Warcraft 3:Reign of Chaos

Note: this was the tutorial Campaign.

Thrall, , Warchief of the new Orcish Horde, wakes from a nightmare warning him that the return of the Burning Legion is imminent.

After a brief encounter with the Prophet, and fearing that his dream was more of a vision than a nightmare, he leads his people in an exodus from Lordaeron to the forgotten lands of Kalimdor.

In the retail version, this tutorial campaign ends with the orcs sailing to the distant shores of Kalimdor. However, in the official demo, this campaign is extended to detail the journey across the great ocean. Thrall's ships are damaged from a massive storm, having unwittingly passed through the Maelstrom, and he stops at a small island midway between the two continents for essential repairs to the ships.

For those who have only played the retail version, the fact that the forest trolls left the Horde after the second game seems like a contradiction, there was apparently no explanation as to how jungle trolls appeared to now be in the New Horde.

Sen'jin, the leader of the trolls of the Darkspear Tribe living on the island, befriends Thrall, and passes on leadership of the tribe to Vol'Jin after being mortally wounded by indigenous Murlocs(a group of watery creatures led by the evil sea witch). After holding off the fishy peril for as long as possible, the two races board the ships and sailed onwards to Kalimdor.

Prince Arthas Menethil, a Knight of the Silver Hand (a group of Paladins devoted to the defense of Lordaeron and humanity), aided by his former sweet-heart, the Archmage Jaina Proudmoore, investigates a strange plague that is spreading across the lands of Lordaeron.

To their horror, they find that the plague turns unsuspecting humans into the Undead, compelling Arthas and Jaina to stop the Cult of the Damned's leader Kel'Thuzad from converting towns over to the Scourge.

Arthas proceeds to kill the plague's originator, Kel'Thuzad, then hunts down the dreadlord he serves, Mal'Ganis. Traveling northward to the icy lands of Northrend in pursuit of Mal'Ganis, he aids an old friend, Muradin Bronzebeard, who tells him of a sword called Frostmourne.

Arthas obtains Frostmourne, at the cost of Muradin's life, and uses it to defeat Mal'Ganis. Frostmourne slowly corrupts and consumes Arthas' soul, and he becomes the first of the Lich King's Death Knights.

Arthas, now enslaved by the taunting voice of Frostmourne becomes a general of the Undead Scourge and the Cult of the Damned, losing the powers of the Light in favour of the darker necromantic powers granted through the Lich King.

Leaving the rest of his expedition to die in the frozen wastelands of Northrend, Arthas returns to Lordaeron and slaughters his father, King Terenas.

With the death of King Terenas Menethil, Lordaeron lies in ashes, and Arthas is met with the leader of the dreadlords, Tichondrius who assigns him to a series of tests that would make way for the return of the Burning Legion.

As Arthas completes a series of quests to revive former adversary Kel'Thuzad as a Lich, he kills the Knights of the Silver Hand and destroys the High Elves' kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

The Lich then informs him of the Burning Legion, a vast demonic army that has consumed countless worlds before their own. The Lich King agreed to aid the Legion with his undead Scourge, but in truth he wishes for the Legion to be destroyed and to be free of his prison in The Frozen Throne.

Kel'Thuzad's true master is actually the Lich King, rather than the Burning Legion. Arthas' next task is to, with the aid of Kel'Thuzad, open a dimensional portal with Medivh's Spellbook so that the Burning Legion can enter the realm of Azeroth.

Archimonde, the general of the demonic forces, having no more use for Arthas and Kel'Thuzad, places the dreadlords directly in control of the Scourge. However the Lich King still has ambitions for them, which take place in the expansion, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.

After escaping Human captivity and fleeing to the shores of Kalimdor, Orcish warchief Thrall has to lead his brethren to safety and ensure their survival in Kalimdor.

With the aid of the Tauren Chieften, Cairne Bloodhoof, Thrall heads north to Ashenvale Forest to seek the Oracle of Stonetalon Peak, clashing with a human expedition who has also arrived upon Kalimdor for unknown purposes.

Meanwhile, Grom Hellscream and the Warsong Clan has been left behind to gather enough lumber to build a permanent orcish settlement on the isle, and, in cutting down the large amount of trees necessary to do so, angers the native night elf race and their demigod, Cenarius.

In order to defeat Cenarius and his night elves, Grom succumbs to demonic corruption by willingly drinking the pit lord Mannoroth's blood; binding his clan and himself to the Legion's control.

Back on Stonetalon Peak, Thrall has reached the Oracle to discover that it is actually the mysterious Prophet. The Prophet informs Thrall and Archmage Jaina Proudmoore that Grom has succumbed to demonic control and that the two races will need to join forces to save him, and suggests that Grom has a crucial role to play in the unfolding of events.

With the humans' help, Thrall managed to fight his way through the ranks of the Warsong Clan and the Legion and is able to capture Grom and purge him of the demon blood. Grom then has a premonition of Mannoroth's presence in a local canyon, and the two go there to face Mannoroth. The two are able to defeat Mannoroth, but Grom dies in the battle.

With the coming of the Undead Scourge and Burning Legion as well as the Humans and Orcs, Tyrande Whisperwind and her Night Elf Sentinels fight a desperate battle to save their beloved home of Kalimdor from enemies old and new alike.

After realising the situation is beyond the Sentinels alone, she first reawakens her lover, Malfurion Stormrage, and then the Druids of the Talon, and finally the Druids of the Claw. She also decides to free the great betrayer, Illidan Stormrage, who is eventually instrumental in weakening the Burning Legion, but at a great cost.

Finally, she and Malfurion join forces with the outlanders Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall to delay the Legion's advance until a proper end can be arranged for the demonic leader Archimonde. The lines were quickly overrun by the Legion and the Scourge, Archimonde pressed on to make his final blow and grab for power - consuming the energy of Nordrassil, the tree of life.

But moments before he can strike, Malfurion Stormrage springs his trap. Realising the danger all too late, Archimonde is destroyed in a colossal blast of energy that shatters the tree of life--but unlike Archimonde, the tree would heal and its roots would once again grow deep.

Peace once again came to Kalimdor as the Burning Legion's forces withered away in defeat and the Humans, Orcs, and Night Elves stood victorius. This apparent end would last but for a short while, as the great betrayer, Illidan Stormrage would seek revenge for his imprisonment, and the Lich King, now free from the Legion's grasp, also has plans.