| The Silver Covenant | |
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Trueshot Lodge |
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This article is part of a series on | |
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Dalaran City · Dalaran Crater · Violet Stand · Nethergarde Keep | |
Magus Senate of Dalaran · Dalaran Chancellery · Dalaran Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Dalaran Ministry of the Interior · Dalaran Ministry of War · Dalaran Ministry of Intelligence · Dalaran Guard · Dalaran Navy · Kirin Tor · Sunreavers · Silver Covenant · Council of Six · Magocracy of Dalaran | |
Jaina Proudmoore · Khadgar · Karlain · Modera · Ansirem Runeweaver · Vargoth · Kalecgos · Rhonin Redhair · Aethas Sunreaver · Drenden · Krasus · Antonidas · Purge of Dalaran | |
| See also, Dalaran Organizations | |
The Silver Covenant is a military and political organization of Quel'dorei elves dedicated to preserving the interests of the High Elven people. Formerly based within the city of Dalaran, the covenant has grown to become a major player in Alliance military operations, standing at the forefront of missions in Northrend, Pandaria and the Broken Isles. The leader of the Covenant is the self-styled Ranger-General Vereesa Windrunner, youngest sister of the prominent Windrunner family of High Elves.
History[]
Establishment[]
The history of the Silver Covenant dates back to at least the Invasion of Outland's closing days. As the Lich King made his plans for war upon the living, the Blue Dragonflight and their Aspect, Malygos the Spellweaver, had become restless and antagonistic, displeased with the state of magic in the world. At this time, the Blood Elf Aethas Sunreaver proposed that the Blood Elves seek readmission to the Kirin Tor to offset the threat posed by Malygos.
This proposal was met with fierce resistance by Dalaran's large population of High Elves, many of which had lived in the city for centuries without abandoning it. The admittance of the Horde and the Thalassians who had declared all Quel'dorei to be exiles into Dalaran was not something they were willing to tolerate easily. Support behind this resistance moment gathered around Vereesa Windrunner, wife of the Kirin Tor leader Rhonin. The Silver Covenant officially formed as a precaution and deterrent to Horde activities in Northrend, as well as head off any treachery from the newly established Sunreaver faction, whom were openly distrusted.
Northrend[]
The Silver Covenant proved their worth in the Northrend campaign many times over, often acting as the foremost magic specialists for the Alliance and in particular the 7th Legion. This was the first time since the Scourge invasion of Quel'thalas that High Elves had appeared in any significant numbers upon a battlefield, and they were quick to reestablish themselves as a powerful force within the Alliance that their homeland had seceded from long ago. Much weighed upon the actions of the Silver Covenant during this time as they fought to prove that the Quel'dorei were not a broken people and still a force to be reckoned with upon Azeroth.
With continued successes against the Scourge mounting, the Argent Crusade pushed into Icecrown, establishing the first ground base within its boarders. The Silver Covenant was chosen, like their Sunreaver counterparts, to represent their faction at the Argent Tournament, and build a force capable of taking on Icecrown Citadel. Tensions between the Silver Covenant and Sunreavers continued to mount during this time, both sides openly currying favor from the Argent Crusade to justify the other's expulsion from the Tournament grounds. This cultivation of Alliance forces represented the peak of Silver Covenant involvement in Northrend. Despite failing to convince the Kirin Tor to deny Blood Elven membership within the Kirin Tor, the Silver Covenant succeeded in many of its goals by proving that the High Elves were not only proud members of the Grand Alliance, but strong ones as well.
The Cataclysm[]
The Silver Covenant's track record of successes could not be ignored by the Alliance, or even the Horde. After the War in Northrend, the Silver Covenant continued to consolidate their forces, drawing more Thalassians into their ranks. In a moment of strange mutual understanding, Ranger-General Vereesa Windrunner was asked for help from an unexpected source; the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing.
Though having been exiled by the same government that was now asking for their help, Vereesa and the High Elves continued to think of themselves as defenders of Quel'thalas, and were willing to set aside differences to deal with the threat posed by the Zandalari-reinvigorated Amani Empire, ancient enemy of all Thalassians. Despite mutual tensions and continuing to keep troop camps separate to avoid incidents between forces, the operation was a conclusive success. Zul'Aman fell silent, and despite the protestations of their involvement by the Regent of Silvermoon, Lor'themar Theron, the Silver Covenant was thanked for their work by Brightwing, and left Quel'thalas peacefully.
War in Pandaria[]
The mutual goals shared by the High and Blood Elves would not last for long. The new Horde Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream, would embark upon a new campaign of conquest upon the conclusion of the Cataclysm. In a surprising move, Hellscream was able to turn an Agent in the Horde-aligned Sunreaver faction of the Kirin Tor into his service. The Sunreaver Archmage Thalen Songweaver had been sent to strengthen the defenses of the Alliance city of Theramore, in an attempt by the Kirin Tor to ensure the balance of power in Kalimdor did not change between the Alliance and Horde, despite their proclaimed neutrality. This ended up backfiring catastrophically as Songweaver's efforts resulted in weakening Theramore's defenses, as well as having engineered for Hellscream the Mana Bomb that would end up destroying the city. This serious breach in security became an instant finger of suspicion pointed towards the Sunreavers. Though Aethas Sunreaver himself was believed to have had no personal involvement in the treachery, it was the first of many palls to be cast over the Sunreavers, which the Silver Covenant would be quick to exploit.
