- For his pre-Wrath of the Lich King encounter, see Four Horsemen (Classic). For the steward in Bastion, see Alexandros (steward).
Alexandros Mograine | |
---|---|
Title |
The Ashbringer, Baron, Scourge of the Scourge[1] Formerly: Highlord of the Silver Hand, Commander, Lord, Sir[2] |
Gender | Male |
Race(s) | Maldraxxi, formerly human (Humanoid / Undead) |
Class | Death knight, formerly Paladin |
Resource | Mana |
Affiliation(s) | House of the Chosen, Undying Army, Necrolord Covenant |
Former affiliation(s) | Four Horsemen, Scourge (unwillingly), Knights of the Silver Hand, Kingdom of Lordaeron,[2] Alliance of Lordaeron |
Occupation | Baron of the House of the Chosen |
Former occupation(s) | Leader of the Four Horsemen, Champion of Kel'Thuzad, Highlord and leader of the Silver Hand |
Location | Various |
Status | Active |
Relative(s) | Elena (wife), Renault and Darion (sons) |
Mentor(s) | Margrave Krexus |
Student(s) | Ramaladni[3] |
Companion(s) | Fairbanks (advisor),[2] Marrow, unnamed flayedwing (mounts) |
“This blade, Fairbanks... it feels as much a part of me as the blood that runs through my veins. It is purely, truly an instrument of destruction; a beautifully lethal creation that leaves nothing but charred bone in its wake. I will call it... The Ashbringer!”
Alexandros Mograine, also known as the Ashbringer,[4] was one of the Highlords of the Knights of the Silver Hand and the original wielder of the Ashbringer. A hero of the Alliance of Lordaeron, he led his soldiers and paladins in many bloody battles of the Second War against the orcs of the Old Horde.
At the time of the Third War, Alexandros revealed to his comrades of the Silver Hand a corrupted orb he obtained during the siege of Blackrock Spire, and with their help, he was able to purify it into the heart of a weapon that would be used to destroy the undead, the Ashbringer. Following the Scourging of Lordaeron, Alexandros and his legendary weapon became the symbol of the fight against the Scourge and the Lich King in Lordaeron. With the help of Saidan Dathrohan from Hearthglen, he became the new leader of the Silver Hand after the murder of Uther the Lightbringer by Arthas Menethil.
However, the threat he became to the Scourge and the Burning Legion led the Archlich Kel'Thuzad and the dreadlord Balnazzar to ensure his downfall. By manipulating Renault Mograine, they managed to lead the Highlord to an ambush at Stratholme, where he was murdered by his own son with the Ashbringer. His body and the now corrupted sword were recovered by Kel'Thuzad who made him a death knight, the leader of the Four Horsemen, and his personal champion in Naxxramas. When his younger son Darion Mograine came to save him, he had no choice but to kill his father whose soul was locked away in the corrupted Ashbringer. After taking revenge on his eldest son, Alexandros was freed during the first battle for Light's Hope Chapel when Darion killed himself with the sword in an act of love.
Years later, during the Second Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, he came to help his son to free himself from the Lich King's control but was captured by Frostmourne. Once the runeblade was destroyed by Tirion Fordring and the Ashbringer at the end of the Scourgewar, his soul traveled to the afterlife of Maldraxxus, where he became a maldraxxi and a baron of the House of the Chosen. After being betrayed and imprisoned in the Maw, he was saved by the Maw Walkers and therefore helped them to stop Zovaal the Jailer and his Mawsworn in their conquest of the Shadowlands.
He was originally encountered in World of Warcraft as the leader of the Four Horsemen in Naxxramas, but was replaced by Baron Rivendare in Wrath of the Lich King. He also makes an appearance in Old Hillsbrad Foothills as his past self in The Burning Crusade. In Shadowlands, he appears as a quest giver in the Maldraxxus storyline and the Necrolords Campaign.
Background[]
The Ashbringer[]
In his youth, Alexandros Mograine spent months training and praying in the Monastery of Tirisfal Glades.[5]
At some point, he met and married his wife Elena, with whom they had two children: Renault and Darion. On the day of Darion's birth, Alexandros rushed in a hurry the stillborn baby to a nearby stream, as he wasn't breathing, and from the freezing water Darion Mograine entered the world. However, the joy his father felt quickly turned to grief as his wife died due to complications from the birth.
Years later, at the end of the Second War, Highlord Mograine and General Abbendis of the Silver Hand led an army of the Alliance of Lordaeron at the Blackrock Mountain, in the Burning Steppes. Upon their arrival during the siege of Blackrock Spire, they were warned that the orc armies of Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer have attacked and overrun the troops of the Supreme Commander Anduin Lothar, and that Uther the Lightbringer and his paladins were fighting them. Consequently, Alexandros shouted a rallying cry and ordered his troops to come and lend a hand to their allies on the battlefield. During the battle, they attacked the western flank of the Old Horde, and the Highlord was narrowly saved from an ogre by Tirion Fordring. He later witnessed a warlock channeling dark magic through a mysterious orb, and after witnessing the loss of many of his men to the orc, he ordered his ballistas to eliminate him. Impressed by the power of the orb, he tried to seize it in order to make it an artifact commanded by the Light, but when he touched it, his hand was badly mangled and a dwarf priest told him that he could do nothing to reverse it. Still curious as to what power it might hold, he kept it in an iron chest.[2]
Highlord Alexandros during the siege of Blackrock Spire.
Alexandros attacked by a ogre in his back.
Death is Contagious[]
Since the end of the war, Alexandros kept the orb a secret in his house, and after the death of his wife, he took care of his children alone. In order to protect them, he forbade them from going near the iron chest, and angrily scolded them when they tried to get their hands on it by curiosity. At some point, his advisor Fairbanks came to his house to bring him the latest information regarding the remaining orcs in Lordaeron, and about a mysterious plague under the investigation of Uther, Arthas Menethil and Jaina Proudmoore in the northern lands of the kingdom. Days later, after learning that the plague was bringing back the dead as undead in the service of the Scourge, Alexandros summoned his comrades and leaders of the Silver Hand — Isillien, Abbendis, Doan, and Fairbanks — in the inn of Southshore where he revealed the dark orb, suggesting that they should search for the orb's polar opposite - a manifestation of the Holy Light itself - to be used against the impending undead holocaust. While they did not share the same opinion, Isillien tried to destroy in vain the artifact with his sacred powers, and at the request of Alexandros and Doan, together they managed to purify the artifact. Impressed by their success, the Highlord took the holy orb which restored life to his mangled hand, and they decided that the artifact would be used to create a weapon that would bring them victory against the undead.
