- "Dreadlord" redirects here. For the Warcraft III hero, see Dreadlord (Warcraft III). For other uses, see Dreadlord (disambiguation).
Nathrezim | |
---|---|
Faction/Affiliation | Mawsworn, Burning Legion, Illidari, Army of the Light, Silver Hand, Independent |
Character classes |
Warlock,[1] Necromancer,[2] Arcanist,[3] Paladin[4] |
Racial leader(s) | Sire Denathrius |
Formerly | Tichondrius |
Racial mount | Nightmare |
Homeworld |
Revendreth (original) Nathreza (adopted) |
Area(s) | Shadowlands; Twisting Nether; Great Dark Beyond; Argus; Azeroth; Outland; Draenor |
Language(s) | Nathrezim, Eredun |
“That's the problem with the Nathrezim - at least an infernal has the courtesy of announcing its presence.”
- — Thalanir Dawnrise, sin'dorei scholar[5]
The nathrezim, also called dreadlords[6][7] or dread lords[8][9] in the Common tongue,[10] are a race of cruel and cunning Death beings who were created by Sire Denathrius to be the greatest spies and infiltrators in all of reality.[11][12] In their native language, they refer to themselves as thal'kituun, meaning unseen guests;[10] for this reason, they are also called the unseen ones[13] or the Unseen.[11] These incredibly powerful vampiric beings are masters of dark sorcery and are deadly foes on the battlefield, but they generally prefer to manipulate and undermine their enemies from the shadows.[6][14]
Sire Denathrius, the ruler of the realm of Revendreth in the Shadowlands, originally created the nathrezim for the purpose of spreading the influence of Death throughout the cosmos by infiltrating the other cosmic forces.[11] As such, they are closely related to the venthyr.[15][16] Denathrius later pretended to exile the dreadlords from the Shadowlands, but they secretly remained in service to him and his ally, Zovaal the Jailer.[16] Many nathrezim became demons and settled on the world of Nathreza in the Twisting Nether, later becoming prominent members of the Burning Legion in which they served as the trusted lieutenants of Kil'jaeden the Deceiver,[6] all while secretly working to further Denathrius' plans.[16]
During the Third War, the dreadlords served Kil'jaeden and Archimonde as the jailors of the Lich King and commanders of the Undead Scourge on Azeroth. They played prominent roles in many of the Legion's subsequent campaigns (even after Nathreza was largely destroyed by Illidan Stormrage) particularly during the Legion's third invasion of Azeroth. Finally, the unseen guests returned in force to the Shadowlands after eons of supposed exile, openly revealing their allegiance to Denathrius and the Jailer and aiding them in their efforts to remake reality.
Description[]
Nathrezim are enormous, imposing beings, taller than both felguard and doomguard. Curled horns thrust from their skulls, which also possess glowing eyes and sharp canines jutting out of their mouths. They are equipped with large bat wings, powerful goatlike legs that bend backwards and end in cloven hooves, and fingers adorned with long, bladelike claws. Some have dead, gray skin like that of a corpse, while some others have blue-gray skin resembling animated stone. Some dreadlords have no hair on their heads at all,[2][17] while others possess sideburns as well as shaggy fur on their legs and forearms. Their blood is dark in color.[18]
Nathrezim are "psychic vampires" who feed on the energies of mortal creatures and often use their victims as slaves.[2][19] They also enjoy eating mortal hearts.[20] Dreadlords have a near-unparalleled capacity for working magic[21] and are even more skilled at it than the eredar.[2] In combat, they wield the powers of dark magic and mental domination, allowing them to summon frightening illusions and take control of mortal minds. They can summon swarms of bats and carrion insects to attack their foes, use hypnosis to put enemies into a sudden, trance-like sleep, and summon infernals to crash down from the sky and do their bidding.[6][22]
However, while dreadlords are powerful foes on the battlefield and have been known to revel in combat, they generally prefer to turn nations against each other through manipulation from the shadows.[6][14] As they are beings of magic, they can—with enough effort and patience—alter their own natures.[23] They are masters of infiltration and illusion[24] who are capable of shapeshifting and disguising themselves as a variety of beings,[12][25][26][27][28][29] and their cunning rivals even the best veterans of the Maldraxxi's House of Eyes.[30] They seem to be wholly adaptable to their surroundings and specialize in gaining the trust of the very forces they are sent to undermine.[31] They utilize terror and subterfuge, often turning brother against brother as whole worlds fall before their dark influence.[19] Disguised dreadlords like to communicate with each other through magical written messages concealed by a simple cantrip spell, invisible to the average observer.[32] It is possible to see through and dispel their disguises using tools like an Orb of Revelation[12] or Tonal Jammer.[33] Nathrezim, in turn, are sharp-eyed enough to see through at least some invisibility spells.[34]
In addition to magically changing their own appearance, dreadlords can physically possess the bodies of mortals, as exemplified by Balnazzar possessing the corpse of Saidan Dathrohan[10] and Mal'Ganis possessing Barean Westwind.[35] In both cases, the dreadlords expressed distaste over having to hide inside the weak "shell" of a human, but they could change back into their true form at will.[35][36]
