Manor's Hold

" 'the land of free and trade; its establishment with the reputation and prestige of accepting factions from any, Horde or Alliance, Manor's Hold have become the town for quest and center of roleplay for most survivors' ~ GM."

Manor's Hold (aka Eastern Hold, MH) is an establishment located in the Bay of Eastern Hillsbrad Foothills and the Chillwind Road serves as the main route for trade and adventurers likely to stay due to its neutrality from the ever war-zone dictatorial state of the Uplands. Manor's Hold is known to be the safest haven from any conflict that dwells in the Uplands, it's suspected to have been stood neutral for millennia ever since the Third War erupted, the establishment has been accepting various races around the globe to seek refugee and supplies from. The establishment per se is cultivated with a thriving economy and weakened forces due to the unsupportive council of Alterac did not hold any care upon their righteous cause, they were deemed to have been ousted by the Council of Dandred to known 'criminal' of harboring suspects from the capital city, and not until the arrival of Hasten Hochen, Count of Darrowhill, had diminished and nulled the tarnished reputation of Manor's Hold and gradually usurped it without hesitant. Manor's Hold is believed to have been vulnerable to series of attack and attempt sieges from the various enemy like the Ogres and the Syndicate, and many times it has been belittling by the enemy and almost destroyed the small they call 'town' from an attempt of Syndicate's siege and skirmishes in the bay.

Manor's Hold was established by the House Hastling, by a nobleman name Alfred I Hastling, he and his fellow Lordaeronian aristocrat formed the 'Hold' as the main settlement during the Second War against the impending arrival of the Orcish Horde during that stage, he mustered and fortified the Hold's defenses by construction of wooden walls near the front and to the rear avoiding series of attack from the marauders. He was the man of virtue and benevolent to his people. he began creating the 'establishment' to a port-town alike to produce trades from valuable resources to earn his keep from boosting his House's reputation and prestige amongst the House of Noble's in Lordaeron. After the death of Alfred I, the Hold was inherited by his eager and grim son, Leopold Hastling and became the final and last man to bring honor to his family in the ranks of Hillsbrad.

History
It all began during 6BDP, Alfred I Hastling was a young aristocrat from Hillsbrad who stands before his allegiances in Lordaeron established a fortification in the east alongside his fellow colleagues. He

then named it the Eastern Hold, as a Household for the Hastling's council and subjects. Unfortunately, after the opening of the Dark Portal and the arrival of the Horde in Hillsbrad, Alfred I swiftly tackles the odd by fortifying his House's defenses, forming a series of wooden walls encircling his House and hired mercenaries that later became his personal retinue to repulse the Horde's assault on the Manor, Alfred then ventured to seek audience to the King of Alterac requesting an amount of small regiment to his House in exchange for his land's loyalty to the Alterac after it was ousted by the Lordaeron's League of Nobles for questionable reprehensible action in the Hillsbrad, Perenolde reluctant of his proposition and in a matter of days he accepted it otherwise. Alfred had broken away his control from the neglection of Lordaeron and became independent after being granted by Perenolde. Albeit, his vulnerability to the attacks from the horde made difficult for Alfred to seize an army from his weakened one, he persevered to hire more mercenary from the realm to remain intact in the future attacks to be orchestrated, his coffins were almost out due to high expenditure during the recruitment and the men's salary, a series of desertion was made by his men and such mess he had done reducing all his manpower to defeat a one battalion of Horde assault in his Manor.

Second War
The Household was merely vulnerable to any orcish skirmishes and attempt to besiege it due to lack of formidable forces and lack of manpower and outdated equipment, the army which was formed by Alfred was seemed to be inadequate and ill-trained during that time, he mass conscripted peasants to do his bidding and armed them with his bought arms from the city of Alterac with no way to mobilize his men, he traveled to the town of nearby Strahnbrad asking for their military aid in his defense against the bay, the Town Mayor agreed of his proposition in exchange of bilateral trade agreement they both signed which ended the (Strahnbrad-Hastling Agreement) that lasted the duration of the War, both parties doubled their war efforts to repel the invading orcs from ever reaching the road to Strahnbrad and to his Household.

Defense of Strahnbrad
The participation of the House Hastling during the Defense of Strahnbrad delighted the Mayor's favor of him

expanding their bilateral agreement to even greater where he gave Alfred a twenty-two elite Shieldbarrier to serve under his retinue and special bodyguards on his way to combat, Alfred's reaction was astonishing as the House Hastling gained a slow optimistic measure of reputation to the Realm of Alterac, the Mayor also recognition the Hastling to be their greatest ally and contributed merrier war efforts during that time.

Prestige
The Household of the Hastling's have received numerous political backfires from Lordaeron due to its desertion, broken away control of Lordaeron's and its unholy Alliance to Strahnbrad caused heated debate in the hall of declaring the Hastling's family an uneducated and traitorous people in the eyes of all Lordaeron or revert the Household of the family as a sole property of the House of Noble before they considered constructed one in Hillsbrad but King Terenas denied all the opinions of the Council and later demanded the Hastling's reparation to the damage they have caused, and so they did. The Hastling now have become independent from the control of the Lordaeron's once more and no more it is being mentioned at any several hearings from the council nor being backfired by political armchairs as a 'traitor' to the Lordaeron People.

