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The Story of the Retaking of Gilneas with Nobbel87
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Опубликовано
21.01.2024 в 19:58
DiscordianKitty
In patch 10.2.5, Gilneas is finally claimed as a home city for the Worgen. Under Calia Menethil's influence, the Forsaken make unlikely allies in the retaking of this city from its Scarlet Crusade inhabitants, who have been using it as a base for their operations. Nobbel87 takes us through this story in his latest video!
The Story So Far
Patch 10.2.5, Seeds of Renewal, has the long-awaited Retaking of Gilneas. Finally, the Worgen get to reclaim their home lost during the expansion: Cataclysm, which timewise in-game is around twelve years ago - while for us in real life,
Cataclysm
released in 2010. Fourteen years give or take, so before we dive into the liberation of Gilneas itself... let's briefly talk about the road that got us here.
Gilneas, one of the older human kingdoms, was part of the Alliance of Lordaeron in their war against the invading Horde. While Azeroth was saved, the damage done was incredible. Cities had to be rebuilt, the Dark Portal had to be kept under guard, and the captured orcs were placed within internment camps. All kinds of projects that demanded a whole bunch of gold. King Genn Greymane, ruler of Gilneas, was not happy with having to invest so much and see so little return. The Alliance fractured over time, and the king figured they needed no Alliance. Gilneas was strong enough to take care of itself, so he put up a big wall to separate them from the outside. A wall that protected them against threats like the Undead Scourge that roamed the land during
Warcraft III
, denying any calls from former allies begging them to help. But while a wall is great to keep problems on the outside, it’s also fantastic at keeping them in. The Worgen curse spread quickly amongst the Gilneans, and even got to their king.
When their wall crumbled with the
Cataclysm
, the Horde, led by Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, saw their opportunity. Forsaken forces were sent in to claim this territory. Not an easy fight, considering the Gilneans rallied behind their royal family and turned their curse into their favor. Fang and claw fought back with ferocity, but the Dark Lady, Sylvanas Windrunner, would do anything to get the job done. Even, despite being told not to by the Warchief, deploying their horrific plague. She ended up confronting Genn, nearly claiming the Old Wolf's life, was it not for his son Liam jumping in to take the arrow instead.
The king lost a lot that day as the Gilneans were forced to abandon their home. Meaning that the once arrogant, proud Genn started out from a very low point, having to let go of the shadow of his father and having to accept the help offered by the night elves and the Alliance.
He helped Varian Wrynn with overcoming the rage inside, reforging a strong bond between the two leaders and, despite his history, tried to work together with the Horde on the Broken Shore. That allegiance lost him a king and a friend to what Genn saw as the betrayal of Sylvanas and the Horde.
With Genn losing his son and Anduin losing his father, the two grew close as well - to then having to see Sylvanas and the Horde burn down Teldrassil. The home of the night elves that had saved the Gilneans when they needed it the most. Genn nearly lost his wife Mia to the flames, the genocide of the night elves. To then having to stand there and see Anduin get kidnapped by Sylvanas and taken into the Shadowlands.
The story of Genn is a bit much to go into with full details. Safe to say, the Old Wolf has quite the history with the Horde, the Forsaken, and the Dark Lady, but times have definitely changed. The Horde is no longer led by a Warchief, but by a council - all the different races are represented and given a voice. Peace between the Alliance and Horde has lasted for several years now.
The Forsaken's Involvement
The Forsaken are no longer led by Sylvanas, but by the Desolate council: Calia Menethil, Lilian Voss, Master Apothecary Faranell, Deathstalker Commander Belmont, and Dark Ranger Velonara have promised to relinquish their hold over Gilneas and return it to the Gilneans. Unfortunately while in the midst of handing over the city, nobody expected the Scarlet Crusade to show up and just make themselves comfortable, so now we need to retake the city from the Crusaders.
