The.bandit23@legacy41576613 (talk | contribs) |
m (Spelling) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | {{source needed}} |
||
| − | {{fair use| This article [[WW:COPYRIGHT#Policy|quotes]] extensively from the [[Warcraft RPG|Warcraft RPG books]].}} |
||
| + | {{Infobox zone |
||
| − | {{infobox faction |
||
| + | |faction=Alliance |
||
| − | | image = defiasrenegade.jpg |
||
| − | | |
+ | |name=Kul Tiras |
| + | |level= |
||
| − | | membership= 18,000 (formerly 1,600)<ref>{{ref book |coauthors= [[Rob Baxter]], [[Luke Johnson]], [[Seth Johnson]], [[Mur Lafferty]], [[Andrew J. Scott]] |title = [[Lands of Conflict]] |isbn= 978-1-5884-6960-1 }}</ref> |
||
| + | |ss= Kul-tiras-flag.jpg |
||
| − | | leader = [[Edwin VanCleef]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | | leaders = [[Bazil Thredd]], [[Marisa du'Paige]], [[Gilnid]], [[Jac Northshire]], [[Hartargan Stark]], [[Brighteyes]] |
||
| + | |pop=10,000 |
||
| − | | capital = [[Deadmines|The Deadmines]] |
||
| + | |capital=[[Boralus]] (4,000) |
||
| − | | language = [[Common]] |
||
| + | |ruler=Lord Admiral [[Tandred Proudmoore]] |
||
| − | | slang = Various |
||
| + | |government=Hereditary monarchy |
||
| − | | races = [[Human]]s, [[Goblin]]s, [[Kobold]]s, [[Gnoll]]s, [[Tauren]], [[Murloc]]s, [[Ogre]]s |
||
| + | |races={{Race|Human }} (8,500)<br/> |
||
| − | | theater = [[Stormwind]], [[Elwynn Forest]], [[Westfall]], [[Duskwood]], [[Dustwallow Marsh]] |
||
| + | {{Race|Dwarf }} (1,000)<br/> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| + | {{Race|High Elf }} (300)<br/> |
||
| − | | alignment=[[Lawful evil]]<ref>{{ref book |author= Johnson, Luke |authorlink= Luke Johnson |title = [[Lands of Conflict]] |isbn= 978-1-5884-6446-0 }}</ref> (formerly [[neutral evil]])<ref>{{ref book |coauthors= [[Rob Baxter]], [[Luke Johnson]], [[Seth Johnson]], [[Mur Lafferty]], [[Andrew J. Scott]] |title = [[Lands of Conflict]] |isbn= 978-1-5884-6960-1 }}</ref>}} |
||
| + | {{Race|Goblin }} (200) |
||
| + | |loc= |
||
| + | |major= |
||
| + | |minor= |
||
| + | |source=''[[Lands of Conflict]]'' 101-102 |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | The '''Defias Brotherhood''' is an evil group of [[assassin]]s, [[thief|thieves]], and [[pirate]]s that are {{reputation|hostile}} to the [[Alliance]]. They dwell in the rural areas of the [[Kingdom of Stormwind]], mostly that of [[Elwynn]] and [[Westfall]] — both of these are areas not easily protected by the [[Stormwind Army]]. |
||
| + | Over one thousand years ago, the city-state of '''Kul Tiras''' was founded upon a large island west of [[Khaz Modan]] and in between [[Stormwind (kingdom)|Stormwind]] and [[Lordaeron]]. Kul Tiras developed a thriving economy based on fishing and exports. Over the years mighty fleets of merchant vessels were built and they sailed throughout the seas in search of exotic goods to trade and sell. |
||
| + | Over the many years the great [[nation]] of Kul Tiras thrived on exports of seafood, livestock, lumber, grain, gold, and other artifacts. Over the years, the [[kingdom]]<ref>{{ref book |author=Arthaus |title=[[Lands of Conflict]] |isbn=9781588469601 |pages=101}}</ref><ref>{{ref book |author=Arthaus |title=[[Shadows & Light]] |isbn=9781588469731 |pages=48}}</ref><ref>{{ref book |author= White Wolf |title= [[Alliance Player's Guide]] |isbn= 9781588467737 |pages=158}}</ref> has developed problems with pirates and raiders on the seas and on the coasts. [[Murloc]]s constantly pose a problem to those on the island. These threats, however, have become larger and more serious especially since the [[Second War]] all the way to present day. |
||
| − | Razed by the [[Horde]] in the [[First War]], [[Stormwind City]] required a small army of [[engineer]]s and [[artisan]]s in order to begin a massive program of reconstruction. After restoring the city to its former glory, the workers gathered outside [[Stormwind Keep]] to collect payment for their services. This came as a surprise to the nobility of the city, who had assumed that the work was being done as a matter of civic pride. Whether they were unable or simply unwilling to proffer payment, they immediately ordered the workers exiled from the city. With only the tools in their hands and the clothes on their backs, the workers were forced out of Stormwind and into Elwynn Forest. |
||
| + | ===[[Second War|The Second War]]=== |
||
| − | The shocked and forlorn workers were rallied by engineer Edwin VanCleef and became bandits, collecting their payment one traveler at a time. Marking themselves with a tattoo of a cog on their right hand, the bandits declared that “the machine will not run smoothly if the parts go renegade” to each waylaid traveler. Banditry and thievery quickly became a way of life for the exiles, banding together under VanCleef’s leadership as the Defias Brotherhood. Over the years, the ranks of the Brotherhood have been bolstered by the skilled, the desperate, and the outcast — and now those marked with the cog tattoo signifying membership number in the hundreds. In Elwynn Forest, and the area around Stormwind, the Brotherhood has mastered the art of the ambush, and despite protection by the Stormwind City Guard, few caravans get through the woods unhindered. The Guard’s inability and unwillingness to pursue the Brotherhood into Westfall has led the farmers and villagers in the area to form [[The People's Militia]] in an attempt to stave off the Brotherhood’s constant looting. |
||
| + | Always possessing a heavily armed and extremely powerful fleet, Kul Tiras only used their war vessels to protect shipping passages between the mainland and the island. Upon the [[Second War]], their war fleets were unleashed as Grand Admiral [[Daelin Proudmoore]] entered Kul Tiras into the [[Alliance]] and took a vow to help his old friend, Sir [[Anduin Lothar]]. Despite the first sea battle against the orcish war fleet which resulted in the destruction of the human war ships, the armada of Kul Tiras proved to be a valuable asset of the Alliance war effort. Throughout the war Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore proved to be one of the staunchest supporters of the Alliance. Even though the fleets had triumphed in the Second War, the Horde ships devastated the fleet and it never has recovered since.<ref name="LoC101-102">{{ref book |author=Arthaus |title=[[Lands of Conflict]] |isbn=9781588469601 |pages=101,102}}</ref> |
||
| + | The Alliance claimed victory over the Orcish Horde in the Second War, and the Dark Portal was destroyed. With Sir [[Lothar]]'s death at the [[assault on Blackrock Spire]], Admiral Proudmoore pulled his nation from the Alliance,<ref>”[[The Great Sea]]: [[Assault on Kul Tiras]]”, [[Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]].</ref> which had descended into chaotic bickering, especially on what should be done to the orcish clans taken prisoner in the war. Proudmoore may have objected to King Teranas II of Lordaeron's decision to inter the Orc in camps across Stromgarde and Lordaeron, as many other nations did - they would all share the cost of keeping their former enemies alive, including [[Orgrim Doomhammer]], Warchief of the Horde and the Orc that felled Lothar. |
||
