Dominion of the Sun

The Dominion of the Sun is a militant Thalassian organization sworn to House Dawnlight. Formed in year 30 of the Lotharian Calendar, the Dominion has been at the forefront of numerous campaigns against the Grand Alliance and is one of the most notorious armies of Azeroth. Unrivaled in military technology, the Dominion claims credit for a number of cutting-edge innovations such as the Ley-Cruiser, lending to their unprecedented achievements in the name of Horde conquest. Primarily concerned with Thalassian interests, the organization is heavy involved in the social and political spheres of Quel'Thalas, promoting a nationalistic agenda to restore the elven power in the Eastern Kingdoms and abroad.

=History=

Foundation and Early Campaigns
The Dominion of the Sun was founded by Tendael Dawnlight a few months after the Argent Crusade vanquished the Lich King at Icecrown Citadel as a response to an alarming increase in Alliance raids throughout Quel'Thalas. Sin'dorei veterans returning from Northrend who sought purpose after the Lich King's defeat were easily accommodated within the organization. By providing protection for the realm, the Dominion quickly became recognized as one of the most venerated organizations of Quel'Thalas. By the time the raids had ended, the Dominion had accrued a sizeable army. The Cataclysm brought about a dramatic shift in attitude towards the Alliance, especially among those of the Dominion who were still vengeful towards the faction that had sanctioned the invasions of Quel'Thalas. With the realm's borders secured, the Dominion made preparations to spearhead a series of retaliatory campaigns across Azeroth.

The first campaign conducted by the Dominion began four months after the Cataclysm. The initial objective of the campaign was to reclaim abandoned Sunfury machinery on Bloodmyst Isle, but rapidly deteriorated into a hostile confrontation between the elves and draenei. After the Dominion had established a foothold on the island, the invasion was met with swift reprisal by a draenic faction called the Sha'nash. The Sha'nash managed to sink the Dominion fleet, effectively stranding them on the island without reinforcements. The Dominion managed to hold out for a few days before their call for aid was answered by a legion of Blood Knights from Silvermoon. With significant casualties, the Dominion withdrew from the island, unable to recover anything of value.

Less than a month after the Bloodmyst incident, the Dominion began pursuing a relic lost in the Storm Peaks of Northrend. The relic, a rumored Titanic weapon, was also being sought after by a powerful dwarven faction called the Mountain Guard. The two forces clashed on the mountains, fighting for control of several excavation points. The Dominion was the first to unearth the relic, but it was wrested from them during transport by the dwarves in a naval battle. As the dwarves sailed back for Ironforge, a large storm marooned them on a small island near Vash'jir. The Dominion fleet eventually caught up to the dwarven survivors and defeated them, but discovered later that the relic had been lost in the wreck and had likely sunk to the bottom of the sea. Although several attempts to recover the artifact have been made, none of them have been successful. Some speculate that it was swallowed by a whale shark on the way down, marking the beasts as prey for treasure hunters.

Another campaign took place on Northrend after the loss of the Titan weapon. Once again, the Dominion faced off with the Sha'nash in a hunt for special scrolls thought to be direct transcripts of the Arcanomicon. These scrolls, as described by the Reliquary, were transcribed by a double agent working for Malygos. The Sha'nash, convinced the scrolls were dangerous and needed to be destroyed, found little to negotiate with the Dominion. The two forces clashed across Northrend for weeks until a chest was found on an island just off the coast of the Howling Fjord. Believing the scrolls were stored within the chest, the Dominion personnel opened it where it was discovered, only for the personnel within close proximity to be inflicted with a lethal curse. The resulting death of a leading Dominion researcher was a severe blow to morale, causing the search to be called off.

Intermediary Campaigns
Several months later, the Dominion began a new campaign to uncover a sacred relic believed to be the forgotten libram of Uther the Lightbringer. This libram, a prized by the Clergy of Holy Light, was rumored to contain the power to resurrect an entire army. It was during this campaign that House Ashborne, sworn to House Dawnlight, came to prominence. The Ashborne took ownership of the campaign against the Clergy in Hillsbrad and Arathi, eventually achieving victory for the Dominion after a series of successful battles. In spite their triumph, the libram was never found.

The Clergy, infuriated by the aggression of the Ashborne, drew massive sympathy from the Grand Alliance. One of these factions, another dwarven military called the Dwarven Vanguard, led a massive invasion of Arathi in an effort to retake the Northeastern Kingdoms for the Alliance. A coalition of several armies under the Alliance banner marched north, threatening the Horde dominance of all lands above the Thandol Span. The Dominion, fighting alongside a coalition of other Horde factions from Kalimdor and Lordaeron, managed to defeat the Alliance in the Arathi Highlands and force them to withdraw. The conclusion of the campaign garnered recognition from the rest of the Horde for the Dominion as a competent ally.

