Silvermoon City

The City of Silvermoon was a city located in the area known as Quel'thalas, famous for its indiscriminate use of arcane magic, it was the pride of the noble race of the High Elves.

After the attack of the plague and the departure of Kael'thas with his regiment of Blood Elves, the city was completely abandoned and left to the hands of the plague, through whose ruins today wander the Undead and the souls of all those who died on the fateful day of the attack on Quel'thalas.

## Background

### Exile

The city of Silvermoon was founded by the exiled Highborne under the leadership of Dath'Remar Sunstrider, who had traveled to the northern forests of Lordaeron seeking a new homeland thousands of years ago. Using a stolen vial from the Well of Eternity, Dath'Remar created the sacred Sunwell, a fount of arcane power that would be inherently tied to his people for generations to come. Nourished by the arcane energy from the Sunwell, he led the Highborne in the magical construction of their new capital, raising its spires and buildings with their great magical power. The city was constructed primarily out of radiant white stone and adorned in crimson tapestry. The Highborne, now calling themselves the high elves, thus founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas, with Silvermoon City as its crowning jewel. The country was enchanted to remain in a state of perpetual springtime. Silvermoon itself was constructed over the site of sacred troll grounds, which earned the elves further enmity from the neighboring Amani tribe. Ruled by the Sunstrider dynasty and the Convocation of Silvermoon (the highest elven lords in Quel'Thalas), the ruling body of the high elves was also based here. Silvermoon became renowned for its grand libraries and seats of magical learning.

### The kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

Strengthened by a Sunwell-empowered shield named Ban'dinoriel ("Gatekeeper" in Thalassian) which interconnected at ley lines throughout the land, Silvermoon was well-protected from would-be invaders. The elves constructed all manners of arcane indulgences over the years, including runestones to protect their lands, crystals to power their experimentations, and brooms that constantly sweep their streets, which would be useful if anyone could figure out how to make them stop.

Silvermoon City stood strong for millennia in the face of several conflicts within Quel'Thalas. The Troll Wars, perpetrated by the vengeful Amani Empire (whom the high elves had banished after their exodus to Quel'Thalas), was among the first. Silvermoon established a long-lasting friendship with Dalaran after the war's climax, which lasted for over 2,000 years. Due to their considerable lifespans, it was not uncommon for elves to study magic in Dalaran as well as Silvermoon (some elves claim to have spent several human lifetimes in service to both), though the reverse was less true: Silvermoon gained a reputation for isolationism over the years, a consensus emerging among many high elves that exposing the humans to magic was a mistake to begin with.

### Second War

During the Second War, the Amani entered into an alliance with the Old Horde, on the condition that the orcs help displace the elves from Quel'Thalas. Silvermoon itself was left relatively unscathed thanks to Ban'dinoriel, which erected a magical barrier over the city making it impervious to the Horde's dragon fire, though the trolls launched a heavy offensive into Eversong Forest and in some cases came close to the capital. The city also had the protection the runestones provided, whose mysteries proved difficult even for the practiced orc warlocks to decipher. The Amani had spent many years trying to torture information regarding the runestones out of captured elves in the hope of using them to subvert Silvermoon's defenses, to no avail.

King Anasterian held court in Sunstrider Spire, the stage where he and the Convocation swore to end the Amani remnants once and for all. Furthermore, Anasterian reluctantly pledged Silvermoon's strength to the Alliance of Lordaeron, due in part to Lord Anduin Lothar collecting on the debt Anasterian owed his bloodline from the Troll Wars. With the aid of Alliance forces, the elves pushed the invaders back from Silvermoon and successfully dispersed the orcs and Amani.

Despite this victory, the high elves and their allies entered into a period of mutual coldness after the war's end. Seeing little value in remaining part of the Alliance (and reasoning that the Alliance needed his people more than his people needed the Alliance), Anasterian seceded his nation on the grounds of poor leadership on the humans' end, which he claimed led to unnecessary violence within his borders. Silvermoon thus went back into seclusion, its people issued with edicts to enforce this withdrawal.

### Third War

Silvermoon remained relatively peaceful for years following the Second War, though this was not to last. Named the Scourge, a massive undead army under the command of Arthas Menethil, fresh from laying Lordaeron to waste, marched to Quel'Thalas in order to defile the Sunwell. After tearing through Eversong and overcoming the Farstriders' attempts to hold back his advance, Arthas and his armies reached Silvermoon and demanded the elves open their gates and allow him passage. Refusing to surrender, Silvermoon's defenders rallied under the command of Grand Magister Belo'vir, who took over the defense of Silvermoon in the fallen ranger-general Sylvanas Windrunner's place. The archers, magi, priests, and dragonhawks did what they could to ward off the undead, though they were faced with impossible odds. With the help of the great traitor Dar'Khan Drathir, Arthas successfully dispelled Ban'dinoriel and left Silvermoon vulnerable to attack. Knowing the city would not hold for much longer, Belo'vir had Archmage Rommath evacuate as many civilians as he could, and the remaining soldiers left to make a stand with King Anasterian and the bulk of the Magisters on the Isle of Quel'Danas.

Arthas succeeded in his goal, defiling the Sunwell and bringing forth the lich Kel'Thuzad from its tainted remains. With no more reason to linger, he left Quel'Thalas in ruins, leaving behind large pockets of undead with an undead Dar'Khan for a commander. The war's outcome was devastating: 90% of the high elves had been slain, including King Anasteriasn, Belo'vir, Sylvanas, and the entire Convocation. Ranger Lord Lor'themar Theron gathered as many survivors as he could, and took over part of Silvermoon (The Bazaar) to serve as a point of congregation for others who had survived the attack. Rommath also soon returned to search for the living, clearing out groups of Scourge with his powerful magics.

## Mysteries of Azeroth

Seven years have passed since the Scourge attacked Quel'thalas in search of the Sunwell, the High Elves have raised a new city as their capital, while still awaiting the day when they can claim Quel'thalas and the Ruins of Silvermoon for their people once more.

Meanwhile, in the Putrid Woods of what was once Eversong Woods, the minions of the plague still roam, and the restless spirits of those who died at the hands of Arthas Menethil on that fateful day roam the ruins.

Who knows what atrocities have arisen upon the ruins of the once glorious and magical kingdom of Quel'thalas...