Howling Oak: A guide to Worgen in Cataclysm by Adnaw
Worgen - Are humans afflicted by a curse that causes them to morph into bestial wolf-like men. Most have little control and are little more than slavering beasts. The Gilnean worgen that have joined the Alliance on the other hand have been saved from the plight of mindless ferocity and although still savage retain some control over their humanity as well.
Contents:
- History
- Geography
- Important NPCs
- Other NPCs
- Military
- Culture
- Why Join the Alliance Now?
- WoWpedia Articles
- Suggested sources of inspiration
1. History:
After the second war with the orcish Horde Gilneas withdraws from the Alliance and builds the Greymane wall. This wall runs the length of Gilneas’s border with Silverpine forest. They believe they can hold their own without the Alliance and keep any that come against them at bay.
The City comes under attack by Worgen, the people within the city also turning against their brethren and a last stand is made at lights Dawn Cathedral by Lord Darius Crowley and his political rebels to allow for the unaffected to escape. The city is lost to the worgen and those left unaffected are moved out to the safer parts of the country. Most move to Duskhaven and the royal family retire nearby at Greymane estates. It is during this time the Gilneans try to regain some semblance of normality. Also some of the worgen are kept in stockades and experimented on with potions and elixirs until one is successfully found to help temporarily give them some form of control.
The great Cataclsym first damages the reefs that had been preventing approach by ship and in a greater quake the wall allowing the Forsaken the breech they need to attack the Kingdom by sea and land.
Druids of the pack were the original druids cursed with being worgen. This happened in the ancient fight against the demons. They gave up balance and allowed the beast to overtake them. Those original druids are now asleep in the emerald dream, but the curse was spread before all of them were placed there. The night elves have traced the Scythe of Elune to Gilneas.
The night elves with the help of Lord Darius Crowley and the Scythe of Elune perform a ritual that allows worgen infected to once again maintain balance and permanent control over themselves.
Prince Liam Greymane is killed in a battle with Sylvanas in an attempt to retake Gilneas City, he sacrifices himself in his father’s place.
The Gilneans escape thanks to the help of the Night Elves and are welcomed into Darnassus, They establish there a place within the city called the Howling Oak. The tree was planted from a seed from Tal’doren.
2. Geography:
Tal’doren - Home of the original druids that fell to the worgen curse. A large tree with a moonwell in its branches. Strangely, this is in Gilneas, and not in Kalimdor.
Greymane Wall - Wall Erected by Genn Greymane to cut off Gilneas from outsiders after conflict and war with the orcs.
Duskhaven - A small town that is refuge to the Gilneans after the Worgen forces them to evacuate the City. It eventually sinks.
Gilneas City - Capital city of Gilneas
Stormglen Village - A small village in the south of Gilneas. The town is left abandoned and taken over by spiders.
Emberstone Mine - A mine that is eventually overtaken by the Forsaken.
Emberstone Village - A small village in the Northeast of Gilneas, it is overrun by Forsaken.
Keel Harbor - A port in Northwest Gilnaes. Final evacuation point from Gilneas.
3. Important NPCs:
Prince Liam Greymane - Son of Genn Greymane, killed by Sylvanas.
Gwen Armstead - Helps establish the evacuation, Mayor of Duskhaven
Lord Darius Crowley - Lead an insurrection against King Genn Greymane when he built the wall separating him from his land and people. He was then imprisoned. He is set free during the Worgen assault on the city and help defend it but is overwhelmed and succumbs to the Worgen curse. He later leads the Glinean Liberation Front against the Forsaken in Silverpine.
Lorna Crowley- Daughter of Lord Darius Crowley, she is later captured by Forsaken.
Lord Godfrey - A Gilnean Nobleman that dislikes worgen. After a plot to turn the now worgen King Greymane over to the forsaken fails, he commits suicide. He is then brought back as a forsaken by the Valkyr. He kidnaps Lorna Crowley in hopes of forcing a ceasefire with the forsaken and Gilneas Liberation front. When Lord Darius Crowley concedes, Lord Godfrey turns on the horde as well striking out at Sylvanas and killing her, although she is brought back by the Val’kyr. He then being hunted by both Horde and Alliance, runs and hides in Shadowfang Keep.
