Seven Kingdoms

The Seven Kingdoms were the human states that became sovereign after the disintegration of the Empire of Arathor, approximately 1,200 years before the First War.

History
The seeds of the kingdoms of men were Arathorian city-states. First among them was Strom, a mighty fortress city of the Arathi tribe located in the regions south of Quel'Thalas. This bastion became the capital of the nation of Arathor, which saw its number grow as humans from all over the land traveled there to the protection and safety of Strom.

After the Amani defeat at the end of the Troll Wars and the death of Thoradin, the Arathorian king, the younger generations of Arathor — then an empire — sought to expand beyond the borders of the lands surrounding the capital. Among them, a group of magi journeyed north because they felt fettered by the strict laws governing magic in Strom. On the southern shore of Lordamere Lake, these fledgling spellcasters founded Dalaran, the second Arathorian city-state.

During the following centuries, other city-states arose across the continent. Among them were the militaristic Gilneas and Alterac (both strong supporters of the empire), whose mighty armies explored the mountainous southern lands of Khaz Modan and made first contact with the dwarves. On an island south of the imperial capital, Kul Tiras was built and developed a prosperous economy based fishing, shipping, and commerce. Meanwhile, Dalaran became the chief center of learning for magicians throughout the land. Although the four city-states had their own customs and commercial workings, they all held to the unifying authority of Strom, which acted as the central hub of the expansive empire.

As the economy of Arathor flourished, its strongest elements began to disintegrate. The nobles of Strom, seeking lusher lands, purity, and enlightenment, decided to leave the arid surroundings of the imperial capital against the arguments of the royalty. Far to the north of Dalaran, the greater citizenry founded a city-state named Lordaeron after the surrounding region, which became a mecca for religious travelers and all those who sought inner peace and security.

Left within the crumbling walls of ancient Strom, the Arathi descendants decided to travel south past the rocky Khaz Modan. After many long seasons of journey, they settled in the southern region of the continent they would name Azeroth and founded the kingdom of Stormwind, which quickly became a self-sufficient power in its own right.

Meanwhile, in the almost silent Strom, the few warriors still left decided to remain and guard the ancient walls of their city. As Strom was no longer the center of the empire, the soldiers developed it into a new martial nation known as Stromgarde. Though each of the seven city-states became prosperous in its own right, the empire of Arathor had effectively disintegrated. As each nation developed its own customs and beliefs, they became increasingly segregated from one another and humanity lost the unity achieved during the rule of King Thoradin.

In time, the kingdoms gradually developed rivalries, as before the coming of the orcs, the human kingdoms of Lordaeron faced challenges and obstacles from each other as the games of politics played out. Decades before the First War, while Azeroth enjoyed a time of relative peace, villages squabbled with villages, and kingdoms spied on kingdoms. In the Eastern Kingdoms, humans engaged in rigorous trade with dwarves, gnomes, and high elves. Some nations, like Lordaeron, acted as regional leaders and trendsetters, mediating disagreements between smaller kingdoms and used their strong militaries to impose order over the land. Still others focused their resources on defending themselves from old rivals.

Among the history books in Medivh's library, some mentioned references of genocides, assassinations, and massacres between humans of the seven kingdoms, using claims of nobility, heritage, and honor to justify their conflicts. Among these battles, there were military conflicts between the nations of Alterac and Stromgarde, as the proximity of the two and the apparent ambiguity of their mountain borders had led to several wars and skirmishes. On more than one occasion, King Thoras Trollbane led the armies of Stromgarde into battle against the honorable General Hath of Alterac.

Before the Second War began, King Terenas Menethil II of Lordaeron formed a council of delegates from each of the seven kingdoms, after which the Alliance of Lordaeron was founded.

Current status
King Anduin Wrynn is the last King of Stormwind in absence of his father, Varian Wrynn, which maintains its position as the beacon of humanity and the most powerful nation in the Alliance.

Genn Greymane, the former king of Gilneas died in hands of the Gilneas Brigade, leaving his kingdom finally if hands of the Crown Prince Liam Greymane and his sister, Tess Greymane.

Dalaran forces continue trying to rebuilt the city, protected by a big magic dome, the mages and arch-mages figths everyday in the effort of bring back the glory to the destroyed city.

Kul'tiras maintain diplomatic relations with the Alliance, building an embassy in the Docks of Stormwind.

Prince Galen Trollbane, the crown prince of Stromgarde fights with his forces in the ruins of the Stromgarde Keep, rebuilding slowly the city as they fight against the Syndicate, the Ogres and the Horde.

The Kingdom of Alterac continues its existence mostly in the form of the Syndicate, its members still hostile to both factions, although Alterac Valley was contested between the Frostwolf clan and the Stormpike Guard, as well as most recently other Alliance and Horde forces in the region.

After the third war, the Kingdom of Lordaeron was left in ruins, small remnants still fight to recover the former glorious lands of the human kingdom, but currently it remains in the hands of the Undead, the Forsaken, with their main settlement located in the catacombs of the old Capital City.