Dying Time

The Dying Time is a period of orc history that lasted for three years and was one of its darkest. At this point in history the orcs were cut off from the elements, unable to connect to their ancestors as demons guarded the entrance to Oshu'gun, and corrupted all at the command Kil'jaeden. However instead of rewarding the orcs following the seemingly completed genocide of the draenei, Kil'jaeden instead abandoned them. With their world dying — the water supply was growing thin and diseased, combined with a decreasing number of animals due to the lack of grass — more orcs died of starvation and disease than any had during their war against the draenei.

With the draenei — the only focus the orcs had for their vastly increased bloodlust — gone and the world dying around them, the orcish clans had taken to assaulting one another to steal food supplies. The Frostwolf clan in particular would bear the brunt of these attacks due to Durotan refusing to drink from the Cup of Unity, and his notable reluctance in attacking the draenei.

The Dying Time would ultimately come to an end when Gul'dan was contacted by Medivh. The two went on to work together to connect Azeroth and Draenor, which would pave the way for the First War, providing a unifying purpose for the clans, as well as a solution to the problem of their dwindling resources.