User:Ximothy/World of Second Warcraft

Alliance of Lordaeron

The Alliance was formed by the Seven Kingdoms and were swiftly joined by dwarven, elven and gnomish allies.

The Alliance of Lordaeron, usually shortened to just the Alliance, is the union formed to oppose the marauding Horde who seek to claim this world for themselves. They strongly value ideals such as justice, order, freedoms and liberations, being on the defensive in a war against an invading horde. The Alliance consisted of Humans of Lordaeron, Dwarves of Aerie Peaks and Elves of Quel'Thalas, with the Gnome exiles from Gnomeregan fully joining on a later date.

Founded by the Seven Kingdoms of humanity after the Destruction of Azeroth at the hands of the Horde led in war by the Supreme Allied Commander Anduin Lothar. In short order the Alliance found allies in the dwarves, gnomes and high elves in their war with the Horde. Although this unity made them strong enough to resist the Horde during the Second War the Horde was able to capture heart of humanity's lands and force a treaty upon the Alliance under duress. The Treaty of Lordaeron was signed much to the outrage of many allies, notably it led to the Ironforge Dwarves leaving the Alliance as they had withdrawn from Khaz Modan, while Quel'Thalas remained in the Alliance the sacrifice of southern elven lands caused a great deal of tension between them and the other races. Still with the prospect of a Third War looming many in the Alliance remain determined to rebuild their armies and liberate the southern lands that endure Horde occupation.

Humans of Lordaeron

Humans
Character classes	Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, Hunter
Main language	Common
Starting zone	Lightknell, Tirisfal Glades
Racial leader	King Terenas Menethil II
Capital	Capital City
Racial mount	Horse

Anduin Lothar is seen as the greatest paragon of humanity and is the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces.

The Humans of the Seven Kingdoms stand as a people strong in faith, virtue and morality. That's not to say humanity are not without their own faults, but in the face of growing evils across the world, the Horde marching on their doorsteps and the ever present threat of demons, mankind has risen to face impossible trials in the name of survival and faith. As the founding father of the Alliance of Lordaeron, the humans are often at the forefront of their efforts, and the bulk of the military is dedicated by them.

Though there are many kingdoms none hold as much power and influence as the Kingdom of Lordaeron, with their King Terenas Menethil II acting as the patron of the Alliance as a whole. Though Anduin Lothar commands the Alliance's military Terenas is seen as the guiding leader of humanity in these trying times, with aged wisdom and guile being highly valued. Among humanity's heroes are Anduin Lothar himself, Supreme Allied Commander and Hero of the first Two Wars who has spent the last decade planning the oncoming Third War. Uther the Lightbringer is the leader of the Knights of the Silver Hand, being a former priest of Northshire during the First War. Lothar's right hand man, Turalyon, is a Knight of Lordaeron and Paladin who has fought at the side of Lothar since the early onset of the Second War.

Their capital is the Capital City itself, situated deep in Alliance territory in Tirisfal Glades. Here King Menethil holds court over his Lords and also has represenatives from the Seven Kingdoms, including the young King in Exile Varian Wrynn who is eager to see his home, Azeroth, reclaimed from the orcish Horde. The city is divided into several quarters, one of which has been given to the gnomish refugees who have recently arrived after Gnomeregan fell. The starting region of the humans is the small community of Lightknell, a religious town devoted to training the next generation of humanity's defenders under the guide of Archbishop Faol who runs the community and deal with local kobolds, bandits and even some Horde infiltrators.

As a new war approaches the Seven Kingdoms must contend with various threats from traitors from within, Bandits taking advantage of the chaos, and other local threats. However even as the War Trust builds the Alliance's might rumours and whispers of necromantic cults operating within human lands have reached the rulers of the Alliance who are concerned of a new threat beyond their hated enemy in the Horde. Now, perhaps more than ever, new heroes are needed as adventurers and mercenaries leave their homes to make their fate and fortune on the road, with these unlikely heroes possibly being handed the fate of not just the Alliance but all of the world as the burning shadows encroach on the borders of reality once more...

Dwarves

Dwarfs
Character classes	Shaman, Rogue, Warrior, Hunter
Main language	Dwarven
Starting zone	Grif's Vale, Hinterlands
Racial leader	Thane Kurdran Wildhammer
Capital	Aerie Peak
Racial mount	Ram Gryphon

Kurdran Wildhammer succeeded High Thane Maz Drachirp, who died in the Second War.

The Dwarves of the Aerie are seen as the wildmen of the Alliance, instead of grand cities like those of men and elves the dwarves favour wide open homes alongside their closest companions, the Gryphons who they share a unique relationship with. The Wildhammer clan of dwarves were an early ally of the Alliance in the Second War after the Alliance provided aid in lifting the siege on their home, however they lost their High Thane, Maz Drachrip, to the ogre warlord Gorkrol before this aid was able to reach them, in addition to many others who lost their lives to the orcs' unprovoked attack. They are grateful to the armies of men for this aid, however they also posses a bond with the High elves whom they are ancient allies of sharing a hatred of the local Forest Trolls who, as fate would have it, have thrown their lot in with the Horde.

