Gilneas is a human nation ruled by Lord Genn Greymane. Gilneas is located south of Silverpine Forest (Lordaeron Continent).  It is mostly a peninsula. Tall cliffs surround Gilneas on the west, south and east.

During the Second War, the Horde once more invaded Alliance territories. The first Horde Campaign in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was a invasion of the Blackrock Clan ordered by Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer to Zul’Dare—an island directly south of Gilneas, and property of Gilneas. ( Read the Zul’Dare Campaign ).

Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and his Naval Fleet were able to drive off the Blackrock clan.  However, Lord Genn Greymane felt threatened by the orcish attacks of Gilneas’ territory and it was then that he agreed to join the Alliance of Lordaeron.

However, this was out of convenience to be protected by the Alliance.  Gilneas did not provide substantial support to the Alliance during the Second War, if any.

Mysteriously, Lord Genn Greymane presented Lord Prestor of Alterac to King Terenas and the Alliance at the Capital of Lordaeron.  Lord Prestor was supposedly sheltered by Gilneas when Prestor fled from Alterac.

Brief History: Lord Perenolde betrayed the Alliance by providing info to the Horde in exchange of immunity during the beginning of the Second War.  Lord Perenolde was deposed and the Alterac rebels taken under custody.  ( Read the Battle of Darrowshire;  then read the capture of Alterac prisoners  at Caer Darrow; and the destruction of Alterac in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness )

Lord Genn Greymane proposed that Lord Prestor—heir to the crown—should be placed as new King of Alterac.

In reality, the human Lord Prestor was only a disguise.  His true identity was Deathwing – the Dragon Aspect of Earth
( Read the Dragon Aspects Lore:  Neltharion the Earthwarder ).

Using his magical powers over Earth and its creatures, Deathwing charmed the Kings of the Alliance Nations.  They immediately felt prompted to admire the noble Human dressed in shiny black armor.  King Terenas, charmed by Deathwing’s magic, supported that Lord Prestor be crowned King of Alterac.  Lord Prestor convinced each leader with empty promises, offering their heart’s desires.  Lord Genn Greymane of Gilneas wished riches and resources of Alterac to prosper as a nation, while Admiral Daelin Proudmoore wished to extend his territory in the Great Sea.  Each monarch pleased to have Lord Prestor lead the fallen kingdom for their own advantages.

King Terenas even envisioned his own daughter Calia to marry Lord Prestor, which in turn would open diplomatic ties with Alterac to extend Lordaeron Kingdom’s territories.  Hillsbrad Foothills was highly sought by Arathi, Lordaeron, and Gilneas as territory for grabs.

With the fall of the Dragonmaw Clan, and the liberation of the red dragon Queen Alexstrasza, Deathwing was defeated and escaped.  Grim Batol (eastern Wetlands) was taken by the Hill Dwarves and secured. It has currently become the new lair of the Red dragonflight.

Fans believe that Deathwing died.  However, the last page of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon says:

“No one had sighted Deathwing since the black beast’s desperate escape.  With the others constantly on watch for him now, it seemed unlikely that he would cause much terror for some time to come, if ever.  Yet, because of him, the others had taken a renewed interest in life and the future.”

With Lord Prestor disappeared, the charm blurring their thoughts vanished.  None of the Alliance monarches wanted Lord Prestor as King of Alterac.  He was not even been seen to tell him so.  Prestor completely disappeared.

The Horde was later defeated.  Some orcs ran back through the Dark Portal for their lives, while some Blackrock Clan orcs, the Burning Blade, Black Tooth Grin, Shattered Hand, Dragonmaw and Bleeding Hollow Clans were captured by the Alliance and distributed into seven Internment Camps.  The only Hordish clan uncaptured remained the Warsong Clan, and the long-exiled Frostwolf Clan—not counting the few scattered Stormreaver survivors in the Broken Isles and Ogre clans.

With the costs of maintenance of the Internment Camps rising, King Terenas decreeted that each nation of the Alliance had to pay a special tax.  Lord Genn Greymane rose up in rage proclaiming that the Alliance should kill the Orcs instead of placing them in internment camps.  With that said, Genn Greymane told King Terenas the following:

Last Known Speech from Genn Greymane, Recorded by Mystrum Runedance

Lord Genn Greymane: “Damn the orcs, damn the Alliance, and damn you! The last thing Gilneas needs is sponges from other nations drawing from our resources, Dalaran wizards meddling with our affairs, and someone else?s enemies killing our soldiers! Gilneas is its own nation and it always will be. This is the last time I?ll ever talk to you, Terenas, so I hope you were listening.”—from Warcraft RPG: Lands of Conflict, page 96

With that said, Lord Genn Greymane left the Alliance and ordered his nation to build a massive wall to block access to Gilneas: The Greymane Wall.  The Greymane Wall was built somewhere around year 16-20 after the Dark Portal was opened for first time.  An exact date is unknown, therefore this is unofficial.

Analyzing the Warcraft timeline provided by Warcraft: Lands of Conflict—and the Brann Bronzebeard’s quote: “Ten years ago, Gilneas was a cold, rainy place and
it likely has not changed much”—might suggest the Greymane Wall was built chronologically between year 16-20.  The World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Corebook has a new timeline setup placing World of Warcraft at year 30, and the Battle of Mount Hyjal at year 25 (Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos).  Depending when Brann Bronzebeard was in Gilneas, we might assume it was between year 25-30, giving a 5 years range—taking in consideration that Brann mentions Lordaeron refugees camping at the Greymane Wall falling prey to the Worgen.  Based on that analysis the Greymane Wall might have been built between year 16 to year 20.

Chronologically, according to the Wow RPG Corebook:

? 10: Ner?zhul, still powerful, corrupts the Archmage Kel?Thuzad and directs him to begin spreading a plague of undeath across Lordaeron. The
wizard forms the Cult of the Damned to aid him.

? 16: Thrall escapes from Blackmoore and searches for other orcs to teach him of his heritage. He hears of the Warsong clan ? the only free orc clan remaining ? and of its ferocious leader, Grom Hellscream.

? 23: After joining with Orgrim Doomhammer and Hellscream, Thrall frees the captive orcs and reforms the Horde.

? 24: Doomhammer is slain in battle and Thrall becomes Warchief of the Horde. He reintroduces his people to the abandoned shamanistic culture of their ancestors.

? 25: The Cult of the Damned infects Lordaeron with the Lich King?s plague. The Knights of the Silver Hand try to cure the disease, but fail. Prince Arthas of Lordaeron tracks the source of the plague to the Lich King in Northrend. He loses his soul to the cursed blade Frostmourne, becoming the Lich King?s servant as a death knight. Arthas returns to Lordaeron, assassinates King Terenas, and takes charge of the Scourge.

The Third War begins.

Many fans wrongly think that the Greymane Wall was built to protect Gilneas from the Undead Scourge and the Plague.  In reality, the Greymane Wall was built after the Second War, 10 years ago—according to Prospector Brann Bronzebeard.

( NOTE: You may read further details and description of Gilneas in Warcraft RPG: Lands of Conflict – page 96-97