Fordragon Keep

**Fordragon Keep**, also known as **Fort Fordragon**, is a Grand Alliance Army fortification in the County of Fairshire, located in the Redridge Mountains. Named after Bolvar Fordragon, the former Regent of Stormwind, Fordragon Keep is home to the Fifth Legion of the Grand Alliance and forms a crucial part of Fairshire's provincial defense. The fort, along with the Three Corners garrison in the west, also contributes to Redridge's local army garrison.

## History

### **Initial Construction**

After the War against the Lich King and the chaos wrought by the Cataclysm, the province of Redridge suffered at the hands of heightened incursions by gnolls, murlocs, and Blackrock orcs. The loss of Stonewatch Keep, long since ruined by warlock Morganth's treachery, meant that the Redridge Mountains lacked a central garrison. The Stormwind Army sent out engineers and soldiers to construct the Three Corners garrison, an outpost dedicated to defending the King's Highway and the crossroads between Redridge, Elwynn, and Duskwood. Similarly, though, the County of Fairshire, located along the Redridge-Elwynn borderlands, lacked a central fortress from where to coordinate their defense and house their troops. As with Three Corners, Fordragon Keep began construction in 30 L.C.

The initial design included enough space for roughly 300 soldiers, but this was later upgraded to 500 as the conflict against the Horde escalated during the Cataclysm. The keep was also planned to have stone walls, a central castle, and enough room for camp followers and craftsmen to construct their own housing within the keep's walls. The construction of the keep was stalled, however, by Lord Girart, then-ruling Count of Fairshire. In the last years of his rule, much of Fordragon Keep remained incomplete, with all funding and materials designated for its construction siphoned off elsewhere. Only a local garrison of some 100 soldiers kept watch over the keep, so as to dissuade would-be squatters and bandits from claiming it for themselves.

### **The Fifth Legion**

In the years that followed, the people of Fairshire grew increasingly discontent with Lord Girart's rule. A rebellion rose up among some of the baronies, ultimately resulting in Lord Girart's deposition and death. The Stormwind Army sent troops to pacify the unruly populace, though resistance was minimal to non-existent. With the death of Lord Girart, the House of Nobles in Stormwind City transferred and appointed the County of Fairshire to the land's next legal heir, the Lady Theodora of House De Vries. Upon her arrival, she initiated a massive reconstruction project, intent on restoring the county to working order. Part of that plan included the completion of Fordragon Keep, then locally known as Fort Fordragon, to secure the realm's defense. Changes were made to the original design, however, as the province lacked the necessary materials to complete the keep as intended. The stone walls were downgraded to wooden ones and many of the permanent structures were left as tents or pavilions.

These changes, however, were meant to be temporary. By the the mid-30s, much of Fordragon Keep was in working order and actively occupied by the Fifth Regiment of the Stormwind Army. However, during the opening stages of the Blood War, the Fifth Regiment sustained massive casualties during the fighting in the Arathi Highlands. Upon the regiment's return to the Kingdom of Stormwind, it was reformed into the Fifth Legion, now serving the greater Grand Alliance Army. Under the joint command of the Lord Markus and Lady Theodora Stonewall, the Fifth Legion continued to occupy Fordragon Keep, upgrading it over time to meet their needs.

## Layout

As it stands, Fordragon Keep is made up of multiple sections. On the north end sits the keep's castle that serves as Fordragon's headquarters and armory. The commissioned officers of the Fifth Legion live here, along with the main stockpile of all weapons and equipment needed for the garrison and the legion. Directly south of the castle are the legion's barracks, comprised of both tents and permanent structures. The barracks area also includes a muster field, where troops are summoned for training, roll call, and before marching out on campaign. Directly west of the barracks are the medical and craft-work sections. Army physicians and menders tend to the wounded and sick from tent pavilions and buildings, while smithies and engineers work at their forges and shops to fix and make army equipment. Finally, to the northwest of the army sections are the civilian areas, including a common ground for the keep's occupants. Civilians given permission to live in the keep are usually loved ones of soldiers, accompanying them and providing essential support for the legion. In the civilian area is also the keep's religious section, hosting an abbey for Light worshipers and a temple grove for Elune's followers.