Stormwind City

Stormwind, located in Elwynn Forest on Azeroth's northwest coast, is the capital city of the city-state, the Kingdom of Stormwind (the city and the kingdom exist more or less in the exact same location, with the edges of the nation lying within the edges of the city) and the largest human city of Azeroth. However the city-state also controls or influences other territories including Elwynn Forest (including Northshire Valley), the Redridge Mountains, Westfall, and Duskwood. The child king, Anduin Wrynn, resides in Stormwind Keep, surrounded by his body guards and advisers, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon (the regent), and Lady Katrana Prestor. The city is named for the occasional sudden squalls created by a ley line pattern in the mountains around the glorious city, and is one of the last great human cities. The city itself has been rebuilt at least once, and is a marvel of human design and engineering. "Its guards keep the peace within the city's walls."

Stormwind firmly backs the Alliance, and its knights, priests, paladins and mages served in the three wars against the Horde. Primarily a human settlement, a fair number of high elves, Ironforge dwarves, and even a few night elves and gnomes dwell here as well. Stormwind City is the home of the Academy of Arcane Sciences, the only remaining school of wizardry in the east, and the Cathedral of Light, the philosophical capital for those who follow the Holy Light. These edifices draw healers, priests, paladins and mages to the city, all of whom bolster Stormwind’s military. King Anduin Wrynn rules from Stormwind Keep. Rumor has it that Wrynn employs a secret society, the Stormwind Assassins, who are spies and saboteurs wielding royal carte blanche. "Unaffected by the ravages of the Scourge in the north, Stormwind still faces its own threats, both from without and within."

History
During the First War, the Kingdom of Azeroth, including its capital, Stormwind Keep, was utterly destroyed by the Horde and its survivors fled to Lordaeron. After the orcs were defeated at the Dark Portal at the end of the Second War, it was decided that the city would be rebuilt, even surpassing its former grandeur. The nobles of Stormwind assembled a team of the most skilled and ingenious stonemasons and architects they could find. Under their direction, Stormwind was rebuilt in an amazingly short period of time. Now, at the end of the Third War, in the renamed Kingdom of Stormwind, it stands as one of the last bastions of human power left in the world.

With the fall of the northern kingdoms, Stormwind is by far the most populated city in the world. Boasting a population of two-hundred thousand people (predominantly human), it serves in many ways as the cultural and trade center of the Alliance, even with remote access to the sea. The humans living in the city are generally carefree and artistic, favoring light and colorful clothes, cuisine and art.

However, the people of Stormwind find it difficult to accept Theramore's role as the home of the new Alliance, convinced not only that Stormwind should be the legitimate heir of Lordaeron's role in the past, but also that Theramore is doing little against the worsening situation within the Eastern Kingdoms.

Districts


The city is made up of roughly rectangular districts separated by canals.
 * The Valley of Heroes (area beyond and including the city gate)
 * The Gilded Rose (Stormwind's inn)
 * The Trade District (northwest underneath the inner gates from the Valley of Heroes). "It bustles with trade from across the continent and beyond."
 * Cathedral Square (northwest across the Canals from the Trade District)
 * Cathedral of Light (Paladin/Priest guild)
 * Old Town (northeast across the Canals from the Trade District). "Adventurers of every sort can be found wandering the streets of old Town."
 * Champions' Hall (PvP rewards barracks)
 * Command Center (Warrior guild)
 * 7 (Rogue guild)
 * The Mage Quarter (southwest across the Canals from the Trade District)
 * The Slaughtered Lamb (Warlock Guild)
 * Wizard's Sanctum (Mage guild)
 * The Park (southwest across the Canals from Cathedral Square)
 * The Dwarven District (northeast across the Canals from Cathedral Square)
 * Deeprun Tram (accessible from the Dwarven District)
 * Stormwind Keep (through the castle gates between Old town and the Dwarven District)
 * Petitioner's Chamber (some quests)
 * Royal Gallery (full of statues)
 * Royal Library (full of books)
 * War Room (battlemasters)
 * The Canals (accessible from all districts of Stormwind)
 * Cut-Throat Alley (accessed from the Canals; empty)
 * Stormwind Stockade (an instance, found in the Canals, just north of the Mage Quarter)
 * Stormwind Vault

Notable Characters
From his throne in Stormwind Keep, the boy king Anduin Wrynn IV rules with the support of Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and Lady Katrana Prestor. In the Kings chamber is also a Draenei Emissary. Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth is the officer in charge of the kingdom's fleet. In the Cathedral of Light, Archbishop Benedictus presides over the clergy of Light, and in the Valley of Heroes, General Marcus Jonathan stands sentinel on his horse, flanked by his topmost commanding officers, Major Mattingly and Field Marshal Afrasiabi. Other guild masters include High Sorcerer Andromath and Master Mathias Shaw, in charge of Stormwind wizards and thieves guilds, respectively.

For a complete list of characters, see List of Stormwind NPCs.

Points of Interest

 * The Bank in the southwestern part of the Trade District.
 * The Gryphon master on the walls of the city, from the southeastern part of the Trade District.
 * The City Hall in the northeastern edge of Cathedral Square.
 * The Royal Library is in Stormwind Keep, down the first left hall and to the right of the atrium park.
 * The Wizard's Sanctum in the Mage Quarter has magical Dimensional Gateway. Also known as the Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences, with the fall of Dalaran, it is the primary center of arcane studies in the world.
 * The Auction House is located in the center of the Trade District.
 * There are several mailboxes in Stormwind. The most popular of them is located between the bank and the inn. Another is placed outside various taverns; the Pig & Whistle in Old Town, one outside the Blue Recluse in the Mage Quarter, and one outside a nameless tavern in the Park.
 * Interesting fact, each section of the town has at least one tavern, if not more. Unfortunately many of the taverns are devoid of NPCs.

Flight paths

 * Ironforge
 * Sentinel Hill, Westfall
 * Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains
 * Darkshire, Duskwood
 * Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale
 * Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands
 * Morgan's Vigil, Burning Steppes
 * Thorium Point, Searing Gorge (as of patch 2.1)

Notes &amp; Tips

 * Stormwind is the only Alliance capital city that has an instance inside the city area, which is convenient for repairing and selling afterwards.
 * Stormwind contains the officer barracks for the alliance, and thus access to all the special PvP gear.
 * Stormwind is the only Alliance city with all class trainers present (including druid and shaman).
 * Stormwind is a hangout for high-level Players, however it is not as popular as Ironforge (although since 1.10 and the re-introduction of linked auction houses, this is changing).
 * Clavicus Knavingham has the Stormwind repeatable Runecloth quest used by non-human Alliance players to obtain the right to ride horses.
 * Somewhat bizarrely, the barred instance portal said to be the entrance to the yet-to-be-implemented player housing appears to be on the opposite side of the wall from the moat.
 * Stormwind used to be a big target for Horde players to kite the end-game boss Lord Kazzak and then set him loose in the city. Kazzak has been chained to the Blasted Lands since then however.
 * If you are a low level character and in the Keep and see a NPC named Reginald Windsor enters the Keep, get out as soon as possible since multiple high level Elites will spawn and attack everyone in the Keep. Another sign of this is when somebody shouts "Onyxia" or the like in General Chat.
 * Look into List of Stormwind NPCs for a list of questgivers in the area.
 * If you are a low level mana user and want to save gold, there is an endless supply of Ice Cold Milk scattered around Stormwind in barrels. While it is arguably not worth the tedium of finding them for most races, a dwarf with treasure finding can effortlessly harvest a stack or two of milk quickly.