However, they were interrupted by Lord commander Saidan Dathrohan who informed them about the Culling of Stratholme, and Arthas' suspension of the Silver Hand after Uther tried to stop him. In their situation, the assembly had no choice but to continue the fight in secret, and Alexandros decided to travel to Ironforge with Fairbanks and the orb. After several days of travel, Fairbanks mentioned to Alexandros that among their ranks, some including Abbendis, had an apprehension of dwarves and generally of all non-human races. The Highlord rejected all these ideas which he considered unworthy of a paladin, and that he had faith and confidence in the dwarves who would help them to create the weapon he needed. When they arrived, they presented themselves to the guards to obtain an audience with King Magni Bronzebeard, and when they meet him, they learned that he had just lost his brother Muradin in Northrend, originally there for an expedition of the Explorers' League but that he lost his life accompanying Arthas in his quest for revenge. Despite Alexandros' condolences, the king rejected them and immediately agreed to forge the weapon that would serve to avenge his brother, and to express all the rage and sadness he had inside. When he finished forging the weapon, Magni described it as the greatest creation wrought by his hand, then he announced that Terenas Menethil II have been murdered by Arthas who returned as a death knight, and that he had started the Scourging of Lordaeron during their absence. Filled with rage at the thought of losing his children, Alexandros and Fairbanks rode day and night to reach his house, where he found that Renault and Darion where under the protection of Taelan Fordring at Hearthglen. When the Scourge attacked, he used the sword that would smite the undead with such power that only a cloud of ash would remain in its wake, he named it: The Ashbringer.
Alexandros meets King Magni Bronzebeard.
Alexandros finds his sons alive at Hearthglen.
Alexandros fighting the undead in A Cleansing Fire.
At Hearthglen, Alexandros was happily reunited with his children, and thanked Taelan for taking care of them. He then discussed with Saidan Dathrohan who told him that their order was in ruins, Uther was murdered by Arthas and Lordaeron had fallen under the control of the Scourge. It was with anger that the Highlord announced that all was not lost, and that with the Ashbringer, it was time for them to strike back. During the next years after the Third War, Alexandros was appointed as the new leader of the Silver Hand, and led the remaining paladins in their war against the Lich King in the Plaguelands. As the paladins wagged battle, word of Alexandros' deeds spread and he became a legend who shared the name of the order's greatest weapon, the Ashbringer.[6]
During one of their excursion, Alexandros was accompanied by his companions and by his children, now members of the order, and all of them entered the burning ruins of Stratholme. Having been warned by Abbendis that the city had become a dangerous place, the Highlord confirmed the information with his own eyes and ordered Renault to protect his little brother. As they advanced through the city, the group was separated by a building that collapsed and they had to fight the undead to find each other. During the battle, Darion was injured by a skeletal mage and Saidan was eliminated by the dreadlord Balnazzar who took possession of his body to infiltrate the paladin order, until Alexandros managed to find a way out for all of them to escape. That night, they set up a camp and Alexandros remained at his son's bedside until his healing powers could no longer do anything for him, and in a fit of rage, he accused Renault of failing to protect Darion until he was interrupted by Brigitte Abbendis and the possessed Dathrohan. Once calm, the Highlord told Taelan Fordragon about what happened to Darion when he was a baby, that he saw his late wife in his son's eyes, and that he couldn't afford to lose him or he would lose her again. The next day, he saw Darion come out of his tent unscathed and hugged him with joy, declaring that everything would be fine and that he loved him.
Days later, during a hectic meeting where Lord Maxwell Tyrosus offered to recruit night elves, dwarves and gnomes to reclaim Lordaeron, only to face to the general opposition, it took the intervention of Alexandros to calm the situation. He then announced that with their actual troop they could not refuse help from other races, but that for the moment they had to take care of their own problems. After being informed of the possibility of contacting the troops of Tyr's Hand, and of the presence of the Forsaken led by Sylvanas Windrunner in the Ruins of Lordaeron, he ordered to make contact with the human city and to prepare their troop to defeat the free-willed undead before they could become a threat. This decision enraged Balnazzar who decided to eliminate Alexandros by manipulating his eldest son Renault, before the Highlord managed to ruin the plans of his brother Varimathras, the traitorous majordomo of Sylvanas infiltrated among the Forsaken.[2][7]
Ashes to Ashes[]
Weeks later, Alexandros was accompanied by Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, Brigitte Abbendis and his advisor Fairbanks to spy on the Forsaken, while they were taking possession of the Ruins of Lordaeron. The Highlord took note that they were not like the undead of the Scourge, that they had free will and would be much better organized, so he announced that he would require reinforcements from Tyr's Hand to amass an army capable of reclaiming the ruins of Capital City. In order to prepare for the future conflict, Alexandros took his party to the Old Monastery of Tirisfal Glades, to make it a forward base. When they arrived, they discovered that the monastery was not deserted and that someone was living there, Alexandros ordered to search for the residents and they eventually caught the jungle troll Zabra Hexx. The Highlord interrupted the argument between Maxwell and Brigitte about the fate of the troll, and ordered the latter to reveal the reasons for his presence in these sacred places. After listening to the troll's story, and his revelation that he knew how to use the Light, Alexandros used his powers to determine the truth and discovered that the troll hadn't lied, so he allowed Zabra to leave.
Once the monastery was secured, Alexandros rode with Fairbanks to Hearthglen, in order to plan their future operations with the leaders of the Silver Hand. On the way, they were interrupted by his son Renault who told them that his brother Darion was in danger at Stratholme, and that the troops of General Abbendis failed to defeat the Scourge. After hearing this report, Alexandros ordered his son to meet Brigitte Abbendis at the Old Monastery to request reinforcements, while he and Fairbanks rushed to Stratholme. However, all this was only a trap of his son, corrupted by his anger and the blood of the dreadlord Balnazzar. Upon arriving in Stratholme, they saw only armies of undead surrounding them, and they had no choice but to fight them to the last or to die. During the fight, Fairbanks fell first to the Scourge's attacks, and the Highlord had no choice but to rely on his holy powers and the Ashbringer to survive. After an interminable battle, Alexandros managed to massacre the entire army of undead and collapsed from fatigue, however, he did not see that the legendary weapon was recovered by his son Renault, which pierced him with it. In his final moments, Alexandros recognized his son and confessed that he had been wrong about him, and that they had nothing in common, before finally collapsing to the ground.
