County of Whitecliffe

**Ruler**
 **Ruling House**
 **Resident Houses**
* House Thorne
* House Bernhardt
 **Seat**
 **Settlements**
* Barony Midcost
* Barony Palewater
 **Beliefs**
 **Founded**

The **County of Whitecliffe**, ruled by House Hudson, is a coastal region within the Duchy of Westridge. It consists of a long, narrow portion of Westridge's western coastline, facing out towards the Great Sea. The county's local government is seated in the port-city of Bridgeport, one of the most prosperous trade hubs in the whole of the region. The county is named after the large cliffs that stand over the coastline, with their facade composed of white, vibrant chalk.

Whitecliffe serves as the duchy's trade center, with massive wharves and countless custom houses to facilitate the sale and transport of a wide variety of goods. The all-important grain trade is managed from Bridgeport, with vast quantities of the grain supply being exported and imported regularly from other royal territories. Exotic goods, such as spices and gems, also find their way into the county. Finally, Whitecliffe also serves as an important manufacturing center, with the Bridgeport Foundry providing all sorts of industrial goods to the duchy and the Kingdom of Stormwind as a whole.

Whitecliffe is the westernmost region of Westridge, sharing more in common with the coastline of Westfall than anything in Elwynn Forest. Enjoying bright sunlight and arable land where beach sand isn’t the dominant topsoil layer, Whitecliffe is in many ways an attractive location to settle. The denizens of Whitecliffe are far more accepting of outsiders than the nearly xenophobic Wanduke and conservative Mirwood residents, and so immigrants and non-humans tend to find their way here first.

## Holdings

### Barony of the West Isles

The string of connected islands which make up the capital of the County.

### Barony of Midcost

A verdant farmland known for its chivalrous knights.

### Barony of Palewater

A seedy swampland and home to the prison known as the Blackfort.

### Barony of Caldain

A quiet coastline which maintains the pass into Clairmont.

## Whitecliffe Civil War of 631 KY

House Hudson of Bridgeport and House Thorne of Midcost have been rivals for generations - House Hudson flaunting its naval and economic prowess, while House Thorne priding itself on its chivalric knights and fertile farmlands. In January of 631 KY, Lady Charlotte Thorne discovered a document dating back to the War of the Three Hammers in which the late Duke Haedrig Montclair granted Bridgeport to House Thorne for their service in the war. The deed was never delivered those centuries ago, and was forgotten, as Bridgeport was but a small fishing village at the time on salted beaches.

In a bold, and arguably provocative motion, Lady Charlotte marched the entirety of her house guard and several companies of men-at-arms to the coast, fully expecting to be granted Bridgeport and a new seat of power. Lord Benedict Hudson, seeing Lady Charlotte's forces as a threat, marched the guard and a company of fusiliers out to meet Lady Charlotte as Duke Maxen and a detachment of The First Regiment arrived.

Insisting on seeing this deed upheld, Lady Charlotte beseeched Lord Benedict Hudson of Bridgeport to honor the deed and cede Bridgeport to her. Showing the document to Duke Maxen Montclair, Lady Charlotte demanded that he give Bridgeport to House Thorne. Duke Maxen hesitated as Lord Benedict reminded him that House Hudson has been the backbone of Westridge's naval forces for generations. Promising to look into the deed after the war with the Horde had ceased, Duke Maxen left Lady Charlotte disappointed and Lord Hudson temporarily sated.

Shortly after this exchange, several explosions erupted in the newly constructed Fort Talbot of Bridgeport - prompting the regiment to rush to the aid of the Bridgeport Militia in putting out the flames. Many perished in this act of terror, and none saw the perpetrators who carried out this attack. Lord Benedict Hudson believed that Lady Charlotte Thorne carried it out, but had no proof to back his claims.

The next morning, alarms rung out in Bridgeport as an army of House Thorne militia approached. The regiment rode out alongside Lord Benedict to meet House Thorne in battle formations. Lady Charlotte insisted that she only brought the army to assist in the repairs of Fort Talbot - but not without making snide remarks about how it would soon be hers. She and Lord Benedict exchanged hostile words, and just as Duke Maxen was about to send Lady Charlotte away for her untimely "support," a soldier of House Hudson fired his rifle and killed one of House Thorne's militiamen. A crossbowman of House Thorne returned fire, killing the Hudson rifleman instantly.

Before Duke Maxen was able to intervene, Lord Benedict ordered his men to open fire. House Thorne and House Hudson charged into one another in an open clash of armed militia, soldiers, and knights. Duke Maxen called for a ceasefire twice over, but was ignored by the two houses who long held disdain for one another. Unwilling to sit on the sidelines, and seeing the conflict as a clear attempt by House Thorne to seize Bridgeport, Duke Maxen ordered his men to back House Hudson and attack House Thorne. The field was a bloodbath, and as bodies piled on the shores of Bridgeport, House Thorne called upon the Knights of the Thorn as reinforcements. Hesitating upon seeing that their Lady was fighting Duke Maxen, several of the Knights of the Thorn retreated from the field. Many remained, however, prizing their loyalty to Lady Charlotte over Duke Maxen. The knights engaged the regiment and pushed them to the coast, and seemingly had the upper hand.

