Stromgarde army
 Stromgarde army | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Main leader |
 Lord Danath Trollbane |
| Formerly |
 Regent Marran Trollbane  King Galen Trollbane † King Thoras Trollbane † |
| Secondary leaders |
 Radulf Leder Field Marshal Oslight Captain Nials |
| Formerly |
Lieutenant Valorcall † |
| Race(s) |
Human  Dwarf  Gnome |
| Formerly |
  Undead |
| Capital | Stromgarde Keep |
| Base of operations | Refuge Pointe, High Perch, Trollbane Hall |
| Formerly | Defiler's Den |
| Theater of operations | Arathi Highlands, Arathi Basin, Isle of Dorn |
| Language(s) | Common, Dwarven, Gnomish |
| Sub-group(s) | Stromgarde military divisions |
| Affiliation | Kingdom of Stromgarde, Alliance |
| Formerly | Alliance of Lordaeron |
| Status | Active |
“Honor and duty require that we do not leave the Highlands until Stromgarde raises the mighty banner of the King once again.”
The Stromgarde army is the armed forces of the human kingdom of Stromgarde, currently serving under Danath Trollbane. Possessing a long history of warfare against the trolls, their warriors are well prepared to engage in open combat with all enemies of humanity.[2] The crimson-clad soldiers of Stromgarde are known for their martial discipline in battle and have proven themselves in the Second War; none could argue with their determination, as they were able to hold off the entire Old Horde armies on their own, allowing the rest of the Alliance of Lordaeron to mobilize.[3]
Following the fall of Stromgarde during the Third War, the kingdom's armies maintained a base of strategic operations at the crevasse known as Refuge Pointe, as well as portions of the devastated capital city, where they fought for years the invading forces of the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres. By the time of the Fourth War, the kingdom was rebuilt by its people, until the Arathi Highlands became a warfronts between the Alliance and the Horde, resulting in the Battle for Stromgarde. Nevertheless, the Stromgarde army and their allies eventually claimed victory, bringing peace to Stromgarde at last.
In the years that followed, Lord Danath chose his niece Marran to act as the kingdom's regent. However, she revealed herself to be a belligerent ruler and devoted believer in the legacy of the Arathorian Empire; and with the help of the Stromgarde armies and the 7th Legion, she sought to wage war against the Horde for the control of the Highlands. Her plans were eventually halted upon her arrest.
Among their divisions, the Stromgarde Militia was a military contingent that fought for over a decade to regain control of Stromgarde Keep. The League of Arathor was also formed from the kingdom's remaining forces to fight the Forsaken Defilers for control of Arathi Basin, intending to retake the area for their people and claim its resources to profit their benefactors in Stormwind, and through them, the Alliance itself.
History
Before the Great Wars
For generations, the Trollbane family and their soldiers fought the Witherbark trolls, considering them as sworn enemies of Stromgarde and a curse upon the land of Arathi.[4]
75 years prior to the First War, King Barathen Wrynn of Stormwind sent envoys to beseech Lordaeron, Stromgarde, and the other human kingdoms for aid during the Gnoll War. But they would not send assistance, seeing no advantage in helping the smaller, rural nation, as Stormwind was self-sufficient and trade with the other kingdoms was rare.[5]
Before the coming of the orcs, the human kingdoms of Lordaeron faced challenges and obstacles from each other as the games of politics played out.[6] Amidst those nations, there were no two rivals like Alterac and Stromgarde. The proximity of the two and the apparent ambiguity of their mountain borders had led to several wars and skirmishes. On more than one occasion, King Thoras Trollbane led the armies of Stromgarde into battle against the honorable General Hath of Alterac.[7] The tension of their repeated discord was noticeable at the Alliance summit as Perenolde glared at Trollbane.[8]
Second War and aftermath
