Calia Menethil

Calia Menethil of Lordaeron is the daughter of King Terenas Menethil II and Queen Lianne, and the older sister of Prince Arthas. After surviving the destruction of her homeland during the Third War, Calia reappeared as a priest alongside the undead Alonsus Faol during the Burning Legion's third invasion of Azeroth. Hoping to reunite with her lost husband and daughter—whom she had become separated from during the Third War—Calia later worked with King Anduin Wrynn to organize the Gathering where undead Forsaken could get the opportunity to reunite with their living human relatives. During the event, Calia was slain by the Forsaken's ruler Sylvanas Windrunner, but—under the guidance of the naaru Saa'ra—she was subsequently resurrected as an undead infused with the Holy Light.

Following the end of the Fourth War and the fall of N'Zoth, Calia joined the Horde and became known as a councilor of the Horde Forsaken, suggesting that she was a councilor to Forsaken leader Lilian Voss.

Early background
Calia is two years older than her brother (thus born six years before the First War) and was a friend of Jaina Proudmoore when they were younger. Her father, King Terenas, was a kind and understanding man, but he had made clear that he would choose his son-in-law, and that Calia would agree to it. She was very saddened by the fact that her father forced her into an arranged marriage with Daval Prestor and wished that Arthas would choose his wife and princess by heart. However, the mysterious noble who was to replace the treacherous Lord Aiden Perenolde as the ruler of Alterac eventually disappeared before any final arrangements were made, and Dalaran's mages commented that the betrothal dwindled away. Calia later participated in Arthas' ceremony to become a member of the Knights of the Silver Hand in Stormwind City.

As King Terenas turned his attention to Arthas, Calia fell in love with someone her father would never have approved of: a Lordaeron footman. It was her way of bucking Terenas' plan for her; had she been heir to the throne, she would have gone along with it.

Once in the dark of night, they snuck away and begged a priestess to marry them; when the woman refused, the couple returned many times until she finally agreed. Eventually, Calia became pregnant and confided in her mother Lianne Menethil. While at first furious, she could tell from Calia's face that it was true love and aided her in keeping her relationship and pregnancy a secret after she was assured that her grandchild would be legitimate. A few weeks after giving birth, it was decided the father would raise their daughter away from Lordaeron, ignorant of her birthright. Lianne promised that once Arthas was properly wed and produced an heir, they would acknowledge Calia's daughter and possibly elevate her husband to a nobleman's status.

Calia had listened to Benedictus Voss's sermons. She had met and knew Archbishop Alonsus Faol well enough to easily recognize his face. She and the great Lordaeronian historian Parqual Fintallas also knew each other.

Third War
She was officially thought to have perished on the day Arthas murdered their father, however, she survived. She hid in a muddy trench for two days to avoid slavering ghouls as they prowled for her, and presumably, her mind being driven towards survival is why she doesn't remember much of that harrowing time.

Eventually, Calia made her way to Southshore, where her husband and child had been hidden away and were safe from the Scourge, and with everyone assuming she was dead she lived there in secret with her family for some time until the town was attacked by blight. The three fled along with the rest of the town, but Calia was once again separated from her family in the crowd. Screaming their names in the middle of the street, a man pulled her onto his horse and galloped past the town limits barely in time, and she joined a cluster of refugees in the forest. She prayed she'd be one of those that would be reunited with their loved ones, but this time she never saw them again, not knowing their fate.

At some point, while escaping from mindless undead, Calia stumbled upon one who was still sane and who she recognized. Alonsus Faol, who was a Forsaken, showed her that not all undead had lost their minds and there were some who still were themselves even after death. This made her understand that the Forsaken and the Scourge were two separate entities, with the former still deserving of dignity and compassion. That gave her the chance to move through her shock and pain to a place of healing. Seeing the Forsaken as her old friends still living, she hoped that if her family had been killed by the undead and raised, they would live on as Forsaken instead of mindless Scourge.



Legion
Having become a priest at some point, Calia reappeared during the Burning Legion's invasion of Azeroth alongside Alonsus and was initially encountered by priests at Faol's Rest. As a member of the Conclave, Calia traveled to the Netherlight Temple to return the void god Saraka back to its holy form, the naaru Saa'ra. She later became a champion to the High Priest.

