Kingdom of Kul Tiras

The Kingdom of Kul Tiras is a human nation located on a series of islands south-west of the former Kingdom of Lordaeron and west of the mountains of Khaz Modan. Currently Kul Tiras is a member of the Grand Alliance. However, due to the significant defeat of Kul Tiran armada under command of Lord-Admiral Daelin Proudmoore by Warchief Thrall and the Admiral's daughter, Jaina Proudmoore, the power of the nation has been severely reduced.

"Kul Tiras is not a state with a navy, but a navy with a state."


 * ~Former Stormwind Ambassador to Kul Tiras, Erich Manstein

History
At the height of the Arathorian Empire; Strom began to expand outwards. The islands that would make up Kul Tiras were colonized due to their placement in Baradin Bay, and due to their inability to be governed as easily as land, trusted servants of the crown were put in charge of the region. The islands were run by island dukes, with the most powerful being Duke Proudmoore of Boralus. The island chain was prosperous for a time; but dealt with a small uprising in the form of Tol Barad. Desiring to be free of their Arathi overlords the people of Tol Barad rallied behind their island duke, self-proclaimed king George Baradin the First. Ordered to deal with the uprising; the dukes rallied together under Lord Proudmoore and defeated Tol Barad. A heavy troop of Arathi loyal soldiers were left behind, and Duke George was beheaded and seceded by his son.

As the empire declined following such events as the War of Aderic, The House of Proudmoore seized the opportunity to crown its head as King of Kul Tiras. With most of the Empire's naval forces backing him; most of the island dukes pledged loyalty to him and the Empire lost most of its fleet. Ironically, Tol Barad refused to join and remained in Strom's possession. It would remain this way for hundreds of years until following the Second War where the island was annexed by Kul Tiras after Stromgarde abandoned it.

Kul Tiras would later take part in the War of Silverpine on the side of Lordaeron and the War for Stormwind's Independence against Arathor, but remained relatively peaceful in the following years.

Later History
Before the Second War Kul Tiras was known to host the largest navy in the known world. Kul Tiran trading caravels and warships alike prowled the Baradin Sea nearly unopposed by the other human nations of the Eastern Kingdoms.

It was at the onset of the Second War that Daelin Proudmoore, the Lord-Admiral and King of Kul Tiras, pledged his fleets to the Alliance of Lordaeron. Proudmoore, during his service in the war would become the first Grand Admiral of the Alliance and a hero to many conservative elements of the Alliance after the war.

Following the war, Tol Barad was annexed into Kul Tiras at the request of Duke Reginald Baradin II who was granted asylum in Kul Tiras after the Horde claimed the islands he called home. Tol Barad was repurposed as an island prison and Lord Baradin formed the Baradin Wardens to help maintain the land and prison. Stromgarde did not seek any reparations for this action as the two islands were difficult to manage to begin with.

Following the destruction of Lordaeron during the Third War, little was heard from Kul Tiras or the Lord Admiral who governed the naval kingdom. This changed after the Battle for Mount Hyjal during the period where both Alliance and Horde forces attempted to rebuild on the new continent of Kalimdor. Having heard rumor of his daughter's survival, Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore took a large portion of the Kul Tiras fleet sailed across the Great Sea to this new continent. Once there he discovered to his shock that the Horde had begun the construction of settlements near the coastline. Convinced that they would be undefeatable if they managed to establish a foothold on the new continent he and his forces began to raid the coastal settlements until they were forced to withdraw as a result of fierce resistance from the Horde forces.

The Kul Tiras fleet sailed to Theramore after their forced withdrawal and when the Lord Admiral arrived at the city he was overjoyed to find his daughter still alive, but alarmed at the company that she kept at the time which consisted of Rexxar, a Mok'Nathal warrior, Rokhan, a Darkspear Troll and Chen Stormstout, a Pandaren Brewmaster. Despite protests from his daughter he ordered the three allies of Jania to be arrested, although she refused to comply, instead aiding her allies in escaping the now locked down city. Following their escape, Lord Admiral Proudmoore and the Kul Tiras Fleet usurped control of Theramore from Jania and began to use it as a staging ground for his new campaign against the Horde.

The resulting campaign was a failure for the Kul Tiras forces. Beaten back multiple times by the Horde, they eventually withdrew into Theramore entirely before blockading the city with their impressive fleet to prevent a counter-attack. This did little to prevent the Horde from their goal however, and with the aid of Jania Proudmoore, who was convinced that her father was trapped in the past and that his vendetta against the Orcs would only result in more bloodshed on both sides, the Kul Tiras navy was destroyed almost entirely by Rexxar and his forces. Following that Theramore itself was besieged and after a gruelling battle with the Alliance forces, both Thrall and Rexxar squared off against the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras within the Theramore Keep.

