Silverpine Forest

Silverpine Forest, or simply Silverpine, is a vast, ancient forest that runs along Lordaeron's rugged western coast. The land ranges from fairly flat to hilly, and is nestled among even taller mountains. Gilneas borders the forest to the south, the Hillsbrad Foothills to the southeast, while Tirisfal Glades lays to the north. Lordamere Lake serves as Silverpine's eastern border.

Silverpine Forest is the edge of the Forsaken homeland, and the southernmost point where effects of the undead plague can be seen in the plant life. This woodland is haunted and wild, characterized by its tall, silver-barked pines towering over grassy knolls. The forest is eerily silent save for the occasional unnatural howling echoing among the trees. Mossy overhangs shiver in the cold breeze, and the trees are all sickly or dying. Dilapidated farmsteads and abandoned mines dot the land, home now to the darker denizens of the woods.

Forsaken control the northern forest and that region serves as the staging area for their armies that march into the besieged kingdom of Gilneas. What remains of the human population retains control of the southern forest, but they are desperate and their forces thinly stretched. Since the fall of the Greymane Wall and the spread of the worgen curse, the Gilneas Liberation Front has decided to strike back at the Forsaken after their first invasion, openly fighting against their oppressors.

Though the territory belongs to the Forsaken, their claim was disputed by the wizards of Dalaran, Gilneans and the raised Gilnean noblemen that now have entrenched themselves along with the Scourge remnants in the Baron Silverlaine's former fortress, the Shadowfang Keep.

In the aftermath of this dispute, by the time of the Fourth War, the Forsaken had attempted control over Silverpine; including turning Shadowfang Keep into a bio-weapons facility. After the Battle for Lordaeron, the region became a prime target for the Alliance, claiming some parts of the forest as well as attacking Forsaken outposts throughout the region, with the Bloodfang pack taking command of Fenris Isle. At some point after this, the Bloodfang pack claimed Shadowfang Keep, retaining control of it by the end of the war.

Some ettins left Gilneas after the Cataclysm and the fall of the Greymane Wall and now roam Silverpine.

History


2,600 years BDP, the nathrezim Kathra'natir escaped from Dalaran to spread his misery across Arathor, including Silverpine Forest. On the edge of the area, he brought a blight of locusts to destroy the trees and ravage the cropland. The Council of Tirisfal led by Meryl Winterstorm went to attack him, but the demon overpowered them and killed Ethylar.

The southern parts of Silverpine Forest, including Pyrewood Village and Ambermill, were originally part of the kingdom of Gilneas before the Greymane Wall cut them off. The road that goes through Silverpine Forest was usually used by dignitaries traveling to Capital City, and was used by Anduin Lothar and the refugees from Stormwind when they escaped to Lordaeron after the First War. It was described as one of the great wonders of Lordaeron.

Third War
During the Third War, the forces of the Lich King invaded the woods, making quick progress until their campaign ground to halt in the shadow of the Greymane Wall. The number of the undead was small at first, but it increased over time and they did not flag. Fearing it would break, King Genn Greymane opened the gate and Gilnean soldiers poured from Gilneas into Silverpine Forest. The Scourge, however, defeated the soldiers and raised them into undeath.

The worgen threat was contained for millennia, until Archmage Arugal managed to pull the wolf-beasts from the Emerald Dream. Summoned by order of King Genn Greymane, the worgen were used to battle the Scourge forces stationed in front of the wall. Yet the feral creatures soon spread their curse throughout the human population of Silverpine Forest, infecting Gilnean soldiers stationed beyond the Greymane Wall. In order to contain this epidemic, Greymane abandoned Silverpine Forest in order to keep the curse at bay, though before long the affliction had advanced through the legendary barrier and was gradually eating away at Gilneas's humanity.

Driven mad with guilt, Arugal adopted the worgen as his children and retreated to the newly dubbed 'Shadowfang Keep', situated above the tiny hamlet of Pyrewood. He has created a wolfcult in order to spread the worgen curse and expand his worgen family.

The Scourge had also set fire to the crops and the plague of undeath began to affect the trees, making them pale and lifeless with disease.