| − | Lacking any formal military training, the outcasts who formed the Defias Brotherhood might have been forcibly disbanded long ago were it not for the skilled craftsmen and tinkers who made up its founding membership. These founders have worked together to give members of the Brotherhood access to an array of mechanical devices and weapons ranging from climbing equipment and smoke bombs to automatic crossbows and wagon traps (clamps buried in the ground that seize heavy wheels passing overhead and stop wagons on the spot). When the Defias Brotherhood advanced into Westfall, the goblins of the area were upset both by the Brotherhood’s raids on the merchant trains that supplied their shops and by the Brotherhood’s refusal to sell their inventions at goblin merchant outposts. After repeated attempts by the goblins at negotiation were met by increased attacks on their suppliers by the Brotherhood, the merchants hired a group of mercenaries to hunt the bandits. This hunt resulted in the only major battle fought by the Brotherhood — and led to the capture of all goblins in Westfall by the renegade bandits. Chained together, they were marched south into the Dead Mines and put under the command of Edwin VanCleef. What has happened to them since is unknown.{{Cite|LoC|157}} According to an in-game resource there is a large underground tunnel from The [[Deadmines]] to [[Stormwind Keep]], which was created by [[goblin]]s, [[gnoll]]s, and other races of the Defias Brotherhood. |
||
| + | The island nation enjoyed a fleeting peace. With the reopening of the Dark Portal, Kul Tiras itself was attacked by a renewed Orcish offensive on the orders of [[Ner'zhul]], spiritual leader of the Orcs on their homeland of Draenor. The capital of Boralus was assaulted by the Shadowmoon Clan,<ref>”[[The Great Sea]]: [[Assault on Kul Tiras]]”, [[Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]].</ref> who laid waste at the very least to its harbour, navy<ref>”[[The Great Sea]]: [[The Seas of Azeroth]]”, [[Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]]</ref> and what other forces were rallied against them in a pre-emptive strike in order to allow safe passage to Lordaeron. The carnage wrought upon his homeland left an indelible mark on Admiral Proudmoore's conscience.<ref>”[[The Founding of Durotar]]: [[Old Hatreds]]”, [[Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]]. Quote of [[Daelin Proudmoore]] to [[Jaina Proudmoore]]: “You have always been naive, my daughter. You aren't old enough to remember what these monsters did to our homeland. The orcs and their kin cannot be trusted. They must be exterminated like the mongrels they are!”</ref> Kul Tiras rejoined the Alliance. |
||
| − | See also: [[Record of Defias Activity]] |
||
| + | ===[[Third War|The Third War]]=== |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| + | A Kul Tiras Marine base on the [[Darkspear islands|islands held by the Darkspear Tribe]], and implied to be hostile to the Trolls, was destroyed by Thrall’s [[New Horde]] as it made its way across the Great Sea to Kalimdor, coinciding with an attack by the [[naga]] [[naga sea witch|Sea Witch]] [[sea witch|Zar’jira]] and her [[murloc]] minions<ref>"[[Exodus of the Horde: Riders of the Storm]]", [[Warcraft III Demo]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]].</ref>. |
||
| − | The [[Alliance]] recaptured [[Stormwind]] after the [[Second War]], finding the city in ruins. King Terenas ordered a massive reconstruction of the city with the assistance of the Alliance human nations and member races. Many of the exiles and refugees from the first war started to return to their old homeland. |
||
| + | Kul Tiras sent its fleets against the undead [[Scourge]] that ravaged northern and western [[Lordaeron (kingdom)|Lordaeron]] but was able to do very little. Most of the ships were destroyed, heavily damaged, or retreated back to Kul Tiras.<ref name="LoC101-102"/> [[Jaina Proudmoore]], a powerful sorceress of Dalaran and the dear daughter of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, had been convinced by the mysterious [[Medivh|Prophet]] that sailing west to [[Kalimdor]] with refugees from Lordaeron was the only course to save humanity. She commandeered half of the remaining Kul Tiras fleet and took them immediately across the [[Great Sea]], in her haste apparently leaving her father uninformed.<ref>[[The Founding of Durotar]]: [[Old Hatreds]]”, [[Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]]. Quote of [[Daelin Proudmoore]] to [[Jaina Proudmoore]]: "Jaina. Bless the stars, I've found you at last! When I that Lordaeron fell, I despaired. But I knew you'd find a way to escape..."</ref> This “[[Human Expedition]]” comprised members of most Alliance-aligned nations and races as well as many of [[Kul Tiras Elite Corps|Kul Tiras' finest soldiers]].<ref>"[[The Invasion of Kalimdor:Cry of the Warsong]]", [[Warcraft III]]. [[Blizzard Entertainment]].</ref> |
||
| − | The construction was overseen by the House of Nobles, who accepted the help of many artisans and specialists from across the Eastern Kingdoms. The spirit of rebuilding, hope, and prosperity struck many who decided to volunteer for the great work. However, other less altruistic laborers considered the opportunity of rebuilding as a lucrative government contract; a chance to prove their craftsmanship and start anew. Eager to forge new lives, these craftsmen traveled to Stormwind, many bringing their families at great expense. |
||
| + | Jaina's goal was to reach the Oracle at [[Stonetalon Peak]], which [[Thrall]] and the [[Horde]] also sought. The two factions warred across the [[Stonetalon Mountains]], until the two leaders simultaneously stumbled upon the Prophet who had sent them both to Kalimdor, imploring them to unite against the arrival of the [[Burning Legion]]. The two unlikely allies ultimately agreed to put aside their history of conflict, and worked together to defeat the corrupted [[Warsong Clan]] of [[Grom Hellscream]] in [[the Barrens]]. Moving their forces into [[Ashenvale Forest]], the humans and orcs battled with the invading Legion’s [[demons]] and their Scourge minions, as well as the xenophobic night elf [[Sentinels]]. Jaina was able to help in the Legion's [[Battle of Mount Hyjal|defeat at Mount Hyjal]] with another desperate alliance with the [[night elves]], and eventually decided to stay in Kalimdor with the people that had travelled with her, founding [[Theramore Isle]]. Her unlikely treaty with Thrall and the orcs, who settled in nearby [[Durotar]], remained inviolate. |
||
| − | When the rebuilding was completed, many craftsmen demanded payment for their labor. Engineers, [[laborer]]s, [[stonewright]]s, and [[blacksmith]]s marched together to the new keep to request payment for their services. But there was nothing left to pay with, the remainder of the funds having been spent in order to expand Stormwind's military presence into the surrounding regions. To "solve" the problem, the nobles expelled the laborers and artisans from the rebuilt kingdom. The nobles had their new city — and those that built it were left broken and empty-handed. |
||
| + | ===[[The Founding of Durotar]]=== |
||