The arrival of Count Ismond Laldere's forces from Wanduke turned the tide of the battle. As the iron daemon rode down upon the Knights of the Thorn, they in turn charged on the regiment. Melanie Witherseed called upon the powers of the arcane to freeze the waterlogged and muddy beaches, snapping the legs of the knights' steeds and causing significant casualties to the Knights of the Thorn. Outmatched, House Thorne called a general retreat to the south. Furious with Lord Benedict and at the situation at hand, but having picked a side in the battle, Lord Maxen ordered his troops to stay put for the time being and to tend to the wounded. Duke Maxen declared Lady Charlotte a traitor to the Duchy of Westridge.

Following the battle on the coast of Bridgeport, the regiment's forces took a day of rest and restoration; aiding in the recovery of the sabotaged fortress. Seeking to parley with Lady Charlotte in order to end the feud and restore peace, Duke Maxen led the forces of the regiment south to meet her and her bannermen. Instead, they met Lord Ulrich Bernhardt of Palewater, severely wounded and accompanied by his loyal Blackguard. Lord Ulrich informed the regiment that his son and heir, Karl Bernhardt, had incited a rebellion in Palewater and released the criminals being held in the Blackfort prison. He mentioned that Karl was affectionate towards Lady Charlotte, and that she may have had a hand in the rebellion.

The regiment set off towards Palewater to restore order and bring Karl Bernhardt to justice. Accompanied by militiamen of Bridgeport, Wanduke, and the remaining loyal Blackguard, the regiment encountered bandits and criminals pillaging farms and rounding up farmers' wives. Battle ensued, and the regiment made quick work of the criminals. Palewater was ravaged, however, and many of its farms were burned to the ground. Lord Ulrich revealed that the criminals likely emerged from a secret tunnel that led to the Blackfort prison. The tunnel, however, had collapsed in the fighting, so the regiment would have to attack the Blackfort directly.

After a night's rest, the regiment marched on the Blackfort. The regiment encountering several dozen Blackguard rebels. Breaching the gates of the fortress and storming the courtyard, the regiment routed the rebel and criminal elements that manned the Blackfort. Led by Lord Ulrich Bernhardt, the regiment entered the baronial hall, where they faced down the elite guard of Karl Bernhardt. Karl emerged to fight, dispatching Lord Ulrich with a single blow by his great flail. After making claims that King Anduin was a reckless youth who drew the kingdom into wars it had no place in, Karl Bernhardt and his elite guard attacked the regiment.

Karl Bernhardt was narrowly defeated and mortally wounded. Lord Ulrich, rousing from being knocked out by his son, rushed to Karl's side as he lay dying. Karl revealed that he was in love with Lady Charlotte, and that she said the rebellion would be a success. He died in Lord Ulrich's arms, prompting the typically gruff warrior to burst into tears. The rebellion at Palewater was quelled, but Lady Charlotte was still thought to be somewhere in Westridge with her militia. Lord Ulrich demanded that the regiment seek revenge upon the woman who influenced his son to betrayal.

Leaving Lord Ulrich in the Blackfort to sort out the affairs of his ruined barony, the regiment and Hudson forces marched northeast to Thorne Keep, the seat of House Thorne. There they were greeted unexpectedly by Lady Charlotte's heir, Edmund Thorne. Edmund pledged his loyalty to Lord Benedict and House Hudson, beside himself that his mother was actively rebelling against the crown. The regiment was invited to investigate the keep, in which they discovered several letters of correspondence between Lady Charlotte and Karl Bernhardt. They also discovered in a secret room a stockpile of Azerite infused gunpowder weapons, with letters indicating that Lady Charlotte intended to send them to aid the Defias Brotherhood. Edmund Thorne was named Lord of Midcost for his loyalty.

The regiment marched back to Bridgeport on high alert. That night, a great pirate fleet attacked Bridgeport using Azerite powered cannons - ripping the curtain wall and coastal defenses to shreds. The regiment fought pirates and rogue men-at-arms of House Thorne as they landed on the beach all while putting out the fires started by the naval bombardment. The Stormwind Navy intervened just as Bridgeport was thought lost, driving the pirate fleet out into the open ocean. The battle was narrowly won, but Bridgeport was severely damaged.

Wracked by the stresses of the conflict, Count Richard Hudson perished from a heart attack within his keep during the battle. Benedict Hudson was named Count of Whitecliffe and Lord of Bridgeport in a solemn ceremony.

Lady Charlotte Thorne remains at large, roving the sea with her fleet of pirate and several stolen Royal Navy vessels.

## Gallery

House Hudson Coat of ArmsHouse Thorne Coat of ArmsHouse Bernhardt Coat of Arms