Calia Menethil was killed by Sylvanas in the novel
Before the Storm
as they tried to reunite Forsaken and living relatives. Then she was brought back through the Light, the Pallid Lady she’s called, instead of the Dark Lady. At her side is Lilian Voss, who was resurrected by Sylvanas’ val'kyr. While at first unable to accept her fate, and trying to return to dear old dad and the Scarlet Crusade, she quickly discovered that dad had no love for any undead, not even his daughter. Instead of being executed, she turned the blades on her former loved ones, and went on a crusade on anything related to the Scarlets or necromancers. Over time she’s warmed up to the plight of the Forsaken and as members of the Desolte Council, they’re trying to help out with the Forsaken finding their place in the world.
Being infiltrated by a Dreadlord does no favors to any organization, and the Scarlet Crusaders have time and time and time again tried to eradicate the world of what they perceive as abominations, monsters, Scourge, driven so far in their zealotry that they can no longer distinguish between friend or foe. An enemy that proves to be incredibly hard to get rid of, and were already causing the Forsaken some grief during their heritage armory questline.
Tess Greymane is the daughter of Genn and Mia, heir to Gilneas, and while we didn’t see a lot of development in the story for her family ties, she did play critical roles in the defense of Azeroth. Not shying away from the battlefield, but often preferring to strike from the shadows, she was a member of the Uncrowned, the Rogue Order Hall in Legion, same as Lilian Voss. She fought to reclaim Darkshore for the night elves and answered the call when Alexstrasza needed aid on the Dragon Isles. The topic of her taking over from her father did come up during the Worgen heritage questline in which Tess thought she needed to become Worgen - be infected with their curse - in order to understand what it took to lead their people. Ultimately realising that there was more to the Gilneans, that they were not defined by the curse and held on to who they are in spite of it. Their people were not merely Worgen. They are Gilnean.
The Scarlet Crusade
Calia leads the Forsaken army in a distracting assault to the North - being undead will draw the scarlets like moths to a flame. Interestingly enough, despite once upon a time unleashing upon the Worgen, despite someone like Garrosh being against it, the Forsaken are once again trying to throw their plague into the city. The Scarlets are holding up light shields preventing the city from being devastated, and the Forsaken have learned how to clean up the plague again, but you have to wonder what the Gilneans think of these tactics.
Either way, remember that whole bit about seeing everyone as corrupted? In the Light, they shall be purified. Even the corpses of the fallen are not spared, so once again, it is time to eradicate some Scarlets. On the body of Consecrator Hennas, we find
a note signed by Fairbell
. Fairbell was one of the Scarlets that ran away during the Forsaken heritage quest. The orders are in line with what we’ve come to expect. Set up a base, purge them all in the light, and burn away the bestial taints.
I’ve had people ask why the Light responds to arguably vile deeds, but the Light does not concern itself with right or wrong. It responds to conviction, something that the zealots of the Scarlets possess in abundance.
Celestine of the Harvest, a Worgen Druid that has been with us since the very beginning, stands with Genn and a whole bunch of dead Scarlets in front of the secret tunnel that once provided our escape from the city. It’s such a secret tunnel that it can just grant us access back in, provided that you don’t mind scaring away some vermin. Meanwhile, Celestine flies out and warns the Forsaken to watch for our signal.
Once inside, we work together to make some tactical strikes. Reduce the Scarlet numbers and gather some explosives which always come in handy. The city’s chapel seems to have the most elite of their forces. Odds are that’s where we’ll find their leader. Let's throw open those gates, bring in the true might of Gilneas, and take this city back.
The might of Gilneas is supported by a lot more than just the Worgen. From a once walled-off city, to a diverse army. After killing some more Scarlets and putting those explosives to good use, it is time to take on inquisitor Fairbell. Their portrait already mentions that this probably wont be the last we see of the Crusade...
Completely taken by the Holy Light, Fairbell transforms into a hallowed monstrosity. A Light elemental, casting wake of ashes and dropping holy pools on the ground. Again, conviction matters more than intent, but Fairbell shows that being overtaken by the Light is definitely a possibility...
