[hider=The Federal Monarchy of Gilneas-Lordaeron] Ask discord to set up a meet to talk stuff over [b]Name:[/b] The Federal Monarchy of Gilneas-Lordaeron [b]Held Territories:[/b] Gilneas, the Bite (the large chain of small islands and reefs surrounding Gilneas), Silverpine Forest up to Shadowfang Keep, Crestfall [b]Other Assets:[/b] In addition to having the presently largest land army on the Eastern Kingdoms/Azeroth, Gilneas possesses the unique advantage of the Worgen -- a botched attempt at sweeping away the Scourge that, although failed, has provided both it and the Scarlet Crusade a type of soldier nearly ideal for fighting the Scourge. Their somewhat cautious relationship with the Night Elves, also, has granted them relatively unique access to true druidcraft, distinct from the Kul Tiran Thornspeakers. Also, while not nearly as technologically advanced as Khaz Modan or Gnomeregan, among the human kingdoms at least, Gilneas is a relatively industrial power, and one of the few with capable lines of mass-production. Firearms and cannon, as such, are quite common. [b]Goals and Motivations:[/b] With the marriage of Calia Menethil to Liam Greymane, House Greymane officially became Gilneas-Lordaeron, with the Lordaeronian crown subordinated to Gilneas. Initially an attempt by Prince Fordring of the Argent Crusade to secure Gilnean intervention in the war against the Scourge (and Calia’s safety, with her consent), the marriage has resulted in reclamation of Lordaeron becoming King Greymane’s top priority. His peoples’ affliction with the Worgen Curse, also, drastically softened his and the people of Gilneas's perspective on the races of the Horde, particularly the Orcs, making someone who once believed they should be executed into an outspoken, if somewhat cynical, advocate for their acceptance. Additionally, as part of the compact with the Kal’dorei, Gilneas has promised the Whispering Forest and Tal’Doren to them and the Green Dragonflight, along with a diplomatic obligation to protect sites deemed important to the Emerald dream, and an expectation of maintaining the natural world. [b]Recent History:[/b] As the Scourge battered against the walls of Quel’thalas, Gilneas yet still remained hidden behind its legendary wall, initially effectively unassailable. Greymane was sure his strategy was sound, even as discontent brewed within the kingdom -- after all, short of the Elfgates, there was perhaps no more well-constructed network of fortifications in the world. When the Quel’dorei of Quel’thalas succeeded in repelling the Scourge, his confidence in the fortifications was buoyed to even further heights. The Elfgates worked wondrously, and though a substantial portion of Quel’thalas was destroyed by the Scourge, , the walls themselves held. Unlike the Elves, however, the entirety of Gilneas was hidden behind the walls, and a network of sharp reefs and rocky cliffs so imposing that no mortal army would dare invade it, never mind one sorely lacking skilled, sentient sailors. Discontent, however, did continue to brew, eventually erupting into all-out rebellion, Lord Darius Crowley at the head of it all. Thanks to the sheer size of the highly profession volunteer Gilnean Army, the rebellion struggled to succeed in its early stages, in spite of Crowley routinely managing to dodge capture and harass the Gilnean forces. That all abruptly changed, however, when Prince Tirion Fordring arrived at the Wall's gates with Princess -- now technically King -- Calia Menethil, offering a state marriage to Prince Greymane in exchange for Gilnean assistance against the Scourge. Genn agreed, and, in an effort to put a halt to the Northgate Rebellion, put Crowley in charge of his troops. The hardened and still relatively well-supplied Gilnean Army, bolstered by the Northgate rebels, swept out into the Silverpine Forest, sweeping away the Scourge with sheer weight of fire, vast quantities of firearms and cannon unheard of anywhere else but perhaps Ironforge rolled into action. Crowley quickly proved himself more skilled commanding grand armies than rebellions, though even he began to struggle with Shadowfang Keep, occupied by Scourge necromancers and repurposed for the animation of powerful abominations. Desperate for a solution and knowing they couldn't advance any further, Greymane employed the services of one Archmage Arugal to summon the Worgen -- and summon them he did. The Worgen quickly slaughtered the Scourge in the Keep, but many Gilnean soldiers were bitten in the process -- unknown to the Gilneans, the very method by which the Curse could spread. Sergeant Ivar Blackwood, enraged at the Archmage's betrayal, leapt upon him and cut the relatively middling mage's throat, departing with the King and Crowley for Gilneas as they lost control of the Worgen, unknowingly taking vectors for the Curse with