| − | Alone, feeling betrayed, and disillusioned with the Alliance, the group turned to the head of the [[Stonemasons]], [[Edwin VanCleef]], for leadership. VanCleef — master engineer and former assassin under [[Master Mathias Shaw]] — then founded the "Defias Brotherhood." Ostensibly standing for freedom and justice, they built a base of operations in the [[Deadmines]] of [[Westfall]] — and VanCleef began plotting his revenge against the kingdom that had betrayed him. |
||
| + | Several months later, the Grand Admiral, figuring out that he could not prevent Lordaeron's fall and deciding that his daughter may require help in the western lands, took the remaining ships and sailed to meet her.<ref name="LoC101-102"/> [[Lieutenant Alverold]] was dispatched to scout the coasts of Kalimdor, while Proudmoore headed inland. Unwilling to even parlay with the orcs that were her daughter's allies, the Grand Admiral relentlessly attacked the Horde in Durotar. The orcs, in order to defend themselves, retaliated, and eventually defated and killed the Grand Admiral. However, understanding this had been a incident out of Jaina's control, Thrall mantained his treaty with Jaina and Theramore Isle. |
||
| + | A small force of Kul Tiras sailors from the Grand Admiral's expedition, led by [[Lieutenant Benedict]], established themselves in [[Tiragarde Keep]] on [[Durotar]], wishing to continue fighting the Horde. Even though the Horde was unable to expell them, the Keep and its sailors were destroyed by the [[Cataclysm]]. |
||
| − | ==Organization== |
||
| − | Anyone with a sword and a cog tattoo can declare himself part of the Defias Brotherhood and begin robbing traveling merchants. Yet the Brotherhood hears of such activity quickly, long before even the Stormwind Guard, and new self-initiates soon find themselves visited by a member who instructs them in the ways of the Brotherhood. If the initiate agrees, he is officially allowed to join the Defias Brotherhood. If an initiate proves disagreeable, he is paid a second, quieter visit shortly thereafter by a shadowy form wielding a pneumatic crossbow. Most initiates quickly join one of the Brotherhood’s many established raiding parties. These groups are generally known as “bands,” though they often adopt more colorful nicknames, from the “Southpath Raiders” to the “Roadspirits.” In some cases, as with “Rillo’s Leafwalkers,” a band is named after its leader, called a “captain” in the Brotherhood. Captains lead and control their bands with force and cunning, and most experienced captains bear scars demonstrating their ability to withstand challenges by young upstarts. Captains plan the raids of their bands, and they are responsible for supplying their bands with not only food and shelter but also training in the art of the ambush and the technology that gives the Brotherhood an edge. Initiates interested in becoming full Defias renegades quickly become familiar with the requirements described for the prestige class, as their instructors put them through a grueling training regimen until they qualify. |
||
| + | In the absence of his father, Admiral [[Tandred Proudmoore]] is now the acting leader of Kul Tiras. Tandred has built the Kul Tiras fleet back up, but it does not compare to the once grand fleets of years past. With help from his lady friend Captain [[Mishan Waycrest]] they do their best to destroy the [[murloc]]s, [[naga]], and pirates that threaten the coasts and vessels of Kul Tiras.<ref name="LoC101-102"/> |
||
| − | Captains and their bands are given free reign by the Brotherhood’s leadership to steal, pillage, harass and harry as often as they like and as long as they can avoid open conflict with the troops of the [[Stormwind Guard]] and the [[People’s Militia]]. Occasionally, however, higher-ranking members of the Brotherhood are sent out with “knife squads” to warn bands who go too far; in the words of Edwin VanCleef, “a dead traveler carries no treasure, and a ruined village has no plunder”. The Brotherhood requires that captains bring a quarter of all loot to Moonbrook, where it helps fund the research and |
||
| − | activities of VanCleef and the Brotherhood’s leadership. In return, the Brotherhood gives captains access to the technological advances made in the labs within their hidden headquarters. |
||
| + | ==Kul Tiras in Warcraft II== |
||
| − | They are known for attacking caravans and travelers across central and western Azeroth. In Westfall, they are known for brazenly and openly looting farms and village merchants. Bands of the Defias Brotherhood are found mainly in Westfall and Elwynn Forest, though they occasionally range into Duskwood and other parts of northern Azeroth. The few who have managed to track them so far believe that the Brotherhood works out of the remote town of Moonbrook in southern Westfall. Yet its true headquarters is actually nearby in an underground fortress constructed in the labyrinthine Dead Mines.{{cite|LoC|157-158}} |
||
| + | {{WC2-section}} |
||
| + | :'''Leader:''' ''[[Lord Admiral]] [[Daelin Proudmoore]]'' |
||
| − | ==Military== |
||
| − | Many consider the Defias Brotherhood just a band of bullies and brigands, but they underestimate its military capabilities. While the Brotherhood employs mercenaries to bolster its ranks, it trains and fields its own forces, preparing for the day when it acts to disrupt all trade with Stormwind. |
||
| + | :'''Nation Color:''' ''Green'' |
||
| − | The Brotherhood’s force serves two purposes. First, it is a highly mobile raiding force, capable of quickly attacking a caravan, seizing its most valuable goods and destroying the remainder. Second, it is a more conventional attack force that can launch attacks on Alliance garrisons and forts. To achieve these purposes, a typical Defias unit emphasizes mobility, stealth and ambush tactics, and toughness. |
||
| + | :'''Background:''' ''Before the First War, the far ranging merchant ships of Kul Tiras made it the most prosperous nation in the known world. When the Orcs began to raid the coastal settlements of Lordaeron, Admiral Proudmoore took it upon himself to construct an armada of warships. At the behest of his long time friend Anduin Lothar, Proudmoore has pledged the assistance of his merchant-nation to the Alliance.<ref>{{ref book |author=Blizzard Entertainment |authorlink=Blizzard Entertainment |title=[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]] Manual |pages=43}}</ref>'' |
||
| − | The Brotherhood is not heavy on magical support; however, within the Deadmines, magi learn to master a deadly arsenal of spells. Also, Defias tinkers, trained by some of the most fiendish goblin minds, devise automatons and steam armor suits whose raw power can provide backup for their less-armored human warriors. The next major engagement between the Brotherhood and the unsuspecting Alliance may hold a few surprises. |
||
| + | ==People and Culture== |
||
| − | The two major units of the Defias Brotherhood are bandits (who serve as cannon fodder) and renegades (who are somewhat tougher). Stronger field units (which are given names like “highwayman” and “pillager”) tend to be more skilled as warriors than as rogues. |
||
| + | [[File:Tiras.jpg|thumb|Kul Tiras tabard]] |
||