Kirin Tor leader Rhonin had perished in the attempt to defend Theramore from the Horde's aggression, setting Vereesa Windrunner into a fury. Her hatred for the Horde would be attempted to be assuaged by the new leader of the Kirin Tor, Jaina Proudmoore, who had taken over in the wake of Rhonin's death. Events would come to a boil when a second Sunreaver-involved plot against the Alliance would occur. Warchief Garrosh Hellscream needed Kirin Tor resources to obtain a valuable Mogu relic he had been searching for known as the Divine Bell. The Alliance had gotten to the bell first, and were now keeping it in one of their capital cities. Hellscream threatened Aethas Sunreaver with retribution against the Sin'dorei if he stood in his way, knowing who to blame if his plan was exposed. Sunreaver made the decision to look the other way as the Horde used the Kirin Tor's portal network to infiltrate Darnassus, gambling that Jaina Proudmoore's wrath would not be so terrible.
This proved to be the opposite case, as yet another betrayal from the Horde and the Sunreavers using her city's own magics was too much for the Kirin Tor leader. The decision was made to banish the Horde from Dalaran in an event that would be remembered as the Purge of Dalaran. The incident was a highly controversial one, but for the Silver Covenant, it marked the culmination of their long-desired goals. The Silver Covenant had long been prepared for the event of a Horde uprising in Dalaran, and as chaos broke out in the streets, the Silver Covenant instantly pledged their loyalty to Jaina Proudmoore and the Alliance, securing the city for their faction. Silver Covenant agents would act as the hands of the Kirin Tor as they arrested every Blood Elf who surrendered and killed every one that didn't. There was no love lost between the Quel'dorei and their estranged Sin'dorei cousins. Many saw this as righteous payback for exiling them from Quel'thalas so many years ago.
With the Horde barred from Dalaran and the full backing of the Kirin Tor with Dalaran as their center of operations, the Silver Covenant had become more powerful than ever. Ranger-General Windrunner would next deploy her forces side by side the Kirin Tor upon the Isle of Thunder, fighting to take Lei Shen the Thunder King's power for the Alliance, both to keep it out of Sunreaver hands and to use it against Garrosh Hellscream. Bloody, brutal warfare broke out across the Island between the Silver Covenant and the resurgent Sunreaver forces, now supplemented by Silvermoon's powerful magisters and rangers.
The fighting would continue across the Island, each see pursuing different objectives and end goals while simultaneously each pushing their way closer to the seat of the Thunder King's palace. This would culminate in a showdown between the Silver Covenant and Sunreaver forces, led by Jaina Proudmoore, Vereesa Windrunner, Lor'themar Theron and Aethas Sunreaver, all in attendance. The threat of further violence erupting was quelled by the intervention of Lord Taran Zhu of the Shado-Pan, brokering a temporary ceasefire between the Alliance and Horde upon the Island, the first seed of what would eventually grow into a fragile truce.
Third invasion of the Burning Legion[]
When the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth to orchestrate their greatest invasion plan yet, the Silver Covenant was quick to volunteer their forces to the united war effort, becoming one of the largest factions to make up the Unseen Path, headquartered in Trueshot Lodge. Vereesa Windrunner herself would begin inquiries into the fate of her sister Alleria Windrunner, who was suspected imprisoned upon the Burning Legion world of Niskara. Though Alleria was not present, the heirloom bow of the Windrunner's, Thas'dorah, was recovered and used in the hands of the Unseen Path's greatest marksman.
The Silver Covenant would later support the combined elven insurrection into Suramar, uniting the Kaldorei, Quel'dorei, Sin'dorei and Shal'dorei peoples in a common cause for the first time in history. The Silver Covenant and its Ranger-General would be present aboard the Vindicaar as the final push against the Burning Legion was made, and resulted in the Dark Titan Sargeras' imprisonment.
The Fourth War[]
The Silver Covenant would continue to see service throughout the Fourth War. While not appearing in vast numbers, their Magi continued to provide valued service to the Alliance in their Warfronts against the Horde, most notably in the Eastern Kingdoms and Arathi Highlands in particular, where they would once again face off against their hated Sin'dorei cousins.
Later in the Fourth War, the Silver Covenant and its Ranger-General would partake in the Second Siege of Orgrimmar, scouting the perimeter of Durotar and bringing siege ballistae to the Gates of Orgrimmar.
Shadowlands[]
The Silver Covenant has been seen to have held onto its outposts established in Northrend, defending their pavilion at the Argent Tournament alongside the Argent Crusade from the resurgent Scourge.
Organization[]
The Silver Covenant is based upon the pre-Scourge invasion Thalassian Ranger army in terms of chain of command and organization. The Silver Covenant uses many of the same elements, but adjusted to fit the much smaller population and army size. Rangers are commanded by Ranger-Captains and Lieutenants. Smaller units report to a Ranger-Lord or Lady who in turn report to the Ranger-General.
Magisters make up the other half of the Silver Covenant's main body of forces. Though possessing a sizable number of magic-wielding High Elves, fully-trained Magisters are in the distinct minority among the Silver Covenant, possessing far more lower-ranked Arcanists to see to their magical needs. Magisters make up the command structure of the Silver Covenant's arcanists.
The cavalry of the Silver Covenant is largely composed of fine Quel'dorei horses who have been preserved by their owners throughout the years to become a rare and powerful specimen of horned stallion that is tightly controlled by their owners in the covenant. Dragonhawks have largely been replaced by Northrend Hippogryphs in terms of ease of accessibility, though some members of the Covenant still prefer using the Dragonhawk mounts they used when part of the Thalassian Army.
Specialized battalions and units exist, including the small Silver Covenant Navy, a collection of Quel'dorei destroyers and transport vessels that have survived the long years. Sharpshooter/skirmisher battalions, a medical corps, and a logistics corps. (Many supply positions in the Silver Covenant are fulfilled by non-elven members.)
Notes[]
( This page was compiled using information gathered from WoWpedia and in-game sources. It is based upon both empirical fact as well as observational data, and is to the best of my knowledge, canon. )