them. When the first transformations began, the wall was swiftly closed in an attempt to keep the Curse bottled up. Those Gilneans stranded outside of the wall were swiftly placed under Liam's command, while, on the inside, the Royal chemist worked dilligently to cure the Curse, irregular culls undertaken by nobility in the early days before they was any serious hope of there ever being a cure. That all changed with the arrival of a group of Night Elves led by Belysra Starbreeze, who, together with Krennan, were able to develop a permanent, mass-cure to the majority of the Curse's mental symptoms, recovering the Scythe and slaying Alpha prime with the aid of Arvell, in the form of a spirit wolf. In exchange, the Gilneans gave the Night Elves effective control over Tal'doren, the very tree where the first Ritual of Balance to control the Curse was performed, alongside the territory of the Whispering Forest -- once Lordaeron was retaken. Now, with the Worgen Curse largely under control, Genn prepares to re-open the gates and unleash his newly-strengthened army. [b]Key Players:[/b] King Liam Greymane-Menethil: (write short sheets for King Calia and Genn) One half of the dual monarchy ostensibly ruling Lordaeron, Liam is kind to his wife despite the political nature of their marriage, allowing her to live her life as she pleases. The two are close friends by now, but by no means lovers, though even Liam is viewed highly by most surviving Lordaeronians, having taken to his new role without bias toward his father's interests, even during the quarantine. Liam isn't much of a fighter, however, though he is a competent statesman. He typically defers to the more soft-spoken Calia on diplomatic matters, who is herself well-loved by the people of the Alliance in general. Royal Chemist Krennan Aranas: one of Genn's closest confidantes and a genius chemist/alchemist, Krennan was absolutely essentially to keeping Gilneas survivable during quarantine and has the King's implicit trust. Now, with the Curse cured, he seeks to develop chemical weapons and cures tk be used in conflict with the Undead Scourge, attempting to develop an alchemical concoction to inoculate the non-Worgen of the Alliance against the plague. Celestine of the Harvest: once a powerful albeit unrefined Harvest Witch, Celestine is now a properly trained druid, and easily the most powerful in Gilneas She acts as the kingdom's liaison with the Night Elves Grand Marshal Darius Crowley: having gone from Genn's closest friend, to his greatest enemy, and back to his most trusted ally in the span of a decade, Crowley has had an extremely fraught career, though he is nonetheless an extremely effective General and a capable fighter, and a passionate advocate of the Alliance, initially chosen by Genn as his Grand Marshal simply to keep him away from the homefront. Crowley's friendship with Genn only repaired itself after the Shadowfang disaster, however -- despite the fact that Genn obviously bore some blame for the attack, Crowley saw his passionate desire to protect his people as a positive, and has come to view Genn far more positively than he did a mere four years ago while leading a rebellion against him. Himself a Worgen, he now prepares to lead Gilneas's armies back into Lordaeron. Knight-Champion Ivar Bloodfang: having saved his King's life from a certain end twice, Ivar, now Ivar Bloodfang, is lauded by Genn himself as an incredibly skilled warrior, given direct command over a company of Gilneas's most hardened soldiers, all Worgen themselves. Once a soldier in the Second War and eventually a hardened Northgate Rebel, Ivar is now a hulking Worgen, towering over most of his fellows. He exclusively lives in his wolf-form. [/hider] [hider=The Old Wolf] Name: Genn Greymane Faction: Gilneas Rank/Role: King of Gilneas Appearance: [img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1057090720915259453/1060127331240394783/WvNs7M5S_2x.jpg[/img] Despite what one may expect of an old king, Genn Greymane is built like a tank -- broad-shouldered, well-muscled and imposing in his age, even when merely in human form, bearish in build.A short-cropped beard crames his chin and mouth, such a light shade of grey that it's nearly white -- and likewise with his close-cropped hair and eyebrows. Though wrinkled and showing visible signs of age, Genn has no intention of slowing down -- especially with his newfound strength. In with Worgen form, Genn's taller than even taller tauren. His fur, much like his human form, is mostly grey, his body packed with dozens upon dozens of pounds of half-canine muscle. Wicked white claws the size of daggers are on his hands, smaller ones on his paws and replete with a matching set of powerful fangs and canine teeth in his maw. In either form, his eyes are a bright shade of blue, though they become so bright in Worgen