The dreadlords who serve the Burning Legion typically act as intelligence agents, interrogators, and secret police,[14][19] as well as the elite guard and personal agents of Kil'jaeden the Deceiver.[37][38] They are also skilled weaponsmiths, with their most notable creation being the runeblade Apocalypse.[39] Many of the Legion's most powerful weapons were created at the Cursed Forge of the Nathrezim.[40] They are a step below pit lords in the Legion's hierarchy.[41] Powerful nathrezim on Nathreza were served by retinues of hundreds of lesser demons, and their status was marked by glowing runes on their armor.[42] The dreadlords' capital on Nathreza consisted of a city of basalt towers, palaces where they planned the destruction and enslavement of worlds, and a huge windowless tower[21] containing their great archive, where they stored records of all of the Legion's campaigns. This archive was their monument and the living memory of their race, and nathrezim schemed to have their names imprinted there.[42]
As with other demons, killing a demonic nathrezim outside the Twisting Nether will simply send them back to the Nether to regenerate in a new body.[43][44] It is forbidden for one of the nathrezim to kill another. This law has been broken at least twice: once by Varimathras when he was ordered to kill his brother Balnazzar by Sylvanas Windrunner,[45] and another time when Balnazzar attempted to kill Lothraxion.[46]
History[]
Origins[]
“You call me demon because that is what we wanted you to believe we were, a deception that took millennia to unfold. But in truth, the nathrezim were formed by the hand of Sire Denathrius of Revendreth, a true ally of the Jailer’s cause for longer than you can comprehend.”
The nathrezim originate from Revendreth, one of the infinite realms of the Shadowlands, the afterlife. They were created countless ages ago by Revendreth's ruler Sire Denathrius and were unveiled by him just after he sired the first venthyr of the Court of Harvesters. The nathrezim inhabited the southwestern ward of Revendreth,[11] which was ruled by Denathrius' firstborn son Prince Renathal,[47] and the abandoned Spire of the Unseen Guests in Sinfall is still named after them. Since they were both created directly by the Sire, the original venthyr are in many ways more closely related to the nathrezim than they are to the venthyr that were later created from mortal souls,[15] and the nathrezim still view Renathal as their brother.[48]
Having forged them to be the ultimate infiltrators, Denathrius tasked the nathrezim with infiltrating the realms of the other cosmic forces as well as mortal worlds in the physical universe in order to spread the influence of Death.[11] Enemy Infiltration - Preface, a dreadlord[31][49] report addressed to Denathrius, describes how the author's kind planned to manipulate the other forces, including:
- Order: Fracturing the titan Pantheon of Order by showing them a force that opposes their drive to impose structure on everything they see.
- Void: Taking advantage of the void lords' vast reach to position them as a foil against the other forces.
- Light: Making the naaru believe that they'd successfully converted one of the infiltrators to their cause.
- Life: Studying the link between the plane of Life and Ardenweald to find a vulnerability and sending a female agent to gain the trust of an unspecified target.
- Disorder: Consuming fel energy (an unpleasant but necessary process) to infiltrate the plane of Disorder.[50]
The nathrezim's incursions went mostly unnoticed, but the ones who infiltrated the Light were discovered. The naaru and their forces retaliated by unleashing the Light's full wrath on Revendreth, setting the nathrezim's ward ablaze and turning it into a scorched wasteland known thereafter as the Ember Ward. The Maldraxxi didn't rise up to defend Revendreth, so the Stonewright, Harvester of Wrath, created the stoneborn of the Stone Legion to strike back against the invaders.[11] The nathrezim found the injured naaru Z'rali on the battlefield and preserved her to "serve as a vessel for their Sire's rage", leading to her being imprisoned in the Sanguine Depths.[13] After the Light's forces were routed, the Stonewright turned her anger on the nathrezim and blamed them for the losses suffered by the Stone Legion, since the Light's attack was ultimately their fault. Denathrius ended the conflict between nathrezim and venthyr by agreeing to exile the nathrezim to a world beyond the Shadowlands: Nathreza.[11] However, according to Mal'Ganis, even this "exile" was part of Denathrius' plan, for the nathrezim's mission remained unchanged and all of the schemes they carried out in the following eons were only pawns in the long game being played by Denathrius and his ally, the Jailer.[16] The nathrezim believed that if the Jailer succeeded in his ultimate goal of reaching the Sepulcher of the First Ones and remaking reality, those who had served him faithfully would be rewarded in kind.[23]
Denathrius never told Renathal what became of the nathrezim,[11] but the prince hoped that they would learn from their exile and one day return to Revendreth as family.[30] The Stonewright, on the other hand, continued to foster her hatred against the dreadlords.[11] The existence of the unseen guests seems to have been either unknown to the Shadowlands at large or forgotten over time after their exile, except for persistent rumors and speculation that Denathrius had once created a third race beside the venthyr and stoneborn to infiltrate his enemies.[31]
According to one observer, the nathrezim were once an enlightened and powerful race with a skill in summoning and portal magics that was unmatched by any in the Great Dark Beyond.[51] It is not clear how this fits into the rest of their background as described above.