Eastern Hold remained intact following the defeat of the Horde and major victory of the Alliance in Hillsbrad, and the fall of the Perenolde's dynasty and the Kingdom of Alterac, the bilateral agreement between Strahnbrad had been canceled, Alfred stopped his sphere of influence from Strahnbrad due to its alignment to Alterac after being ousted by the Alliance as traitorous kin afraid of being sent to exile and stripped out from his holding, Alfred also rebuked his relations with the Alteraci nobles seating right to his Hall and imprisoned the remaining Alteraci nobles he sees to be a 'threat' to his realm. Lord Uther the Lightbringer, spared the lives of the Hastling family and they remained as the town of Strahnbrad became vulnerable so to the ever-growing Syndicalist Party against the Martial law implemented by harsh Alliance, the House Hastling secluded themselves on the aftermath of the war and remained hidden for years, closing their gates to commoners and unlikely people coming from their household.

Death of Alfred
Lord Alfred died of natural death at the age of 87, the people mourned to the wake of the Family Hastling. A smooth declaration of a new ruler of the Household commenced a small coronation to the prestigious man, Lord Leopold Hastling.

The Rise of Leopold
Leopold Hastling is the Ironfist of his Household's retinue and a brilliant strategist in the arts of warfare. He studied military science in the Lordaeron Academy in Tirisfall, his training expenditure was backed by his father to sustain stock knowledge in the Militarist doctrine.

He was conscripted to the Tirisfal Brigade prior to the Second War as a foot-soldier and participated during the Battle for the Capital City. He rosed to the rank of Corporal and was later dismissed after the war.

Leopold returned to Hillsbrad and found out his father was poorly ill and disabled, he was swiftly put into regency and afterward became the claimant of his father's title as the Lord of House Hastling following his Father's death, he renamed the Household as the Manor's Hold, even it doesn't look like a Manor but he still pursued to rename it as such to call the hall as his own 'manor'. He reformed taxes and enact laws in the surrounding, the soon 'household' later became a village, with a port he later constructed at the Riverbank the excessive influx of people coming in to his Manor was soon became its own denizen differentiate by social classes, Manor's Hold became the point of interest for traders and travelers to coexist.

The Fortification
Series of conscription and enlistment of both peasant and soon called militia were increasing. The defense of Manor's Hold is now intact following the fast-paced conscription was soon enacted even though inadequate training was active, the Militia still remained in the following days but soon disbanded.

Lieutenant Malgorn Schmidt, one of Leopold's advisor, rose to prominent and afterward formed the 'River Battalion' a special detachment forces behest by Malgorn to protect and serve as a penal battalion in the Manor. The River Battalion soon increased partially from one-to-ten, men from higher classes soon funded the Battalion in order to protect their economic assets in the Household.

The men of Malgorn was well-trained and seasoned veterans from the Second War and possess a talent of sword-fighting, defensive tactics and utilize formidable and strong formation, Leopold was satisfied with the effects and result of his newly formed army.

Third War
Following the defeat of the Horde in the Second War, it is believed they have been fully eradicated in the Eastern Kingdoms but many conspiracies and sight-seeing documents that an orcish settlement still exist within the area and many of the remnants from the war still remains in Hillsbrad. The savages from the Blackrock orc clan raided the village of Strahnbrad to capture slaves to brutally sacrifice them in the name of the Burning Legion, Captain Malgorn was later assigned to this skirmish and battled endlessly with the Orcs that tries to raze down the Village. He was utterly cut-off following a reinforcement came in. They were overwhelmed and outnumbered, Malgorn was later called a tactical retreat to the mountains, but his escape wasn't easy, he stumbled upon a group of raiding orcs and was slain and grossly killed in action alongside his elite men some managed to escape and taken the route to the north of the Riverbank to flee in Tarren Mill, one returned to Manor's Hold to report the incident and the death of Malgorn.

The Death of Captain Malgorn angered Leopold and it gradually weakened the Manor's Hold defenses.

The Scourge & Defense of Manor's Hold
After the fall of Darrowhill, Manor's Hold was under attack and pressured by the rampant invasion of the Scourge in the Manor. Leopold acted and mobilized anything he sees fit to put arms against Ghouls and Gargoyle attacking from any side of direction. The Manor's Hold was soon to falter as the overwhelming amount of Scourge discourages Leopold and his men to defend the town, they soon received news of the Argent Dawn coming to reinforce their frontline, the tides of battle then escalated to favor Leopold

and the Dawn's, soon emerged victoriously against the undead. Manor's Hold was rescued and saved from impending destruction thanks to the Argent's Dawn steadfast reinforcement, the Manor's Hold remained stable following the Third War as under the protection of the Argent Dawn & afterward, the Argent Crusade.

Second Defense of Manor's Hold
After years of conflict and desolation, pain, torment, the Manor's Hold have emerged again in the state of peace. But that peace was soon rebuked at the arrival of the Trolls in the region. They planned to attack the hold and Leopold was plotting to retreat to Verand, but soon an adventurer came to the Hold from Darrowhill and joined to defend the Manor, the battle commenced following the Troll's offensive in the Manor, they defended and repelled the trolls from rampaging across Manor's Hold, it was a victory for Leopold. He rewarded the adventurer, Arnold Roland & Maethal, Leopold spoke of them in the council and thanked them of their temporary service of defending the town from destruction once again.

Present Day
Manor's Hold still lives today as a bountiful busy seaport. A piece of news was announced, the Manor's Hold officially became a protectorate of Hochen's regime, Leopold then also became a trusted and powerful vassal prior to his loyalty to Hochen and following the construction of the village of Strahnbrad after the death of Aliden Perenolde. A certain rumor about the Manor was attacked by a two group of unknown alignment, Leopold later has seen this act as a provocation to his people, therefore, he made a poster of the two sketched in the scribe reward any common folk to either dead or alive, must be captured.

Manor's Hold will remain as the main route for survivors to reach and to expand their character's story widened.