Following these campaigns, the Dominion conducted an expedition to Kalimdor in search of artifacts left behind by the Shatterspear Tribe. The Shatterspear, believed to have been made extinct by the night elves, were a the centerpiece of many arguments and theories on the evolution of elves from trolls. As the Dominion marched through Darkshore, they were constantly ambushed by kaldorei, stalling their arrival at Shatterspear Village by many weeks. Artifacts were taken from the village and distributed to various locations. Some were gifted to the Kor'kron, some were given to the Darkspear for safekeeping, some were given to the Reliquary, and some were kept as trophies or hidden in the Dominion's vaults.

The Theramore Campaign
While deployed to Kalimdor, the Dominion gained wind of an impending attack on Durotar from the Alliance. Having just returned from Darkshore, they made haste to Sen'jin Village where they were joined by other factions of the Horde from Orgrimmar and the Eastern Kingdoms. The Dominion aided the Horde in preparing Durotar's coastal defenses, including a fortified naval base called Bloodwreck Bay. Within a few days, Alliance warships were spotted on the southern horizon, commencing the Battle of Bloodwreck Bay.

The Alliance gained momentum with their initial victory on the beach front and proceeded to overtake Sen'jin Village and Razor Hill. Meanwhile, a detachment of Horde forces were sent to reinforce Bloodwreck Bay. A hard battle was fought over the keep, but in the end the Horde managed to defend it and drive the Alliance back. Regrettably, many ships were sunk in the battle, crippling the Horde's naval power. When the defenders returned from Bloodwreck Bay, they rallied with the rest of the forces and managed to retake Razor Hill and Sen'jin. The Alliance then reconvened and decided to withdraw from Durotar, considering their primary objective completed. The Horde factions who participated in the battle, including the Dominion, came together and drafted the Vyper Treaty to solidify their resolve against the Alliance.

After the Battle of Bloodwreck Bay, the Alliance withdrew to Theramore and began to calculate the Horde's next move. Having temporarily disabled a majority of the fleet, the threat of a naval invasion of Theramore was significantly diminished. Leaders of the Vyper Treaty convened, unanimously deciding to respond to the Alliance provocation with force. Committed to retaliation, they began to march upon Northwatch Hold, an Alliance naval base constructed on the eastern coast of Kalimdor. The Dominion forces, marching alongside their new allies, mobilized for a massive invasion by land and arrived at Northwatch Hold in only a few weeks.

The Siege of Northwatch Hold lasted for days. In its wake, the bay was stained with blood and littered with corpses of those who fell in a desperate struggle for dominance. Despite the gruesome toll, the Horde relentlessly pressed their assault. Alliance spies soon discovered that the Horde was planning to use a final attack on the fortress as a distraction while a large caravan of supplies and siege weapons were transported around the keep to an outpost in Southern Barrens called Desolation Hold. Placing the defense of Northwatch as its first priority, the Alliance held fast to the beleaguered fortress and sent a small detachment of forces to deal with the Horde caravan. On the final day, the Horde unleashed their final assault on Northwatch and the caravan began moving. In spite of the Alliance's best efforts, they were not able to intercept the caravan. A breach had taken place, expanding the reach of the conflict. Nevertheless, Alliance reinforcements arrived at the fortress just in time to stem the tide. The Horde had nearly taken the keep, but in a final rush of glory, the Alliance broke their offensive and forced them to withdraw. Northwatch Hold remained standing, but the price was yet to be realized.

With their primary objective met, the Vyper Treaty forces turned their attention to Fort Triumph. Pouring all of their resources into Southern Barrens, they prepared to wage a new front at the dreaded Battlescar. The war-torn trench that stood between Desolation Hold and Fort Triumph soon escalated into a storm of bloodshed known as the Clash of the Battlescar. As the days pressed on, the Alliance attempted to summon reinforcements from Honor's Stand to the north. The reinforcements crossed through the Overgrowth, a threshold to the north, only to discover they had fallen into a Horde trap. Guerilla warfare ensured, forcing the reinforcements to withdraw. On the next day, the Alliance attempted to sabotage the Fazzlecraz Mine to the south in order to cut off the Horde's supply of demolitions. A vicious showdown was held in the mines, destroying a great deal of equipment in the process.While the Horde managed to defend the mine, they had incurred a substantial loss to their explosive capability. On the final day, the Alliance made one last effort to break the siege and crush Desolation Hold's forces. Although they initially turned the tides of war in their favor, the Horde quickly regrouped at their fortress and retaliated. In the final hours of the conflict, the Horde had pushed the Alliance all the way back to Fort Triumph. The Alliance garrisoned the fortress, unable to retaliate or receive aid while surrounded by their enemies. With no resistance left, the victorious Horde proceeded towards Theramore through Duskwallow Marsh.

