Human ( playable ) The humans of Stormwind are one of the playable Alliance races in " World of Warcraft " . They are a resilient breed , having survived an invasion by the savage orcs during the First War . During the Second War , the armies of Stormwind rallied with the Alliance of Lordaeron to reclaim their homeland of Azeroth . After the success of the Second War , Stormwind was rebuilt and human civilization began to flourish once again throughout the southlands . Background . The noble humans of Stormwind are a proud , tenacious race . They bravely fought the orcish Horde for generations as the patrons of the Grand Alliance . Just as they thought peace had at last settled over their war - torn kingdoms , an even darker shadow descended upon the world . The undead Scourge unleashed a foul plague of death upon humanity and succeeded in decimating the northern human kingdom of Lordaeron . The few humans who survived fled south to the protection of Stormwind . No sooner had the undead struck than the demonic Burning Legion began its cataclysmic invasion of the world . The warriors of humanity stood fast against the Legion and helped save the world from imminent destruction . The defenders of Stormwind stand vigilant against any who would threaten the sanctity of their lands to this day . Situated in the foothills of Elwynn Forest , Stormwind City is one of the last bastions of human power in the world . King ruled the people of Stormwind for a considerable amount of time . Backed by their stalwart allies , the armies of Stormwind marched forth to fight the savage Horde on distant battlefields , leaving the defense of Stormwind to its proud citizens . When the threat of the Lich King loomed in Northrend , the armies moved into the mountainous regions of that continent ; though they proved successful in their campaign , it left Stormwind ' s forces weakened . They were further stretched thin by the explosive appearance of Deathwing and later by the latest invasion of the Burning Legion . During this precarious time , Varian fell to Gul ' dan on the Broken Shore . Leadership then fell to his son , Anduin Wrynn . Appearance . Humans ’ skin ranges from dark to light , and may have tones of other colors . Their eyes are blue , brown , green , gray , or hazel . Human hair is brown , black , blond , or red . Humans look like exaggerated forms of real - life humans , with men usually keeping their hair short and women usually longer . Beards on men seem very popular or shaving is just not common . Humans average six feet in height and weigh about 180 pounds , with men noticeably taller and heavier than women . Starting info . Humans start in Northshire Valley , a subzone located in northern Elwynn Forest . Racial traits . Reasons for racial traits . One of the greatest advantages that humanity possesses is their aptitude for team work and leadership , therefore they are also well known for their skills in Diplomacy . Their leaders proposed forming the Alliance , and even ordinary citizens know that the right choice of words means the difference between leaving a good impression and leaving a great one . Humans ' tenacity is one of their best traits as a race . They will continue to fight through any level of adversity . Faced with invasions by the orcs , Burning Legion , and even the Scourge , The Human Spirit remains unconquered . This also contributes to humanity ' s powerful will to survive , demonstrated by the racial " Every Man for Himself " which shows humans doing anything necessary to survive and triumph over their foe .