Medivh

Medivh ("keeper of secrets" in Thalassian) was the last Guardian of Tirisfal, an ancient line of protectors bestowed with great powers to do battle with the agents of the Burning Legion. He was possessed even before birth by the spirit of the lord of the Burning Legion, Sargeras. Under his influence, Medivh contacted the orc warlock Gul'dan, and together they opened the Dark Portal, bringing the Old Horde to Azeroth. He was slain some time after by a party led by his best friend, Anduin Lothar.

Resurrected by his mother Aegwynn, Medivh returned as a mysterious prophet shortly before the beginning of the Third War, manipulating events in order to arrange the formation of a last-ditch alliance between the mortal races of Kalimdor, guiding them to victory at the Battle of Mount Hyjal.

Medivh was the wielder of Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian after his mother passed it on to him. The staff is now wielded by his former apprentice, Khadgar.

Medivh was the main antagonist in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and returns as a redeemed supporting character in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and World of Warcraft.

Birth and childhood
Medivh's mother, Aegwynn, served as the Guardian of Tirisfal before him. Eight centuries before the coming of the orcs, she fought and seemingly defeated Sargeras. This was according to the demon lord's plan, as he used the opportunity to transfer his essence into her body, where he would lay in wait.

Sargeras, now within Aegwynn, was slowly twisting her thoughts. She became more distant from the Council of Tirisfal; rarely being seen by them. Sargeras amplified fears she had already had about the Council. The Council had been using its powers to manipulate the politics of the Eastern Kingdoms. They believed they had the power to prevent war suffering, for the greater good. Aegwynn believed the constant manipulations would end in disaster. She decided to not relinquish her roll as Guardian, for fear that the Council could elect a new weaker Guardian they could control and manipulate. They did not completely approve of her decision to stay on as Guardian but they allowed it for the moment.

Her relationship with the Council would become more distant over the centuries. Hidden from the Council's watchful eye, Aegwynn constructed the tower of Karazhan. The tower acted a siphon for ley lines Aegwynn could gain power from if needed. She would also use the Tower as a refuge when avoiding the Council of Tirisfal. As older members of the Council passed new younger ones would join. These new members wanted to force Aegwynn to give up her powers. They formed the Tirisgarde, an order of magi armed with ancient relics they could use to subdue Aegwynn. For years the Tirisgarde had searched for Aegwynn till they found her refuge at Karazhan. She sealed Karazhan so the Council could never gain control of its secrets and fled to the ruined city of Suramar where she would hide for hundreds of years; all the while keeping an eye on the Council of Tirisfal.

Aegwynn would on occasion leave Suramar to watch the Council. It was one of these times that she was finally caught by the Tirisgarde Magi, Nielas Aran. Aran would use various artifacts at his disposal to nullify her magic and slow her down. Over the course of several months the two came at odds. However the fighting would end when both realized each other's true nature. Aran learned that Aegwynn was not the traitorous rebel the Council made him think she was. And she learned that Aran also loathed political manipulations the Council had been carrying out.

It was not long before the two fell in love. They agreed they must work together to prevent the Council from controlling another Guardian. They decided to create an heir and pass on the title of Guardian to. She gave birth to a son she named Medivh. She locked her powers and knowledge of the Council within Medivh where they could manifest upon maturity. Aegwynn soon left Medivh in Aran's care. She went into hiding watching her beloved Medivh from afar.

Medivh had a happy childhood under his father's care close to the kingdom's royal court, primarily spent with friends Prince Llane Wrynn and Anduin Lothar. One day, while out on the road in Stranglethorn Vale, Medivh and his friends were ambushed by three jungle trolls. None were hurt badly, however, Medivh fainted after casting several spells. He would succumb to a coma on the eve of his fourteenth birthday, awaking in the middle of the night from evil dreams, where he pictured figures giving chase through deep chasms. In a sweat, he stumbled into his father's room, and when his father touched his brow, the power his mother had given him awoke. No less than one hundred clerics had to combine their talents with his father's to contain the powers. By the time the force had subsided, Aran was dead and Medivh nearly so himself. Spanning almost ten years Medivh, in a coma caused by stress and Sargeras, was tended by his friend Lothar, as well as the clerics at Northshire Abbey.

Medivh awoke a decade later under a facade of control, and assured the clerics and the court that he was fine.

