User:Morderi/Archive/BC/Magtheridon

This ominous threat is familiar to anyone who has ventured into the Blood Furnace, one of the first new instances in Outland. Magtheridon, the former lord of this shattered world, has been imprisoned and his blood is being siphoned to create an army of fel orcs. Magtheridon's rage is directed at his jailor - Illidan the Betrayer - and his furious shouts are issuing from somewhere in Hellfire Citadel. The Insider recently took a tour of one of the fearsome new raid encounters in The Burning Crusade - Magtheridon's Lair - and came back to tell the tale. Read on to learn more about the trials that await in the deposed lord of Outland's dark prison…

Lore
Key to a memorable raid dungeon is integrating it into the world - making the player feel like they are interacting with important characters and events in the Warcraft universe, and creating an evocative setting which also fits into the existing landscape of Azeroth and Outland. Magtheridon's Lair was designed from an early stage with these guidelines in mind.

Many long-time Warcraft players will be familiar with the pit lord from his appearance in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Not long after the Second War, an Alliance expedition stormed through the Dark Portal and into Draenor. Their mission was to defeat the orcs once and for all. As the expedition closed in, the orc shaman Ner'zhul opened several portals to other worlds. The magical stress tore Draenor apart, and the splintered realm of Outland was born.

The Burning Legion took full advantage of the open portals, sending the mighty pit lord Magtheridon to seize the broken world in Kil'jaeden's name. Magtheridon swiftly whipped the remaining orcs into a formidable army and unleashed them against the few draenei that still lived, leaving little opposition to the pit lord's rule.

The Temple of Karabor had once been sacred to the draenei, before orc warlocks claimed the massive structure as their own and renamed it the Black Temple. After the Legion came to Outland, however, it was Magtheridon who ruled from the brooding fortress. He controlled all but small pockets of Outland and continuously reinforced his army by summoning further demons through the portals.

While Magtheridon had crushed many powerful foes, it had been ages since he had been challenged by one who could rival his own might. Thus was the pit lord taken largely by surprise when Illidan and his allies broke through Magtheridon's army and laid siege to the Black Temple. Soon after, Illidan crushed Magtheridon's defenses and cast the Legion's general down.

Many believed that Magtheridon had been slain in the attack. However, as with Mannoroth, it was discovered that the blood of Magtheridon could be used to corrupt the orcs.

Beaten and bloodied, the pit lord was dragged to Hellfire Citadel and subdued by the fel magic of Illidan's most powerful warlock allies. Bound by chains both physical and magical, Magtheridon survives, wounded to the brink of death and drained of his blood each day by Illidan's minions. From his tainted blood a new army of barbaric fel orcs has risen.

But should the pit lord ever break free, Outland will surely tremble once again beneath his terrible wrath.

Source

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