Old Stratholme is the setting of the instance Culling of Stratholme. The instance is set four years before the beginning of World of Warcraft around the time of the Warcraft III campaign mission The Culling, during which Prince Arthas leads the purge of Stratholme. The region outside Stratholme and areas of King's Square and the Festival Lane in Stratholme itself are fully explorable, provided that you have not spoken to Arthas after using the [Arcane Disruptor] to locate the plagued grain.