Later in Hearthglen, news of Alexandros' death reached the leaders of the Silver Hand, and they reacted to his death with horror. During a meeting, Fairbanks was brought in and accused the possessed Saidan Dathrohan and Renault of being responsible for this ambush, and to have the blood of Alexandros on their hand. However, he was not listened to and was taken away for execution after being accused of being infected. The death of the Highlord led to the division of the Order of the Silver Hand, Saidan Dathrohan organized the birth of the Scarlet Crusade, while Lord Maxwell Tyrosus and his men left to join the Argent Dawn.
At the same time, Kel'Thuzad brought Alexandros back to life as an undead, having retrieved his body and the Corrupted Ashbringer in front of the gates of Stratholme, after he was murdered by his son who could not take the corrupted blade. During the process, Alexandros was tortured by memories and nightmares of his past, including the corpse of his wife Elena who blamed him for her death, the loss of his son Darion, and the hatred of his son Renault. Once he finally accepted that he loved no one, and no one loved him, Kel'Thuzad announced that Alexandros would now be a death knight under his control. He met Sir Zeliek, Thane Korth'azz, and Lady Blaumeux, before receiving the Corrupted Ashbringer. Now a slave of the Scourge, the Archlich announced that Alexandros was from now on a champion of the Lich King, and the leader of the Four Horsemen in Naxxramas.[8]
While he was killing undead to express his anger, Darion meet Zabra Hexx who told him that he was indebted to Alexandros, and that the bond that united them through the Light had darkened. Eventually, he explained that the Highlord was still "alive" in a fortress floating above a burning city, before disappearing when the Argent Dawn arrived to meet the young paladin at Brill.[5][7]
Renault murders his father with the Ashbringer.
Alexandros' death in the Ashbringer comic.
Alexandros' death depicted in A Cleansing Fire.
Alexandros' nightmare of his deceased wife Elena.
Naxxramas[]
In order to save his father, Darion Mograine called for volunteers of the Argent Dawn at Chillwind Camp. When he finally formed a team, they traveled to Stratholme and managed to infiltrate Naxxramas. At the same time, Renault Mograine decided to burn down his father's house and destroy his mother's grave, in order to escape the torment and remorse of his actions. Inside the necropolis, Darion and his companions fought their way through the abominations and horrific experiences of Kel'Thuzad, losing some of their own in battle, until they came to face Alexandros and his Four Horsemen.
During the battle, Alexandros arrived riding his skeletal horse and killed the orc Grunn'Holde, he then faced Darion in single combat, the latter tried to bring him to his senses, but Kel'Thuzad's grip was too strong. As Alexandros was about to kill his son, he was interrupted and frozen by a spell from the mysterious mage Castillian. When he managed to free himself from his prison, the former Highlord was killed with an accidental sword blow to the head by Darion. However, as his body was caught in his son's arms, Alexandros' soul was imprisoned in the Corrupted Ashbringer and he ordered his son to take the sword and to flee through one of the doors to the room, then through one of the portals of the Scourge.
Once outside, the voice of Alexandros in the corrupted sword led Darion to the Scarlet Monastery, in order to meet Renault. When Darion approached, Renault recognized the sword and violently attacked his brother, only to be interrupted by Alexandros' soul manifesting out of the Ashbringer. Hearing his son speak of treason, he replied with cruel irony that the latter knew what he was talking about, and when his eldest son begged his father to let him live and to forgive him, Alexandros beheaded him, announcing that he forgave him. Under Darion's horrified gaze, the spirit of the Highlord asked him not to look at the monster he had become, before finally disappearing back into the corrupted sword.[9][10]
Alexandros on his mount during the battle in Naxxramas.
Alexandros confronts his son Darion Mograine.
Alexandros's ghost wearing the Dreadnaught's Battlegear.
Mograine's ghost in the Trading Card Game.
Dust to Dust[]
During a dream, Darion met the ghost of Fairbanks who brought him comfort, and who asked him to meet Tirion Fordring in an attempt to free his father from the corrupted blade. When he met the legendary paladin, now an exiled hermit, Tirion discovered that Alexandros' soul was damned and locked in the legendary weapon. Although he told Darion there was no way to free his father's soul, the old paladin announced after consideration that the only way to free Alexandros' soul would be through an act of love stronger than the act of treachery that murdered his father and defiled the weapon, but warned him that such an act would be the ultimate test of faith.