Thrall, not wanting to kill the Lord Admiral and cause even more bloodshed, attempted to talk the human lord down from his stance of hate but to no avail, the Lord Admiral launched himself into battle with the Horde, unwilling to consider the possibility of peace. Eventually after an intense battle he was beaten and slain by the Mok'Nathal, Rexxar and with the death of the Lord Admiral, the remaining forces of Kul Tiras that survived stood down. The battle for Theramore was over.

Following the death of the Lord Admiral, the fate of Kul Tiras was thrown into turmoil. A large portion of it's fleet was decimated, either resting at the bottom of the sea or washed up on the shoes of Durotar. With Lord Daelin Proudmoore dead, the mantle of leadership of Kul Tiras passed to his son, Tandred Proudmoore.

Current Status
As a result of the defeat of Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore's armada in Kalimdor and the ravages of the Shattering, Kul Tiras has remained isolated from the world, presumably focusing the majority of its efforts on rebuilding its kingdom, its capital of Boralus, and its fleet. Following the Cataclysm, the main island of Kul Tiras was shifted out further into the sea, and several smaller islands were engulfed by the waves. Losses in Kul Tiras as a kingdom were high amongst the smaller islands, though it has not been reported that islands such as Tol Barad or Crestfall were greatly effected. The rebuilding armada of Kul Tiras was notably damaged as the sudden shift caused a large amount of docked ships to crash violently along the Tirasian shores and docks.

=Culture= Due to the isolated nature of the islands of Kul Tiras, their culture has diversified from the various other human nations of the world.

Tradition
Amongst Tirassians, several long lasting traditions exist within their people.

One of the largest traditions in Kul Tiras, practiced on most if not all of the islands, is a tradition of learning to handle ships at a young age. Once a child, girl and boy, reach their age of ascension, 12-13, they are taken out onto the sea alongside a parent, typically the father though mothers have been observed practicing this rite as well, to learn to handle a ship. Typically small ships such as schooners or cutters are used for the rite where the child is put in charge of the management of the ship alongside their parent to guide them. This is done to prepare the child for a life at sea and to better their ship handling skills. The voyage is not to end until at least three fish are caught, and a fish bone necklace is made for the child as a souvenir of the occasion. This necklace is to be worn on their return as a sign of the beginning of their transition to adulthood, though it is not mandatory to wear it all times. Most Tirassians will clean and carve the necklaces to a more presentable shape when they return home, and they are occasionally worn to formal gatherings under their attire. It is considered disrespectful to take another person's fishbone necklace, and most Tirassians are buried with their necklaces if they still have them.

Due to the nature of the islands and with some islands being incredibly small, it is not uncommon for burials at sea or for pyre funerals. Few graveyards are found on Kul Tiras, typically reserved for high nobility. Ashes are typically spread to the ocean, or swamps/near by water, or bodies lit aflame on boats sent out to sea. This practice has become near universal on the islands since the threat of Forsaken reanimation, becoming more of a necessity than just pure tradition. Some stories detail the dumping of bodies into the sea in early Kul Tiras, however issues with fishing due to rotting corpses in the water led to the adoption of burning the bodies rather than purely dumping them into the water. Graveyards that are existent are normally massive, such as Forgotten Hill on Tol Barad, to replace smaller graveyards. As noted prior, they are typically reserved for nobility or military.

In the swampland regions, such as Crestfall which supports several bayous outside of the cities and towns, the Old Ways of druidism are still present. These proto-druids share more of a mix between a proto-shaman and druid due to their use of water magic over pure nature and earth magic. Unlike the harvest witches and wizards of Gilneas, these swamp wizards are known to have a reverence for the plants found within the sea and sealife such as seaweed and fish. Their practices are similar to Gilnean druidism, however an emphasis on the water has been placed in many of their practices over just pure nature.



Magic
Magic in Kul Tiras has been noted to have several differences, mostly concerning the water.

Unlike the three common archetypes of arcane, frost and fire, Kul Tiras' magi focus mostly on the manipulation of water. While it is argued that these mages could be considered frost practitioners, their style of magic typically relies on unfrozen water with the exception of the occasional frost bolt. Referred to as Hydromancers, these mages harness the use of water to a precise art, able to conjure massive tidal waves to wash over their opponent, gouts of water to push away or slow opponents, and have been shown to summon multiple water elementals at a time. Hydromancers have been shown combining their water magic with other types of magic such as frost to freeze the gouts of water they expend or even lightning magic to electrocute their soaked foes. As shown by tirassian archmage Zerx Hydromon, some are able to summon empowered water elementals referred to as Sea elementals. Sea elementals are much larger and stronger than normal water elementals and are seen to be conjured from the ocean it's self, including things such as sea weed and shells being a part of the elemental's make up. Hydromancy is an incredibly common art in Kul Tiras, having made up most of Admiral Proudmoore's magical forces in Durotar; the Admiral himself being noted as a potent Hydromancer and capable swordsman.

