Elwynn Forest

Elwynn Forest, the Forest of Elwynn or simply Elwynn, is a vast woodland of stately hardwoods nestled just below the foothills of the Burning Steppes to the north. The idyllic Redridge Mountains lie to the east, and to the south, across the Nazferiti river is where Duskwood is located. It is the heartland of the human Kingdom of Stormwind and consequently is the starting point of all human characters.

Marshal Dughan serves as the municipal law enforcer for Goldshire and Marshal McBride serves as the municipal law enforcer for Northshire Valley. Though much of the forest was burned down during the First War, trees and lush glades have grown anew. Stormwind City lies northwest of the forest and is heavily patrolled by the Stormwind guards.

History


Little is known of Elwynn's history before Stormwind was founded centuries ago by the Arathi bloodline of Stromgarde in Lordaeron.

Centuries ago, throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, the disparate human nations flourished, among them the smallest and most isolated of the kingdoms was Stormwind. Over the years, it found prosperity through the farmsteads that dotted the surrounding fertile region, and as its population grew, small towns sprang up in the nearby regions, notably in Elwynn Forest, and ever since humans first settled in the forest, it has thrived under their stewardship.

Long ago, Elwynn Forest was populated with a group of spiders that lived peacefully amid the woods. Yet when the curse fell over Duskwood and turned the once peaceful woodland into a realm of terror, the spiders began to mutate and grow to monstrous proportions, and entered the shadowed land.

Elwynn Forest was captured by the Horde during their bloody campaign to Stormwind in the First War. The resources culled from the bountiful woods helped fuel the Horde's war machine. Much of the forests were razed as the orcs marched across Elwynn. The town of Goldshire and the Abbey at Northshire were both tragically destroyed by the Horde. When Stormwind fell to the orcs and Anduin Lothar led the humans to Lordaeron, the Stormreaver and Twilight's Hammer clans assumed domains in Elwynn forest. When the humans of Stormwind finally retook their city at the end of the Second War, they regained Elwynn as well. It cost the kingdom of Stormwind a significant amount of gold and resources to rebuild their broken homeland. As a result, the kingdom's economy has flagged since it was rebuilt. Many of the middle and lower classes became fed up with high taxes and unpaid labor in service of the kingdom. Many of these dissidents defected to form the Defias Brotherhood (led by the Stonemasons Guild, the architects who reconstructed Stormwind and weren't paid anything). Still, against all the odds, Elwynn has returned to much of its former majesty and glory. Northshire Abbey was rebuilt and has become a recruiting center of sorts for the Stormwind army. Goldshire and its famous Lion's Pride Inn have returned to their former glory as a bustling hub of activity. Today, the only reminders of the Horde's occupation are a few scattered orcish catapults, broken and rotting. Meanwhile, the humans of Stormwind rejoice as Elwynn once again becomes the pride of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

During the Scourge Invasion, Elwynn Forest was attacked by the Scourge.

The Cataclysm has cracked the once natural defenses buffering the kingdom from its enemies and left openings that were taken advantaged of. The Blackrock orcs have managed to sneak into Northshire through a break in the southern Elwynn Mountains. Stormwind Infantry and patrolling Stormwind Royal Guards were deployed to defend Elwynn Forest. The Stormwind Army has also put a bounty on Hogger and incarcerates him to the Stockades in the aftermath of his defeat.

People and culture


The humans have lived in Elwynn for centuries, but members of all Alliance races can be frequently seen traveling and residing in Elwynn due to its proximity to the capital, Stormwind City. Most residents of Elwynn are involved in one of its major industries: logging, farming, fishing or mining. They are also renowned for the breeding of their Evendales: steeds especially prized by adventurers for their loyalty and steadiness in the face of danger. The people are hardy and hard-working and for all its pomp and grandeur, Stormwind wouldn’t last long without a constant stream of food and supplies to support the city’s population.

This exchange has become increasingly threatened by kobold invasions, vicious feuds among farmers, and attacks from wild animals. The Defias Brotherhood once terrorized these lands, but Elwynn became more tranquil after their downfall. Northshire Abbey remains dedicated to recruiting and training any adventurers brave enough to help keep the peace. Likewise, the Blackrock orcs are gathering their forces in the nearby Redridge Mountains. With Stormwind’s militia stretched thinner than ever, these renegade orcs stand ready to finally annihilate their old human enemies in Elwynn Forest.