At the beginning of the Second War, Stromgarde sent half of its standing army to join the main Alliance forces.[9] The rest of its army was occupied defending the Northlands from an orcish invasion through the dwarven realm of Khaz Modan.[10] The kingdom also sent several taskforces behind enemy lines, to siege Dun Modr[11] and attempt to wrest control of the Badlands from the orcs,[12] until its garrison at Tol Barad and its capital both fell under heavy attacks by the Black Tooth Grin clan.[13] As the orcs viewed Tol Barad as an obstacle in their path to the Eastern Kingdoms, they mounted a ferocious counterstrike on the island. Unprepared for such aggression, the Stromgarde soldiers were expelled from Tol Barad, and the citadel was razed, a charred symbol of the Horde's brutal victory.[14]
King Thoras Trollbane was also the first to become suspicious of Alterac's true allegiance, and quickly dispatched a force to investigate what was happening in that kingdom. They were able to discover that King Aiden Perenolde had made a pact with Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer, allowing the orcs to pass through some unguarded mountain passes, giving them free passage into Lordaeron. Consequently, King Thoras and his troops quickly dispatched the orcs stationed there and prevented further orc reinforcements from passing through.[7] With no sign of reinforcement and cornered by the Alliance and Lordaeron forces on one side, and Stromgarde troops on the other, the standing orc forces had to retreat from the Siege of Capital City.[15]
Following the Horde's defeat, Stromgarde built a military outpost along the borders of the Alterac Mountains, which was raided by the Horde of Draenor to recover the Book of Medivh from the Alteraci.[16] By the end of the war, Danath Trollbane was one of Stromgarde's most celebrated soldiers after acting as a great leader during the final battle for the liberation of Khaz Modan. A prominent mercenary veteran, he served as the military commander of Stromgarde and tactical advisor to Turalyon,[17][18] and was elevated as Overseer of the orcish internment camp system based at New Stormwind.[19][20]
In the years that followed, a Stromic and Tirasian population of men formed the Baradin's Wardens in Tol Barad, an organization charged with ensuring that the deadly prisoners locked away in the mystic Baradin Hold never again walk free on Azeroth. They are a motley collection of soldiers with several prominent members claiming ancestry from Stromgarde.[21]
Third War and aftermath
During the Third War, Stromgarde managed to prevent the undead Scourge from ravaging through its lands and sent a detachment of troops, the Stromgarde Brigade, to accompany Jaina Proudmoore and the Human Expedition across the sea to Kalimdor.[22] Despite this, the darkest hour of Stromgarde was yet to come. King Thoras was ultimately secretly murdered by his son, Prince Galen, who sought the throne of Stromgarde for himself.[23] However, the crown prince was unable to hold the kingdom together, as Stromgarde also came under siege by both the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres, the two forces winning several victories against the now weakened kingdom, and managing to occupy much of its terrain, including most of Stromgarde Keep.
Though weaker than before, the kingdom's armies maintained a base of strategic operations at the crevasse known as Refuge Pointe in the Highlands, as well as portions of the devastated capital city itself, then occupied by ogres and the criminals of the Syndicate.[24] In time, the kingdom's remnants were organized into League of Arathor to free the rest of the Arathi Highlands, the Arathi Basin, and its many resources from the hands of the Forsaken Defilers as well as the Horde forces from Hammerfall, intending to retake the area for the people of Stromgarde[25] and claim its resources to profit their benefactors in Stormwind—and, through them, the whole of the Alliance.[26][27] It is the League's duty to see that the Alliance receive their shipments of resources to keep large armies fighting on the front lines.[28] With the Stromgarde Militia, Prince Galen Trollbane ruled from the Trollbane family crypt, which safeguarded several ancient artifacts, until his own demise at the hands of the Horde.[29]