The Gurubashi War
Years after the Gnoll War, Stormwind's farmers and settlers would increasingly push southward claiming territory close to the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, home of the Gurubashi Tribe. Skirmishes would erupt between the Gurubashi and Stormwind forces but the elderly Barathen would refuse to order an invasion into Stranglethorn and was focused on fighting a defensive war, much to the outrage of his son Prince Llane. While King Barathen's strategy against the Gurubashi was effective it would be unable to stop every attack, one which saw slow, barbaric, and gruesome deaths delivered to the villagers of three towns in Westfall. This would ultimately prove to be final straw of Prince Llane, Anduin Lothar and Medivh, who in defiance of his father's continued de-escalation, journeyed south to bring war to the Gurubashi. Though initially shielded by Medivh's magic the three friends would end up in the fight for their lives when they battled Jok'non, a Gurubashi Warlord empowered by Hakkar the Soulflayer. Ultimately the three friends would be prove victorious and return to Stormwind, shaken by Medivh's powers.

While none of the Gurubashi who witnessed Jok'non's death survived, it took very to the imagination for the trolls to see who was responsible. Rallying under Jok'non's son, Zan'non, the Gurubashi launched an invasion intent on destroying Stormwind. In the face of the troll onslaught Barathen recalled all his forces to the stronghold's gate, believing that the survival of Stormwind would depend on one colossal battle. As the death toll mounted on both sides Barathen mounted a desperate counterattack against the Gurubashi. Though almost succeeding in claiming Zan'non's head, Barathen would die on the field of battle. Llane, driven by guilt, would plead with Medivh to unleash his power on the Gurubashi as he done against Jok'non. Though frightened of his power Medivh would accept Llane's request and destroy the Gurubashi forces (Zan'non included), an act that would ultimate avenge Barathen. After the conflict was over Medivh would be seen as the realm's greatest defender.

Frightened by his powers Medivh would later journey to Karazhan and learn from from his mother on how to control his powers. He would gain a friend and ally in Moroes, who disapproving of Aegwynn's habit of shutting people out, would encourage Medivh to reach to invite local lords for a party after the young guardian spoke of his darkening thoughts.

The fallen Guardian
Unknown to Medivh and Moroes, his darkening thoughts belonged to the dark spirit of Sargeras who began twisting his thoughts and emotions towards an insidious end. In time Medivh would become determine to stop the Burning Legion at all costs and under Sargeras's influence would discover Draenor and the Horde. Seeing that the Horde had been abandoned by the Legion Medivh felt that it would perfect irony to use the Horde against the Legion. Thus bargaining with the warlock Gul'dan from his chambers in the tower of Karazhan, Medivh promised to furnish Gul'dan with the location of the Tomb of Sargeras if Gul'dan would bring the Horde to Azeroth. And so, aided on the other side by Gul'dan's Shadow Council, Medivh opened the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor.

When the Dark Portal was opened by him, almost every creature attuned to magic on Azeroth felt ripples as the gateway flared to life. Aegwynn could not fathom what had happened, but she sensed the presence of fel magic and knew Medivh must have somehow allied himself with the Legion. Aegwynn traveled to Karazhan with the blue dragon Arcanagos to confront Medivh about it. The tower was crowded with nobles who were expecting a gala, and so Aegwynn entered alone at first, hoping to convince Medivh to give up his power peacefully. It was then that Medivh revealed that, as he died in battle before her, Sargeras had spirited his essence into Aegwynn's own body like a cancer, lying in wait for her to conceive as he knew she would. Sargeras later stitched himself into the fabric of Medivh's unborn body so that when he awoke and realized the power of Tirisfal he would also manifest his unholy, demonic heritage.

Aegwynn was stunned as the truth set in, but she did not lose herself to despair. Instead, Aegwynn became angry and knew she would defeat Sargeras there and then, even if it meant striking against her beloved son. The battle between the two shook the tower to its foundations and sent the would-be revelers fleeing. When Aegwynn was temporarily incapacitated, Arcanagos joined in. However, despite being a blue dragon, Arcanagos was severely outmatched. Sargeras struck him down, burning him from the inside out until all that was left was bone. Her friend's death sent Aegwynn further into her rage. Sargeras may have had the full weight of a Guardian's power, but she had centuries of experience. As their duel continued, Aegwynn slowly gained the upper hand, until Medivh resorted to draining the life of nearby all occupants of the tower in order to fuel his strength. Now stronger but still unable to kill Aegwynn, Medivh instead banished her from his sight.

To prevent the Council of Tirisfal from meddling in his affairs, Medivh secretly began killing its members in demonic "accidents". These victims included Hugarin and Huglar.

