Blades of Greymane

**Purpose**

OUT OF DATE, UPDATING SOON

The **Blades of Greymane** are a long standing Gilnean re-establishment and representation order currently led by Lord Berenal Grayblade. The order currently bases its self within the Duchy of the Ashen Coast, Lord Grayblade's personal lands, and most nobles within are expected to pledge to the order as well. The Blades, traditionally a Gilnean only regiment changed its policy to allow non-Gilneans in following Gilneas' rejoining the Alliance. Rather than devote all of its time to the current front in Gilneas as most remaining regiments have, the Blades also shift focus to war fronts outside of their own home, to represent Gilneas in the Alliance forces where there have been little others who do so.

Following changes to the order's policies, it has shifted from solely military practices to also including political and social activities in order to better aid the plight of Gilneas. Though some have criticized it, the Blades have shifted focus towards maintenance of the Ashen Coast, where the current High Commander rules. In exchange, the various lords of the Ashen Coast have joined the Blades' cause. Their goals of restoring and representing Gilneas have not changed, rather they now carry the task of representing the Duchy in these tasks.

## History

Though much of the Blades' history was lost with the fall of Gilneas and the destruction of their home of Duskhaven, the earliest mentions of the Blades can be found within various history texts of the kingdom. Founded by a man known as Korvask the White, the Blades were one of the first paramilitary organizations in the history of Gilneas. Formed during the War of Aderic and originally known as simply The Blades, the suffix of Greymane was adopted shortly after the Greymane family came into power in Gilneas.

Staunch loyalists, the Blades were known for their stalwart courage and determination to the field of battle. Their first leader, Korvask, was quoted in saying that while there is honor in death, one should weigh in the consequences. Korvask was known for his refusal to commit to perceived suicidal charges, regardless of the validity of his thoughts. Such examples include during the War of Silverpine, where the Blades withdrew from the field in Hillsbrad once the Tirassians seized Thoradin's Wall and the region had lost all defensive positions, rather than die upon the combined Lordaeronian-Tirassian force.

Korvask settled the Blades in Southern Gilneas, where at the time rumor of a naval invasion from the rival nation of Kul Tiras or the island nation of Tol Barad were circulating. Despite these rumors never coming to fruition, the fort of Korvask's followers would eventually make their home in the town later known as Duskhaven. Duskhaven would prove to be the home of the Blades for countless years up until its destruction.

During the Northgate rebellion, the Blades were seen as the face of the loyalists. Remaining stalwart to the crown in all of its pursuits, they often were pitted against the Northgate rebels in crucial battles. During the capture of Darius Crowley, The Blades played a key role in preventing Crowley's escape by waylaying his reinforcements elsewhere.

### The Shattering

The Blades were mostly scattered during the outbreak in Gilneas city, the few squads stationed there aided in the evacuation, though most perished to save the fleeing civilians, as was their duty. Following the evacuation, the Blades were withdrawn from the outlying towns they'd been assigned to by High Commander Haric, the current leader at the time, to Emberstone Village.

When the Shattering occured and the wall was broken, The Blades were first responders. Moving from their assignment in Emberstone, the Blades rode for the wall, clashing with the Forsaken as they attempted to break the Gilnean defenses. Despite their motivations and cause, the Blades fell under the undead war machine. To make matters worse, their bodies were never recovered and were theorized to have been raised into the undead masses later on.

### Continuing the Lineage

While the Blades had been called out to the wall, the man known as Sergeant Berenal Grayblade was suffering the worgen affliction. One of the first Worgen cured by Krennan Aranas' potions, Berenal had not been in his right mind to heed the call of Commander Haric when it was given, and had deemed the protection of the fleeing civilians of Duskhaven from the Forsaken as his priority.

Unfortunately, word reached Berenal that the Blades had fallen during the fall of the Wall, leaving him to be the last living Blade. Heartbroken by the loss of his brothers in arms, Lord Grayblade resolved to restore the order when the pandemonium of Gilneas' invasion had reached a lull. Though this did not come, Berenal rode for the Ashen Coast, where his family had ancestrally ruled the Bite of the region. Calling on old blood ties of his father and the oaths they swore under the original Triumvirate of the Ashen Coast, Berenal gathered the support of the remainder of the region, appointing Lord Xavier Gregor as the first Lord Commander, with Berenal himself taking the mantle of High Commander.