Calia participated in the Battle for the Exodar battling against High General Rakeesh, along with High Priestess Ishanah.

Before the Storm
Following the Argus Campaign, Anduin Wrynn met Calia at the Netherlight Temple. After Faol introduced her as Terenas Menethil's daughter, Anduin considered her the rightful queen of Lordaeron, and was shocked and relieved to know she had survived. As Anduin worked with the Conclave to heal Azeroth from Sargeras' destruction and reconcile the Forsaken and their human counterparts, Anduin began to see Calia as a kindred spirit and developed a bond with her similar to the one he had with Jaina Proudmoore. Calia was also fond of Anduin and saw in him similarities to her beloved little brother Arthas before he became evil.

Sometimes Calia would dream of happier times, like when she sang lullabies to her infant daughter and spent time with her family. During one such dream, Calia sadly considered how her daughter would never inherit her birthright. However, her dreams frequently turned into night terrors involving the undead before she awoke from them. Usually, Calia would speak of her dreams with the naaru Saa'ra. Saa'ra would tell Calia that the nightmares will stop once she was ready for them to stop and that there are things she must do and become before that peace would be granted unto her. However, Saa'ra also warned that some of her trials may involve pain and blood. Though Calia admitted it didn't make her feel any better, Saa'ra told her it might once she understood that even painful developments may become hidden gifts and to trust in the purpose of her destiny. Saa'ra's insights would ease her apprehension, and she would try to repress the horrors she had endured or the memories of her daughter. Instead, she would retreat into a darkness that granted safety for wild creatures, momentary privacy for those who wanted to create, and sanctuary from her troubles. Saa'ra's warmth would then comfort her and told her to sleep in peace. As Calia left to return to her room for rest, her friend Elinor privately spoke with her to inform her of King Anduin's plans for a Gathering between Forsaken and their living relatives. The conversation filled Calia with hope and purpose, making her feel as if healing had finally come her way.

Anduin, Genn Greymane, and Calia later worked to recruit suitable human participants for the Gathering from the Alliance's side. As they worked together, Anduin asked Calia if she sought to reclaim the throne of Lordaeron. When Calia asked if Anduin would aid her in reclaiming her throne even if it meant war, Anduin became conflicted. Before Anduin could respond, Calia reassured him she had no intention of reclaiming Lordaeron and the best she could do for her people in the Forsaken is to work to ensure the Gathering's success. However, she did request to participate in the Gathering. Since his body did not respond to any nefarious intentions, Anduin agreed to permit it should Faol also consent. Anduin also asked Calia if she had a child that could one day become her heir, to which Calia did acknowledge a daughter and told Anduin the tragic tale of her family. Anduin surmised the reason she identified with the Forsaken is she hoped to be reunited with her family at the Gathering should they have been raised as undead. She later disguised herself and secretly observed the reunion between her friend Alonsus Faol, High Exarch Turalyon, and King Genn Greymane.

Calia attended the Gathering as one of the priests that were offering the participants their blessings. Disguised in a cloak and hood, she healed Ol' Emma when she fainted from heatstroke. This brought the attention of Elsie Benton who she had a pleasant conversation with. As the day went, Parqual Fintallas recognized Calia beneath her hooded cloak and saw it as a reason and opportunity to defect into the Alliance. He asked Calia for a blessing and whispered to her, saying, "We need you now. It's time. You'll see. Be ready." Shortly after, Parqual, his daughter Philia, and the Felstone family began to walk towards Stromgarde Keep — where the Alliance were stationed. As Calia Menethil saw this unfold, she revealed her true identity and took it upon herself to try to convince the other Forsaken on the field to join the Alliance, first speaking with Elsie. After being made aware of her existence, Sylvanas Windrunner personally flew through the field and murdered Calia, who she saw as a threat to her authority. Calia's corpse was later sent back to Netherlight Temple but miraculously did not decompose. Saa'ra informed Anduin and Alonsus that they would together bring Calia back as the Light and she herself would have her be, and the two priests proceeded to raise the fallen Menethil back as an undead touched by the Light. Calia explained to Anduin that although she was untrained in the ways of politics, as Arthas was supposed to inherit the throne, and did not intend for the Gathering to become a bloodbath nor reassert her claim to Lordaeron, she could not stand by and let a usurper like Sylvanas butcher her people out of jealousy. Seeing the Forsaken as her people, Calia had followed her heart on the field to accept them as her responsibility but now acknowledged that she was not yet ready to lead as she hadn't been the heir to the throne. For now, she would learn under Faol how to be an undead walking in the Light to better serve her people.