The Burning Legion[]
Early in the universe's history, the nathrezim who had become demons were among the demonic races who began invading the physical universe from the Twisting Nether to attack mortal civilizations. They dedicated their existence to mastering shadow magic and relished in infiltrating mortal civilizations and sowing unrest. As these societies crumbled from within, the dreadlords transformed their populations into new breeds of demon. Over millennia, the titans Sargeras and Aggramar fought these dreadlords and other demons and imprisoned them in Mardum.[52]
One conclave of nathrezim settled on a world where several Old Gods, servants of the void lords, were in the process of corrupting a titan world-soul. They came to dwell among the Old Gods, basking in their dark power. When Sargeras discovered the planet, he captured and interrogated the nathrezim, and they revealed what they knew about the void lords: that they had sent the Old Gods into the cosmos in order to find and corrupt a world-soul and transform it into an unspeakably dark creature that not even the Pantheon could stand against. Enraged by this discovery, Sargeras killed the nathrezim and shattered the corrupted world, killing the nascent titan within. It was this event that led Sargeras to conclude that the only way to stop the void lords was by purging the universe of life, a decision that led him to part ways with the Pantheon[52] and later form the Burning Legion by shattering Mardum and freeing and recruiting the demons he'd previously fought.[53]
Sargeras later recruited the eredar of Argus, the foremost of which were Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, to command the Legion. Kil'jaeden enslaved the nathrezim to serve as his personal agents throughout the universe, and they took pleasure in locating primitive races for their master to corrupt and recruit. First among the dreadlords was Tichondrius the Darkener, who served Kil'jaeden as the perfect soldier.[38]
The nathrezim stoked Sargeras' fear of the Void to blind him to their true purpose and the fact that they were secretly loyal not to him, but to Denathrius and the Jailer. When Sargeras raged at the time it took for slain demons to regenerate in the Nether, the nathrezim suggested that they could infuse Argus' titan world-soul with Death magic in order to turn him into a resurrection engine that would allow the Legion's armies to resurrect instantaneously. In truth, this scheme was a "gambit" by the Jailer: by infusing Argus with Death, the nathrezim ensured that, if he was killed, the titan's soul would fire into the Shadowlands and incapacitate the Arbiter, the being responsible for judging mortal souls.[23][54]
In order to hasten the fall of mortal worlds, the nathrezim created the runeblade Apocalypse, which could spread plagues and paranoia and thereby weaken mortal civilizations and leave them vulnerable to conquest by the Legion. Apocalypse wasn't crafted by a single dreadlord; instead, over the course of centuries, the weapon passed from one nathrezim to another, with each new owner refining it and using the lessons learned from their conquests to endow it with new plagues and maledictions. In this way, it became a fusion of all of the dark arts the nathrezim had at their disposal. The last dreadlord to use Apocalypse was Kathra'natir, who used it to turn the armies of the planet Navane against themselves.[39]
Many dreadlords participated in the War of the Ancients.[55] A few of them experimented with raising undead night elves in the ruins of Suramar—the first inkling of what would lead to the Legion's creation of the Scourge ten thousand years later.[2] Tichondrius at one point battled Jarod Shadowsong and Huln Highmountain at Eldarath in Azshara.[56] More than 2,600 years before the First War, Kathra'natir returned to Dalaran. He spread plagues and disease, and used Apocalypse to warp the minds of the non-mage civilians, turning them against the magi.[39] He stole the Amulet of Waters from the Council, and through it he was able to control and corrupt Lordamere Lake.[57] He was later banished by Alodi, the first Guardian of Tirisfal and the Council of Tirisfal.[58] When he was banished, his sword Apocalypse was left behind.[39]
Third War[]
After the destruction of Draenor, Kil'jaeden captured the orc shaman Ner'zhul in the Twisting Nether, intending to use him in a new attempt to conquer Azeroth. A group of dreadlords consisting of Tichondrius, Balnazzar, Detheroc, Mal'Ganis, and Varimathras took turns subjecting Ner'zhul's body to horrific torture until he agreed to serve the Legion. Kil'jaeden passed the orc's soul through death and transformed him into the spectral Lich King.[59]
