The furbolgs claim they were the first people in these hills; so do the Drakkari ice trolls, though they’re concentrated to the north in Zul'Drak. They may both be wrong. Another hypothesis is that dwarves were there first. It is believed that the titans placed dwarves here after they had created them. It was an experiment to see if they could survive on their own. They not only survived but flourished, spreading southward and into what would later become known as Kalimdor and the other continents. The dwarves of Thor Modan believe they can find evidence of their dwarven ancestors in the hills, and uncover truths about their race’s early culture. Regardless, all this was well before any surviving history. No one really knows what went on here way back then.
Other stories say that the Drakkari trolls built Drak’Tharon Keep before the furbolgs even built Grizzlemaw. Supposedly, the Frost Paws gathered the polar furbolg tribes together in part to fend off the new Drakkari threat. Both races were here and hated each other — the furbolgs had the numbers, but with their new keep, the Drakkari were more organized and the trolls were always more unified than the furbolgs. The existence of Grizzlemaw affected the balance, and the furbolgs' victory over the Drakkari in a series of skirmishes may have led to the eventual loss of Drak’Tharon to the Scourge.
This region is the furbolg homeland, and they outnumber every other race here combined. They are massive bear-men, enormous creatures with a bear's build, fur, and basic features, but a man’s hands and, to a limited extent, mind. That is a dangerous combination, and they're powerful in a fight. Fortunately, they’re not aggressive beyond their own territory. The dwarves at Thor Modan have had run-ins with furbolgs on a regular basis, since the furbolgs feel the dwarves are trespassers and grave robbers. Furbolgs are surprisingly friendly to travelers, though, and greeted them warmly once the dwarves assured that they laid no claim to anything in the hills. They’re less approving of large groups, and particularly wary of strange races, but their caution can't be blamed.