form that they appear to shine. Personality: a deeply complicated man, King Greymane has gone from a deeply racist isolationist to a passionate member of the Alliance and advocate for establishing proper relations with the Horde. (WIp Biography: Genn's rulership since the death of Dar'khan Drathir has been fraught with trouble. And yet, for a time, his Greymane wall held -- and so, the King was content that he'd managed to protect his nation without sending Gilneans to die for Lordaeron, despite increasingly violent arguments with Darius Crowley. By the time of the event, their begrudging respect was anything but, typically devolving into blistering shouting matches between those nobles who agreed with their King and Darius's quickly growing faction of malcontents who wished to bring Gilneas's powerful army to bear in defense of the Alliance. Gilneans would die fighting the Scourge eventually, Crowley argued -- if the Alliance failed, either their corruption would seep into Gilneas over time or they'd batter the wall down, however well-built it was, under tides of bodies. A mere month later, Crowley declared open rebellion against his former friend alongside a handful of other nobles -- mostly those with holdings outside of the Greymane Wall. Without their demenses, the nobles were forced to fight a guerilla war alongside anyone that would join them, including a substantial portion of the Gilnean Army. The rebellion didn't last long, however -- the Scarlet Crusade's arrival and offer of state marriage to Liam with Calia Menethil was one Genn was more than happy to accept, promptly deploying those parts of Gilneas's army still able to fight into the Silverpine Forest, placing them under Crowley's command both due to his skill and Genn's desire to keep him away from the civilian populace where he could create more dissent. When the Gilnean-Scarlet advance stalled at Shadowfang Keep, one of the most difficult-to-assault keeps in the Eastern Kingdoms, the disgraced Archmage Arugal approached King Greymane with a solution: summon otherworldly wolf-men, the Worgen, to destroy the Scourge. Brutal in close combat and immune to being risen as undead except by the most potent necromancers along with immunity to the Plague, they would ne practically ideal for dislodging the Scourge from Shadowfang. Arugal had practically all of the most powerful Gilnean nobles convinced, except Crowley and a contingent of especially isolationist nobles led by Lord Godfrey. Unfriendly with Crowley, however, they were unable to persuade Greymane to turn Arugal away -- and so, the Worgen were summoned. However, Ivar Bloodfang, a particularly aggressive Sergeant and Crowley's bodyguard, realized Arugal's deception just as the Worgen began to turn on the Gilneans, knocking him to the ground and cutting his throat before he could escape. By then, however, many Gilnean soldiers has already been infected by the Curse, brought back into Gilneas to recuperate after the botched assault. Royal Chemist Krennan voiced concerns that the Curse might spread through bites, but before anything could be done by King Greymane, the Worgen had already begun to spread their Curse -- and so, Genn instituted a strict quarantine until the Curse could be contained, re-barring the Greymane Wall's gates while Krennan worked on a cure for the Curse. Unbeknownst to them, the Worgen were led by a particularly powerful member of their kind, the Alpha Prime, who sought to spread the Curse to every last soul in Gilneas -- Gen was dealing with a far more complex problem than he realized. After thebsummong of the Worgen, Genn had requested Crowley's permission to recruit Ivar as a bodyguard -- and so, he accompanied the King on many of his Worgen hunts with his fellow noblesz hoping to cull the numbers of Worgen deemed too dangerous to wait for a cure. On one such trip, Genn encountered an especially powerful Worgen -- together with Ivar, they were able to defeat it, but not before both were bitte. Lord Godfrey and the other nobles on the trip discovered them, unfortunately for the nobles, and attempted to execute Genn and Bolver -- only for the two to overpower and kill the nobles for their murder attempt. Genn was able to stem the tide of his Curse with the Royal Chemist's aid, however partially, risking mental degeneration if he shifted into his Worgen form -- until a group of druids led by Belysra Starbreeze arrived in Gilneas seeking to aid them, having sensed the disturbance caused by the re-emergence of the Curse. Together with Genn, Crowley, Ivar (now Ivar Bloodfang), and the Night Elves, they were able to use the newly-recovered Scythe and Krennan's potions to bring a vast number of the Worgen control of their minds and forms back, luring the Alpha Prime into a trap which saw his surprising death at the hands of a Night Elf in the form of