The region organizes its festivals and celebrations around the planting calendar, its two biggest parties being the planting and harvesting festivals. It also hosts the burning of the Wickerman. Elwynn is also visited periodically by the famous, traveling Darkmoon Faire.

Geography


Elwynn lies below the southern foothills of Blackrock Mountain. The Forest is a labyrinthine mixture of rushing rivers, various lakes, and forests of magnificent trees and lush glades. Its rich farmland is a result of frequent rains. Recently several of the lakes have been found to be inhabited by hostile murlocs. Stormwind City itself sits proudly in the northwestern hills of the region, its gates opening down onto the Forest. East of Stormwind and behind a thick wall lies the peaceful Northshire Valley and its Abbey. Northshire was the pride of Stormwind's vineyards until Defias bandits drove off the farmers and occupied the farm and fields. Though the Defias were eventually taken down, Northshire couldn't catch a break: after the Cataclysm it was invaded by goblin assassins and Blackrock orcs, who ate the grapes and burned the vineyards. The formerly kobold-infested Echo Ridge Mine has been closed up.

Bears, wolves, spiders, and boars constitute the bulk of the region's large wildlife. The creatures are hostile everywhere except for Northshire. The roads leading from Stormwind and Northshire converge to the southeast just north of Goldshire. Goldshire is Elwynn's largest settlement besides Stormwind itself. Second to Goldshire is the Eastvale Logging Camp in the east near the border with Redridge Mountains. Eastvale is the center of Elwynn's lumber industry. On the road from Goldshire to Eastvale is the Tower of Azora where mages conduct arcane experiments in seclusion. On the road to Westfall from Goldshire is the imposing Westbrook Garrison. This barracks and surrounding grounds house a number of the Stormwind Guard and protects Elwynn's western border. Dotted throughout the forest are small farmsteads growing crops such as wheat, pumpkins, melons, and grapes.

Kobolds infested the Jasperlode Mine and Fargodeep Mine. Gnolls have erected camps in the Forest's Edge region and the northern rim of Stone Cairn Lake. It is rumored that both the kobolds and gnolls are somehow associated with the Defias Brotherhood. Murlocs have taken up residence in and around Stone Cairn Lake and Crystal Lake. Defias presence in the region has been growing and their people have holdings at Mirror Lake Orchard, Northshire Vineyards, the Brackwell Pumpkin Patch, Jerod's Landing and Stone Cairn Lake, until they were taken down.

Maps and subregions


Topographic map of Elwynn Forest Detailed area map (lists all creatures)

Dungeons



 * Please note that the Stockade is in Stormwind City.

Flight paths from Stormwind

 * Goldshire, Elwynn Forest
 * Ironforge, Dun Morogh
 * Furlbrow's Pumpkin Patch, Westfall
 * Sentinel Hill, Westfall
 * Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains
 * Darkshire, Duskwood
 * Rebel Camp, Northern Stranglethorn
 * Booty Bay, Cape of Stranglethorn
 * Thorium Point, Searing Gorge
 * Morgan's Vigil, Burning Steppes
 * Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands

Flight Paths from Goldshire

 * Stormwind, Elwynn Forest
 * Eastvale Logging Camp, Elwynn Forest
 * Darkshire, Duskwood

Flight Paths from Eastvale Logging Camp

 * Goldshire, Elwynn Forest
 * Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains

Notable characters
Elwynn Forest is home to several humans of high status. From the Northshire Abbey Marshal McBride recruits promising young humans into the Army. In Goldshire, Marshal Dughan leads the effort to reclaim Elwynn from the kobolds and other vile threats, and from his post near Eastvale Logging Camp, Guard Thomas seeks to eradicate the foothold the murlocs have established in the forest. Deputy Rainer is currently the leader of the Westbrook Garrison and protects the border from the Riverpaw gnolls.

Quests
After their heroic victory against the Lich King, the humans of Stormwind see new threats arise closer to home. As the Cataclysm rips across the world, the trading routes of Elwynn Forest are threatened by kobolds taking over the gold mines, feuds between families, attacks from wild animals, farms being overrun by bandits, and the Blackrock orcs invading through the north. The whole zone deals with an investigation, for these seemingly unrelated threats could all have the same cause behind it, and with the army stretched thin, and Stormwind's economy on the brink of collapse, it falls to its citizens to defend their kingdom and restore the peace.

