[Old] The Gilnean Campaign

[A.J. Barlowe]

Note: the information in this thread is now outdated.


It is the 20th of July, and the Blackwald Partisans have been in Gilneas for 172 days.

As the zone is entirely static – and empty – we as roleplayers have to use our Powers of Immersion (tm) to imagine enemies for ourselves. This means that our Gilneas contains much that you cannot see in-game. For for us to roleplay productively with anyone they must know and accept our vision of the situation. We don’t wish to force this on anyone, but we have invested much in our imaginary Gilneas and fought for every inch of it IC, so we hope you can respect our view. If not, we can simply agree to ignore each other. But on the whole we would rather engage with you than ignore you.

Therefore we’ve made this Campaign Thread, which describes the world we are living in and which will be updated regularly as our war continues. If you plan to roleplay with us, or indeed to join us, consult this thread to get a sense of what’s currently going on, and what you might encounter on your way.

[A.J. Barlowe]

Reserved for map.

[A.J. Barlowe]

The Course of the War

To put all this is context it is necessary to note the character of the Forsaken occupation. Stragglers and rear-echelon forces cut off from the main front by the advance of the 7th Legion and GLF (themselves encircled in the north), they have now dug in for a long haul, establishing their own manufactories and workshops. But since they are on their own, their conduct sometimes has the character of a mad experiment: they have free rein to do whatever they like, without fear of intervention from the Undercity. This also means their chain of command has been muddied, so that their army is sometimes more like an alliance of warlords than a rigidly defined fighting force.

Today, Gilneas is a wilderness in which these garrisons vie for control against their enemies, each other, and the independent third parties like bandits and ferals. Much of the territory is lawless, and the armies that patrol it mount their operations from fortified bases which they are often scared to leave.

The Sylvanite forces are concentrated in the north and east of the country. At Greymane City, which is most easily defendable, they make their headquarters; in Emberstone Village, where the mine is once again up and running, are their alchemical and abomination works. Gilnean Collaborators – loyal for whatever reason to the Banshee Queen – have shacked up in Tempest’s Reach. These three points form a triangle of Forsaken dominance which constitutes Occupied Gilneas.

Ranged against them are the motley forces of Free Gilneas, who currently control the south of the country from their bases on the coast. May Day saw the liberation of Stormglen from the Forsaken, and this former fishing village is now Partisan HQ. Its capture owed in part to an alliance with the local Ogres, who make their homes in the mountains to the west.

The major fronts are:

• to the north and beyond the wall, where the Forsaken rearguard is engaged in a tug of war with the Alliance in Silverpine and is harassed by leftover Gilnean forces striking from the Northgate woods. Until recently they considered this the most crucial battle, underestimating the threat of the Partisans to the south.
• in parts of the City itself, where there is still sporadic fighting against ferals and straggler GLF (though this is now dying down);
• on the road between the City and Stormglen, where the Partisans and the Ogres have set up crude fortifications and are defending the approach to the coast against sporadic Forsaken attempts to break through.

Access through the east, via Tempest's Reach, was cut off when the Partisans destroyed the bridge.

Undead units are also dug into the mountain passes between the marsh and the mountain, while others guard ‘Hangman’s Junction’ which lies just east of the City. An artillery and logistics base is perched on a rocky island which may or may not actually be Purgation Isle, but for which Purgation Isle would certainly be used as a stand-in. Aderic’s Repose houses a supply depot for the City forces. Flying abominations, nicknamed Horrible Flying Things or ‘HFTs’ by the Partisans, patrol the skies.

Partisans, meanwhile, guard the walls of Stormglen and patrol road with the ogres. Few Forsaken would ever enter the huge and spooky Blackwald - partly out of superstition, partly because the influence of Tal'Doren instils a sense of trepidation in all undead that approach it, and mostly now because it is the old stomping ground of the Partisans, who know the area well and are getting pretty good at ambushes.


The Lay of the Land

Apart from all this, there are large areas of western Gilneas which remain under nobody’s control. Feral worgen roam the Headlands in large numbers and seem to have some kind of colony at Keel Harbour. Greymane Manor is also free from Forsaken chains, but some dark presence lingers there that the Partisans have not yet cared to investigate.

Bandits, scavengers, ferals, and rogue undead are possibly encounters wherever their hideouts might plausibly be – though some might be tempted by the general Forsaken bounty on living humans. These days, it is becoming more and more dangerous not to be part of one of the main forces which are struggling to command the peninsula.

