I am a Warcraft Lore Junkie. As such, I am very excited with the new Tier 9 set names.
Here is a “Cliff Notes” guide to the Characters behind the names of the new gear:
Click through the links for more information.
Turalyon:
High General Turalyon was a Knight of the Silver Hand and second in command to Lord Anduin Lothar during the Second War. After Lothar was killed by Orgrim Doomhammer, Turalyon defeated and captured Doomhammer defeating the orcs and beginning their years of internment. Turalyon later travelled through the Dark Portal with Archmage Khadgar and helped him destroy the Dark Portal on Dreanor before it was ripped apart and became Outland.
Turalyon is one of the Statues in the Valley of Heroes in Stormwind. He was also the lover of Sylvanas Windrunner’s sisterAlleria. Turalyon was also present at induction of Prince Arthas into the Knights of the Silver Hand.
Wrynn:
This is most likely a reference to the current king of Stormwind and childhood friend of Arthas, Varian Wrynn. Varian’s father Llane was murdered when he was a boy during the Second War. He blames all orcs for his father’s death. His wife, Queen Tiffen was killed during a riot by the Stonemason’s Guild. The Stonemason’s later became the Defias Brotherhood.
Varian is vengeful and hot-tempered as can be seen at the end cut scene of The Battle for Undercity and the trailer for Patch 3.1 The Secrets of Ulduar.
Thassarian:
Thassarian was the first Death Knight to join the Alliance.
Windrunner:
Sylvanas Windrunner was the Ranger General of Silvermoon during the invasion of Quel’Thalas by the Arthas. She was defeated, captured, tortured, killed, and then raised as a Banshee servant to Arthas. She was the first Undead to break the will of the Lich King and founded the Forsaken, of which she is the leader.
Her two sisters Alleria and Vereesa are also very important lore figures. Interestingly both sisters were the lovers of human men, Turalyon and Rhonin respectively.
Nobundo:
Farseer Nobundo was the first of the Draenei Shaman. He was present during the slaughter of Shattrath City and accompanied Velen on on his escape from Dreanor and eventual settlement of Azeroth.
Velen:
Velen is the leader of the Dreanei. Velen originally lived on Argus and was an Eredar like Kil’Jaeden and Archimonde. He is the former best friend of Kil’Jaeden and now mortal enemy. He led the exodus of his people from Argus to Draenor and then to Azeroth.
The Exodar ship was originally part of Tempest Keep and was raided and captured by Velen’s Dreanei to escape from Outland.
VanCleef:
Edwin VanCleef is the leader of the Defias Brotherhood and the end boss in the Level 20 instance Deadmines.
VanCleef was originally one of the architects in charge of rebuilding Stormwind and the Second War. When the nobles refused to pay the Stonemason’s Guild for their work VanCleef organized them in rebellion and that led to the forming of the Defias Brotherhood.
VanCleef commissioned the building of a giant warship beneath the Deadmines of Westfall. Once complete he planned to sail into Stormwind Harbor and shell the city until it surrendered.
Deadmines is widely considered one of the best Old World instances in the game.
Stormrage:
Malfurion Stormrage is the twin brother of Illidan Stormrage and best friend of Tyrande Wisperwind. He was the first Night Elf to learn the path of the druid and was taught by the demigod Cenarius. The three were involved with defeating the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal and the Sundering.
Malfurion now resides in the Emerald Dream where he fights to purify it’s corruption. That is the central story in the next, as of yet unreleased, Warcraft novel Stormrage by Richard A Knaak. Knaak also wrote the War of the Ancients trilogy which tells Malfurion’s story to this point.
This unreleased novel has caused many people to speculated that the next expansion will involve The Emerald Dream, The Maelstrom, or both.
Kel’Thuzad:
Kel’Thuzad was an Archmage of the Kirin Tor, however he was banished from the order for his forbidden experiments with Necromancy. He was called to the Northrend by the Lich King and instructed to oversee the creation of the Cult of the Damned as well as the distribution of the original Plague to Azeroth.
He orchestrated the Plague by contaminating grain shipments from Andorhal. Prince Arthas (pre-Lich King) confronts Kel’Thuzad in Andorhal and kills him only to raise him from the dead as a powerful Lich after Arthas is corrupted.
Kel’Thuzad is currently the end boss of the Naxxramas raid zone.
Khadgar:
Khadgar was a young and gifted apprentice of Medivh in the tower of Karazahn. He was the first to discover the Medivh was actually possessed by Sargeras and eventually killed him by stabbing a sword through his heart. When he killed his mentor he became cursed with unnatural old age.
Khadgar was also one of the Alliance commanders during the Second War. He travelled to Dreanor with the original Alliance Expedition and can still be found in center of Shattrath. He is now an advisor to A’dal.
The herb Khadgar’s Whisker is named in his honor. He also has a statue in the Valley of Heroes.
Kolitra:
Koltira Deathweaver was the first Death Knight to join the Horde.
Thrall:
Thrall, son of Durotan, is the successor to Orgrim Doomhammer as the Warchief of the Frostwolf Clan. He was taken as a child and made a slave and then gladiator at the Durnholde Keep internment camp ran by Major Lorin Remka. He escaped and organized other orcs into raids on the interment camps, freeing the orcs.
Thrall learned the ways of the shaman and has since become leader of all the clans and quite possibly the entire Horde.
Liadrin:
Lady Liadrin is the leader of the Blood Elf Paladins, The Blood Knights. She is a former priestess who renounced the Light after the fall of Quel’Thalas. She was the first to become a Blood Elf Paladin by draining the Light from the Naaru M’uru after his capture at Tempest Keep.
She later regrets stealing the power and travels to Shattrath and apologizes to A’dal. She then committed her self the Shattered Sun Offensive and the recapture of the Sunwell.
Zabra:
Zabra Hexx is a Troll Priest and lived at the Scarlet Monastery before it was taken over by the Scarlet Crusade. He is self taught in the ways of the light from the books he discovered in the Monastery Library.
Gul’dan:
Gul’dan was a Shaman of the Shadowmoon Clan and a student of Ner’Zul. He was eventually corrupted by Sargeras and became a master Warlock. He led the efforts to demonize the orcs of the Dreanor.
Gul’dan became the leader of Shadow Council and ordered the death of King Llane.
After his death Illidan Stormrage sought out the Skull of Gul’dan for the power to defeat the Legion. The Skull corrupted Illidan and turned into a half-demon/ half -elf.
Garona:
Garona Halforcen was the half-orc friend and advisor to King Llane. She was also a double agent for the Horde and under the influence of the Shadow Council.
Under orders from Gul’dan she assassinated King Llane. She spent the rest of her life in regret of her actions.
The assassination of King Llane is also one of the scenes during the battle with Yogg-Saron in Ulduar.
Sunstrider:
Kael’Thas Sunstrider was a powerful Blood Elf mage who was trained in Dalran by the Kirin Tor. After the fall of Quel’Thalas he founded the Sin’Dorei and vowed vengence.
In his quest for revenge he eventually aligned himself with Illidan Stormrage and Lady Vashj. And attempted an assult on the Lich King at Icecrown.
During his time in Dalaran he befriended Lady Jaina Proudmoore, who he no-so-secretly (unrequitedly) loved.
Kael’Thas is the final boss is both Magister’s Terrance and The Eye (Tempest Keep) raid instance.
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