Hillsbrad Fields


 * This article is about the ingame region Hillsbrad Fields and the inland town of Hillsbrad. See Hillsbrad for information about the port township of Hillsbrad. See Sludge Fields for its status in Cataclysm.

The Hillsbrad Fields refers to the area which includes the inland "town of Hillsbrad" (not to be confused with the coastal "township of Hillsbrad" from the Second War) and a large and fertile cultivated area that provides food for the people of Southshore and the whole of Hillsbrad Foothills. During the Second War the orcs stampeded through the Hillsbrad Foothills doing severe damage to the field, which back those days was probably an even larger and significant community. These days multiple peasants from all over Hillsbrad come and work here. The farms' economy appears to be based around apple production, however the southernmost orchard produces something else. There are also pumpkins and cows to be found scattered around the fields.

The town of Hillsbrad is a large farming community that's governed by Magistrate Burnside. This community wants to peacefully coexist with its neighbors, though it views the Horde settlement at Tarren Mill as a constant threat. The people of Hillsbrad are constantly threatened by the forces of High Executor Darthalia at Tarren Mill, especially the peasants, farmers, and other members of the human supply line and infrastructure. Many of the farmers are very capable of fighting back and staging ambushes on the undead forces, according to the quest.

Magistrate Burnside leads the town of Hillsbrad from local town hall, aided by the council of Hillsbrad, as well as Clerk Horrace Whitesteed. Hillsbrad Fields lies in the western part of Hillsbrad Foothills, east of Darrow Hill, north of Azurelode Mine, and south of Dalaran in Alterac Mountains.

Outside Farmer Ray's house is a level 24 dog named Stanley.

The town is attacked repeatedly in the questline.

The Farms: A Family Holding?
Take a quick tour of the farms in the Fields, and you'll notice many of the farmers are redheads (as well as the footmen and councillors). This gives rise to the possibility that Hillsbrad Fields is privately owned and operated perhaps by a large farming family native to Hillsbrad. It could also be that Hillsbrad humans have a dominant redhead gene, but this is not true for the nearby town of Southshore. However, most if not all of the Southshore Guards are auburns. Guessing that Southshore recruits its defenders from the region abroad, then Hillsbrad humans could be a predominantly auburn and redhead lot.

According to the Horde Quest, the landowners are Farmer Ray and Farmer Getz. Whether these two farmers are related (brothers, father/son...) is undetermined.

Governance
Magistrate Burnside rules the town of Hillsbrad from its prominent town hall. Burnside is assisted by the Council of Hillsbrad and Clerk Horace Whitesteed, who take the wishes of Getz and Ray into careful consideration at council.

A sharp eye will notice that the Magistrate and his present clerk are not redheads or auburns like the rest of the Fields. So if the farms are owned by a family, it is likely they are subject to some degree of outside authority.

Given the fact that in the aforementioned Horde quest, Burnside is higher up the quest chain than the Farmers Ray and Getz, it can be inferred the Forsaken finds his head of more value. Thus, Burnside is most likely the official and most powerful authority figure in the fields.

Residents

 * In the townshall
 * Magistrate Burnside
 * Clerk Horrace Whitesteed
 * Councilman Gillis
 * Councilman Hooks
 * Hillsbrad Councilman


 * In the fields
 * Farmer Ray
 * Stanley
 * Farmer Getz
 * Farmer Kalaba
 * Farmer Lyion (former, evicted)
 * Hillsbrad Farmers
 * Hillsbrad Farmhands


 * Blacksmith
 * Blacksmith Verringtan
 * Hillsbrad Apprentice Blacksmiths


 * In the town
 * Citizen Wilkes
 * Citizen Bonoan
 * Citizen May
 * Citizen Netherand
 * Hillsbrad Peasant
 * Hillsbrad Tailor


 * At the Azurelode Mine
 * Foreman Bonds
 * Miner Hackett
 * Miner Wellty
 * Miner Sidney
 * Miner Orwell
 * Miner Fitzgerald
 * Hillsbrad Miners

Services
Three Apprentice Blacksmiths sell assorted weaponry. Despite their names, they are not trainers. The Blacksmith is ran by a man named Verringtan. Two Tailors, vending assorted clothing, inhabit a small house on the far side of the southernmost orchard. Despite their names, they are not trainers.

Buildings:

1 Town Hall (with clock) 1 Blacksmith 2 one storey houses 1 two storey house 1 Barn 2 Water Towers 1 Granary Tower

PvP Significance
In the spirit of Hillsbrad Foothill's infamous PvP battles, Horde players should be careful while completing the Quest. It is a known spot for high level Alliance ganking.

In Cataclysm
The Hillsbrad Fields have been seized by the Forsaken, complete with searchlight towers and plague tanks, and is now called The Sludge Fields. Before the town was taken, some of the former human residents of Hillsbrad Fields fled to escape the fighting. Many of the farmers and residents of Hillsbrad fled. Some attempted to venture east to Arathi Highlands. They never made it. Slaughtered before they reached Thoradin's Wall. Some traveled west into Silverpine Forest, to take refuge on Fenris Isle.