Lordaeron (Nation)

"'It is the pinnacle of human civilization, a testimony to the wonders that mankind can achieve.'""— Khadgar, Archmage of the Kirin'Tor"The Aeonic Kingdom of Lordaeron was one of the, if not the, most powerful nation in the history of mankind. Encompassing most of the continent of Lordaeron, it boasted a thriving economy and a strong and well-trained army with a series of extremely talented commanders. The Kingdom of Lordaeron had stood as a monument of human history and had left an indelible mark on human civilization.

Although nomially a kingdom, Lordaeron is, in fact, a confederation of smaller states and conquered provinces, each ruled by their own lords or stewards, united only by their shared Aeonic heritage. However, over the years, the Minethils have, through political manipulation, eliminated most of their political opponents and gained majority control of the court, becoming the de facto rulers of the nation.

The expansionist Aeonic kingdom have over the years increased their territory through waging wars against their neighbors, and has been viewed as a regional bully by other human nations, often subject to political pressure and hatred in other northern realms.

Lordaeron was the main battlefield of the Third War and is completely destroyed in the bloody conflict. Its lands are currently inhabited by pockets of survivors and brigands, as well as a far sinister entity lurking in the shadow of the Kingdom's former glory.

History
The history of Lordaeron dates back to the dawn of human civilization, where the cursed Vrykul clans first settled after their mass exodus from the roof of the world over ten millennia ago. Much of the early history of Lordaeron has been forgotten due to the constant warfare between the early human tribes that had plagued the continent for years until the Great Confederation. Historians now try to uncover archaelogical evidence to piece together the early history of the northern tribes, since although the early humans have inherited the Vrykul language, most historical records were lost as there was limited supply of writing due to either war or negligence, or simply the lack of writing materials.

Early History and the Aeonic Tribes (~13,700 BDP - ~9,700 BDP)
The early history of Lordaeron is shrouded within mystery, as the warlike Aeonic tribes waged fearsome war amongst themselves, leaving little pieces of historical evidence of an established civilization, unlike their southern neighbors.

Lordaeronian Infantry

 * Lordaeronian Footmen — Professionally-trained career soldiers, they form the backbone of the Lordaeronian army. Armed with sword, shield and encased in a suit of mail-plate armor, these warriors are skilled in close-quarter combat and provides the army with flexible and reliable offensive capabilities.


 * Lordaeronian Pikemen — Pikemen squares are one of the most commonly seen regiments within a Lordaeronian army, consisting of soldiers armed with thrusting spears almost twelve feet long, they are extremely deadly against charging cavalry, and are often deployed in accord with footmen and archer formations.
 * Lordaeronian Archers — Lordaeron maintained a large force of archers at its height, known for their dreaded tactic known as "arrow rain". Armed with powerful composite bows made from yew or birch, and lightly armored in gambesons and chainmail, they are highly disciplined and skillful compared to that of other human nations. The most skilled of these troops hail from the woodland duchy of Corvia, where hunting is common for the survival of its people. These men are commonly fielded with footmen and pikemen, providing ranged support while their comrades engage in melee.
 * Lordaeronian Arbalists — Soldiers armed with arbalests, a heavy type of crossbow, they serve alongside archer regiments as a supplement in dealing with heavily armored cavalry. Their powerful crossbows able to pierce the breastplate of a charging knight in range, they are more valuable for countering heavier modern armor than archers.
 * Lordaeronian Voulgiers — Armed with long, bladed polearms called voulges; voulgiers are a more recent addition to the Lordaeronian army as counter to better armored infantry. Capable of hacking through cured leather and stabbing into the joints of plated armor, these line infantry proved their worth during the Battle of Barley River, where they decimated the heavily armored infantrymen of the Blackrock Clan.
 * Dwarven Riflemen — The military alliance between the kingdom and the dwarves of Khaz-Modan had led to the latter lending a corps of their famed riflemen to Lordaeron. Armed with the dwarven longrifle, these stout marksmen have since became the staple of the human kingdom as much as of their own, and have actively participated in the training of the human kingdom's own riflemen corps.
 * Dwarven Pioneers — Combat engineers of the Ard Slyabh Battalion, these hardy dwarven warriors are another result of the Alliance with the Mountain Dwarves. Armed to the teeth with numerous demolition charges, handguns for close-quarter combat and sharp spades used in digging tunnels that double as deadly close quarter weapons, and clad in a suit of bullet-proof mithril armor, dwarven pioneers are called upon when a fiery breakthrough in enemy formations are needed. Some companies of these dwarven warriors are even armed with flame-projecting devices that are deadly efficient against heavily-armored infantry, roasting them in their own armors.
 * Ryocht Brigade — Colloquially known as the Kingsguard, the Ryocht Brigade is, as its other name suggests, the royal bodyguard brigade, charged with the personal safety of the king. Their ranks consist of two thousand swordsmen, one thousand halberdiers, one thousand crossbowmen and fifteen personal guards to the king, making them one of the largest kingsguard units in the realm of man. Skillful, well-trained and disciplined, their black suits of armor are a fearsome testimony to the brigade's might, earning them the monicker "Black Brigade".
 * Lordaeronian Rangers — A recent addition to the Lordaeronian army, the Ranger corps are a testimony to the long-term cooperation between the kingdom and the elves of Quel'thalas. Numbering little over a thousand strong, these elite archers are trained by the elves in guerilla tactics, unconventional warfare, marksmanship and swordsmanship. Armed with crossbows and long swords, they are the pinnacle of the human guerilla fighter.
 * Disciples — The increasing millitarization of the Church of the Holy Light during the reign of King Cathlayn the Devout has lead to the Church expanding its own armed wing over time, to a point that ascending through the ranks of the church require many to serve a term as guardians of the church. Termed as the "Lesson of Dedication", these young initiates of the Church are known as Disciples. Loyal, pious and grasped with a religious fervor, these men and women practice the teachings of the Church through rigorous martial drilling, acting as the backbone of the Church's forces.