| + | The people of Kul Tiras are wealthy, especially compared to the ravaged northern lands, and proud of their nation. They wear traditional green and fly flags with Kul Tiras’s anchor emblem. Like [[Hillsbrad]]’s citizens, Kul Tiras’s people celebrate [[Hordefall]] every year. They hate the Scourge for wiping out the rest of their continent; they hate naga, murlocs and pirates for sinking their ships and stealing their resources; and they hate orcs for decimating their fleets in the Second War. They are staunch members of the Alliance and friends of [[Ironforge]]. |
||
| − | The Defias Brotherhood pretends to embody noble ideals in the service of a just cause, but it’s a façade; the presence of bandits among them proves the lie. The highwaymen stalk the roads of Westfall, especially at night, exacting a toll on anyone who doesn’t support the Brotherhood’s efforts. Bandits are the lowest of the low in the Brotherhood’s ranks, and when the battle horn sounds, they take the front ranks. They group together for close support (preferring to fight back to back in a mob), and are often the first to flee the field when the tide turns against them. |
||
| + | The citizens of Kul Tiras possess a deep-seated anxiety. Their eyes dart about. Often looking to the west, where the greatest leaders of Kul Tiras and many of their warriors vanished, they wonder if they will ever again see their missing families. They are glad to have a Proudmoore as their leader, but all know that Tandred is not the man his father was. |
||
| − | The Defias Brotherhood rarely fields an army of regular troops, as VanCleef and the other commanders prefer its members to master a wider variety of skills than those of a pure soldier. The Defias renegade (often called a thug or brigand) is the gold standard of the Defias operatives, a decent fighter and a skilled spy wrapped in one strong, sneaky package. |
||
| + | In Kul Tiras, murlocs and naga crawl from the sea to torment sailors and fishermen. Pirates roam the waters preying on merchant vessels. Captain [[Dannol Scurvgrin]], a truly vile pirate lord, has ties to the [[Bloodsail Pirates]] of the South Seas and sees Kul Tiras as his next big prize. |
||
| − | Members of the Defias Brotherhood take pride in their affiliation. They wear red bandanas over their faces to display their allegiance and to hide their identities. They are lightly armed and armored, employing short swords or longswords, and hiding a dagger beneath the folds of their cloaks. In situations where they’re expecting trouble, they command a small cadre of mercenary soldiers or Defias bandits and use them as buffers to protect themselves from the enemy.{{cite|DF|174}} |
||
| + | Soldiers of Kul Tiras bearing its [[tabard]] include [[Lieutenant Benedict]], [[Watch Commander Zalaphil]], [[Kul Tiras Marine]]s, and [[Kul Tiras Sailor]]s. |
||
| − | ==Membership== |
||
| − | Renegades of the Defias Brotherhood tend to be exceptionally skilled, swift of foot and mind, and mechanically adept. They also tend to feel alienated from society at large and are often looking for some sort of revenge, even if they don’t know how or against whom. As well, they need to be able to show enough initiative to seek out and join the Brotherhood of their own free will, though once inside they are expected to follow orders within the wide borders of freebooting and banditry. The majority of the renegades are human, with a small portion of dwarves from Khaz Modan in the south and a few high elves upset at the army of Stormwind for refusing to march north and retake all of Quel’Thalas. Half-elves, half-orcs and others who feel outcast from their own races have also bonded with Defias bands and become renegades.{{Cite|LoC|158}} |
||
| + | Kul Tiras Irregulars and Kul Tiras City Guard are also forces of Kul Tiras.{{Citation needed}}<!-- Cited as CoH - but what page? --> |
||
| − | ==The Defias today== |
||
| − | Having long forsaken those noble virtues on which their brotherhood was founded, the mysterious Defias faction is now composed of thieves, bandits, and vicious mercenaries. This vile group is determined to wreak havoc upon, and ultimately destroy, the House of Nobles in Stormwind City. Convinced that the nobles are corrupt and villainous, the Defias Brotherhood has waged an underground war in a quest to rid the land of their hated enemies. |
||
| + | ==Geography== |
||
| − | It is also known that groups of [[gnoll]]s, [[kobold]]s, and even [[goblin]]s each help the Defias Brotherhood in their own particular ways. For example, goblins built [[Harvest Golem]]s at the behest of the Defias Brotherhood to scare off the local inhabitants of [[Westfall]], allowing the Defias to run their smuggling operations with greater impunity. The [[Harvest Golem]]s have done that job well — eliciting terror in anyone foolish enough to roam alone in the fallow fields of Westfall. Now, in Westfall, only [[The People's Militia]] stand in the way of Defias operations, which seemingly become more brazen by the day. |
||
| + | Kul Tiras is a large island off [[Khaz Modan]]'s west coast, between [[Stormwind]] and [[Lordaeron]]. The unsettled areas are covered with rolling hills and sparse evergreen woods. Kul Tiras is temperate, though subject to sudden ocean storms. The nation is also very windy, which makes [[zeppelin]] rides perilous. Wild game includes few forest creatures such as foxes, squirrels and the occasional black bear. |
||
| + | The biggest asset to Kul Tiras is also its greatest danger: the sea. Kul Tiras’s shores possess good fishing and provide ample seafood. It is said that Kul Tiras has the best lobster and king crab in all the land. |
||
| − | The Defias have taken over parts of [[Elwynn Forest]], [[Duskwood]], [[Westfall]], and have recently caused significant problems in the [[Stormwind Stockade]]. They are a dangerous group, with infiltrators in the highest circles of Stormwind Nobles and a sinister single-mindedness in the execution of their illegal trading. [[Wiley the Black]] in [[Lakeshire]] speculates that the Defias have even begun work on a "weapon of mass destruction"...a hypothetical weapon of unknown origins and power; however, the existence or non-existence of such a weapon is not expected to affect any unilateral action that may be taken against the Defias by bands of adventurers. That weapon is probably a reference to the huge [[Juggernaught|juggernaut battleship]] that is in construction in the [[Deadmines]]. After all, the entire [[Deadmines]] are a huge construction yard for the ship. It is also revealed in some lower mid-level quests, such as {{questchain|The Missing Diplomat}}, that the Defias have staged a worldwide plot related to the 10-year old king of Stormwind, [[Anduin Wrynn]]. |
||
| + | Nearby [[Crestfall]], immediately off the northeast coast, and farther [[Tol Barad]], in the same direction, are also parts of Kul Tiras. The [[Undermine]] map contains a boat path to/from Kul Tiras. |
||
| − | Brann warns fellow travelers to make sure their coins are not scratched. This is due to the Defias Brotherhood taking a liking to marring the face of the king to produce what are known as “cross-eyed coins.” These coins have been declared illegal.{{cite|LoC|26}} |
||
| + | ==Sites and Settlements== |
||
| − | ===Known members === |
||
| − | [[ |
+ | [[File:Baridanbayarea.JPG|thumb]] |
| + | [[File:LordaeronLoC.JPG|Kul Tiras on the World of Warcraft Manual Map|thumb]] |
||
| + | ===Boralus=== |
