Undead (playable)

The undead of the Undercity, better known as the Forsaken undead (also simply called Forsaken ), are one of the playable Horde races in World of Warcraft. Former humans that succumbed to the Plague of Undeath, they were forced to serve the Lich King in his undead Scourge. That is until Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, former ranger general of Quel'Thalas, broke her fellow undead free. These rebels banded together under her and rebranded themselves the Forsaken, claiming the ruined kingdom of Lordaeron for their own.

The undead start in Deathknell, a sub-zone located in western Tirisfal Glades. Their capital was the Undercity, consisting of the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the Ruins of Lordaeron. However, the Alliance's retribution for the burning of Teldrassil saw the Undercity made uninhabitable canonically, although it is still visitable in-game. In a parallel to when they were alive, the undead race's mount of choice is the skeletal horse - damned, just like them. Gutterspeak is the foul language of death, but undead also speak orcish to communicate with their living allies.

Creation screen description
''Free of the Lich King's grasp, the Forsaken seek to overthrow his rule. Led by the banshee queen Sylvanas, they hunger for vengeance against the Scourge. Humans, too, have become the enemy, relentless in their drive to purge all undead from the land. The Forsaken care little for their allies: to them the Horde is merely a tool that may further their dark schemes.''


 * Once mindless slaves to the terrible Lich King, the gruesome Forsaken have overthrown his rule and now pledge loyalty to the wicked banshee queen Sylvanas.
 * Under her reign Forsaken armies have reclaimed the ruined kingdom of Lordaeron. Every day is a struggle against vengeful humans who wish to wipe them out, and a constant battle of wills against Horde allies who distrust the sinister motives of the undead.

Classic guide
''Trapped in the limbo between life and death, the sinister Undead were reanimated by the cruel Lich King to serve as mindless pawns in his war against the living. Having broken free from his thrall, they now battle to retain their newfound independence and slay those that seek to purge them from Azeroth.''

Classic opening cutscene
''Bound to the iron will of the tyrant Lich King, the vast undead armies of the Scourge seek to eradicate all life on Azeroth. Led by the banshee Sylvanas Windrunner, a group of renegades broke away from the Scourge, and freed themselves of the Lich King's domination. Known by some as the Forsaken, this group fights a constant battle not only to retain their freedom from the Scourge, but also to slaughter those who would hunt them as monsters. With Sylvanas as their banshee queen, the Forsaken have built a dark stronghold beneath the ruins of Lordaeron’s former capital city. This hidden 'Undercity' forms a sprawling labyrinth that stretches beneath the haunted woods of the Tirisfal Glades. Though the very land is cursed, the zealous humans of the Scarlet Crusade still cling to their scattered holdings, obsessed with eradicating the undead and retaking their homeland. Convinced that the primitive races of the Horde can help them achieve victory over their enemies, the Forsaken have entered an alliance of convenience. Harboring no true loyalty for their new allies, they will go to any lengths to ensure their dark plans come to fruition. As one of the Forsaken, you must eliminate any who pose a threat to the new order – human, undead, or otherwise.''

Cataclysm opening cutscene
''Though Lady Sylvanas and her Forsaken finally took vengeance upon their hated enemy, the Lich King, their dark crusade in Northrend proved costly. Betrayed by their Grand Apothecary, Putress, at the Battle of Wrathgate, the Forsaken's devious plague of death was unleashed on both the Alliance and the Horde to calamitous event. Unbeknownst to Sylvanas, Putress and his demonic ally, Varimathras, had taken control of the Undercity. As a result, the Forsaken were wrongly blamed for the traitor's atrocities. Though the Undercity was eventually retaken, Sylvanas and her followers still bear the weight of Putress's sins. Mistrusted by the other members of the Horde, the Forsaken must now prove their loyalty to the cause and redeem themselves from their supposed treachery. To this end, Sylvanas has bolstered her defenses within the Tirisfal Glades and readied her undead forces for any contingency. As one of the Forsaken, you must use your cunning and viciousness to slay any who would pose a threat to Sylvanas's rule be they human, undead, or otherwise.''

History
Bound to the iron will of the tyrant Lich King, the vast undead armies of the Scourge seek to eradicate all life on Azeroth. Led by the banshee Sylvanas Windrunner, one group of undead broke away from the Scourge in a small period of time when the Lich King lost some of his power, and freed themselves of the Lich King's domination. These renegades call themselves the Forsaken. They fight a constant battle not only to retain their freedom from the Scourge, but also to exterminate those who would hunt them as monsters.

With Sylvanas as their banshee queen, the Forsaken have built a dark stronghold beneath the ruins of Lordaeron’s former capital city. This hidden 'Undercity' forms a sprawling labyrinth that stretches beneath the haunted woods of the Tirisfal Glades. From this bastion, the Forsaken wage an unending battle against the Scourge as well as the remaining humans who still seek to reclaim their lands. For though the very land is cursed, the zealous humans of the Scarlet Crusade cling to their scattered holdings, obsessed with eradicating the undead and retaking their once-beautiful homeland.

Convinced that the primitive races of the Horde can help them achieve victory over their enemies, the Forsaken have entered an alliance of convenience with the savage orcs and the proud tauren. Harboring no true loyalty for their new allies, they will go to any lengths to ensure their dark plans come to fruition.

As one of the Forsaken, you must eliminate any who pose a threat to the new order – be they human, undead, or otherwise.

Starting attributes

 * Death Knight class is available since the release of the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion.
 * Hunter class is available since the release of the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion.
 * Monk class is available since the release of the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion.

Reasons for racial traits
Although undeath was not something any Forsaken actually chose (as any willing undead would likely be with the Scourge), it brought new capabilities and immunities; Will of the Forsaken reflects the sheer mental will to resist the Lich King's will that every Forsaken innately possesses from the day of their dark rebirth.

As the Forsaken are physically dead, they have the ability to Cannibalize, metabolizing the remains of humanoid corpses to regain their own strength.

The nature of their unnatural existence has given the Forsaken an innate resistance to shadow magic as it is what created them in the first place.

Prior to patch 5.0.4, the undead possessed the racial ability Underwater Breathing. It was replaced in that patch with Touch of the Grave and had its underwater breathing ability put into that ability.

Notes and trivia

 * Although they are "undead," the playable Forsaken are considered humanoids for game-play purposes (i.e. Shackle Undead cannot be cast on them).
 * In the Chinese version of WoW, a patch in 2007 covered up the bones of the Forsaken (and abominations).
 * The males are voiced by Marc Graue.
 * The females are voiced by Kath Soucie.
 * The Forsaken went without a racial leader after Sylvanas' defection at the end of the Reckoning up until Warchief of the Horde (quest) revealed that Lilian Voss was their new leader.