Medivh's gaze also fell upon Arrexis and Ebonchill who set up a camp in Deadwind Pass. Arrexis and his followers experimented with their warding magics outside Karazhan, attempting to neutralize the tower's strange powers. The records indicate that Guardian Medivh visited the magi at this time and offered his advice. He suggested that Arrexis could apply his warding spellwork in new ways, specifically to prevent demons from clawing into the world. Arrexis heeded Medivh's advice and that would eventually be his downfall.

At some point, Medivh hosted some traveling merchants who attempted to cheat him by selling him counterfeit artifacts. Medivh cursed them and today they are known as the Dark Riders.

It was shortly after this time that the mages of Dalaran sent Medivh an apprentice. This young apprentice was known as Khadgar, a name which among the dwarves meant Trust. Time passed as "Young Trust" studied under Medivh. He lived within Karazhan with a few others: Medivh studying, Moroes serving as his aide, and Cook the Chef making meals.

Around this time, the war began picking up between the orcs and the humans, as the orcs increasingly struck out of the Black Morass. Medivh was sober about this, even remarking that it was happening as planned. Soon after the Horde's emissary, Garona Halforcen, came to Karazhan. Unbeknownst to anyone Medivh and Garona had a brief affair which later resulted in a child, the mixed race Med'an.

Medivh and Khadgar soon crossed paths with the King's Champion Anduin Lothar and his soldiers on a scouting mission to the Black Morass. Lothar had encouraged his friend to rejoin Stormwind's defense, though understood that Medivh struggled with the power he unleashed on the Gurubashi years ago. The Guardian played along and feigned a fear of tapping into unwieldy magical powers, though his true intention was to buy time for the Horde to boost its strength. Lothar also spoke with Khadgar, telling him about Medivh's troubled past and asking him to act as a caretaker in addition to an apprentice. Medivh became more erratic afterward, disappearing for days at a time and being exhausted when he finally returned.

Khadgar would be the first to discover that it was Medivh who has brought the orcs upon the lands of Azeroth. During this time, Khadgar and Garona had an audience with King Llane and Anduin Lothar, where Lothar was convinced of Medivh's corruption. Lothar, one of Medivh's best friends, led a troop of human forces, which included Khadgar and Garona, to deal with the crazed Guardian. In the meantime, the Guardian killed Moroes and the Cook. During the battle with Medivh, Khadgar&mdash;magically aged by Medivh's spellwork&mdash;held Lothar's blade to the Guardian's chest, and finally ran it through Medivh's heart. The demon within him awakened at that point, right up until Lothar delivered the mercy stroke, decapitating the Guardian and banishing Sargeras into the Nether. At the same time, Gul'dan was trying to probe Medivh's mind for the location of the Tomb of Sargeras. The warlock was still deep within the Guardian's thoughts when Lothar and Khadgar killed him, ending Medivh's treachery and forcing Gul'dan into a coma.

Medivh was the first Guardian to be killed in combat in centuries. As a consequence of the killing, the pure, virtuous spirit of Medivh was allowed to live on and wander the astral plane for many years to come. His body was buried in Morgan's Plot in Deadwind Pass.

At the height of his powers, Medivh worked his magics and struggled with Sargeras in his tower of Karazhan. His powers were such that the trauma of his death laid a curse on his once wondrous tower and the surrounding area that became Deadwind Pass. The tower has become such a dangerous and accursed place, that those that venture in never return (Violet Eye chain).

Resurrection
Though he had died years ago, Medivh's spirit drifted beyond the borders of reality, and he watched as the plague of undeath started to spread in the Eastweald. He wanted nothing more than to warn the world of what was coming, but he had no way of communing with the people of Lordaeron. There was only one person he could reach on Azeroth, his mother Aegwynn. She had a strange dream, where she saw Medivh dressed in a cloak lined with raven feathers, telling her that he had a message for the world, and pleading her to help bring him back to Azeroth. Though initially suspicious, Aegwynn did feel Medivh's soul drifting beyond the veil of reality, and she also sensed that it was free of Sargeras' touch.

Aegwynn spent years building up the power to bring him back to life and she was successful. She revived him by summoning him to Azeroth. He explained that while his spirit had been beyond the physical realm, Medivh's vast power had allowed him to glimpse into the Twisting Nether and touch the minds of the demons, allowing him to learn of the Lich King and the undead Scourge preparing for their next invasion.

Medivh, described as a trespasser, briefly returned to Karazhan. The trespasser, muttering some words, entered Karazhan through the main entrance. Once there he found a crushed astrolabe and when he picked it up he began to see memories of the past and in particular another man just like the trespasser holding the same astrolabe. He interacted with a past version of Khadgar (though it was a future version of Medivh from Khadgar's perspective). He explained to his erstwhile apprentice that with his burial in the past by Khadgar and his current return to life, the good (the Guardian) and the evil (Sargeras) battling within him had been destroyed, and that he was, perhaps for the first time, only Medivh. He then collected the energies and visions from Karazhan to be prepared for the next battle against the Burning Legion, indicating the Third War.

