Thunder Bluff — Council Hall of the High Chieftain
In the grand hall atop Thunder Bluff, a council convened under the towering totems of Tauren heritage. High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof sat at the head of the table, flanked by Elder Hamuul Runetotem and Matriarch Magatha Grimtotem. Seated among them were Galen, and the venerable Gandalf. Their agenda: the strategic division and future of the Barrens.
To Galen, the Barrens was a land defined by conflict and geography a crossroads of war and opportunity.
Stretching northward to Ashenvale, the Barrens bordered Night Elf territory. To the east, beyond the Thundering River, lay the Eastern Barrens. To the southwest, it opened to Mulgore, where the Tauren had erected a massive gate to shield themselves from constant quilboar incursions. The southeast led to Dustwallow Marsh—a treacherous, swampy expanse reminiscent of the Eastern Kingdoms' Wetlands. Galen had no plans to venture into Dustwallow yet; not only was it inhospitable, but black dragons nested in its southern reaches. Engaging them prematurely would be unwise.
For practicality and military coordination, Galen proposed dividing the Barrens into two regions—North and South—using Fort Triumph and the territory of the Razorfen quilboar as the dividing line. The Southern Barrens would be granted to the Tauren, while Galen would oversee development of the Northern Barrens.
Cairne, after deliberating with his advisors, agreed without hesitation.
"We have no objection to this division."
The Tauren's focus remained on Mulgore—a fertile and expansive homeland more than capable of supporting tens of millions of Tauren. The lands beyond were valuable for buffer zones and forward positions, not immediate settlement.
The Tauren already maintained small outposts in the Stonetalon Mountains to the north, manned by Grimtotem warriors and allied clans of the Bloodhoof tribe. These hunter-warriors were adept at tracking centaur movements, ensuring that Mulgore's northern flank remained secure.
However, the Southern Barrens remained untamed. The Tauren lacked the manpower to develop it properly, and their size made mining inefficient. Worse still, two major quilboar strongholds—Razorfen Kraul and Razorfen Downs—dominated the southern frontier.
Cairne therefore ordered the construction of a fortified outpost two hundred miles east of Mulgore's gate: Camp Taurajo. The Starchaser tribe, known for its powerful shamans, would lead the effort, supported by the Plainswalkers, Stonehoof, and other clans. Together, they would form a vanguard against the quilboar threat.
Once Tauren plans for the south were set, Galen shifted the discussion to the defense of the Stonetalon Mountains, a range separating the Northern Barrens from the contested highlands. Only one pass cut through the mountains—a broad valley west of the Wailing Caverns.
Galen proposed a joint fortification strategy: a Crusader-built fortress on the main route, and Tauren-controlled checkpoints along a narrow, winding mountain path. The cooperation would enable mutual defense and full control over access to the mountains.
The proposal was met with approval. The centaurs remained a looming threat. Though Tauren warriors could outmatch three-to-one in battle, they were vastly outnumbered. Galen's presence changed the equation his stronghold alone could field over 60,000 trained troops, with the potential to muster 100,000. Together, the alliance could match or even surpass the centaurs' numbers.
"We've assembled an army of 50,000 to counter a possible centaur invasion," Cairne explained. "But our supplies run thin. Better to fortify and let the enemy exhaust themselves."
Hamuul agreed, and Magatha—silent until now—finally spoke with uncharacteristic alignment.
"We must hold the Stonetalon Mountains. Its timber and ore are critical to fortifying Mulgore. If the centaurs come, we fight. The mountains cannot fall."
Galen nodded, heartened by her fierce resolve.
"I agree with Elder Magatha. We will not surrender what we've claimed."
Magatha gave Galen a rare approving glance.
"The mountains also hold wyverns," Galen added. "Tameable flying beasts. If trained properly, and ridden by the more agile Tauren hunters, they could become your aerial force. It's a breakthrough worth pursuing."
The idea intrigued the council. With no established air force, the Tauren's ground-based forces had always been at a disadvantage. The potential to domesticate wyverns could be game-changing.
Galen cited the Skyhorn tribe—Tauren of the Broken Isles who had bonded with giant eagles—as proof that aerial cavalry was within reach.
The three leaders exchanged hopeful looks. If the orcs had done it, so could they.
With unified support, the Stonetalon Mountains were declared the Tauren's stronghold, a vital corridor not to be relinquished.
The meeting continued with rare unity. Even Magatha offered no resistance—a sign so strange it made Cairne briefly wonder if the sun was rising from the west.
As the council wound down, Galen made a formal request:
"High Chieftain, after the fortress is complete, I request the aid of five thousand kodo beast riders. In return, I will equip the Tauren with a full legion's worth of weapons and armor."
"You'll have them," Cairne answered without pause. "But tell me, Galen—are you planning to move against the quilboar?"
Galen shook his head. "Not yet. Their numbers are high, and a hasty war would cost too much. My focus is unifying the Northern Barrens first. The Bristleback tribe is already my vassal. Only the Steelbristle tribe at Thorn Ridge remains."
Conquering Thorn Ridge would solidify Galen's rule in the north and prepare the way for expansion into the Eastern Barrens—future Durotar.
Galen planned to outfit the kodo riders with heavy armor, turning them into a devastating cavalry unit. Combined with his own heavy knights, he could crush quilboar armies ten times their size.
"Five thousand is our limit," Cairne replied. "But Dezco and his Sunwalkers already have five hundred knights. I'll assign the remaining four thousand five hundred to him. Let him ride with you, Galen."
"Excellent," Galen said. "I'll see they're equipped and returned better than they left."
The plans set, the leaders dispersed. Galen would return to Fort Triumph to prepare new fortresses and lead the Thorn Ridge campaign. He and Gandalf took the SIlver and Tidefury Legions, leaving behind only the Crusader First Auxiliary Legion to hold the line near Razorwind Canyon.
For now, Galen would not crush the gnolls outright. He preferred a subtler approach—subjugation through influence, not war.
With the orcs enshrouded in the Swamp of Sorrows, Galen saw his chance to expand Kalimdor holdings before the next great war. He summoned Cliff and the construction corps, halting noble estate projects in Arathi to prioritize fortifications and settlements.
The Eastern Kingdoms were poised to become a slaughterhouse when the orcs surged north. Galen had no intention of being trapped there.
Kalimdor was the future and Galen would seize it before the storm broke.