After the war, with Lordaeron destroyed, the wizards of Dalaran busy rebuilding their home and the citizens of Gilneas having locked themselves away behind the Greymane Wall, no one was left to take care of the forest.

Though many pockets of Alliance resistance were scattered across Lordaeron, the largest group had gathered in Silverpine Forest after the Third War. This force was led by Grand Marshal Othmar Garithos. Prince Kael'thas and his blood elves quickly seized large swaths of land and began preparing for their journey to the ruins of Dalaran.

A night elf expedition under Maiev Shadowsong and Tyrande Whisperwind arrived at Lordaeron through Silverpine Forest, looking for Illidan Stormrage. They soon joined with Kael and his blood elves and worked together to get through the forest to Dalaran. Later, a fight between a temporary alliance of night elves and naga under Malfurion Stormrage and Illidan against the Scourge also took place in the woods, in an attempt to rescue Tyrande from the undead monstrosities.

Silverpine Forest was also used as a meeting place between the banshee Sylvanas Windrunner and the trio of nathrezim, Balnazzar, Varimathras, and Detheroc.

World of Warcraft
The forest became occupied by the Forsaken, minions of Thule Ravenclaw, and the forces of Arugal.

Cataclysm
After the defeat of Archmage Arugal and the complete takeover of the forest by the Forsaken, this region was fairly silent for a while. However, the new Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream ordered the Forsaken to conquer Gilneas in order to establish a main oversea supply route to the continent of Lordaeron. Silverpine Forest became the staging ground for the Horde soldiers invading Gilneas. Garrosh himself arrived here and brought with him regiments of orcs and tauren for the initial assault.

The war proved costly and the first invasion was repelled by the proud, now worgen, defenders of Gilneas. After the Forsaken defeat, the Gilneas Liberation Front gained the upper hand in the conflict, and the worgen quickly began to wash over Silverpine Forest, reaching even the distant lands of Brill near the Undercity in Tirisfal Glades.

The Forsaken had to resort to more reckless and experimental methods in order to win back their territory, such as using Val'kyr, the former servants of the Lich King, to raise the Gilnean noblemen: Godfrey, Ashbury and Walden, who did not accept the fact that their king became a half-man, half-beast. With their help, the Forsaken managed to drive off the worgen offensive back to Gilneas, but after the deed was done, Godfrey and his henchmen assassinated Sylvanas and then fled to the abandoned fortress of Shadowfang Keep. Luckily for the Horde, Sylvanas was resurrected thanks to the power of her val'kyr servants. Now both Sylvanas and Ivar Bloodfang seek to eliminate the traitorous noblemen that now reside and plot behind the walls of Silverlaine's keep

Battle for Azeroth
Following the Battle for Lordaeron, Silverpine was heavily targeted by Alliance forces, leaving the remaining Forsaken forces in the area defending their remaining holdfasts. Troops under High Priestess MacDonnell marched on the Sepulcher while High Executor Hadrec attempted to send reinforcements up into Tirisfal. Fenris Keep fell under Forsaken control by Deathstalker Hayward's leadership, though they were ultimately defeated by the Bloodfang Pack, which took over the island. The Horde later distracted these forces to allow Undercity refugees evacuate across Lordamere Lake. The Forsaken which controlled Shadowfang Keep, turned it into a bio-weapon facility under Chief Plaguebringer Harris. This was done to manufacture weaponry to use against the nearby kingdom of Gilneas, though the keep was surrounded by 7th Legion forces led by Captain Tobias Zaren, given that Pyrewood Village is the most immediate area that surrounds the keep, it likely refers to this location.

Alliance and Horde forces also clashed along the Deep Elem Mine, with the Horde attempting to continue mining operations, while the Alliance was attempting to take over the mine and sabotage said operations using gnomish explosive devices. Darius Crowley led a Gilnean army seemingly out of the region to attack the nearby Sludge Fields in Hillsbrad Foothills, which were attempting to send undead reinforcements to attack Gilneas under orders of Warden Stillwater.

