Gilnean military

The Gilnean militaryLord of His Pack, pg. 5 is the armed forces of the Gilnean people, serving under King Genn Greymane. The military of Gilneas defended the borders of the peninsula kingdom for centuries; having been strong enough to even be considered a formidable entity in Lordaeron, as well as one of humanity's strongest nations, despite being much smaller than its closest neighbor.Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Nations of the Alliance, Gilneas
==History==
===Second War===
At the time of the Second War, Genn Greymane rebuffed Anduin Lothar's calls for unity, stating that Gilneas' armies could fend off any foe.Tides of Darkness, chapter ?? Regardless of this, however, Gilneas did relent and send part of their military as a token force to ensure trade relations by the end of the war.Lord of His Pack, pg. ?? Gilneas was said to have fought with bravery; using tactics that required them to stay united. Despite this being noted as a token force, Greymane himself notably was said to have partaken in combat versus the Horde; describing his battles with the orcs during the Second War to leaders of the Alliance later on.Wolfheart, chapter 10
Towards the end of the Second War, however, Gilneas' desire to remain with the Alliance of Lordaeron soured, as they called for the extermination of the orcs instead of internment camps. However, Terenas Menethil showed them mercy and began building internment camps for them. This bill, coupled with the expenses that led to rebuilding Stormwind, and to make matters worse, as Gilneas refused to fund the construction of Nethergarde Keep, led to disagreements between the kings. Years later, while the Alliance of Lordaeron was unaware of the death cults forming in their lands, the departure of Quel'Thalas who stated that the humans' poor leadership had led to the burning of their forests during the Second War,The Alliance Splinters alongside the liberation of the orcs from internment camps by Thrall, led to the departure of Gilneas and its military from the Alliance, and the construction of the Greymane Wall. This ended all contact with the other Alliance nations and closed off the nation from the rest of the world.
===Third War===
During the Third War, Gilneas' military remained stationed at the Greymane Wall. King Genn Greymane hadn't sent any Gilnean soldiers to fight the Scourge, as he saw the fall of Lordaeron as confirmation that he had made the right choice in isolating his kingdom from the world. However, the Scourge never flagged, more and more undead appeared outside Gilneas, and the army battered the wall day and night. On Greymane's orders, his army amassed and a tide of Gilnean soldiers poured into Silverpine Forest when the gates swung open. From atop the wall, Greymane watched disaster unfold as the Scourge crushed his men. The soldiers who fell in battle arose as undead and turned against their former comrades. Though the Scourge could not initially penetrate the wall, the Gilnean military was unable to repel the Scourge on their own, and it was only a matter of time before the undead would completely overrun their forces.
Without hope of success, the king turned to his royal archmage Arugal to find a solution. The magi proposed a summoning spell, which would invoke lupine creatures known as the worgen into their service. Despite many generals advising Greymane against it, Arugal himself among them, the worgen were their only hope.Curse of the Worgen, issue 5, pg. 28 As battle raged outside the wall, Arugal performed his summoning. The wolf-beasts wasted no time in turning their fury on the Scourge, then they turned on the Gilnean armies to satisfy their bloodlust. The surviving Gilnean soldiers retreated behind the wall, and the gates slammed shut. What no one knew was that the beasts carried the worgen curse, which spread to Gilnean soldiers who had been bitten by the worgen, the same who had retreated behind the wall.
In addition to the Wall, a group known as the Gilneas Brigade was sent to aid Lady Jaina Proudmoore across the sea in Kalimdor. This group was sent outside of the permission of King Greymane, and instead, by Darius Crowley; a Gilnean lord who had disagreed with Genn numerous times since the construction of the wall, and an advocate of the Alliance.Lord of His Pack, pg. 11 - Crowley had not accepted the wall with grace. He had defied Greymane and had even aided the Alliance during what was now known as the Third War by sending the "Gilneas Brigade" to Lady Jaina Proudmoore.
===Northgate Rebellion===
During the Northgate Rebellion, the Gilnean military supported King Genn Greymane and his loyalists, and fought against the Northgate rebels led by Lord Darius Crowley. The final conflict occurred when Crowley's army marched upon the Gilneas City, setting it ablaze with artillery fire. Much street fighting likely followed, but the rebels were ultimately unable to overcome Greymane resistance. Having broken upon the city's defenses, the Northgate Rebellion was defeated, with the majority of its leaders, including Crowley, captured and imprisoned within Stoneward Prison for high treason.Old DivisionsLord of His Pack, pg. ??
