“We are the chill in a coward’s spine…
We are the instruments of an unyielding ire…
We are the Forsaken”
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SfxoFFIMY86s6zRJY9pdTvarkNnB65q0qZJgJO_2NUY/edit?usp=sharing
Tarren Mill is a Horde roleplaying guild and community in World of Warcraft’s Hydraxian Waterlords server.
Our aim is to provide both the Horde and Alliance with compelling stories connected to the struggle of the Forsaken as they fight for their identity and place in the world after the Third War.
Naturally, Tarren Mill aims to be involved with the Survivors of Lordaeron initiative as antagonists, adversaries and perhaps unlikely allies in the face of greater threats. We will also will keep close ties with our blossoming friends in the Frostwolf Legion to try to solidify the Horde’s footing in the northern Eastern Kingdoms.
OOC Introduction & Preamble
The Tarren Mill initiative was born as a means to unify as many Forsaken RPers as possible during the early days of Classic WoW’s release as there were very few options for Horde-side Eastern Kingdoms roleplay. As such, the guild decided for a generalist, catch-all approach in which most attractive organizations present in Forsaken culture could be represented so as to group up as many players as possible and create connections during the early days of the server.
What this means is that the guild will try to be welcoming to most characters as part of the war machine of the Undercity (be the characters taking up combat roles or not), but will not be covering very specific niches or goals beyond tensions in Hillsbrad. That is up to the individual characters to pursue.
Tarren Mill aims to be a safety net where many Forsaken characters, played by people with experience in RP or none can find a middle-ground in which to connect with each other and act as a small hub for Eastern Kingdoms Horde roleplay.
IC & OOC attitudes
As many might be aware of or at the very least suspect, Tarren Mill’s creation had a lot to do with the existence of an RP initiative around Southshore and the surrounding lands. These guilds and groups will be Tarren Mills enemies in most IC contexts, and tensions will surely escalate in-character between both sides. The Forsaken of Tarren Mill are expected to be individuals and will come with many different in-character attitudes, but many will be very confrontational towards their perceived enemies.
Tarren Mill as an outpost is meant to secure the borders of the Forsaken as they seek to expand further south while the Forsaken’s New Plague is developed, and as such many characters will be actively hostile towards the enemies of the Undercity. This should under no circumstances translate into OOC communication. As we see in the questliens, Forsaken are most definitely aggressors. Some light-hearted banter and taunts and keeping a healthy rivalry is something that will probably come naturally to many of our players, but remember the person behind the character.
All being said, no matter how dark or ruthless one’s character might be, players are expected to be mature, sensible and to acknowledge that the greater purpose of Tarren Mill as it stands is to aid in creating an immersive RP atmosphere for both the Horde and Alliance players, and not to devolve intro trolling and toxic attitudes. We’re in-character antagonists. We share a hobby out of character.
Remember: we’re not here to win. We’re here to share stories.
Deployed Forces
The Deathguard
Loyal servants to the Banshee Queen above all, the Deathguard form the bulk of the Undercity’s military force. They’re infamous among the living for their terror tactics, ambushes, and for their tireless pursuit of the enemies of the Queen. The Deathguard is a feared force on the field, being able to march for days without rest, like a tireless wave of locusts.
The Deathguard of Tarren Mill serve under the orders of High Executor Darthalia, appointed by the Banshee Queen herself to command operations in Hillsbrad Foothills and to prevent the spread of the living into their lands while protecting their outposts from the living.
The Deathstalkers
The Deathstalkers serve as the Forsaken’s network of spies and assassins. The organization keeps its existence away from public affairs, following the command of Majordomo Varimathras, lieutenant of Queen Sylvanas Windrunner.
Their current operations include elimination of high profile enemies of the Undercity, and the collection of information regarding the Alliance and the Scarlet Crusade encroaching on Forsaken territory. Tarren Mill’s Deathstalkers often follow the direct orders of High Executor Darthalia, but the true intent of their operations is to expand the territories of the Forsaken further south through Silverpine and further down Hillsbrad.
The Royal Apothecary Society
The Apothecary Society is arguably the centerpiece of Tarren Mill operations. Apothecary Lydon is aiming to deliver in some new advances in perfecting a new weapon with which to keep the living at bay and ensure the survival of the Forsaken against the preying eyes of the Alliance, the Scarlet Crusade, the Syndicate, and all other enemies of the Undercity.
Members of the Royal Apothecary Society, or those hoping to be admitted into it work tirelessly to develop new toxins and concoctions with which to defend their people. In the early days of the Forsaken, Tarren Mill will surely prove to be a pioneer in the macabre new alchemical science of the Undercity, and many newly-risen scholars gather to procure experience in the field, much to the living’s dismay.
The Cult of the Forgotten Shadow
With the growing amount of Forsaken breaking free from the grasp of the Lich King’s dominion and seeking under cover of night the comforts of community, belonging and faith, a lot of the Banshee Queen’s children have found little solace in the Light that abandoned them in Death, as their souls and forms writhe twisted by the blessings of the Shadow.
The Cult of the Forgotten Shadow disperses its clerics and preachers through the dark forests of Lordaeron to remind the Forsaken of their plight and destiny, and to offer them the Shadow as their ally. It is for now a fragmented organization, formed up by strange, often malignant beings that the living often describe as terrifying (if their encounters with them allow them to even conjure sane descriptions of anything at all).
The Township
Beyond the specialized bodies of Tarren Mill, there’s a plethora of workers, adventurers, allies and temporary visitors that make up the bulk of the town. Many different resources need to be brought both from the south and the north, and there is always work to be had in the dilapidated streets of Tarren Mill.
The Forsaken have little need for mortal necessities, and many find little joy in the entertainment forms of the living, but it is in the township that many find the vague mirage of a life long past: a life of daily, menial trials and tribulations, and so their burdens are lessened by the idea of community.
Many others are here for the promise of power and recognition from the Undercity and the Banshee Queen: powerful Necromancers, mages, travelling mercenaries and fighters, studious independent scholars and others with private interests all gather in Tarren Mill for the glory of the Forsaken.
Tarren Mill intends to expand as a Hub on fundamentally Forsaken stories: identity, a place in the world, paranoia, coping with Undeath, depersonalization, alienation, revenge… it will also deal with the political struggles of the Undercity, and our events will follow the lines established by the questlines in the game.
… this does not mean that we will not accept members of other races that throw themselves with Tarren Mill’s lot for whichever reason, but they are likely to be exceptions.
That being said, our GM’s plan to give notice OOCly to Alliance guild officers when planning stories of our own, because what we would ultimately want to see is a nice cooperation between players rather than forever fighting raid markers on the floor. Feel free to sabotage our events IC!
For any other questions…
Contact: Richter (Koko#1111 on Discord) or post below.