At the same time, the Jailer intended to use the Lich King to herald his own reign on Azeroth,[60][61] and wanted to use the Helm of Domination and the runeblade Frostmourne in order to spread Death's influence on the mortal plane. The nathrezim bore these vessels of Domination magic across the veil[62] and bound Ner'zhul's spirit to them,[59][63] after which the orc's spirit was imprisoned in a block of ice.[37][59] Tichondrius later falsely claimed that it was the dreadlords themselves who had forged Frostmourne.[64] The broker Ta'lora has concluded that, in this way, the nathrezim deceived the Legion into helping to spread the Jailer's influence, making the demons believe that the Lich King was an instrument of Disorder instead of an instrument of Death.[65][66]
Since Kil'jaeden remained skeptical of Ner'zhul's loyalties, he called on the dreadlords who had tortured the orc to accompany the Lich King to Azeroth, act as his jailors and executors, and ensure that he succeeded in his task: to spread a Plague of Undeath and create an undead army (later named the Scourge) to weaken Azeroth's defenses in preparation for the Legion's invasion.[6][37][67][68][69] Ner'zhul's icy prison was hurled from the Twisting Nether to Azeroth and landed on the Icecrown Glacier, where it became the Frozen Throne. The dreadlords soon joined him and constructed the impenetrable Icecrown Citadel around the throne while the Lich King began enslaving Northrend's inhabitants. In secret, the Lich King plotted to betray the Legion and carefully watched the nathrezim to learn their strengths and weaknesses.[69] When the Lich King's dominion was threatened by the nerubians in the War of the Spider, the dreadlords and the Lich King's undead warriors invaded Azjol-Nerub and crushed the spider lords.[70][71]
In time, Ner'zhul recruited Kel'Thuzad, who subsequently created the Cult of the Damned to spread the Plague of Undeath throughout Lordaeron. The Lich King decided he needed to use Frostmourne to create an additional servant to act as his direct surrogate beyond the Frozen Throne. He knew the dreadlords would never allow him to create a servant of his own, but he had discovered that their greatest fear was to be punished by Kil'jaeden and used this to his advantage. He played on the dreadlords' fears and subtly convinced them that finding other mortal champions was the key to victory, all while making the dreadlords believe that it had been their idea. With the nathrezim's approval, the Lich King thrust Frostmourne from the Frozen Throne to await a wielder.[72]
When Ner'zhul saw potential in turning Arthas Menethil, the dreadlords agreed, to the point of having Kel'Thuzad reveal to Arthas and Jaina Proudmoore, who were investigating rumors of plague, that it was Mal'Ganis was the leader of the Scourge. As the Scourge destroyed town after town, the nathrezim hit at Arthas' weakness, his pride. Arthas began to take his inability to protect his people from the Scourge personally, and soon became obsessed with killing the dreadlord, especially after Mal'Ganis led Arthas to plague infected Stratholme and the young prince put the town to sword, over letting Mal'Ganis convert all of its inhabitants into undeath.
Determined to end Mal'Ganis Arthas journeyed to Northrend, where the nathrezim were prepared to turn him into the Lich King's greatest servant. Knowing that Arthas would become suspicious if Mal'Ganis led him to Frostmourne, the dreadlords manipulated Muradin Bronzebeard and his Dwarven Expedition into seeking out the runeblade as part of their quest to locate ancient artifacts. With the dwarves seeking the runeblade, the Lich King used the Scourge to herd Muradin and Arthas into joining forces. In time, Arthas' obsession with the hated dreadlord led him further down the path of evil, first lying to his men, betraying his mercenaries, and finally forsaking his own soul to take up the runeblade Frostmourne, grievously wounding Muradin Bronzebeard in the process.[73]
At the Lich King's command, Arthas killed Mal'Ganis, an act that infuriated the other dreadlords. However they did not punish the Lich King, as the entity convinced them that the death was an unfortunate accident, and had promised that with Arthas now under his complete control, the death knight would never again raise a hand against them.[74] Following the corruption of Prince Arthas Menethil, Tichondrius introduced himself to the death knight, providing him with orders from Ner'zhul, especially concerning the resurrection of Kel'Thuzad. Because he didn't entirely trust Arthas, Tichondrius pretended to be another one of the Lich King's followers. The ghost of Kel'Thuzad, however, informed Arthas that Tichondrius and the other dreadlords were actually the Lich King's jailers.