Lordaeronian Cavalry

 * Lordaeronian Knights — The heavily armored knights of Lordaeron are the most elite cavalry forces in the realm of men, if not in the world. The numerous knightly orders of the kingdom had produced the epitome of the human warrior: noble, courageous and proud. Riding heavily barbed steeds, these mounted warriors are clad in heavy suits of plate, armed with lance and shield. Usually coming from noble families, they follow a strict rule of conduct and are expected to be defenders of the weak and perishers of evil. Lordaeronians are proud of their heritage and knights are held in high regard and esteem, with countless works of literature romanticizing their culture and elevated them to near sacredness.
 * Hobelars — Light skirmish cavalry assigned to roles of reconnaissance and support, Hobelars are lightly armored, which makes them far more agile than the heavily-armored knights. They are usually armed with lance and hunting bow, but may also carry an assortment of close-combat weapons, the most commonly being sword, mace, and pick-hammer, making them extremely versatile mounted warriors, capable of fulfilling roles that knights are unable, or rather, do not bother, to carry out.
 * Gryphon Riders — The alliance with the Hill Dwarves of Aerie Peak has brought in these feral dwarven warriors, mounted upon their fearsome and equally legendary beasts. Wielding lightweight hammers enchanted with dwarven runes, they are the undisputed king of the skies with rumors surrounding legends of gryphon riders who are so capable that they could even slay a dragon.

Lordaeronian Artillery

 * Heavy Scorpion — Originally an ancient Boralian design, the Lordaeronians adopted the siege weapon during the fall of the Boralian Empire and have improved on it ever since. Similar to a cross between a catapult and a crossbow, the Scorpion launches large javelin-like projectiles through torsion force, its power strong enough to penetrate castle walls. As heavier armor appeared, the Lordaeronians also discovered the potential of these heavy ballistae as deadly field weapons.
 * Mangonel — The earliest counterweight artillery piece, the mangonel is a Lordaeronian invention that has been in service for over four hundred years, being used to this day. Easily assembled and reliable in use, the mangonel uses a giant sling balanced by a heavy counter weight to throw projectiles into or over castle walls. The Lordaeronians have long used the practice of launching dead carcasses into enemy cities to demoralize the garrison and spread disease, a practice that some believe was the key to the downfall of the kingdom.
 * Trebuchet — The enlarged version of the mangonel, the trebuchet works in the same way as the mangonel except being able to launch projectiles at higher projectory arcs at the cost of speed and accuracy. Thus the trebuchet is often used as a delivery system to throw massive explosives into enemy constructs, and perform terribly well at this function.

Lordaeronian War Machines

 * Steam Tank — The epitome of mannish engineering, the steam tank is the mankind's own take upon the dwarven Siege Engine, of which's design is based on. Monstrous, smoke-belching machines outfitted with cannons and protected by extremely heavy steel plating, these wondrous creations are able to crack the hardest of enemy troops. However, lacking the engineering prowess of the dwarves, the steam tank is extremely expensive to produce for the mannish kingdom, and even more expensive to maintain. Thus, there are only a handful of these terrifying machines made, fortunately for the kingdom's enemies; for once they are unleashed in the field, there are few things to stop them.

Lordaeronian Heroes

 * Paladin —

Notable Individuals
Arthas Minethil

Uther the Lightbringer

Tirion Fording

Turalyon