===Cataclysm===
Several days prior to the attack on Gilneas City by the wolfcult of Alpha Prime; Genn Greymane ordered his son, Liam Greymane, to increase the presence of the military across Gilneas; concerned with the growing number of attacks across the kingdom, of which included the Starlight Slasher murders. When questioned on if these troops should be moved from the wall, Genn refused to allow it; stating the neighboring Forsaken would use any opportunity to exploit a weakness on the wall. Not wanting to potentially alarm the civilians of Gilneas with the sudden upsurge of military forces; Liam was instructed to simply state that the Northgate rebels were acting up again.Curse of the Worgen, issue 2
Prior to the destruction of the Greymane Wall, the worgen attacked Gilneas City en masse, swarming it under the leadership of Alpha Prime.Curse of the Worgen, issue 4 During this time, the Royal Guard and the Gilneas City guards were rallied under the leadership of King Greymane and Prince Liam Greymane, later joined by the freed Darius Crowley and his Northgate rebels. Many of the guards were wounded or slain, eventually having to start killing the very civilians they were protecting as they turned into the worgen themselves.
Following the Cataclysm, caused by the re-emergence of Deathwing, the earthquakes destroyed the Greymane Wall and allowed the Forsaken a way into the kingdom; as well as having destroyed the reefs that protected the kingdom.Edge of Night During the initial breach, the military had managed to hold off the Forsaken's advance, despite the presence of Garrosh Hellscream; who desired the area as a port for the Horde in northern Eastern Kingdoms. They fought with muskets, burning oil, and flaming arrows, as well as having several of the recently cured worgen, by way of alchemy, on the walls aiding them. Because of this, the Wall, despite being destroyed, held.
Following the continued lapse in the Gilnean countryside to the worgen, the Cataclysm destroying the southern portion of Gilneas, and eventually the Forsaken's inclusion, the wall was eventually breached, either by the military retreating or having been destroyed by the Forsaken. Following the defeat of the Horde and the crashing of a Horde Gunship into the Forsaken Forward Command, whatever remained of Gilneas' fighting forces regrouped under Darius Crowley, forming the Gilneas Liberation Front. During this time, Genn Greymane and the remaining civilians of Gilneas were evacuated to Darnassus, and later petitioned to rejoin the Alliance.
====Joining the Alliance====
When Genn Greymane and the representatives from Gilneas met with the delegates from the Alliance, it was decided to make a show of power so that the Alliance would recognize Gilneas as a formidable ally, rather than a drain on the Alliance. As a result, the Gilnean military marched in formation with Genn Greymane, carrying the banner of Gilneas and playing the Gilnean anthem. They had, despite Gilneas' beleaguered state, made a point of matching the amount of forces sent by the Stormwind army during this encounter. They capstoned this display by having the Gilneans in procession transform into Worgen as Greymane spoke about the benefits of bringing Gilneas into the Alliance's fold.Wolfheart, chapter 14 Soldiers under Eadrik would later join Jarod Shadowsong as they attempted to discover the culprit of the Highborne assassinations in Darnassus, though Eadrik was slain saving Jarod's life from Neva, who was later killed in turn to avenge Eadrik.
When the Horde marched into Ashenvale under Garrosh Hellscream, with several magnataur under their command, the Gilnean forces attacked the magnataur en masse to aid Varian Wrynn during the Ashenvale war.Wolfheart, chapter 28
After this, the Liberation Front continued their fight in Gilneas and beyond under Crowley, eventually recruiting the refugees of Hillsbrad Foothills, transforming them into worgen, and the Bloodfang Pack, led by Ivar Bloodfang. They would later receive aide from Stormwind now that Gilneas had rejoined the Alliance in the form of Halford Wyrmbane, whose forces landed in Keel Harbor, liberated Gilneas City, and marched beyond the wall into Silverpine Forest. Together, the groups wreaked havoc across Silverpine, before being forced to retreat after the capture of Lorna Crowley. While this soured relations with the Bloodfang Pack, the groups continued to work together. The Liberation Front was also active on the coast of the Northern Headlands, attempting to rebuild a holding for Gilneas from attackers by the sea.Battle for Gilneas battleground
===Warlords of Draenor===
During the war in Draenor, Gilnean soldiers were found guarding the mine in Ashran, accompanied by a warhound.
===Legion===
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Gilneas fielded soldiers under the command of their king at the Broken Shore, where Gilnean Royal Guards made the bulk of their representation. After the death of Varian Wrynn, Gilneas was the main presence on the Broken Isles for the Alliance; serving under the banner of the Gilneas Brigade. There, they combated the Forsaken in various fronts, such as destroying their fleet, fighting the Queensguard at Warden Towers, stopping Sylvanas from corrupting Eyir using the Soulcage, and established the base of Greywatch in Stormheim.