||
| + | {{Main|Boralus}} |
||
| + | The main settlement on the island of Kul Tiras is [[Boralus]], which is its capital city. |
||
| + | ===Drisburg=== |
||
| − | {| class="darktable" |
||
| + | {{Main|Drisburg}} |
||
| − | |- |
||
| + | Drisburg is located on the northern coastline of Kul Tiras, the remains of what used to be a town with a large amount of immigrants from Khaz Modan. It was a thriving community until the Third War, as a Scourge army arrived and moved to raid the town. The garrison was far too small to save the city and although [[Duke Falrevere]] was nearby with his fleet, he decided that even if he was able to save the town it would claim too many casualties, so he turned his ships and abandoned Kul Tiras. |
||
| − | ! Name !! colspan=2 | Location |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Bazil Thredd]] |
||
| − | | Innermost cells || [[Stormwind Stockade]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Benny Blaanco]] |
||
| − | | [[Furlbrow's Pumpkin Patch]] || [[Westfall]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Goblin|Male|Small}} [[Captain Greenskin]] |
||
| − | | [[Ironclad Cove]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIconExt|Murloc|Small}} [[Cookie]] |
||
| − | | [[Ironclad Cove]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | {{alliance}} {{RaceIcon|Dwarf|Male|Small}} [[Dashel Stonefist]] |
||
| − | | [[Old Town]], || [[Stormwind City]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Dead-Tooth Jack]] |
||
| − | | Southeast of [[Ridgepoint Tower]], || [[Elwynn Forest]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Erefor Pelija]] |
||
| − | | [[Westfall]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Edwin VanCleef]] |
||
| − | | [[Ironclad Cove]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Erlan Drudgemoor]] |
||
| − | | [[Brackwell Pumpkin Patch]], || [[Elwynn Forest]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Garrick Padfoot]] |
||
| − | | [[Northshire Vineyards]], || [[Elwynn Forest]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Goblin|Male|Small}} [[Gilnid]] |
||
| − | | [[Goblin Foundry]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | {{alliance}} {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Jitters]] |
||
| − | | [[Raven Hill]], || [[Duskwood]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Klaven Mortwake]] |
||
| − | | [[Dust Plains]] guard tower, || [[Westfall]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Lord Gregor Lescovar]] |
||
| − | | [[Royal Library]], || [[Stormwind Keep]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Female|Small}} [[Marisa du'Paige]] |
||
| − | | Mine system, || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Marzon the Silent Blade]] |
||
| − | | Gardens, || [[Stormwind Keep]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Miner Johnson]] |
||
| − | | Mine system, || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Morgan the Collector]] |
||
| − | | [[Brackwell Pumpkin Patch]], || [[Elwynn Forest]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Tauren|Male|Small}} [[Mr. Smite]] |
||
| − | | [[Ironclad Cove]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | {{alliance}} {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Private Hendel]] |
||
| − | | Southwest of [[North Point Tower]], || [[Dustwallow Marsh]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Ogre|Male|Small}} [[Rhahk'Zor]] |
||
| − | | Mine system, || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Goblin|Male|Small}} [[Sneed]] |
||
| − | | [[Mast Room]], || [[The Deadmines]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Female|Small}} [[Surena Caledon]] |
||
| − | | [[Brackwell Pumpkin Patch]], || [[Elwynn Forest]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | {{alliance}} {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Wiley the Black]] |
||
| − | | Upstairs in the inn, || [[Lakeshire]] |
||
| − | |- |
||
| − | | [[Image:Combat Icon 16x16.png]] {{RaceIcon|Human|Male|Small}} [[Garn Mathers]] |
||
| − | | [[Dreadmurk Shore]], || [[Dustwallow Marsh]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| − | === |
+ | ===Crestfall=== |
| + | {{Main|Crestfall}} |
||
| − | It is known that the Defias wear facemasks, the material of which reveal a Defias member's rank within the Brotherhood to a certain degree. A popular item for [[rogue]]s is the [[Red Defias Mask]], a mask that can drop off of any Defias mob in Westfall, Duskwood, the Deadmines, or the Stockade. It is a bind-on-pickup item and can only be worn by rogues. Because it can be equipped by low level characters, before most other head-gear, many lower level Rogues actively seek this item for its look, despite the fact that it provides no armor or stats. Curiously, the highest drop-rate for the mask seems to be off of the grave robbers in [[Duskwood]], the only mobs who drop the mask that are not masked themselves. |
||
| + | A large island off Kul Tiras’s northeast coast, Crestfall boasts a sizable community of boaters and fishermen. These people do not like strangers—some visitors are nearly shot when approaching a town at night on this island. The riflemen are constantly on guard from the naga have been plaguing them recently. Rumors abound that a large [[naga]] force, under a warlord called [[Zethresh]], hides near Crestfall’s west shore. Zethresh reputedly seeks to cleanse the ocean and her isles of human encroachment. |
||
| − | === |
+ | ===Tol Barad=== |
| − | {{ |
+ | {{Main|Tol Barad}} |
| + | During the [[Second War]], Tol Barad was an island citadel of Stromgarde. It was the site of many historic battles in the Second War. Years later, after the war, the island nation of Kul Tiras claimed the former stronghold and established a magic prison over the ruins of the old fortress. Wizards from both [[Dalaran]] and [[Stormwind (kingdom)|Stormwind]] oversee the complex, and prisoners include enemy [[mage]]s, lesser and greater [[demon]]s, [[warlock]]s and undead war criminals. The wizards do not allow anyone near the island and keep the prison’s existence a secret. |
||
| − | Several clues exist in-game about other {{reputation|hostile}} factions in Azeroth that may be helping the Defias. The most obvious of these are of course the [[Riverpaw gnolls]] of Westfall and the kobolds of Elwynn Forest; according to the note sent by [[Wiley the Black]] to [[Gryan Stoutmantle]], these groups are actively working for the Defias to help secure the mines they've captured. |
||
| + | {{Cata-section}} |
||
| − | While completing quests against the [[Bloodsail Buccaneers]] near [[Booty Bay]], it is possible read a short message written by one pirate intended for his crew. The note references "our project in the Deadmines," suggesting that the [[Defias Pirate]]s and [[Goblin Shipwright]]s responsible for building and crewing VanCleef's juggernaut ship might actually be [[Bloodsail]]s who are cooperating in the endeavor for their own reasons. Oddly, however, the pirates on VanCleef's ship may occasionally drop [[Blackwater Cutlass]]es... |
||
| + | The prison, and indeed the island in general, has become a major site of conflict between the Alliance and the Horde, as well as a major daily quest hub. |
||
| + | ===Tiragarde Keep=== |
||