Reign of Chaos
Long after the Second War, a strange prophet appeared to various denizens of Azeroth, delivering a warning of a looming apocalyptic threat. He was able to appear as a supernaturally-large raven. Medivh chose not to reveal his true identity, as he would've been recognized as the evil sorcerer who brought the orcs to Azeroth. King Terenas of Lordaeron and Antonidas of Dalaran both consequently dismissed the Prophet as nothing more than a madman.

He then appeared to the young warchief of the Horde, Thrall, son of Durotan — had a dream where the orcs and humans were fighting against each other while infernals rained from the sky. He awakened and the Prophet told him it was a vision, and that he must go to the ancient lands of Kalimdor if he wished to save his people. Thrall consulted with the elemental spirits, which quickly advised to trust the stranger's words, and set sail to Kalimdor in the far west beyond the sea.

After this, Medivh approached Terenas's son, Prince Arthas Menethil, who refused to leave his beleaguered people. Only the young daughter of Daelin Proudmoore, and apprentice of Antonidas, Jaina Proudmoore, sensed that he was perhaps right. When he appeared to her after the destruction of Stratholme, she heeded his warning and prepared to leave for the west. She set sail with a group of her people just as the invasion began. Thrall arrived to Kalimdor looking for his destiny, and his new acquaintance Cairne Bloodhoof — chieftain of the Bloodhoof tribe — suggested him to go to the Oracle. Thrall fought his way through the Human Expedition until he arrived at the Oracle, but he found Jaina and some humans. As they prepared to battle each other, the prophet appeared. He told them that they must cease hostilities if they ever hoped to defeat the Burning Legion and escape its corruption. They reluctantly agreed.

Finally, the Prophet revealed his identity when the time came to rally the forces. Appearing in a dream to Thrall, the night elf Malfurion Stormrage, and Jaina, the Prophet told them that they must form an alliance to battle the common enemy. He told them that he was, in fact, Medivh, the Last Guardian of Tirisfal, and that it was his doing that brought the orcs, and, in turn, the Burning Legion, to Azeroth. Jaina, Thrall, and Malfurion became convinced that victory could only be achieved through an alliance, and they rallied together to defend the World Tree, Nordrassil. In the final hour, nature's spirits, called into action by the Horn of Cenarius' clarion call, swarmed around Archimonde, and destroyed the demon once and for all.

Confident that the world was safe for now, and that he had repaid a fraction of debt for his terrible sins, Medivh vanished, to take his place "amongst the legends of the past." More specifically, Medivh's powers were waning and his time on the physical plane had come to an end. Hoping that the people of Azeroth would continue fighting together as they had at Hyjal, the Last Guardian vanished to places unknown.

Cycle of Hatred
When Jaina found Magna Aegwynn several years later, she was confused, because all the Guardians were supposed to be dead by then, including Medivh.

The Burning Crusade
Medivh is involved in the Caverns of Time' Opening the Dark Portal dungeon, the second instance within the caverns opened after Thrall's Escape from Durnholde. It is set in the Black Morass just as Medivh prepares to open the Dark Portal, and the player group must protect him from members of the infinite dragonflight attempting to kill him and stop the opening of the Portal, which would prevent the Horde from crossing into Azeroth.

Medivh is also involved in the attunement process for Karazhan. After obtaining the fragments of Khadgar's key from instances in Outland, Khadgar sends you to the Black Morass to speak to Medivh to enchant it so that it will open the locked gates of Karazhan; Medivh will instead give you the Master's Key. However, you must have completed the instance (Medivh must survive to open the Dark Portal) before you can speak to him and gain his key.

He shows up twice more in his old tower of Karazhan in Deadwind Pass which has been abandoned since Medivh's death at the hands of Khadgar and Lothar, shortly before the end of the First War. An "Echo of Medivh" is seen where players play a game of chess against him in the Gamesman's Hall, and an "Image of Medivh" is seen in a flashback on the Master's Terrace fighting off the blue dragon Arcanagos.

World of Warcraft: The Comic
In spite of his unknown fate, he left an avatar of himself in Karazhan to give a message of knowledge and power to his son, Med'an, so that Med'an could decide his own fate. The avatar commented himself as being gone from Azeroth.

Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
While chasing an image of the lost Dragon Aspect Nozdormu in the Caverns of Time, Thrall encountered Medivh in the form of a black raven, who somehow knew that Thrall was from another time and that he was looking for Nozdormu. It's unclear whether that Medivh was from an alternate timeline or the main timeline.

Harbingers
When Khadgar searched Karazhan for information that could aid him against the Legion, an apparition of Medivh appeared, offering to bestow the powers of the Guardian of Tirisfal upon his former student. However, when Khadgar refused the offer, the image was revealed to actually be a gargantuan nathrezim, whom Khadgar then destroyed with Atiesh.

Pre-launch questline
A vision of Medivh made a cameo in Karazhan when Khadgar reminisced about his apprenticeship, calling Khadgar a Kirin Tor spy, just like he did when they first met. An echo of Medivh then said that that which was foreseen had come to pass and the circle neared completion. It ordered Karazhan's sentries to "attend" to the tower's guests, and his magic thwarted Khadgar's safeguards on the tower. According to Thar'zul, Medivh had opened the way to the Legion's victory.

Return to Karazhan
When Khadgar and various adventurers, alongside the Kirin Tor, breached the Legion's defenses in Karazhan, Khadgar found himself unable to undo the Legion's magic that was binding the Legion worlds to the tower. At that instant, Medivh appeared, commenting on the many fragments of himself that he had left in the tower. Khadgar questioned his master's sudden, real, appearance, only to be told that they had to undo the binding first.

After the forces defeated the Legion in the Netherspace, Medivh spoke with Khadgar, telling him that he couldn't stay to fight the Legion and that he was needed elsewhere. When questioned further, Medivh told Khadgar he was Azeroth's new Guardian, prompting Khadgar to deny the power as he had already done before. Medivh corrected him, stating he possessed all the power necessary to defeat the Legion, and that power was his will, heart, and courage to face the Legion. Medivh called Khadgar Azeroth's guardian once more and stated that while it may be simpler to shut a door than pass through it, sometimes a step into the unknown is required to break the bonds of fate. With that, he flew off as a raven towards the Nether.

Some time later, at the end of the Legion's invasion, Sargeras was imprisoned by the Pantheon but not before he managed to mortally wound Azeroth's world-soul in Silithus. As the Alliance and Horde began to fight over her blood as a powerful resource, Khadgar instead returned to Karazhan to confer with Medivh. He hoped that somewhere in Medivh's ancient tomes there was an answer on how to heal the world.

Battle for Azeroth
The black dragon Wrathion journeyed to Karazhan to find a way to counter the Old Gods. While there, he encountered the shade of Medivh, who encouraged him that while Wrathion could not change the past, he could forge a new legacy to leave for the future.

World of Warcraft Anniversary


Medivh and Wrathion were found partaking in the festivities of Warcraft's Anniversary in the Caverns of Time.

Quests

 * The Master's Touch
 * Return to Khadgar

Death
Medivh's death has been portrayed in at least four different sources.

In Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, the player had to enter his lair and slay him. His lair was filled with summoned and cave beings: skeletons, scorpions, fire elementals and daemons. Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona are all absent.

Medivh's death was clearly described in The Last Guardian, where it is established that he was slain by the three listed above — with Khadgar wielding the blade that was run through Medivh's heart (and Lothar then decapitating him); this version is supported by various sources.

In the interlude The Last Guardian in the "Eternity's End" campaign in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Medivh is shown in a flashback being killed by 5 human footmen and a captain. Though the captain figure in the scene could be Lothar, Khadgar and Garona are nowhere to be seen. In The Last Guardian it is, however, described that Khadgar and Garona were wearing Stormwind garbs, which would explain why they could be displayed as normal footmen. In Warcraft III: Reforged, Medivh is shown being killed by a captain and an apprentice wizard.

Finally in Flashback we see Medivh being stabbed through the heart by Khadgar with Lothar standing just behind.

The idea that there were more involved than just Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona is supported by Shadows & Light ("...a squad of human warriors...") and Horde Player's Guide ("A group of human heroes slowed the invasion by slaying Medivh"). However, both sources also confirm that Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona were involved as well. In Tides of Darkness it is explained that Lothar was with Garona, Khadgar and a handful of men when they defeated Medivh.

Atiesh
The most powerful mages focus their powers into magical staves, and Medivh was no different. His staff,, was possessed by the eponym demon, agent of Sargeras, thus boosting Medivh's already-immeasurable powers. When Medivh was killed, Atiesh was taken to Dalaran, where it was revealed that the demon within killed anyone who dared try to wield it. It was locked away in a secret and secure vault for nearly three decades following Medivh's death, until Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde, along with the staff.

