Darkshire

Darkshire (formerly known as Grand Hamlet) is a once-quaint little woodland village located in Duskwood, but it has fallen on literally dark times. The surrounding forests have been filled with an evil malaise that cloaks the land in constant darkness. The walking dead choke the graveyards, and foul creatures known as worgen have overrun many of the outlying farmsteads. Even worse, Stormwind has all but abandoned the village and the surrounding area, as most of the Stormwind army is currently off fighting on the front lines. This has left the stubborn people of Duskwood little choice but to defend themselves. Besides its town hall, the village also has a blacksmith.

Prior to the third invasion of the Burning Legion and their adherence to the Veiled Hand cult, Lord Ello Ebonlocke ruled the town while his daughter, Althea Ebonlocke, was the Commander of the Night Watch, a local militia that works to keep the roads free and the creeping darkness back for as long as possible. They strike against the undead and worgen that plague the land. The people of Duskwood are a jumpy and suspicious lot, but they are desperate for any aid they can get against the evil that now surrounds their homes.

Following the Fourth War, and despite the treason of the Council of Darkshire with some Watchers, the town is still active as Sarah Ladimore is now the Commander of the Night Watch and continue to protect the town and its inhabitants from the undead and worgen.

History
Darkshire did not always have that name. The town was formerly known as Grand Hamlet, which was destroyed in the First War by invading orcs, but later rebuilt.

Around the beginning of the First War, Grand Hamlet lost several of its nobles at a party in Karazhan when Medivh drained the life of all humans nearby in order to battle Aegwynn. A few years later, when Medivh died, fel energy unleashed by his death corrupted the area around Grand Hamlet, turning it into Duskwood. Grand Hamlet was renamed Darkshire.

World of Warcraft
Sometime after King Varian Wrynn's disappearance, the Kingdom of Stormwind pulled all of their troops out of Darkshire. Left to fend for themselves, the Night Watch was established to defend against the various threats that plagued the town. The Night Watch was formed and trained entirely by the people of the forest; and they've had to contend with marauding wolves and various undead. Some Darkshire citizens have also set out to deal with the bands of wild worgen. The Night Watch was also involved in the battle against the necromancer Abercrombie and his abomination Stitches; as well as the manhunt for the murderer Stalvan Mistmantle.

Wrath of the Lich King
During the war against the Lich King, Unit Darkshire was sent to the Dragonblight.

Cataclysm
Around the time when the Cataclysm hit, the Twilight's Hammer cult tried to recruit citizens of Darkshire, leaving apocalyptic notes at the houses. As such, the Night Watch was on high alert.

Legion
During the Burning Legion's third invasion, the town was caught in chaos. The ruling Council and some Night Watchers joined the fanatical Veiled Hand cult and had the town under strict surveillance; even murdering several inhabitants. The situation was discovered by the rogues of the Uncrowned who tried to confront the Commander. While Althea escaped to Stormwind City and was killed there, the councilmen seemingly escaped.

Terror by Torchlight
In the aftermath of the Fourth War, the township is still active and free from the Veiled Hand, as Sarah Ladimore took the command of the Night Watch to protect the town.

Some time after, a necromancer attempted to overwhelm Duskwood and Darkshire with an army of undead by corrupting the Torch of Holy Flame. The advance of the undead was slowed down by the efforts of the watchers, until Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind defeated the necromancer and recovered the purified holy torch, saving Darkshire from the army of undead. The Spymaster announced to Ladimore that he would send Stormwind guards as reinforcements after the necromancer hinted that the threat was not over.

Shadowlands
During Death Rising, the town came under attack from the Scourge. To fight against the undead, troops of the Argent Crusade were mobilized under the orders of Lieutenant Vernon in order to protect the town and its inhabitants, some adventurers came to help by reducing the Scourge's numbers in the area, before transmitting a report from the Lieutenant to Commander Gregor in Stormwind City to brief them on the situation in the region.

Player vs. player
Due to Darkshire's focal location on the roads of Duskwood, Horde players are forced to travel through and around the town in order to reach the Swamp of Sorrows to the east for their next questing zone after Stranglethorn Vale. On PvP servers, level 18-30 Alliance players questing in the area often avoid running through Duskwood all together by traveling to Sentinel Hill in Westfall and then flying back and forth to Darkshire since it's not only shorter, but because there are also level 35+ Horde players that traffic Duskwood's roads. Questing in Duskwood can be an inconvenience to Alliance players who are constantly under assault by the Horde at the Ravenhill Cemetery; however, Horde must go through Alliance's city, Darkshire, which now spawns level 65 Darkshire Guards, in order to reach their own respective questing zones.

Although Duskwood is classified as Contested Territory, it contains no Horde flight point and only one source of Horde quests, the tower of Beggar's Haunt, northeast of Darkshire along the road to Deadwind Pass.

The Forsaken are gone, they either returned to the Undercity, or they were killed by the mad hermit.

Flight

 * Rebel Camp, Northern Stranglethorn (0:48)
 * Goldshire, Elwynn Forest (0:55)
 * Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains (1:00)
 * Raven Hill, Duskwood (1:03)
 * Sentinel Hill, Westfall (1:27)
 * Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest (1:28)
 * Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands (1:37)
 * Booty Bay, Cape of Stranglethorn (2:52)

Items

 * Crest of Darkshire
 * Darkshire Mail Leggings
 * Shield of Darkshire

Film universe
Set to the south of, Grand Hamlet is the hometown of Queen Taria Wrynn and her brother , a place as quiet and quaint as. Prior to the arrival of the, it had a garrison of thirty men, loyal to.

After falling mysteriously silent, soldiers in Elwynn Forest spotted Grand Hamlet burning in the distance, heralding the Horde's arrival in Elwynn.

Trivia

 * Strangely enough, there are three tailor suppliers in the town but no trainers.
 * The following lore characters hailed from Grand Hamlet/Darkshire: Dougan and his family Adena, Lieren, Loania, as well as Bellthazor.