Alterac crisis

This article contains lore taken from Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

The Alterac crisis was a political dispute between the nations of Lordaeron, Gilneas, Kul Tiras, and Stromgarde on what should happen to the traitorous nation of Alterac and its lands in the aftermath of the Second War. The dispute at points threatened to tear the Alliance apart, and the black dragon Deathwing unsuccessfully tried to use the crisis to his advantage to take control of Alterac.

History

Background

The banner of Alterac.

King Aiden Perenolde.

Aiden Perenolde, King of Alterac, only reluctantly joined the Alliance before the events of the Second War. When the Horde advanced deeper in continental Lordaeron, the ruler got scared for his life, and bargained directly with Orgrim Doomhammer - Alterac would let the orcs travel freely through the Alterac Mountains, and even provide assistance to them in other manners, and in exchange the Horde would promise not to ravage its lands.

However, this treachery was eventually discovered, and after the war King Terenas of Lordaeron led Alliance troops into Alterac, declaring martial law and taking Perenolde into custody. The custody soon turned to a mere house arrest, confining Perenolde to his palace and the rest of his family on close watch, and the kingdom was put under Alliance control. As a sovereign king, he could not be exiled, executed, or simply imprisoned (in order to avoid worrying the other kings that the same reaction would occur if they disagreed on anything). The other kings wanted him to abdicate his position as king, so that he could be executed as a lesser noble. However, he refused, knowing it would mean his death. His kingdom had been put under martial law as a temporary solution on Daval Prestor's suggestion, actually the black dragon Deathwing's guise. Daval Prestor started maneuvering to sow the seeds of conflict between the various kings of the Alliance, a plan that would take time to come to fruition.

As Crown Prince Aliden was trying his best to clean his family's stained name, Aiden secretly ordered his agents to steal the Book of Medivh from Stormwind City's new Royal Library in order to use it as a bargaining chip. He ultimately traded it to the Horde to rid his lands of the vengeful troops of Stromgarde and Lordaeron that occupied it. Deathwing attacked the barracks holding the troops. His son Aliden was disgusted by the action of his father, knowing it would destroy everything he had done to try to clear the family name.

Day of the Dragon

Even after the invasion of Draenor, the crisis was still ongoing. None considered Prince Aliden a possible successor, being seen as too pampered and as being cut from the same cloth as his father. King Thoras now wanted Alterac split in two between Lordaeron and Stromgarde. King Terenas still debated the merits of either annexing Alterac to his own kingdom or setting upon its throne a new and more reasonable monarch, one that would be friendly to Lordaeron. On the other hand, King Genn supported Isiden Perenolde. Admiral Proudmoore was afraid that Gilnean influence in the region would threaten Kul Tiras' naval sovereignty. Deathwing, still under the guise of Daval Prestor, manipulated the leaders into making him the future king of Alterac. This worked for a time, but drew the suspicious attention of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, who were conveniently left out of the negotiations by the black dragon. Prestor tried to have the Kirin Tor ostracized by the other Alliance leaders and even secured a betrothal to Lordaeron's princess, Calia, in order to reinforce his political position. Ultimately, however, Deathwing's plans were foiled when he was defeated at the Battle of Grim Batol and forced into hiding.

Resolution

With Deathwing's disappearance, his magical influence on the human kings waned away. Genn Greymane reinstated his protest against Daval Prestor's taking ascension, and even Lord Admiral Proudmoore joined him on this. King Terenas announced that a second check into the so-called noble's background left many questions unanswered, and the wedding was canceled.

At some point Aiden Perenolde died, leaving the door open for Lordaeron to at least partially annex the Alterac Mountains. At the outset of the Third War, Arthas Menethil traveled through the King's Road toward Strahnbrad, and its inhabitants considered him their lord, with the citizens also taking up arms for Lordaeron. A new resistance against them had appeared, however, in the form of the Syndicate, led by former Alteraci prince Aliden Perenolde after he rose up in the Durnholde military under the teachings of his new mentor Aedelas Blackmoore.