Before the first battle for Light's Hope Chapel, Darion had nightmares of his father slowly fading into oblivion. When the day of battle arrived, Darion fought the Scourge armies of Kel'Thuzad with the Corrupted Ashbringer. When the tide of battle turned against the Argent Dawn, Darion finally understood Tirion Fordring's words, in an act of pure love he committed suicide with the sword, freeing his father's soul as well as the wrath of hundreds of souls under the holy grounds. Although his sacrifice brought victory against the Scourge, Darion's body was recovered by Kel'Thuzad who used him to replace his father as the champion of the Lich King and wielder of the Corrupted Ashbringer. Although Darion could no longer hear him, Alexandros joined the souls of the heroes under Light's Hope Chapel, and announced that he would never forget his son's sacrifice and that he would love him forever.[11][10]
Wrath of the Lich King[]
During the Second Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, Darion - now a death knight himself and wielding the Corrupted Ashbringer - led an attack against Light's Hope Chapel with the Scourge and his Death Knights of Acherus, but he was defeated by Tirion Fordring who came to support the Argent Dawn with his Knights of the Silver Hand. During the dialogue between Darion and Tirion, Alexandros's spirit appeared, and a dialogue between father and son - evidently a flashback of some kind - took place, where Alexandros mentioned that Darion would one day wield the Ashbringer. However, their reunion was cut short by the arrival of the Lich King, who claimed Alexandros's soul with Frostmourne.[12][13]
According to Eligor Dawnbringer's lecture in Wintergarde Keep, Alexandros "was the finest warrior that the Death Knights had ever seen". He then explained that after the events in Azeroth, the Highlord vanished without a trace, and Kel'Thuzad had to name Baron Rivendare in his place of the leader of the Four Horsemen.[14]
Following the fall of the Lich King at the Frozen Throne, one of the champions of Azeroth wielding Shadowmourne found Alexandros' Soul Shard in an Unsealed Chest taken from Arthas' corpse. When they returned it to Darion Mograine, Alexandros's spirit appeared for the final time, thanking his son for saving him from damnation, and explained that the memory of his sacrifice had been the only thing that allowed him to resist Frostmourne's torments, before finally disappearing.[15]
Shadowlands[]
After being freed from Frostmourne, Alexandros' soul was sent to the Shadowlands realm of Maldraxxus, home to the Necrolord Covenant. He felt only horror and rage when he first awoke in the realm, for he perceived the necrolords as being no different from the Scourge. However, Margrave Krexus of the House of the Chosen eventually showed him that the Maldraxxi were a force of honor and acclaim.[16][17] Mograine would choose to keep the title of Ashbringer in this new existence.[18] He rose through the ranks to become one of the two barons of the Chosen, the other being Vyraz. After he was named baron, he had Bonesmith Heirmir craft him a new sword called Fatebringer, modeled after the Ashbringer. Alexandros fought hard to come by some of the materials used in its crafting, including a skull of unknown origin.[19] At some point, Vyraz—who was secretly working with the traitorous House of Constructs and House of Rituals—betrayed Mograine and trapped him within the Maw, the realm of eternal torment.[18] Draka later took Mograine's place as baron.[20]
Blade of the Primus[]
A Maw Walker later arrived to Maldraxxus and began working with Draka, but while the two were away from the House of the Chosen, Vyraz worked with the Constructs to murder Krexus. When Draka and the outsider returned, Vyraz blamed the deed on the Constructs[21] and sent the Maw Walker to rescue Mograine from the Maw.[20] In truth, Vyraz did not expect the hero to return.[22] The hero traveled into the Maw and first rescued Darion Mograine, who had been captured during an earlier assault on the realm. The broker Ve'nari guided the two outsiders to Perdition Hold, where they found Alexandros being held captive. Darion was shocked by the revelation of the baron's identity, having been so focused on why they had travelled to the Shadowlands it hadn't occurred to him that he could possibly run into the souls of his family.[23][24] With Ve'nari's help, Darion and the Maw Walker freed Alexandros and brought him to Oribos, where he informed Draka and the hero of Vyraz's betrayal.[18] Before the Maw Walker and the two barons returned to Maldraxxus, Darion told his father that he would stand by his side once more when he could, and Alexandros promised his son that they would have time to speak again later.[22]
While Draka warned the Chosen's allies at the Seat of the Primus,[22] Alexandros and the Maw Walker confronted Vyraz at the House of the Chosen to punish him for his betrayal. However, the treacherous baron and his guards proved to be too powerful. Draka interrupted the battle to bring Alexandros and the Maw Walker to the Seat and defend it from Vyraz's allies.[25] The Maw Walker subsequently used the Blade of the Primus to open the way into the Seat, unleashing the Primus' power and forcing Vyraz's forces to retreat, as well as revealing a message from the Primus.[26]
Art of War[]
Alexandros remained stationed at the Seat. The necrolords later received word from Xandria, the kyrian Paragon of Courage, that the House of Constructs had sent reinforcements to Bastion to continue their earlier assault on the Temple of Courage. Alexandros volunteered to spearhead the defense of the temple alongside necrolord Maw Walkers in order to restore Maldraxxus' honor.[27] Xandria was highly distrustful of the necrolords and stated that she would only tolerate their presence if they helped defeat their treacherous kin. The Ashbringer and Maw Walkers disabled the Constructs' shields in the outer area of the temple,[28][29] then flew with Xandria to the edge of the Necrotic Wake—the ruined inner sanctum—where the Construct necromancers had created a toxic cloud preventing the kyrian from flying in en masse.[30] As Alexandros and the heroes went to work killing the necromancers, they heard the mocking voice of the Construct commander, Baroness Antolyte, an old rival of Mograine who was never able to defeat him in the arena.[31] Once the skies were cleared, Xandria and necrolords wiped out the Construct forces on the ground[32] and headed to the necropolis Zolramus, where they killed Antolyte.[33] As they returned to the temple's entrance, Xandria stated that her kin desired vengeance against the Constructs, and Alexandros replied that the necrolords would need time to prepare for such an assault.[34]
Before they returned to Maldraxxus, Alexandros asked Xandria why the Arbiter had not chosen for him to spend his afterlife in Bastion when he had spent his life in service to the Light. He wondered if it was because his faith hadn't been strong enough or if his soul had been tainted when he was raised as undead. Xandria replied that forces like the Light had no purchase in the Shadowlands and brought Alexandros to Agthia's Repose to discern the source of his courage.[17] By meditating on the repose's scrolls, Alexandros realized that it was the memory of his loved ones—not his devotion to the Light—that was the true source of his strength. If he had been chosen for Bastion, his memories of Elena, Renault, and Darion would've been deemed a burden and stripped from him, and thus the Arbiter decided that he belonged in Maldraxxus instead. The Maw Walkers subsequently returned to Draka with news of their victory over the Constructs, but Alexandros chose to stay a moment in Bastion to reflect[35][36] before accompanying Xandria to Archon's Rise to plan the attack on the Constructs.[37][38] He suggested to Xandria that the Construct ruler Margrave Gharmal's heart could be used to empower the kyrian's Crest of Ascension.[39] During the conversation, Xandria also told the Ashbringer about a Forsworn named "Uther".[38]