Battle for Azeroth
A set of Scarlet Brotherhood propaganda pamphlets can be found near the Calston Estate in Tirisfal. In the pamphlets, the Scarlet Brotherhood proclaims that King Anduin Wrynn of Stormwind is an undead-loving traitor who worked with his "lover" Sylvanas Windrunner to stage a fake massacre at the Gathering in the Arathi Highlands. According to the Brotherhood, this was done in order to drum up sympathy for the Forsaken and to lure out Calia so that she could be murdered and raised into undeath, allowing Anduin to marry her and usurp Lordaeron. The pamphlets advise members of the order to rally behind the worgen king Genn Greymane and help him wipe out the Forsaken, after which they will turn on Greymane and destroy the worgen as well in order to ensure that Lordaeron belongs only to "pure-blooded humans". Finally, the pamphlets state that the Brotherhood has secretly raised someone that they claim to be the son of Princess Calia and an Arathi nobleman and therefore the rightful king of Lordaeron, whom they will reveal and place on the throne after the undead and worgen have been wiped from the land, thereby restoring the Menethil dynasty.

Most of these pamphlets, if not all, are not true. Of note, Calia's child is actually a daughter, not a son, and her husband was a Lordaeron footman, not an Arathi nobleman. Whoever the Scarlet Crusade has, if they have anyone, is likely not actually the Menethil heir as they claim.

Following the Battle of Dazar'alor, Jaina Proudmoore told Anduin that she had heard rumors about Calia and asked the king to tell her what happened in Arathi. After Baine Bloodhoof reunited the recently resurrected Derek Proudmoore with his sister, Jaina brought Derek to Calia in the hopes that she could help him.

In time, Varok Saurfang's revolutionaries clashed with Sylvanas' loyalists, which saw the conflict ending in Saurfang's death and Sylvanas's abandonment of the Horde. In the aftermath, Jaina met with Calia and Derek at Seabreeze Village in Stormsong Valley. During this meeting, Calia and Derek learned that the war was over and it was implied that Calia and Derek had grown close. As the three conversed, the Proudmoore siblings remarked that others would benefit from Calia's guidance, much like Derek had. Unbeknownst to the three, the Speaker of the Horde was spying on their meeting at the behest of Lilian Voss, who after being informed of the details remarked that she must act quickly.

Around the time of the Black Empire's assault on Azeroth, Calia received a letter from Lilian asking her to help the Forsaken in the wake of their abandonment by Sylvanas. Calia agreed as she wanted to help her people and honor her father and the name Menethil. In another meeting in Stormsong Valley, she informed Jaina and Derek of her decision to leave Kul Tiras. To her surprise, Derek decided to accompany her. Jaina accepted Calia and Derek's decisions but insisted on first bringing them to Katherine and Tandred so they could get a proper farewell. Calia and Derek traveled to the Calston Estate in the Tirisfal Glades, where Lilian apologized for her role in Derek's rebirth and introduced the two to Delaryn Summermoon and the other Forsaken night elves, who had likewise been abandoned by Sylvanas. Calia and Derek quickly offered to help the undead elves and subsequently left the estate with them, vowing to help them find a future rooted in something beyond hatred and malice.

Shadows Rising
At some point after the fall of N'Zoth, Calia joined the Horde and became a councilor of the Forsaken.

Knowing that the Forsaken couldn't remain in Orgrimmar forever, Voss and Calia sought a new home for their people, while believing that the ruins of Lordaeron could one day be reclaimed and their homes there restored. Despite the truce between the Horde and Alliance, they knew that the Alliance ships wouldn't be happy to see Horde flags at sea, though Calia was confident that Derek could intervene on their behalf if they were intercepted. Calia then attended a Horde Council meeting where Thrall noticed that she appeared to be watching Voss's every move, as if she might be tested on it later. When Calia and Voss explained why they had been late to said meeting, she brought up her belief about Derek causing Queen Talanji of the Zandalari Empire to declare that House Proudmoore could do nothing for them as she blamed them for the death of her father, King Rastakhan and objected to peace with Jaina. However, Voss was quick to remind her that Derek was one of the Forsaken and that the Forsaken were the Horde. The meeting was soon adjourned.