World of Warcraft
Following the Third War and the fall of Stromgarde, the Stromgarde Militia was based in Refuge Pointe,[30] while a contingent of their defenders was also being firmly entrenched in the chapel district of Stromgarde Keep itself.[31] Under the lead of Lieutenant Valorcall, Stromgarde cavalrymen also patrolled the Highlands.[32]
At some point, the militia placed bounties on the head of Lord Falconcrest, who headed the Syndicate's efforts in the Arathi Highlands, and on his bodyguard Otto, who killed dozens of their defenders.[33] In return, the Syndicate also placed bounties on the militia members, in order to urge the rabble to fight their more disciplined troops, and awarding gold for each Stromgarde badge gathered off killed militiamen. Captain Nials later tasked Alliance adventurers to hunt down the assassins and retrieve the badges, and once in their possession, she promised to inform the families of the fallen.[34]
After Thandol Span and its dwarven troops suffered heavy damage due to a Dark Iron attack,[35] Rhag Garmason pleaded Captain Nials to spare some Stromic soldiers to help them reclaim Dun Modr and the Thandol Span. However, the captain had no choice but to refuse, since honor and duty required them to not leave the Highlands until they reclaimed their fallen kingdom.[1] The nearby town of Southshore was sending supplies to Stromgarde's defenders, but the shipments were difficult to receive while the Syndicate held territory between them such as Northfold Manor.[36]
Cataclysm
Following the Cataclysm, Captain Nials once again tasked Alliance adventurers to hunt down the Syndicate agents in the capital and retrieve the Stromgarde badges from their bodies, in order to inform the families of the fallen.[37]
Legion
By the time of the Burning Legion's third invasion, Prince Galen Trollbane had turned his back on Sylvanas Windrunner and the Forsaken and declared Stromgarde an independent undead kingdom. After crowning himself king, Galen took Trol'kalar and reclaimed the capital with its former citizens as his guard, managing to repel the Boulderfist clan ogres and the Syndicate. When the Deathlord and the Knights of the Ebon Blade approached Galen to access King Thoras Trollbane's tomb,[38][39] Galen refused to hold up his end of the bargain and ordered them killed. Instead, the death knights slew the undead king and raised King Thoras Trollbane into as a member of their new Four Horsemen.[23]
Battle for Azeroth
Following the Battle for Lordaeron, the Arathi Highlands became a warfront between the Alliance and the Horde. Led by Danath Trollbane, the League of Arathor and the Stromgarde army defended their rebuilt city during the Battle for Stromgarde. They faced off against the forces of the Horde, such as Lady Liadrin and her Blood Knights, Rokhan and his Darkspear trolls, and Eitrigg leading the veterans of the Horde. The battle ultimately ended in the Alliance's favor, with Stromgarde victorious.[40][41] This victory restored Stromgarde Keep as the capital of its eponymous kingdom, leaving the Horde stronghold of Ar'gorok in ruins, and the various settlements of the kingdom in the hands of the Alliance once more.
Shadows Rising
After the Fourth War, Danath's outriders spotted an armed and cloaked woman traveling with a group of Horde refugees throughout the Arathi Highlands, and the new leader of Stromgarde subsequently informed his old friend Alleria Windrunner, as she and Turalyon were riding through the region searching for the whereabouts of her sister Sylvanas Windrunner.[42]
The War Within
In the years following the Fourth War, as his diplomatic duties drew him to Stormwind City, Lord Danath Trollbane appointed his niece Marran to serve as his regent.[43] However, unbeknownst to him, Marran was an idealist wishing to continue King Thoradin's legacy and follow in the footsteps of the Empire of Arathor and sought to make war upon the Mag'har Clans of Hammerfall to take control of the Arathi Highlands. The regent was furious that Stromgarde, she believed, was selling its strength to the Alliance, sending its troops and resources, while leaving its own people behind.
