Barony of Woodshire

**Ruler**
 **Ruling House**
 **Resident Houses**
 **Seat**
 **Settlements**
 **Beliefs**
 **Founded**

Established over 1,100 years ago, during the first century following Stormwind's founding, the town of Woodshire stands as a survivor of both the First and Second wars in the forests of present-day Duskwood. Governed by the wizarding House of Baultery, Woodshire has developed a unique culture surrounding the governing families traditions and professions.

The **Barony of Woodshire** was founded by *Lucius Baultery*, the first Baultery to ever carry a nobles title. Thrust deep into the forests of Brightwood, it developed a talent for woodworking and a trade over lumber. Furthermore, the influence of the wizarding family which governed the town brought the traditional and lucrative craft of wandmaking to the people there.

## Culture

Having been founded and governed by wizards from the House of Baultery for over 1,100 years, the people of Woodshire have grown accustomed to the presence of magic even though much of the town is mundane. In the earliest years of the town's history, lumber was the main trade. However, as generations came and went the mystical and mysterious craft of wandmaking was passed down from the governing House to artisans and woodworkers where it was mastered and perfected. In present day, it is widely said that the wandmakers of Woodshire are among the best in the world.

The peoples of Woodshire are no strangers to the struggles of the every-day man. Despite their reputation to the wizarding world, the average citizen of Woodshire lives a rather non-magical life. In fact, it is not uncommon for a resident of the town to never personally come in contact with magic for most of their life. Woodshire is not known to produce any greater of fewer magi than any other settlement in the Kingdom and its people do not share the same attunement to the flow of the arcane as the House which governs them. Nevertheless, when a natural-born wielder of the arcane *is* born outside the governing family, it is seen as an incredible opportunity. Families who bear arcane-gifted children are given the opportunity for their child to be tutored in magic until their tenth birthday where they may then choose to further their education at the Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences in Stormwind City under the sponsorship of the House of Baultery. Many of these young witches and wizards return to Woodshire following their graduation to open wand shoppes or train as Dark Wizard Hunters.

Given the deep history of House Baultery as hunters of practitioners of the dark arts, the town of Woodshire has considerable disdain for any who practice or pursue the dark crafts. In the past, practitioners of the dark arts who have come to Woodshire for one reason or another have been run out of the town by its residents. During the year 19 ADP, with the rise of the Cult of the Damned, the House of Baultery led an internal witch hunt within Woodshire, supported by the town residents. This proactive hunt for Cultists belonging to the Scourge is widely considered to be the reason Woodshire held so firmly throughout the period of destabilization leading up to the Third War in 20 ADP.

### Religious Beliefs

Some residents can be considered superstitious, but most believe in the Church of the Holy Light. Though the House of Baultery is not commonly seen as the most reverent of Stormwind's noble houses, the people they govern still share in humanities overwhelming faith; a fact that the House of Baultery does not attempt to sway or change. Residents of Woodshire do not often view the Church's doctrines and the ruling families wizarding practices as contradictory, but see one as a faith and the other as a tradition.

### Local Holidays

On June 30th of every year, the town celebrates the *Festival of a Hundred Wands*. This festival, which occurs in the middle of the annual Midsummer Fire Festival, is held in the Grove of Kiracus. Surrounded by magical and mundane trees, the townsfolk celebrate with delicious food, joyous music, and wonderous displays of magic performed by graduated witches and wizards. It is at the Festival of a Hundred Wands where, traditionally, the patriarch of the House of Baultery will select one wand of the hundreds prepared by the towns many wandmakers to perform a feat of magical mastery. For the wandmaker responsible for the crafting of the selected wand, this is seen as both a great honor and as a testiment to their mastery of the craft.

The main event for the Festival is the wand dueling, where witches and wizards will engage in civil duels to out-wit and out-cast their opponent in front of a crowd of cheering spectators.

## Geographical Points of Interest

Located approximately half a kilometer from the heart of Woodshire can be found a natural body of fresh water called Lake Vakalyr. Lake Vakalyr is a large lake from which a river flows into the center of Woodshire. This river is named the Jordan River and flows past the ancestral burial grounds of the House of Baultery, as well as feeds fresh water into the Grove of Kiracus before draining into an underground cavern system. It is the Jordan River's contact with the Grove of Kiracus, and the magic within the roots of the trees that drink from its water, that have led to the waters in both the Jordan River and Lake Vakalyr to carry the touch of arcane energy.

It is believed that the Jordan River, and Lake Vakalyr, are as old as Woodshire and the Baultery presence in the region due to references to the Jordan River in the traditional Baultery funeral hymn, dating as far back as 943 BDP. Historian's believe the line, "*I am only going over Jordan*", refers to the path one must take from the town square of Woodshire, needing to crossing over the Jordan River to reach the ancestral burial grounds of the wizarding House.

## Economy & Resources

The Barony enjoys some imported comforts by profit of lumber and magical instruments, both wands and staves. Seeing as the town itself sits in the forests of present-day Duskwood, there is no shortage of lumber to process and export to the capital city. Access to the Grove of Kiracus has allowed the wandmakers of Woodshire to produce wands of considerable quality with magical woods otherwise unobtainable in this region of the world.

### Wandmakers of Woodshire

**Whimsical Wands** - Founded in 7 BDP, the shoppe of Whimsical Wands, owned by talented Gnomish wandmaker *Rufus Whimsy*, is a wand shoppe in Woodshire often favored by Illusionists and Enchanters. Whimsical Wands is a multi-generational family-run business with a reputation for masterful handling of the Pheonix Feather core.

**Merideth's Mediums** - Founded in 3 BDP, the shoppe of Merideth's Mediums, owned by skilled wandmaker *Merideth Riley*, is a wand shoppe in Woodshire favored by Evokers and Conjurers. The arcane mediums produced by this shoppe are renowned for their ability to channel great currents of arcane power reliably; an attribute often accredited to Merideth's masterful handling of the Mana Wyrmscale and Basilisk Scale core.

**The Wandweaver** - Founded in 467 BDP, the shoppe of The Wandweaver, owned by twin brothers and wandmakers *Corin* and *Carter Kingsly*, is a wand shoppe in Woodshire favored by Evokers, Abjurers, and wand duelists in general. A wand or staff purchased from The Wandweavers is recognized as a duelists weapon. In fact, many of the Dark Wizard Hunters hailing from Woodshire have purchased wand/staff bodies and cores from the Kingsly brothers. The Wandweavers are known for their unique and reliable handling of the Azure Wyrmscale and Mana Wyrmscale core.

**The Master Magi** - Founded in 898 BDP, the shoppe of The Master Magi, owned by master wandmaker *Seeri Brakesfield*, is one of the oldest wand shoppes in Woodshire. It is favored often by Transmuters for its reputation in the unequivocal handling of the Warpstalker Scale core. Wands and staves purchased from the Master Magi are said to be the best in the seven kingdoms when it comes to Transmutation.

**One-Stop Wizarding** - Founded in 2 ADP, the shoppe of One-Stop Wizarding, owned by brilliant wandmaker *Adrian McCreeral*, is known for producing reliable and consistent wands used often by novice and apprentice witches and wizards. While One-Stop Wizarding does not boast any particular speciality in one body or core, it does have a range of talent that make these wands and staves some of the best for aspiring practitioners beginning in the arcane arts.

**The Scrying Eye** - Founded in 10 BDP, the shoppe of The Scrying Eye, owned by expert wandmaker *Angelica Fargaze*, is known and favored by Diviners for its renowned handling of the Dreamrunner Hair and Hippogryph Plume cores. These cores also make the Scrying Eye a natural rival to Whimsical Wands for it use in Enchantment and Illusion magic as well. The Scrying Eye further boasts a supply of magical instruments including scrying bowls and palantirs.

**The Slinging Spell** - Founded in 673 BDP, the shoppe of the Slinging Spell, owned by *Canicus Heralus -* and generationally by the Heralus family since it's founding - it is known for catering to non-magical patrons as well as the magically inclined. The Slinging Spell specializes in spell wands, or wands carved and pre-charged with specific spells to be released at will of the wielder without need for pre-existing magical talents.

## History

### Founding

Woodshire was founded between 1,200 and 1,100 BDP when House Wrynn elevated House Baultery to nobility. This was done to reward the wizard, Lucius Baultery, for the role he played in the pilgrimage south from Strom.

### Period of Strife

Woodshire struggled during the First War due to the Orcish Horde's invasion of the surrounding region. Due to Woodshire's distance from other settlements in the region, and the fact that it sat far out of the way of the Orcish Horde's invasion routes, the town was spared the brunt of the orcish forces. Woodshire was raided several times throughout the period of the First War, but the few magi belonging to the governing House of Baultery were able to route these orcish raiding parties through the raw might of magic each time.

### Present Day

Woodshire has since maintained its lands in present-day Duskwood, recovering from the turmoils of the First War entirely. Today, it is a thriving, moderately-sized town esteemed for its prized wandmakers and its supply of magical woods through the Grove of Kiracus.

## Houses

House Baultery governs Woodshire. It is known for its skill in wandmaking and for its wizarding history.