Atiesh was shattered into 42 pieces—the 40 splinters of the shaft, the base, and the headpiece. The base was found by Brann Bronzebeard through his exploration of Azeroth, and ended up in C'Thun's possession in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj when the dwarf adventured there. The headpiece was located by the archlich Kel'Thuzad, who was responsible for summoning Archimonde in the first place. The 40 splinters of the shaft were given to Kel'Thuzad's lieutenants, spread out across his citadel of Naxxramas in the Eastern Plaguelands. Even if the staff were restored, it would need to be exorcised of the dark taint.

The base was retrieved by Garona Halforcen from within the corpse of C'Thun. The staff was purified and restored by Medivh's son, Med'an. Medivh had poured a large amount of power into the base as Med'an's legacy that would only answer to his touch.

In the RPG
Medivh is categorized as a wizard. Brighteyes is rumored to be the blood of Medivh.

Personality
Medivh’s soul constantly struggled with that of Sargeras for control of his body and mind. The fight between them was constant, and resulted in Medivh shifting periodically between stretches of calmness and lucidity and bouts of strangely incomprehensible behavior. To outsiders, he often seemed to make abrupt decisions or reverse his position on issues. When the struggle between the two souls became too great for Medivh's body to handle, he sank into a catatonic state and became completely unresponsive. These periods varied greatly in duration and could range from a matter of minutes to months.

When Medivh was in control of his body and mind, he was a friendly and wise individual. He cared deeply for a number of the high-ranking human leaders and put the needs of the kingdom above almost everything else. He had defended Lordaeron from attack many times throughout the years and has built a great reputation as a staunch defender of the land. He was not naturally biased against any of the races, and displayed a fair amount of interest in people who brought to him stories of distant lands or cultures.

However, when Sargeras was in control, Medivh’s personality shifted dramatically. He became sullen and distant, barely acknowledged the presence of close friends, and practically ignored strangers. He was secretive and often traveled to faraway places abruptly. In private, Medivh would not hesitate to do away with annoying visitors by using his spells to kill or incapacitate them. However, he was moderately concerned about his cover being blown with the Lordaeron leadership and would not act out of character in public.

Medivh's tactics were often erratic, depending upon which personality was in control at the time. Nonetheless, the common theme with both personalities was to stay at range and harass enemies with potent spells. He often cast only a few spells and then retreated for a few rounds to strike again later from another direction.

Medivh, the Prophet, chose to remain uninvolved directly in the upcoming war (leading some to suspect he had remained a ghost).

Status as an Eternal
Medivh is classified as an Eternal in the legends chapter of Shadows & Light, but the book is not specific as to how or when he reached that status. The article is mostly concerned with the period in history when he was possessed by Sargeras. This likely means that he was an Eternal only because he was possessed by one. It doesn't seem to be related to the fact he was a guardian, as other guardians are not Eternals, for example Aranda.

Although the article does make a brief reference to his period as the legendary Oracle, it is not likely the reason for his Eternal status. The majority of the article concerned with the period when he had dual personalities where he struggled with Sargeras for control of his body, this includes the role-playing notes and combat section. It explains how others might react to his mood swings and personality changes. His abilities are also a combination of a guardian and Sargeras's abilities.

The book is also pretty clear that no new Eternals have appeared in modern times.

When Khadgar killed Medivh and destroyed the spirit of Sargeras, Medivh's spirit escaped. The spirit of Medivh foresaw the eventual downfall of Lordaeron, and with his mother's help his spirit attained form.

It should be noted Medivh considers himself no longer a human as he was before referenced by his quote in Warcraft III: "I left my humanity behind long ago. I am something...different now."

The Last Guardian

 * You didn't teach me very much, Mother. You were always far too busy with your duties as Guardian to actually raise the son you brought into the world to succeed you. But one lesson you did impart on one of the rare occasions when you bothered to acknowledge my existence was that the council were fools. It was Sargeras who taught me what the final fate of all fools must be. You see, Mother, I learned all my lessons well.
 * It's not all demons and magic in this world. Sometimes a simpler answer suffices.
 * No matter how learned and knowledgeable, how wise and how wonderful, how powerful and puissant, there is always one more sliver of power, one more bit of knowledge, one more secret to be learned by any mage. I think these two fell into that trap, and called upon forces from beyond the Great Dark Beyond, and paid the price for it. Idiots. They were friends and colleagues, and they were idiots.
 * You did the right thing, no more or less than asked by me. But, you asked questions because you don't know much about demons, and that is ignorance. And ignorance I will not tolerate.
 * Massive trauma usually will force out the life essence... (on how to defeat a demon)
 * The former can advise the latter, but the latter must be free to challenge the former, to avoid what happened to the Kaldorei.
 * The orcs are not demons. They are flesh and blood, and as such the worry of warriors, not wizards.
 * "Nature magic?""Ripening, culling, harvesting? Can you take a seed and pull the youth from it until it becomes a flower?"

