Lakeshire

**Lakeshire** is an ancient Human town that sits on the banks of the majestic and large Lake Everstill (from which the town gets its name). 1,500 citizens — mostly farmers, poachers and travelers — reside there under the watchful (and often worried) eye of elected magistrate Solomon. The town is a considered a serene and quiet place. Even with the occasional incursions by the orcs, it is a prime example of how peaceful this area was before the coming of the Horde and the Great Wars.

## History

Like Westfall and Duskwood, the Redridge Mountains was also under the theoretical protection of the Stormwind army and — like them — has been left mostly to its own devices. However, there was a small guard platoon stationed in Lakeshire to maintain order in the town and they also originally had a garrison of soldiers in Stonewatch. Stonewatch Keep however, was overrun by Blackrock orcs who were presumably fueled by the evil magic of Morganth. Shortly after their victory, Morganth turned on his orcish cohorts. He constructed an arcane tower, the Tower of Ilgalar, and used his powers to build a small army of Shadowhide gnolls led by Lieutenant Fangore, to serve his malicious bidding. Both orc and man had fallen victim to the brutes that serve Morganth. Meanwhile, the Blackrock orcs continued to assault Lakeshire in their bid to conquer Redridge. Lakeshire continued to fend them off but they were sorely in need of more reinforcements and supplies. During one of the Blackrock orc assaults on Lakeshire, Everstill Bridge was damaged. Foreman Oslow also led a crew of bridge workers in repairing the bridge but their work was slowed due to losing various supplies to the orc invasions.

The dwarves of Ironforge sent a group to Lakeshire's aid against the Blackrock orcs, made up of Princess Moira Bronzebezard and her retinue, but they were ambushed and captured in the Burning Steppes.

Sometime later, Helendis Riverhorn gave Magistrate Solomon evidence that the Blackrock orcs were allying themselves with the black dragonflight. Solomon relayed this information to Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and pleaded with him to mobilize the Stormwind army to contend with this grave threat to the kingdom. Bolvar however, was debilitated from sending Stormwind's thinly spread troops to aid Lakeshire without proof. Bolvar sent Alliance adventurers to Lady Katrana Prestor, who knew much of dragons and dragonkin. However, Lady Prestor thought very little of Magistrate Solomon's claims and advised against providing the military aid. Though Bolvar respected Lady Prestor's stance, he could not let Solomon's plight go unheeded and thought of a compromise to appease all parties: Bolvar deputized the adventurers and empowered them to solve Solomon's problems.

Lakeshire was under constant attack from the Blackrock orcs, Redridge gnolls, and Shadowhide gnolls; and also lacked a proper defense. Magistrate Solomon pleaded for reinforcements from all of Stormwind's territories, yet to no avail as all of Stormwind were preoccupied with their own troubles. Left to their own devices, Solomon and Marshal Marris had to enlist the aid of the adventurers to deal with the hostile orc and gnoll incursions and dispatch the prominent orc and gnoll warlords. Meanwhile, agents of Theocritus were sent to dispatch Morganth and end his evil once and for all.

Aside from gnolls and orcs, Lakeshire also faced a murloc problem and occasionally employed adventurers to cull their numbers in order to preserve Lake Everstill's fish stock.