Ardentlocke

Ardentlocke was a town located in the western mountains of the Western Plaguelands, north of the Bulwark. Once known as Holloway, it was formerly the seat of a small barony before and during the fall of Lordaeron.

During the Truthful expansion into Lordaeron, it was occupied and expanded by the High Protector of the Truthful, Mara Ardentlocke. It eventually became an unofficial administrative center of the Kingdom of the Light before its fall during the Truthful Purification campaign.

History
The bastion of Ardentlocke was once known as Holloway, held by an aristocratic family closely related to the Agamands, supported by Jarek Ardentlocke as its official protector and ward. Following the Third War, Holloway’s walls held against the Scourge’s initial outbreak. The settlement’s lord had become convinced that they would not need help from the Scarlet Crusade, and outright denounced the cause for its zealotry.

Under the Scarlet Crusade
Lord Thomas harbored ill will to the Crusade due to the detainment of his family outside his walls, but reluctantly he welcomed the immediate protection Abbendis’ regiments provided. He attempted to convince Jarek to plot against the Grand Crusader, but the knight would not hear it. In fact, incensed by the shear heresy of the suggestion, Jarek would eventually coordinate a siege with Jvalka Reverus, deeming the task paramount lest the rebellion festered.

Wary of the Knights of Mardenholde's loyalty, Ardentlocke tasked the order along with his daughter to ensure that the task was done thoroughly, ordering all denizens of Holloway to convince their treacherous lord to yield to the Crusade's will, lest they be slaughtered in their homes or left to wander into the hazardous wilds of the Westweald.

Lord Thomas' garrison was not defenseless, however, but the Scarlet forces were relentless, brutal, and sowed terror throughout the town. Enraptured by a haze of fury, they seized the keep and swiftly executed Thomas before the remaining defenders. Despite the loyalists' surrender, their defiance would not go unpunished, and they were subsequently sent off to the inquisition, subject to their cruel whims.

After successfully claiming Holloway, Ardentlocke and Reverus officially declared the settlement now to be under the direct authority of the Grand Crusader and the Crimson Legion. Deliberations were made between the Crusader Lords, and the territory would later be named Ardentlocke in Jarek’s namesake. For the remainder of the Crusade's efforts against the Scourge, the garrison would serve to delegate Jarek's charge outside Stratholme, and serve as a staging ground for the inquisitorial agents.

Truthful Era
While suffering heavy blows over the years, Mara Ardentlocke, during her time within the Argent Crusade, aided in restoring the fortress from its worn-down state, and would serve as a center of religious reform for displaced crusaders.

However, when Mara joined forces with the Truthful, she incited a Scarlet takeover within the settlement, wresting control of Ardentlocke with a bloody insurrection.

Fall of Ardentlocke
See Siege of Ardentlocke