Battle for Light's Hope Chapel | |||||||||||
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Location | Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands | ||||||||||
Result |
Tactical Argent Dawn victory
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Next | Battle for the Ebon Hold |
The Battle for Light's Hope Chapel,[1][2][3] also known as the Second Battle for Light's Hope Chapel,[4][5] was one of the most significant confrontations of the war against the Scourge; it serves as the conclusion of the death knight introductory quest chain.[6]
Following the annihilation of the Scarlet Crusade at New Avalon and Havenshire, the only bastion of resistance against the undead in the Plaguelands was the Argent Dawn at Light's Hope Chapel. The Lich King, summoning additional forces from Hearthglen and Tirisfal, sent his death knights to lead the assault, with their greatest objective being to draw out the noble Tirion Fordring; by destroying this legendary figure, the Lich King hoped to erode the resolve of the Argent Dawn and the defenders of Azeroth before the next stage of his campaigns.[7] Ten thousand Scourge troops were assembled for this task, led by the death knights Highlord Darion Mograine, wielding the [Corrupted Ashbringer], leads Orbaz Bloodbane, Koltira Deathweaver, Thassarian. Their foes were a comparatively few three hundred defenders of the Light and what remained of the Argent Dawn's leadership, assembled at the Chapel.
The Scourge proved successful in their initial objective, annihilating a third of the Argent Dawn's defenders before Tirion emerged to confront Mograine directly. Assisted by paladins of the Silver Hand, Fordring's unmatched command of the Light slew untold numbers of the Lich King's servants and broke the assault. Mograine, defeated, ordered his remaining forces to stand down as Fordring berated him for the monster he had become, a servant of rot and pestilence rather than the noble knight that Tirion had once known.[7]
Suddenly The Ashbringer, Alexandros Mograine, appeared. Darion, shocked at his father's arrival, became a shade of his past and relived the conversation he had with Alexandros when he decided to join the war against the Lich King. As Alexandros says that one day Darion will wield the Ashbringer, the Lich King appears and banishes Alexandros to the abyss. When Darion comes back to himself, the Lich King revealed that the attack on Light's Hope Chapel was merely a ploy to strike at Tirion. Realizing the depths of his betrayal, Darion was enraged that he had been used as fodder, and he lashed out at his master with his wrath. However, the Lich King easily cast him aside, and incapacitated Darion and the other death knights.[7]
Fordring, also surprised at the turn of events, comes forward in preparation to attack the Lich King. However, Fordring revealing himself is exactly what the Lich King had planned as he incapacitates Tirion and began to drain his soul with Frostmourne.[7] Lord Maxwell Tyrosus calls in the order to attack and the remaining Defenders of the Light all charge in, followed shortly by the Argent Dawn leadership, all of whom are batted away and stunned in the process.
As the Lich King taunts his nigh-inevitable victory, Darion resisted his master's control just enough to give Tirion Fordring the corrupted Ashbringer. The paladin drew upon the power of the Light and cleansed the blade in a blinding flash of energy. With the restored Ashbringer at his command, Tirion charges toward the Lich King to fight him. Aware that even he stands little chance against the Ashbringer near the Chapel, the Lich King retreats, promising that the next time he meets Fordring, it will not be on holy ground.
The battle concluded, Fordring walks over to where Darion is lying and brings him back to consciousness. The paladins of the Argent Dawn and the Order of the Silver Hand had a new champion to rally behind, and while he laments the loss of souls on both sides of the conflict, Tirion calls for a merger of the Argent Dawn and the Order of the Silver Hand into a single faction named the Argent Crusade. The Highlord then vowed to use their combined force to attack and destroy the Lich King.[7]
At the same time, most of the death knights on the field that day had been liberated from the Lich King's control. Darion Mograine rallied these free-willed death knights and bestowed upon them a new name, the Knights of the Ebon Blade.
Forces[]
- 10,000 total
- ~10 Flesh Behemoths
- ~1,000 Rampaging Abominations
- ~8,500 Volatile Ghouls
- ~500 Warriors of the Frozen Wastes
- 300 total
Notes[]
The Battle for Light's Hope Chapel is also the name for the battle in which the Scourge attacked the Chapel when Darion Mograine sacrificed himself. His body and weapon were then collected by the Scourge.[8]
Gallery[]
The battle as seen in Death Knight.
References[]
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