Archbishop Benedictus

Archbishop Benedictus was a student of Archbishop Alonsus Faol and succeeded him as the leader of the Church of the Holy Light. He was later revealed as the Twilight Prophet (or Twilight Father) of the Twilight's Hammer cult after the death of Cho'gall. As such, he was a high-ranking lieutenant of Deathwing and the Old Gods and aided them in their efforts to destroy all life on Azeroth. He was slain at Wyrmrest Temple while attempting to waylay the orc shaman Thrall and his allies.

Early life
In his youth, the kindly Benedictus was the student of Lordaeron's religious leader, Archbishop Alonsus Faol. Benedictus spent many years learning from his pious master and helped the Church of the Holy Light construct its most striking monument, the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City. Benedictus lived through the First and Second Wars. Though the suffering he saw troubled him, his faith remained unshaken and, in some ways, he saw the conflicts as a test of his beliefs. Following Faol's death, Benedictus took charge of the Church and swore to continue the good work his mentor had begun so many years ago.

Just after the death of Tiffin Ellerian Wrynn, King Varian Wrynn gave Benedictus a task to find the key of Tiffin's locket. The quest would be finished a decade later as detailed below.

The fall of Lordaeron and the appearance of the Scourge during the Third War pushed Benedictus' conviction to the breaking point, and he was overcome with questions over why the Light had seemingly abandoned Prince Arthas, King Terenas, the paladins, and the other good people of Lordaeron in their hour of greatest need.

World of Warcraft
Benedictus was located in the Cathedral of Light in Cathedral Square, in the human city of Stormwind. It is here that he trained young priests and showed members of the Alliance the way of the Holy Light.

According to his follower, Commander Karl Philips, Benedictus was kind and wise. He asked to pity the undead Forsaken by granting them a swift death. Benedictus helped cleanse the Cursed Eye of Paleth and asked Alliance heroes to kill Amnennar the Coldbringer in the Razorfen Downs.

Corruption
Around the time of the invasion of Outland, the sinister Twilight's Hammer cult spread throughout every major city on Azeroth to recruit others to their cause, particularly traumatized survivors of the Third War. The cultists learned of Benedictus' uncertainty and flocked to him under the guise of believers of the Holy Light in need of guidance. In truth, they slowly but surely whittled away at what was left of the archbishop's beliefs. Some spoke of the Void, a force that would never abandon its servants as the Light had. Benedictus had believed shadow magic to be unholy and corruptive, but now he began to wonder if that was truly the case or if it was merely what he had been led to believe. This curiosity opened the way to the Old Gods, who began to whisper in Benedictus' dreams and showed the Light as a force that tolerated only perfect order and obedience and served its mortal adherents when it needed to, not because of their faith.

The dreams continued for several nights, culminating in a vision of the Hour of Twilight, which Benedictus saw not as the apocalyptic end of all things, but as a chance to break free from the Holy Light's tyranny and create a new world where he would be the master of his own destiny. He came to believe the Old Gods and the powers of the Void to be the natural state of the universe. Unlike the Light, which had brought only disappointment and heartache, the Void would never abandon or ignore its followers. Benedictus pledged his life to serving the Void and joined the Twilight's Hammer cult, becoming one of its most influential members, but publicly remained the head of the Church of the Holy Light and retained his ability to wield holy magic through sheer willpower. The position afforded him great power and the opportunity to recruit other disillusioned believers into the cult. The leader of the Twilight's Hammer, Cho'gall, saw the recruitment of Benedictus as a triumph.

Cataclysm


Some time before the Cataclysm, Benedictus appointed a priest named Revil Kost to retrieve an artifact called the Cloak of Purity, which was stolen by the Dark Riders, last seen in Westfall. Truthfully though, he just wanted to get rid of the angry priest.

Shortly before the Cataclysm, Benedictus led a memorial service for the victims of the war against the Lich King in the Cathedral of Light.

During the Elemental Unrest that heralded the Cataclysm, Benedictus protected the Cathedral Square from the raging elements. Once they were defeated, he announced that the district was under control.

