Genn Greymane

Genn Greymane
Title	King of Gilneas
Gender	Male
Race(s)	Worgen (Humanoid)
Level	?? (Boss)
Class	Warrior
Affiliation(s)	Alliance and Kingdom of Gilneas, formerly the Alliance of Lordaeron
Occupation	King of Gilneas
Location	Throughout Gilneas (worgen starting quests) Stormwind Keep, Stormwind City
Status	Alive
Relative(s)	Archibald (father), Mia (wife), Liam (son), Tess (daughter)

Genn Greymane (sometimes spelled as "Graymane") is the current King of Gilneas, and one of the original founders of the Alliance of Lordaeron. He is a large bearish man, a brawny warrior with thick features, a heavy beard, and black and gray armor who must be in his seventies or eighties by the time of Cataclysm. Greymane was also noted for being stubborn, proud, strong-willed, cunning, and arrogant.

During the Second War, Greymane met with the other human leaders at Capital City to hear of Stormwind's fall at the hands of the orcish Horde. Greymane joined the other human leaders in forming the Alliance of Lordaeron to counter the Horde threat, but due to his pride, he offered only token support. After the conclusion of the Second War, Greymane chafed at using Gilnean taxes to help pay for the orc internment camps and Nethergarde Keep. Greymane decided that Gilneas could not and would not pay for the wars of other nations, so he withdrew Gilneas from the Alliance, ordered the construction of the Greymane Wall and isolated Gilneas from the rest of the world.

Around the time of the Third War, Greymane instructed Archmage Arugal, a Dalaran wizard loyal to Gilneas, to summon feral worgen to protect Gilneas from the Scourge threat. The plan backfired, and the worgen curse would eventually run rampant among the Gilnean population. In the time between the Third War and the War against the Lich King, the number of those afflicted with the Worgen curse had grown and were now attacking Gilneas City. To counter the threat, Greymane helped to defend the city and aided in the evacuation of citizens to Duskhaven. In the aftermath, Greymane faced the dual threats of the Cataclysm and the Forsaken invasion, culminating in the battle to retake Gilneas City from the Forsaken and witnessing the death of his son and heir, Liam. Humbled by his son's death and the devastation of his kingdom, Greymane accepted the aid of the night elves, who had offered to relocate Gilnean survivors to Darnassus. In a fit of stubbornness, Greymane was against formally rejoining the Alliance until he had almost lost his wife and daughter during the crossing. After a short layover at Darnassus, Greymane decided to travel to Stormwind to speak with Varian Wrynn, which may prove difficult as he bears resentment against Greymane for seceding from the Alliance.

Biography

Early life

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Genn Greymane is the son of Archibald Greymane, the Gilnean king who lead Gilneas into its industrial age. From a young age, Greymane was taught by his father not to rely on others and that asking for help was a weakness, and this characteristic stuck with him throughout his life. Greymane had grown up with the man who would eventually become Baron Ashbury, and Ashbury's father was a member of Archibald's council of Lords that had helped Archibald build up Gilneas into the industrial nation it would become. Because of the closeness of the two families, Greymane was advised by Archibald to put his trust into the Ashbury family's fidelity to the crown.

After Archibald's death, Greymane took the throne and led Gilneas much like his father had. At some point, Greymane met his wife, Mia, at the Royal Aderic Banquet. They had two children: Liam, his son and heir, and Tess, who would have died in infancy if not for the intervention of the Royal Chemist, Krennan Aranas. Greymane was gruff with his children, and rarely told them he loved them.

Alliance of Lordaeron

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Prior to the Second War, Greymane was among the human leaders summoned to an emergency meeting at Capital City in Lordaeron by King Terenas Menethil II. Accompanied by a group of nobles including Baron Ashbury, Lord Vincent Godfrey, and Lord Darius Crowley, the youngest and newest of the council of Lords, Greymane listened to the plight of Anduin Lothar regarding the fall of Stormwind and the threat of the orcish Horde. Greymane dismissed these concerns, stating with confidence that the Gilnean army could withstand any threat. While most of the other heads of the human nations were in agreement that an alliance against the orcish invaders was needed, Greymane was hesitant about joining, and was difficult about it.

