[hider=Great Dalaran] [b]Name[/b]: Dalaran [b]Held Territories[/b]: Most importantly the city of Dalaran itself. However with recent times it has acquired a significant territory that was once the Kingdom of Lordaeron and Alterac, as well as a smaller acquisition of what the Gilneans had abandoned outside of their great wall. Currently, their geopolitical goal is a combined offensive with the Stormpike Dwarves and allied Paladin Orders to retake Strahnbrad. [b]Other Assets[/b]: In all of the human, dwarven, and gnomish realms that would accept them, the Dalarani have subsidized magical academies both as exertions of soft powers, but also as genuine efforts to push back against the blows the have been struck to the good people of the Eastern Kingdoms. [b]Goals and Motivations[/b]: Dalaran’s enlightened despot has pushed it towards a somewhat idealist, but nonetheless utilitarian path. The City-State has evolved into something resembling a true nation, and indeed with the many cultures it has come to represent it is arguably now an Empire. Dalaran seeks to strengthen the alliance, yet this is simply a means to an end of fighting the scourge, the fel, and other evils of the world. It thus will not hesitate to stand its ground in disputes with the rest of the alliance. Dalaran is also highly motivated by its inquisitive ideology, their love of learning leading them to pursue relations as good as possible with the High Elves of Quel’Thalas. [b]Recent History[/b]: It seemed that with every passing day of having turned away the strange Prophet, Antonidas had found that the man’s portents were true. While he stared into his scrying orb to witness the battle for Lordaeron and then Quel’Thalas, he decided it was time to act. While he wasn’t going to go gallivanting into the West, he certainly knew that if Dalaran was to sit on its arse waiting for the world to pass them by then they would be crushed just as the Elves almost were. Seeing the exodus of refugees from Quel’Thalas and the collapsed Kingdom of Lordaeron Antonidas opened the gates of the Violet City for the first time in many years to outsiders. Quickly however, the old man realized just out of touch he was from the outside world when the city was full and a young clerk announced that not even a tenth of the fleeing people had been accommodated. In truth, he was lucky that several sizeable columns of fleeing folk had gone to Stromgarde, rather than try their chances with Dalaran. After realizing Dalaran in its couldn’t state couldn’t cope with the demand of shelter, food, and other basic needs of the arrivals, Antonidas had sent his emissaries to the great many villages of the now defunct Lordaeron crown that surrounded him. Yet again a shock came to the wizards, for they had arrived hoping to request grain from people they assumed were getting along just fine, but instead found that with the troops of the defunct Lordaeron having been exhausted fighting the scourge the settlements were undefended, prey to freely raid for bandits, trolls, and indeed the further spread of the scourge. It was thus that the wizardry was effectively forced to take stewardship of these regions, protecting them and the roads between with their arcane might to ensure that grain might yet again come to the mouths that needed it. Yet this process of ferrying food to the great tent cities outside Dalaran could only go for so long, and thus the wizards had to tell the people that they had to either move to the former Lordaeron villages or establish wholly new settlements. Yet they hardly had the infrastructure to help the people through this hard process. This was made yet more difficult as before they could do this they had to establish complex filtration of the refugees to ensure there were no cultists of the damned hidden among them. It was at this point that Antonidas made his next most controversial decision: to invite the Church of the Light to Dalaran. Though there was great outcry once this was done, he saw little other choice. With the arrival of Priests and Paladins to the city’s doorstep, the guard wasn’t eager to let them inside. But nonetheless they had to such that support and checks for lack of corruption of the refugees could properly be facilitated. While many raged at what they considered Antonidas squandering the precious resources of Dalaran, a multitude of voices were also quite content with the new authority that the Magocracy exercised on the continent. Yet, with every settlement that Dalaran took under its purview, it found that it was being assailed from its outskirts forcing the Dalarani mages to spread themselves further and further out. A cycle began where a new village would be claimed under the violet flag, only for it to be attacked from a new frontier that had to be pacified until it too became a controlled territory under threat. This lead to the mages eventually having to protect and lend their magic to the civilian affairs of a growing territory, with settlements that Gilneas had left behind outside their walls along with disparate humans unaffiliated with the syndicate in Alterac asking for the Violet City’s patronage on top of the initial Lordaeronian acquisitions. The process of this expansion however began to slow very quickly as Dalaran quite simply began to reach the limit of “spare” wizards that it could use to protect settlements as well as aid their prosperity with magics and their generalized knowledge. Antonidas was at a crossroads on how to resolve the problem of his overnight Empire being so quickly overstretched. It was struggling with the actual resources to maintain and grow it, not to speak of the logistical, infrastructural, and (at least to the city of Dalaran itself) most importantly bureaucratic strain that was most