Tichondrius regularly discussed the Scourge's progress with his colleagues, Anetheron and Mephistroth, who remained on a Legion planet in the Nether. The Darkener expressed (justified) concern that Ner'zhul had alternative plans for his new "champion", but Mephistroth pointed out that he "wouldn't dare undermine our efforts now."
The dreadlord continued his work, eventually overseeing the death of Uther the Lightbringer, the invasion and destruction of Quel'Thalas, and the siege of Dalaran. Once Archimonde was summoned, he decreed that the Lich King was no longer needed, and gave the dreadlords control of the Scourge.[75]
Invasion of Kalimdor[]
While the nathrezim aided the Legion in the destruction of Lordaeron, Tichondrius and the pitlord Mannoroth successfully engineered the death of Cenarius by taking advantage of the demi-god's quarrel with Grom Hellscream and the Warsong Clan by corrupted the orcs into the service of the Burning Legion. However soon after this the Warsong were defeated by the Horde and Human Expedition, who then purged Grom of the corruption, who at the cost of his own life killed Mannoroth.
Despite Mannoroth's death, the Burning Legion and thus the nathrezim commenced with the invasion of Kalimdor, the Scourge, more dangerous than ever thanks to the demonic support of felhounds, doomguard and infernals, was more than successful in penetrating Ashenvale without Cenarius's intervention. Though unbeknownst to the dreadlords, the Lich secretly hampered their command over the Scourge during this time.[76] The combined forces of the orcs and the humans, coupled with the resistance of the night elves, eventually managed to halt their progress.
As the invasion of Kalimdor progressed, Tichondrius began corrupting the forests of Felwood using a powerful warlock artifact, the Skull of Gul'dan. However, the skull was consumed by Illidan Stormrage, who had been tipped off by none other than Arthas. Transformed by the skull into a demon-hybrid, Illidan used his newfound power to defeat Tichondrius.
Meanwhile, Anetheron had gone with Archimonde, and served as a personal guardsman. Anetheron showed his tenacity when he led the Scourge against the Sentinels, Alliance, and Horde in the final, climactic Battle of Mount Hyjal. He invaded the Great Alliance's base several times during the battle, calling infernals to serve him, with the objective of defeating the resistance so that Archimonde could ascend to crush the World Tree. However, Anetheron was killed during the battle.
Plaguelands civil war[]
- Main article: Plaguelands civil war
Following the Legion's defeat at Hyjal, the Lich King openly rebelled against Kil'jaeden. In response, the demon lord recruited Illidan Stormrage to destroy the Frozen Throne. Illidan's attempt failed,[77] but did damage the Frozen Throne to the point where the Lich King's powers began weakening, in turn causing some of the Scourge to regain their free will.[78]
Unaware of the Legion's defeat at Hyjal, the nathrezim brothers Detheroc, Balnazzar, and Varimathras continued governing the Scourge in Lordaeron and leading them against the Alliance resistance in the area. The banshee Sylvanas Windrunner sometimes overheard them mention "sire" and "home" in their private conversations.[79] Arthas eventually returned from Kalimdor to inform the dreadlords of the Legion's defeat and chased them off to take control of the Scourge.[80] The three Dreadlord Insurgents refused to be defeated and plotted to take advantage of Ner'zhul and Arthas' weakening powers to regain control of the undead, with the end goal of launching an invasion of Northrend to destroy the Lich King themselves.[81] They reached out to the now free-willed Sylvanas to ask for her help in the coup;[78] Balnazzar told her that the Lich King strayed from "the path of his master" and that Arthas was too prideful to be "the instrument that is necessary".[79] It's not clear if by "master" he was referring to the Jailer or Kil'jaeden.
