Albrecht-Montclair Gate Confrontation

The Albrecht-Montclair Gate Confrontation was a standoff between the supporters of Queen-Claimant Madelynne Albrecht I and Duke Maxen Montclair at the gates of Stormwind City in late July of the 32nd year of the Lotharian Calendar.

At the time, Queen Madelynne had sentenced one of her sworn subjects to death for breaking their vows and deserting a field of battle. Madelynne, a noblewoman of Lordaeron had been granted immediate legal domain over her own refugee subjects within the realm of Stormwind by the House of Wrynn due to her own kingdom's destruction.

Word that the execution would take place in Stormwind reached the Clergy of the Holy Light and The Stormwind Guard. Unknowing (or nonsupporting) of Madelynne's status within the realm, they gathered a militia to stop the Queen-Claimant's forces from carrying out the execution.

When the group confronted Madelynne, she professed her right to execute her own subjects within the realm of Stormwind. After she then refused to provide the militia with paperwork outlining her rights, the Clergy and Stormwind Guard erected a barricade in the main gate of Stormwind City to prevent Madelynne from leaving the capital.

Hearing word of the conflict, both the League of Lordaeron and The First Regiment rushed to aid the militia - jumping at the opportunity to stand against the Queen-Claimant that they both despised at the time.

The Plot Thickens
By then, the Queen-Claimant had arrived at the gates. The chaos of the scene grew as onlookers rushed to join, the soldiers and aides of noble houses taking advantage of the public situation to voice their own opinions. Clergymen and Guardsmen surrounded the Queen’s men. In the confusion, the condemned deserter was shoved from the brigde that spanned the Valley of Heroes, drowning in its depths before anyone had realized his fate.

Lord Maxen Montclair demanded that Madelynne turn over her prisoner, wrongly citing that her actions were a breach of Stormwind's sovereignty. The atmosphere of the confrontation darkened as it was discovered by all that the deserter had perished. A verbal duel began between the Queen-Claimant and Duke ensued.

As the gathered mob riled, one voice among them shouted that it was Lady Albrecht who should hang. Duke Maxen shouted for order, but it was clear that blood was sought by both sides of the conflict. Making a final plea, Lord Montclair declared that he would escort Madelynne to Stormwind's Harbor where a ship would take her and her armsmen back to Lordaeron - not only from her breach of sovereignty, but in the interest of her very safety. The Queen-Claimant instead boldly shoved her way past the mounted Lord and her armsmen followed suit - marching out of the gates.

All parted ways from the conflict in cold tension. Despite Duke Maxen's later public declaration of his mistake and Queen Madelynne's support to the people of Westfall, the confrontation remained a bitter contention point between Madelynne's supporters and detractors.

=OOC Significance=

This event was significant to Moon Guard due to both the OOC conflict over how the role-play would play out, Maxen godmoding that Madelynne was sent back to Lordaeron, and the lengthy forum drama and hostilities that followed.

The conflict started when opponents of Madelynne confronted her both in and out of character during one of the 's planned execution events in Stormwind City, claiming that the King of Stormwind would never allow such to happen in his city. They demanded GHI items or a role-playing document that permitted Madelynne to do so, but she and her supporters refused and continued on with their event - claiming that they were trying to invalidate her guild's role-play.

When the two sides of the conflict met at the gates of Stormwind, the opponents of Madelynne lined up as to block her and her supporters from leaving the city. Maxen demanded in-character to have Madelynne siezed. While his supporters initially acted with emotes, Madelynne refused to acknowledge the role-play conflict unless it was done through PvP in a war-game battleground. When Maxen refused to do so, Madelynne and her supporters walked through the lines of players to carry out the execution.

With his own role-play ignored, Maxen godmoded that Madelynne and her supporters were sent back to Lordaeron. This act was poorly viewed by much of the community and Maxen lost a great deal of respect.

The Moon Guard forums for a number of months afterwards were incredibly hostile as both sides of the conflict argued over whom was right or wrong. Some saw the conflict as progress for the server and a shaking up of the "councils of power" that had formed and purportedly dictated what was legitimate in role-play.