certainly not catching up. He decided to simply fix the matter by outsourcing the responsibilities that were too difficult for the Magocracy to maintain. The Church of the Light would help maintain the hospices that were occupying precious time and mana of wizards, while the now encountered Dwarves of the Stormpikes were glad to help defend the human settlers of Alterac. Mercenaries were hired, and gradually settlements were asked to form their own Home Guards to at least partially supplement the work of mages defending them. Most upsetting to some within the Violet City were deals made with the many different Orders of the Church of the Light to have them patrol the lands to defend them and keep cultists of the damned afeared. While the geopolitical success of Dalaran has brought great pride to many of the Magocracy, it also brings sideways glances from the Gilneans, Lordaeronians and even Stromgardians as claims recent for the former or ancient for the latter become disputed with settlements coming under the domain of the wizards. At the same time, Dalaran was very active in expanding its soft power. The capacity of free mages was further strained as many were sent abroad to help establish Dalarani magical academies of magic in any nation of the present or former alliance that would accept them. Going as far as Theramore, they further went to attempt to assist the nations in what ways they could such as joining troll-hunts or helping purge the scourge. Particular efforts have been made to attempt to strengthen relations with Quel’Thalas with joint research projects and other symbols of unity being pushed to try and if not restore Quel’Thalas to the Alliance, at least make it have a direct pact with Dalaran. With Dalaran having spread its tendrils far and wide, it is certainly the time to look inside for Dalaran as a great many internal issues plague it. The tensions between “greater Dalaran” and the city itself grow ever greater. It is ill-defined exactly what autonomies the territories outside of the city have, with the people of the Violet City becoming ever frustrated at what they perceive as Antonidas preferring foreigners over his own subjects. Religious conflict is spread as the largely apathetic people of Dalaran city look outside at worshippers of the light that divide themselves among how exactly they worship the light be they zealots prostrating themselves at the sight of Scarlet Crusaders, the caressing speech of the elf Arantir, or the Argent Dawn that represent something along the lines of the old code of the Silver Hand. Racial conflict similarly stirs as the human peasantry outside of the city looks with suspicion on the elves, dwarves, and gnomes that the city sports along with the novel introduction of the grand population of half-breeds therein. Though Antonidas promises the best is yet to be seen and his guiding hand has not failed Dalaran thus far, many are concerned that his aging mind and dire experiences are gradually clouding his judgement. [b]Key Players[/b]: The most important person in all of Dalaran is the [b]Archmage Antonidas[/b], head of the Kirin Tor and member of the Council of Six, he is the de facto if not de jure enlightened despot of Dalaran. Yet, entering his seventy-fifth year he has much on his mind for securing the future of Dalaran should he not wake the following day. He has become a dour man after many of his realizations about the world beyond his idyllic city, being far more reclusive than in the past. People can no longer freely visit him, having to make appointments instead. Yet, he has also decided to now spend hours each day to learn about the state of the realm by personally riding out to witness it. Though having long since left the city, [b]Jaina Proudmoore[/b] is an alumnus of Dalaran, and can be considered a member of its greater reach even if most certainly not taking any orders from Antonidas. [b]Kael’Thas Sunstrider[/b], a member of council of six is also a particularly important figure in Dalaran. While his nature as the son of the Elven King makes him a point of questioned loyalty, it is similarly seen as a useful inroad into good relations with Quel’Thalas and influencing their policy. [b]Khadgar[/b] - one of the noblest sons of Dalaran, great and well known are his exploits. Though for many years he was lost, the opening of the portal now means he may once more grace the Violet City. [b]Rhonin[/b] is a prodigal mage, and one of the Council of the Six. He is seen as the one most likely to replace Antonidas in the event Modera should not be selected for one or the other reason. He is somewhat of a parallel to Ansirem Runeweaver, being far more cosmopolitan yet also stable in his wizarding. [b]Modera[/b] has held her position longer than any member of the council save Antonidas, and by pure seniority would certainly seem to be next in line to be the de facto ruler of the state should he perish. [b]Ansirem Runeweaver[/b] is a member of the council of six, and while an impressive and notably creative archmage he is also known for more crude attitudes to non-humans, expressing great skepticism to the mercy Turalyon had given the orcs. Further he has shown the least enthusiasm towards Antonidas’s push to brotherhood with Quel’Thalas [b]Vanndar Stormpike[/b] is not a Dalaranian and damn well doesn’t take orders from them, but with the recent patronage of Dalaran for the Stormpikes in Alterac he speaks with representatives of the Magocracy almost daily. It is by agreements with him that Dwarves instruct forging of powder weapons for the growing militias of Dalaran and drill them in their use whilst Dalarani mages help him crush the orcs, trolls, ogres, and renegade men that are in the land. But perhaps most valued is simply the contribution