Living animals, likewise, are becoming scarce. In all contested areas the Forsaken have carried out a scorched earth policy, hunting some species almost to extinction in their attempt to starve out the surviving Gilneans. The entire southern coast has recently been rendered unliveable to fish and the birds who live on them by an alchemical weapon which blighted the sea with thick black smoke. Many animals have gone feral from eating Forsaken flesh, there being little else to feed on.

Some life remains:

• Fauna is starting to return to the Blackwald and the western mountains, while the western and eastern wilds may still have a functioning ecosystem on account of their sheer size and the impossibility of cleansing them.
• Packs of aggressive and starving dogs (or worse, feral worgen) are a common sight everywhere – they bite.
• The marsh is occupied by a mixture of crocolisks and peat-mummified zombies, who feed on each other and anyone who stumbles upon them – they bite too.
• Part of the Blackwald is still a nest for giant spiders – who also bite.

Generally speaking, distances are bigger, areas larger. The marsh might take a few hours to cross, and the wilderness between Emberstone and Tempest’s Reach would be possible to wander without encountering Forsaken forces. Normally, in WoW, space is at the convenience of story, and we accept that, but on the whole we prefer to err on the side of difficulty. We would not think lightly of crossing the country in a day.

In Stormwind

Though Alliance help has so far been limited, the Partisans are not without friends in the south. A small group of supporters and financiers are responsible for ensuring their funding and for guiding recruits to their shores. Character names are in bold.

Richard Westings, a publican formerly of the Stormwind Guard who helps run the Slaughtered Lamb, is known for his links to the Gilnean cause. He sells rare wines and whiskeys retrieved from the peninsula and slyly intimates that he can put the drinkers in touch with those who their sale goes to fund.

Liskan Naske, a slightly shady elven merchant with a history of political radicalism that he professes to have abandoned, is responsible for a regular supply flight. His pilot, ‘Shanu’ (Syč), leaves every two weeks from Stormwind, landing for fuel at Ironforge and the goblin trading post before finally reaching Gilneas. She brings the Partisans what they cannot loot or steal from the enemy, and brings back what is sold.

The Church of Holy Light has also involved itself, sending several packages of medical supplies and material for farming. Perhaps those who wish to join or aid the Gilneans should talk to Father Zackariah Iko, or Cedríc Eyre.


Entry to Gilneas

Gilneas has been cut off from the rest of the world for years. It owes the success of this isolation to its inaccessibility by sea and air, and to the Greymane Wall which makes land access so troubling.

By Land

Land access to Gilneas is rendered near impossible by the heavy fighting at the Wall and the Forsaken presence in Hillsbrad. A brief boat trip from Hillsbrad to the eastern beaches is the most viable option, but riding through half the North is not to be sniffed at.

By Sea

Gilneas once had a navy universally envied, but during its isolation it was rarely visited by anyone but its own reclusive captains. This owes in no small part to the tempestuous weather that haunts the Gilnean sea and the dangerous cliffs, rocks and reefs which surround the nation. It took a skilled sailor to navigate close to shore, even assuming knowledge of the area. The Shattering broke open this labyrinth, but the waters are still treacherous and not to be underestimated.

Meanwhile, though they do not have the resources for a full blockade, the Sylvan navy is now staking out the coast as best they can. HFTs patrol the coastline from specially modified men o’ war, scouting for any sign of shipping, and they pose a serious threat if armed with canisters of Green Fire (an fel compound that burns even underwater). The weight of such a weapon limits the scouts’ speed and range and so it is usually only carried for a specific bombing run. Nevertheless, ships entering Gilneas face a high risk of being spotted or engaged by the Forsaken.

In the end, the greatest barrier to sea travel is sailors themselves. Few captains – or crews – are happy sailing so close to a land they know carries a heavy curse, let alone one now occupied by undead. Mutiny en route is a distinct possibility for those captains who agree to the journey at all. A chancy trip by small boat from Faldir’s Cove in Arathi would avoid these problems, but bring its own dangers. Not least that Hillsbrad is under Forsaken control.

By Air

Air travel remains the most viable route into the country, and it is this way that the Partisans receive supplies. Nevertheless, the distance across the Gulf of Barradin from Menethil to Gilneas is very long and very cold and there is little to no rest for Gryphons or similar flying beasts. The gale winds encountered en route do not make matters easier. If it is possible to drag a living animal all that way, it is not very kind.

There is a goblin trading post somewhere on the open sea where those who can pay their way might find rest and refuelling. This floating conglomeration of boats, barges, rigs and debris makes air travel possible, albeit at high cost: the Shattering, and the ruin of Kezan, have caused a sharp rise in the price of oil and phlogiston.