After a polite state dinner with his fellow rulers, Greymane retired to his guest chambers for the evening to discuss the situation with his nobles. Crowley was enthusiastic about the prospect of an alliance, stating that sending the whole Gilnean army to aid their sister nations against the orcish threat would strengthen ties and it would help the people of Gilneas in the long run. Greymane felt Crowley was too naive and idealistic in this situation, and dismissed his ideas. Godfrey agreed with Crowley, but suggested that to stay in the good graces of their sister kingdoms for the benefit of trade and tariffs, they should only send a small token force instead of the whole Gilnean army. Baron Ashbury echoed Godfrey's sentiment, and Greymane stated that he would consider it.

When the rulers or the human nations met again, Greymane voted to join the Alliance of Lordaeron, but Gilneas offered only token support. Thus, Gilneas was essentially separate from the Alliance of Lordaeron for the entirety of the Second War.

After the betrayal of Aiden Perenolde, the ruler or Alterac, was revealed, Greymane had his eye on ruling the now-leaderless kingdom, even though he had no right to it. He supported the claim of Lord Perenolde's nephew, Isiden, to Alterac's throne. Over time, due to mind control by the black dragon Deathwing, he grew to support Lord Daval Prestor (actually Deathwing in human form), in his bid for the throne. However, after Prestor vanished, Greymane continued to push Isiden's claim.

Seceding from the Alliance

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Genn in a Curse of the Worgen comic cover.

After the war, Greymane chafed at having Gilnean taxes pay for orc interment camps and the construction of Nethergarde Keep. In a discussion with Godfrey, Greymane questioned the wisdom of listening to the advice of Crowley and Godfrey in joining the Alliance, stating that it had gotten them nothing but dead Gilneans. Greymane stated his plans to withdraw from the Alliance and wall off Gilneas from the rest of the world. Upon looking at the map of Gilneas Greymane had in front of them, Godfrey suggested the wall be built through Crowley's lands, in effect cutting off Pyrewood Village and Ambermill from the rest of the kingdom, as Crowley's lands had the mountains as a natural barrier the wall could be built into. Greymane agreed, and was confident that Crowley would understand his reasoning.

Crowley did not take Greymane seceding from the Alliance and the building of the wall through his lands as well as Greymane hoped he would. Crowley started a rebellion against Greymane and his decision to secede from the Alliance, gathering likeminded Gilneans including his daughter Lorna and Tobias Mistmantle in forming the Northgate rebellion. The resulting civil war weakened the kingdom and split the populace into two groups, "royalist" and "rebel", labels that continued to spark fights years after the event ended. In an act of defiance against Greymane, it was Crowley that sent the group of soldiers known as the Gilneas Brigade to assist Lady Jaina Proudmoore during the Third War.

Greymane was hurt that a man he considered his friend started an uprising against him, but did not blame him for it. Greymane's forces eventually captured Crowley and his followers and threw them in jail.

Unleashing the Worgen

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

During the Third War, Greymane had secretly consulted with Kirin Tor Archmage Arugal, a Gilnean patriot who had discovered a way to summon worgen, feral cratures from another dimension, to use a an instrument against the Scourge. Desperate to protect his people, and telling no one of his plan, Greymane ordered Arugal to summon the worgen in an effort to protect his nation. Yet the feral creatures soon spread their curse throughout the human population of Silverpine Forest, infecting Gilnean soldiers stationed beyond the Greymane Wall. Before long the affliction had advanced through the legendary barrier and was gradually eating away at Gilneas’ humanity. As reports of strange attacks and disappearances rose, fear took root in the hearts of Greymane’s people. To counter the threat, Greymane and his nobles would secretly hold hunting parties to track down and shoot any feral worgen they came across. During one of these trips, Greymane was bitten and infected with the curse, a fact he concealed from Godfrey and the rest of the nobles.

