Kul Tiran fleet | |
---|---|
Main leader | Jaina Proudmoore |
Formerly |
Katherine Proudmoore Daelin Proudmoore † |
Secondary leaders |
Tandred Proudmoore Lieutenant Benedict[1] † Lieutenant Alverold[1] |
Race(s) | Human |
Character classes | Marine, Sailor |
Capital | Boralus |
Base of operations | Boralus Harbor |
Theater of operations | Kul Tiras; Great Sea |
Language(s) | Common |
Affiliation | Admiralty of Kul Tiras, Alliance navy, Alliance |
Formerly | Alliance of Lordaeron |
Status | Active |
“Kul Tiras has a navy that would make any country proud.”
The Kul Tiran fleet,[3] also known as the Proudmoore fleet,[4] is the principal naval force of the Admiralty of Kul Tiras. It specifically refers to the main body of the modern-day Kul Tiran navy, which forms much of the nation's offensive and defensive power. The fleet is a highly formidable force and is central to the legendary reputation of Kul Tiras as a maritime power. It is also the latest in a long line of Kul Tiran fleets, such as the doomed Third Fleet of the Second War.
While the Stormsongs build every ship of the fleet,[5] the tidesages bless every last Kul Tiran vessel, which is what really sets them apart from the ships visiting Kul Tiras. The nation's largest ships always carry a tidesage to navigate through storms, withstand heavy seas, and put wind in their sails.[6]
Only a few gryphons are selected to be sea scouts operating from flagships in the fleet. Their long-range reconnaissance is an integral part of Kul Tiran sea dominance.[7]
The Kul Tiran naval force is crewed by sailors descended from centuries of seafaring traditions.[8]
The fleet proudly stands as one of the finest of its kind in the entire world,[9] and at the start of the Fourth War, both Jaina Proudmoore and Anduin Wrynn described Kul Tiras as possessing the greatest naval power in all of Azeroth.[10][11]
History[]
Second War[]
After its foundation as a nation, Kul Tiras built up a mighty fleet of merchant vessels that sailed throughout the known lands in search of exotic goods to trade and sell.[12] As of the start of the First War, these far-ranging merchant ships made it the most prosperous nation in the known world. When the orcs began to raid the coastal settlements of Lordaeron, Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore took it upon himself to construct an armada of warships in order to pledge the assistance of the merchant-nation to the burgeoning Alliance.[13]
The Kul Tiran fleet was then joined with the other fleets of the Alliance, under the leadership of the new Grand Admiral Proudmoore. Under his control, the Alliance navy intercepted the Horde fleet near the island of Zul'Dare, before the Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills. Proudmoore's vessels finding the crude Horde ships was akin to a wolf crossing paths with an injured lamb. Proudmoore's seasoned maritime fleet was able to easily outmaneuver the less sea experienced orc navy sooner than he anticipated.
However, the Horde fleet was not alone. Warchief Doomhammer, who had been wary of the humans' naval superiority, had ordered the Dragonmaw clan to supply the newly enslaved red dragonflight as support. Though reluctant to do so as battle mount training had not yet been completed, Nekros Skullcrusher sent three red dragons to protect the Horde fleet as it crossed to Lordaeron. Reluctantly following the orcs from behind, the enslaved red dragons appeared after Proudmoore's navy attacked and had bathed several of the Alliance vessels in fire. Though the dragons were few in number, Proudmoore had no means to combat them at the time and was forced to call a retreat. As the Alliance fleet scattered, the Horde ships continued their advance toward Lordaeron.[14]
Later in the conflict, after the Horde was completely driven from Lordaeron and Khaz Modan was liberated, the Black Tooth Grin clan with the Horde fleet had been sailing towards the Horde-controlled Stormwind when they were attacked near the island of Crestfall by the Alliance navy under the command of Grand Admiral Proudmoore. The battle had begun similar to the one near Zul'Dare, Proudmoore outmaneuvered his foes and hammered them with cannon fire. And just as before, the Horde had dragons. The beasts swooped down from the skies and engulfed the Alliance ships in sheets of fire.
Admiral Proudmoore's ships were able to easily outflank the lumbering and crude orc vessels, wracking them with cannon fire and inflicting casualties. The Horde ships were guarded by red dragon riders, which dove from the sky and burned Alliance vessels. This time, however, the Alliance fleet was accompanied by Wildhammer dwarf gryphon riders led by Kurdran Wildhammer. The gryphon riders had learned from their battles against the dragons across the high elven kingdom of Quel'Thalas to use their mobility against their larger adversaries.
