Questions about Stratholme

[Yichimet]

So, as far as I can tell the history of Stratholme is a bit sparse. I know it was a seat of oil production during the second war (wowwiki), and the obvious destruction at Arthas and Mal'Ganis's hands. But there are other minor details that I need to know: as a pretty major population center, it had to have some form of local government, so what was it? Mayor? Council? Is it safe to assume that, because of it's location, it was a major throughway between Quel'Thalas and Dalaran?

[Keraph]

Well, as one would gather in UD Strat, there -was- a Magistrate. Other than that, I am unsure of any form of government.

[Fallacy]

He's called a Baron for a reason, ya know. It's the same throughout most of the cities of Lordaeron, like the Barovs of Caer Darrow.

Yes, Stratholme was basically the Crossroads between the Capital City and Quel'Thelas. It was largest city on the continent, besides the respective capitals of the various nations.

It was also the second city to fall under the Scourge's control, after Andorhal, and where Arthas committed a huge genocide against those people who were infected by the Plague. You could say it was the turning point from where he lost his sanity. It was the site of the defeat of Mal'Ganis. Kel'Thuzad fled there after the Dreadlords and, afterwards, the Forsaken took the Ruins of Lordaeron for themselves after Arthas went to Northrend, so it became the headquarters for the Scourge, and became even worse with the summoning of Naxxramas.

[Yichimet]

But the title Baron doesn't exactly designate rulership. The title could simply be an aristocratic one, something akin to landowner. Does it say somewhere that he was the leader of the city?

As you can tell, Stratholme is one of the few places I haven't spent a lot of time in the game. Heh.

[Fallacy]

In a monarchy, that's usually how it works. King > Duke > Baron. It pertains to controlling a certain area of land, underneath the duke and the king, in that they have to be nobles. Usually, a baron only controls a castle or a town, while a Duke can hold an entire area. As to the amount of governing, I can't say. The town most likely was run by the magistrate, but he answered to the baron, who probably had little interest in maintaining civil order.

[Daala]

It should be noted of Rivendare that Arthas was very specifically striving to create his own kingdom. It's possible that he simply applied honorifics to the lieutenants that he came into contact with, and that Stratholme wasn't Rivendare's fief before swearing fealty to the Scourge.

[Yichimet]

Here's where my lack of Stratholme knowledge becomes a real handicap. Ok, time for me to make a few trips to the undead side.

[Keraph]

I was actually under the assumtion that Rivendare was either not native to Scholomance, or not actually a Baron until appointed so by Arthas. Of course, there is no evidence pointing in either direction, it just seemed like Rivendare was placed there to control the area, and given a respectable title to reflect his position of leadership.

[Daala]

I was actually under the assumtion that Rivendare was either not native to Scholomance, or not actually a Baron until appointed so by Arthas. Of course, there is no evidence pointing in either direction, it just seemed like Rivendare was placed there to control the area, and given a respectable title to reflect his position of leadership.That's what I was getting at as a possibility. Ultimately, though? It doesn't really matter outside of subjective writing.

[Keraph]

In which case a bit of creative license is completely acceptable.

[Daala]

Yep!

[Karkarov]

Uh no... it is blatantly clear in game the baron was a baron before he died and that he was in charge of stratholme. Talk to the paladin by the service entrance he goes on about it. Alot of the people in lights hope will as well. There are some books here and there as well in various dungeons. I have never seen anything in game that even suggests Arthas has given anyone a title they didnt already have in life.

[EnheilRas]

Stratholme was a huge city of industry and commerce, and the very heart of the Order of the Silver Hand. It served as the base of operations for Uther the Lightbringer and Ansolus Faol during the Second War, in which (Like Ironforge for the Bleeding Hammer) Stratholme served as a major port to the refineries which were quintessential to the Thelasi and Tirasian Naval Forces in the Battle for the Great Sea.

Stratholme was targeted, like Tyr's Hand, by the Shadow Council Clans (Stormreaver, Twilight's Hammer, Dragonmaw, Black Tooth Grin) in the Second War Campaign against Quel'thelas in order to cut off the Kingdom of Silvermoon from aiding the Alliance. After Tyr's Hand's Fall to the Horde's Navy on the Eastern Shores of the Continent, a large ground invasion from the Southeast invaded Stratholme's industrial district, targetting all the oil refineries that enriched the City, destroying them all and setting the entire quarter on fire. These two points directly severed the Elves from further assistance in the War as DoomHammer's Clans moved West (And thus did the Council Clans move to Scholomance in the Caer Darrow Runestone).

After the Wars, when the city recovered, Stratholme once more prospered because of its intense training ground for all Paladins and Priests of the Silver Hand that were based there. Assumingly, the Church (Once it becomes a sentient political entity) would have ruled over much of the way the citizens of Stratholme acted, and this may cause political strife with the Baron (Rivendale) that was given titlements (As the Scholomance Family ruled everyfuckingwhere else). But that's speculation for another time.

The truth of the matter is that Stratholme was decimated in the game of life between Arthas Menethil and Mal'Ganis. We all know what happened and why. What's left has become a military front from Ner'zhul as well as a Great Bastion for the Burning Legion.

[Abric]

The beef has really already been said.

In regards to titles... if they have it - chances are they were real. Concerning the humans, like the feudal system it is placed on... *everybody* in a position of authority had a title. Each title had a specific ownership and responsibility in the whole scheme of things.. and it all lead up to the King.

While the King of Lordaeron was the head cheese for the humans; he wasn't the only ruler out there. Each kingdom had their Lord - and that Lord sworn an oath to the King. Lords had towns... towns had rulers... rulers had people who did the dirty work for them.

I'd link a really cool "royalty list" thing I found once... but I lost it. It describes things a lot better than I ever could.

But, yeah. The Baron was the head cheese - and then turned deadly. I believe there is a hint of his name in the Priest quest for Benediction, isn't it? Or is it just about the Prince going bat shit?

EDIT: Here's some reference reading to look into the way Blizzard *may* of set up the way the human's acted. While I can't promise this is how Blizzard rolls... this is how it may be 'accurately.' Take that for a grain of salt, though... for a company who thought their game needed more spaceship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_and_noble_ranks

[Yichimet]

Excellent. Thanks, everyone.

Creative license be damned!