Kingdom of Alterac

The Kingdom of Alterac was one of the seven human kingdoms to join the Alliance of Lordaeron during the Second War. It was situated in the foothills and mountains of the land now known as the Alterac Mountains. Ruled by Lord Aiden Perenolde, Alterac was the weakest kingdom in the Alliance and was a relatively small contributor of soldiers and supplies.

History
The Kingdom of Alterac was formed when the Arathorian Empire was divided into seven separate major kingdoms. Alterac was a relatively small kingdom compared to the others nations that arose from the ashes of Arathor; only truly forming as an independent state as Arathor showed it was unable to maintain proper dominion of its city states outside of the boundaries of the Highlands. Due to its precarious position next to the, at the time, expanding Kingdom of Lordaeron, Alterac survived as an independent kingdom using political strategy, appeasement and usage of the snowy terrain that could not be found in many regions of the north. Alterac took part in the War of Silverpine alongside Gilneas and Arathor but later broke its oaths when Lordaeron threatened to destroy the small kingdom if it did not grant them safe passage through the mountains.

Its main city, Alterac City, encompassed a large amount of the kingdom and was located within the rugged and mountainous area of the Alterac Mountains. The kingdom also included the relatively prosperous town of Strahnbrad, which currently acts as a primary base of operations for the Syndicate.

When news of the orcish Horde arrived to Lordaeron, Alterac, led by Lord Aiden Perenolde, was initially reluctant to join the Alliance of Lordaeron. However, Perenolde was quickly pressured into committing his kingdom as all the other nations of the Eastern Kingdoms began to pledge themselves to the Alliance. Fearing he might be left out, Perenold joined the Alliance.

When the war began to favored the orcs, and the future looked grim for the Alliance, Perenold began to fear for the safety of his kingdom. Terrified for his kingdom should the Alliance fail, Lord Perenolde collaborated with the Orcish Horde, supplying them with information in exchange for the survival of the kingdom. Perenolde arranged for a convoy of Quel'dorei passing through Tarren Mill to be ambushed



by trolls, organized a peasant revolt in Tyr's Hand to cover mining operations there, and attempted to assassinate Sir Uther the Lightbringer by employing pirates to tamper with the Order of the Silver Hand. Perenolde also allowed the Horde to pass unimpeded by mountain passes in Alterac towards the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

After Perenolde's treachery was uncovered, the army of the Kingdom of Stromgarde, led by King Thoras Trollbane, travelled to the small kingdom, quickly besieging the city. The army of Alterac, small as it was, could not resist the men of Stromgarde and the city soon feel, most of it destroyed in the process.

As a kingdom, Alterac effectively ended when the forces of Lordaeron and Stromgarde overthrew Lord Perenolde. In order to satiate the people of Alterac who cried out following the destruction of their homes, construction began on the city of Hath's Vigil. However, the Syndicate that arose during the anarchy-filled days after the nation’s dissolution became a politically active as well as militarily forceful entity. Despite their efforts, the Alterac area remains disputed and unrested, with the ruins of the city controlled by the Crushridge ogres and the remaining Alterac survivors scattered in camps and the ruins of Strahnbrad.



Current Status
The Kingdom of Alterac would be classified as a "defunct kingdom" with no hope. Recently however, many groups have begun to sprout up around the Kingdom. Many of these groups have differant ideals and philosophy than others, but for the most part they have one major goal in common: the reclamation and restoration of Alterac. Some regions within the mountains' territory have been reclaimed, but there are a few major areas that have yet to be freed of the Syndicate's or Ogres' rule. Many of these did not get far with the reclamation process or won lasting success due to the very little support others give towards the people of Alterac---as most are seen by the Alliance as "traitors".

The Syndicate and Ogres still remain a threat to a significant portion of the territory of Alterac, including the frontier regions and areas between Alterac City and Strahnbrad. These hostile groups will stop at nothing to keep the land in their possession and retake what was taken by such reclaimist groups. The Ogres use brute force with numbers and the Syndicate uses subtle and lethal techniques that may catch many off guard.

Military forces are still trying to or are preparing to fully reclaim the lost Kingdom. These forces usually have their different methods and different loyalties. Some of them include:


 * The Original Dominion of Alterac was a force founded by Lord Hendrek Westfield after the discovered treachery of King Aiden Perenolde of Alterac. The members of this organization were loyal to the Alliance and the restoration of the Pre-Betrayal ruling government. Many times has this group gone to Alterac and succeeded with taking back large areas of land, but those attempts have been met with large scale retaliation of the Syndicate and the Forsaken forces, leaving the Dominion with no choice but to retreat to safe lands.
 * The Reformed Dominion of Alterac is now a Neutral Organization led by Lord Reynalden Weisserose of the House of Weisserose. During the War for Alterac, Lord Westfield had asked Lord Weisserose to join the Dominion with the interest of unifying Alterac and winning the War. Upon agreement, the House pledged itself to the Dominion and upon the retirement of Lord Westfield, command of the army then came to Lord Reynalden. While government reform was made and compiled with the Government Hierarchy Charter of Alterac, some see Reynalden as the de facto Leader---in part to his zeal and activity.
 * The Duchy of Hath and the city of Hath's Vigil, while not an organization of any sort, stood since the downfall of the Kingdom and remains one of the few centers of Alteraci culture loyal to the Alliance in the region. The city has faced hardship after hardship but preserved, much to the shock of those who know it's origins. They were led by Lord Jameson Brand of the House of Brand was host to one of the last bastions of the Scarlet Crusade. After lord Jameson's death to illness, the people of Hath have been led by his son, Johnathon Brand. Their refugees number in the low hundreds and they make their living within the ruins of the Falcon Quarter and the Falcon Keep, having turned it into a dilapidated shanty town.