After the Cataclysm itself, Deathwing descended on Stormwind and burned parts of the city to the ground, but shortly after vanished as quickly as he had appeared. His goal had not been to destroy the city, but rather to break its inhabitants so that they could be remade into his servants. Many of Stormwind's fearful citizens sought counsel from Archbishop Benedictus, unaware that he was secretly a member of the Twilight's Hammer, and he subtly guided them into the cult's embrace.

Blood of Our Fathers
During Remembrance Day, Varian met with Archbishop Benedictus and Baros Alexston, who were discussing plans on repairing Stormwind City, which had been recovering from an attack by the Black Dragon Aspect, Deathwing. Much to Varian's annoyance, Baros does note that the extensive repairs to the city wouldn't be cheap. Later Varian was left with Jaina Proudmoore and Benedictus, who tried to console and counsel him about his relationship with his son. Varian revealed his concerns that Anduin may not have the strength to lead the kingdom, especially in such perilous times. Both Jaina and Benedictus assured him that Anduin has a different strength to give to the world, and as a healer, he is attuned with the Light. Benedictus notes that the times have changed, and it is clear that they must change with them. The age when hearts like Lothar's were the only way to survive may be drawing to a close. The world seems to yearn for someone new. Benedictus offers both Varian and the prince a Remembrance Day gift, in which he offered to give it to him at a special location. Before departing, Benedictus assures Varian that he believes that Anduin will have the mettle and the makings of a good king, as all Wrynn kings have.

Varian later arrived at the meeting place that Benedictus told him, Tiffin's grave at Stormwind City Cemetery. To his surprise, he was met not only with Archbishop Benedictus but his son Anduin as well. His excitement was soon extinguished though when he saw the shock in his son's face, which revealed that he had not expected to see him. Varian asked Benedictus if the surprise family reunion was his gift, to which Benedictus said that he also had another gift to give. Benedictus then drew a glittering silver key and placed it on Varian's palm. It was the key to Tiffin’s locket, which had been lost many years ago. Benedictus felt now was as good a time to remind the two of more pleasant and fond memories. Varian was deeply moved by this gesture and thanked Benedictus for being a good man and friend. After which Benedictus departed to give the two royals privacy for their reunion, though his farewell to them seemed a bit odd to Varian. Their tender reunion was cut short by the arrival of a group of Twilight's Hammer assassins that had followed them to the cemetery, intent on killing both king and prince. The pair fought back, with Anduin using the Light to bolster and protect his father. However, the last of the assassins managed to summon a massive drakonid as he died, which eventually overcame Varian's defenses and nearly killed him. With his father dying, Anduin conjured a barrier to protect them and dispelled the drakonid's defensive magic, allowing Varian to use the last of his strength to slay the beast. As Varian lay dying, he told Anduin that he loved him, that he was proud of him, and not to mourn him as this had always been his fate. Though Marcus Jonathan and Jaina Proudmoore wanted to take Anduin to a more secure location, Anduin refused to leave his father. Praying to the Light, he infused his father’s body with an influx of divine energy and saved his life.

Benedictus was slightly shocked to see Varian when he arrived to give his Remembrance Day speech.

Twilight of the Aspects
Following Cho'gall's death, Benedictus ascended to a position of leadership within the Twilight's Hammer. He cast off his old identity once and for all and assumed his true name: the Twilight Father.

After capturing a pregnant blue dragon named Kirygosa, the sister of the new blue Dragon Aspect candidate Arygos, the Twilight Father made an effort to hound what remained of the Wyrmrest Accord in Northrend. Using his twilight drakes to attack and take over the Wyrmrest Temple, the Twilight Father successfully claimed the center of Dragonblight as the cult's own. His agents succeeded in infecting a large amount of unhatched dragon eggs with a chromatic substance, hatching them as twisted abominations, but this effort was foiled when Korialstrasz sacrificed himself to destroy the brood, the agents, and himself in an effort to save them from this pitiful fate. Regardless, the Twilight Father made the temple his base of operations and called upon Deathwing for his new orders. In a conversation with Kirygosa, he displayed a highly pious attitude and a certain love for "his children," referring to his nefarious cultist followers.