When the kyrian and necrolords attacked the House of Constructs with the necropolis Zerekriss, Alexandros and Emeni led the assault on the western gate while the Maw Walkers helped Xandria and the kyrian advance from the east.[40][41] Alexandros and Emeni's forces—including Bonesmith Heirmir and Plague Deviser Marileth—came under heavy bombardment from Gharmal's juggernauts of kyrian flesh, preventing them from advancing into the Stitchyard. Kynthia brought the Maw Walkers to the Ashbringer's position to assist him.[42] The juggernauts' hides were impervious to normal weapons, but Alexandros devised a plan to deal with them. First, he told the Maw Walkers to absorb the essences of Gharmal's minions into the Blade of the Primus.[43] Then, he and the heroes mounted his pet deathroc Marrow, headed into the sky above the Stitchyard, and unleashed the runeblade's power on the juggernauts to destroy them, thereby forcing Gharmal into the open.[44] With the attackers having gained control of the stronghold, Alexandros and the heroes joined Xandria at the central ripening pond[45] and engaged in combat with Gharmal in order to buy enough time for Draka to focus the Zerekriss' weaponry. While Xandria dueled the margrave directly, Alexandros and the heroes focused on holding off Gharmal's minions. The battle ended with Draka using the Zerekriss to fire a massive bolt of energy at the margrave, killing them.[46] Afterward, Alexandros convinced Xandria to take Gharmal's heart as he had suggested earlier.[39] Draka appeared shortly after to show the Ashbringer and necrolord Maw Walkers a troubling discovery she had made in Gharmal's private tower:[47][48] canisters of anima from Revendreth. Before leaving, she told the Ashbringer and heroes to search the rest of the tower for anything of value.[49] At the top of the structure, they discovered the Primus' Mantle of Eternal Victory,[50][51] which they took with them back to the Seat.[52]
Later, Alexandros accompanied the necrolords as they assaulted the stronghold of the House of Rituals in order to remove the influence of the traitor Kel'Thuzad. After breaking down the barriers blocking a side entrance into the stronghold, the necrolords pushed into the Grimoirium and confronted Kel'Thuzad's servant, Baroness Ninadar. After empowering herself with anima, Ninadar began battling Alexandros, Draka, and the Maw Walkers until they nearly defeated her, at which point she started draining even more anima and inadvertently destroyed herself in the process. The attackers continued to the Prime Arcanum, where they were unable to stop Kel'Thuzad from summoning a Maw Infernous but received sudden reinforcements from the Venthyr Covenant that allowed them to defeat the creature. The attackers pressed on to Exoramas, where Kel'Thuzad was waiting with the captive Margrave Sin'dane. Alexandros and the others spread out to hold off Kel'Thuzad's skeletal minions while the Maw Walkers dealt with the lich himself. After Kel'Thuzad escaped in defeat and the necrolords gained the allegiance of Sin'dane, Alexandros pointed out that there was still much to be done, such as making Vyraz answer for his treachery and dealing with Kel'Thuzad more permanently. Draka agreed but stated that for the time being, they should return to the Seat and savor their victory.[53]
Alexandros can be invited to participate in the Ember Court.
Chains of Domination[]
The Ashbringer accompanied the covenant forces who invaded the realm of Korthia and can be found at Keeper's Respite. He led the necrolords in the united covenant attack on Desmotaeron,[54] during which Draka, Thrall, and a Maw Walker rescued a number of Forsworn[55] and killed Vyraz.[56] Mograine then returned to the Seat with the Forsworn and some of the necrolords' old allies from Bastion to witness the Primus naming Draka the new Margrave of the Chosen. He told Maw Walkers that with Vyraz's death, his quest to purge the corruption from Maldraxxus was complete. However, honor demanded that the necrolords help other lands in need of assistance before they could start rebuilding.[57]
After the attack on the Sanctum of Domination, Darion joined his father at Keeper's Respite. The Mograines discussed Tirion Fordring, who had been the one to take up the Ashbringer and defeat the Lich King in battle. Alexandros commented that he could think of few people who were more worthy and that he disapproved of how Darion and the rest of the Ebon Blade had tried to raise Tirion as a Horseman, saying that it was not the legacy he had meant to leave for his son. Darion replied that Alexandros had taught him to defend what he held most dear, a legacy he was proud to uphold, and his father responded that he was proud of Darion in turn.[58]
With the Corrupted Ashbringer[]
Players who obtained the [Corrupted Ashbringer] from the original version of Naxxramas could take it to the Scarlet Monastery and see a special event in which Alexandros Mograine returned, killed his son, and frees Fairbanks' spirit from his undead form. With the updated lore in the comics and the expansion, however, this event and the information given by Fairbanks regarding the Ashbringer have mostly been retconned out.
Locations[]
Location | Level range | Reaction | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Military Quarter, Naxxramas | ?? Boss | Alliance Horde | As a boss encounter. |
Crusader's Chapel, Scarlet Monastery Cathedral | ?? Bsos | Alliance Horde | As part of the Corrupted Ashbringer Scarlet Monastery event in Classic-only. |
Southshore, Old Hillsbrad Foothills[35.6, 84.4] | 15-30 | Alliance Horde | As part of the Escape from Durnholde Keep. |
Light's Hope Chapel, Plaguelands: The Scarlet Enclave[38.8, 38.2] | 8-30 Elite | Alliance Horde | As part of [8-30] The Light of Dawn. |
Light's Hammer, Icecrown Citadel | 30 Elite | Alliance Horde | As part of [30] Mograine's Reunion. |
Maw; Oribos; Maldraxxus | 55 Elite | Alliance Horde | As part of the Maldraxxus storyline. |
Maldraxxus; Seat of the Primus; Bastion; Ember Court | 60 / ?? Elite | Alliance Horde | As part of the [Necrolords Campaign] and [Kyrian Campaign]. |
Keeper's Respite, Korthia[60.4, 28.6] | 60 Elite | Alliance Horde |
Abilities[]
- For his abilities from the Four Horsemen encounter, see Four Horsemen (Classic).
- During [53-60] In Death We Are Truly Tested
- Taunt — Taunts the target to attack the caster for 5 sec.
- Wake of Ashes — Stuns all enemies in front of the caster, rendering them unable to move or attack for 5 sec. Inflicts Shadowflame damage to all enemies in front of the caster.
- During [60] Death Rains and [60] Sustain, In Vain
In addition to the two listed above, he also has:
- Anima Mending — Calls upon Maldraxxi magic to heal an ally.
- Ashbringer — The Ashbringer has a chance to instantly destroy any lesser demon or undead creatures. Causes the enemy's corpse to look like a pile of ash.