The Cataclysm

King Genn Greymane and a worgen pack

Genn in the short story "Lord of His Pack"

The Northgate rebellion left Gilneas in a weakened state, and the number of Gilneans infected with the Worgen curse rose to the point where feral worgen openly attacked Gilneas City. Greymane, his son Liam, and Lord Godfrey led the defense against the infected worgen, and Greymane decided that despite their differences, they needed Crowley to assist them, so Greymane arranged for Crowley's release. Upon his release, Crowley gathered some of his fellow rebels to the cause and let Greymane's forces make use of his hidden artillery stash.

During the chaos, the Royal Chemist, Krennan Aranas, was captured, and once he was secure, the order was given by Greymane to evacuate Gilneas City. Crowley and his men decided to stay behind to create a distraction so that Greymane could evacuate his people to safety in Duskhaven, where they lived in peace for a relative time. During the Cataclysm, the barrier reefs protecting Gilneas shattered and parts of the Greymane Wall were exposed, allowing the Forsaken to invade Gilneas and take Gilneas City from the rampaging feral worgen.

Since evacuating Gilneas City, Greymane and Krennan Aranas have been working on a partial cure for the worgen curse. Greymane's forces have been capturing feral worgen and using their temporary cure to help the worgen regain their sanity. Godfrey raises objections as to the point of saving feral worgen, saying they are all beasts that should be shot, but Greymane overrides him and saves one such worgen from an executioner's blade by injecting them with a serum that gives them control of their minds, thus allowing them to retain some semblance of their humanity.

After the loss of Gilneas City, he retreats to Greymane Manor, where he tries to think of a plan to safeguard his people from the invading Forsaken forces. Greymane encountered Belrysa, a night elven priestess, who explained the origin of the worgen curse and offered up a partial cure. She explained to Greymane that the worgen released by Argual were once night elven druids who had fallen victim to a cursed and corrupted druid form around ten thousand years ago during a conflict known as the War of the Satyr. To contain the threat these druids posed, Malfurion Stormrage ordered them sealed into an eternal slumber in the Emerald Dream. Belrysa explained that a night elven priestess ritual was a palliative method of letting infected Gilneans keep their minds intact while in their wolven form, but if the Gilnean still held onto guilt of any kind, he or she could not switch back into human form at will. Still keeping his infection hidden from even his family, Greymane let her perform a compact version of this ritual on him.

When the Shattering sends Duskhaven underwater, he decides to move the evacuees further inland and sends the Gilnean survivors towards Stormglen in stagecoaches. He later journeys to Tal'doren, the home of the Gilnean worgen who underwent the ritual, and reunites with the now worgen Lord Darius Crowley and his army of worgen. Greymane and Godfrey wished for Crowley and his worgen to join forces against the Forsaken. Crowley remained skeptical of joining forces with Greymane, especially alongside Godfrey, who had a noted prejudice against those afflicted to with the worgen curse. Greymane replied that he came to Crowley as an equal, and revealed to Crowley and Godfrey that he too was affected by the curse. Satisfied with the answer, Crowley pledged his help against the Forsaken, and together, the two united Gilneas against the Forsaken invasion. They also secured help from the night elves native to the Gilneas area.

Having learned of Greymane's worgen affliction, Lord Godfrey and his supporters Lord Walden and Baron Ashbury betray Gilneas by attempting to turn Greymane over to the Forsaken and held him hostage at Tempest's Reach. Under orders from Krennan Aranas, Walden and Ashbury were killed, Greymane was rescued and Lord Godfrey's machinations were foiled by adventurers . Instead of letting himself be arrested for treason, Godfrey killed himself, stating he'd rather die than have a worgen as his king. During this time, Greymane decided to stop concealing his infection and let his people know that he too was afflicted by the curse, and the Gilnean people accepted him and rallied to him when he called for a united counter attack against the Forsaken. Greymane participated in the Battle of Gilneas City in order to reclaim the city from the Forsaken, personally calling out and attacking Sylvanas Windrunner, the leader of the Forsaken. During the ensuing battle, his son Liam Greymane is killed by a poisoned arrow from Sylvanas Windrunner that was intended for Greymane. Greymane, Crowley and Lorna Crowley had a funeral ceremony for Liam at Aderic's Repose shortly before the Gilneans were forced to leave in a mass exodus of Gilneas, leaving it in the hands of the Forsaken.

Aftermath

Genn brandishing his sword.

