This material opens a series of postings about the type of artifact weapons in World of Warcraft: Legion for each individual class and spec. In the first issue, we'll look at what the developers offered the death knights.
In my subjective opinion, ancholics received best weapon. FDK's swords are not bad, but the blood's are not so smooth. However, all markers have different tastes and colors. From this material you will learn for what feats you will get access to this or that type of artifact weapon, including hidden ones. For those who are interested in the details, read. There is information about the mechanics and how they are pumped up in.
Blood
Classic Look - Maw of the Damned
Original view
Improved Look - Bloodmaw
Explore the entire history of the artifact
Valiant Look - Soulreaper
Kill 8 world bosses
Seasoned Look - Executioner
Hidden View - Touch of Undeath
See spoiler
Other types
View one
Type two
Type three
Type four
How to get a hidden artifact type for the Blood spec
In order to unlock this type, you need to obtain the Soul Warp Anima item, which can be obtained from the chest at the end of the scenario “The Collapse” in Suramar.
Ice (Frost)
Classic Look - Blades of the Fallen Prince
These artifact weapon styles are unlocked through quests related to the Class Hall
Original view
Complete one of the quests related to the Pillars of Creation
Completing the Recover the Light's Heart series quest chain
Completing the first stage of the Class Stronghold campaign
Improved Look - Frostmourne's Legacy
These artifact weapon styles are unlocked through quests related to Class Hall, archeology, and discovering artifact traits.
Completing the Class Stronghold Campaign
Unlock all artifact weapon traits
Explore the entire history of the artifact
Find 8 rare archaeological items
Valiant Look - Sindragosa's Fury
These Artifact Weapon Styles are unlocked through various PvE activities.
Complete the Balance Power quest chain
Kill 8 world bosses
Complete a Challenge dungeon using a level 15 Mythic Keystone
Complete the "Glory of the Legion Hero" meta-achievement
Seasoned Look - Gravekeeper
These artifact weapon styles are unlocked through PvP ranks (prestige levels)
Receive 1st level of prestige
Receive level 5 prestige
Receive prestige level 9
Receive prestige level 13
Hidden View - Dark Runeblade
The path to obtaining varies for different specs.
How to get it is still unknown
Complete 100 instances with a hidden artifact
Complete 200 world quests with a hidden artifact
1000 honorable kills with a Hidden Artifact
Other types
These skins were found by data miners, but it is still unclear for what successes and achievements in the game they are given
View one
Type two
Type three
Type four
Unholy
Classic look - Apocalypse / Apocalypse
These artifact weapon styles are unlocked through quests related to the Class Hall
Original view
Complete one of the quests related to the Pillars of Creation
Completing the Recover the Light's Heart series quest chain
Completing the first stage of the Class Stronghold campaign
Improved View - Unholy War
These artifact weapon styles are unlocked through quests related to Class Hall, archeology, and discovering artifact traits.
Completing the Class Stronghold Campaign
Unlock all artifact weapon traits
The story of obtaining the artifact of the death knight who commands ice - the blades of the fallen prince.
After the Battle of the Broken Shore, the powerful death knight from the Ebon Blade traveled to Dalaran, which became a springboard for the assault on the Broken Isles. There he heard a voice that was probably familiar to him, but it no longer sounded the same as before: the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon spoke in his mind, and his words rang cold even in the mind of the undead knight.
"Hear me. The Legion is back. They hope to bend us, to bend us to their will. Idiots, they only bring themselves within striking distance of our blades. Your brethren in Dalaran have begun to gather at Krasus's Playground. Go and meet Duke Lancral and you will understand everything. Fate is calling you.”
Lancral is a death knight who took the reins of the Grim Vault after the Ebon Blade reclaimed it from the Scourge. As the Lich King promised, he was waiting for the hero at the indicated place.
Lanclar in the Gloomvault during the War against the Scourge
“I'm sure you have many questions, but they will have to wait. We're at war! We need to move quickly, but I'll try to explain as best I can.
We have an unexpected ally in this war, and we will need every advantage we can get to defeat the Burning Legion. The Ebon Blade will serve as the hand of the Lich King as long as the Scourge remains imprisoned in Northrend. In return for our support, our ally offered to help us obtain powerful weapons for the strongest of our knights. A weapon powerful enough to end the Legion once and for all!
You are one of the best among us. I want you to decide which weapon you will go looking for.”
