North of Andorhal, in the north-central reaches of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, stood a quiet, peaceful town.
On the map, this modestly sized town did not look far from Andorhal.
But reaching it from Andorhal took at least fifteen days.
In fifteen days, one could even reach Stratholme in Lordaeron's Northern Lands.
Yet this isolated town had not faded into obscurity despite the vast forests to its south and the rugged, enclosed valleys surrounding it. It even enjoyed a measure of fame in the Eastern Kingdoms.
For this was Hearthglen, the fief of Knight Captain Tirion Fordring, one of the Highlords of the Order of the Silver Hand.
South of Hearthglen stretched an enormous forest, home to the North Mountain Lumber Camp, a timber production base capable of supplying the entire country's needs.
In earlier years, Hearthglen's residents had relied on work at the North Mountain Lumber Camp to survive, supporting their families on meager wages.
Merchants' Guilds had to cross North Mountain's forests and traverse rugged valleys to reach Hearthglen. With no level road to follow, few were willing to trade there.
As a result, prices remained high in Hearthglen, which already had little arable land.
Lordaeron's Noble Group were no philanthropists. They cared nothing for whether Hearthglen's residents lived or died, only whether they could earn gold coins.
If there was no money to be made, the peasants could fend for themselves.
And so, for the hundreds of years since Lordaeron's founding, Hearthglen had remained a forgotten town.
That continued until Knight Captain Tirion Fordring became its lord.
Only then did Hearthglen, hemmed in by mountains on every side, see its first glimmer of hope.
After taking charge of Hearthglen, Tirion Fordring petitioned the Royal Court to designate it as one of the military bases for training Paladins.