Ruins of Taurajo

The Ruins of Taurajo (also spelled Taurajo Ruins) are all that remain of Camp Taurajo after its destruction by the Alliance. Following the burning of the camp, the tauren have constructed a high gated wall between the Southern Barrens and their homeland of Mulgore. The survivors, along with some of the survivors of Honor's Stand, have fled to Camp Una'fe ("Una'fe", fittingly, means "refuge" in taur-ahe) in the Overgrowth. Some other survivors left for Vendetta Point.

While the village may be destroyed, the mailbox here still works for Horde characters. Taurajo Looters are Alliance soldiers who broke rank from the main army and are found stealing whatever valuables they can find from the wreckage.

During the Cataclysm, in order to secure their offensive against the Horde, the Alliance launched an assault on Camp Taurajo from Northwatch Hold, under false information that the tauren were themselves planning an attack, and razed the camp in what the tauren called a massacre. However, the Alliance only attacked when all the tauren hunters had left (as Taurajo was "little more than a hunters' camp"), and after ensuring that all the civilians were given the opportunity to evacuate unharmed, by order of General Hawthorne. A few still died trying to flee, however.

Baine Bloodhoof called Camp Taurajo a legitimate military target and recognized that Hawthorne refused to slaughter civilians when he could have just given the order to massacre everyone. Some in Alliance High Command disagreed with Hawthorne's decision and argued that he let an opportunity slip away and that he should've taken hostages.

Some of the Alliance soldiers were conscripted from the Stormwind Stockade, and the camp was firebombed by Wildhammer gryphon-rider mercenaries. The Alliance confiscated Taurajo's arms and destroyed its smithing facilities. The assault gave the Alliance forces considerable breathing room and knocked their enemy off balance.

The tauren army only moved in after Hawthorne had ensured that the civilians of the camp would be allowed to leave unharmed. The survivors of Taurajo, along with some of the survivors of Honor's Stand, fled to Camp Una'fe in the Overgrowth. When the refugees fled north from Taurajo, some were separated. Many were taken prisoner by the Bristleback quilboar.

After the attack, the road to Mulgore from the Barrens, which had once been open, was closed by the tauren with the Great Gate, shutting out any possibility of a massive Alliance incursion. The Great Gate was later threatened by Northwatch Siege Engine, Northwatch Siege Engineers, and other Alliance soldiers, but was defended by the orcs and tauren of Vendetta Point.

After taking care of the Alliance forces stationed on the other side of the Great Gate, the Horde army, led by Vol'jin and a reluctant Baine, marched east, passing through the Ruins of Taurajo and the Fields of Blood towards Northwatch Hold.

Most tauren were content with the gate decision and did not burn for revenge, but the Grimtotem who disagreed, and other tauren who chose to strike back at the Alliance military from Vendetta Point, were expelled from Thunder Bluff. Baine could not truly condemn his people, however, so they suffered no other repercussions. The tauren also started rebuilding their capital and fighting back the quilboar who had started encroaching on their territory.

During the Fourth War, the area was a battlefield between the Alliance and Horde once again. Commander Sharp and Kary Thunderhorn were among the known participants.

• Mawre Sternhorn
• Krulmoo
• Dranh
• Yonada
• Omusa

In the Cataclysm Alliance questline, it is said that the civilians were allowed to leave by General Hawthorne before the battle in order to avoid casualties, and this is also corroborated in Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War where Baine affirms Hawthorne's intention and order to refuse slaughter civilians and to ensure that the civilians of the camp would be allowed to leave unharmed.

Despite the general's intentions, in the Horde questline, some civilians are found dead (such as Krulmoo Fullmoon, Yonada, Dranh, and Omusa Thunderhorn) during the Alliance's attack, while others managed to escape and are found in nearby settlements like Vendetta Point.

Another account is introduced in World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, in which Zekhan says that he "heard" that there were no survivors of Taurajo, which would contradict the survival of individuals like Kirge Sternhorn.

• In the beta, Thunder Cleft was originally named New Taurajo.
• This area was planned to be available in the Southern Barrens warfront.