Westfall

Westfall borders the Kingdom of Stormwind and is mostly populated by humans not under the Alliance’s complete control. The region was stolen right under the Alliance’s nose by its own bitter people. This rich land has lain fallow since theSecond War, but it is now held by the Defias Brotherhood. Stormwind claims the land as its own, but it has found little time to be concerned with it, with insufficient funds and might to retake the region. A handful of farmers still try to keep their land, and some even attempt a tithe to Stormwind every year, but most only grow enough to feed themselves. The Defias Brotherhood controls much of the region, focused in the southern area of Moonbrook.[1]

Once a rich agricultural center, much of Westfall now lies fallow and forgotten. The Defias Brotherhood, renegade humans who wield secrecy and technology against Stormwind, control much of the area. Bandits and gnolls raid those farms that remain, and Stormwind’s resources are stretched too thin to protect the beleaguered populace.[2]  Westfall has the mild temperatures of Elwynn, but winds batter it both from the sea and from Duskwood. The bare farmlands add little to break the wind, which can cut through clothing on a blustery day.[1]

Westfall is a region of rolling pastures and farms that were once beautiful and green, but now have become barren with drought and maltreatment at the hands of bandits. The grass is yellowed and the fields are infested with ravenous carrion birds and mechanical harvest watchers gone rogue. The outlawed Defias Brotherhood has gained a strong foothold in Westfall and controls several camps and farmsteads in the area. It is rumored that these bandits possess a large minewith an entrance somewhere in the small town of Moonbrook, and that they have connections with the kobolds that occupy the Jangolode Mine in Westfall and the various mines in Elwynn Forest.

The People's Militia has erected a last bastion of military power in the region at Sentinel Hill, from where they issue commands to anyone willing to aid the cause. Although most of the area's farms have fallen to disrepair and passed into control of the Defias, there are still a number of farmers who bravely (and desperately) cling to their holdings in spite of overwhelming odds.

History
All other Azeroth territories taken out of Alliance control had the Horde, the undead, or the demons behind them. Westfall fell to bitter humans soon after the Second War. The Defias Brotherhood, led by Edwin VanCleef, attempted to take Elwynn Forest but failed. Its members chose Westfall as their new home, and the farmers, still shaken from the Horde attacks, put up little resistance. The Brotherhood found that the time to steal land from their own accepted ruler was when he was too concerned with orcs, undead and demons to realize that a good chunk of the continent was gone. The rulers at Stormwind, even with knowledge of the Brotherhood’s actions, considered other threats to be higher priorities and figured they’d get to Westfall eventually. They do not know the true threat Westfall presents — or even how much the city would miss the agricultural tributes the farmers made.[3]

Once the breadbasket of the kingdom of Stormwind, the land of Westfall started to grow fallow after years of conflict and neglect had diminished its harvests. Crops could eventually no longer be cultivated in the fields, and the once-abundant mines were ultimately deserted. Even the former defenders from Stormwind pulled stake and abandoned the lonely realm when the cost of upkeep became too great.

Due to this lack of military protection, Westfall was all but destroyed by the rebel Defias Brotherhood and its minions; who could easily take control of the poorly defended farmlands and burn their fields and salt the earth.[4] The Brotherhood, composed mainly of thieves and bandits, drove off many of the good farm folk and made Westfall their new refuge.[5] Employing everything from local superstitions to sabotaging mechanical harvest watchers, the Brotherhood stopped at nothing to scare away trespassers and protect their stolen treasures. Only the People's Militia, a volunteer military organization, has risen to stand in their way, recruiting young heroes of theAlliance to strike back and regain what has been stolen. This battle is ongoing, and in the end the only hope the people of Westfall have is to strike directly against the leaders of the Defias — in hiding somewhere deep below ground. With the People's Militia renaming themselves the Westfall Brigade and moving their troops into Grizzly Hills, it suggests that the Defias Brotherhood threat to Westfall has finally subsided, though it's still very likely remnants of the Defias Brotherhood exist in and all around Westfall.

People and culture
The peaceful inhabitants of Westfall find it a frightening place to live after recent events. While the Defias Brotherhood hatches its schemes to hurt Stormwind, the Alliance and all beholden to it, Westfall’s simple folk just try to live from day to day with thieves, bandits and gnolls threatening them. The thieves and bandits find it a large area in which they can plan their attacks without much bother. Little fun and celebration occurs among Westfall’s inhabitants, as they have poor community support and hardly any aid from Stormwind. The garrison at Sentinel Hill is nothing more than a Stormwind figurehead.

The thieves of the Brotherhood, on the other hand, apparently live a fine life. Only a few Brotherhood members live in Moonbrook, presumably acting as sentries. The bulk of the population occupies the Dead Mines, which the Brotherhood has converted into an underground fortress.[6]

Geography
Once a proud land of farmers and herders, Westfall now lies fallow for the most part because of the thieves who have usurped it. Weeds and seedling trees mark the rich land, and the wind cries over the fields. Thieves and bandits are the greatest problems here, but gnolls and the slouching harvest golems also terrorize the already harried farmers. Most of Westfall is choked by the Defias Brotherhood. Residents who are not part of the Brotherhood live in fear and constant vigilance and pray for Alliance aid that rarely comes.[6]