even attack those who would not turn a blind eye from their larcenous activities.