The Death Knight decided to start a new journey by creating blades with the power of ice. The legendary Frostmourne, even four years after its destruction at Icecrown Citadel, remained one of the most infamous weapons in all of Azeroth. And with just a fraction of the knight's power over necromancy, the broken shards of the sword could be reforged into a pair of runeblades that had the potential to be as powerful as their predecessor.
Lanclar was pleased with the choice: “We didn’t start this war, but we will finish it. You made a great choice.”
And then the knight again felt a powerful presence in his mind.
“I have ordered your brethren to go to Icecrown to prepare for the coming conflict, but I have a greater destiny in store for you personally. You will become the hand of our revenge! Use the Death Gate and return to Acherus, and then I will reveal your role in all of this.”
The death knight obeyed and was transported by a spell to Acherus, the necropolis of the Ebon Blade, to which this spell is tied. Acherus by that time was already near the Icecrown Citadel, in the very place where the flying warship of the adventurers besieging the citadel arrived four years ago.
In Acherus, the champion was personally met by Darion Mograine, leader of the Ebon Blade: “Oh, it’s you. So the Lich King has chosen you as his hand? I'm not surprised: we've all heard stories of your exploits. Our forces have gathered together from all corners of Northrend. When we are called, and this will happen soon, the Knights of the Ebon Blade will be ready. But don't forget, we are not bound by the chains of power to the new Lich King. However, he is our strongest ally in the fight against the Legion. The apocalypse is at our doorstep again, will you rise to the call?”
The hero went to the citadel, and on the way he was noticed by the trainers of the death knights: the mistress of unholy, Lady Alystra and the lord of blood, Lord Torval.
Look, it's him! I told you he would become the chosen one! Now pay!
One of Amal'thazad's students? Ha! Okay, take your gold.
It looks like the lich might be proud of his apprentice. And another couple of knights were fussing around on the site of the citadel, making preparations for the flight of the necropolis away from the snows of Northrend. Their names are Dagnar Stonebrow and Minerva Sorrowraven.
Hurry up, Minerva, we're leaving here already. Mograine will kill us if we cause delays.
We're already dead, idiot!
At the same time, Bolvar again addressed the knight: “Come in, champion, there is still much to be done. Many of the souls freed by Frostmourne's destruction wander the halls of Icecrown, screaming in eternal torment. Destroy them and collect the shards of the blade, for they will become the heart of your new weapon.”
The mechanisms releasing jets of frost from the walls of the citadel continued to work, but were not a hindrance to the hero. But the voice didn’t lie. Translucent figures of foot soldiers and magicians of Lordaeron, shrouded in purple haze, wandered through the halls. These souls were imprisoned in visions of the past, believing that they continued to protect their homeland. “Meet your second death, you trashy undead! For Lordaeron! - they shouted, rushing at the death knight. And the souls of the magicians even turned streams of icy wind against the champion... but could this cold be a hindrance for someone who was going to reforge Frostmourne for himself? Having defeated these ghosts and a pair of gargoyles guarding the gate to the spire of the citadel, the knight, using the “Grip of Death” spell, transferred the frozen guards to their pedestals, after which the gates opened. And behind them a discovery awaited - the spire of the Ice Crown was melting, giant icicles were hanging from the arches of the citadel, and fallen shards of ice lay on the bridges.
Outside the spire gates, one of Frostmourne's shards lay on a pile of ice. And the soul of Baelgun Heatbeard, tied to it, stood guard at the fragment of the sword. All these years, shards of the unholy sword remained scattered across the Icecrown spire. As for the dwarf, during the Third War he stood guard along with his relatives over the passage to the lower levels of Azjol-Nerub. He wanted to prevent the faceless ones and the evil that stood behind them from going free. But on their way to the Frozen Throne, Arthas and Anub'arak defeated these dwarves who wanted to avenge Muradin. Bolvar spoke again, and there was not a hint of pity in his voice: “Baelghun's soul was cursed to relive the moment of his death again and again until the end of time. He will consider you an enemy. Destroy him.”
It turns out that Beilgun still did not survive that battle with the Scourge,
and his story from WoW RPG, according to which he is still alive, is completely outdated.
