Story recap page for the third World of Warcraft expansion pack, Cataclysm, as well as Cataclysm Classic.
Last seen in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, which took place more than two decades earlier, the evil dragon aspect, Deathwing the Destroyer (originally Neltharion the Earth Warder) has spent the time until now healing himself, and plotting his fiery return from the elemental plane of Deepholm. His return tears through the dimensional barrier within Azeroth, causing a sweeping cataclysm that reshapes much of the world's surface. In the midst of the world-wide disaster comes renewed conflict between the Alliance and the Horde, and with the elemental realms now open to the world, chaotic elemental spirits, and their tyrannical lords, emerged to help the Destroyer. To top it all off, the nihilistic Twilight's Hammer cult bring about the Hour of Twilight: the end of all life on Azeroth.
Living on the island of Kezan at the time, the goblin faction, the Bilgewater Cartel, are forced to evacuate to Kalimdor due to the cataclysm threatening the island's destruction. They take resident in the Kalimdor region of Azshara, and become a part of the Horde. Meanwhile, the cataclysm also brings about the destruction of the Greymane Wall at Silverpine Forest that has been protecting the citizens of Gilneas (cursed to being transformed into Worgen) from the outside world. With the wall's destruction, Sylvanas uses this opportunity to conquer the territory; forcing the Worgen to evacuate to Kalimdor where they take residence within the Night Elf capital of Darnassus, and become members of the Alliance.
The Cataclysm is also responsible for a number of political changes within the Horde and Alliance. With the wake of the cataclysm, the Horde's leader, the orc shaman Thrall, stepped down from his duty as Warchief of the Horde to better help the world of Azeroth as a whole. This duty was relinquished to the former overlord of the Warsong Offensive, the Mag'har orc warrior Garrosh Hellscream. Looking for ways to gather more resources and new territory for his people, Hellscream has initiated several brutal strikes against the Alliance, using the cataclysm to the Horde's advantage. The human king Varian Wrynn deployed many of his forces to fight against Garrosh's aggression, storming the Southern Barrens and Stonetalon Mountains, while Garrosh, unlike Thrall, embraced war with the Alliance. Meanwhile, Vol'jin leads a Darkspear assault to finally retake his Echo Isle home from Hexmaster Zalazane, and the Gnomes begin their campaign of retaking their capital city of Gnomeregan from the Troggs and Leper Gnomes.
Cataclysm also brought about the deaths of key figures from both factions. For the Horde, Cairne Bloodhoof had opposed of Garrosh's attacks against the Alliance, and challenges the new Warchief to a duel. However, due to interference from Magatha Grimtotem having poisoned Garrosh's weapon, Cairne loses his life in the fight, and Baine, the Tauren Chieftain's son, takes over as the new leader of the Tauren soon after. On the Alliance side, the cataclysm threatened the destruction of the dwarf capital of Ironforge; forcing the Dwarven king, Magni Bronzebeard, to activate a magic tablet the dwarfs had brought back from Ulduar to stop the earthquakes from destroying the city. However, the tablet ritual ends up transforming Magni into a crystallized statue; forever frozen in place at the heart of Ironforge. With the death of the king of Ironforge, Moira Thaurissan, now as the leader of the Dark Iron Dwarves, finally returns to the Dwarf capital to claim ownership of the throne for her son, Fenran Thaurissan. However, intervention from Varian, and Anduin, put a stop to her plan, and help establish the "Council of Three Hammers;" a regency consisting of the Bronzebeard, Wildhammer, and Dark Iron clans, to serve as the new rulers of the Ironforge Dwarves.
Raid: Blackwing Descent
Nefarian and his warped attempts to create a new breed of dragon were thought to be defeated after his death in Blackwing Lair. Yet it's discovered that his father, Deathwing, has reanimated Nefarian, and set him to work in Blackwing Descent atop the Blackrock Mountain. The gruesome experiments being conducted there are feared to be on a level of wickedness far surpassing Nefarian's previous crimes against nature. Dwelling on the lessons learned from his defeat in Blackwing Lair, Nefarian has burrowed deeper into the heart of Blackrock Mountain, and rebuilt his sanctuary. The Vault of the Shadowflame, a deep pit of cascading magma, is the heart of Blackwing Descent, and the location of horrific new experiments in undeath and magical augmentation. With the help of a young alchemist, Maloriak, the two of them continue conducting experiments to create the most powerful dragon to ever exist. However, Nefarian's plans are foiled once more by the arrival of heroes from the Horde and Alliance.
Raid: Bastion of Twilight
Cho'gall, the Ogre-Mage leader of the Twilight's Hammer Clan, had set up his base of operations in the Twilight Highlands where his forces battled with the armies of the Horde and Alliance for control of the area. The Bastion of Twilight stands as a dark symbol of the Old Gods' burgeoning power on Azeroth. Various branches of the Twilight's Hammer dwell deep beneath the towering form, considered the cult's foremost command center, along with their twisted Ogre-Mage leader. There, he and his servants conspire to bring the Old Gods' apocalyptic visions to fruition by bleeding Azeroth of all sanity, hope, and life. Heroes from said factions would lead the attack against the Twilight leader by storming his bastion stronghold in the Twilight Citadel; killing Cho'gall, and his Twilight followers, for good.
Raid: Throne of the Four Winds
Al'Akir the Windlord's personal lair, the Throne of the Four Winds, glides high among Skywall's boundless vistas above Uldum. Due to the barriers of the Elemental Plane having been ruptured, Al'Akir is free to travel Azeroth's winds at his leisure. He has mustered his fiercest tempests to scour Uldum of life, and seize control of the mysterious titan-forged Halls of Origination. With Deathwing's return, Al'Akir becomes one of the Destroyer's staunchest and most powerful allies, and called the Conclave of the Four Winds, ancient wind elementals nearly as powerful as Al'Akir himself, to aid in the elemental invasion of his former home. However, heroes of the Horde and Alliance travel up to Al'Akir's Skywall, and send the Windlord back to the Elemental Plane.
