Caer Darrow (Raven)

Caer Darrow is an ancient human fortress on the Isle of Darrow, located on Darrowmere Lake in central Lordaeron. Historians consider it one of the oldest human monuments in the world, a remnant of the ancient Empire of Arathor. It was a part of the Kingdom of Lordaeron since the Empire's splintering, and the seat of the powerful ducal House of Barov, which lorded over a good portion of what would become the Western Plaguelands. When the Dukes of Barov defected to the Cult of the Damned, they took their ancestral seat with them, converting it into the dreaded school of necromancy Scholomance. It remained in Scourge hands for many years, first as one of the Lich King’s primary seats of power in the Plaguelands, and then a holdout for Scourge Remnant forces after the Lich King’s fall. With the death of Darkmaster Gandling, it traded hands many times, ultimately falling under the control of the Scarlet Onslaught upon its return from Northrend. It is currently the Lordaeronian seat of the Raven Conclave, proclaimed a holy site by the antipapa Triana Brandt.

History
It is speculated that Caer Darrow originally bore the name Caer Dairwe, named for the ancient Tyric chieftain believed to have constructed it, the so-called Prince Dairwerth the Pyromancer. Dairwerth and his personal tribe, the Dairwydd, are speculated to have held much of the Westweald as tributaries prior to the Troll Wars. However, there is little archaeological evidence to substantiate this, merely the records of the prince's descendants, handed down to Caer Dairwe's eventual Arathi conquerors, who knew the island fortress as Caer Darrow and established it and the village built in its shadow as one of their northern fiefdoms.

After the Troll Wars, the fortress became the keeping place of an ancient runestone, known as the Runestone of Caer Darrow, gifted to the humans by the high elves of Quel'Thalas. The artifact is said to have been erected by elven druids, a description, which provides the only indication in lore that any high elves ever followed a druidic path. Runestones were later given new magical wards to serve as a barrier so that the Burning Legion would be unaware of the high elves' arcane magic should they return.

Second War
During the Second War, the island was invaded by the Horde, the fortress sacked, and the sacred runestone captured. The stone was hewn into pieces which were used to create the Altars of Storms, arcane structures which allowed Gul'dan to instill magic into the Horde's ogre allies.

When Uther the Lightbringer embarked for the isle on a mission of mercy to aid and comfort the survivors of the bloody raid, he was ambushed by privateers from Alterac. In the naval battle that followed, some of the sailors were captured; during questioning in Lordaeron's capital, they confessed their nation's treachery to the Alliance, leading to Alterac's eventual ruin.

Third War
Following the Second War, the fortress at Caer Darrow was restored; the rule of the island by the Barov family dates back to at least this time. The Barovs were extremely wealthy, owning the land which comprised Caer Darrow, Brill, Southshore, and Tarren Mill, as well as many less notable settlements along the river. Not content with their enormous holdings, the Barovs entered into a deal with the human mage Kel'thuzad, leader of the Cult of the Damned. The once-opulent House of Barov became the horrific Scholomance, a school of necromancy. The townsfolk under Barov rule revolted and managed to sequester the newly-trained necromancers in their own catacombs; however, when the Scourge invaded Andorhal, they sent a secondary force to break the siege. The townsfolk were slaughtered, and those that survived were forced into the catacombs to serve as test subjects for the necromancers’ experiments.

The Heart of the Cult
With the Scourge’s holdings in western Lordaeron falling under the control of the Forsaken and the Scarlet Crusade, Caer Darrow became the primary location for the training of newly-inducted members of the Cult of the Damned in Lordaeron. Control of the fortress was turned over to Darkmaster Gandling, an experienced necromancer and high-ranking officer of the Cult. Under his cruel reign, Scholomance churned out powerful new necromancers and constructs alike in the Lich King’s service, and with Naxxramas recalled to Northrend and Stratholme in perpetual conflict with the Crimson Legion, it could be said that, in its heyday, Caer Darrow was the most secure Scourge stronghold in all of Lordaeron.

This, however, was not to last. After the Argent Crusade’s victory in Northrend and the defeat of the Lich King, Caer Darrow was cut off from many of the support structures that had allowed it to function with impunity. By 30 LC, the Argent Crusade had begun forays into former Barov territory, followed closely by Forsaken and Alliance forces, and soon enough the Crusade had completely cut Caer Darrow off. The cultists managed to endure thanks to their dark magic and what little foodstuffs could be grown in the fortress’s few fields, but without support, this was a siege destined for indefinite prolongment.

The Fall
Events regarding the fall of Scholomance are not entirely clear. Assassins of unknown origin managed to infiltrate the school, a feat deemed impossible without inside knowledge, and assassinate key Cult officials, including the Darkmaster himself. A small number of cultists attempted to hold the fortress, but most of the Cult fled, disappearing into the Lordaeronian wilderness. After this, numerous organizations launched invasions of the storied fortress, attempting to claim it for themselves, but few held it for long. It was believed to have last been in Forsaken hands prior to the Siege of the Undercity in 38 LC, but following the Forsaken defeat, it is believed they abandoned the fortifications.

The Holy City
This section refers to events that are yet upcoming as of the article's composition.

In the fall of 39 LC, an armed force flying the banner of the Scarlet Onslaught made landfall on the Isle of Darrow and seized Caer Darrow.

The fortress is currently held by the Raven Conclave, a radical subsect of the Church of the Holy Light, who have claimed Caer Darrow to be holy, one of the first cities of ancient Arathor in which the Light was worshipped. True or not, the Conclave seems intent on holding the island as the personal seat of its Archbishop, and given the power vacuum in western Lordaeron and the attentions of the Horde and Alliance moving across the sea, it is quite possible they will retain it for the foreseeable future. The scarlet flame of the Onslaught hangs from the battlements, and overhead sometimes hundreds of ravens can be seen circling, visible from miles away.