Capital City

Capital CityTides of DarknessWarcraft III manual: Orcish History - Gul'dan and the BetrayalWarcraft III mapRaces of World of Warcraft: UndeadUltimate Visual Guide, pg. 142 or simply Lordaeron CityTest of Lore (4) and LordaeronWarcraft II mapRuins of Lordaeron subzone of Tirisfal Glades in World of Warcraft. was the capital city of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. The city was built by the Arathorian nobles at the time in which the kingdom was fracturing, and became the city-state and capital of a kingdom based in Tirisfal Glades that emerged after the fall of the Arathorian Empire. The city was the heart of the Alliance and the center of humanity before its fall during the Third War.
==History==
===Early history===
During the decadency of the Arathorian Empire, the Tirisfal Glades and surrounding lands were settled by the disenfranchised lords of the empire capital of Strom, who were part of a group that left the city because they were desirous of the verdant and fertile lands to the northwest. They named their new home Lordaeron, after the surrounding region which itself had been named after the great Arathorian general Lordain who had once lived there. It was also home to deeply religious ascetics who believed in the Light. Many people traveled to the city-state seeking wisdom, enlightenment, or cures for their ailments. As it grew into a proper kingdom, the noble families renamed its heart Capital City.
The city was first an industrial center for the nation, but later, most of the industries were moved east to the new cities of Stratholme and Andorhal, so Capital City became solely an administrative center and was largely remodeled as a wonder of human architecture. But despite its beauty, the city's walls were also sturdy and well-defended, and no foe ever breached them until modern times.Tides of Darkness, chapter 16
===Second War===
The city was the center of the Alliance of Lordaeron during the Second War, and so prospered as the effective capital of humanity. It provided the most soldiers of any kingdom to the Alliance and successfully repelled the invasion of the Orcish Horde. It was here that renegade Alterac soldiers and sailors were interrogated and revealed the treachery of their kingdom.The Prisoners (WC2 Human) The city itself was later attacked during the war.The Fall of Lordaeron (WC2 Orc)
Capital City also had its own cathedral, where Jaina Proudmoore and Arthas Menethil met for the first time.Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
===Third War and aftermath===
When Prince Arthas killed his father, King Terenas II, the city fell into turmoil. At Arthas' command, Falric and Marwyn led the undead Scourge into the city and killed its inhabitants.Death Knight (manga) After the massacre of its citizens and its destruction, the city soon came to be called the Ruins of Lordaeron and was overseen by Balnazzar, Detheroc, and Varimathras.
Several months after the end of the Third War, detachments of the surviving paladins of the Knights of the Silver Hand emerged from the rubble of the Lordaeron to form a resistance against the Scourge and to protect those who fled to Dalaran, recaptured by the Alliance resistance led by Grand Marshal Garithos. Among them, the Crippling Force, the Defenders of Justice and the Circle of Holy Light guarded the ruined Lordaeron palace gardens, respectively under the command of Dagren the Orcslayer, Magroth the Defender and Halahk the Lifebringer. However, their combined efforts were not enough, as they were defeated by Arthas Menethil, Kel'Thuzad and Sylvanas Windrunner on their return from Kalimdor, enabling the Scourge to murder the survivors and destroyed the resistance. After his victory, Arthas ousted the dreadlords of the ruined city and named himself King of Lordaeron.King Arthas (WC3 Undead)
When Ner'zhul recalled Arthas to Northrend, Balnazzar took control over the city once again. The combined forces of Grand Marshal Garithos and Sylvanas Windrunner defeated Balnazzar, at which point Sylvanas betrayed her allies and took the city for herself.A New Power in Lordaeron (WC3 Undead) The Undercity, which lies beneath the ruins of the city, became the capital of the Forsaken until it was plagued and made uninhabitable during the Siege of Lordaeron.
==Locations==
*Lordaeron's palace
**Imperial chamber
**Imperial hall
**Palace Gardens
*Lordaeron Harbor
*An official Dalaran embassyDay of the Dragon, chapter 13
==Notes==
*Thassarian's family farm is located on the outskirts of Capital City.
*Parqual Fintallas and his family lived in Capital City, in modest but comfortable chambers with a massive library.Before the Storm, chapter 12
*There is about a week of horseback travel between Southshore and Capital City by taking the Silverpine Forest's road.Tides of Darkness, first prologue
*It was previously stated that the continent of Lordaeron had been named after the city-state of Lordaeron,The Seven Kingdoms Chronicle 1 retconned this, instead the continent being named after Lordain and the city after the continent.
==Gallery==
Lordaeron tapestry.jpg|The banner of Lordaeron
WarCraftII-TidesOfDarkness-Orcs-Mission14-FallOfLordaraeon.png|The orcs preparing to attack Capital City from Lordamere Lake during the Second War.
SiegeofCapitalCityOrcCinematic.png|The Siege of Capital City.
Warcraft II ruined capital of Lordaeron.jpg|Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness orc victory over the ruined capital of Lordaeron, that would be non-canonical in all later sources.
Warcraft 3 Lordaeron bells.jpg|Bells of Lordaeron.
Warcraft 3 Lordaeron throne room.jpg|Imperial chamber.
HumanEnding2RF.jpg|Entrance to the imperial chamber
Ruins of Lordaeron Comic.jpg|Capital City in the aftermath of the Third War
The Battle for Lordaeron 1.jpg|The city from above.
Throneroom.jpg|Throne Room
Lordaeron Harbor.jpg|Lordaeron Harbor 
Ruins of Lordaeron.jpg|Ruins of Lordaeron.
;Fanart
Capital City fan 1.jpg|Fan rendition of Capital City.
Capital City fan 2.jpg|Fan rendition of Capital City.
ImperialChamber.jpg|Fan art by Lost-In-Concept.
==References==
Category:Cities
Category:Human territories
Category:Destroyed settlements
es:Ciudad Capital
fr:Lordaeron (Ville)
pl:Capital City