After the Earthen Ring shaman Yukha warned Thrall that something was terribly wrong in the spirit world, Thrall made the decision to go to Nordrassil and decided to bring Baine Bloodhoof and Calia, due to her desire to bridge the divide between the Forsaken and the kaldorei who were raised into undeath, with him. She was struck by the beauty of Nordrassil and considered it a place of mourning after sensing the darkness over the place. Upon meeting with Malfurion Stormrage, Tyrande Whisperwind, Shandris Feathermoon, and Maiev Shadowsong, Calia found herself shifting nervously in the face of their frosty, rigid silence. Thrall subsequently formally apologized to the night elves and cited Calia as an example of how the Horde hoped to change. Nodding silently by Thrall's side, she listened as he revealed to them how Voss now spoke for the Forsaken and how both women sought to reforge themselves anew, free of Sylvanas, free of her poisonous influence.

When the meeting started to dissolve into an argument about responsibility for Teldrassil, Calia voiced that these disagreements were a distraction and that the divided sides only kept them from apprehending the one who gave the order. In the aftermath of Tyrande's revelation that she saw their words as empty pledges of justice, Calia, along with Baine, allowed herself to be corralled out of the area by Yukha. However, Thrall refused to be corralled out and promised Tyrande that he would deliver what is owed: Sylvanas' head. The group subsequently departed Nordrassil and arrived in Orgrimmar soon after.

Death Rising
Calia joined the Horde Council in convening atop of Grommash Hold following return of the Scourge and the abduction of Thrall and Baine Bloodhoof. She soon learned from Valeera Sanguinar that Jaina Proudmoore and Anduin Wrynn had also been abducted, and that an attempt was made on Tyrande Whisperwind, who neutralized her attackers. She reflected on how she thought she understood the Forsaken when she was among the living, only to truly see the depths of what they have endured after her resurrection. She further revealed that with the help of Lilian Voss, she found ways to help those who felt abandoned and alone. She then declared that all of Azeroth trembled beneath the specter of death. And fear, that if left unchecked will consume every soul it touches. She thus vowed to not allow that to happen, not to the people of Lordaeron, nor to any who fight for the good of Azeroth.

After Lor'themar Theron expresses satisfaction at the death of Nathanos Blightcaller and hope that Tyrande Whisperwind's rage remains fixed upon Sylvanas Windrunner, Calia reminds him that she had given counsel to the kaldorei who were raised into undeath after the battle for Darkshore. She further explained how she hoped giving them a path forward and sharing this knowledge with Tyrande, would help ease her spirits, if only a little. In response, Lor'themar revealed that Lilian Voss had informed him of her efforts and hoped that fate would offer her the chance to see her kin offer bear fruit.

During this time she spoke with Valeera Sanguinar and affirmed a friendship with her.

Shadowlands


Calia joined the council in a meeting with the leaders of the Alliance and Bolvar Fordragon at the Frozen Throne within Icecrown Citadel. When Lor'themar voiced how they couldn't afford to go on what might well be a suicide mission to rescue their allies for the stability of the Azeroth, Tyrande Whisperwind grew hostile. Though prepared to battle alongside the Horde, Calia reminded Tyrande that the kaldorei needed her in order to have any hope of finding peace. However, Tyrande was unmoved and was outraged that Calia spoke of peace, in light of the atrocities committed by the Forsaken during the Fourth War. Ultimately, the Horde and Alliance stood down when Bolvar reminded them that they could not afford another conflict in Azeroth. Calia then witnessed the ritual to open the doorway to the Maw and watched as champions of Azeroth, the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and even Tyrande Whisperwind enter to rescue their comrades and seek out Sylvanas.

