Howling Fjord was a favorite on Northrend from the first time explorers reached the continent through the Daggercap Bay. The natural harbor provided an ideal launching point for expeditions throughout the continent. After the Lich King arrived, the Scourge swept across the continent, conquering most of its races and claiming many of the towns and citadels. During the Third War, Prince Arthas Menethil of Lordaeron arrived with his soldiers to destroy the dreadlord Mal'Ganis and punish him for the plague unleashed in his homeland. Arthas and the dwarven noble Muradin Bronzebeard joined forces against Mal’Ganis, who they thought to be the Lich King's lackey. When Arthas’s father summoned him home again, the prince responded by hiring mercenaries to burn his own ships, and blaming only them for the act of treachery, thus forcing his men to stay and fight. He searched for and obtained the cursed blade Frostmourne in the nearby region of Dragonblight, knocking out Muradin in the process. He used Frostmourne to defeat Mal'Ganis but lost his soul to the Lich King as a result. Arthas staggered away alone after the battle, and his men were left behind, stranded on Northrend. These humans and dwarves founded Valgarde. They also built the fortifications that protect it to this day. As Valgarde grew, its residents forced the Drakkari and furbolgs back into the Grizzly Hills and beyond, making the region safe enough for brave farmers to till the land.