They also represented the Alliance in Dalaran, having taken over the Silver Enclave and renamed it to the Greyfang Enclave.
===Battle for Azeroth===
At the time of the Fourth War, Gilneas was present at the Battle for Lordaeron, where Gilnean Maulers, cannons, and Knight-Captain Emery represented their troops. Genn Greymane led the charge alongside Anduin Wrynn, acting as one of the on-field generals. Following the battle, Gilneas' military returned to their kingdom under Darius Crowley, leading an assault on the Sludge Fields, which were preparing an army of their own to attack Gilneas.Gilnean AssaultUndead Rising
They later were deployed to Darkshore, by orders of Greymane, to assist the kaldorei and show them they had not been abandoned by the Alliance. There, they were led by Princess Tess Greymane and Commander Lorna Crowley.
Later on, the forces of Gilneas deployed Gilnean Ambushers to aid with a suicide mission in Nazmir, led by Blademaster Telaamon, to distract the Horde from forces heading for Zuldazar. They broke off from the group alongside night elf sentinels at the Zul'jan Ruins. During the Battle of Dazar'alor, King Genn deployed Gilnean soldiers into the field, the king himself leading the strike team against King Rastakhan alongside Mathias Shaw of the SI:7. Gilnean footmen faced off against orc grunts and their Zandalari allies at the Port of Zandalar. They fought alongside Stormwindian footmen and dwarven riflemen.
==Appearance and equipment==
The Gilnean military, in the majority of its appearances, shares its basic footman appearance with that of the Gilneas City Guard's armor. This is depicted in the Curse of the Worgen comics, though it is inaccurately given a green color scheme. This color scheme is referential to an original design for Gilneas that was in the early Cataclysm beta, but was changed before release, thus leading to a mix of the two appearances. This armor is also worn by the Gilnean Royal Guard in most appearances.
The Gilnean military differs from that of the other human nations by deploying less knights and mages, but more riflemen, cannons and druids. From their appearance in Darkshore, their footmen have been upgraded to using the Aspirant's version of the Dread Gladiator armor.
They are often accompanied by mastiffs, either as hunting hounds or as wardogs. A Lost Gilnean Wardog can be found wandering Silverpine Forest as a rare mob.
==Membership==
===Sub-groups===
*Gilneas Brigade
*Crowley's Gilneas Brigade (disbanded)
*Gilneas Liberation Front
*Gilneas City Guard
*Gilnean Rangers
*Gilnean Royal Guard
**Greyguard
*Wolfpack
===Named soldiers===
*Marshal Layre
*Knight-Captain Emery
*Captain Broderick
*Lieutenant Walden
*Sergeant Cleese
===Generic soldiers===
*Gilnean Emissary
*Gilnean Footman
*Gilnean Musketeer
*Gilnean Defuser
*Gilnean Ambusher
*Gilnean Laborer
*Stormshield Mine Guard
*Gilnean Mauler
*Gilnean Echo
===Guards===
*Gilneas City Guard
*Wounded Guard
*Slain Guard
*Gilnean Guard
*Gilnean Royal Guard
*Greyguard
*Stormglen Defender
===Gilneas Brigade===
===Gilneas Liberation Front===
==Notes==
*Despite having partook in the Second War, having been included in the manual for Warcraft II and all accounts having been a presence during the conflict; Gilneas is not playable nor interacted with during gameplay in Warcraft II. Their first video game appearance as a combative force, outside of mention, was actually in Warcraft III, through the Gilneas Brigade, a group mostly made up of dwarves.
*Gilneas has gryphons in their armed forces. They are mostly armored versions of the Ebon Gryphon mount, and are said to be able to carry more than standard gryphons.Derek Testerman and Harrison McCabe dialogue
*Captured Warriors on the Broken Shore can have the armor of the Gilnean military if they are worgen.
==Speculation==
Marshal Gabriel alongside the Stormshield Knights that appear in Warlords of Draenor may have been Gilneans, as they use the voice files (the latter using more than just simple poke quotes) for Gilnean humans.
==Gallery==
Gilnean Royal Guard (Darkshore).png|The Royal Guard in Darkshore.
Gilnean Footman.png|A Gilnean Footman in Darkshore.
Sergeant Cleese beta tabard.jpg|Sergeant Cleese's original beta tabard.
==References==
Category:Human organizations
Category:Worgen organizations
Category:Gilneas (kingdom)