“Did the traitor prince send you? So be it, I will not spare you!” - the ghost screamed, attacking the champion. He fought with the might of a true mountain king, but even becoming an avatar made of stone, the dwarf was unable to defeat the hero. Before finally dying, he whispered: “What... what have I done?” The first fragment ended up in the hands of a death knight; on the way to the other three stood the ghosts of knights riding the same ghostly horses, a banshee and three ghosts of paladins who fell in the Third War. The first of these was Halak the Lifebringer, knight of the Silver Hand. He led a group of Lordaeron survivors called the Circle of Holy Light, who were about to escape the ruins of the capital into the lands of the dwarves. Unfortunately, the Scourge overtook them, and Halak was killed by Arthas. This is what Bolvar said about him: “Halak’s soul was tortured in Frostmourne until he cursed the Light. Now that he has rejected him, kill him.” Indeed, Halak now called himself not the Bringer of Life, but the Bringer of Death.
“The king may have fallen, but I will never abandon Lordaeron!”
But the paladin still did not lose the opportunity to call on the Light, but was still defeated, only before his second death did he realize the mistake of his betrayal of the paladin’s path: “The Light... no...”
The next paladin was also among the refugees preparing to flee the ruins of Lordaeron. Margoth the Defender, leader of the Defenders of Justice, remained loyal to the Light even in death, but the Lich King did not care. His cold mind was equally cruel to those who betrayed the Light and to those who remained loyal to him: “Even when Margoth's soul was consumed by Frostmourne, he refused to betray the Light. Show him the error of his ways.” Margot rushed into battle: “You unholy monster! The righteous fury of the Light will tear you to pieces!” Defeated, the paladin’s soul left in peace: “Calm…. on... finally...”
The ghost of Gavinrad had the last fragment. He was one of the first five paladins of the Silver Hand, and once upon a time it was this knight who handed the paladin's hammer to the young Arthas. The prince killed Gavinrad and his warriors during the Third War in the cemetery where Kel'Thuzad was buried. The knights guessed that the undead would try to take his remains for themselves and left their garrison there, but could not stop the Scourge. This is how Bolvar described Gavinrad the Sinister: “Arthas once treated him like a brother, but his soul was eventually fed to Frostmourne. Grant him final death.” Now Gavinrad has taken on a new title - the Cruel.
“The Silver Hand will wipe your plague from the face of this world!” - announced the ghost. But like all the guards of the fragments before him, he was struck down. Before leaving for another world, he managed to say that his pain was over. Having collected all the fragments of the sword, the death knight rose to the top of the Frozen Throne. In front of him, right in the center of the plateau, hovered the hilt with the broken Frostmourne blade. And at the top of the throne Bolvar still sat, bound in ice. A whirlwind of souls swirled around him: “Behold, the hilt of Frostmourne. From its broken fragments you will create a blade that will have no equal! Come now and channel your power into the hilt to create your weapon.”
The knight did as he was told. He extended his hand to the hilt of the sword and directed his magic into it: Frostmourne was enveloped in a blue haze and after flashes of lightning and flashes of light, two new swords appeared in its place. These were the blades of the fallen prince, the Herald of Frost and the Frost Reaper.
"Ready. From the shards of Frostmourne, twin blades are born. Soon they will be satisfied with the souls of my enemies!”
The champion tried to take the swords, but as soon as he touched their hilts, he was transported to the Frostmourne dimension, the world inside Arthas's blade: an icy prison in which the souls of his victims were tortured and served as food for the ever-hungry instrument of death. A more than amazing picture appeared before the knight - the spirits of the orc Ner’zhul and the paladin Arthas, standing before the vision of Frostmourne.
Arthas Menethil, raise this blade, accept your fate!
Yes... you're right... I'll take any curse to get my revenge... What? Uninvited guest! You won't stop me, Frostmourne will be mine!
How dare you interfere! His soul belongs to ME!