Calia later traveled with Taelia Fordragon to Oribos in the center of the Shadowlands to meet up with Bolvar there. The pair pleaded for Bolvar to use the Helm of Domination to seek out their allies who had been captured by Sylvanas Windrunner within the Maw. Despite his initial reluctance, as such attempts seemed to be costly and dangerous, Bolvar was eventually moved by his daughter's repeated pleas, and he agreed to honor the request of his "Shining Star". While Talia was chilled by the cries of Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall, Calia focused on how they hadn't heard Anduin Wrynn or Baine Bloodhoof, and thus asked if Bolvar could try again to find them. However, Bolvar revealed that there was a price to be paid for such visions, and he dare not attempt another so soon.

Following Baine's and Thrall's recovery from Torghast, Tower of the Damned, Calia sent word to Aggra and Lor'themar Theron. After discovering that Sylvanas and the Jailer intend to turn Anduin into a weapon, Calia stated that the Light is strong with Anduin, and believed the Light would help him see things through.

Following the defeat of Sire Denathrius, an ally of the Jailer, Bolvar felt a darkness calling to him within Torghast. Though Calia was worried over the effects of peering within Torghast would have on him, Bolvar declared that they must know the truth. She subsequently learned that a new mourneblade was being forged within the tower and that the Jailer decided that the time had come for Anduin to become his agent, regardless of his choice. When the Jailer attempted to gain control of Bolvar, Calia learned that the Lich King was meant to herald his coming. As a result of this, while Calia still acknowledged that her brother had made his choices, she felt that the Jailer had a hand in them too.

Quests

 * Champion: Calia Menethil
 * ...And Following Seas


 * Agent of Aid

Quotes

 * Well met, . It's an honor to serve at your side. I'm happy to help in any way I can.

On-click

 * Greetings
 * It's just Calia now.
 * How can I assist you?
 * I stand ready to help.


 * Pissed
 * Sometimes I miss the beautiful court of Lordaeron and my father.
 * I once hid in a muddy ditch for two days while slavering ghouls patrolled the area. Your prattle does not faze me.
 * Terenas would have had you thrown out of here faster than he did Medivh!


 * Farewell
 * Walk in the Light.
 * Goodbye.
 * Let's talk again soon.

Shadowlands

 * Oribos gossip
 * This Eternal City is shining and beautiful. And yet the touch of Death is everywhere upon it.
 * I am touched by that power, too. Perhaps there are secrets here in Oribos that can help me understand what that means.
 * The attendants speak with such certainty of their "Purpose". Perhaps they can help me find mine as well.

Before the Storm

 * Anduin: "You had to have had a terrifying experience with the undead. How is it that you are so close with the archbishop?"
 * Calia: "He helped save me. I remembered him, you see. And in the midst of all that horror, when I was constantly fleeing so many I loved whose minds and wills had been stolen from them... to see the face of someone who was still who he had been— It was as if hope itself was a sword that stabbed clean through me. Except instead of wounding, it offered me the chance to move through my shock and pain to a place of healing. So you see, for me, the Forsaken weren't monsters. They were friends. It was the Scourge, the shambling, stumbling things that wore my friends' faces—they had become monsters."


 * "I was lost, Alonsus. Emotionally and physically and mentally. You brought me back from a very dark place. What other wonders could that again work? For both Forsaken and humanity?"
 * "As priests, we cannot harden our hearts and still do what the Light would have us do. Vulnerability is our strength and our weakness both. But I would have it no other way."
 * Calia: "You are my people, and I want to help you. I only came to observe, to begin to get to know the Forsaken of Lordaeron."
 * Elsie: "Undercity. We live in the Undercity."
 * Calia: "You didn't once. You won't have to live in the shadows anymore. Just—please. Come walk with me. Parqual, the Felstones, all the others—see them? They're defecting. Anduin will shelter and protect you all; I know he will!"