a Spirit Wolf, Arvell. In exchange for their help suppression the worst mental effects of the Curse, and being taught druidcraft, Genn agreed to give the Elves and the Green Dragonflight full access to Tal'doren, swearing to hand over the Whispering Forest in Lordaeron and take on an obligation to protect the Dream. Genn ordered the teachings of druidcraft spread to all Gilneans that were willing to learn it, knowing it would be incredibly effective against the Undead Scourge. Now, with the Ritual of Balance in their power, Genn prepared to open the gates, rejoin the Alliance in full, and wipe the Scourge from the face of Azeroth. Powers and other Abilities:immensely strong and made even more effective by his Curse, Genn is fully capable of ripping apart men with pure strength when in Worgen form, his claws shearing apart steel while his bite can crush the bones of even Ogres. Even in human form, he's quite skilled with his large-caliber pistol and sword, but it's in Worgen form that he becomes a one-man massacre, fully intent on fighting on the frontlines against the Scourge so that Gilneas can take its rightful place as the dominant power in Azeroth. [/hider] [hider=Calia the Light-Blessed] Name: Calia Greymane-Menethil Faction (if applicable): The Federal Monarchy of Gilneas-Lordaeron, Kingdom of Lordaeron Rank/Role (What's their 'job' in the faction they play a part in?): Queen, priestess of the Light Appearance: Enchantingly beautiful, Calia is a person that's almost difficult to dislike, generally well-liked by most people she meets. Her appearance plays no small part in this -- from her soft features to her kind smile, bright golden blonde hair, and her endlessly kind smile, never once showing a hint of impatience or anger, dark blue eyes reassuring anyone they fall upon. Personality: Unfailingly calm, patient, and kind, Calia often takes on the role of mediator between Alliance leaders during tense negotiations, often the one to bring leaders back to the negotiating table after particularly loud arguments. Such responsibilities strain her, but never frustrate, to the point it's said that the woman has never once become angry, a truth despite its apparent impossibility. Even moreso, she cares deeply for her people, willing to make great personal sacrifices for their benefit.she is humble, too, and in many ways, the ideal ruler -- one who does not wish to wear the crown, but who will be the best she can regardless. Biography: caught in capital city during her brother's betrayal, Calia was forced to flee in desperation, hiding under foliage in a drainage ditch as the Scourge ravaged the city. She did the only thing she knew how to survive such inevitable damnation that would befall her were she caught -- pray. Miraculously, Calia's prayers were answered when Abbendis and his Acolytes tracked her down following visions sent to them by the Holy Light, finding Calia after two weeks of gruelling survival in the Tirisfal wilderness. Though their escape to safety was nearly arrested by a vast swarm of undead -- but Alexandros Mograine, likewise guided to them by the Holy Light, allowing the trio to narrowly escape to the Crusade-held Hillsbrad Foothills and de-facto Lordaeronian capital of Southshore. Crowned with her father's very crown, Calia restored Tirion's title in absentia of Hearthglen. A plan was swiftly concocted to earn Gilneas's assistance, now the largest army in the known world, and one of the best-equipped -- Calia would approach the Gilnean King, offering purekt political/state marriage to Liam, and thus de-facto rights for him in a Federal Monarchy to Lordaeron, offering the potential for Gilneas to become vastly more powerful. Genn enthusiastically agreed, and, after a state wedding in the Light's Dawn cathedral, she briefly returned to ministering to her people in Hillsbrad, supervising the construction of a cathedral in Southshore, Lordaeron's tempirary cathedralm When Gilneas's armies went on the attack, however, she opted to stay near the frontlines to help heal the soldiers -- and when the Worgen were about to be deployed, she was struck by a vision of the devastation they would cause and their eventual calming. Though she wept for the people of Gilneas, in the interim of their quarantine, Calia refused to let her grief overcome her, bringing the full weight of her connection to the Holy Light to bear in the fight against the Scourge. Now, she is struck one more by visions -- the Greymane Wall is about to reopen. Powers and other Abilities: though still in her infancy in terms of sheer power, Calia has an unquestionably eep connection to the Light, and not solely because of the strength she has in her convictions. She is certainly outpaced by some priests -- such as Alonsus Faol -- but her power is growing exponentially, and shows no signs of stopping. [/hider]