Gilneas City


 * "Gilneas will rise again!" 
 * - King Genn Greymane

Gilneas City, also once known as Greymane City by some sources, is the capital city of the Kingdom of Gilneas. It is a dark and foreboding place of narrow cobblestone streets and crowded, gothic houses. There are four districts, and a cathedral in the center of it.

Construction
Established in the center of the Gilneas region, Gilneas City represents the heart of the nation. The city was built on a lake in the center of Gilneas, surrounded by high cliff faces and a fed by the life-sustaining Northgate River, or 'Earl'forth' in the pagan tongue of the headlanders. The river was vital to the survival of the lake: without its constant waterers, the like would have dried up completely in the space of a decare or two. Hence the construction of the city was undertaken with care. Vast amounts of dirt were transported to the lake to create an artificial island with the remnants of the water serving as a canal system for the city. A secret tunnel way was also built to appease the native peoples, leading out into the Headlands of Gilneas.

Under the reign of King Archibald Greymane, the city underwent an industrial revolution, mass construction on the city was taken as ramparts were constructed along the city, as well as high rising industrial towers and various factories. Under King Archibald, Gilneas moved to the forefront of human ingenuity, succeeding in greatness without the aid of other nations or non-human races.

Under King Genn Greymane, the city continued in prosperity thanks to the continued efforts of the Gilnean people and the continued industrialization of the nation.

Northgate Rebellion and the Worgen
During the Northgate Rebellion, the Northgate Rebels under Lord Darius Crowley raided Gilneas City. Having marched through the gates, the rebels set the city ablaze and rocked the ramparts and walls with cannon fire. The city sustained a large amount of structural damage and was rebuilt following the rebellion to its former state.

After the rebellion was quelled, the city returned to a sense of normalcy, with the priority being the restoration of the lands of Gilneas that had been destroyed during the rebellion.

By the time of the Worgen Outbreak, Gilneas City had been fully restored to its former glory, only to be beset by the ravenous wolf men that had cut off the city from the rest of the nation. The City was abandoned after Lord Darius Crowley and Genn Greymane reunited their forces. Lord Crowley held a daring last stand in the Cathedral Quarter while the citizens of the city fled to Duskhaven past the Queen's Gate.

Forsaken
Following the city's abandonment by the Gilneans, the people of Gilneas returned to the city to find it in shambles following the invasion of the Worgen and that the Forsaken had established camps within the war-torn city. Of its many districts, the Merchant Square and Military District had suffered the most damage, with most of the merchant square having been lit ablaze. The Gilneans routed the Forsaken from the two war torn districts, having also put an end to the abomination factory that was being made in the shell of Stoneward Prison.

Near the end of the fighting, the Forsaken held onto only the Cathedral quarter and the Light's Dawn Cathedral before the Gilneans abandoned the city yet again to evacuate the citizens of the nation.

After the Forsaken forced the Gilneans to abandon the city and escape to Darnassus, the Forsaken claimed the city for their own once again. However, with the aid of the 7th Legion, the Alliance were able to retake the city for a final time.

Alliance Occupation
Under the leadership of Master Sergeant Pietro Zaren, the 7th Legion reclaimed the Cathedral Quarter and ousted the Forsaken from the rest of the city. During this time, the Cathedral Quarter had suffered a large amount of damage, the two ornate fountains having been destroyed while the courtyard of the area, once a serene grassy land, was re purposed with military camps and laden with holes from the siege.

While Zaren was assassinated by Forsaken troops, the city was never taken by the Horde a third time, as the Forsaken were forced to withdraw from Gilneas in defeat. During this time, Greymane Court was restored to its former glory, while the rest of the city remains in reconstruction.

Blackhowl
At some point, a Gilnean noble by the name of Lord Hiram Creed and his Blackhowl regiment took over maintenance of the city. Unknown to the Blackhowl, Lord Creed was actually a black dragonkin in disguise, trying to evade the destruction of his kin and raise an army of Gilneans loyal only to him by subverting them by use of his blood. Thanks to the intervention of the Black Prince Wrathion, Creed's plans were foiled in its infancy and he was assassinated. The Blackhowl, leaderless, were either killed by unknown means (in truth it was the dragon blood in their veins) or were absorbed into other nationalist groups. Once again, the city was left without guardians or re-builders.

Abandonment
Following the Invasion of Gilneas and the aftermath that followed in Silverpine Forest, the City's garrison was recalled by King Wrynn as the war against the Horde picked up in other regions. Without the 7th legion and the Gilneas Liberation Front having taken severe losses, its maintenance fell upon the Blackhowl group until their eventually disbandment as well. As a result, the city was left a ruined wreck that was only occasionally visited by various nationalist groups.

Following the end of the Siege of Orgrimmar, the Alliance has expressed interest in the rebuilding of the Kingdom of Gilneas. Many have used this as a point to propel their efforts into rebuilding the nation's capitol. Bishop Melchiz Tzedeck has led an effort towards restoration of the city, starting with the Cathedral Quarter and the Light's Dawn Cathedral.

Districts
Gilneas City has several districts:


 * Merchant's Square in the northeast, while once filled with residential homes and merchants peddling their wares, the district has seen the most destruction out of the city. It is now a smouldering wreck, with the largest amount of structural damage in the city.
 * Military District in the southeastern part of the city. Suffering the second largest amount of structural damage, the Military District has been revitalized to a degree. The streets are still lined with a few barriers from the second assault on the city, and the Stoneward Prison has not been restored as of yet.
 * Greymane Court in the southwestern part of the city. Of all of the districts, Greymane Court is the only district that has been completely restored. It houses the largest inn in Gilneas City, a pavilion for smithing, several benches, a Gilnean flag, carriages, a mailbox and the passage way that leads from Gilneas City under ground to the Headlands.
 * Cathedral Quarter in the northwestern part of the city. Having been slightly restored under the Alliance, the district has gone from a serene place of worship to being re-purposed as the Alliance central command post in the area. It bears the scars of the multiple invasions of the city still, with the ruined fountains and holes from cannon fire.
 * Light's Dawn Cathedral, in the center of the city lays the Cathedral. Oddly enough, it has been relatively undamaged and the stained glass has been repaired from the Worgen invasion during Crowley's last stand in the area.