When the Horde forces finally reached Theramore after an unforgiving trek through the marshland, they were not surprised to find it heavily defended. Although the Horde thought themselves prepared, the resulting siege of Theramore ended in disaster. A staggering death toll resulted in a full retreat by the forces of the Vyper Treaty. In less than a week after the failed siege, a zeppelin commissioned by Warchief Garrosh dropped a mana bomb on Theramore, effectively disintegrating the city in mere seconds. The Dominion, demoralized by the campaign and shocked by the ruthless tactics of their warchief, returned to Quel'Thalas to reassess their diplomacy with the Horde.

The Pandaria Campaign
While the Alliance licked their wounds after the Theramore campaign, Tendael turned the Dominion's attention away from world affairs to focus on empowering the organization independently. Although some of the Dominion's top officers expressed reluctance to embrace isolationism, Tendael reassured the organization that the interests of Quel'Thalas would remain paramount. The campaigns against the Alliance came to a grinding halt, but the Dominion continued to expand its military prowess by investing in the research of new technology. Revenue for the organization came from a variety of sources ranging from the acquisition and auctioning of artifacts to mercenary contracting. It was around this time that projects such as the ley-cruiser began.

A few months later, the continent of Pandaria was discovered to the south. Many ambitious enterprises sailed for Pandaria in search of wealth, and the Dominion was no exception. Managing to gain the trust of the native pandaren, the Dominion gained access to libraries of ancient texts. In researching the lore of Pandaria, the organization soon set out to uncover catalogs of valuable artifacts. As was expected, the Dominion was not the only organization with profit in mind. Rival armies, tending loyalty to the Alliance, contested the Dominion on a number of battlefields in search of the same pandaren treasure.

The Dominion continued its operations in Pandaria for a few months until both the Alliance and Horde arrived in full force. Once again, the Dominion found itself under pressure to join the Horde in battling the Alliance on Pandaria. Krasarang Wilds became a war zone, and while the organization attempted to avoid involvement at first, it soon became impossible to ignore the threat posed by the Alliance army. A few weeks after the initial invasion, Jaina Proudmoore forcefully removed the Sunreavers from Dalaran, giving rise to an outrage back in Silvermoon. Many of the Dominion's own who were unfortunate enough to be in Dalaran at the time of the purge were caught and imprisoned in the Violet Hold.

The Dalaran Campaign
Infuriated by Proudmoore's actions, the Dominion began preparations for a campaign to retake Dalaran. Drawing from the support of volunteers, mercenaries, and other military organizations, the Dominion launched a massive invasion of Northrend. The strategy was to capture the Violet Stand in Crystalsong Forest, then use magic to teleport forces directly into the city. Brashly, Tendael made a list of demands which were presented to the Kirin Tor. Unsurprisingly, the ultimatum was rejected, and soon the forces of the Grand Alliance were summoned to defend Dalaran from the advancing Horde.

The Dominion and allies fought a difficult uphill battle across the continent, losing many forces along the way. Eventually, they reached Crystalsong Forest, making Sunreaver Outpost their primary base of operations. On the eve of the assault on the Violet Stand, Tendael was summoned to a parlay by the leadership of the opposing forces. In exchange for Tendael's surrender and the withdrawal of Dominion forces from Northrend, the Alliance leaders promised that all of the Sunreavers would be released from the Violet Hold. Although there was staunch opposition to the deal by Tendael's officers, he accepted the offer and submit himself to arrest by the First Regiment of the Stormwind Army. Tendael was teleported to Westridge for a pending trial, naming Volanaro Ael'aran his successor.

In Westridge, Tendael was brought before a military tribunal to be judged for his crimes against the Grand Alliance. He was convicted to life in prison, but was assassinated by Ashamal Shalah'aman as he was leaving the courtroom. The outrage that followed caused a political shockwave that was felt across all factions of the Alliance. When the Dominion gained wind of the news, they vowed revenge. Volanaro, now leading the Dominion, publicized the Dominion's vow to avenge Tendael's death.

Succession of Leadership
Volanaro remained the leader of the Dominion for several months before handing his title over to Tendael's only son, Tendael Dawnlight II, also known as Setrien. Under Setrien's leadership, the Dominion conducted a series of campaigns against the Alliance across Azeroth and Outland. Setrien gained recognition as a commander in a campaign in Outland against the Congregation of the Silver Hand. Upon returning from Outland, Setrien committed the Dominion to a revolution led by Vol'jin against Garrosh. Much to Setrien's frustration, an armistice between the Alliance and Horde went into effect after Garrosh was overthrown, halting his plans to avenge his father's death.

After the revolution, the Dominion returned to Quel'Thalas to discover that Silvermoon had plans to absorb the organization due to unpaid debt. Setrien reached a compromise with Silvermoon, allowing him to retain control of the organization as long as he remained compliant to the magisters. The Dominion was converted into a Thalassian regiment called the Fireborne and received their orders directly from Sunfury Spire. Many of the Dominion's veterans resigned, including some of Tendael's top officers. Nevertheless, Setrien cooperated with his superiors, biding his time until he could accomplish what his father failed to do.

=Gallery=