Battle for Tol Barad

This article is about the lore of the battle. For the ingame event itself, see Tol Barad. For the Warcraft II missions, see Tol Barad (WC2 Human) and Tol Barad (WC2 Orc).

Battle of Tol Barad
Location	Tol Barad
Result	Alliance victory Defeat of the demons within Baradin Hold Failed restoration of the region.
Belligerents   Alliance Admiralty of Kul Tiras Baradin's Wardens   Horde Orc clans Hellscream's Reach
Commanders and leaders   Alliance   Marcus Johnson   Horde  Garrosh Hellscream

The Battle for Tol Barad was a conflict waged between the Grand Alliance and the New Horde on the isles of Tol Barad and Tol Barad Peninsula. Rather than be waged explicitly through their factions, the conflict was mostly between the Baradin's Wardens, a group of Stromics and Kul Tirans that had ancestrally watched over the isles, and Hellscream's Reach, an elite invasion force formed to take the island for its strategic positioning and value.

Though Kul Tiras was not a part of the Alliance at the time, the Wardens worked with and joined the Alliance in order to ensure their home could be reclaimed, while Hellscream's elite operated entirely for the purpose of claiming the area in the name of the Horde. A myriad of other issues, such as undead, pirates, insanity, escaped prisoners and even demons plagued the isles during the period of this conflict.

Having lost the majority of their holdings as well as control of Baradin Hold, the Baradin's Wardens and the Hellscream's Reach were on equal footing as they did battle throughout the main isle. Utilizing abandoned siege vehicles and regional towers, the two factions warred for control over the isle by trying to claim the three outposts of Warden's Vigil, Slagworks, and Ironclad Garrison.

Tol Barad was left in ruins not only from the conflict but because of the prisoners that had escaped. The Hole has fallen to a prisoner revolt headed by the traitor Warden Silva. D-Block's imprisoned demons all broke free and overran their cells. The ominously named Cursed Depths fell, with undead running rampant through the block. Finally, the main cells within Baradin Hold were damaged by the Cataclysm, which was what had allowed the most powerful demons to escape their cells. Adventurers delved into the depths of the Hold, purging the remaining demons within, while a clean up crew began to restore the prison.

Aftermath

Before the discovery of Pandaria, the Horde scored critical victories off the coast of Tol Barad.

At some point after adventurers raided Baradin Hold, a clean up crew was attempting to restore Baradin Hold when Occul'tharon appeared in the same cell as Occu'thar. Unlike with its predecessor, its guards were able to contain it with wards for a time. Unfortunately, their efforts were thwarted when the island was overrun by demonic prisoners; forcing the Wardens to once more fall back and leave the hold in ruins.

Following this, warlocks under the Shadow Council would eventually make their way to the isles to retrieve the Eye of Dalaran, which was embedded into Occul'tharon. By this time both the Horde and Alliance were noted to have abandoned pursuit over Baradin Hold.

Notes

• It is unknown what became of Hellscream's Reach, as Garrosh was deposed and the faction was unsuccessful in claiming Baradin Hold. While Hellscream's Grasp was never assailed, whether or not the group continued to exist without the eponymous warchief is unknown.
• Armond Thaco, a member of the Kirin Tor, was working with the guards of the Hold at the time the prison was overrun. He was slain in defense of the prison, unable to reach the retreat point. His image was later used by a wrathguard to infiltrate Dalaran, as his final fate was never disclosed.