Notes and trivia

 * Arthas: Rise of the Lich King originally described Calia as having blue eyes. Her in-game model and Before the Storm instead depict them as blue-green. Since her resurrection, her eyes now glow white.
 * Calia is two years older than Arthas who was born in year -4. She was thus born in year -6 and was 38 or 39 years old slightly before the Burning of Teldrassil ("nearly forty").
 * Considering how things turned out, she is glad that Arthas and Jaina ended up not getting married.
 * Before finally making her return in Legion, she was for many years theorized by some fans to be Calia Hastings of 7. The main theories were that she had married someone named Hastings, assumed a new surname in exile, or taken her mother's unknown surname.
 * In the Legion beta, Calia stated in Agent of Aid that she had renounced her claim to the throne of Lordaeron, declaring it a lost kingdom, and that she was "just Calia now". This quest, along with any other mention of Lordaeron from her, did not make it out of beta (though one of her on-click quotes is still "It's just Calia now"). As such, it was unknown throughout most of Legion what her stance on the kingdom was. The plot thread was picked up again in Before the Storm.
 * Calia claims to Valeera Sanguinar during the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-patch event that she gave up any claim to the throne years ago. Despite this, she is still referred to as the Princess of Lordaeron as one of her titles in the book, Shadows Rising, during a meeting between the Kaldorei leadership and several members of the Horde's leadership. She also bears the crest of Lordaeron in her newest Shadowlands in-game model.
 * It was popularly speculated for a time that Taelia Fordragon's mother could be Calia Menethil, even though there were discrepancies in Calia's description of her husband and daughter (namely, that her husband was a basic footman; whereas Bolvar was a paladin and later Highlord of Stormwind). This was proven to not be the case in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, where Calia, Taelia, and Bolvar all interact without any semblance of familial ties beyond Taelia and Bolvar.
 * The exact extent of Calia's affiliations with the Alliance and Horde seem to be somewhat ambiguous. Despite remarking to Anduin (slightly ruefully) that she was not a member of the Alliance, she nevertheless considered Sylvanas a "pretender queen" and was willing to welcome some of the Forsaken into the Alliance as refugees. She later seemingly joins the Horde, but appears to retain cordial ties with Jaina, remarking that the Proudmoores could intervene were her vessel to be intercepted by the Alliance. In an interview in late 2019, Ion Hazzikostas stated that: "This is a complicated issue. Calia is very sympathetic towards the situation and condition of the Forsaken, but she will not join the Horde because of this. Additionally, the number of Forsaken who may welcome their presence is not fixed." Later on during the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands introductory quest line, Calia is seen in Icecrown standing among the Horde leaders, appearing friendly to Horde and Alliance players, and Tyrande Whisperwind is openly hostile towards her. Steve Danuser also notes that Calia is not the Forsaken leader, and was mostly there for "personal" rather than political reasons.
 * Christie Golden admits that the use of Calia Menethil in Before the Storm was a suggestion on her part that the story developers went along with.

Feelings for Daval Prestor
In the novel Arthas: Rise of the Lich King Calia was greatly disturbed to the point of hysterical over her arranged marriage to Prestor, and even had a heated argument with her father, Terenas Menethil II over it. Her coin in the Dalaran Fountain expresses her desire to be noticed by him, however.

It is possible that it was merely an error on the developers' part. Another possibility was that Daval Prestor (Deathwing) placed an enchantment on her when he realized her objection to be married to him. He had already done this to the kings of the Alliance in Day of the Dragon to make them fond of him, so there is precedent. When Deathwing was weakened and went into hiding after the battle with his former fellow Aspects, the enchantment was lifted. Furthermore, the novel also mentioned that Terenas at one point started to suspect him.

Forsaken captive
The release of the RPG Horde Player's Guide subtly implied a different plotline for Calia. In one of the many short stories, a paladin by the name of Andarin tries to infiltrate the Undercity to free prisoners. To his shame, he is quickly discovered by a fallen priest named Trevor. The undead makes him "an offer he can't refuse": in turn for helping him, Andarin must help Trevor free some of the Argent Dawn's prisoners. The paladin ponders the situation but finally agrees, together they descend into the city. After having fought some guards and abominations, the strange duo decides that fighting the prison guards will not work and comes up with a plan: Andarin will distract the guards while Trevor will free the prisoners. Knowing that he has no other choice, the paladin agrees. Trevor quickly manages to get a hold of a keyring and opens the door of a cell in which a girl was locked up. The girl recognizes the Forsaken and is shocked, but Trevor simply bows, saying "Good evening, my princess."

The background of Trevor showed some similarities with the one Alonsus Faol himself was later given at the time of Legion.