“Nothing will stand in the way of my revenge!” - Arthas shouted, rushing into battle. Everything was clear to the death knight - the blades needed to be cleansed of the evil souls that still remained inside them. The fallen prince's spectral hammer struck the death knight with the power of darkness, while Ner'zhul teleported to the other side of the platform and began to launch a hail of giant void spheres at the hero. Bolvar's champion was pressing Arthas, but he had an ace up his sleeve. “Feel the icy cold of death around you!” - he shouted, and ice spikes began to rise around him from the growing pool of dark energy. But the champion avoided this attack and dealt the fallen paladin a decisive blow. “Argh! Darkness, I can’t... I... AHHHHHH!!!” - Arthas cried out in pain and covered himself with a shield of dark magic. Souls and a whirlwind of dark energy began to swirl around him, he began to create some kind of “dark pact”, taking the illusory Frostmourne into his hands. Ner’zhul repeated his appeal to the hero: “How dare you interfere! His soul belongs to ME!” The orc spirit began to summon undead Scourge into the Frostmourne dimension. The living dead moved towards Arthas to restore his strength, but the hero’s blades struck them down one after another. The Dark Pact was broken and Arthas was finally defeated. Disappearing, his soul repeated him almost exactly last words before death: “Only... darkness...” Ner’zhul continued to throw spheres of the Abyss at the hero: “Damn you! My plans... collapsed!” But they did not reach the champion, he was again transported to the real world, and he finally picked up his new swords.
The time has come to receive the blessing of the Lich King.
“You did well. Rise to my throne and take on your new duty. Where the weak were spared, where the unworthy were slain, you conquered. And now I mark you with my seal, so that everyone recognizes you as the messenger of my will. As we speak, the Ebon Blade is moving toward the Broken Isles to begin its hunt for the Dreadlords. Go and make sure that no demon escapes my wrath! Crush everyone who stands in your way!”
Bolvar opened the Gates of Death for the hero, which transported him to Acherus, and addressed the warriors of the necropolis: “Death Knights of Acherus, I send you this champion who will serve as a messenger of my will. Follow his orders as you would my own.” The death knights unanimously saluted the messenger, and Amal'tazad was especially proud to see his student at home: “Ah, the student returns in triumph! You did a good job and didn’t forget the lessons I taught you.”
Darion was also pleased with the current situation.
“The Lich King made a wise choice in giving you these blades. You have more than proven that you are worthy of them. I must admit, I'm glad they didn't choose me. I've had enough of magical weapons controlling my destiny. The time has come for you to take a place worthy of your achievements.”
Darion called all the defenders of Acherus into the main hall and began his speech: “Knights of the Ebon Blade, gather around me, for we salute one of us! Today our brother in arms stands before us. You have all heard of his legend, the many battles he went through and the trials he overcame at great cost. His deeds are an example for the Ebon Blade to follow. Indeed, he has shown himself to be one of the best among us and worthy of our greatest honor. By the will of the Lich King and your power as the Highlord, champion, wielder of the blades of the fallen prince, from this day until the end of time you will be known as the Lord of Death. You will all bow to him just as you once bowed to me and carry out his will against the Legion!” Shouts of victory and cheers filled the necropolis as Acherus accepted his Lord of Death.
After this, Darion expressed a desire to become one of the hero’s comrades.
“I have spent too much time within the walls of Acherus, and the Endless Hunger torments my spirit. It would be good to go out onto the battlefield again and quench his thirst. I will be glad to fight by your side, Lord of Death.”
The archivist of the Black Blade, a blood elf named Dreadmoor, also had business with the hero.
“Greetings Lord Death, I must speak with you.
The blades you hold in your hands, although magnificent, contain great untapped potential. As you collect the souls of your enemies, the power of the blades will grow. Great master Corvius has learned new techniques that may prove useful to you, my lord. You can find it in the forges on the upper level.”
Chief Blacksmith Corvius has held his position since Acherus served the Scourge. And this skeleton was more than impressed with the lord's new weapon.
“Ah, this weapon is great! Do you see the souls of the damned dancing on its blade? Oh, how they cry out, begging for release! Yes... in their form I can see what shape the blade should take. I've worked for years to improve these forges. This weapon will be a great showcase for their new design! We can take your artifact to the forge and remake it so that we can take advantage of the power of the souls inside it, of course, for this we need to first feed it a sufficient number of souls. Let’s test the forge a little, shall we?”
The hero used the forge and was able to briefly call upon the spirit of Sindragosa to help him.
“Oh yes... that will be very good! Come back when you've fed your blades the next feast of souls, and we'll make them into the most powerful weapon in history! Your weapon is stronger than ever, but it needs many more souls to reach its true potential. Xioxy is now receiving reports from scouts, she will guide you to the enemies, and their screaming souls will further strengthen your weapons.”
Xioxy was already waiting for the lord with a ready report.
“Lord Death, I have prepared a brief report on everything we have learned about this new land. You will find it interesting.