Within Kul Tiras' major regions, light worship is prevalent as seen by the number of chaplains that were able to be fielded by Tirassian forces during Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore's attempt to take control of Theramore Isle. It is noted that the elite of their order have been observed using water magic to aid with healing and are not opposed to the usage of shadow in combat. It is unknown if shadow magic is more accepted in Kul Tiras than other nations, but it is possible it is taught in order to ensure the survival of priests in intense combat situations.

As noted prior, within the bayous and swamp lands of Kul Tiras, proto-druidism still exists. These druids' magics have been described by some to be an odd cross between druidism and shamanism, and typically have a larger emphasis on aquatic aspects of nature magic rather than land.

Society
Kul Tiran society as a scattered isolated country has led to several traits being prevalent amongst their people.

Amongst the Tirassian people, anxiety is not uncommon; especially on the smaller fringe islands of the nation. Plagued by murlocs, naga and piracy, the Tirassian people have been noted to almost always be alert, and have noted to be wary of travelers that come to their islands. Due to this, traveling the Tirassian Archipelago can sometimes be dangerous if intentions are not made clear right away. Incidents of travelers having weapons drawn on them are not uncommon if they have not made their intentions clear, especially in such islands as Crestfall which deals with problems concerning piracy and naga. Despite this, the people of the islands can also be seen as friendly due to their need to survive off trade, and those who have been able to dock at Kul Tiran ports often find hospitality; though it is not to say they will hesitate to draw weapons at the sign of conflict.

Due to the importance of the Kul Tiran navy, a massive sense of importance has been placed on service. Anyone, man or woman, can enlist into the navy once they reach the legal age, leading to it being common for families to have at least one member in the navy. This has led to a militaristic life style amongst its people. Along with an emphasis on the navy, the islands are known for their wealth due to the massive amount of trading done. Farming on the islands is scarce, rather most prefer vineyards which results in famous Kul Tiras wine. Because of this, fishing brings in most of the food for the islands, while trading brings in other goods that may be found. Animals such as boar also have been known to exist on the islands as well as other scavengers like foxes. These are usually hunted for additional meat goods or pelts. Crocolisk is also seen as a viable food source, Cajun cooking being common.

Reliance on the sea and their status as an island nation has also impacted the way Tirassians dress and build. Rain is common on the islands as well as long hot summer days, leading to light clothing and the use of hats to ward off sunlight while heavier garments are worn at sea during unfavorable times. In addition, marines often wear light cloth/leather armor when at sea along with easy to wield weapons such as daggers or scimitars. Plate is usually reserved for battle on land and is otherwise forsaken for the lighter armor to prevent drowning should someone fall overboard. Metal and stone often replace the heavy amounts of wood used in other nations' building materials. Though the metal has been noted to rust, sturdy stone foundations are typically able to ensure buildings remain strong, as wood is often used in the construction of their ships.

Engineering is also common within the islands, as ship building is one of the most common jobs on the isles. Artificers of Kul Tiras have been noted for their use of metal and stone for construction as well as their modifications done to the design of siege weaponry. The most notable non-ship oriented engineering accomplishment by Kul Tirans was their modifications made to dwarven and gnomish siege equipment, as seen on Tol Barad.

=Military and Attire= An emphasis on military life is noted within Kul Tiras, bleeding into how their society functions. The main body within Kul Tiras is the Kul Tiras Navy, which is made up of the various fleets of the nation. In the navy, swashbucklers are seen as a valued asset. These are typically leather and cloth bound fighters skilled with dual wielding and quick agile movements, as well as with boarding enemy ships. On land, Kul Tiras fields the standard footman, with longswords replaced by scimitars, cutlasses or sabers, alongside hydromancers, swashbucklers and gunmen. It is not uncommon for marines on land to fore-go full plating for cloth in certain areas to increase their movement, as many Tirassians are trained to be quick and agile rather than slow and cumbersome.