Quests[]
Maldraxxus storyline[]
- [53-60] A Soul Saved
- [53-60] In Death We Are Truly Tested
Necrolords Campaign[]
- Do Not Forget
- [60] The Only Cure
- [60] Death Rains
- [60] Sustain, In Vain
- [60] No Peace In Death
- [60] The Golden Dawn
- A Golden Dawn
- [60] Trouble on the Western Front
- [60] Charging The Blade
- [60] Power of the Chosen
- [60] The End is Now
- [60] An Abominable Discovery
- [60] Gharmal's Tower
- [60] Prized Possession
- [60] The Mantle Returned
Kyrian Campaign[]
- Righteous Retribution
- [60] Trouble on the Western Front
- [60] Charging The Blade
- [60] Power of the Chosen
- [60] The End is Now
Korthia[]
- [60 Daily] Continued Efforts: Scholar's Den
Chains of Domination campaign[]
- Needs to be spoken with in [60] The Roads We Walk.
Quotes[]
Ashbringer comic[]
- Ready yourselves, men! If it is blood these green-skined heathens crave then it is blood they shall have! Come you, knights! Raise hammers, bare steel! We fight to the end, we die if we must! For Lordaeron! FOR THE KING! ATTACK!
- What I felt when I touched it... the Light coursed through me as never before, and I through it. It healed much more than my hand, it healed my spirit. So it will be: from this blessed crystal we will forge a weapon-- a weapon to cast down the undead.
- Take heart, Lord Commander. Hope remains, for I come bearing a weapon of war unlike any other. The Scourge has taken much from us, there is no denying that. But now, my brothers... the time has come to start taking back.
- Tell your master that a thousand of his minions will not suffice! I will deliver you all... and when I am done I will stand... AGAINST A THOUSAND MORE!
- Renault... Renault! I was wrong... about you, boy... you're nothing like... me...
- I love you, Elena! I always have loved you! I love you, Darion! I... Loved you, Renault.
- Light. Dark. Two sides of the same coin. I was righteous once... But now... now, boy, that worm has turned. I am no longer what I once was. I am the shadow now. I am the void.
- Betrayal... You know a great deal about betrayal... son. (Beheads Renault) You are forgiven.
- I love you, son. With all that I am... All I was... All I ever will be. My soul will forever bear the weight of your sacrifice, my son. And just as you never gave up on me, I shall never give up on you. For you've taught me the most valuable lesson of all: Hope... Never dies.
World of Warcraft[]
- Main article: Four Horsemen (Classic)#Quotes
- Main article: Corrupted Ashbringer#Will of the Ashbringer
- Main article: Corrupted Ashbringer/Scarlet Monastery Event#Event Script
The Burning Crusade[]
- Main article: Ashbringer/Old Hillsbrad Ashbringer event
Wrath of the Lich King[]
- Main article: The Light of Dawn (quest)#Quest dialogue
- Main article: Mograine's Reunion#Notes
Shadowlands[]
Dialogue[]
- Maldraxxus storyline
- Main article: Delving Deeper#Notes
- Main article: Wake of Ashes (quest)#Notes
- Main article: Maw Walker (quest)#Notes
- Main article: A Soul Saved#Notes
- Main article: In Death We Are Truly Tested#Notes
- Necrolords Campaign
- Main article: Power of the Primus#Notes
- Main article: No Rest For the Dead#Notes
- Main article: The Only Cure#Notes
- Main article: Death Rains#Notes
- Main article: No Hesitation, No Surrender#Notes
- Main article: Peace by Piece#Notes
- Main article: Don't Cross Courage#Notes
- Main article: Aerial Absolution#Notes
- Main article: The Last Labor#Notes
- Main article: Afterlife Goes On#Notes
- Main article: No Peace In Death#Notes
- Main article: All I Ever Will Be#Notes
- Main article: Do Not Forget#Notes
- Main article: Fight and Flight (Necrolord)#Notes
- Main article: Trouble on the Western Front (Necrolord)#Notes
- Main article: Power of the Chosen (Necrolord)#Notes
- Main article: The End is Now (Necrolord)#Notes
- Main article: Pursuit of Justice (Necrolord)#Notes
- Main article: An Abominable Discovery#Notes
- Main article: Gharmal's Tower (quest)#Notes
- Main article: The Third Fall of Kel'Thuzad#Notes
- Kyrian Campaign
- Main article: A Perilous Journey#Notes
- Main article: Fight and Flight (Kyrian)#Notes
- Main article: Trouble on the Western Front (Kyrian)#Notes
- Main article: Power of the Chosen (Kyrian)#Notes
- Main article: The End is Now (Kyrian)#Notes
- Main article: Pursuit of Justice (Kyrian)#Notes
- Main article: Take Heart#Notes
- Main article: Return to the Hold#Notes
- Chains of Domination campaign
- Main article: A Job Done Right#Notes
- Main article: The Roads We Walk#Notes
- Seat of the Primus conversations (triggered by talking to Baroness Draka)
- Alexandros Mograine says: Baroness, your original night elf form was restored in the afterlife, was it not? Why abandon it for one akin to the naga?
- Baroness Vashj says: When I was kaldorei, I was but a handmaiden to my queen. Prized for my beauty, and little else. As a naga, I was recognized and rewarded for my cunning and resolve.
- Baroness Vashj says: But I could ask the same question of you. Why adopt the form of a feeble human, when so many stronger ones exist?
- Alexandros Mograine says: This is the form I had when purging countless undead on Azeroth. But I suppose your point stands.
- Baroness Draka says: Have you children, Alexandros?
- Alexandros Mograine says: I do. Two sons. One betrayed me to the Scourge. The other sacrificed himself to free me.
- Alexandros Mograine says: I saw him again, just recently, in the Maw. He too has risen as a death knight. He too fights to defend our world.
- Baroness Draka says: You must be proud. My son was a mere babe when traitors struck me down. I fought to my last breath to save him. But I... do not know if he survived.
- Alexandros Mograine says: If he is of your blood, Draka, then I have no doubt that he did.
- Baroness Draka says: Krexus spoke highly of you, Ashbringer. He did not offer praise lightly.
