The Arathi Highlands are located in southeastern Lordaeron, east of Hillsbrad Foothills and south of the Hinterlands. It is a flat but craggy region that has traditionally been the home of the humans of Arathor, who gave the region its name. The main hubs of activity are now Refuge Pointe and Hammerfall, which houses bases for Alliance and Horde, respectively. The large city of Stromgarde lies in ruins to the southwest, and pockets of Syndicate resistance dot the land. The Boulderfist Orges also infest Arathor, and prove to be a constant threat to the Alliance, Horde, and Syndicate factions vying for supremacy.
The Syndicate, Boulderfist ogres and the beleaguered human defenders of Stromgarde battle for supremacy in this gray, dismal realm. Prince Galen Trollbane leads the human defenders, and his mighty city of Stromgarde is a ruined battleground where the three factions wage guerrilla war. The Trollbane family's holdings include several ancient human artifacts, and a group called the Caretakers protects and preserves the most important pieces. To the south is the Thandol Span, a massive dwarven construction that bridges the canal between Lordaeron and Khaz Modan. Due to the bridge being the only land connecting path from Lordaeron to Khaz Modan, the Arathi Highlands have become quite a hotspot for trade between the separated continents.
The Arathi Highlands were once the cradle of Human civilization, as it marks the place where the Empire of Arathor was founded and where the first real contact between elves and humans was made, during the Troll Wars. From the great city of Strom, the Human Empire controlled nearly all of the eastern lands. After the Empire's collapse, the city of Strom was largely abandoned save for a contingent of the Imperial Guard. These Guardsmen founded a new martial kingdom known as Stromgarde, establishing their capital in the old city of Strom. Over time, they also built a village (later known as Hammerfall) further to the east. During the Second War, the forces of Stromgarde, now ruled by Thoras Trollbane, were an instrumental part of the Alliance's ground forces. Despite this, the Arathi Highlands, and Stromgarde itself was overrun by the Horde.
After the Second War, Stromgarde was rebuilt, and the former village that was to become Hammerfall was converted into an internment camp to hold the hated Orcs. The nation managed to escape the Plague of Undeath but was soon afterward overrun by the Syndicate and Ogres. The remnant of the army was forced to flee the city and take refuge in a small canyon to the north, in what is now known as Refuge Pointe. Now, four years after the Third War, the area has become a battle zone between many different factions. The Alliance fights to aid the former nation of Stromgarde in recapturing its capital and reestablishing control over the region. The Horde, now in control of the internment camp that once held them prisoner (naming it Hammerfall in honor of the fallen warchief Orgrim Doomhammer), is attempting to establish a forward base to protect its new allies against Alliance attack. The Syndicate is also in the area, trying to claim yet another territory for its jealous nobles. Finally, the Ogres and Forest Trolls in the region are trying to drive out all others and establish a permanent settlement for themselves.
Unlike its neighboring regions of Hillsbrad Foothills and the Wetlands, the Highlands were spared during the Cataclysm. Very little has changed. The Horde, flush from victory within Hillsbrad, have pushed slightly into the Highlands and have established a camp near the border. On the Alliance side, the dwarves have burrowed a deep pass through the mountains north into the Hinterlands, and now a clear path runs from behind Stromgarde Keep to Faldir's Cove. The dark iron dwarves have abandoned their camp near Thandol Span, retreating within the structure, and now the camp is home to a friendly Dark Iron Entrepreneur.