| − | In addition, the quest chain {{questchain|The Missing Diplomat}} alludes to the Defias possibly having some kind of partnership with the Strashaz [[Naga]] near Dustwallow Swamp. One of the Defias operatives interrogated during the quest has documents that mention "our new allies" being of help in the plot. These allies might quite possible be the naga, since (until he was moved) the missing diplomat himself was guarded by naga on [[Alcaz Island]]... |
||
| + | {{Main|Tiragarde Keep}} |
||
| + | The humans of Kul Tiras also had control over the small, ruined fort of Tiragarde Keep in [[Durotar]]. Formerly the citadel of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore during his invasion of Durotar, it was lorded over by one [[Lieutenant Benedict]] who wished to continue Daelin's desire to kill all orcs and take Durotar. |
||
| + | {{Cata-section}} |
||
| − | As for the true leaders of the Defias, it is intriguing to note that the organization endures — and indeed, proceeds to some of its more dangerous plots — well after the death of VanCleef, who was supposed to be in charge. While it is possible some of his underlings might have merely stepped up to fill his role (such as [[Bazil Thredd]]), another possibility is that VanCleef was never totally in control even while alive, and that he was in fact being manipulated by a higher power. It is clear that the Defias, for all their hatred of the Stormwind House of Nobles, nonetheless have considerable ties to certain nobles (the operative example being [[Lord Gregor Lescovar]]). Perhaps someone with influence in the House of Nobles is directing the Defias...[[Lady Katrana Prestor|someone]] who already manipulates much of Stormwind on her own... |
||
| + | However, Tiragarde Keep and all its inhabitants were drowned by tidal waves caused by the [[Cataclysm]]. The [[Northwatch Expeditionary Force]] led by [[Lieutenant Palliter]] now occupy the ruins of the Keep. |
||
| + | |||
| + | ==Presence in World of Warcraft== |
||
| + | Kul Tiras played a major part in the events of the Second and Third Wars (that is, ''[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]]'' and ''[[Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos]]''). However, according to the official ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' map, Kul Tiras is missing and does not appear off the shores of [[Khaz Modan]]. According to the lore, it is still a thriving (if somewhat diminished) part of the Alliance, and had barely been touched by the [[Scourge]]. |
||
| + | |||
| + | In the RPG book ''[[Lands of Conflict]]'', and in ''[[Lands of Mystery]]'', Kul Tiras still appears on the map. For a long time Blizzard made no comments as to whether Kul Tiras would appear in ''World of Warcraft''. It is still possible that Kul Tiras will be added in future expansions or content drops, such as [[Gilneas]]. Blizzard blue poster [[Nethaera]] commented on this in a forum post stating that they although there is the possibility of its inclusion later in the game they had no plans for it at present due to the large amount of story they already want to cover.<ref>[http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/16143/lore-question-kul-tiras-where-is-it MMO Champion Blue Tracker - Lore Question: Kul Tiras? Where is it?]</ref> |
||
| + | |||
| + | Although Kul Tiras itself does not appear in the game at present, there are Kul Tiran settlements scattered across the eastern coast of Kalimdor, most notably at [[Tiragarde Keep]] in Durotar. The forces of [[Theramore Isle]] and [[Northwatch Hold]] wear the anchor of Kul Tiras on a white field instead of green, reflecting [[Theramore]]'s semi-autonomy from Kul Tiras under [[Jaina Proudmoore]]'s rule. Kul Tiras Marines are briefly mentioned in part of the [[Quest:The Missing Diplomat (13)|Missing Diplomat]] quest chain. [[Kul Tiras Wine]] appears in [[Northrend]] for the quest {{questlong|Alliance|70|In Wine, Truth}}. |
||
| + | |||
| + | ===Cataclysm=== |
||
| + | {{cata-section}} |
||
| + | [[file:TolBaradPortalSWBeta.jpg|thumb|Early beta pic of Baradin Guards with Kul Tiras tabards]] |
||
| + | Kul Tiras was not added in the ''[[Cataclysm]]'' expansion to ''World of Warcraft'', but may be added in later patches. According to [[Bornakk]], Kul Tiras "will not be visible at the start of Cataclysm – something about tectonic plates shifting it out to sea.... We may yet get to experience Kul Tiras in later patches".<ref>[http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/127548/ask-cdev-1-answers-round-1 MMO Champion Blue Tracker: Ask CDev #1 Answers - Round 1]</ref> At Blizzcon 2010, [[Alex Afrasiabi]] responded to a questioner, "We have to save something for the future patches, not now. We will deal with Kul Tiras in the future."<ref>http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2035-Blizzcon-2010-WoW-Quests-and-Lore-Panel</ref> |
||
| + | |||
| + | The isle of [[Tol Barad]], however, which used to belong to Kul Tiras, was added in the ''Cataclysm'' expansion. The [[Baradin's Wardens]], the Alliance faction on Tol Barad, are known to wear Kul Tiras tabards in an early beta screenshot of the [[Eastern Earthshrine]]<ref>http://worldofwarcraft.judgehype.com/images.php?img=162801</ref>, though it was later changed. The current relation between Tol Barad and Kul Tiras is not clear at this time. |
||
| + | |||
| + | If not for the tectonic plate shifts, Kul Tiras should have been where [[Vashj'ir]] can be found right now. |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
| − | {{ |
+ | {{Reflist}} |
| + | |||
| + | {{Race|Human nations}} |
||
| − | [[es:Defias Brotherhood]] |
||
| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Closed zones]] |
| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Eastern Kingdoms]] |
| + | [[Category:Human nations]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Human territories]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Islands]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Kul Tiras| ]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Lore regions]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Nations]] |
||
| + | [[es:Kul Tiras]] |
||
| + | [[pl:Kul Tiras]] |
||
Revision as of 12:58, 5 May 2011
 Kul Tiras | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Capital(s) | Boralus (4,000) |
| Population | 10,000 |
| Races |
  Goblin (200) |
| Government | Hereditary monarchy |
| Ruler(s) | Lord Admiral Tandred Proudmoore |
| Affiliation | Alliance |
History
Over one thousand years ago, the city-state of Kul Tiras was founded upon a large island west of Khaz Modan and in between Stormwind and Lordaeron. Kul Tiras developed a thriving economy based on fishing and exports. Over the years mighty fleets of merchant vessels were built and they sailed throughout the seas in search of exotic goods to trade and sell.
Over the many years the great nation of Kul Tiras thrived on exports of seafood, livestock, lumber, grain, gold, and other artifacts. Over the years, the kingdom[1][2][3] has developed problems with pirates and raiders on the seas and on the coasts. Murlocs constantly pose a problem to those on the island. These threats, however, have become larger and more serious especially since the Second War all the way to present day.