Clothing
Tirasssian clothing differs from most of the world due to their nature of being out on the sea. On the islands, it is common for most, with the exception of some smaller islands that dwell nearer to Gilneas that experience heavy rains, to wear light clothing. Baradin Bay is known for its hot climate, and the islands that surround Crestfall and even Tol Barad typically have those who wear light, loose clothing when out and about on the daily here and there. While on ships, depending on the climate of the waters, many sailors will alternate from loose light clothing to heavier surcoats and jackets to keep from getting cold. On all accounts, it is known that hats are a common place item in Kul Tiras. Whether it be to guard from rains or keep the sun from beating down on a worker's head, hats are common place in nearly all Kul Tiran dress. On the isles, most common hats are simple things made of cloth, leather or even straw in some cases. Leather hats are the most common, and on the sea most sailors prefer the Kul Tiran tricorne and bicorne hats. Tricornes are typically reserved for common folk sailors to distinguish them from their superiors bearing that of a bicorne hat. These hats are extensively popular for their function and durability and have even bled out into other country's naval wear.

When formal attire is needed, most Tirassians take on a regal, yet militaristic, look. For many a fine dress shirt or frilled shirt with a cravat, then adorned with a surcoat with matching finery pants and durable leather boots. It is not uncommon to see women of Kul Tiras dressed in the same manner as men, though it is typically restricted to the women of the military. Noblemens daughters and wives often wear long flowing gowns adorned with various laces and finesses. As prideful as they are, most Tirassian formal attire is green, white and gold, though it is not uncommon for the Alliance colors of blue gold and white to be used instead.



Weapons
Kul Tiras' choice of weapons varied greatly from that of the other human nations. Unlike most human nations, Kul Tiras preferred the use of quick and easy to swing or use arms. In melee combat, Tirassians prefer less cumbersome weaponry due to the frequency of their encounters with pirates, and the lack of efficiency a greatsword has on the sea over a cutlass. Cutlasses, scimitars, rapiers, shortswords, daggers and sabers are the common side arms of marines, usually accompanied by a small dagger or knife or a metal buckler for defense. In places such as Tol Barad where there is a necessity for ground defense, however, shortswords and occasionally greatswords are used in company with larger spiked shields. Heavy plate also replaced light weight armor, though many can attribute this to the unique conditions of Tol Barad, especially with harboring one of Azeroth's most notorious prisons, where the greatest potential threats were internal.



In terms of ranged weaponry, similar to Gilneas, Kul Tiras has mostly factored things such as bows and crossbows out of their weaponry, rather guns replace them. Many sailors carry single shot pistols with them, some making use of several at a time for continued fire. For longer fights, rifles and blunderbusses are commonly seen as the ranged weapons of choice, replacing bows and crossbows. Cannons are commonplace on all vessels in Kul Tiras, and even most merchant vessels have on board a gun or two to ward away pirates.

Though Kul Tiras' engineering prowess is typically attributed to their navy and though they are not as advanced as nations such as Gilneas or the Gnomes and Dwarves, they have certainly made leaps and bounds ahead of most land tied nations. Kul Tiras has managed to develop several siege weapons for their land combat, and though they are scarcely used they have been shown to be effective in certain battlefields. Kul tiran siege engines have been modified to have the ability to use steam power to provide short bursts of speed at the cost of being unable to directly assault in their "mobile" form. Instead, modifications have been made that causes Kul Tiran steam engines to deploy, allowing a powerful single cannon to fire on a target. The marvel of these engines is that they require no pilot once deployed and a target area has been designated, making them powerful weapons for elongated sieges. Their drawback of being unable to move while deployed and much larger and cumbersome design compared to the wider used dwarven crafts results in these versions scarcely being used by the Alliance.

=Holdings= The Tirassian Archipelago is made up of near countless islands, though most of them are either uninhabited or extremely minor in comparison to the larger isles.

Kul Tiras
The Isle of Kul Tiras is the main island of Kul Tiras and the seat of the House of Proudmoore. The island is home to the capital city of Boralus and is the crown jewel of the Kingdom. Of the many islands that fell during the Second War, the isle has remained securely in Kul Tiras's control.

Crestfall
Crestfall is the second largest island in the Kul Tiran island chain. Seen as the secondary capital for the kingdom, the island was captured by the Horde during the Second War but was the chief target of liberation following the destruction of the Kingdom of Alterac. After an extremely heavy bombardment at the orders of Sir Anduin Lothar, Crestfall suffered catastrophic damage. The island was rebuilt in the years following and garrisons were put up on the shield islands that surrounded it. Crestfall is known to suffer issues with the Naga in the region.

Tol Barad
Tol Barad is one of the more sizable islands in the Kul Tiran island chain. The island is ruled by the House of Baradin and was once part of the Kingdom of Stromgarde until it was annexed following the Second War at request of Duke Reginald Baradin II. The northern half of the isle is haunted by ghosts of the Second War who have driven most of its inhabitants mad. Tol Barad has recently become a battleground between the forces of the Grand Alliance and New Horde who seek to use it as a strategic naval base.

Minor Islands

 * Taswick Isle
 * Eygreen