The nathrezim took control over the majority of the undead and set a trap for Arthas in the Ruins of Lordaeron,[82] but the death knight managed to escape to his master's side in Northrend.[83] Afterward, the Dreadlord Insurgents' forces found themselves trapped between the undead still loyal to the Lich King, those loyal to Sylvanas (later called the Forsaken), and the Alliance.[84] The dreadlords declared themselves the future of Lordaeron's Plaguelands and invited Sylvanas to join their "new order", but she refused and instead made war on them, defeating each brother in turn. She forced Varimathras to swear loyalty to her,[85] killed Detheroc,[86] and conquered the Ruins of Lordaeron from Balnazzar. She forced Varimathras to kill Balnazzar,[45] but the latter secretly survived and hid in the Plaguelands.[87]
After the civil war[]
Despite the Legion's defeat a number of dreadlords still remained on Azeroth, particularly in the Blasted Lands, with the most notable of them being Razelikh the Defiler, who sought to secure the land for the Legion. Razelikh was ultimately thwarted in this endeavor by Loramus Thalipedes.[88] At the same time in the northern Eastern Kingdoms, Balnazzar having faked his death, took on the guise of Saidan Dathrohan. As Saidan Dathrohan, he gained control of the Scarlet Crusade, who believed that they alone were not infected by the plague and attacked and killed all non-Crusaders on sight.
Within the forests of Ashenvale, the dreadlords Gorgannon and Diathorus the Seeker, plotted an attack against the Draenei at Forest Song and desired to enslave the orcs of Splintertree Post.[89] After becoming aware of their intentions Vindicator Vedaar and Valusha respectively sent Alliance and Horde agents with ending the nathrezim.[90]
After the fall of Magtheridon and the ascension of Illidan Stormrage as Lord of Outland, a number of nathrezim defected to the Illidari. Chief among them Lothros and Vagath, who would ultimately be slain during the invasion of Outland.[91][92] Prior to the arrival of Horde and Alliance forces to Outland, Illidan led his demon hunters on a daring raid to Nathreza, the nathrezim home world, in order to claim the Seal of Argus, a disc which held the record of the Legion's actions on the planet Argus, containing its location. When claiming the Seal of Argus, Illidan made a point of damaging the majority of the discs within Nathreza's vast archives.
After claiming his prize, Illidan and his force retreated to the portal back to Outland and retreated through it, fighting off more demons. Once all were through, Illidan collapsed the portal; by his calculations, this should have caused such damage to Nathreza as to shatter the planet in the same fashion as Draenor.[42] Indeed, shortly after the portal closed, Nathreza blew apart. Every demon on its surface perished.[93] Following Illidan's shattering of it, Portal Keeper Hasabel described Nathreza as "once a world of magic and knowledge, now a twisted landscape from which none escape".[94]
During the Alliance and Horde's invasion of Outland, the Legion stationed dreadlords in Hellfire Peninsula to rain down storms of infernals on Honor Hold and Thrallmar.[95][96]
Sathrovarr the Corruptor possessed Kalecgos in the Sunwell Plateau and the dreadlord is fought inside the spectral realm.
Meanwhile, Mal'Ganis, who had reformed in the Twisting Nether,[97] returned to Azeroth during the War against the Lich King as Barean Westwind. Taking a page out of Balnazzar's book, Mal'ganis had taken control of the Scarlet Onslaught, he led them to the Dragonblight in Northrend to get revenge on the traitorous Lich King. He stood in seclusion in the Onslaught Harbor until agents from the Knights of the Ebon Blade confronted him, and forced him to flee.[35]
After the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate, Varimathras led demons of the Burning Legion and Forsaken renegades in a coup against Sylvanas Windrunner. Ultimately, Varimathras and his conspirators were defeated at the Battle for the Undercity, but his betrayal elicited war between the Horde and the Alliance.
After the Cataclysm rocked the world, Balnazzar slaughtered the Scarlet Crusaders in Stratholme and transformed them into the undead creatures they once hated as the Risen, using his necromantic powers to resurrect them.[98][99] Eligor Dawnbringer tasked adventurers to slay him.[100]
A number of dreadlords appeared in the Throne of Kil'jaeden on the alternate Draenor. Following the Burning Legion take over of the Iron Horde, Anetheron arrived to Draenor at the Black Gate. Anetheron and his master Archimonde were soon after defeated by the champions of Azeroth.
Third invasion of the Burning Legion[]
After Archimonde's death, the Legion launched its third invasion of Azeroth and a large number of nathrezim participated in its events. One of them disguised himself as the spirit of Medivh in Karazhan and tempted Khadgar to accept power in order to become Legion's pawn.[25] Another one infiltrated Stormwind Keep taking a guise of a Stormwindian soldier who tried to assassinate the new High King of the Alliance, Anduin Wrynn. The king bested him and the dreadlord offered him to join the Legion, but Anduin ultimately destroyed him.[26]
As the dreadlords are major commanders of the Burning Legion, many of the newly united orders saw themselves put in heavy time and resources to take these demons down. Chief amongst them was Tichondrius, who was sent to Suramar to watch over Gul'dan in the name of the Burning Legion and to keep an eye on the Nightborne, and Mephistroth, who orchestrated the Legion forces during the Assault on Broken Shore, who were respectfully slain within the Nighthold and Cathedral of Eternal Night.