The Second War
Always possessing a heavily armed and extremely powerful fleet, Kul Tiras only used their war vessels to protect shipping passages between the mainland and the island. Upon the Second War, their war fleets were unleashed as Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore entered Kul Tiras into the Alliance and took a vow to help his old friend, Sir Anduin Lothar. Despite the first sea battle against the orcish war fleet which resulted in the destruction of the human war ships, the armada of Kul Tiras proved to be a valuable asset of the Alliance war effort. Throughout the war Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore proved to be one of the staunchest supporters of the Alliance. Even though the fleets had triumphed in the Second War, the Horde ships devastated the fleet and it never has recovered since.[4]
The Alliance claimed victory over the Orcish Horde in the Second War, and the Dark Portal was destroyed. With Sir Lothar's death at the assault on Blackrock Spire, Admiral Proudmoore pulled his nation from the Alliance,[5] which had descended into chaotic bickering, especially on what should be done to the orcish clans taken prisoner in the war. Proudmoore may have objected to King Teranas II of Lordaeron's decision to inter the Orc in camps across Stromgarde and Lordaeron, as many other nations did - they would all share the cost of keeping their former enemies alive, including Orgrim Doomhammer, Warchief of the Horde and the Orc that felled Lothar.
The island nation enjoyed a fleeting peace. With the reopening of the Dark Portal, Kul Tiras itself was attacked by a renewed Orcish offensive on the orders of Ner'zhul, spiritual leader of the Orcs on their homeland of Draenor. The capital of Boralus was assaulted by the Shadowmoon Clan,[6] who laid waste at the very least to its harbour, navy[7] and what other forces were rallied against them in a pre-emptive strike in order to allow safe passage to Lordaeron. The carnage wrought upon his homeland left an indelible mark on Admiral Proudmoore's conscience.[8] Kul Tiras rejoined the Alliance.
The Third War
A Kul Tiras Marine base on the islands held by the Darkspear Tribe, and implied to be hostile to the Trolls, was destroyed by Thrall’s New Horde as it made its way across the Great Sea to Kalimdor, coinciding with an attack by the naga Sea Witch Zar’jira and her murloc minions[9].
Kul Tiras sent its fleets against the undead Scourge that ravaged northern and western Lordaeron but was able to do very little. Most of the ships were destroyed, heavily damaged, or retreated back to Kul Tiras.[4] Jaina Proudmoore, a powerful sorceress of Dalaran and the dear daughter of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, had been convinced by the mysterious Prophet that sailing west to Kalimdor with refugees from Lordaeron was the only course to save humanity. She commandeered half of the remaining Kul Tiras fleet and took them immediately across the Great Sea, in her haste apparently leaving her father uninformed.[10] This “Human Expedition” comprised members of most Alliance-aligned nations and races as well as many of Kul Tiras' finest soldiers.[11]
Jaina's goal was to reach the Oracle at Stonetalon Peak, which Thrall and the Horde also sought. The two factions warred across the Stonetalon Mountains, until the two leaders simultaneously stumbled upon the Prophet who had sent them both to Kalimdor, imploring them to unite against the arrival of the Burning Legion. The two unlikely allies ultimately agreed to put aside their history of conflict, and worked together to defeat the corrupted Warsong Clan of Grom Hellscream in the Barrens. Moving their forces into Ashenvale Forest, the humans and orcs battled with the invading Legion’s demons and their Scourge minions, as well as the xenophobic night elf Sentinels. Jaina was able to help in the Legion's defeat at Mount Hyjal with another desperate alliance with the night elves, and eventually decided to stay in Kalimdor with the people that had travelled with her, founding Theramore Isle. Her unlikely treaty with Thrall and the orcs, who settled in nearby Durotar, remained inviolate.
The Founding of Durotar
Several months later, the Grand Admiral, figuring out that he could not prevent Lordaeron's fall and deciding that his daughter may require help in the western lands, took the remaining ships and sailed to meet her.[4] Lieutenant Alverold was dispatched to scout the coasts of Kalimdor, while Proudmoore headed inland. Unwilling to even parlay with the orcs that were her daughter's allies, the Grand Admiral relentlessly attacked the Horde in Durotar. The orcs, in order to defend themselves, retaliated, and eventually defated and killed the Grand Admiral. However, understanding this had been a incident out of Jaina's control, Thrall mantained his treaty with Jaina and Theramore Isle.
A small force of Kul Tiras sailors from the Grand Admiral's expedition, led by Lieutenant Benedict, established themselves in Tiragarde Keep on Durotar, wishing to continue fighting the Horde. Even though the Horde was unable to expell them, the Keep and its sailors were destroyed by the Cataclysm.
In the absence of his father, Admiral Tandred Proudmoore is now the acting leader of Kul Tiras. Tandred has built the Kul Tiras fleet back up, but it does not compare to the once grand fleets of years past. With help from his lady friend Captain Mishan Waycrest they do their best to destroy the murlocs, naga, and pirates that threaten the coasts and vessels of Kul Tiras.[4]
Kul Tiras in Warcraft II
- Leader: Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore
- Nation Color: Green
- Background: Before the First War, the far ranging merchant ships of Kul Tiras made it the most prosperous nation in the known world. When the Orcs began to raid the coastal settlements of Lordaeron, Admiral Proudmoore took it upon himself to construct an armada of warships. At the behest of his long time friend Anduin Lothar, Proudmoore has pledged the assistance of his merchant-nation to the Alliance.[12]
People and Culture
Kul Tiras tabard
The people of Kul Tiras are wealthy, especially compared to the ravaged northern lands, and proud of their nation. They wear traditional green and fly flags with Kul Tiras’s anchor emblem. Like Hillsbrad’s citizens, Kul Tiras’s people celebrate Hordefall every year. They hate the Scourge for wiping out the rest of their continent; they hate naga, murlocs and pirates for sinking their ships and stealing their resources; and they hate orcs for decimating their fleets in the Second War. They are staunch members of the Alliance and friends of Ironforge.
The citizens of Kul Tiras possess a deep-seated anxiety. Their eyes dart about. Often looking to the west, where the greatest leaders of Kul Tiras and many of their warriors vanished, they wonder if they will ever again see their missing families. They are glad to have a Proudmoore as their leader, but all know that Tandred is not the man his father was.
In Kul Tiras, murlocs and naga crawl from the sea to torment sailors and fishermen. Pirates roam the waters preying on merchant vessels. Captain Dannol Scurvgrin, a truly vile pirate lord, has ties to the Bloodsail Pirates of the South Seas and sees Kul Tiras as his next big prize.
Soldiers of Kul Tiras bearing its tabard include Lieutenant Benedict, Watch Commander Zalaphil, Kul Tiras Marines, and Kul Tiras Sailors.
Kul Tiras Irregulars and Kul Tiras City Guard are also forces of Kul Tiras.[citation needed]
Geography
Kul Tiras is a large island off Khaz Modan's west coast, between Stormwind and Lordaeron. The unsettled areas are covered with rolling hills and sparse evergreen woods. Kul Tiras is temperate, though subject to sudden ocean storms. The nation is also very windy, which makes zeppelin rides perilous. Wild game includes few forest creatures such as foxes, squirrels and the occasional black bear.