of the wizards in facilitating the shipments of foods from the Lordaeron refugees settling in Alterac ruins, as well as their knowledge assisting in the excavations of the Stormpikes. He is also a critical link between Dalaran and Ironforge, his good word allowing many contracts on good conditions to be negotiated between the Mages and the realm of the Dwarves. [b]Arellas Fireleaf[/b] is a liaison between Dalaran and the Scarlet Crusade. A devoted zealot of the Light, he has nonetheless impressed much of Dalaran with his arcane knowledge and abilities, and is perhaps the sole reason that the Magocracy has been convinced that perhaps the Scarlet Crusade has redeeming qualities and may operate on its territory. [i]==OC==[/i] [b]Arantir Skellen[/b] has come to be an unofficial voice of the High Elven refugees that have settled in number within now Dalarani territory. He is unfortunately a great point of contention and headache for the Council of Six. He is a zealot of the Church of the Light, and the cold attitude of many mages within Dalaran to the Church understandably cause tensions when a firebrand as such runs amok. But, worse yet is that having mostly lead the Elves that were stuck outside of the Elfgate, a feeling of abandonment has resonated in his rhetoric that eventually lead him and many of the people that look up to the man to no longer recognize the authority of the Sunstrider dynasty. To the Magocracy which is trying to be on as good terms as possible with Quel’Thalas, harbouring such malcontents raises a problem. He has also come to be quite popular with many human refugees settling in Dalaran as well, and indeed his ability with magic as a seemingly self-taught mage has even impressed many a wizard. While for now a mere thorn in the side of the Kirin Tor, there is a concern his populism will one day genuinely challenge their rule of their extended realm outside of the city of Dalaran itself. For now, the wizards try to stifle his growing popularity among the new and old citizenry alike by spreading the knowledge that supposedly he was never actually ordained into the Church as a Priest, and is most certainly speaking without any authority as mere laity. He will typically be seen alongside his brother Alaestas. [b]Nilio[/b] is a gnome that fled his adopted home of Ironforge after an accident in his laboratory that made him a wanted man. He has found a home in Dalaran for his work, namely the attempt to synthesize magic with machinery. Grinding manastones as fuel, his experiments were a means for him to take the easy way out after running into issues with his scholarly studies as a natural born mage. Some particularly reactionary wizards however have taken negatively to his presence seeing the reduction of magic to a science being a perversion of their art.Though his services are appreciated, he is somewhat problematic as a remaining nuisance to the Dwarves and to a lesser extent gnomeregan left unpunished. [b]Barad[/b] is a Dwarf that was a close friend of Nilio who attempted to safeguard the gnome by taking the blame for the explosion. However, when he found out the penalty for the explosion would be many years of imprisonment his bravery shattered and thus he fled together with the gnome. An engineer by trade, he was extensively helping Nilio while also looking into his own works. Namely, he was interested in making machinery for the civilian sector such as agricultural equipment, growing frustrated with the rest of Ironforge’s tinkerers focusing almost entirely on military matters with the technology of peace being a mere footnote in their mental libraries. Much like Nilio the magocracy has valued his farming machinery and other contraptions, but Ironforge still wants him in shackles which has forced Dalarani emissaries to work overtime in their efforts to maintain good relations. [b]On the Stormpikes[/b] The Stormpikes are an extremely recent addition to the region. The expedition by Vanndar was almost a personal project of the Dwarf, the personal interest in unearthing precious artifacts to discover more of Dwarven history being a daring but well planned affair. The Dwarves arrived to Alterac experiencing many setbacks when first attempting to establish themselves, the combined Frostwolf Orcs, trolls, ogres, Syndicate, and Scourge elements all presenting their own respective problems. However, their difficulties were significantly reduced when wizards bearing Violet Banners arrived in the lands they were holding. After a long night of drinking with their representative, Vanndar found that he had arranged a very mutually beneficial partnership. The Dalarani and Stormpikes would pool their efforts to not only beat back the villainy that occupied the land, but properly secure it such that studies of archaeology could be performed and displaced people make their homes there. Ultimately the relationship between Dalaran and the Stormpikes had little formal binding to it, but it also has had little reason to fray. Some do see the two come to a head in the future however, as some have concerns that the Stormpikes maybe have disputes with some of the more zealous, or alternatively bigoted members of the Scarlet Crusade that the Dalarani have largely let run free to be spared of expenses in men and resources that the Scarlet Crusaders take upon themselves. Further, Vanndar is finding himself rather annoyed as some Dwarves in his expedition slowly take to the spreading following of the populist worship of the light spread by the High Elf Skellen. As well, the harbouring of the Dwarf Barad and Gnome Nilio has made Vanndar hear complaints from his troops on more than one occasion. [/hider] [hider=Antonidas] [b]Name[/b]: Antonidas [b]Faction[/b]: Dalaran [b]Rank/Role[/b]: Highest Archmage