The Twilight Father had a massive chromatic dragon named Chromatus brought before the temple and went about finding a way to awaken it. While inactive, it was not "deceased" per se, though what exactly it would take to bring the five-headed creature out of its slumber remained elusive to the Twilight Father's captive. Shortly after, The Twilight Father was harshly berated by Neltharion after Thrall managed to survive a twilight assault. Deathwing revealed that Thrall was predicted to kill Deathwing and that as such, the former warchief of the Horde must be eliminated without fail.

The Twilight Father later met with Arygos, the duplicitous blue Dragon Aspect candidate who had sold his sister (Kirygosa) to the cult prior to their hostile invasion into Northrend. It is revealed that Arygos had entered into an alliance with Neltharion, promising him the loyalty of the blue dragonflight after what would no doubt be Arygos' ascension to the Aspect of magic. Arygos later failed to do exactly that and was subsequently killed by the infinite agent Aedelas Blackmoore. Arygos' blood was used to awaken the sleeping Chromatus, who proceeded to utterly defeat the new blue dragon Aspect Kalecgos even at a fraction of his potential power. The Twilight Father was elated at this, and informed Kirygosa that he planned to "mate" her with him, in order to create a more powerful brand of chromatic dragon from her clutch. Repulsed, Kirygosa successfully managed to escape the Twilight Cult's grasp, and the Twilight Father was once again chided by an enraged Deathwing for his carelessness.

Soon after, Wyrmrest was besieged by the remaining dragonflights. The Twilight Father mounted Chromatus himself; the hulking creature now at its full power. Though they successfully pushed back the Dragon Aspects, a surprise ritual initiated by none other than Thrall resulted in the Aspects acquiring a number of powerful new abilities. Unable to counter them, Chromatus was cast down from the sky in a blaze of bright power; the Twilight Father in tow.

In a desperate bid for survival, the Twilight Father contacted Deathwing. After an initial tirade of abuse directed at the Father's failure, Deathwing composed his anger and instructed the Twilight Father to keep a low profile for a while. Neltharion used his dark magic to materialize Benedictus — highly grateful for his second chance — in Stormwind City.

Elemental Bonds
Changing his identity exclusively to the Twilight Prophet, Benedictus was later responsible for the attack on Thrall during his quest to assist the Guardians of Hyjal, because he prophesied Deathwing's defeat by the hands of Thrall. He had deemed the former warchief to be the final obstacle to the cult's plans and sent the newly-corrupted Archdruid of the Flame Fandral Staghelm to eliminate him. Though unable to kill Thrall outright, Fandral instead shattered his bonds with the elements and rendered Thrall's soul little more than a husk; clashing and pure emotions all that remain within. However, this plan was short-lived, and with the help of Thrall's beloved Aggra he was restored to his might. Fandral would also be killed shortly after while making his final stand in the Firelands.

Dragon Soul


According to Bishop Farthing, some time later Archbishop Benedictus left Stormwind on an important mission to assist the Dragon Aspects at Wyrmrest Temple. The truth of this matter, however, was far more nefarious.

For years, Benedictus' wise guidance had been instrumental in seeing humanity through bleak times. Yet beneath his apparent benevolence lied the shocking truth that he had pledged himself to the eradication of all life on Azeroth through the agency of his dark master... Deathwing and their masters. He would later be found in the Chamber of Aspects of Wyrmrest Temple during the beginning of the Hour of Twilight.

It was there that he made his final assault against Thrall, attempting to assassinate him personally, but was killed during the battle by Thrall's companions. When the adventurers returned to Stormwind after his death and informed Bishop Farthing that Benedictus was the Twilight Prophet and had betrayed the people of Stormwind, he put on a facade that he refused to believe it, telling them that he had heard another grim rumor about Bolvar Fordragon. He then told them to spread their lies elsewhere.

Legion
The Twilight Father's legacy would continue, for Farthing himself would succeed Benedictus as leader of the Twilight's Hammer some time later, known now as Twilight Deacon Farthing. When Farthing was betrayed and killed by the sentient dagger Xal'atath, the blade claimed that the Twilight Father had not dared to wield it, for he knew the price of failure.

Quests

 * Cleansing the Eye
 * Bring the Light

In the RPG
The current archbishop is a middle-aged man named Jarl, though following Church tradition he gave up his birth name when he was elected to this high position, and adopted a new, holy name.