Using resources provided to them by their night elven allies, Greymane and several Gilneans boarded ships headed for the night elf capital of Darnassus. Greymane boarded one ship, and his wife Mia and daughter Tess were aboard a separate ship. Due to the Cataclysm, the crossing was choppy and the waters were hard to navigate. While on his way to Darnassus, Greymane suffered from guilt over the choices he had made, which cost him his country and his son, and chafed when a night elf suggested that Gilneas join the Alliance. When he learned from a night elven crew member that the boat that Mia and Tess were on was in distress, Greymane shifted into worgen form and rescued his wife, who had a broken leg, and his daughter, who had refused to leave her mother. After everyone was safe, Greymane reconsidered his position of joining the Alliance.

For a short time after the fall of Gilneas, Greymane is present at the Howling Oak in Darnassus, where the surviving Gilneans have resettled. Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage, the night elven leaders, welcome Greymane and the Gilnean survivors to Darnassus, and he instructs the survivors to assist the night elves in any way they can as repayment for the help they had given the Gilnean nation. Greymane then journeys to Stormwind City to speak with Varian Wrynn about joining the Alliance and securing help for Gilneas. Wrynn still holds a grudge against Greymane for withdrawing from the Alliance after the Second War, but despite Wrynn's feelings about Gilneas and Greymane, he dispatches the 7th Legion to assist in Gilnean reclamation efforts. Greymane remains at the side of Wrynn and his son Anduin in the throne room of Stormwind Keep. Gwen Armstead, the mayor of Duskhaven, takes Greymane's place in Darnassus.

In World of Warcraft

Genn in his worgen form

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Quests

Genn Greymane appears throughout Gilneas during the Worgen starting experience and is involved in the following quests:

In Gilneas City:

•  [3] Safety in Numbers
•  [5] Old Divisions
•  [3] Brothers in Arms
•  [4] The Rebel Lord's Arsenal
•  [3] Message to Greymane
•  [4] Save Krennan Aranas
•  [4] Time to Regroup
•  [11] Vengeance or Survival
•  [11] Slowing the Inevitable
•  [11] Knee-Deep

Genn alongside Varian in Stormwind

In Duskhaven:

•  [5] Last Chance at Humanity

In Greymane Manor:

•  [7] Alas, Gilneas!
•  [7] Exodus

In Tempest's Reach:

•  [10] Betrayal at Tempest's Reach
•  [10] Flank the Forsaken

In Darnassus:

•  [10] The Howling Oak
•  [10] Breaking Waves of Change

Abilities at Stormwind Keep

Genn Greymane fights alongside Varian Wrynn at Stormwind Keep. Only Varian's death is needed for the  For the Horde! achievement.

•  Jump Attack —  5 - 30 yrd range. Jumps at the target, inflicting 120% weapon damage.
•  Intimidating Roar —  10 yrd range. Roars at an enemy, paralyzing it with terror for 4 sec. and causing all other nearby enemies to flee in fear.
•  Horrifying Howl —  Melee range. Reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies by 20% for 15 sec. 30 sec cooldown.
•  Shattering Throw —  30 yrd range. Throws your weapon at the enemy causing weapon damage and reducing the armor on the target by 20% for 10 sec. 1.5 sec cast. 5 sec cooldown.
•  Thunderclap —  Melee range. Inflicts 14062 to 15937 Nature damage to nearby enemies, increasing the time between their attacks by 100% and slowing their movement by 60% for 8 sec.

Quotes

• "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." (Greymane's last known speech, as recorded by Mystrum Runedance, presumably at one of the Alliance councils)
• "Pah, the fountains in Gilneas could grant ten times as many wishes as Dalaran's!" ( [Genn's Copper Coin])
• "When I told some of you that I wanted to form an ARMY to retake Gilneas City from these LIGHT DAMNED Forsaken….There were those who said Gilneas City would NEVER be retaken. That it was IMPOSSIBLE. Well I say to you that we must no longer let our FEARS control us! For too long I let my fear control ME…Fear that I had made all the WRONG DECISIONS…Fear that our nation would LOSE its IDENTITY…Fear that if all of you knew the TRUTH, the whole truth…You would REJECT me as your LEADER. Well I GIVE IN TO FEAR NO LONGER. Look upon me NOW and see that which I have kept HIDDEN. Now that you know the TRUTH, I ask each of YOU…who will stand WITH ME, who will fight by my SIDE? Who among you will set ASIDE YOUR FEAR?"
• "Then it is time for those Forsaken PREDATORS to become the PREY!!"