Beware, too, of HFTs. These flying abominations have good vision in clear weather and attack with melee swoops or even crude rockets guided to their targets by enslaved demon spirits. In aerial combat they are extremely dangerous to gryphons and the like, but a poor match for mechanical aircraft, which can easily outpace them.

Approaching Us

Partisan territory is guarded by Partisan NPCs, and we ask you take them into account. If this seems hard to swallow, please remember that we can’t all be online all the time. It’s unfair to expect us players to just stand around guarding places from attacks that may never come. Offline Partisans are held to be ‘on guard’ or ‘on patrol’.

Such members stand watch at the walls and gates of Stormglen, with regular patrols through the Blackwald and surrounding countryside. Upon meeting them you might be threatened, barred from entry, taken into custody or even shot at – we’re a paranoid bunch. If wandering in the Blackwald, you may suddenly hear a voice from the trees telling you to lay down your arms.

Ogres and Partisans also defend the road to the west with makeshift barricades and a single looted cannon. The ogres have learned to cut human out of their diet, but they aren’t so bright and their approach is often to hit first and ask questions later.

Generally, we prefer people consult one of our officers OOC before they visit. This is so that we can coordinate our imagination of the campaign and make sure things fit together. The appearance of your character can easily be integrated into a small event, and reasons can be found for us to leave our walls and end up meeting you.

Otherwise, we just ask that you take all this into account. If we’re roleplaying in Stormglen, for example, a good way to approach without prior notice might be simply to walk up to us - but emoting that you’re escorted by armed ogres or Partisans.

Finally, if you're unsure about any of this, feel free to ask. The points of contact are: myself, Oldstead, Rufflocke, and Vertiline/Shevington.

[A.J. Barlowe]

Campaign Update!

Today, HFTs launched from a man o' war off the southern coast of Gilneas managed to slip in behind the departure of the Partisans' supply flight and release canisters of green fire onto the town of Stormglen. Several Partisans were killed in the destruction of the Infirmary, while the inn which houses them at night was badly damaged. The beleaguered Gilneans fled into the Blackwald, as did the flying creatures, taking refuge among the trees until nightfall allowed them to creep out.

Before then, however, the Forsaken delivered through some sorcery or other the message that the Partisans were to meet the Collaborators at noon across the destroyed bridge, in order to surrender in return for the life of Lieutenant Vertiline Hargrove. Hargrove, captured by the enemy in a recent battle, was the leader of the Gilnean 5th Rifles, a remnant army company who have become vital to Partisan operations. There had already been a few mutters among their ranks about the decision of Doctor Dead (effective commander of the Free Gilnean forces) to focus on scouting the Gilnean sewers rather than rescuing their leader. A food shortage, only recently assuaged, did not help matters.

In the event, during the shouted negotiations - more akin to a furious debate - Hargrove was shot from the Partisan side of the bridge by one of her own men. One of her privates was savaged by an HFT in the escape, leaving the Partisans bloodied and five or six men down.

[A.J. Barlowe]

Campaign update!

During the night of the 3rd and 4th July Forsaken forces on the surface of Greymane City were roused by seaforium detonations thundering through the sewers beneath. For two weeks the Partisans had explored these tunnels listening in on the enemy and slowly triangulating the location of a secret Fleshworks and Apothecarium unknown even to many among the Sylvanite ranks. In revenge for the deaths of two days previous, it was this underground factory they now left gutted. By the small hours of the morning they had pre-emptively abandoned their forward operating base in the cisterns below and retreated to Stormglen through the secret pipe so recently unearthed by a mudslide in the Blackwald.

Faced with the loss of three industrial beam engines, several abominations-in-progress, and the majority of his apothecary corps, Executor Ironcap, leader of the Forsaken forces in the city, finds himself in a sticky position. He will now be forced to rely on Lord Hawcon, who holds Emberstone, for all things alchemical and spooky, for plague and Green Fire and HFTs - even for the long-term maintenance of his own abomination forces. The balance of power in the Dark Lady's divided camp has shifted significantly.

In the meantime the Partisans toast their victory with newly delivered supplies, but also mourn their losses - perhaps six or seven perished in those tunnels, some burned and disfigured horrifically by green fire throwers (to say nothing of the surviving wounded). Among the casualties was Sergeant Cerkins, ranking officer of the 5th, though her ultimate fate - alive or dead - is at present uncertain. These fresh wounds ensure that at the back of the Gilneans' minds there lurks the possibility that the Forsaken response will be even more dire than the attack it was intended to avenge.