- Alexandros Mograine says: He forged my strength into victories I thought impossible. I will rip out Vyraz's blackened heart for betraying him.
- Alexandros Mograine says: It pleases me to know you served Krexus well. He admired your spirit even when you answered to Akarek.
- Baroness Draka says: We both learned much from him. And together, we shall see him avenged.
- Baroness Vashj says: Mograine. Given your personal history with the undead, you must find Maldraxxus... distasteful.
- Alexandros Mograine says: Slaying the undead was my life's purpose. To be surrounded by them in death... I found myself in the midst of a nightmare.
- Alexandros Mograine says: It was Margrave Krexus who showed me that our army is one of honor and acclaim. But the actions of our enemies echo those of the Scourge.
- Baroness Vashj says: Then perhaps your life's purpose shall continue.
- On approach in the Bleak Redoubt if part of the Venthyr Covenant and are not a Friend or higher
- Approach freely, Maw Walker.
- On approach in the Bleak Redoubt if part of the Venthyr Covenant and are a Friend or higher
- What news of battles across the Shadowlands, friend?
- On approach in the Bleak Redoubt if part of the Venthyr Covenant and are a Best Friend
- Ah, <name>. How is my favorite Maw Walker today?
- Keeper's Respite after [60] Covenants Renewed (triggered by talking to Darion)
- Alexandros Mograine says: So Tirion Fordring took up the Ashbringer in my absence? I can think of few more worthy.
- Highlord Darion Mograine says: Indeed. He met the Lich King in battle and shattered Frostmourne itself.
- Alexandros Mograine says: And yet you sought to raise him into undeath. Why deny him the rest he had earned?
- Highlord Darion Mograine says: I once told Tirion that only a silver hand can wield an ebon blade.
- Highlord Darion Mograine says: We needed a fourth horseman, one to lead the others. He seemed the right choice.
- Alexandros Mograine says: It appears fate chose differently. This is not the legacy I meant to leave you, Darion.
- Highlord Darion Mograine says: You taught me to defend that which I hold dear. I am proud to carry on such a legacy.
- Alexandros Mograine says: And I am proud of you, my son.
On-click[]
- Greetings
- Even in death, we must fight.
- My blade is ready.
- Orders?
- This land festers. We must cauterize the wound.
- We have little time to waste.
- What do you need?
- What is my task?
- Irritated
- Cease your prattling!
- I have little patience for these games!
- I AM NOT ABOVE TURNING YOU TO ASH!
- Farewell
- Ambition is nothing without honor.
- Ashes to ashes.
- Krexus' will be done.
- I await the next battle.
- I will not suffer this corruption any longer!
- It is in death that we are truly tested.
- Trample our enemies! Leave nothing but ash.
Gossip[]
- Seat of the Primus after [53-60] The Door to the Unknown
- This corruption... I had come to expect as much from the vile force of Death.
- I felt only horror when I awoke here. Horror and rage. But in time, Margrave Krexus showed me that the Maldraxxi were not the Scourge: honor presided among the Chosen.
- But he has been slain by his own subordinate. The other margraves advance upon us. The hunger for dominance has starved what little honor remained.
- I will purge this wretched place.
- Seat of the Primus (Covenant Sanctum version)
- The fire within me shall only be quelled by justice.
- The Stitchyard during Righteous Retribution/A Golden Dawn
- Margrave Gharmal will die this day.
- Keeper's Respite
- Our campaign in Korthia is particularly challenging. We need all the assistance we can get.
- Bleak Redoubt, if part of the Venthyr Covenant and are a Friend or higher
- Is your experience in the Shadowlands your first time leading, <name>?
- I doubt it from the way you handle yourself. Leadership is a burden few bear correctly the first time.
- I have heard the other guests gossiping at court, displeased with some choice or another that you made. As if the entirety our[sic] the Shadowlands revolved around their whims.
- Do not let their words discourage you.
- Chart a path to victory, and lead us there. They will understand eventually.
- Bleak Redoubt, if part of the Venthyr Covenant and are a Best Friend
- <Name>. Without fail, I am reminded of my old life on Azeroth whenever we meet.
- When all of this is over and we are celebrating our victories around the feasting table, I shall have questions for you.
- But, for now, we must remain focused on the task at hand.
- Too much is at stake to avert our gaze from the enemy, even for a moment.
- At the Ember Court
- I am accustomed neither to the prattle of socialites nor the opulence of royalty.
- <Alexandros's face softens as he loosens his grip on his weapon.>
- But I am thankful for a moment's rest. Even the strongest warrior must be allowed to regroup between battles.
- I will use this time to recharge and recommit myself to the fight that remains.
- Krexus's will be done.
- If the player uses the [Quill of Correspondence], he responds with a Letter
- Main article: Quill of Correspondence
In Hearthstone[]
- Alexandros appears as a legendary card for the Death knight class in the March of the Lich King expansion. His flavor text reads: "Mo' graine, mo' problems."
Notes and trivia[]
- Alexandros used to wear the helm [Justice Gaze].
- Korfax watched Mograine crack open the skulls of the undead with [Dreadnaught Sabatons] during the Third War.[59]
- A passage from Alexandros' libram reads: My brothers, my sisters, join me now in battle, join me now in victory, and we shall ride forth to the Light’s embrace together.[60]
- Alexandros is remembered by the Silver Hand and his statue is located in the Sanctum of Light. His plaque says: The beginning of a legend still spoken of in hushed whispers. His memory will never be forgotten, just as the forces of darkness will never forget his blade.
- The testimony of Fairbanks, before his execution by the Scarlet Crusade, was later written in the Libram of Ancient Kings and allowed the Knights of the Silver Hand to learn the truth about his murder by his own son.[61]
- Alexandros' generic name during [60] Death Rains and [60] Sustain, In Vain is Righteous Blademaster. Unlike many other generic versions of NPCs, the Righteous Blademaster retains Alexandros' appearance.
- Alexandros is voiced by Marc Graue in Wrath of the Lich King and Richard Epcar in Shadowlands.
- In World of Warcraft, it was stated that Alexandros Mograine was known as the "Scarlet Highlord"[62][63][64][65][66] and was one of the three founders of the Scarlet Crusade.[67] The Ashbringer comic depicts the formation of the Crusade occurring after Alexandros' death, in which case he would have never been a member.