Exploring Azeroth
When Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind embarked on their journey to explore Azeroth as well as catalogue the locations of various artifacts, they visited the forest.

Shaw noted his main contact in the area as Ivar Bloodfang, stating that the packleader was his contact within Shadowfang Keep. The pack has apparently claimed it, alongside Fenris Isle, and has taken most of the artifacts within the Shadowfang to Fenris Keep to be guarded closely.

Geography
Soft mists swirled gently near the moist, pine-needle-covered earth with rich evergreen scent from the moist air.

The southern portion of the land is more dreary, and the terrain resembles that of Gilneas, rather than the rest of the forest, because of the close proximity to the kingdom's border.

Silverpine Forest contains no raid dungeons or PvP areas. Shadowfang Keep, the level 18-21 instanced dungeon, can be found here, as well as the former micro dungeon Pyrewood Village. There are Horde-only travel hubs, such as Forsaken High Command or the Sepulcher.

Flight paths from Forsaken High Command

 * Undercity, Tirisfal Glades
 * Brill, Tirisfal Glades
 * Forsaken Rear Guard, Silverpine Forest
 * The Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest

Flight paths from Forsaken Rear Guard

 * Forsaken High Command, Silverpine Forest
 * The Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest

Flight paths from the Sepulcher

 * Undercity, Tirisfal Glades
 * Forsaken High Command, Silverpine Forest
 * Forsaken Rear Guard, Silverpine Forest
 * The Forsaken Front, Silverpine Forest
 * Tarren Mill, Hillsbrad Foothills

Flight paths from The Forsaken Front

 * The Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest
 * Forsaken Forward Command (Temporary), Ruins of Gilneas
 * Southpoint Gate, Hillsbrad Foothills

Notable characters



 * Sylvanas Windrunner
 * High Warlord Cromush
 * Darius Crowley
 * Ivar Bloodfang
 * Lorna Crowley
 * / Vincent Godfrey

Quests


The story covers the Forsaken war effort against the kingdom of Gilneas. After an initial defeat, the Gilneans have launched a counter-offensive against the Forsaken in Silverpine. The adventurer is sent to help out the Forsaken in order to reclaim Gilneas, performing a series of dangerous tasks from small errands to even participating in the final battle against the Alliance in the region. Lady Sylvanas Windrunner oversees the Horde war effort personally and is present throughout the experience.

Resources



 * Cloth
 * Linen Cloth
 * Wool Cloth
 * Herbs
 * Peacebloom
 * Silverleaf
 * Earthroot
 * Mageroyal
 * Swiftthistle
 * Briarthorn
 * Stranglekelp
 * Bruiseweed
 * Leather
 * Ruined Leather Scraps
 * Light Leather
 * Medium Leather
 * Ore
 * Copper Vein
 * Tin Vein
 * Silver Vein

Battle pets

 * Toad
 * Red-Tailed Chipmunk
 * Infected Fawn
 * Infected Squirrel
 * Bat
 * Blighted Squirrel

Wild creatures

 * Bears
 * Boars
 * Crocolisks
 * Deer
 * Frenzies
 * Sharks
 * Spiders
 * Worgs

Warcraft III


Silverpine Forest was home to a large band of forest trolls called Shadowglen, who had dammed the River Arevass, putting them at odds with Illidan Stormrage's naga. It was also inhabited by gnolls, as in World of Warcraft.

There is a non-campaign map in Warcraft III named Silverpine Forest.

In the RPG
Silverpine Forest was once protected by the Alliance of Lordaeron and they kept these woodlands verdant, pristine and beautiful. Now the place is a ghostly haunted and wild land where mists cloak the ground. Forsaken control the forest and clash constantly with the wretched Rothide gnolls. The wizards from Dalaran sometimes go into Silverpine to defend its human inhabitants and to investigate the undead plague and the mysterious Worgen Curse.

In a small cabin in the forest's southeast lives Halmish, an old man who states the forest is cursed. Not because of the plague or the undead, but by a curse that changes men into beasts.