Duskhaven

Krennan Aranas says: I'm not giving up on you, <player>. I don't have a cure for the Curse yet... but there are treatments. You'll have control again.

Lord Godfrey says: Give it up, Krennan. It's time to put this one down. It's protocol.

King Genn Greymane says: Tell me, Godfrey. Those that stayed in Gilneas City so that we could live. Were they following protocol?

King Genn Greymane says: I didn't think so. Now hand me that potion, Krennan... and double the dosage.

Liam's Funeral

King Genn Greymane says: May the Light bless the spirits of our ancestors, for they've chosen to allow my son to rest upon this holy ground.

King Genn Greymane says: It is here, surrounded by the heroes and patriots of Gilneas where he belongs.

Lorna Crowley says: You were a true man of the people, Liam. Unlike any Royal I ever met. We'll make them pay for this.

Lord Darius Crowley says: Gilneas will remember your courage forever, Liam.

King Genn Greymane says: We'll return, Liam. I swear this to you.

In Stormwind

Greetings

• Gilneas will rise again!
• For Gilneas!
• Gilneas will prevail!
• My people have suffered so long... if only I could shoulder more of their burden.
• The Alliance has done us a great service, for this I am eternally grateful. (Worgen form only)

Aggro

• FOR GILNEAS!
• I SHALL BURY YOU!

Killing a player

• Fall before me!
• You have no chance!

Death

• Gilneas... I... have... failed... you.

Personality

The people of the Alliance remember the king of Gilneas as a proud, strong-willed, cunning, and arrogant man. He and his armies stood by the Alliance during the Second War, but in the aftermath it became clear to Genn Greymane that the Alliance needed Gilneas more than Gilneas needed the Alliance. He ordered that the Greymane Wall be closed to all outsiders, effectively sealing off his kingdom from the outside world and its conflicts. But fate, it seems, was intent on teaching the king a lesson in humility: although the wall succeeded in isolating Gilneas from the rest of the world, it also served to damn the kingdom's people forever. As the worgen curse swept the nation and early attempts at containment failed, Greymane found himself fighting a battle for his people's very humanity.

Genn's personality in-game seems drastically different from that shown in the novels, appearing as a kinder, understanding ruler instead of the gruff, impatient king. This could be explained as him being humbled by the terrible consequences his rash decisions have had on his people.

Trivia

• As of Cataclysm, Greymane is one of the three surviving Alliance rulers from the Second War, the others being King Varian and Kurdran Wildhammer; King Terenas of Lordaeron, King Thoras Trollbane of Stromgarde, Admiral Proudmoore of Kul Tiras, Lord Perenolde of Alterac, Antonidas of Dalaran, King Anasterian Sunstrider of Quel'Thalas and King Magni Bronzebeard of Ironforge have all died (all murdered with the exception of Perenolde, died in prison, and Magni, petrified during a ritual) in the interim.
• Genn is also one of the two racial leaders with a still living spouse in World of Warcraft, the other being Tyrande Whisperwind.
• Genn Greymane makes an appearance at Arthas Menethil's induction into the Knights of the Silver Hand ceremony in Stormwind. Gilneas had seceded from the Alliance and shut out the rest of the world by this point, so his presence there is a mystery.

Gallery

• 

  King Genn Greymane and Vincent Godfrey on horseback in Gilneas City in World of Warcraft.

• 

  Genn Greymane standing at the side of King Varian Wrynn in Stormwind.

• 

  Genn Greymane during the Second War.

• 

  Genn Greymane in Curse of the Worgen.

Patch changes

• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Added.
  

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB

Preceded by: Archibald Greymane

Position: King of Gilneas

Succeeded by: Incumbent (Tess Greymane Heiress Presumptive)

nl:Genn Greymane