With the death of their previous Thane in the last conflict the war hero Kurdran Wildhammer has stepped up to lead the Clan, always eager to settle the scores with the Horde as a Wildhammer never forgets those whom have wronged them. He is a trusted member of the War Trust, Lothar's inner circle, and is hopeful that the upcoming war will be an Alliance victory. Aside from Kurdran another war time hero is Falstad Dragonreaver who gained a reputation as an anti-dragon warrior and is seen as a rising star among the Alliance. Among the seers of the clan is Stormcaller Mylra, a shamaness, who has become a fresh face in the Alliance and believes the Horde is ultimately poison to the spirits of the world.

Their capital is Aerie Peak a city built into the mountains and cliffs of the Hinterlands, their homeland. Easily identified by their colossal Gryphon carved from a mountain top where the Thane holds office and many gryphons come and go as their wish. The city extends beyond the part built into a mountain, as the hill dwarves live in homes dug into the ground with grassy roofs. Their home suffered siege during the last war, with many of these homes being burnt out and the dwarves forced into the more fortified inner Aerie however the damage has since been rebuilt. In the north is Grif's Vale, where a great tree grows from the earth and young dwarves are trained in combat and survival to face the dangerous world ahead.

Dark days are ahead and the dwarves need stalwart and resolute dwarves to carry their banners to the front and protect their way of life. Although their Ironforge kin remain under constant siege and slaughter the Wildhammer hope to liberate their brethren from the hands of the Horde, as well as drive the ogres out of Grim Batol, a former Wildhammer city that the ogres have claimed as their own. They must deal with forest troll tribes who did not join the Horde thus are not bound by the treaty constantly attacking them, in addition hostile Green Drakes in the north of their home, feral wildkin and a growing taint coming from the south. As war returns to these lands the Aerie will not find themselves wanting as a new generation of dwarven heroes rise to challenge the darkness...

High Elves

High Elves
Character classes	Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Priest, Paladin, Hunter
Main language	Thalassian
Starting zone	Sunstrider Isle, Eversong Woods
Racial leader	Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider
Capital	Silvermoon City
Racial mount	Hawkstrider Dragonhawk

The ancient King of Quel'Thalas, Anasterian Sunstrider, is considered the singular most powerful member of the faction yet also fairweather at worst and aloof at best towards his allies.

The High elves of Quel'Thalas are the aloof and fairweathered allies of the Alliance. Long living in their isolated kingdom north of the kingdoms of men the magical elves built a society to live in comfort away from other races yet always dealt with forest troll raids on their settlements. Even though they stand as members now they are considered aloof from their allies as their focus is almost entirely on their own territories and they don't care about lands outside of their home. Still their mages and rangers provide a great service to the Alliance that can't be disputed.

The current Sun King, Anasterian Sunstrider, is the longest reigning monarch of the elves ruling nearly as long as all previous monarchs combined and was the king in the Troll Wars long before any of the modern human Kingdoms were founded. The current Ranger-General, she who leads the Ranger Corps and acts as military commander of the elven forces, is Sylvanas Windrunner while her sister Alleria works with the greater Alliance and serves on the War Trust. The crown Prince is Kael'thas who not only is a supporter of working alongside the Alliance but is a member of the ruling council of Dalaran. Belo'vir Salonar is the Grand Magister of the kingdom and coordinates the various magi of their nation.

Their capital, Silvermoon City, sits in the north of Eversong Woods and serves as the capital and heart of the high elven culture, great spires towering over the landscape and surpassing their allies' cities in terms of beauty and grandur. To the north of the city is the Sunwell, their sacred font of power which the elves revere and call upon to protect their home from invaders especially after their southern lands fell to the Amani in the last war, with Eversong's Runestones keeping them from further incursions. Sunstrider Spire is the palace of King Anasterian and where he holds court from, with the Convocation of Silvermoon being present in the spire as well politiking amongst themselves. New elven adventurers will start from Sunstrider Isle named as it is the burial location of Dath'Remar Sunstrider the founder of Quel'Thalas and the Academy there serves to teach new elves.

Though elves and men were once allies during the Troll Wars the elves were reluctant to devote forces to the Alliance and only sent a token force as a result of them invoking the Arathi blood debt, only to fully join the Alliance after the Horde invaded Quel'Thalas on behalf of their Amani allies. However lands of the elves were sacrificed in the Treaty of Lordaeron much to the outrage of King Sunstrider, however unlike the Ironforge dwarves they did not leave the Alliance. King Anasterian knows the elves alone cannot fight the Horde so he reluctantly stays in the Alliance and is preparing his kingdom for the renewed war to reclaim the lands the Amani took in the previous war.

Gnomes

Gnomes
Character classes	Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Priest
Main language	Gnomish
Starting zone	Tinker's Landing, Tirisfal Glades
Racial leader	High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque
Capital	Tinker Town, Capital City
Racial mount	Mechanostrider

Gelbin Mekkatorque leads the gnomes in exile after Gnomeregan's defences fell to the Horde and the gnomes, in desperation, flooded their city with radiation. He hopes to reclaim their homes despite the damage.

