User:Sunkencastles/Western Silverpine

Western Silverpine Forest, or simply Western 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 Blood War, the Forsaken had solidified 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.

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

History
The southern parts of Silverpine Forest was originally part of the kingdom of Gilneas, until it was walled off with the Greymane Wall. 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 flagged. 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.

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.

Maps and subregions




Notable characters



 * IconSmall Van Hirsing.png Damien Von Hirsing 
 * IconSmall Vampire Slayer Elf.png Marquise Leya Silverblade 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Count.png Archduke Vladimir Vahrkhov 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Count.png Prince Valimyr Vahrkhov 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Female.gif Mary Vahrkhov 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Female.gif Ilsa Vahrkhov 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Female.gif Helena Vahrkhov 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Male.gif Gerard Markos 
 * IconSmall Venthyr Male.gif Viktor Cromwell 
 * IconSmall Worgen Male.gif Grigori Grey
 * IconSmall Venthyr Female.gif Irina Kakosy
 * IconSmall Witch.gif Mother Oksana
 * IconSmall Goblin Male.gif Krazz Quickfuse 
 * IconSmall Biggun.gif Lurch 

Resources



 * Cloth
 * Linen Cloth
 * Wool Cloth
 * Silk Cloth
 * Runecloth
 * Herbs
 * Silverleaf
 * Mageroyal
 * Briarthorn
 * Ghost Mushroom
 * Grave Moss
 * Sorrowmoss
 * Widowbloom
 * Nightshade
 * Leather
 * Ruined Leather Scraps
 * Light Leather
 * Medium Leather
 * Ore
 * Copper Ore
 * Tin Ore
 * Iron Ore
 * Silver Ore

Wild creatures

 * IconSmall Bat3.gif Bats
 * IconSmall Darkhound.gif Darkhounds
 * IconSmall Elk.gif Deer
 * IconSmall GiantBoar.gif Dire Boars
 * IconSmall Garn.gif Dire Wolves
 * IconSmall Ghoul.gif Ghouls
 * IconSmall Horse.gif Horses
 * IconSmall Pig.gif Pigs
 * IconSmall Rat.gif Rats
 * IconSmall GilneanRaven.gif Ravens
 * IconSmall SpiderBone.gif Spiders
 * IconSmall Gargon.gif Wargs
 * IconSmall Zombie.gif Zombies