Within months of her regency, Regent Marran called upon the 7th Legion, claiming that they would help farmers fend off predators, train new soldiers to support the Alliance and maintain their family's rule while her uncle was absent. However, their patrols began roaming farther and farther from their base and what had been once amicable encounters between their forces and the Horde gave way to violence. In response, Overlord Geya'rah called upon the Kor'kron to help them train and deter action from the Stromgarde military.[44]
Ten days after the destruction of Dalaran, Lord Danath answered Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall's joint meeting in Boralus, where they helped organize the strike force that they could take to Khaz Algar. He proposed securing the 7th Legion and the Kor'kron and defended his niece when Farseer Aggra declared that she was stroking tensions with the Mag'har.[43] On their way to Stromgarde, Jaina and Thrall came under attack, which ended with the latter being poisoned. However, the guards at Stromgarde refused to allow him entry, despite the Lord Admiral personally vouching for him. Knowing the importance of the fight against Xal'atath, Thrall departed to Hammerfall, while Jaina was granted permission to enter the capital of Stromgarde. Upon entering the Stromgarde Keep, Jaina noticed something off with its citizens and that the main body of the Stromgarde army, the liveried soldiers, filled the streets, nearly outnumbering the common folk. The Lord Admiral was later stonewalled by Regent Marran, who refused to aid the Alliance; as she felt that Stromgarde had lost too many battles, cared too little for its people, and rejected the notion of peace with the orcs.[45]
Meanwhile, Overlord Geya'rah revealed to Thrall that it was Regent Marran who had increased tensions between their people, caused skirmishes to erupt between them, and sought to capture the Go'Shek Farm. When Geya'rah boasted about how Stromgarde would fall to the might of the Mag'har, Thrall counseled against it, as Stromgarde's destruction would result in the Alliance responding. In the midst of their conversation, they received word that Stromgarde had launched their attack, and that the Horde forces rushed for the fight.[44] During the Battle of Go'Shek Farm, even with the help of the 7th Legion, the Stromic forces were fewer in number, as the Horde outnumbered them three to one, if not more. After Jaina separated the both of them from the battlefield, and disrupted Marran's ability to command the soldiers present, Geya'rah sounded a horn and called for the Kor'kron and Mag'har to hold and called upon the 7th Legion and Stromic army to do the same.
When Lord Danath finally arrived, he had Marran arrested by Captain Roderick Brewston and formally apologized for her actions, offering reparations. Overlord Geya'rah rejected them as she didn't want to punish his people for the regent's actions and only wanted to quash the animosity between their people, to which Danath eagerly offered his support in that endeavor. Nonetheless, Thrall couldn't help but be concerned that Marran's loyalists like Zatacia still stood at large, and could only trust that Danath's loyalists led by Knight-Captain Wrenn would be successful in dealing with them.[46]
Stromgarde's reinforcements were later led by Lord Danath Trollbane as part of the Alliance forces that traveled to Khaz Algar.[47] Their forces were made up of Stromgarde Footmen and Stromgarde Officers. They also served as guards for the Alliance Embassy within Dornogal, acting as the primary Alliance guards alongside the forces of the Wildhammer clan.[48]
Organization
“Stromgarde has been despoiled by invaders for too long. Today, we claim what is rightfully ours. For the Alliance!”
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Within the Stromgarde army, there are numerous ranks that denote the level of authority given to a certain individual. At the very top of this chain of command is the ruler of the kingdom of Stromgarde, currently Lord Danath Trollbane. In terms of ranks, it seems that they are based in the same way that those of the Stormwind Army and the Alliance forces in general.
Each of their soldiers is well-versed in mountaineering as in combat,[50] and were recognized as loyal, steadfast allies.[51] The Stromgarde footmen who fought and died during the battle of Tol Barad wore tags so that their corpses might be identified and sent home.[52]
Before falling under the control of the Scarlet Crusade after the Third War, the Old Monastery in Tirisfal Glades served as a major training ground for the Silver Hand paladins of Stromgarde.[53]
During the Battle for Stromgarde, Stromic soldiers lined the city, wearing red footman armor. Danath Trollbane was accompanied by the League of Arathor, who served as his main lieutenants across the battlefield. Stromgarde footmen could be found throughout the city prior to it being besieged by the Horde. Other forces included arbalests, spellweavers, and priestesses. The elite forces consisted of knights, wearing the League of Arathor tabard, and Veterans of Stromgarde. Their leadership appeared to all be wearing the same armor, which was similar to the Deadly Gladiator's Battlegear's plate for the warrior class.
In The War Within, the Stromgarde reinforcements that traveled to Khaz Algar were seen with modernized armors, still in the colors of the kingdom.