Warcraft III

 * The Sands of Time have run out, Son of Durotan... The cries of war echo upon the winds. The remnants of the past scar the land, which is besieged once again...by conflict. Heroes arise to challenge fate! And lead their brethren into battle. As mortal armies rush blindly towards their doom, the Burning Shadow comes to consume us all! You must rally the Horde and lead your people to their destiny! Seek me out...
 * Human? Ha ha ha... . I left my humanity behind long ago, young warchief. I am something... different now. Know that I have seen the future and beheld the great burning shadow that is coming to consume this world. You sense it as well, don't you?
 * I failed humanity once before... and I will NOT do so again. If you cannot take up this cup, then I shall find another who will.
 * Listen to me boy, this land is lost! The shadow has already fallen, and nothing you do will deter it! If you truly wish to save your people, lead them across the sea...to the west!
 * Then your choice is already made. Just remember, the harder you strive to slay your enemies, the faster you will deliver your people right into their hands.
 * The dead in this land might lie still for the time being, but don't be fooled. Your Young Prince will find only death in the Cold North.
 * Commendable as that may be, his passions will be his undoing. It falls to you now, young sorceress. You must lead your people across the sea, to the distant land of Kalimdor. Only there can you combat the shadow and save this world from the flame.
 * Destiny is at hand, young sorceress. The time to choose has come. For the fate of all who live, humanity must join forces with the Horde.
 * The roots will heal in time... as will the entire world. The sacrifices have been made. Just as the orcs, humans, and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe, so did Nature herself rise up to banish the Shadow... forever. As for me, I came back to ensure that there would be a future, to teach the world that it no longer needed Guardians. The hope for future generations has always resided in mortal hands. And now that my task is done, I will take my place... amongst the legends of the past. (Last words spoken)

Caverns of Time

 * Event Begins
 * yell


 * Shield at 75%
 * yell


 * Shield at 50%
 * yell


 * Shield at 25%
 * yell


 * Death
 * yell


 * Dark Portal Opened
 * yell
 * yell


 * A small army of orc warriors with the Shadow Council comes through.
 * yell
 * The leader turns to the others.
 * yell

Karazhan Attunement

 * "That key, I recognize it. That is Khadgar's key... of course I haven't given it to him yet.
 * I seem to have memories about future events surrounding you and this key.
 * 
 * You have trying times ahead of you, . Let us hope your strength does not fail you.
 * Regarding the key, I am to hand it to Khadgar when he's sent to me. I couldn't hope for a better apprentice.
 * I suppose you will need a key of your own.
 * 
 * Go on then. And best of luck, .

Conversation with Arcanagos

 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * Arcanagos glows with a blue aura as Medivh casts a pyroblast that reflects off the dragon. Injured, Medivh stands back to his feet.
 * emote
 * Arcanagos begins to burn.
 * yell
 * Arcanagos flies off into the distance aflame.
 * say

Hearthstone trailer

 * "The Kirin Tor will tell you that mastering the magical arts is like learning the rules of a game. Fools. True power is taken by those brave enough to break boundaries. I am Medivh, the Last Guardian. If magic is a game, then it is one I play to win."

Heroes of the Storm trailer

 * "Time is running out. The Nexus is not ready. All my life, I have stood against the forces of darkness. I wield my power to protect the innocent. While I was not born to this realm, my duty remains. Now, I sense an approaching evil that is all too familiar. I am the Guardian Medivh, and I will fight alongside these heroes. We will face this enemy together, and together we will defeat him!"



Hearthstone: One Night in Karazhan trailer

 * "Your host, the great magus Medivh, invites you back to party down - with me!"
 * "Come inside... Meet your friends at the door. We've got a feast like you've never seen before. Shake your stuff to our musical beat. Play life-size chess, but don't you dare cheat! Most of all, throw your worries away. Dive right in - you'll never be the same! This is the place of funky magical phenomena. Anything goes - for one night, in Karazhan!"

Age
The game manuals for Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II stated that Medivh was born 45 years BDP. Sean Copeland later stated that the Guardian was born in the year -44. returns to the -45 version, meaning that Medivh was killed at the age of 48 in the year 3 ADP.