Eventually, the majority of the Horde fleet was left in ruins by Proudmoore's superior forces. Only a handful of vessels escaped being sunk, including Dal'rend and Maim's ship. Above, the dwarves' fearless efforts were enough to ultimately drive the dragon riders to flight, and they subsequently scattered in all directions.[15] Among the losses suffered by Proudmoore's navy was the loss of the Third Fleet to the dragon-riders of the Dragonmaw orcs, taking with it Derek Proudmoore, eldest son of the Grand Admiral.[16]
Beyond the Dark Portal[]
A portion of the Kul Tiran fleet patrolled Baradin Bay in the times before the Invasion of Draenor. When Menethil Harbor reported an orcish raid on its docks, the Kul Tirans intervened in minutes, but were repelled by Sabellian and a flight of black dragons who destroyed three of their large ships.[17]
Aftermath[]
Following the splintering of the Alliance, Kul Tiras was one of the nations that remained an ally with King Terenas. Admiral Proudmoore's mighty fleets patrolled the trade lanes hunting pirates and marauders, maintaining order on the high seas.[18] Several Alliance ships reported that they had escaped a band of pirates whose leader carried glowing blades oozing black smoke, and soon it became clear that those ships were the lucky ones. A newly empowered crew of pirates was preying on Alliance vessels, and when the raiders captured a ship, they left no survivors. Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore led the search for the rogues, and after weeks of hunting, his small fleet cornered their ship a few miles off the Eastern Kingdoms' shores. The pirate crew seemed to be possessed, barely human, but after a coordinated cannon barrage, Proudmoore sent the Bellwether, to the bottom of the ocean. The admiral sailed away, believing he had killed them all.[19]
The Third War[]
Jaina Proudmoore, the daughter of Daelin Proudmoore, had been convinced by the mysterious Prophet that sailing west to Kalimdor with refugees from Lordaeron was the only course to save humanity. She commandeered the Kul Tiras fleet[2] and took them immediately across the Great Sea, where she saved the world by allying with the Horde and the Sentinels at Mount Hyjal.
The founding of Durotar[]
- Main article: Invasion of Durotar
Admiral Daelin Proudmoore's fleet eventually reached Kalimdor after some time to reestablish contact with the missing Human Expedition that escaped the destruction of Lordaeron and search for his missing daughter.[20] Yet when they discovered the fugitive orcs and Darkspear trolls had established a foothold on the land, Admiral Proudmoore launched an invasion on the resurgent Horde's new kingdom. Preparing himself for landfall, Daelin made Lieutenant Benedict second in command in his absence, giving him full authority on domestic Kul Tiras military matters.[1] Lieutenant Alverold's fleet was dispatched to scout the whole coastline of Kalimdor, while Proudmoore ordered various forces to head inland. The Kul Tiras fleet began attacking the Horde settlements on the Echo Isles, forcing the Darkspear trolls to relocate to the mainland. Unable to agree with her father's decisions, Jaina started helping Thrall and his champion Rexxar.
Thrall and his armies marched towards Theramore where he was advised by Jaina to hire goblin shipbuilders to construct warships capable of breaking the Kul Tiran blockade of Theramore. The Horde forces eventually landed in Theramore City and managed to defeat the Kul Tiran sailors and marines, with Daelin himself being killed by the orcish heroes along the fleet's flagship.
A year later, as ordered by Daelin before disembarking, Lieutenant Benedict launched a second wave of Kul Tiras sailors and marines, retaking Tiragarde Keep while awaiting Lieutenant Alverold's return.[1] By the Cataclysm, most of the other survivors of Daelin's fleet had already sailed back to the Eastern Kingdoms.[21] The fate of Lieutenant Alverold's expedition around Kalimdor is still unknown, thought he might have been one of those.
Modern times[]
After the massive loss of ships and men in the invasion of Durotar, the navy was once again gradually rebuilt under the new Lord Admiral Katherine Proudmoore. The following years marked a time of self-imposed isolation for Kul Tiras, and so the fleet took part in little to no engagements outside the kingdom.
Battle for Azeroth[]
Months before the Fourth War,[22] the fleet mysteriously disappeared at sea, along with its commander Tandred Proudmoore. Unbeknownst to most of the nation, the ships were being held captive in a massive artificial storm by Kul Tiras's very own Tidesages, normally sworn to protect the fleet. House Stormsong and the Tidesages came under the dark influence of Queen Azshara and sought to deliver the fleet to their new mistress regardless of the cost.[3]
The absence of the fleet left all of Kul Tiras vulnerable to many threats. In particular, Lady Ashvane and the Irontide Raiders set their sights on the capital of Boralus and Tiragarde Sound amid the turmoil. Meanwhile, in Stormsong Valley, the corruption of House Stormsong spread across the land. Though supposedly trying to call the fleet home, the Tidesages' true desires were eventually uncovered. A force of Storm's Wake militia and their champions invaded the Shrine of the Storm, preventing a ritual intended to deliver the fleet to Azshara. After defeating Lord Stormsong and his corruption, Brother Pike performed his own ritual at the heart of the Shrine, ensuring the temporary safety of the fleet, though it still remained lost at sea.[23]
During the Siege of Boralus led by Lady Ashvane, the city stood on the brink of falling. As Ashvane's final attack arrived, Jaina Proudmoore was given her father's pendant by her mother as a last hope. Using the trinket, which Daelin Proudmoore had used to call the fleet in times past, Jaina was able to both locate the lost fleet and bring it home. Before the harbor gates, the Kul Tiran fleet cut through the mists in its full glory, with Captain Tandred Proudmoore at the helm. The fleet quickly surrounded Ashvane's pirate forces, who surrendered.[24] This signaled the restoration of Kul Tiras's naval power once more, as the nation proceeded to officially join the Alliance.