Queen Tess
The keys to the kingdom are handed over to the next generation, not the only change of leadership that we’ve seen within Seeds of Renewal. Alliance members are asked by the new queen to go check up on Genn and make sure he’s alright, while the Horde reports back to Lilian Voss and Queen Calia.
Time will tell what this passing of the torch is going to look like. Genn is not going to disappear, and will still play an advisory role, but to the forefront is the next generation.
Time will tell what form the rebuilding of Gilneas, which can now truly begin, will take. I’m hoping and expecting that like the new home of the night elves, we’ll see Gilneas grow and be filled up over time. You can already use it as an RP location, with the option of sending away the npcs.
Time will tell, future talk. In this moment, our rewards are a new mount and a new transmog set with Worgen players getting one more specific toy. At Liam's grave, they can pick up a Memorial Bouquet, Tess’s Peacebloom, which is a hearthstone to teleport you right back here into the city. A call back to the comics, to a time in which Tess was a little girl and Genn had told her that she had to find one beautiful thing every day. That it would make the hard days easier. She found a beautiful thing today, amidst the ruins and chaos that Gilneas was going through. Even amongst all that destruction, she still found something which gave her hope.... The gift she passed on to her father.
The NPCs of Gilneas
Walking around the city, you can find NPCs of the past holding on to hope themselves, ready to rebuild what was lost. I’ve checked out the city myself, and the wonderful
Portergauge posted their findings on Twitter
as well. That said, if I missed any NPCs, by all means let me know in the comments down below.
There is Celestine of the Harvest, of course. Once more stepping up to the fray as she has done time and time again since the Cataclysm. Tal’doren is the great tree under which Worgen underwent their ritual of balance.
It’s been some time since I stepped foot in the Blackwald. Tal’doren seems to have survived as well as it could.
I’ve heard many a story of this place from the kaldorei. History goes as deep as the tree’s roots, here.
Still--It needs help much as any other tree. I intend to keep it thriving.
Marcus returns home, once having to suffer the cruelty of the Forsaken. Enslaved and put to hard labor until they died, he was one of the few to escape while his wife was not so lucky. Now he’s amazed that his clothes are still here.
That was my favorite shirt!
I think they’ll be needing another wash before I put them on again, though.
Lord Hewel refused to join Lord Godfrey’s plans of betraying Genn.
Stormglen has plenty of work still to be done before we can consider it fully repaired.
Only then will I return to my manor.
Speaking of Godfrey,
you can fish up his glasses from the canals
.
Tobias Mistmantle, brother to Stalvan Mistmantle, one of the most famous and disturbing stories in Warcraft.
This is where it all started for me. When the feral worgen attacked.... when we broke out of that prison.
We lost so many people during those days. Sean, Vincent...
At least Crowley is still here. Stubborn old goat. I don’t think anything could kill him.
Speaking of Lord Darius Crowley,
To be back here, after all this time...
It feels good, but it also reminds me of how many people we lost in the Worgen attacks, then the Forsaken attacks, and have lost since.
So many empty homes.
His daughter Lorna,
I haven't seen my father this emotional since... I don't even know when.
I hope this peace for GIlneas lasts.
Krennan Aranas, a brilliant royal chemist who saved Tess Greymane at birth and helped with treating the Worgen curse now has a lot to do.
There is so much to do.
Soil samples, wildlife samples. I can finally explore the northern parts of Gilneas to see what else we can learn about the Worgen curse.
Future content and story development for the worgen perhaps? One can hope!
Grandma Wahl will absolutely talk your ears off
, and finally, we’ve got the Hammonds family, their farmstead invaded by the Forsaken and rekt with the Cataclysm. This isn’t their old home in Duskhaven that’s for certain, but still... it’s nice that the children have come together to help them rebuild. They’ve got their work cut out since the place has really fallen into disrepair, but nothing time and a bit of hard labor can’t fix.
Time, as Genn said, they now have to come home, rebuild, heal and grow further within a city that no longer just belongs to the Gilneans. The walls have truly come down as Alliance and Horde walk side by side through the streets.
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