Have you seen the fog surrounding us? The frosty winds of Acherus provided us with perfect cover from the Legion's predatory gaze! Under the cover of this fog, we were able to send teams of scouts who sketched quite good map Broken Isles. Choose a place where we will begin our assault. You will, of course, have the honor of personally leading our forces, but the remaining Black Blade will also follow you.”
Afterword
This is the beginning of the story of these damned blades. But before we finish, I would like to focus on two issues.
First up, Frostmourne Shards. At BlizzCon 2011, the developers said that the sword fragments were taken from the Frozen Throne and hidden in safe place. Does this information contradict what we see now? Yes. But the explanation here is simple - the developers changed their minds
Secondly, the souls of Arthas and Ner'zhul in the sword dimension. What were they doing there? According to all canonical information released up to this point, it was believed that Ner'zhul's spirit was killed by Arthas. And Arthas himself was felt by Sylvanas in a terrible the afterlife, there he was tortured by unknown terrible creatures, who plunged their claws into the soul of the queen of the Forsaken before she was saved by the Val'kyr. And if the situation with Arthas can still be explained by the fact that his soul was tortured by the power of the Abyss, which means it could become a victim of the power associated with it. If there is such a connection at all. With an orc, everything is more complicated. Personally, I have three theories that can explain this course of events.
The first option is a retcon. There's not much to explain here. Ner'zhul was somehow able to engineer his death within the Lich King's shared mind, or like the good side of Arthas' soul, somehow was able to survive outside of it physical body. That is, he still remained unlucky and was simply waiting for the right moment. Or a completely powerful retcon - Ner’zhul was alive and was manipulating Arthas all this time.
The second option is that Ner'zhul was killed by Arthas, but his essence still remained in the Lich King or his blade. Frostmourne feeds on souls, but do they ever disappear? This good question, because during its destruction, thousands of souls escaped from it, including those that were absorbed at the beginning of Arthas’s dark path. It seems that souls do not disappear from the sword. But what happens to them? The blade devours them, but never destroys them. Some souls were tortured in the blade, others simply served as food for the sword. Some were able to preserve their self, others went crazy, while others remained only a faint echo of themselves, which again and again relives a certain terrible moment in their lives. These are no longer quite souls in the real sense of the word: there is no personality left in them, it is rather an echo that replays the same moment of its life over and over again. Such an echo is all that remains of many heroes at the End of Times. Only their fate was determined by the Time of Twilight and Dornozomu's time manipulations, which left them lost in time. There is another type of echo - echoes of the past.
“When a spirit is absorbed by the Abyss, only an echo remains from it. Neither in the material nor in the spiritual sense are these echoes alive. The echo is only a distorted echo of the suffering and torment of the absorbed spirit. But they can attack the living and disturb the spirits of those who have long since found peace in the grave.”- Dahaka, spirit from the Ancestral Lands of Nagrand
Many souls from Frostmourne are more like similar species echo. And if we consider them dead, then we can say that there is no retcon here. If we assume that the souls of Arthas and Ner’zhul were only such echoes, then everything is simple. These “cassettes” in eternal rewind of the moment Arthas took the sword cannot be considered alive even in the understanding of the world of spirits.
The third option is that Ner'zhul was reduced by the power of Arthas to a void in his mind and killed. But at the same time, his helpless soul was still in the sword or helmet of the Lich King, and after the death of Arthas, it regained its former strength and came to life, immediately beginning attempts to absorb what was left of the Prince of Lordaeron himself.
In any case, questions remain unanswered. How did Ner'zhul escape death in Arthas's mind? What has he been up to since then? And does it still exist in the twin blades? And Bolvar himself. He has shown himself to be ruthless and cold in this story, and he treats the death knights as if they were his servants. It will be interesting to see what the new Lich King does in the future.
Thank you for reading this issue. *)
Blades of the Fallen Prince(English: Blades of the Fallen Prince) - paired blades that were forged from the rubble Frostmourne a death knight chosen to become the hand of vengeance Lich King. Blade for right hand called Frost Reaper(eng. Frostreaper), and for the left - Herald of Cold(eng. Icebringer). The hero who created the artifacts became the new leader Knights of the Ebon Blade and got the opportunity to strengthen them using the power of the collected souls.
Receipt
The source of information in this section is the supplement Legion to World of Warcraft.
When Duke Lancral told him about the artifacts, the hero drew attention to the news that the fragments Frostmourne could be reforged using necromancy and transformed into runic blades capable of achieving the same or even greater power that their predecessor was endowed with. Frostmourne remained one of the most notorious artifacts in all of Azeroth, but it could finally serve a good cause.