After the Horde reclaimed the body of Derek Proudmoore, several ships were sent to Plunder Harbor to retrieve it. As the Horde agents get a hold of the Abyssal Scepter, they used its power against the ships, setting them on fire.[25]
Tides of Vengance[]
After receiving reports of the Alliance invading northern Zandalar and conquering the Blood Gate not far from Dazar'alor, the Zandalari and the Horde decided to combine their forces and drive them out with a counteroffensive.[26] With the Kul Tiran fleet said to be just off the coast of Nazmir, Princess Talanji sent the Speaker of the Horde to get the Golden Fleet to attack them.[27] Once a majority of the Horde's forces were lured to Nazmir, the Alliance navy revealed that the assault on Nazmir was a ruse and began their true objective: the assault on Dazar'alor. The Golden Fleet sought to impede the Alliance navy's path, which was spearheaded by Jaina's ship, and so the Zandalari harried them with ballistaes, but the Alliance had secretly planted explosives on their ships beforehand. Just as Gelbin Mekkatorque was about to remotely detonate the explosives with his remote detonator machine, Gelbin's floor collapsed from the impact of one of the Golden Fleet's ballistae missiles. Gelbin fell below the deck of Jaina's ship and pulled himself out of the rubble so he could rush to re-position his remote detonator. Once the remote detonator was upright again, Gelbin pushed the detonator button and blew up the entirety of the Golden Fleet stationed there, allowing the Alliance navy to invade Dazar'alor with little resistance.
Rise of Azshara[]
A great portion of the Kul Tiran fleet chased after Nathanos Blightcaller's across the Great Sea. Suddenly, the seas opened due to Queen Azshara's usage of the Tidestone of Golganneth, and all of the vessels present were wrecked in Nazjatar, presumably weakening the Kul Tiran fleet considerably afterwards.
Visions of N'zoth[]
After the fall of N'Zoth and the escape of Sylvanas Windrunner, the Kul Tiran fleet scoured the seas of Azeroth on the command of Lady Jaina Proudmoore, hoping to find the Banshee Queen to put her to justice.[28]
The Vow Eternal[]
A few years after the war against the Jailer, Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore and her fleet were reported to be in conflict with the pirates in Kul Tiras.[29]
Fleets and ships[]
Please add any available information to this section.
Modern fleet[]
- The Abyssal Melody (destroyed) — Occupied by k'thir at Tidecross.
- The Siren's Daughter — Sent to retrieve Derek Proudmoore's corpse from the Horde.
- The Valorous Rose — Sent to retrieve Derek Proudmoore's corpse from the Horde.
- Proudmoore flagship — After serving her father, now raised by Jaina from the oceanic depths. Seems to be of an earlier design.
- The Stormy Pearl — Participated in the Alliance assault on Nazmir. Most likely got destroyed.
Old fleets[]
- Daelin's fleet — Destroyed during the invasion of Durotar.
- Proudmoore flagship — Actual name unknown. Previous flagship, sunk during the invasion of Durotar.
- Kul Tiran Third Fleet — Destroyed in the Second War.
Notes[]
- The fleet appears to consist of only heavy Kul Tiran battleships, instead of being mixed with any smaller vessels.
- Considering the dialogs between Lord Stormsong and Wavespeaker Reid, the fleet was intended to be "rebirthed", hinting that they would have transformed their human crews into k'thir.[30]
- Its position and role during the Blood War place it in mirrored opposition to the Golden Fleet of the Zandalari Empire, allied with the Horde.
- It is unknown if the fleet led by Lieutenant Alverold is still missing or went back home.
Gallery[]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d [Admiral Proudmoore's Orders]
- ^ a b Legends Volume 5: A Cleansing Fire
- ^ a b Tidesage Council#Quotes
- ^ Shadows Rising, pg. 114
- ^ [40-70] The Master Shipwright
- ^ [30-60] The Missing Fleet
- ^ Proudmoore Sea Scout
- ^ The World of Warcraft Pop-Up Book
- ^ Proudmoore Admiralty#Description
- ^ [10-50] Tides of War
- ^ [10-50] The Nation of Kul Tiras
- ^ The Seven Kingdoms
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual#Kul Tiras
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 157
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 172
- ^ Tides of Darkness, pg. 314
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, chapter 10
- ^ Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual
- ^ Blood Ledger#The Dreadblades
- ^ Daughter of the Sea
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 112
- ^ A Nation Divided#Notes
- ^ [35-50D] Shrine of the Storm: Whispers Below
- ^ [50D] Siege of Boralus: Lady Ashvane's Return
- ^ [60] The Aid of the Tides
- ^ [60] War Is Here
- ^ [60] Ride of the Zandalari
- ^ In-game dialogue between Jaina and Anduin after the quest "The Price of Peace".
- ^ The Vow Eternal
- ^ [30-60] The Abyssal Council