History
The Alliance once kept Silverpine Forest pristine and beautiful. In those days, the forest must have resembled the Hinterlands far to the east. Since the Third War, no one is left to take care of the forest, and it has grown wild. After the Forsaken broke from the Lich King's dominance they claimed Silverpine as part of their territory, though many dispute that claim.

The Forsaken have a special contingent called the Deathguard, which wanders through Silverpine on constant patrol. The Royal Apothecary Society, a Forsaken organization devoted to creating new toxins and alchemical substances, also has a strong presence here. The Forsaken leader in Silverpine, Shadow Priest Allister, is concerned that the Dalaran wizards are showing an increased interest in the forest. A gnoll band called the Rothides live here as well. Perhaps whatever afflicts the Forsaken affects the gnolls as well, for their fur is gray and patchy and their eyes yellow, rheumy and sick-looking. No one seems to know where they came from. The Rothides and the Forsaken wage a constant guerrilla war against each other.

A few humans inhabit Silverpine Forest. These are desperate men and women holding out against the Forsaken, or they are Dalaran wizards on scientific missions. A fortress called Shadowfang Keep and a nearby village called Pyrewood stand in southwestern Silverpine. At night, when the moon rises above the treetops and bathes the world in pale light, terrible howls erupt from Shadowfang and Pyrewood — as if the men and women within had transformed into wolves. Probably the curse old Halmish mentioned.

A Dalaran wizard named Alphus Wordwill is researching on what he calls the "Worgen Curse". Only one place in all of Lordaeron bears traces of this strange curse: the fortress of Shadowfang and the nearby Pyrewood Village. Alphus believes this curse is somehow tied to the moon. When the full moon rises, those afflicted by this curse undergo a transformation, turning into strange, man-wolf hybrid creatures. This transformation is mental as well as physical; the worgen, like Alphus calls them, desire to hunt, slay and eat. No matter their dispositions as humans during the day, at night under the full moon these individuals are bloodthirsty monsters. He believes that a possible cure might solve the problem instead of just simply eliminating them. He hopes that the cure, instead of preventing their transformation, would preserve the afflicted individual's mindset after it. Such an effect would allow good-hearted worgen to take on fearsome physical abilities and use these against the Forsaken, the Scourge and other evil powers. Given proper funding and support, he believes he can create such a cure.

Alphus managed to get his funding and begun working on a cure for the Worgen Curse. He needed heroes to protect him and his servants as they moved through the forest gathering reagents and conducting tests. Later he sent these heroes to sneak into Pyrewood and drop the cure into the water supply, then they sneaked out and observed the changes over several days. This activity undoubtedly angered Shadowfang Keep's mysterious overseers. In addition to staying alive through all of this, Alphus sent the heroes to slay Shadowfang's evil lords to permanently stamp out the curse's evil.

Geography
Silverpine Forest is a vast, primeval wood that stretches along Lordaeron's rugged western coast. Gilneas and the Hillsbrad Foothills border the forest to the south while Tirisfal Glades lies to the north. The massive Lordamere Lake serves as Silverpine's eastern border.

The land is fairly flat, but small hills, mossy overhangs and grassy knolls are common. There are some rivers throughout the region. Tall, silver-barked pines tower over the knolls. At night, mists creep from the ground and mix moonlight into dancing spirits. Razed farms and vacant gold mines dot the land. "Forsaken" is an appropriate term for this region for various reasons. Many wild creatures roam through the trees, though they seem to be more aggressive than is natural. Undead, gnolls, worgen, vicious animals and mysterious curses fill the land. The undead Forsaken haunt Silverpine Forest, though a few hearty souls hold out against them. The Worgen Curse afflicts some of the inhabitants.

Speculation
The traces of a river can be found in Silverpine Forest that was once connected to Lordamere Lake. All that remains of it is a dried up canyon and a few pools of water. This isn't River Arevass seen in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, as it isn't in the vicinity of Pyrewood Village. The unnamed river's drying up could be due to a hypothesized fall of water around the time of the Third War that could have also affected Cross Island. Basins in the Plaguelands have also seemingly dried out, possibly due to the magical, all-debilitating nature of the plague. Another possibility is that this river only flows during spring snow-melts.