Stormwind City is the capital of the humans, and of the Alliance. There can be found all-level quests that draw adventurers to other zones.

Resources

 * Cloth:
 * Linen Cloth
 * Herbalism
 * Peacebloom
 * Silverleaf
 * Earthroot
 * Skinning
 * Ruined Leather Scraps
 * Light Leather
 * Mining
 * Copper Ore (mostly in the mines)
 * Fish - Fishing skill 25 needed to fish open water without catching junk
 * Raw Brilliant Smallfish
 * Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper
 * Bloated Smallfish
 * 15 Pound Mud Snapper

Battle pets

 * Small Frog
 * Silver Tabby Cat - Vendor
 * Cornish Rex Cat - Vendor
 * Bombay Cat - Vendor
 * Sinister Squashling - Hallow's End only
 * Spring Rabbit - Noblegarden only
 * Feline Familiar - Hallow's End only
 * Black Lamb
 * Orange Tabby Cat - Vendor
 * Rabbit
 * Squirrel
 * Fawn
 * Cat
 * Chicken
 * Stormwind Rat
 * Fangs
 * Slither

Wild creatures

 * Bears
 * Boars
 * Gnolls
 * Kobolds
 * Murlocs
 * Spiders
 * Wolves

In the RPG
Elwynn is a gorgeous span of fertile land and thick forests. The weather is brightly sunny and cheerful during the day and silent and peaceful at night. Unlike Duskwood, it is close enough to Stormwind to enjoy considerable Alliance guardianship. Home to many farmers, loggers, and miners, Elwynn Forest is a tranquil region with several friendly places to stop. Little troubles this region; kobolds infiltrate some mines, and murlocs have moved inland to reside in some lakes and rivers, but overall it is safe. One should stick to the roads though, as the forest is home to many fearsome and territorial creatures. Those who can defend themselves are not in any danger, but others may not be so lucky. Elwynn enjoys consistently good weather, warm and humid with few stormy days. Gentle rain falls just enough to make everything grow full and lush.

This woodland is pleasant and tranquil. Loggers and fishers fuel Stormwind’s economy, and a diligent militia keeps it safe from the kobolds and murlocs that occasionally surface. The Defias Brotherhood, a group of robbers and bandits wearing red masks, has recently become a growing menace in the region. The Brotherhood reaches into Elwynn Forest from time to time, preying on lone travelers, although their main center of operations lies somewhere in Westfall. Some say they have a case against Stormwind, as they weren’t paid for their work rebuilding the city; others say they are whiners who charged too much in the first place. Others (such as Brann Bronzebeard) did their work and were paid, and don’t understand the problems.

Elwynn Forest is under guardianship of the kingdom of Stormwind but has its own democratic government.

True criminals in the area are usually sent to Stormwind for trial and punishment in the Stockade, as most people care more for their jobs than housing criminals. Goldshire has a small holding area for drunks and pickpockets, but few stay in the clink for very long. Elwynn’s towns will welcome most any travelers, especially those who want to shop or trade to help the local economies. They are especially kind to those willing to lend a hand in a tough spot.

Film universe
Elwynn Forest is depicted close to its World of Warcraft incarnation. It contains the communities of Goldshire and Northshire Abbey.

A murloc can be seen and the laughter of a gnoll can be heard in the forest.

Notes and trivia

 * Bimble Longberry fruits come from the forests of Elwynn.
 * The farms of the Blackridge, Woodring, and Liam's families are located near Goldshire. The Defias Brotherhood kidnapped the Blackridges and moved them to the Deadmines at some point.
 * There was an Alliance ship named the Elwynn.
 * Horde players enjoy attacking Goldshire, Northshire and Tower of Azora. It won't be surprising if you see a huge battle going on in either of these places.
 * The two rival farmsteads, The Stonefield Farm and Maclure Vineyards, may be a reference to the real-world Hatfield/McCoy feud.
 * Elwynn Forest is prominently featured in South Park ' s "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.
 * This starting zone is usually the highest populated due to Stormwind and the Goldshire dueling phenomenon.
 * Following the Cataclysm, a small sheep farm in the mountains around Northshire Valley are inhabited by a gnome named Agee Tyler, a reference to the Blizzard employee Tyler Agee.
 * On most servers, Goldshire is an Alliance player hangout with people everywhere dueling and talking.
 * Elwynn Forest has been listed as a possible battleground in Heroes of the Storm.