Determined to go in search of the fragments, the death knight heard a voice in his head Lich King. Fordragon said that he had already ordered Knights of the Ebon Blade arrive in Icecrown and prepare for the upcoming conflict. But the hero, destined to become the punishing hand of retribution, had to return to Acherus through the Gate of Death to find out exactly what role is assigned to him in the upcoming events. It turned out that the necropolis had already been moved directly to Icecrown Citadels.
The hero was met by the high lord Darion Mograine, who was not at all surprised who became the chosen one of the Lich King. Mograine said that the Knights of the Ebon Blade had gathered forces from all over Northrend and ready for battle. He asked the hero not to forget that they were not servants of the new Lich King, but were simply going to use his help as long as Fordragon's goals coincided with their own. In addition, the Knights of the Ebon Blade benefited from having the Scourge under complete control. Mograine pointed to the gates of Icecrown Citadel, where the hero was supposed to go.
Salvaging
Entering the Citadel, the hero heard the voice of Fordragon, giving instructions: the souls, once consumed by Frostmourne, now wandered here in torment. While the hero moved inside, he had to fight with ghostly swordsmen and magicians. He encountered a ghost Baelguna Heatbeard once killed Arthas. Beilghun screamed that the death knight had been sent by a traitorous prince, and attacked him. Listening to the voice of the Lich King, the hero learned that Beilghun's soul was doomed to relive the moment of his death forever. The ghostly dwarf had to be destroyed, and nearby the hero discovered one of the fragments of Frostmourne, which fed the ghost with energy. The fragment seemed to absorb all the heat around it.
A ghost settled down near the next fragment Halaka the Deadly. The Lich King revealed that Frostmourne tormented Halak's soul until he cursed the Light. There was nothing sacred left in it anymore, and the hero was forced to destroy it in self-defense. However, both the Lich King and the death knight were not too concerned about holiness. The next wraith remained loyal to the Light even after being absorbed by Frostmourne, and Fordragon challenged the hero to prove him wrong. His name was Magroth the Defender, and he attacked the death knight, promising that the righteous fury of the Light would tear the enemy apart. The hero dealt with Magroth and took possession of the third fragment. The last fragment was guarded Gavinrad the Horrible, whom Arthas once called brother. Despite this, the paladin's soul was consumed by Frostmourne. The death knight, who was attacked by Gavinrad, dealt with the ghost and picked up the shard.
Echoes of Arthas and Ner'zhul
With the help of a Scourge transporter, the hero rose to To the Frozen Throne and saw a block of ice in which Fordragon was chained. He heard the voice of the Lich King, who ordered the death knight to take the hilt of Frostmourne, located in the center of the hall. The hero directed all his strength to the handle and connected it with the fragments. Streams of unholy energy forged from the remains of Frostmourne two twin blades capable of absorbing the souls of enemies. The hero tried to touch his new weapon and found himself inside it, where he encountered Echo Ner'zula and Echo Arthas Menethil. Ner'zhul suggested that the prince take Frostmourne and fulfill his destiny. Arthas, ready to accept any curse for the sake of revenge, grabbed the blade and suddenly discovered the hero who had ended up here.
The prince immediately attacked, brandishing Frostmourne and summoning ice magic while Ner'zhul tried to strike the hero with his magic. As the hero began to gain the upper hand, Arthas began a pact of darkness, intending to absorb the victim's servants to heal his body. But the hero destroyed the minions who fled to Arthas, and did not allow the ritual to take place. As soon as the battle continued, the death knight finished off the prince and heard him whisper that he saw only darkness ahead. Ner'zhul screamed, cursing the hero and claiming that because of him everything had collapsed. The hero himself, meanwhile, again found himself at the Frozen Throne and was able to take the blades of the fallen prince.
The Lich King asked him to go up to the throne and receive his blessing. As the hero approached, Fordragon said that his sword showed no mercy where the weak showed mercy, and that the hero celebrated victory when the unworthy retreated. The Death Knight suddenly felt the mark of the Lich King on himself, which filled him with new strength. Now he had to return to Acherus, having already been moved to Broken Isles, where the war against the Burning Legion was to take place. In the stronghold of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, the hero received the opportunity to strengthen the blades of the fallen prince using the Crucible of Souls.