The biggest asset to Kul Tiras is also its greatest danger: the sea. Kul Tiras’s shores possess good fishing and provide ample seafood. It is said that Kul Tiras has the best lobster and king crab in all the land.
Nearby Crestfall, immediately off the northeast coast, and farther Tol Barad, in the same direction, are also parts of Kul Tiras. The Undermine map contains a boat path to/from Kul Tiras.
Sites and Settlements
Kul Tiras on the World of Warcraft Manual Map
Boralus
- Main article: Boralus
The main settlement on the island of Kul Tiras is Boralus, which is its capital city.
Drisburg
- Main article: Drisburg
Drisburg is located on the northern coastline of Kul Tiras, the remains of what used to be a town with a large amount of immigrants from Khaz Modan. It was a thriving community until the Third War, as a Scourge army arrived and moved to raid the town. The garrison was far too small to save the city and although Duke Falrevere was nearby with his fleet, he decided that even if he was able to save the town it would claim too many casualties, so he turned his ships and abandoned Kul Tiras.
Crestfall
- Main article: Crestfall
A large island off Kul Tiras’s northeast coast, Crestfall boasts a sizable community of boaters and fishermen. These people do not like strangers—some visitors are nearly shot when approaching a town at night on this island. The riflemen are constantly on guard from the naga have been plaguing them recently. Rumors abound that a large naga force, under a warlord called Zethresh, hides near Crestfall’s west shore. Zethresh reputedly seeks to cleanse the ocean and her isles of human encroachment.
Tol Barad
- Main article: Tol Barad
During the Second War, Tol Barad was an island citadel of Stromgarde. It was the site of many historic battles in the Second War. Years later, after the war, the island nation of Kul Tiras claimed the former stronghold and established a magic prison over the ruins of the old fortress. Wizards from both Dalaran and Stormwind oversee the complex, and prisoners include enemy mages, lesser and greater demons, warlocks and undead war criminals. The wizards do not allow anyone near the island and keep the prison’s existence a secret.
The prison, and indeed the island in general, has become a major site of conflict between the Alliance and the Horde, as well as a major daily quest hub.
Tiragarde Keep
- Main article: Tiragarde Keep
The humans of Kul Tiras also had control over the small, ruined fort of Tiragarde Keep in Durotar. Formerly the citadel of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore during his invasion of Durotar, it was lorded over by one Lieutenant Benedict who wished to continue Daelin's desire to kill all orcs and take Durotar.
However, Tiragarde Keep and all its inhabitants were drowned by tidal waves caused by the Cataclysm. The Northwatch Expeditionary Force led by Lieutenant Palliter now occupy the ruins of the Keep.
Presence in World of Warcraft
Kul Tiras played a major part in the events of the Second and Third Wars (that is, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos). However, according to the official World of Warcraft map, Kul Tiras is missing and does not appear off the shores of Khaz Modan. According to the lore, it is still a thriving (if somewhat diminished) part of the Alliance, and had barely been touched by the Scourge.
In the RPG book Lands of Conflict, and in Lands of Mystery, Kul Tiras still appears on the map. For a long time Blizzard made no comments as to whether Kul Tiras would appear in World of Warcraft. It is still possible that Kul Tiras will be added in future expansions or content drops, such as Gilneas. Blizzard blue poster Nethaera commented on this in a forum post stating that they although there is the possibility of its inclusion later in the game they had no plans for it at present due to the large amount of story they already want to cover.[13]
Although Kul Tiras itself does not appear in the game at present, there are Kul Tiran settlements scattered across the eastern coast of Kalimdor, most notably at Tiragarde Keep in Durotar. The forces of Theramore Isle and Northwatch Hold wear the anchor of Kul Tiras on a white field instead of green, reflecting Theramore's semi-autonomy from Kul Tiras under Jaina Proudmoore's rule. Kul Tiras Marines are briefly mentioned in part of the Missing Diplomat quest chain. 
[Kul Tiras Wine] appears in Northrend for the quest 
[70] In Wine, Truth.
Cataclysm
Early beta pic of Baradin Guards with Kul Tiras tabards
Kul Tiras was not added in the Cataclysm expansion to World of Warcraft, but may be added in later patches. According to Bornakk, Kul Tiras "will not be visible at the start of Cataclysm – something about tectonic plates shifting it out to sea.... We may yet get to experience Kul Tiras in later patches".[14] At Blizzcon 2010, Alex Afrasiabi responded to a questioner, "We have to save something for the future patches, not now. We will deal with Kul Tiras in the future."[15]
The isle of Tol Barad, however, which used to belong to Kul Tiras, was added in the Cataclysm expansion. The Baradin's Wardens, the Alliance faction on Tol Barad, are known to wear Kul Tiras tabards in an early beta screenshot of the Eastern Earthshrine[16], though it was later changed. The current relation between Tol Barad and Kul Tiras is not clear at this time.
If not for the tectonic plate shifts, Kul Tiras should have been where Vashj'ir can be found right now.
References
- ^ Arthaus. Lands of Conflict, 101. ISBN 9781588469601.
- ^ Arthaus. Shadows & Light, 48. ISBN 9781588469731.
- ^ White Wolf. Alliance Player's Guide, 158. ISBN 9781588467737.
- ^ a b c d Arthaus. Lands of Conflict, 101,102. ISBN 9781588469601.
- ^ ”The Great Sea: Assault on Kul Tiras”, Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. Blizzard Entertainment.
- ^ ”The Great Sea: Assault on Kul Tiras”, Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. Blizzard Entertainment.
- ^ ”The Great Sea: The Seas of Azeroth”, Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. Blizzard Entertainment
- ^ ”The Founding of Durotar: Old Hatreds”, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Blizzard Entertainment. Quote of Daelin Proudmoore to Jaina Proudmoore: “You have always been naive, my daughter. You aren't old enough to remember what these monsters did to our homeland. The orcs and their kin cannot be trusted. They must be exterminated like the mongrels they are!”
- ^ "Exodus of the Horde: Riders of the Storm", Warcraft III Demo. Blizzard Entertainment.
- ^ The Founding of Durotar: Old Hatreds”, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Blizzard Entertainment. Quote of Daelin Proudmoore to Jaina Proudmoore: "Jaina. Bless the stars, I've found you at last! When I that Lordaeron fell, I despaired. But I knew you'd find a way to escape..."
- ^ "The Invasion of Kalimdor:Cry of the Warsong", Warcraft III. Blizzard Entertainment.
- ^ Blizzard Entertainment. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Manual, 43.
- ^ MMO Champion Blue Tracker - Lore Question: Kul Tiras? Where is it?
- ^ MMO Champion Blue Tracker: Ask CDev #1 Answers - Round 1
- ^ http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2035-Blizzcon-2010-WoW-Quests-and-Lore-Panel
- ^ http://worldofwarcraft.judgehype.com/images.php?img=162801