The Gnomes, formerly of Gnomeregan, were members of the Alliance during the Second War as their city was under constant siege by the Horde however after the Treaty of Lordaeron all but abandoned Khaz Modan the gnomes had a diminished presence in the Alliance. Recently the Horde were able to breech Gnomeregan and in a bid to drive out the orcs the gnomes unleashed a prototype radioactive bomb that flooded their city and transformed many, both gnome and Horde alike, into crazed slime like lepers. High Tinker Mekkatorque managed to evacuate the gnomish civilians before this and led their exodus across Baradin Bay to Lordaeron, settling on the northern coast of the continent.

Now renewed members of the Alliance the Gnomeregan Exiles provide their technology and agents to the lion cause, rapidly spreading their machines across the Alliance armies and territories as the renewed war breaks out across the world. In particular the gnomes have always had a heated rivalry with goblins, it was machines of the Steamwheedle that allowed the Horde to breech Gnomeregan at all and the goblins spear headed the invasion. Even now goblin scalvangers move into Gnomeregan to pick it clean, with gnomes hoping to recover their technology and machines as well as strike back against the island homes of the goblins in the midst of this war.

The leader of the gnomes is the High Tinker, a position elected by the Tinker's Court, and currently this office is held by Gelbin Mekkatorque. He was the one who ordered the bomb to go off at the insistence of his friend, long time rival and adviser, Sicco Thermaplugg, who had sabotaged the device. Thermaplugg remained in the radioactive Gnomeregan as a leper and styles himself as "King of Gnomeregan" backed by a strange army of troggs from below Gnomeregan.

The surviving gnomes arrived in Tirisfal Glades at Tinker's Landing where they will begin their training to provide services to the Alliance as adventurers and hopefully one day reclaim and restore Gnomeregan to its former glory. Mekkatorque and the gnomish leadership moved into the Capital City as King Terenas provided a district to the gnome refugees to live in which came to be called Tinker Town and it is there Mekkatorque coordinates the gnomish people.

Great Horde

While dominated by the Orcs the Horde has expanded to include the ogres, forest trolls and goblins.

The Orcish Horde was once the union of the clans of Draenor who invaded Azeroth seeking to conquer various lands, bringing the ogres who are also native to their homeworld. However while the early conquests over Azeroth and Khaz Modan were a glorious victory for the Horde the new Warchief Orgrim saw that a united world could fend off the Horde and sought native allies, recruiting the forest trolls who's land long ago was taken by elves and humans generations ago with promises of reclamation; and goblins, as one Cartel saw the marauding Horde as the inevitable winners and wanted to be on the top by allying early with them. Though Orgrim stands at the top of the Horde's heriarchy as its absolute leader the Horde is also more prone to infighting than the Alliance is.

Although the Second War saw the Horde's strength sapped due to Gul'dan's betrayal it also ended in a stalemate in the Horde's favour and since the signing of the Treaty of Lordaeron Warchief Doomhammer has focused the Horde on rebuilding their armies and reforging their arsenals, determined to complete the conquests they had begun over a decade ago when they crossed the Dark Portal. Determined to raise their bloodied banner over this world the dominion of the Horde would be one where strength reigns and the weak serve; where the Warchief's word is absolute and all others, even the leaders of the other races, bow to his command. A dark destiny awaits this world under the Horde's rule.

Orcs

Orcs
Character classes	Warlock, Rogue, Warrior, Necrolyte, Hunter, Shaman
Main language	Orcish
Starting zone	Altar of Storms, Burning Steppes
Racial leader	Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer
Capital	Blackrock Spire
Racial mount	Wolves Red Drakes

The Warchief of the Horde also acts as the lord of the orcish clans. While all races of the Horde have sworn to the Warchief the orcs are expected to directly follow Orgrim's law.

Ogre

Ogre
Character classes	Warlock, Warrior, Necrolyte, Hunter, Mage
Main language	Ogre
Starting zone	Northeron, Gorian Highlands
Racial leader	Gorkrol Gronncrusher
Capital	Grim Batol
Racial mount	Clefthoof

Gorkrol Gronncrusher was able to over throw the ogres' Gronn masters with the aid of the Horde, securing his and his followers' loyalty.

Forest Trolls

Forest Trolls
Character classes	Rogue, Warrior, Warlock, Necrolyte, Hunter, Shaman
Main language	Zandali
Starting zone	Maisara Hills, Zul'Aman
Racial leader	Warlord Zul'jin
Capital	Shrine of Ula'Tek
Racial mount	Bear Bat

The lord of Zul'Aman and master of the forest troll tribes Zul'jin has agreed to join the Horde in return for Quel'Thalas, the ancient homeland of the trolls.

Goblins

Goblins
Character classes	Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Warlock
Main language	Goblin
Starting zone	Testing Ground Burning Steppes
Racial leader	Trade Prince Rasto Steamwheedle
Capital	Boomtowm, Blackrock Spire
Racial mount	Trike

Rasto Steamwheedle has forgone the traditional neutrality of the goblins to throw his lot in with the Horde, hedging his bets that the otherworldly invaders will win.