In his youth, he was the younger son of a wealthy Lordaeron merchant and was raised to join the family business. He found religion instead, discovering the Holy Light after meeting an old traveler one night and almost dying when a pack of mercenaries attacked them both. After recovering, Jarl petitioned to join the Church and was accepted immediately. The kindly Jarl was the student of Lordaeron's religious leader, Archbishop Alonsus Faol. Jarl spent many years learning from his pious master. He rose quickly to the rank of senior priest and had charge of a large town in Lordaeron when the Scourge appeared. Jarl did his best to evacuate his parishioners and then joined them in their flight to Azeroth. The Church settled him in a town there but soon promoted him to Stormwind City instead. While there, he helped the Church of Light construct its most striking monument: the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind. He was being considered for promotion to bishop when Archbishop Faol died, and the council chose to elevate him to archbishop instead. The newly named Benedictus took charge of the Church and swore to continue the good work his mentor had begun so many years before.

Benedictus is a soft-spoken man of average height and stocky build who looks more like a farmer than a religious leader. He still hates the Scourge for destroying his homeland and has vowed to direct the Church in destroying that threat forever. Despite his quiet ways, Jarl is surprisingly adept at politics — at least in avoiding confrontation and forming alliances — and he has managed to keep the three bishops in check since his elevation.

Abilities

 * Power Word: Fortitude

Quotes
My blessings go to you,, and I pray they may guide and protect you during these times of trouble. Be vigilant, but remain hopeful for peace, for hope is our greatest weapon against the darkness.
 * Gossip


 * Aggro
 * Sacrilege! Defend the cathedral!


 * Greeting
 * Light be with you. What can I do for you today?
 * Welcome to the Cathedral of Light.
 * Be at peace.
 * You are welcome here.

Notes and trivia

 * Benedictus was described by Jaina Proudmoore as being of average height and solid, stocky build. Looking more like a farmer than a holy man, he always looked slightly ill at ease in his splendid white and gold robes, but his calm and clear voice "[made it obvious] that the Light had chosen him".
 * When Varian Wrynn learned that his son Anduin would like to study the Light with the draenei Velen, he suggested that Benedictus could be Anduin's tutor instead. However, Anduin declined, saying that the Archbishop's teachings weren't right for him, and that he felt Velen's were.
 * Due to technical issues with Bolvar Fordragon, Benedictus was briefly considered the faction leader for Stormwind during patch 1.4.1 for PvP purposes. The patch notes stated that he had "staged a temporary coup" and that Bolvar would reclaim his rightful throne in the following content patch.
 * During the Cataclysm beta, datamined soundfiles began to circulate the internet regarding Benedictus. In a scripted event with King Varian Wrynn, he would be outed as a member of the Twilight's Hammer and chased out of Stormwind. The event itself took place during the Alliance version of the Twilight Highlands pre-quests, and Benedictus himself would be engaged in place of Major Samuelson. However, this event was never actually implemented in-game; his involvement with the Twilight's Hammer was not officially revealed until Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, and was not referenced in-game until the Hour of Twilight dungeon.
 * Blizzard originally wanted more story hooks during the three Dragon Soul dungeons to really highlight Benedictus' betrayal. Unfortunately, they didn't have the time to build his character out as much as they had hoped.
 * Chalice of Benedictus and X'anshi, Shroud of Archbishop Benedictus are named after him.
 * As he was a faction leader of Stormwind for a time in World of Warcraft history, Benedictus, Tyrande, Sylvanas, Moira and Baine are the only faction leaders that can be killed by their own faction. However, Benedictus is the only faction leader who is actually killed in the present day.
 * Benedictus appears as for the priest class in the Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion for Hearthstone. His flavor text reads: "Nobody expects the Archbishop's Benediction!"
 * "Benedictus" (or "Benedict") is a Latin name that has been the of sixteen popes of the Catholic Church, including . Given that Archbishop Benedictus' position as head of the Church of Light is similar to that of a pope, it is possible that the Archbishop's name was influenced by the traditional Latin name. However, Archbishop Benedictus was created when John Paul II was the pope, long before the reign of Benedictus XVI and so he could not have been named after the former pope.