Despite his promising beginnings, Arthas became one of the most powerful and evil beings Azeroth would ever know. Taking up the cursed runeblade Frostmourne, he became a death knight, led the Scourge in destroying Lordaeron, and merged with the Lich King. Ruling as the dominant personality of the Lich King for years afterwards, Arthas was defeated in combat by adventurers of the Alliance and the Horde. Cradled by the spirit of his father, King Terenas, Arthas Menethil died, leaving the mantle of the Lich King to be taken by a noble soul who would contain the power of the Scourge.

This is the 1st Column. Prince Arthas Menethil was born by Lianne Menethil to King Terenas Menethil II, four years before the start of the First War and is their youngest child. The young prince grew up in a time when the lands of Azeroth were ravaged.

This is the 2nd Column. As a youth, Arthas was trained in combat by Muradin Bronzebeard, the brother of the king Magni Bronzebeard, and became an adept swordsman. Under the tutelage of Uther the Lightbringer, Arthas was inducted into the Knights of the Silver Hand at the young age of 19. The ceremony was held in the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, and it was then that Arthas was given the mace called Light’s Vengeance. Despite his rash and headstrong behavior, Arthas became a renowned warrior. One of his more famed exploits was attacking a group of forest trolls striking at Quel’Thalas from Zul’Aman.

It was during this time that Arthas met the youngest daughter of Daelin Proudmoore, the sorceress Jaina. Over the years, they grew close as friends, and then romantically. They were very much in love with one another. But, eventually Arthas would question whether the two of them were ready to be together. Arthas would abruptly end the relationship so Jaina could focus on her magical studies in Dalaran and Arthas could focus on his commitments to Lordaeron. Shortly after, they would agree to rekindle their romance, but this was during the beginning of the Scourge invasion that would change both of their lives forever.

Troubles began to stir in Lordaeron. Orcs broke free of their internment camps, and there was distressing news of a plague that had gripped the northlands. Arthas and Uther were sent to Strahnbrad to defend the town from orcish raids. The young prince defeated the black drake Searinox to retrieve its heart for the dwarf Feranor Steeltoe to forge into an orb of fire. Arthas used this magical item to kill the Blackrock Clan’sblademaster leading the raids.

Dragons are immense, powerful, winged reptilian creatures, created from proto-dragons by the Titans to safeguard the world of Azeroth millennia ago. They are divided into several types called dragonflights. Since the fall of Deathwing, they have lost their titan-given powers as well as the ability to reproduce. They still remain powerful sorcerers however.[1][2]

The proto-dragons were the ancestors of dragons before they evolved into the sapient, beautiful majestic creatures that they are known as today.[3] Brann Bronzebeard recently uncovered evidence, corroborated by reports from adventurers in Deepholm, that proto-dragons and dragons may have originated from elemental drakes (i.e, stone dragons and storm dragons).[4] Dragons share a common ancestry with both gryphons and wyverns,[5] but it is unknown how far back they diverged.

Galakrond

Galakrond, a massive proto-dragon,[6] is known as the “progenitor of dragonkind.” It is said that it is from Galakrond the titans created the Aspects,[7] but this is a rumor the Aspects actively encouraged so as to keep the truth about Galakrond a secret from the dragonflights.

The Sundering ripped the world of Azeroth apart, splitting the united continent of Kalimdor into pieces. It also tore apart the Well of Eternity, leaving only the Maelstrom in its stead. What effect this had on Azeroth’s world-soul hasn’t really been explored. But given that the Well of Eternity itself was a bleeding wound, one has to wonder if that wound had time to heal before the Sundering obliterated it.

But Azeroth lived on, its denizens continuing to survive, evolve, and thrive. Some were unexpected, like the Highborne exiled to the Eastern Kingdoms. And some were continued effects from the Curse of Flesh introduced by Yogg Saron.

Ancient prisons, compromised

Speaking of Yogg Saron, his devious efforts to free himself continued – and he wasn’t the only Old God striving to escape imprisonment. All of the Old Gods wanted to break free, the only question was how to best accomplish that task. But if you look at what happened during the War of the Ancients, it could simply be civil war spurred on by the Burning Legion. Or it could be part of a much larger plan…one that had yet to see fruition.

They come from nothing. They are madness. They destroy, corrupt, and their roots sink deep into any unfortunate world they come across. Cosmic parasites. Entropy made flesh. These gods are not your gods.

These gods are the Old Gods.

The lords of the void

In the cosmos there are certain forces at play. Two of the most primordial are those of Light and Shadow. Light emanates, it illuminates throughout all existence, and by its radiance we see all existence. It is the revelation, an evanescent force that brings other forces into existence. And such light inherently casts a Shadow.

Dwelling within that Shadow are beings of pure Void, the remnants of before existence itself. These beings do not exist as we understand it: they are a rejection of existence. They cannot exist, in the way we think of it. They are the Void Lords, dwellers in the bastion of Shadow, the last redoubt of the darkness that preceded Light. And they hate existence, the mockery of it, how it creates distinctions and boundaries and things. They hate all things, all life, all Light. They would see it all end.

The abrupt, angry question delivered by pretty much any Demon Hunter NPC you click on in game is admittedly harsh to hear. It’s also really easy to take offense to, particularly since Demon Hunters are the newest allies we have. But it’s a legitimate question when asked to anyone else on Azeroth – and yes, that includes Death Knights and Forsaken alike.

Because when a Demon Hunters says they’ve sacrificed everything, they mean it.

Illidan Stormrage

Illidan stands out as the first Demon Hunter – it was a title he earned some time after seemingly betraying the kaldorei during the War of the Ancients. He didn’t want to ally with Azshara and Mannoroth, he wanted to find a way to stop them both. The best way to do that was to infiltrate their ranks and figure out exactly what they were doing, and how to stop it.