Kur'talos Ravencrest

Kur'talos Ravencrest was the master of Black Rook Hold and the first leader of the Kaldorei Resistance during the War of the Ancients. Ravencrest was a politician and refused to contact the non-kaldorei races for aid because he feared the defection of his more conservative commanders.

War of the Ancients
The Ravencrest clan was a noble one, but it was not of the Highborne caste. On the contrary, Kur'talos, like most of the night elf populace, regarded the Highborne with suspicion and dislike. He was a levelheaded man, a skilled warrior, and an inspiring leader on the battlefield. It was a matter of both honor and practicality for him to fight alongside his soldiers: his presence inspired others to greater feats of courage and skill. Even so, Kur'talos had many of the ancient night elves' prejudices against other races. He rejected any suggestion of asking the earthen or tauren for help. Furthermore, he considered dragons extremely powerful, but he believed they would simply devour any mortal envoys. He, therefore, refused to permit any night elves to appeal to the dragons for assistance in fighting the Legion.

Ravencrest once came across two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who had a jewel called The Raven's Eye that let them read and understand any language. He tricked them into giving it to him in exchange for a piece of candy. Enraged, the ravens would henceforth express their displeasure in the presence of any night elf. With the Raven's Eye, Ravencrest had an almost perfect espionage team during the War of the Ancients.

Ravencrest became the formal patron of Illidan Stormrage after recruiting Illidan to help him track down Broxigar. It was Ravencrest who would promote Illidan to the leader of the Moon Guard, but he would come to question this decision because of Illidan's recklessness, as he had the mages channel their power into him to empower his own spells, which in turn left the channeling Moon Guard defenseless. Perhaps Kur'talos could have stopped Illidan's rash behavior, but he would never have the opportunity.

Kur'talos was deeply loyal to Queen Azshara and could not believe she had been involved in the Burning Legion's arrival on Azeroth. Indeed, he led the night elf forces against the demons into battle time and again, shouting the queen's name as a rallying cry. In reality, Azshara had given her loyalty to Sargeras, ruler of the Legion, and she was irritated by the night elf army's continued opposition to the Legion, which divided the demons' forces and delayed Sargeras from successfully entering Azeroth. Azshara thus eventually ordered her second-in-command, Captain Varo'then, to solve this issue. Eager to please his queen, Varo'then dispatched the assassin Kelorn Nightblade to the battlefront. The orc Broxigar spotted him and tried to warn Kur'talos, but his warning came too late. The assassin stabbed Kur'talos through the back of the neck before attempting to flee. Broxigar swiftly caught up to the assassin and slew him in turn.

Lord Desdel Stareye, who had been Kur'talos' second-in-command, succeeded Kur'talos as commander of the night elf defenders. However Stareye was incompetent, and so Ravencrest's ideals (and general competence) were not upheld until Jarod Shadowsong assumed the mantle. Lord Ravencrest's death broke his daughter, her hubris began to crumble away and she started to question everything and everyone. When Illidan left the resistance, Illysanna followed him, believing he was right about how to fight the demons.

Legion
After stealing the corpse of Illidan Stormrage from the Vault of the Wardens, conducted a ritual to separate his soul from his body. This energy brought the souls of the Ravencrest clan back to their ancestral home, from the lowliest soldier to Desdel Stareye and even Lord Ravencrest himself. These undead night elves could not see the living for what they truly are and believed them to be demons as they eternally relived the horrors of the War of Ancients.

A dreadlord named Dantalionax impersonated Latosius atop Black Rook Hold and manipulated the ghost of Lord Ravencrest into working for the Legion. When adventurers battled the pair, Dantalionax shed his disguise. Finally recognizing the truth, Ravencrest resisted his control and fought back, calling on the souls of his ancestors to defeat the dreadlord.

Kur'talos is seen observing fights at the Raven's Glory arena.

Silgryn acknowledged Kur'talos as a legendary figure and a "brilliant tactician", asking adventurers to retrieve his Book of Tactics from the Black Rook Hold.

Legacy
The naga-infested ruins of a statue referred to as the Ravencrest Monument can be found in the southern area of Azshara. While the statue may refer to Kur'talos Ravencrest, this cannot be confirmed. Only the Ravencrest surname is attached to the site, and the statue appears to depict a female Night Elf. His sword, called Ravencrest's Legacy, was only available to players who had completed the questline to receive The Scepter of the Shifting Sands.

War of the Ancients

 * "Nay! Here stands the one who, after risking himself to throw me from the creature's path, readily disposed of the danger with scarcely a concern for his own life! I saw right about you from the first, Illidan Stormrage! More capable than a dozen Moon Guard you are!"
 * Illidan Stormrage, the Moon Guard may be ignorant of your prowess, but I am not. You are hereby marked as one of the Black Rook Hold's own...and my personal sorcerer! As such, you'll be of a rank outside of the Moon Guard, equal to any of their own and unable to be commanded by any of their order! You will answer only to me and to your queen, the Light of Lights, Azshara!"
 * “Capture one? Don’t be silly, lad! I expect them to be slain on sight, especially now! Every dead warlock means less chance for a repeat of this horror that Master Rhonin and the others confronted!”

World of Warcraft

 * Black Rook Hold (Val'sharah)
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 * Dialogue

Trivia

 * Kur'talos Ravencrest's Spectral Coin can be fished up from the fountain in the version of Dalaran.
 * Kur'talos is voiced by Travis Willingham.
 * Kur'talos wielded the sword Ravencrest's Legacy. He is seen using it in artwork and Legion.
 * An unused NPC representing Kur'talos is situated in the same ID range as other legendary warriors presumably meant to appear in Skyhold. He and most of these NPCs didn't make it out of the Legion alpha stage.
 * Kur'talos is known as a brilliant tactician and has authored several books of tactics including Voodoo, Geomancy and the Magic of Peasants, Zandalari - The True Enemy, Spellbreaking, the Art of Shieldbashing, The Raven's Prey, Jungle Warfare: The Troll Problem, and The Rook's Gambit.
 * Based on the titles of two of the books he's authored, Zandalari - The True Enemy and Jungle Warfare: The Troll Problem, Ravencrest had experience fighting trolls.