Genn Greymane


 * "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 fearscontrol 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 itsidentity… 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 standwith me, who will fight by my side? Who among you will set aside your fear?"

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 the Cataclysm. Greymane has also been 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. He remains there to this day, by the side of the King of Stormwind himself.

In the past, Genn was known to have had a strong relationship of trust and friendship with the House of Blackstone, most notably Lucius Blackstone.