Updating Elwynn Forest...

Today's post comes from Elenie, who pointed out that the human starting areas are neither engaging, nor progressing.


Elwynn Forest: (This is an easy one as I've had this thought through several times)

In Northshire Abbey, you are met by a Paladin and his squire (a quiet kind of man), whom assists you in fighting back the Blackrock Orcs and killing Goblin Spies and such. At the end of Northshire, said squire's mentor is slain by the Blackrock leader and you and he avenge his death, during the process of which we have a mini Turalyon moment where the squire picks up his master's sword and leads the demoralized forces of the Abbey to victory.

Upon entering Goldshire you immediately pick up several quests dealing with the mayor, things such as taking back goods and such that Bandits stole (be a good reason to visit the area north of Goldshire, between SW and the Abbey where those camps are). Before handing them in, your squire friend from Northshire (Let's just call him Joshua for the sake of having a name), detains you briefly.

Investigating the crates you find objects and such that aren't quite right for a public official to possess; Ladies undergarments, illegal substances, etc... as well as order forms all in the mayor's name. The Paladin explains the man is well known as a Hedonist and a weird one at that, but you didn't find what he was looking for.

Continuing along, you head south to the mines which are -held- and being used by Stormwind. The deepest parts of the mine are infested by imps. The Foreman mentions that before they'd cleared it out, the Kobolds had begun practicing demonic magic somehow. When you get to the deepest part of the mines (through a hidden door), you find a stone chamber piled with corpses and mutilated remains of numerous people, and Joshua kneeling down amidst them, reciting a knight's song to speed the souls of the innocent slain by evil to the next life.

He tells you that at Northshire he found a burned bit of parchment on the Blackrock leader's person with a seal that looks like it might belong to the Mayor of Goldshire, and that he felt a deep sense of foreboding about the man, and had been investigating him since. Although the Mayor had enough vice under his belt to throw off most investigators from believing him guilty of anything serious, Joshua's persistence led him to this underground chamber. He believes the Foreman of the mine is either being bribed or coerced into keeping quiet about it.

You part again, promising to keep this quiet, and move on to the farm of Tommy-Joe and Maybel, where you're asked to go looking for their missing children. After investating the two (still feuding) families, you're convinced neither took their grandchildren to spite their children or in-laws. Joshua meets you again and convinces you to head up to the Thunder Falls with him.

You find the children in a cave behind the waterfall, with several Forsaken warlocks. Dispatching them and freeing the children, Joshua offers to take them home so as to keep them safe, while you search for evidence. Finding blatant Twilight's Hammer stuff everywhere, you're about to assume it was them, when you notice on your way out a ring on the ground with the insignia of Goldshire on it.

When you return to the farm and meet Joshua, he muses that the Twilight's Hammer doesn't quite add up, and asks you to take the ring to a retired Marshal in the Eastvale Logging Camp. The man identifies it as being the seal of the mayor of Goldshire, except for a strange etching on the back that he hadn't seen since he was in the Second War and destroyed an Altar of Storms.

The head of the logging camp states that some of her peasant workers were abducted by the murlocs. You head to the large island in the middle of the nearby lake and find the murlocs slaughtering them. You attempt to destroy them before they slaughter everyone, and die in the process. Joshua arrives, battles through them to your corpse, bubbles, and performs a Mass Ressurection. Together with the Peasants who arm themselves from several of the murlocs you killed, you drive the beasts off.

On the lead murloc's corpse, you find a missive signed in the name of the Mayor of Goldshire, speaking about how important it is to slaughter the peasants on the island because of a leyline, and that the murlocs needed to follow some ritual. Joshua determines it is demonic and that the Mayor has been behind Elwynn's problems from the start. You and he fly over to the Westbrook Garrison.

Intending to speak to the commander there, you find out the man is dead thanks to Hogger, and the men are in disarray. Joshua rallies them and takes command, marching a large regiment south with you to destroy the Gnolls and Capture Hogger (he belives Hogger might be in on the Mayor's scheme and wants to ask questions). After Capturing Hogger, two mages teleport the beast off to the Stockade on Joshua's orders. With the Garrison under his control, he orders the men to move out to Goldshire and place the town under martial law, and bring forth the Mayor.

Arriving in a phased Goldshire, Joshua stands in the town square in the center of a ring of guards with the civilians outside it. The mayor laughs at the young Paladin's accusations and dismisses the proof you've collected as, 'Enemy Propoganda.' Joshua lifts a relic he found in the mines and breaks it with his shield. The mayor lets out an inhuman scream as various energies flow out of him, reducing him to looking akin to a Forsaken or Wretched. Joshua, you, and several guards escort the man to Stormwind in chains, to the throne room for a trial.

Varian, at first shocked and horrified at what he see's, listens to the accounts of you and Joshua, looks at the presented evidence, and agrees the man is guilty of consorting with dark forces for his own personal gain, betraying his duty and station as the mayor of Goldshire and leader of that region. The sentence of death is carried out. Varian congratulates you both and assures you a new Mayor will be appointed to Goldshire. Joshua mentions heading to Westfall due to some rumors disparaging the King's good name. He bids you farewell.


From there on out you'd see him periodically in the other human zones, watching this Paladin grow into something more of a decent character representing Stormwind. When he aggro's you'd hear him say, "For the King," in a deep, calm voice.

[Edit]: Grammatical errors, and to quote the person who requested my thoughts. Sorry for the length. Also...


TL;DR - I'd make Elwynn have an over-all storyline.