The Stormwind Herald Issue One



''BLOOD IN THE HIGHLANDS: Remnants of Stromgarde on the Brink of War! ''

After several weeks of intense negotiations it would seem that the Highlands of Arathi stands once more upon the precipice of civil war. In February of this year the disparate factions of the Highland nation once known as Stormgarde began regular meetings in an attempt to unify their peoples behind a common purpose. The council was dubbed the League of Arathi and leaders hoped that the council would serve as a venue by which the various parties could discuss matters of common defense facing the Highlands, negotiate trade agreements and come to a mutual ground on the disputed nature of the fractured kingdom’s legal system. Those participating in the League during its early phases where: Duchess Hellissa Brisby and the Arathorian Coalition, Thane Everen Corelas and the Kingdom of Arathor, Lord Baereus Williams of the Arathorian Covenant, Lord Alezander Talwind of the Blood of Arathor and Count Erich Manstein of Eastvale as the moderator and representative of the Church of the Holy Light.

Early this week those negotiations began to break down as it became apparent that the divide between the leaders was too deep to bridge. Duchess Brisby was the first to withdraw from the League and although she proffered no official reason for her withdrawal, it is assumed that her peer’s unanimous opposition to her claim to take up the crown of Stromgarde and proclaim herself Queen is the motive behind her withdrawal. The Herald is yet unsure if Duchess Brisby wishes to move forward in her claim to the throne but sources seem to hint that she continues in her course, especially in light of a recent speech this past Wednesday given by the Duchess in which she announced a series of highly progressive and liberal legal reforms.

With the retreat of the Duchess from the League, the remaining members resolved to continue on in their hopes that the League could yet prove fruitful. In its first official meeting Wednesday the League seemed resolved to continue forward in its goal of uniting the peoples of the Highlands. In an unexpected turn of events, a “Duke” Saervan Tiberius busted into the closed meeting, which, for security concerns, was held within the Sanctum of Stromgarde and hosted by the Church. Saervan, the supposed bastard son of the late Duke Tritus of Stromgarde injected himself in a rather unknowledgeable fashion upon the meeting and quickly engaged in a heated quarrel with Thane Corelas. With the Duke ignoring calls for calm discourse and the Thane eager to confront the e man, the meeting quickly devolved into a cacophony of insults, threats, and general chaos. Dismayed at the bickering Lady Katryn Talwind, sister and proxy of Lord Alezander Talwind, walked out of the meeting. Count Manstein, the Lord-Vicar and representative of the Church was soon forced to leave as well.

Sources within the camps of Duke Tiberius and the other relevant parties seem sure that a war between the factions under the Duke and Thane Corelas is inevitable. According to further sources, Duke Tiberius has begun to mobilize a large mass of arms men under his banner, as well as hiring the infamous Blackwolf Company to fight as mercenaries for his cause. Rumors abound the Thane Corelas has responded to the arms buildup by soliciting the aide of a number of organizations in Khaz’Modan and Lordaeron. Whether or not the Thane has been able to gather any forces is currently unknown. The Church declined to comment on the matter.

LONG LIVE THE KING?: New Claimant to the Throne of Lordaeron to Challenge “Madelynne I!” 

Since the fall of the beloved King Terenas Menethil II and the subsequent corruption of the once glorious kingdom of the north, Lordaeron has remained a territory largely in dispute. Until the return of the Argent Crusade after the Lich King’s defeat the northernmost reaches of the kingdom fell under the control of either the Forsaken, Scarlet Crusade, the Scourge, or the Argent Dawn. With the complete defeat of the Scarlet Crusade and the death of the Lich King, the Argent Crusade managed to wrestle a large portion of the Kingdom away from the Scarlets and Scourge. Since then many other organizations have begun to play an increasingly larger role in retaking the lands of Lordaeron back from the undead menace.

For some time the only major organizations involved in the reclaiming of once beautiful land were the League of Lordaeron and the forces under the House of Albrecht. It is common knowledge for many that some time ago the leader of the House of Albrecht, Lady Madelynne Albrecht, rose proclaimed herself Queen Madelynne I and proper ruler of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Well, it seems now that the hotly controversial “Queen-Claimant” of Lordaeron will face some opposition to her claim upon the throne. Less than a week ago the priest Arhious Loregarde came forth and proclaimed the rule of Madelynne “unjust and corrupt,” going on to cite that his claim upon the throne more creditable than her own. Proclaiming himself the proper King of Lordaeron, Loregarde has begun to amass a surprisingly large following among the peoples most disgruntled with Albrecht’s claim. Although it is still far too early to see if Loregarde’s claim shall prove to have much steam, his declaration is the first such in many months that looks as if it could hold some potential in challenging the previously unassailable House of Albrecht.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">''<span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Unrest in the Kingdom: Peasants of Westridge Restless! ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It has come to the attention of many in Stormwind that the peasants of some of the outlying provinces of the Kingdom are growing increasingly disgruntled over the new taxes levied by the King and House of Nobles in conducting the war in Pandaria. In particular, the Herald has come across information that the rumbles of discontent may be for again to tremors for the prosperous duchy of Westridge.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ruled by the famous war hero Duke Maxen Montclaire, Lord-Marshal of the First Regiment of the Elwynn Brigade, the country has typically been one known for its intense loyalty to the crown. In an exclusive interview with a local artisan and former soldier under Montclaire, who would only reveal himself as “The Tailor,” the Herald was able to determine the cause of the unrest within the duchy.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The Duke levies more ‘un more ‘f us fer his constant wars in an attempt ta make himself look better. Even with the war, no other place deploys as much as we did. It seems like every other month the soldiers are gone to some corner of the world while all the others cycle home and spend time with their wives and younguns! Now, I may be a simply man, but I think that maybe the duke is more after medals for himself than really helping us folk.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Word of the People: Opinions & Talk 

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">To the Naysayers

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I’m the mother of three proud young boys and all of them enlisted in the army as soon as they were old enough, just like their father. I’d like to tell all those naysayers who would say that the war is the fault of this king that they should tell that to my sons serving the front lines! The King has guided us well so far, he made us great again and got rid of the Lich King. I trust in Varian, I trust in Stormwind!

<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Constantia;mso-bidi-font-family: Constantia"> -           <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">A concerned mother

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">To King Greymane

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">When will we be able to go home? What about those of us who weren’t cursed? Are we no longer of interest to his MAJESTY?

<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Constantia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Constantia;mso-bidi-font-family: Constantia"> -           <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">A Son of Gilneas

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:258.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:258.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">From the Balk Brothers Printing Press

<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:258.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Constantia","serif"">Editing by Mr. Raeder Adlelaid