Hopedale

Hopedale was a Human hamlet located within the parish of Andorhal. It was an unassuming settlement with a stable population of little under a hundred people. It was known best for its bi-annual sheep market before the fall of Lordaeron.

Hopedale had its own standing militia and a stone wall with two watchtowers surrounding the settlement, primarily constructed to deflect the Gnoll tribes and bandit attacks in the region. Due to these defences, it was able to remain as a working settlement when the villages returned to the region following the Cataclysm.

Hopedale was a holdout after the Alliance's defeat following the Battle of Andorhal. The Forsaken assaulted the old walls but were repelled by the community several times. The Dark Lady Sylvanas Windrunner recalled the Commander of her forces, and punished him for not quelling the resistance and instead deployed the Deathguard to the area to crush the resistance.

Under the command of Executor Laudwine, the Deathguard surrounded the town while their commander personally broke through the gates. Surprisingly, Laudwine then closed the gates and commanded his men to bar them shut behind him. No reports exist as to what happened next, save for the aftermath report stating that fires were started inside and that the hamlet was completly destroyed. The earth was blighted and there were no Human survivors remaining after the skirmish was completed.

Thereafter through his career, Laudwine was referred to as "The Butcher of Hopedale". The area continues to remain abandoned..