Gilneas

Behind The Greymane Wall Before Cataclysm

Behind The Greymane Wall After Cataclysm

Summary

According to the lore, the Greymane Wall was erected to shut off the kingdom from the Alliance, not the Scourge Plague. Gilneas’ leader, Genn Greymane, was fairly incensed he had to send armies and resources to fight other nations’ battles, while Gilneas received nothing in return. In fact, Gilneas is so isolationist that Greymane pulled the nation from the Alliance after the Second War. This is a nation with a military almost unrivaled in the Alliance. Yet Gilneas is not part of the Alliance again until the events of Cataclysm. Let that sink in for a moment. We have a kingdom that has been literally forgotten by the developers and the lore since WoW debuted. This is a perfect faction to bring to the forefront in this expansion. First, let us see what preface Blizzard has given Gilneas for Cataclysm.

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Historical Preface

The worgen’s first verified (Ed: my emphasis) appearance in the Eastern Kingdoms has been traced back to the Third War, when the archmage Arugal utilized the wolf-beasts as a weapon against the Scourge. Arugal’s weapons soon turned against him, however, as the curse of the worgen rapidly spread among the human population, transforming ordinary men and women into ravenous, feral creatures.

Arugal adopted many of the worgen as his own and retreated to the former mansion of Baron Silverlaine, the estate now known as Shadowfang Keep. The curse, however, was not contained. It persisted in the lands of Silverpine and extended even into the fabled walled nation of Gilneas, where the curse rapidly reached pandemic levels.

The citizens of Gilneas found themselves trapped, with no hope of escape. They retreated deeper within the isolated domain, and there they survived, fearful of the savage presence that lurked just outside the barricades.

Tensions among the displaced citizens escalated over time, resulting in a civil war that now threatens to destabilize the embattled nation even more.

There are those among the Gilneans, however, who cling to hope. Many believe that a treatment for the worgen curse may exist, although others have nearly given up, fearful that if the barricades should fall, their humanity will be lost forever.

King Genn Greymane

The people of the Alliance remember the king of Gilneas as a proud, strong-willed, cunning, and arrogant man. He and his armies stood by the Alliance during the Second War, but in the aftermath it became clear to Genn Greymane that the Alliance needed Gilneas more than Gilneas needed the Alliance. He ordered that the Greymane Wall be closed to all outsiders, effectively sealing off his kingdom from the outside world and its conflicts. But fate, it seems, was intent on teaching the king a lesson in humility: although the wall succeeded in isolating Gilneas from the rest of the world, it also served to damn the kingdom’s people forever. As the worgen curse swept the nation and early attempts at containment failed, Greymane found himself fighting a battle for his people’s very humanity.

Current Events [Updated as more info is available]

It appears that the Cataclysm has broken down the Greymane Wall, finally opening Gilneas to the outside world. The Foresaken have wasted no time and are invading the weakened kingdom. Velinde Starsong reappears to summon Gilneas, worgen and all, back into the Alliance.