Divisions
- Stromgarde Militia
- League of Arathor
- Stromgarde Brigade (disbanded)
- Stromgarde Defenders
- Stromgarde Snipers Company
Membership
Named
- See also: Stromgarde Militia#Known members
- Radulf Leder
- Field Marshal Oslight
- Commander Amaren
- Captain Nials
- Captain Roderick Brewston[46]
- Knight-Captain Wrenn
- Knight-Captain Aldrin
- Lieutenant Samantha Redbane
- Lieutenant Valorcall †
- Sergeant Major Toban
- Sergeant Maclear
- Sir Maximus Adams
- Lady Hoteshem
- Adam Eternum
- Donal Osgood
- Draig
- Herrick
- Keras Wolfheart
- Kevin Young
- Oric Coe
- Samuel Hawke
- Captain Dathanor Cromwell
- Captain Ariana Thesslocke
- Grizzled Jopp
Unnamed
- Refuge Pointe Defenders
- Stromgarde Arbalests
- Stromgarde Cavalrymen
- Stromgarde Faithfuls
- Stromgarde Footmen
- Stormgarde Footmen (Dornogal)
- Stromgarde Gryphon Riders
- Stromgarde Guardsmen
- Stromgarde Marksmen
- Stromgarde Officers
- Stromgarde Priests
- Stromgarde Riflemen
- Stromgarde Sorcerers
- Stromgarde Sorceresses
- Stromgarde Spellweavers
- Veterans of Stromgarde
Fallen Footmen- Vengeful Ghosts
- League of Arathor
- Main article: League of Arathor#Members
- Stromgarde Militia
- Main article: Stromgarde Militia#Known members
Notes
- The League of Arathor uses a golden sigil representing the Empire of Arathor as their symbol.[28]
- Fallen footmen wearing Stromic uniforms can be summoned using
[Baradin Footman's Tags].
Gallery
The tabard of the kingdom of Stromgarde.
The kingdom's banner used during the warfront.
Stromgarde elite shield.
References
- ^ a b
[31] Plea To The Alliance
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Nations of the Alliance, Stromgarde
- ^ Day of the Dragon, pg. 5
- ^
[10-45] Death... and Decay
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 160
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, pg. 27 & 31
- ^ a b Tides of Darkness, chapter 16
- ^ Tides of Darkness, chapter 3
- ^ Tides of Darkness, pg. 260
- ^ Tol Barad (WC2 Human)
- ^ Tol Barad (WC2 Orc)
- ^ The Badlands (WC2 Orc)
- ^ The Fall of Stromgarde (WC2 Orc)
- ^ Tol Barad - Game Guide
- ^ Tides of Darkness, pg. 322-323
- ^ Alterac (WC2 Orc)
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 75
- ^ World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide, Updated and Expanded, pg. 87
- ^ Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal manual, Legends of the Land, Danath
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 177, 184
- ^ Baradin's Wardens. Archived from the original on 2013-05-21.
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 65
- ^ a b [10-45] The King Rises
- ^ Arathi Basin#Official overview
- ^ Field Marshal Oslight#Quotes
- ^ The League of Arathor - Official site. Archived from the original on 2012-01-01.
- ^ Arathi Basin - Game Guide
- ^ a b Arathi Basin Preview
- ^
[42] Sigil of Trollbane
- ^ [10-30] Wanted! Otto and Falconcrest
- ^ [42] Sigil of Trollbane
- ^ [10-30] Sigil of Arathor
- ^ [10-30] Wanted! Otto and Falconcrest
- ^ [10-30] Stromgarde Badges (Classic)
- ^ [30] The Dark Iron War
- ^ [31] Northfold Manor
- ^ [10-30] Stromgarde Badges (Cataclysm)
- ^ [10-45] Our Oldest Enemies
- ^ [10-45] Death... and Decay
- ^ BlizzCon 2019: Q&A panel
- ^ Turalyon#Stormwind Keep
- ^ Shadows Rising, chapter 9
- ^ a b Heartlands, Chapter 1 - Summit at Boralus
- ^ a b Heartlands, Chapter 3 - Bloodlines
- ^ Heartlands, Chapter 2 - Echoes of the Past
- ^ a b Heartlands, Chapter 5 - The Battle of Go'Shek Farm
- ^ [80] The Fleet Arrives
- ^
[80] Embassies and Envoys
- ^ Danath Trollbane's quote during the Battle for Stromgarde
- ^ Tides of Darkness, chapter 16
- ^ Day of the Dragon, chapter 1
- ^ [Baradin Footman's Tags]
- ^ [30D] The Scarlet Monastery