As the war against the Legion progressed, the Highlord of the Silver Hand encountered and liberated a nathrezim, infused with the Light, named Lothraxion, who informed them at the Legion planned on attacking the Netherlight Temple, before departing to gather reinforcements.[101] Thus when Balnazzar led the Legion against the Conclave, they were reinforced by the Knights of the Silver Hand and detachment of troops from Army of the Light, led by the Highlord and Lothraxion. The united forces were ultimately able to defeat the Legion and kill Balnazzar. As the Netherlight Temple resides within the Twisting Nether, Balnazzar became one of the few notable dreadlords to receive his permanent death during the Legion's third invasion. Following the battle's aftermath, Lothraxion united with the Silver Hand to stand against the Legion.
Meanwhile Detheroc, posing as Mathias Shaw, sought to convince King Anduin to attack the Horde, but was thwarted by the Uncrowned, who liberated Shaw and killed Detheroc and the Tirisgarde were able to imprison Kathra'natir within the [Nightborne Soulstone]. Though powerless inside the soulstone, Kathra'natir's power was later siphoned from it to power a weapon defense system located in the tallest spire atop Dalaran's Violet Citadel.[102]
When Kil'jaeden ordered Legion Assaults in response to the invasion of the Broken Shore by the Armies of Legionfall, a number of dreadlords participated in the Assault on Stormheim.
In time, the forces of Azeroth united with the Army of the Light and invaded Argus where it was discovered that after Illidan's defeat on Outland, nathrezim such as Vagath returned to the Legion. As the heroes of Azeroth stormed Antorus, the Burning Throne, reinforcements from Nathreza arrived to push the invaders out but failed. During the fighting Varimathras, who in payment for his blunders at the Undercity, had been tortured by the Coven of Shivarra, was discovered by the Horde and Alliance forces. Upon meeting them, he spoke in cryptic prophecies about the Alliance and Horde, but then dismissed them in favor of a "darkness" they were blind to. He was then killed by the adventurers. At the Seat of the Pantheon, the adventurers killed the soul of Argus. As the nathrezim had planned, this caused Argus' soul to enter the Shadowlands and slam into the Arbiter, rendering her dormant and causing all new souls entering the Shadowlands to flow into the Maw instead of being sorted to their rightful afterlives. This in turn caused the covenants to descend into an anima drought while the Maw and its master, the Jailer, grew in power.[23]
Shadowlands[]
The nathrezim returned en masse to the Shadowlands during the anima drought to serve their true masters, Denathrius and the Jailer. It's unknown exactly when they returned, and the Primus wonders if they ever truly left at all.[103] Several nathrezim infiltrated Korthia, an ancient city that the Jailer chained to the Maw. Kin'tessa tricked Maw Walkers into helping her capture Fatescribe Roh-Kalo and deliver him to the Jailer in Torghast,[104] and several other dreadlords infiltrated the covenant forces to sabotage their foothold in Keeper's Respite.[105] Others infiltrated Sinfall in their old home of Revendreth for the purpose of freeing Denathrius, who had been defeated and imprisoned in his sword Remornia. The infiltrators were under orders to keep their "brother" Prince Renathal unharmed, since they "needed" him and his death would upset their Sire.[48] Yet other nathrezim disguised themselves among the Jailer's Mawsworn soldiers in Torghast.[106]
In response to the dreadlord threat, the Primus sent Maw Walkers along with Baroness Vashj—who had experience with hunting nathrezim in life—to Revendreth to recruit the help of the dreadlords' old nemesis, the Stonewright, whose Medallion of Wrath was needed if the venthyr were to recreate their lost covenant sigil.[30][103] Led by Mal'Ganis, the nathrezim sprung a trap to steal the medallion from the Stonewright.[107] The Maw Walkers, Vashj, and the soul of Kael'thas Sunstrider used an Orb of Revelation to unmask many of the unseen guests hiding in Dominance Keep[12] and Sinfall,[108] after which Renathal and his fellow Harvesters used a ritual to locate Mal'Ganis and the medallion.[109] The Maw Walkers and their allies defeated him and took back the artifact, but he revealed that the medallion heist had only been a distraction to keep the venthyr occupied while the dreadlords seized their true prize—Remornia with Denathrius' essence in it—from where it was held in Dawnkeep. He added that Denathrius' long game was nearing its end and that neither the medallion, Revendreth, nor Renathal's cause mattered in the face of the Sire's ambition.[16] The Stonewright subsequently sent her Stone Legion forces to the Maw to kill every dreadlord they could find and provide the covenants with Orbs of Revelation to defend against further incursions.[110][111]
