An Overview[]
Two historians from the Royal Society. Spiffing!
The Royal Society of Ironforge Historians was created for the intellectuals and sophisticated of both Ironforge and Stormwind by a more "posh" branch of the Explorers' Guild. Though the Society's reputation has, of late, come under some scrutiny. Scandal has plagued the Society, and even their enshrined interpretation has been undermined by the discovery of new historical evidence within Ulduar. Though the Society does still exist today with significant influence over the annals and archives of Alliance society, albeit questioned more frequently, and still has funding from the richest of the rich in the Eastern Kingdoms.
Origins[]
The Society's foundations come from the Explorers' Guild's richer and more pompous members who decided, after a few years of remaining within the ranks of plebians, that a more elitist and grandiose forum for debate was needed. Led by the more extravagant sons and daughters of an Ironforge noble, the rich and educated split from the Explorers' Guild with little resistance (they weren't much liked within the Guild) and, under the pretense that they were somehow supported by King Magni (which is erroneous), they created the Society.
Activities[]
Whether it is writing the latest installment or revision in their large archive (which is in fact owned by the Explorers' Guild), the Society is dedicated to the study of history in all of its forms. This is where the Society differentiates itself from the Explorers' Guild; one, in that they do not go afield on expeditions, and two, in that they do not focus solely on the origins of the dwarves. The objective of the society is to interpret history, from modern to ancient professionally. Though many of their conclusions are biased in a selective manner, most of their interpretations are taken for fact in most Alliance institutions.
Other than the aforementioned functions, however, the Society acts also as a meeting place for the upper classes. Not only do they host regular social events, but their nature as a forum for debate also transgresses the boundaries of history to make it political. Many a statesman and government bureaucrat, especially in the House of Nobles in Stormwind, has launched his or her career from within the Society.
Scandal[]
Though corruption is to be expected where there is a lot of money, the extent of corruption within the Society cannot be easily scaled, simply for the reason that the rich have had good practice in covering up their noxiousness. Of late, however, more scandals have emerged with the discoveries of their historical inaccuracies which were revealed by the Explorers' Guild. One such scandal was the political manoeuvring of one of their members to become an Earl in the House of Nobles during Bolvar and Prestor's stewardship, by method of assassination.
Leadership[]
The leadership of the Society is often disputed, because the "chairman" role, which is supposed to be the leader, is more of a puppet to the elite circles within the guild. Though in the past the Society has had leadership, where one candidate had clear majorities within the debate forum.
Guild Hall[]
The gargantuan library contains all manner of things.
The Society shares its halls with the Explorers' Guild, within the Hall of Explorers in Ironforge. There, it debates and moderates history in the great library and hollow cellar-age. Though they are treated as a secondary order in the eyes of King Magni, and now the Council of Three Hammers, in comparison to the larger Explorers' League, in the eyes of many Stormwindian nobles, it is essential to the preservation of rich and privileged culture.