In Hearthstone

 * Medivh is an HS Medivh (alternate hero) (player character) for the mage class in Hearthstone, and the third alternate hero to be revealed. His flavor text reads: "The Guardian of Tirisfal is a force for good. Demonic possession is a manageable condition."
 * Purchasing Medivh also unlocks the Medivh HS card back. The flavor text reads: "He certainly has a thing for crows and ravens."
 * The Goblins vs Gnomes expansion includes an epic mage spell called HS Echo of Medivh. Its flavor text reads: "Medivh's echo haunts Karazhan, eternally cheating at chess and Hearthstone."
 * In the League of Explorers adventure, Medivh's HS Medivh's Locket (locket) is located in the Hall of Explorers wing. Brann Bronzebeard comments that "The ghosts of Karazhan haunt this locket."
 * A younger, non-canonical version of Medivh appears as the central character of the One Night in Karazhan adventure. This version of the Last Guardian likes to throw giant parties in his tower of Karazhan. Defeating the adventure's last wing, The Spire, awards him as the legendary card HS Medivh, the Guardian, whose flavor text reads: "If you think the party's great now, just wait 'til he invites the orcs over!"

In Heroes of the Storm
Medivh is a playable character in Heroes of the Storm. Among his abilities, he can create little Dark Portals.

Notes and trivia

 * He was called Med by Anduin Lothar.
 * The Amulet of the Last Guardian and the Wine-Stained Mantle, forming the Burden of Power set, belonged to Medivh.
 * It was originally stated that Medivh's coma lasted for 6 years. It was later retconned to 20, until changed it to almost 10.
 * The Return to Karazhan dungeon features visions of Medivh killing Nielas Aran as well as Llane and Lothar watching over Medivh in his coma, events that in reality happened in Stormwind Keep and Northshire Abbey rather than Karazhan.
 * In Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Medivh was a bearded old wizard who summoned the orcs to Azeroth because he was seeing the humans of Stormwind as the only barrier between him and true power.
 * Khadgar learned several tricks from Medivh, including transformation into a raven. He later said that it is Atiesh that allows its wielder to transform into a raven. However, Medivh turns into a raven without Atiesh in Return to Karazhan.
 * During the development of Warcraft III, Blizzard played with several ideas such as having Medivh's cloak be an ancient night elf artifact that turns the wearer into a raven.
 * A black raven can be seen endlessly circling Karazhan. A black raven also appears on the loading screens for the Karazhan raid and Return to Karazhan.
 * At the time of Warcraft III's release, the developers themselves were not entirely sure whether Medivh was alive during the events of the Third War or if he was some kind of revenant from the past.
 * Medivh's Silver Coin can be fished from the Dalaran Fountain.
 * The Last Guardian describes Medivh as having green eyes like his mother, but he is depicted with brown eyes in the games and artwork.
 * It could be speculated that the green color was a result of Sargeras' possession.
 * While he was possessed by Sargeras, Medivh made several victims and experiments:
 * He was responsible for summoning fleshbeasts into the world. He used them in his clandestine experiments in the laboratories of Karazhan.
 * The Ghastly Charger was one of his victims.
 * According to a Warcraft II map, Medivh's magics created a giant beetle which would eventually be turned into Beetle Island at the time of the Second War.
 * He also showed the ability to turn people such as a group of merchants into death knight-like beings. Although not stated, Medivh likely cursed Attumen as well.
 * Warcraft III level designer David Fried acknowledged that Medivh's warning to Terenas was extremely vague and that he should've mentioned the Burning Legion and orcs as well.
 * Medivh is voiced by Michael Bell in Warcraft III, Heroes of the Storm, and Legion, and by Cam Clarke in The Burning Crusade and Hearthstone.
 * Medivh's model introduced in The Burning Crusade was based on the male night elf model. He received a new model in patch 7.1.0 which uses male human animations.
 * During the Warlords of Draenor alpha stage, a mysterious figure using the same animation sets as male night elves but without the long ears appeared alongside during All is Revealed. It was speculated by many that the figure was meant to be Medivh, but it was eventually removed before the beta stage.

Speculation
Considering Medivh's appearance in Twilight of the Aspects, it is possible that instead of seeing a past version of Medivh who had seen Thrall appearing there, that in fact Medivh had dissappeared into the timeways when he said he was taking his place "amongst the legends of the past". When Thrall appeared in front of Medivh the only significant thing to happen there was his meeting with Medivh, while all other timeways he went to had a past Thrall immediately present (barring the next one he went to in which he died as an infant in a false timeway).