of all Dalaran [b]Appearance[/b]: Antonidas is an aged man, his flowing white beard looking like it would fit more in Ironforge than in Dalaran. His skin is somewhere between the sun-kissed peach tone many Dalarani find themselves bearing and the anemic paleness of elderly all across the Eastern Kingdoms. Surprisingly not suffering any natural hair loss, the man nonetheless has come to shave his scalp such that his wizarding skull-cap may fit more easily. Though hidden under mounds of wrinkles and facial hair, one can see the patrician nose and chin the wizard held. He has always been a man for dress that is practical rather than fancy, but being a wizard of his calibre has lead to the man inevitably achieving glamour in all his outfits with the sheer volume of crystals and rare earth minerals donning robes with runes of power covering all the eyes can see.. [b]Personality[/b]: Antonidas is a changed man. In the past he was haughty, self-righteous, and boorish. However, despite this he was a good man at heart as most Dalarani wizards. He sought to use his great talents to ultimately better the world, even if his definition of a better Azeroth differed from that of many. Nonetheless, he showed himself capable of great mercy and the ability to see past prejudice when he was almost the sole figure to advocate there could be some sort of good within the Orcish race. He was always a chipper fellow, eager to chat with his students or to attend a feast with foreign dignitaries. Nowadays that old enthusiasm is faded almost entirely. His encounters with the strange prophet followed by witnessing so much carnage and destruction had made the man pause and rethink all of his values prior. This was made much worse when he toured the lands that had pleaded for the protection of the Violet City’s wizards. He saw people trudging through muck and dying to mundane poxes, not to speak of being nigh helpless against the scourge, wild trolls, and whatever else lurked to prey on peasantry. The proverbial cherry on top was seeing the High Elves he had previously only encountered the nobility and warriors of, now displaying their own peasantry and suffering among the many refugees that had their homes outside the Elfgate ravaged. With this he has fallen into a depression of sorts, no longer lecturing at the Academies or taking any apprentices. The Archmage finds his mind second guessing himself more and more, uncertain what the future may yield and how to prepare for it. Fear for Dalaran and the whole of Azeroth has him brood for most of his time, planning for eventualities in an almost paranoid fashion. [b]Biography[/b]: Having witnessed his preconceptions crumbling in the aftermath of his brief chat with Medivh, Antonidas decided that he needed Dalaran to act lest it be swallowed by the same darkness that nearly took over Quel'Thalas. The Gates to the Violet City were thus opened by the Archmage, the masses of people fleeing from Quel’Thalas and Lordaeron free to enter. Yet Antonidas quickly found that his kindness was too little and too late, with the city unable to take them all in. His mind souring even further with this realization, he was still intent on doing right by the masses stuck outside of his city. Though he never expected or even wished to be put in such a role, he found himself having the great stress of having to go from managing a city-state to an Empire nearly overnight. As word spread of villages having been taken under the protection of the wizards such that they could feed the many thousands of displaced people, mayors from much of former Lordaeron reached out to plea to receive the same protection that their settlements were now bereft of with the death of Uther and King Terenas. Though often he is congratulated for rising to the occasion, his smiles and responses of gratitude are often hollow. Even as stability in the material front and on the borders has been achieved to some degree, Antonidas now ponders the more political questions of Dalaran and the other Kingdoms with much concern. As he must balance the concerns of the new population of “Greater Dalaran”, his core constituents in the Violet City, and appeasing allies abroad he finds himself concerned that all the work of the last few years could collapse on itself. Further, as the years keep accumulating he finds that neither he nor the other leaders of Dalaran are finding themselves exactly sure who will succeed him a fact raising yet more concern when Antonidas doesn’t find himself trusting any of the present Kirin-Tor in entirety to keep the patronage of the people he took personal pity upon. [b]Powers and other Abilities[/b]: Antonidas is quite likely the most powerful wielder of magic that isn't a dragon, a claimant to Godhood, or the recipient of a God's donated power. While all these conditional statements do diminish the impressiveness of his power, he is nonetheless capable of doing with a waggle of his fingers and a few mystic incantations what many would need a great deal of firepower and time to achieve. Yet violence is far from his sole use of magic, for he has mastered all disciplines of it he could. He could teleport ranks and columns of people, while also saving lives from the brink of death with a touch. Though never practicing it, he has learned of necromancy and the fel, a fact he fears could be used against his own people should the Scourge get its rotting hands on his corpse. Physically he is infirm owing to his advanced age, but he still keeps an excercise regimen as all wizards of Dalaran to be a spry old coot. However, far more important is that when needed he augments his physical abilities with his magic in the event that, for example, he finds need to run away from something and cannot teleport away. [/hider]