Experts judged the workmanship; outsiders enjoyed the spectacle. Galen Trollbane had no idea which architect was more skilled, so he asked each of the three racial groups to nominate a few representatives and show him their plans.
Galen Trollbane could not make sense of the architectural drawings either. One design, however, proposed hollowing out the mountains between Stromgarde's old city and Faldir's Cove, expanding the city while turning the narrow cove into a large harbor. It also called for turning the vast depression east of Stromgarde into a new district and incorporating it into the city.
The design seemed outrageous, requiring the mountains between Stromgarde's old city and Faldir's Cove to be leveled and excavated, but it matched Galen Trollbane's vision perfectly.
Stromgarde was humanity's first city and the capital of the ancient Arathorian Empire, once a mighty power. Yet its age brought a major drawback: by modern standards, the city was far too small.
Faldir's Cove had the same problem. As the Arathi Highlands' only outlet to the sea, its inability to accommodate large naval fleets and merchant vessels was a serious disadvantage. It was also rather far from Stromgarde. Reaching the city's main gate required following a narrow mountain trail and circling the old city. The route between Stromgarde and Faldir's Cove was highly vulnerable to attack. Turning the depression east of Stromgarde into a new district would secure that route, even without opening a new gate in the eastern wall.
Galen Trollbane held up the drawing and asked, "Who drew up this plan?"
"I did, Your Highness Prince Galen Trollbane." A plainly dressed human raised his hand.
Galen Trollbane thought the plainly dressed man looked familiar, but he could not remember who he was. "I greatly admire your new design for Stromgarde. Tell me your name, master architect."
The moment Galen Trollbane said "master architect," the human architects burst into delighted cheers. The dwarven architects looked somewhat disappointed, while the goblin architects were jealous. They all understood that Prince Galen Trollbane had chosen this human architect.
"Baroness Alexston, from Westfall." Baroness Alexston did not say he came from the Kingdom of Stormwind, but from Westfall, a choice that also reflected his disappointment in the kingdom.
Baroness Alexston was no ordinary human. Although he was not a noble, he could be considered a landowner. The Alexston family owned a large farm in Westfall.
He had grown up with Edwin VanCleef and even had a quest of his own-Childhood Memories.
Hearing Baroness Alexston's introduction, Galen Trollbane immediately realized who stood before him. Aside from that storyline, Baroness Alexston had two other roles: the master architect who rebuilt Stormwind City after the Cataclysm, and the man who built the Alliance's garrison during Warlords of Draenor.
Among human architects, Edwin VanCleef was unquestionably one of the very best. The only man who could rival him was his childhood friend and fellow member of the Stonemasons' Guild, Baroness Alexston.
"Excellent, Baroness Alexston. I formally appoint you master architect for Stromgarde's reconstruction. You will lead all the architects in rebuilding this city that witnessed humanity's rise." Galen Trollbane had no intention of leaving this immense undertaking solely to the Stonemasons' Guild or the human architects. He wanted to draw on everyone's strengths, incorporating dwarven craftsmanship and goblin ingenuity into Stromgarde's reconstruction.
For instance, when it came to dealing with the mountains around Stromgarde's old city, the dwarves, who excelled at building cities and digging tunnels within mountains, and the goblins, who loved explosives, would be more efficient than the human architects.
The goblin architects could not hide their delight at Galen Trollbane's words. They had come to Stromgarde to take on this job and earn money. By goblin standards, failing to make money meant taking a loss. Even the good-natured dwarven architects broke into smiles.
Rebuilding Stromgarde was an enormous undertaking that might take a year or two. That was why Galen Trollbane had never settled the refugees in Stromgarde itself, instead placing them throughout the Arathi Highlands.
This reconstruction would require relocating the city's more than one hundred thousand residents first. Galen Trollbane had already chosen their temporary home: Refuge Pointe in the Arathi Highlands.
Refuge Pointe would originally have become home to Stromgarde's people. This time, Stromgarde had not fallen, but Refuge Pointe would once again serve as their temporary shelter.
In truth, Galen Trollbane had no choice besides Refuge Pointe. The Kingdom of Stromgarde had always had a small population, and there were no other towns apart from Refuge Pointe. It was unlike the Kingdom of Stormwind, with its four major towns of Lakeshire, Goldshire, Moonbrook, and Darkshire.
The Kingdom of Stromgarde had now occupied Witherbark Village, home to the Witherbark in the southeastern Arathi Highlands. Without renovations, however, no one from Stromgarde would choose to live there.
Witherbark Village did have the advantage of a favorable location, with flat terrain and abundant water, making it suitable for development into a large town. Galen Trollbane planned to settle future refugees there, turning the Witherbark Trolls' former territory into a new town for the Kingdom of Stromgarde.
The relocation of Stromgarde's population proceeded very smoothly. The people offered no resistance at all. They, too, wanted the city they took such pride in to rise from the ashes. After gathering their essential belongings, they set out for Refuge Pointe.
These hundred thousand people of Stromgarde stirred deep feelings in Galen Trollbane. They placed such faith in him and the Kingdom of Stromgarde. They had not fled during its darkest hours, yet when the time came to rebuild Stromgarde, they moved out without delay.
It was precisely because he had people like these that Galen Trollbane felt confident he could lead the Kingdom of Stromgarde to renewed prosperity.
Behind the scenes, however, the nobles who had returned to Stromgarde secretly contacted the Syndicate after seeing Galen Trollbane's plans to rebuild the city and relocate its people to Refuge Pointe.
Duke Falconcrest had already infiltrated the Arathi Highlands. Upon learning this information, he immediately slipped back into the Hillsbrad Foothills and reported it to Lord Aiden Perenolde. "My lord, now is the best time for us to strike. Galen Trollbane has sent Stromgarde's people to Refuge Pointe so he can rebuild the city. Only five thousand Stromgarde militia remain stationed there. Its defenses are terribly thin."
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