Stormwind City

Stormwind City is the capital of the human kingdom of Stormwind and the largest Alliance city in the Eastern Kingdoms. Burned to the ground in the First War and rebuilt in white stone, it sits at the edge of Elwynn Forest and is the home of human players, the seat of the boy king Anduin Wrynn and a center of Alliance politics. In Classic, its court is quietly being manipulated by a dragon, a plot that players uncover in one of the game's most memorable quest chains.

Geography

The city is entered from Elwynn Forest across a long bridge into the Valley of Heroes, lined with statues of the heroes of the Second War. Canals divide it into districts:

• The Trade District, just inside the gates, holds the auction house, the bank, the inn and many shops.
• Cathedral Square surrounds the Cathedral of Light, seat of the Church of the Holy Light, where priests and paladins train.
• Old Town, in the east, is home to the Stormwind barracks and SI:7, the kingdom's intelligence service, and to rogue and warrior trainers.
• The Dwarven District, in the north, has blacksmiths, engineers and the station for the Deeprun Tram to Ironforge.
• The Mage Quarter, in the west, has the Wizard's Sanctum, the mage and warlock trainers and the city's arcane shops.
• The Park is a quiet green space with trees and the city's druid trainer.
• Stormwind Keep, at the northern end, is the royal palace.
• The Canals run through the whole city. The entrance to the Stockade prison is on the canal north of the Mage Quarter.

History

Stormwind was founded by the humans of the old empire of Arathor who settled the south. During the First War, the orcish Horde destroyed the city. After the Second War, King Llane's son Varian took the throne, and the city was rebuilt by the Stonemasons' Guild under Edwin VanCleef. The nobles refused to pay the masons, who rioted, were driven from the city and became the Defias Brotherhood.

In Classic, King Varian Wrynn has vanished on a diplomatic journey, and his young son Anduin sits on the throne. Bolvar Fordragon rules as regent. At his side is Lady Katrana Prestor, a noblewoman who has won great influence at court and who is, in truth, the black dragon Onyxia in disguise.

Quests and notable NPCs

The keep is home to Anduin Wrynn, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and Lady Katrana Prestor. Other notable residents include Archbishop Benedictus in the Cathedral of Light, Master Mathias Shaw of SI:7 in Old Town, High Sorcerer Andromath in the Mage Quarter and General Marcus Jonathan, commander of the city's defenses.

Notable quests and chains:

• The Defias conspiracy. A letter found on Edwin VanCleef in the Deadmines starts The Unsent Letter, which takes players to Baros Alexston, the city architect. The story leads through the Stockade and eventually reaches Elling Trias, a cheese seller who works for SI:7, and the traitor noble Lord Gregor Lescovar. In The Attack!, players ambush Lescovar in the keep's garden, then report to Mathias Shaw and finish with An Audience with the King, which rewards the [Seal of Wrynn].
• The Missing Diplomat. A long chain starting with The Missing Diplomat follows a Stormwind diplomat's disappearance across the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, with a brawl against Dashel Stonefist in Stormwind along the way.
• The Great Masquerade. The Alliance chain to enter Onyxia's Lair ends in Stormwind. Players escort Reginald Windsor from the city gates to the keep in The Great Masquerade, where he reveals Lady Prestor's true form in front of Bolvar.
• Dragon heads. Killing Onyxia lets a player hand her head to Bolvar in Victory for the Alliance. Killing Nefarian lets a player bring his head to Bolvar (The Lord of Blackrock) and then to Field Marshal Afrasiabi in the Valley of Heroes (The Lord of Blackrock). Each time, the head is mounted at the city gates and everyone nearby receives Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer, a strong buff.
• Reputation. Clavicus Knavingham takes cloth donations for reputation with the city, starting with A Donation of Wool.

Low-level human characters can also pick up simple delivery quests around the city, such as Stormwind Library.

Dungeons

The Stockade (The Stockade) is a prison dungeon for roughly levels 22 to 30. The prisoners, among them the Defias leader Bazil Thredd and Targorr the Dread, have rioted and taken over. Warden Warden Thelwater and Stormwind's guards give the quests to restore order.

Getting there

Stormwind City sits at the northwestern edge of Elwynn Forest, a short walk from Goldshire. The Deeprun Tram connects the Dwarven District with Ironforge in a few minutes. Dungar Longdrink in the Trade District is the city's gryphon master, with flights across the Alliance's Eastern Kingdoms network.

Sources

• Stormwind City, Warcraft Wiki
• Stormwind Stockade, Warcraft Wiki
• The Great Masquerade, Warcraft Wiki
• Quest data from WoWDB (patch 1.12)