Keepers lose, reclaim Stromgarde, claim Westguard to fight Grin Menace

Bloodshed. Heroism. Treachery. Alliances struck and renewed. Over the course of the year-long campaign to retake Stromgarde Keep, acts of admirable courage and vile deception have been witnessed, but in the end, the Light has triumphed.

After being forced from their home by the Blacktooth Grin’s army, regrouping at Menethil, striking a bargain with Stormwind for Alliance support, and a long exodus to claim Westguard Keep as a Northrend base and reinforce it with its exiled people, the Keepers of Stromgarde can finally start rebuilding their Keep.

Battle at the Keep

A year ago, after mistaking a failed coup attempt on their leaders as an assassination attempt by the Keepers of Stromgarde, The Blacktooth Grin and several of their Dread Horde allies attacked the Arathi-based fortress as a reprisal. The forces of Prince Galen Trollbane, unaware at the time of the attempt on the Grin officers’ lives, believed that their most powerful enemy had launched a long-planned invasion. Preparing for battle, they reawakened old alliances, calling upon the Knights of Dusk and Grim Covenant, and more, as time went on, the Golden Army of the Midnight Reveries lending its assistance, along with new allies such as Bane of the Horde, mercenaries, and many other honourable regiments. During the long campaign ahead, the very best fighters of the Alliance would unite against the fierce clans of the Dread Horde, namely Blacktooth Grin, Lament of the Highborne, Suncrown, and later reinforcements such as Grunts, Warsong Ax Men, Thunderhoof Clan, Thunderlords, and Hillsbrad Security.

After a week-long siege, the Grin overpowered the Keepers, who used a cover of explosions that rocked Stromgarde to avoid being followed as they scattered in various directions to throw off their pursuers. The bulk of the Keeper Army fled to Faldir’s Cove to board a ship waiting in anchor. Several supply caravans, civilian groups, and injured soldiers were transported in the opposite direction, towards Southshore and Aerie Peak.

A Keeper surveying the area

More fighting ensued at Southshore, where the Alliance forces were victorious in part due to the withdrawal of Suncrown. At Aerie Peak, the Keepers suffered a terrible blow, some of their members being captured by the Grin. Based on intelligence reports from their scouts indicating that the prisoners were held in Hammerfall, the soldiers of Stromgarde risked everything to retrieve their own, and lead a successful charge against the enemy to liberate their men, before regrouping at Menethil Harbor.

At Menethil Harbor, after a bloody and hard-fought battle at Dun Modr stunned the Grin army, General Stonemug killed the mighty Yagyu, the Blacktooth Grin Warchief. There, while the Grin dealt with his succession, the Keepers waited for a month while Prince Trollbane went to Stormwind to seek Alliance help. Battle-weary after the flight from their home and fighting, they needed a place to regroup and to take their craftspeople and builders, who had been strengthening the Keep prior to the invasion. Stromgarde had soldiers and crafters, but no place to take them to safety, and the Alliance had need of both at Westguard, in the Howling Fjord. A deal of convenience was struck: the Keepers would help build Westguard and reinforce it, and the Alliance would help them take back Stromgarde. This was far from the immediate resources that had been hoped for and that were sorely needed, but in the light of an international incident involving a fallen Stromgarde priest desecrating the Cathedral in Stormwind and returning to his demonic ways during the negotiations, the Keepers were fortunate to get any assistance at all…

While the Prince remained in Stormwind to continue negotiations, a fleet of Kul Tirasian was gathered to take the army of Stromgarde north to Westguard Keep. Unable to enter the Fjord due to a Horde blockade, and forced to bypass Venture Bay due to hostile weather and attacks by Sea-Vrykul, the army eventually landed in Borean Tundra. More trials awaited the weakened Alliance forces as their supplies were burned and their form of transport ruined. Forced to escape through Sholazar with Nessingwary’s support, they crossed Dragonblight, passing dangerously close to Conquest Hold before breaking the siege of Westguard Keep and claiming it as their own.

Finally established at a safe base where they could tend to their wounded and plan for the next phase of the war, the Keepers led guerrilla-style attacks across Northrend, gaining support and resources, and then moved to more important locations to try drawing off the Dread Horde from Stromgarde.

However, due to a frantic report from a scout stationed near Stromgarde of the Grin unexpectedly preparing to burn down the Keep and abandon it, Prince Galen called in what allies could be reached quickly, and launched a brave, albeit improvised, pre-emptive strike on the Horde usurpers. After a heroic and desperate fight, the Keepers were unable to prevent their fortress from being burned, but inflicted serious casualties on the Dread Horde and reclaimed the Keep.

General Stonemug's inspiring speech at the fountain

As General Stonemug said during his inspiring speech before the forces assembled: “We will rebuild, we will grow stronger, and we will visit our revenge upon the Grin. The new banners of Stromgarde will be dyed red with the blood of the Horde scum!”

Home at last, thanks to the courage, dedication and cohesion with which the Keepers and their invaluable allies fought, the people of Stromgarde can now rebuild upon the solid stone foundation of their Keep, cleansed of the foul Horde presence by fire, gaining in strength and re-establishing their presence in Arathi, as well as protecting their new territory in Howling Fjord. In the words of Scout-Guardian Aeldon: “We will rebuild the Keep, and maintain a major presence in Westguard Keep, in order to work in concert with the Golden Army at Wintergarde and contain the Grin Menace in Grizzly Hills. They will regret ever inflicting this scar upon Stromgarde.”

– Letter submitted by Olinore Wargrave, Public Relations Officer of the Keepers of Stromgarde