Stromgarde Keep

Stromgarde Keep, also known simply as Stromgarde, is the capital city of the kingdom of Stromgarde, located in the southwest of the Arathi Highlands. In ages past, the settlement was a cradle for human civilization, when it served as the capital of the Arathorian Empire under the name of Strom. By the time of the arrival of the Orcish Horde, it stood as a major power center as part of the Alliance of Lordaeron during and after some time following the Second War.

Stromgarde was eventually sacked and left in ruins at some point after the events of the Third War, and remained in this condition for many years to follow. It was divided into three sections — one around the inner keep itself and under the rule of the Syndicate, the former mage district largely under the control of the Boulderfist clan ogres with aid from the Witherbark trolls, while the last section remained under the control of the Stromgarde military and once served as the headquarters of Prince Galen Trollbane, until his death.

The outbreak of the Fourth War brought a revival for the fallen capital. Supported by the Alliance and led by Lord Danath Trollbane, the League of Arathor fully re-established itself in Stromgarde and began restoring the settlement to its former glory. However, it soon became the focal point of the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde for control of the Arathi Highlands. Ultimately, the Alliance managed to defeat the Horde, returning most of Arathi into the hands of Stromgarde after many years of strife.

Origins
Having unified all the tribes of humanity under one banner, King Thoradin of the Arathi constructed a great fortress in the area now known as the Arathi Highlands. The nomadic tribes congregated on the site, providing humanity with a strong defense against the forest trolls of Zul'Aman. Thus, the capital of the ancient Arathorian Empire, Strom was built.

As such, Strom is often considered the "father nation" of the humans on Azeroth, and its security allowed the gathered tribes to prosper in the surrounding regions. Farms were established on the low lying lands of Arathi and soon the humans influence reached out east and south. The establishment of Strom was key to allowing humans to secure themselves as a dominant race. Its positioning meant that both the dwarves to the south and the high elves to the north were within reach, allowing trade to instigate a flourishing society, only hampered by occasional troll raids from the eastern fringes in the Hinterlands.

Following the fracturing of Arathor into smaller kingdoms, a few warriors remained behind to defend the capital, which was renamed Stromgarde thus creating the Kingdom of Stromgarde.

Second War
After several battles against the forces of Stromgarde, the Horde eventually attacked the capital of the kingdom with a maritime assault.

World of Warcraft
One of the highest-ranking leaders of the Syndicate, Lord Falconcrest, commanded Syndicate efforts in the Arathi Highlands from the ruined city. The Stromic army had placed a bounty on his head and sought the help of the Alliance heroes.

The sword Trol'kalar, legendary bane of trolls and heirloom of the Trollbane family, was sealed away in the Trollbane Family Crypt and protected by Galen until adventurers of the Horde killed him, unsealed the tomb, and took the sword to Zengu. Zengu tasked the adventurers to retrieve the sword so that it could be used against the trolls of Zul'Gurub. When he got the sword he quickly took off alone, but was killed by the humans of Stromgarde. They returned the sword to its proper place, resealed the tomb, and once again split the sigils among their people, under Galen's successor's orders.

Cataclysm
By the Cataclysm, Galen was raised by the Forsaken and aided them in reclaiming Trol'kalar, this time for their own use.

Legion
Some time before the third invasion of the Burning Legion Galen was finally able to reclaim Stromgarde Keep for himself before or after he broke off from the Forsaken. The city was now almost completely under the control of undead Stromic people, including Stromgarde Defenders, cavalrymen, troll hunters and citizens. Only a group of Witherbark tribe trolls remained in the former mage district.

When the Knights of the Ebon Blade came to resurrect his father, Galen tried to double cross them and made a last stand in the Sanctum, where he died a second and probably final time.

Before the Storm
As agreed by King Anduin Wrynn and Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, Stromgarde Keep was taken by the Alliance to act as the base for the Stormwindian people participating in the Gathering. The Conclave priests, Alonsus Faol and Calia Menethil, gave them blessings in its chapel. During the Gathering, Alliance leaders stayed atop the ruined ramparts to observe the meeting.

Battle for Azeroth
Stromgarde citizens seem to have returned home, along with the League of Arathor. The city was rebuilt and supported by engines of war and barracks for soldiers. The city served as the Alliance's base of operations during the Battle for Stromgarde, as the Horde forces of Ar'gorok sought to conquer the Arathi Highlands. After Stromgarde Keep temporarily fell to the Horde during the course of the conflict, Stromgarde Keep apparently laid in ruins with the Vengeful Ghosts of the Alliance's dead haunting it. The Alliance then needed to gather enough resources to restore the base and continue their bid to conquer Arathi.

The battle ultimately ended in the Alliance's favor, with Stromgarde victorious, thanks to the leadership qualities of Muradin Bronzebeard, Danath Trollbane, Turalyon, and the tenacity of all the soldiers who fought. Their victory restored Stromgarde Keep as the capital of its eponymous kingdom, leaving the Horde stronghold of Ar'gorok in ruins and the various settlements of the kingdom in the hands of the Alliance once more.

Following the Alliance victory, the soldiers returned home, leaving only a few guards behind as a precaution.

After the end of the Fourth War, Alleria Windrunner, Turalyon and over 20 soldiers were searching for Horde refugees fleeing Stromgarde Keep.

Although not visible in-game, the Sanctum and the Crypt are still present in the capital, lorewise, and have been inspected by Mathias Shaw with Danath Trollbane's blessing.

Rulers


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Other former rulers
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Horde controls Arathi

 * Vengeful Ghosts
 * Horrific Apparition

Post-Third War
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In the RPG
Once called simply Strom, the city formerly served as the capital of the ancient Arathorian Empire. Currently, the former Arathi Highlands's capital of Stromgarde is still held (barely) by its rightful leader, Prince Galen Trollbane. The city is the center of a power struggle between the city's defenders, the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres. A mysterious man called Lord Falconcrest commands the Syndicate in the city.

Stromgarde's ruins include the Trollbane Family Crypt.

Trivia

 * There is a map of Warcraft III set in a city called Stromguarde, which may just be a typo for Stromgarde.

Speculation
Like with Dalaran during the Second War, the Horde's attack on the keep hasn't been mentioned in any other sources besides Warcraft II. Tides of Darkness actually presents Stromgarde when the betrayal of Perenolde was revealed. No attack on the keep has been mentioned there, and Thoras's guard captain only complained about not having enough soldiers to move into Alterac because the soldiers were with the main Alliance army. That would mean that if the Horde attacked, Stromgarde would probably have fallen without the relocated soldiers.
 * Despite this, To Ravenholdt probably hints at a battle in Arathi Highlands. If so, it could be possible that the Horde never reached Stromgarde but only kept fighting in the open area, a thing also alluded in Ultimate Visual Guide which mentions that the first Horde offensive was pushed to the bridges of Thandol Span.
 * Alternatively, a potential attack on Stromgarde by sea, which would be repelled, could have happened at the start of the Second War given the facts that the Perenolde's betrayal was revealed much later, when the Horde marched on the Capital City, and that the "port part" of the city described in Warcraft II is not depicted in World of Warcraft. South of Stromgarde there seems to be a "port" called Faldir's Cove accessible by two paths through the past of Stromgarde but this seems to be a natural cove rather than a city harbor, so it is also probable that Stromgarde being a port city was also retconned.