Krennan Aranas - Famous Alchemist that creates the mixture that allows the Worgen infected to maintain some level of control over themselves, although temporary.
Dark Ranger Thyala - Leads the first attack by sea of the Forsaken. She is slain in the battle.
Queen Mia Greymane - Queen of Gilneas and wife of Genn and mother of Liam.
Princess Tess Greymane - Daughter of King Genn Greymane and sister to Liam.
Belrysa Starbreeze - A night elf priestess of the moon. She is waiting to help the Gilneans to understand the Worgen curse and the old druid order that it came from.
Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner - Ruler of the Forsaken, she kills Prince Liam and leads the Forsaken attack on Gilneas in an attempt to retrieve the Scythe of Elune.
4. Other NPC’s for name examples:
MALES:
Vitus Darkwalker - Warlock Trainer
Sergeant Cleese - Warrior Trainer
Huntsman Blake - Hunter Trainer
Captain Broderick - Prison Captain
Vincent Hershem - Prisoner
Sean Dempsey - Prisoner
Tobias Mistmantle - Prisoner
Josiah Avery - Civilian
Jack “All Trades” Derrington - Profession Trainer
Gereard Walthorn - Weapons Vendor
Fielding Chesterhill - CookFEMALE:
Samantha Buckley - General Goods
Loren the Fence - Rogue Trainer
Marle Allen - General Goods
Mary Oxworth - Banker
Amelia Atherton - First Aid
Melinda Hammond - Civillian
Sister Almyra - Priest Trainer
Willa Arnes - Innkeeper
Celestine of the Harvest - Druid Trainer
Myriam Spellwaker - Mage Trainer
Rachel DeSimone - Civilian
Jenn Stravaganza - Civilian
Jaime Harriott - Civilian
Carrie Eileen Steen - Civilian5. Military
The military appears to hold regular military titles (ex. Sergeant Cleese)
Military Branches:
Royal Gilnean Guard
Gilnean Militia
Gilneas City Guards6. Culture:
Gilneas is run by a monarchy with mayorships for towns and governors for regions.
The Gilneans worship the light much like the other humans and Gilenas City holds the Cathedral of Lights Dawn. Although some follow the “old religion,” (Druidism) it was not as advanced as the current druidism of the night elves.
They have a Royal Guard, a Military, and towns have also established a watch.
Mandrake root is one of the important ingredients in the serum that allows Worgen to maintain control over their humanity temporarily.
Although many of the inhabitants of Gilneas have contracted the Worgen disease, not all have been successfully captured and given the serum, and those that are not afflicted as a worgen have much distrust and some dislike of the new more sentient worgen among them.
Gilneans bury small tokens or mementos just above the graves of those that have died to help keep their souls at rest.
The overall flavor and theme appears to take small doses of Victorian England, both in speech, style of dress, and overall themes.
7. Why Join the Alliance after all this time?
The Worgen decide to join the Alliance which they had originally spurned in desperation and gratitude. Their numbers now so diminished and their land now lost they had little other place to turn. Besides this they were also grateful for the help that saved those that remained by the unlikely ally of the Night Elves. The night elves have given them a home in their own city of Darnassus. They also have created an area within the grand city of Stormwind. King Genn Greymane now stands with King Varian Wrynn in Stormwind.
8. WoWpedia articles ( for further research)
Worgen & Worgen(playable)
Gilneas
King Genn Greymane
Prince Liam Greymane
Gwen Armstead
Lord Darius Crowley
Lorna Crowley
Lord Godfrey
Greymane Wall
Scythe of Elune
Druids of the Pack9. Suggested reads for character inspiration
Jane Austen’s works (Although not Victorian they capture much of the early romantic and social drama that is prevalent in the Worgen)