- According to A Cleansing Fire, Alexandros died four years after the death of Terenas.[68] In the current timeline his death occurred two years after Terenas' death.
- During the days of The Burning Crusade it was a common speculation that David Wayne would eventually end up being revealed as the second son of Alexandros. It all began with the Corrupted Ashbringer Scarlet Monastery event which mentioned another Mograine living in Outland and who might be able to forge Ashbringer anew. David's relative youth for a member of the Sons of Lothar, his isolation, his blacksmithing skills and dialogs all led people to think he was the one High Inquisitor Fairbanks was speaking about, but Wrath of the Lich King eventually revealed that the other son was actually Darion Mograine. The Ashbringer sword was thus purified by the Light of Dawn instead of being recreated.
- An unused NPC representing a modern version of Alexandros Mograine was added roughly at the same time as matching versions of the three other original Horsemen, all presumably meant to appear in World of Warcraft: Legion. He and these other NPCs didn't make it out of the Legion alpha stage. It is notable that Mograine was still called "The Ashbringer" and that he was wearing the Dreadnaught's Battlegear set, an armor that was originally made exclusively for him.[69]
- The Dreadnaught's Battlegear set can be briefly seen in the Ashbringer comic, worn by Mograine's ghost.
- During the patch 9.1 PTR, Alexandros mistakenly appeared in the Sanctum of Domination as one of the Ebon Blade's Four Horsemen in place of Darion. This version of Alexandros used his Shadowlands model with Fatebringer equipped, but with the title of <Horseman of the Ebon Blade> and riding Darion's Crimson Deathcharger. Lead Narrative Designer Steve Danuser confirmed that this was a PTR bug,[70] and it was corrected prior to the patch's release.
Gallery[]
Alexandros in Old Hillsbrad Foothills.
Statue in the Sanctum of Light.
- Fan art
Mograine by Pulyx45699.
Patch changes[]
- Patch 9.0.2 (2020-11-17): Added to the Shadowlands.
- Patch 3.0.3 (2008-11-04): Replaced by Baron Rivendare, now seen as a ghost.
- Patch 1.11.0 (2006-06-19): Added.
References[]
- ^ World of Warcraft: Ashbringer, pg. 20
- ^ a b c d e f Death is Contagious
- ^ [60R] The Fate of Ramaladni
- ^ Corrupted Ashbringer/Scarlet Monastery Event
- ^ a b Ashes to Ashes
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 101
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 103
- ^ WoW Classic: Naxxramas is Now Live!
- ^ Naxxramas
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 130
- ^ Dust to Dust
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 174
- ^ [The Light of Dawn]
- ^ Eligor Dawnbringer#Dragonblight
- ^ [30] Mograine's Reunion
- ^ Shadowlands quotes
- ^ a b [60] No Peace In Death
- ^ a b c [53-60] Maw Walker
- ^ Bonesmith Heirmir#Quotes
- ^ a b [53-60] The Maw
- ^ [53-60] Among the Chosen
- ^ a b c [53-60] A Soul Saved
- ^ [53-60] Delving Deeper
- ^ [53-60] A Bond Beyond Death
- ^ [53-60] In Death We Are Truly Tested
- ^ [53-60] The Door to the Unknown
- ^ [60] The Only Cure
- ^ [60] No Hesitation, No Surrender
- ^ [60] Peace by Piece
- ^ [60] Don't Cross Courage
- ^ [60] Aerial Absolution
- ^ [60] Wipe the Slate Clean
- ^ [60] The Last Labor
- ^ [60] Afterlife Goes On
- ^ [60] All I Ever Will Be
- ^ [60] Do Not Forget
- ^ [60] An Expected Visitor
- ^ a b [60] A Perilous Journey
- ^ a b [60] Take Heart
- ^ [60] Stronger Together
- ^ [60] Fight and Flight/ [60] Fight and Flight
- ^ [60] Trouble on the Western Front/ [60] Trouble on the Western Front
- ^ [60] Charging The Blade/ [60] Charging The Blade
- ^ [60] Power of the Chosen/ [60] Power of the Chosen
- ^ [60] The End is Now/ [60] The End is Now
- ^ [60] Pursuit of Justice/ [60] Pursuit of Justice
- ^ [60] Pursuit of Justice
- ^ [60] Return to the Hold
- ^ [60] An Abominable Discovery
- ^ [60] Gharmal's Tower
- ^ [60] Prized Possession
- ^ [60] The Mantle Returned
- ^ [60] The Third Fall of Kel'Thuzad
- ^ [60] A Job Done Right
- ^ [60] Forsworn and Forgotten
- ^ [60] A Traitor's Due
- ^ [60] The Roads We Walk
- ^ [60] Covenants Renewed
- ^ [60R] Dreadnaught Sabatons
- ^ We Ride Forth
- ^ Libram of Ancient Kings
- ^ Dreadnaught's Battlegear#Notes
- ^ [Nat Pagle's Guide to Extreme Anglin']
- ^ Eligor Dawnbringer#Light's Hope Chapel
- ^ [Corrupted Ashbringer]
- ^ [Ashbringer]
- ^ Corrupted Ashbringer/Scarlet Monastery Event#Dialogue with Fairbanks
- ^ Legends Volume 5: A Cleansing Fire
- ^ Dreadnaught's Battlegear#Notes
- ^ Steve Danuser on Twitter (2021-05-07). Retrieved on 2021-05-13. “Have y'all not played the chapter where Alexandros resigns from the necrolords after being brought back to life, only to be murdered by his long-lost third son Bruce and raised as a death knight yet again? No? Just a PTR bug that will be fixed, then. ;)”
External links[]
Alexandros Mograine | Naxxramas ghost | Scarlet Monastery ghost | Old Hillsbrad | Generic names | Ember Court faction | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Preceded by: Uther Lightbringer |
Position: Leader of the Silver Hand |
Succeeded by: Tirion Fordring |
Preceded by: Sword forged |
Position: Wielder of the Ashbringer |
Succeeded by: Darion Mograine |
Preceded by: Possibly Sir Zeliek |
Position: Leader of the Four Horsemen |
Succeeded by: Baron Rivendare |
Preceded by: Baroness Draka |
Position: Baron of the House of the Chosen |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |