- For his pre-Wrath of the Lich King encounter, see Four Horsemen (Classic).
 Alexandros Mograine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title |
The Ashbringer, Highlord, Scourge of the Scourge,[1] Commander, Baron |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Human (Undead) |
| Class | Death Knight, Paladin (formerly) |
| Affiliation(s) | House of the Chosen |
| Former affiliation(s) | Scourge, Knights of the Silver Hand, Kingdom of Lordaeron,[2] Alliance of Lordaeron |
| Occupation | Baron of the House of the Chosen |
| Former occupation(s) | Former Knight of the Silver Hand and champion of Kel'Thuzad |
| Location | Various |
| Status | Deceased |
| Relative(s) | Elena (wife), Renault, Darion (sons) |
| Student(s) | Ramaladni[3] |
| Companion(s) | Fairbanks (advisor)[2] |
Alexandros Mograine, also known as the Ashbringer,[4] was one of the leaders of the Silver Hand and the original wielder of the Ashbringer. He was murdered by his son Renault with the sword and raised as a death knight by Kel'Thuzad. He was originally encountered in Naxxramas as the leader of the Four Horsemen, but was replaced by Baron Rivendare in Wrath of the Lich King.
Background
The Ashbringer
During the siege of Blackrock Spire in the Second War, Highlord Mograine of the Silver Hand witnessed an orcish warlock channeling magic through a dark orb. After the warlock's death, Mograine went to claim it for the Alliance, but his hand was badly mangled as soon as he touched it. Though describing the orb as the "living embodiment of shadow," he was still curious as to what power it might hold and kept it in an iron chest.
Mograine kept the orb a secret until the Scourge reached Lordaeron. He revealed it to several other members of the Silver Hand, suggesting that they search for the orb's polar opposite - a manifestation of the Holy Light itself - to be used against the impending undead holocaust. Mograine's peers, appalled at the sight of this dark crystal, attempted to destroy it with a holy spell. Unexpectedly, the crystal absorbed the spell and became its antithesis, the very crystal of pure light that Mograine suggested moments before, and even restored life to his mangled hand. It was decided that from this crystal a weapon would be forged that would smite the undead with such power that only a cloud of ash would remain in its wake — The Ashbringer.
Under the command of Saidan Dathrohan, Mograine and Fairbanks traveled to Ironforge to ask King Magni Bronzebeard to forge the mighty blade. Magni, having only just learned of his brother's apparent demise, was more than willing to craft a weapon to battle the undead, and described it as the greatest creation wrought by his hand.
Mograine and the other Knights of the Silver Hand banded together to continue the war against the Lich King during the next years. Alexandros was appointed Highlord and the Ashbringer was the Order's greatest weapon. However, the blade caught the attention of Kel'Thuzad. Striking a deal with Balnazzar, who had covertly taken control of the Order by possessing Dathrohan and wished to use it against the Lich King, the two planned to kill him. To do so, Balnazzar corrupted Mograine's son Renault and had him lead his father into a trap. Renault led his father and High Inquisitor Fairbanks to Stratholme where an army of undead waited for them. Renault fled and Fairbanks, being the first to fall, was trapped under the pile of undead corpses. Mograine stood alone against the undead, yet managed to destroy all sent at him. In fatigue, Alexandros dropped his blade. Renault returned and killed Mograine with his own sword, corrupting the Ashbringer. Unable to use the blade, Renault left it with his father's corpse.
However, Kel'Thuzad raised the Ashbringer's corpse turning him into a death knight of the Scourge, and reclaimed his blade. Kel'Thuzad took Mograine back to Naxxramas to have him serve as one of the Four Horsemen. Later, led by nightmares of his father's tortured soul, Darion led a small group of Argent Dawn members into Naxxramas to free him. Darion was the only one to survive the assault, escaping with the blade but forced to leave his father's body behind.
When Darion returned to the Scarlet Monastery with the blade, Alexandros's corrupted spirit manifested and confronted Renault, accusing him of murder before mercilessly killing him. Later, during a Scourge assault on Light's Hope Chapel, Darion plunged the Ashbringer into his own chest in an act of self-sacrifice that obliterated the Scourge armies and seemingly freed Alexandros's soul of the Scourge's corruption. In doing so, however, Darion damned himself into undeath and was escorted off the battlefield by Kel'Thuzad.
Alexandros wielding The Ashbringer.
Alexandros fighting the Scourge.
Alexandros stands amongst the Four Horsemen and Kel'Thuzad.
Alexandros' death depicted in A Cleansing Fire.
Wrath of the Lich King
During the 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 but he was defeated by Tirion Fordring. 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. Alexandros mentioned that Darion would one day wield Ashbringer. However, their reunion was cut short by the arrival of the Lich King, who claimed Alexandros's soul with Frostmourne.
As a result of his story advancement since his original in-game appearance, Alexandros did not return in Naxxramas with the rest of the Four Horsemen. According to Commander Eligor Dawnbringer's lecture in Wintergarde Keep, Alexandros "was the finest warrior that the Death Knights had ever seen. However, after the events in Azeroth, he vanished without a trace. Kel'Thuzad has appointed Baron Rivendare in his place."
In the 
[Unsealed Chest] taken from the Lich King after he is defeated by a raid in which someone is wielding 
[Shadowmourne], an item known as 
[Alexandros' Soul Shard] is found. When returned to Darion, Alexandros's spirit appears for the final time, thanking Darion for saving him from damnation.
Afterlife
Following his death, Alexandros's spirit came to reside within Maldraxxus of the Shadowlands which is ruled by the Necrolords' Covenant. He wields a maldraxxian sword called Fatebringer.[5]
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
| Notable appearances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Level range | Health range |
| Four Horsemen (Classic) | ?? | 2,160,000 |
| Old Hillsbrad Foothills | 52 | 2,371 |
  [8-30] The Light of Dawn
|
?? | 13,945,000 |
| [30] Mograine's Reunion
|
?? | 13,945,000 |
Quotes
Ashbringer comic
Mograine during Battle for Light's Hope Chapel.
- 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!
- I love you, Elena! I always have loved you!
- I love you, Darion!
- I... Loved you, Renault.
At Light's Hope Chapel:
- 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
Notes and trivia
- Alexandros used to wear the helm [Justice Gaze].
- 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.
- In World of Warcraft, it was stated that Alexandros Mograine was known as the "Scarlet Highlord"[6][7][8][9][10] and was one of the three founders of the Scarlet Crusade.[11] The Ashbringer comic would depict the formation of the Crusade occurring after Alexandros' death, in which case he would have never been a member.
- Alexandros can be seen during the Old Hillsbrad Ashbringer event.
- Alexandros is voiced by Marc Graue.
- 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.[12]
- The Dreadnaught's Battlegear set can be briefly seen in the Ashbringer comic, worn by Mograine's ghost.
- According to A Cleansing Fire, Alexandros died four years after the death of Terenas.[13] In the current timeline his death occurred two years after Terenas' death.
Gallery
- Official
Mograine as a death knight in Naxxramas.
Alexandros in Old Hillsbrad Foothills.
Mograine in Darion's flashback.
Mograine in Icecrown Citadel.
Mograine's ghost wearing the Dreadnaught's Battlegear in the comic.
- Fan art
Mograine by Pulyx45699.
Patch changes
- 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 Death is Contagious
- ^ [60R] The Fate of Ramaladni
- ^ Corrupted Ashbringer/Scarlet Monastery Event
- ^ Wowhead - Shadowlands Lore Interview with Lead Narrative Designer Steve Danuser - Elune, Sylvanas, Calia
- ^ Dreadnaught's Battlegear#Notes
- ^ [Nat Pagle's Guide to Extreme Anglin']
- ^ Eligor Dawnbringer#Light's Hope Chapel
- ^ [Corrupted Ashbringer]
- ^ Ashbringer (GM item)
- ^ Corrupted Ashbringer/Scarlet Monastery Event#Dialogue with Fairbanks
- ^ Dreadnaught's Battlegear#Notes
- ^ Legends Volume 5: A Cleansing Fire
External links
| Preceded by: Uther Lightbringer |
Position: Leader of the Silver Hand |
Succeeded by: Tirion Fordring |
| Preceded by: Possibly Sir Zeliek |
Position: Leader of the Four Horsemen |
Succeeded by: Baron Rivendare |
| Preceded by: Sword forged |
Position: Wielder of the Ashbringer |
Succeeded by: Darion Mograine |