Stormshock's Coastal Citadel: A Fortress for the Horde

When someone invites me to visit their home, I usually expect to find some comfortable furniture, perhaps a few decorations and maybe a nice view.

I don't generally expect to find a fortress built for war, ~150 skulls and a pit leading straight to Hell. But that's exactly what Stormshock has built.

You'd think, after visiting a few houses, I'd know what I'd be getting myself into...

A fortress worthy of the Horde

Stormshock meets me outside his home and proudly welcomes me to his coastal citadel.

The plot itself was strategically picked: Giant bones lead up towards the house and there's a sunken ship nearby. It's a fantastic setting for a fortress and Stormshock immediately saw its potential.

Stormshock: I feel like the bones would have been used to help build this coastal citadel.

The entrance is surrounded by tusks and bones - I can certainly imagine that.

Stormshock explains that the fortress was built by a Laughing Skull orc, but it also incorporates elements from the Dragonmaw and Frostwolf clans.

The Laughing Skull, I'm told, collect the skulls of the enemies they defeat and laugh in the face of death.

That explains a few things.

I spot two enormous dragon skulls and ask whether those were also vanquished enemies. I don't quite get an answer before we move on... Probably better not to ask too many questions about where the skulls come from.

This place exudes power - It really embodies the Strength part of "Strength and Honour".

The courtyard and defensive walls

Stormshock opens the gate and leads me into the courtyard.

The outer walls are lined with spikes and tusks, making the whole structure look incredibly intimidating. They're not just decorations - Stormshock designed the place with actual defensive strategies in mind.

Stormshock: Built for a small group, not an army.

We climb towards the battlements, where Stormshock points out a ladder that could be pulled up to prevent attackers from following.

There's also a position for a hunter to rain arrows down on anyone foolish enough to approach.

He then leads me to an area facing away from the courtyard into the sea. I look out towards the coast. The view is fantastic!

Stormshock mentions that the sunsets are particularly beautiful from here, and I can imagine that. It's also a great position to spot approaching ships.

Maybe that's what happened to that sunken ship nearby.

There used to be a crane here to pull supplies up into the fortress, but Stormshock has temporarily removed it to make way for a new gate at the back - those exterior decor limits really do make you face some tough choices.

You wouldn't want to have just one exit during a siege. Stormshock has thought of that too, with several ways to move around the compound and evade attackers.

I'm starting to realise that this isn't simply a house decorated to look like a fortress - it's a definitely a stronghold that happens to have a couple of bedrooms.

Entering the citadel

As we head inside, we're greeted by a giant guardian wyvern. I feel observed and, I guess, judged. Satisfied, it rests on the floor again.

I guess walking corpses aren't very tasty - there are some advantages to undeath after all.

Above the entrance, troops are garrisoned with another hunter. If invaders manage to get in, the hunter can rain arrows down onto the small entrance.

Even the stairs are positioned so that if you're climbing up, one's right hand would be blocked by the wall if they tried to swing. That gives defenders above two advantages: they can swing their right arms freely and... well... they have the high ground.

There are fighters stationed nearby, and this is also where Stormshock's tauren hunter sleeps, allowing him to quickly spring into action if the fortress comes under attack.

There's a guest room nearby too.

Dosaki: Hah, more for the mercenary types?

Stormshock: For visiting warriors. Can't trust everyone!

I suppose having your guests sleep close to the entrance is one way to keep an eye on them.

From here, we enter the central section of the citadel, inspired by Viking warrior long halls.

Stormshock explains that he wanted something similar to a theme park, where you can stand in a central location and see major attractions in different directions.

To the left lies a temple. To the right, an arena. Straight ahead is the warchief throne room.

We go left first.

Temple of the Zandalari Trolls

The path to the temple is full of vegetation and we have to walk on marble platforms surrounded by water.

Stormshock: Zandalar Forever!

It's the first thing my host says as we reach the base of the troll temple.

It's an impressive skybox room, dominated by the temple itself but my attention is focused on the ritualistic altar.

Dosaki: And... is that blood on the altar?

Stormshock: Yeah, there are sacrifices here.

Oh... This definitely isn't somewhere I'd recommend visiting without an invitation. I hope the undead aren't considered good sacrifices.

As we enter the temple, I can see areas to prepare the rituals, a forge (and lots of lava) and there are skulls everywhere, of course.

Stormshock explains that the temple is used for rituals to forge weapons of power.

Stormshock shows me a picture which looks suspiciously like there's a ritual in progress. I'm kind of glad I wasn't there for it.

An arena worthy of Orgrimmar

Our next stop is the arena.

Before entering the arena proper, there's an antechamber, where warriors can gather. To the left, there's shrine where combatants prepare themselves for battle, including coating their weapons in poison.

Opposite, leads to a holding area for prisoners, particularly members of the Alliance.