Following the evacuation of Gilneas, Berenal set out for Stormwind along with a large portion of his Gilnean kin to revive the Blades. Initially, the order was similar to that of the other regiments still functioning, the reclamation of Gilneas. However, after the mainland was reclaimed and several daring bouts with the Forsaken, Berenal changed the direction of the Blades. Seeing that Gilneas had enough orders protecting it, but not enough representing it to the Alliance, the Blades dedicated themselves to the Alliance war front, representing Gilneas along the way.

Having seen the dedication of their new allies, the Blades also opened their doors to those not of Gilneas, with the understanding that those who would join would be fighting for the Alliance in the name of Gilneas. With their ancestral home destroyed, the Blades set their base in the ruins of Pyrewood Village, rebuilding the area for their own.

After many back and forth battles in the area and losing Pyrewood several times, Pyrewood was destroyed for a final time, causing the Blades to withdraw into Gilneas for their base, to Stormglen Village. After the campaign in Andorhal, the Blades withdrew from Stormglen, headed for the Ashen Coast at Lord Gregor's behest.

Unfortunately, the Battle of the Bite followed shortly after the Blades' arrival. Greeted by Lord Xavier's son, Adrian Gregor, the Blades found that the staunch old noble had fallen and mercenaries had captured one of the last hold outs in the Ashen Coast, the city of Gregor's Crossing. In the aftermath of the Battle, the Blades declared their new base of operations to be the Ashen Coast. Seeing a large amount of the nobles that once made their home within the lands as a whole return, Lord Grayblade issued an edict to those of the Ashen Coast announcing the restoration of the Triumvirate, an essential house of nobles to the region, and declared those that would see their birth rites restored would pledge the lives of their men and themselves to the Blades. Various houses responded, thus beginning the restoration of the Ashen Coast under the Blades' banner.

In time, the Blades restored a majority of the region of the Ashen Coast, leading to the recreation of the Duchy of the Ashen Coast. With his new title as Duke, Berenal issued an official statement that he would shift the focus of the Blades as a re-establishment and representation order, preserving and reviving Gilneas and its culture while still upholding its name against the nefarious forces of the New Horde, namely the Forsaken. The edict called for all nobles under Lord Grayblade to pledge their lives to the Blades, shifting the home of the order permanently, ushering in a new chapter for the order as a whole. Though met with some criticism, the Blades have now been tied in as a sort of face for the Ashen Coast forces, their devotion to Gilneas having not changed through this shift.

## Current Status

The Blades continue to represent Gilneas as a unified force within the Alliance to this day as well as work to restore the various regions of the Kingdom of Gilneas. They are still led by Duke Grayblade and plan to soon move into other regions of Gilneas to restore them.

## Divisions of the Blades

The Blades are comprised of three divisions in which the soldiers are placed depending on their skill sets and specializations.

### The Blades Military

The military forces of the Blades make up the largest portion of the group. Soldiers and volunteers from across Azeroth, primarily Gilnean, make up these ranks. Using the traditional ranking system, their number goes from Recruit to Major, and are seen on most of the Blades' battlefield. Before the retooling of the Blades, this included most of the nobles as well as what was commonly referred to as the "Grey Division".

Their ranks are, from greatest to least:

* Major
* Captain
* Lieutenant
* Sergeant
* Corporal
* Private
* Recruit

### The Inner Circle

The Inner Circle is seen as the elite leadership of the Blades. Within it are primarily those who served in Grey Division as well as most of the nobility. The Inner circle is seen as those who have exemplified themselves on the field through their actions and are placed in a special bracket above the normal soldiers of the Blades. They are distinguished by their unique Blades insignias that differ depending on their rank within. It is considered an honor within the Blades to be brought into the circle, as the person has gone beyond the call to arms of the average soldier.

### The Triumvirate of the Ashen Coast

While not a part of the Blades of Greymane directly, the Triumvirate of the Ashen Coast deals with the three ruling houses of the region and their vassal houses, the House of Grayblade, the House of Gregor and the House of Greyfield. Seen as the political branch of the order, the Triumvirate's members must swear their loyalty to the Blades as a result of their mission within the area. As such, the dealings of the Triumvirate are often in the Blades' best interests as well as the people of the area if at all times possible.

The Triumvirate deals with the management of the area, mostly having to do with the construction and restoration of various towns within the region and beyond.