Stormshock opens the gates to the arena and lets me through.

It's enormous! The images don't do it justice. You should see the tour: ….

He tells me that this was one of the first rooms he built, and I can understand why he'd want to start with something like this.

The arena is built across five tiers, with stadium seating, an announcer's position and several dedicated seats for different warchiefs. One throne is particularly prominent, for the main warchief.

There's also a blood trail on the floor, presumably from a recent fight - someone should really clean that up.

We make our way towards the top, where the arena opens up to the sky. Looking upwards, the sky feels incredibly close.

My guide explains that he wanted the arena to feel like it could be part of Orgrimmar - I can totally see that.

I mention that the word power keeps coming to mind as I explore his fortress.

There's something about the scale of these rooms, the enormous entrances and the constant presence of weapons and trophies that makes the whole place feel incredibly imposing.

Stormshock tells me that orcs, trolls, tauren, Forsaken and even blood elves are all welcome here.

He plays them all, and wanted to create a home for the different peoples of the Horde.

A place where they can all prove their strength.

The Throne room

Stormshock leads me back to the central room and through a corridor leading up to a throne room.

When we get there, I spot two side doorways.

Stormshock: So left or right? Usually it is decided for you! Alliance always goes RIGHT haha.

I'm so glad @... stayed back in the office for this one.

Before we pick a side, Stormshock explains that there's also a crypt beneath the throne room, connected to routes that defenders can use to evade attackers and keep them moving around the fortress.

Clearly, even getting lost in here could be part of a defensive strategy.

The pit

My host leads me to the doorway on the right.

Stormshock: This is the Pit. Prisoners can take their chances or be executed.

Well, at least they get a choice, right?

Wrong.

As he takes me down to the pit, I spot a few skeletons and skulls, some Alliance crests and some other things that I thought best not to inquire about.

I don't think those who take their chances survive very often.

The pit even features easy access to something inspired by Greek mythology: The River Styx, complete with Cerberus, the guardian of the gates of Hell.

At least if you die here you don't have to walk too far to get to your final destination.

Purgatory

Sometimes, some souls may not be ready to move on and cross the Styx. To the side, there's a room representing purgatory. The whole atmosphere remains rather unsettling.

There's a chess table in the middle of the room, some skulls (obviously), and two fireplaces on either side. The fires don't make the room feel warmer somehow.

I like how Stormshock has used different areas to represent such distinct concepts: One moment we're in a fortress defending the Horde, the next we're wandering through an interpretation of the underworld.

And somehow it all fits together.

The ritual book... and great evil power

Taking the left at the throne room, leads us to a walkway suspended over lava. I spot a single floating book.

We move past it and the atmosphere changes dramatically. The music actually stops as I enter, making the place feel strangely silent.

Stormshock explains that there's great evil here, but also great power.

And then... a murloc!

It actually scares me.

I'm not particularly proud to admit that, but it made some ghostly sounds and, combined with the sudden silence, it caught me completely off guard.

The private quarters

Stormshock tells me there's still much more to see on the second floor - or rather, the first floor, for the rest of us Europeans.

We head upstairs, towards the more private areas reserved for the warriors who live here.

One of the first things we encounter is a young cat. Apparently its job is to keep the snakes and rats away.

I think the cat's the only thing in this fortress who isn't concerned with defeating Alliance soldiers.

Moving on, we get to a torch-lined bridge, surrounded by more Horde and Laughing Skull imagery.

Once again, Stormshock points out defensive positions, weapons within easy reach and places from which defenders can knock attackers down to the first floor.

It's incredible how consistently he's maintained this theme.

Everywhere I look, there are weapons.

And skulls. So many skulls.

Stormshock: Close to 150.

Dosaki: Wow.

Stormshock: Warnings.

I think the first 10 would've been enough to get the message across, but I guess Stormshock values clarity in his messaging.

The bridge has two paths on either side.

To the left, there's a room dedicated to communing with the spirits of the dead, seeking guidance from ancestors and channelling the power of death.

But as Stormshock explains the room, I keep getting distracted by one of the room's inhabitants.

Dosaki: What's with the murloc?

Stormshock: He wanders this room. I guess he likes it.

Strange creatures. I don't understand them.

The other path takes you to the kitchen, where a boar is being roasted and fish are being smoked. It's particularly functional for a warband. There is little to no furniture in this kitchen.

The amount of food stored in here shows that this fortress accommodates many warriors.

The warchief's quarters

Before we arrive at the living quarters of the warchief, I notice another forge.

Stormshock: No microwaves or appliances in this home.

Dosaki: Who needs that with so much fire?

Is this the second or third forge we come across? By this point, I suspect that this fortress has more ways to manufacture weapons than it has places to prepare dinner.

We keep going to the warchief's quarters. The bed looks very luxurious and comfortable, but the room also includes many planning tables and desks.

Opposite the bed, Stormshock points towards a depiction of the Goddess of War, positioned so that she's clearly visible from the bed.

Stormshock: I see her when I go to sleep and when I wake up.

Fitting choice for a soldier.

The quarters also feature a training area and, interestingly, running water. Stormshock points out that having access to water would be important during a siege.

This bedroom also has a quick escape route by the mezzanine, giving the occupier a chance to evade invaders

There's also a Frostwolf pup here, which is a nice touch. Stormshock explains that Frostwolves are always welcome in this fortress.

It's one of the few genuinely adorable things I've seen since entering.

But apparently, we're not quite finished with the tour.

The catacombs

Stormshock takes me to the catacombs beneath the throne room.

To one side, there's a shaman altar which, I imagine, is brimming with power, enough to contain the lava in the adjacent room.

To the other, there's a monument dedicated to a warrior and an entrance to an area inspired by undead paladins. Stormshock explains they are welcome into his warband and its cause.

A fortress inspired by Warcraft III

As our tour comes to an end, I ask Stormshock about his inspiration.

Stormshock: I just wanted to build something straight out of Warcraft III. A home for the tribes of the Horde.

The whole fortress captures that Warcraft feeling, with enormous defensive structures, tribal imagery, skulls, spikes and the constant presence of war.

But it isn't simply a military installation: Stormshock describes it as a base where warriors can return after a campaign, feel safe and host other war parties.

That's something I particularly like about this build - despite its imposing appearance, it still serves as a home.

There are bedrooms, guest quarters, a dining hall, places to train and spaces dedicated to spirituality.

And, obviosuly, an execution pit.

Everything a warrior might need.

Building from big to small

I ask Stormshock whether he has any building advice to share.

His first recommendation is to plan things out in your head before starting, especially when you have no access to alignment tools.

Then build from big to small.

Stormshock: Leave space to see your home.

With every angle there is something that captures your eye.

Something to draw you to the next part of the home.

This is something that becomes very apparent as you walk around his fortress.

There's almost always an interesting feature in the distance, encouraging you to explore further. It reminds me of Byn's philosophy to laying out a build.

Stormshock explains that he thought carefully about the different sections and wanted each one to feel special, almost like the different wings of a raid.

Each section has a different identity, yet they're all connected by the same overarching theme.

He also mentions his love for real-world forts and castles, particularly their architecture, armour, weapons and defensive features.

Being able to build a fortress of his own, on the coast of Azeroth, was something of a dream come true.

A little bit of Disney magic

Towards the end of our conversation, Stormshock reveals something that makes his earlier theme park comparison suddenly make a lot more sense.

He used to work for Disney Imagineering, with their Parks and Resorts.

Stormshock mentions an immersion trip to Disney World in Florida, where he got to see the amount of thought and detail that goes into designing the different attractions.

He's taken some of that thinking into his own build.

The central hall, with its different paths drawing you towards major attractions, is a perfect example. Just like a theme park, the fortress isn't designed to be experienced from only one angle: You're encouraged to walk around, explore and discover new things.

It's particularly impressive considering the decoration budget constraints he had to work with.

An ever-evolving fortress

Stormshock has been building his fortress since housing began, continually adding and changing things as new decorations become available.

Stormshock: I like where it is at and will continue to improve and add more.

I have many ideas and I often experiment.

He's clearly put an enormous amount of time into this place.

When I ask whether he's happy with the result, he mentions that he really likes how the exterior turned out, particularly given the budget constraints.

I have to agree. It manages to look extremely well defended from outside, while still providing a liveable interior.

Stormshock also mentions that Zepla visited the fortress once and was particularly impressed by the arena.

I can understand why: It's one of the most impressive parts of the build, and certainly one of the largest arenas I've seen in a house - well... it's the only arena I've seen in a house so far.

Stormshock points out is that screenshots don't really do the fortress justice, and I agree.

The scale, the interconnected corridors, the different elevations and the way each area leads into another make it difficult to appreciate without actually walking through it.

It's also very easy to get lost.

That's precisely why I started creating virtual tours here. While they're not quite the same as being there, they allow readers to explore these incredible houses for themselves and get a better understanding of their layout.

That said, don't forget to check out the tour: …

Want to see more of Stormshock?

Stormshock also shares some of his work outside WoW on Instagram (@charlie_white).

He was kind enough to reach out to the Housing Herald and invite me to visit his creation, and I'm very glad he did.

It's a fascinating house fortress, not just because of its sheer scale, but because of the thought behind it.

So many decisions have been made with a clear purpose, from the defensive architecture to the placement of individual rooms and the way a visitor is guided through the structure (whether it's a welcome or unwelcome one).

Thanks again to Stormshock for inviting me over!

I'll see you on the next house tour.

Preferably one with fewer skulls... and execution pits.