When the Jailer entered the realm of Zereth Mortis, many nathrezim accompanied him and commanded the Mawsworn forces in the field.[112][113] The Jailer's end goal was to use the secrets in the Sepulcher of the First Ones to rewrite reality, but to enter it he needed to use the Forge of Afterlives.[114] Kin'tessa led efforts to use Domination magic to corrupt Zereth Mortis' automa and destroy the obelisks protecting the Forge,[115] while Mal'Ganis led dreadlord saboteurs in infiltrating the Knights of the Ebon Blade[116] and the covenant forces to divert their efforts[117] and stall the Maw Walkers long enough for the Jailer to reach the Forge.[118] The plan worked, and the Jailer used the Forge to enter the Sepulcher.[114]
A Maw Walker and their allies later worked with the automa Saezurah to breach the Mawsworn-infested Crypts of the Eternal, where they could create a new Arbiter to restore order to the Shadowlands. However, a dreadlord infiltrator sabotaged the ritual by summoning the Echo of Argus so that he could take the vessel intended to serve as the Arbiter's body and thereby become "Eternal". The Maw Walker and their allies managed to defeat the echo,[54] but the nathrezim's interference succeeded in disrupting the creation of a new Arbiter until Pelagos volunteered his own soul for the role.[119] When Maw Walkers entered the Sepulcher to stop the Jailer, Mal'Ganis and Kin'tessa—together called the Lords of Dread—tried to stop them to ensure that none were left to "resist the new order of the cosmos". However, the heroes defeated both them[120] and the Jailer before he could complete his plan of remaking the cosmos.
With the Jailer's defeat, the nathrezim now presumably answer only to Denathrius. The current whereabouts of Remornia and the rest of the dreadlords are unknown.
Notable[]
Name | Role | Status | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Tichondrius | Former lord of the nathrezim and commander of the Scourge, later liaison to the nightborne | Defeatable | Twisting Nether (lore); various (WoW) |
Anetheron | High-ranking dreadlord, servant of Archimonde | Alive | Unknown (lore); various (WoW) |
Balnazzar | One of the Dreadlord Insurgents, manipulator of the Scarlet Crusade, and enemy of the Knights of the Silver Hand | Deceased | Various |
Detheroc | Leader of the Dreadlord Insurgents, manipulated the SI:7 during the third invasion, later infiltrator of Sinfall | Alive | Unknown |
Kin'tessa | High-ranking servant of Denathrius and the Jailer | Defeatable | Various |
Lothraxion | High Commander of the Army of the Light | Alive | Various |
Mal'Ganis | High-ranking servant of Denathrius and the Jailer, manipulator of Arthas Menethil and the Scarlet Onslaught | Defeatable | Various |
Mephistroth | High-ranking dreadlord, led the Legion forces on the Broken Shore during the third invasion | Defeatable | Twisting Nether (lore); various (WoW) |
Varimathras | Dreadlord Insurgent turned majordomo and betrayer of Sylvanas Windrunner, failed servant of Sargeras | Deceased | Various |
Lord Banehollow | Leader of the Shadow Council in Shadow Hold | Defeatable | Various |
Corrine the Deceiver | Leader of the Cult of the Green Flame | Defeatable | Felfire Cavern, Azsuna |
Culuthas | Renegade who betrayed the Legion after obtaining Spirit's Song | Defeatable | Ruins of Farahlon, Netherstorm |
Dalvengyr | Leader of Scourge forces in the ruins of Dalaran, summoned in the Nighthold | Defeatable | Font of Night, Nighthold |
Dantalionax | Manipulated the spirit of Kur'talos Ravencrest | Defeatable | Various |
Diathorus the Seeker | Ruler of Demon Fall Ridge, later infiltrator of Sinfall | Defeatable | Demon Fall Ridge, Ashenvale; Dawnkeep, Revendreth |
Gorgannon | Ruler of Demon Fall Canyon, later infiltrator of Sinfall | Defeatable | Demon Fall Canyon, Ashenvale; Dawnkeep, Revendreth |
Lord Hel'nurath | Stablemaster of Xoroth | Defeatable | Dire Maul; Dark Stockades, Broken Shore |
Infazzar the Shade | Stole and corrupted the Idol of Aviana | Defeatable | Rhut'van Peak, Azsuna |
Kathra'natir | Archenemy of the Council of Tirisfal and the Tirisgarde | Active | Imprisoned in the Nightborne Soulstone (lore); various (WoW) |
Lothros | Lieutenant of Illidan | Defeatable | Illidari Point, Shadowmoon Valley |
Nal'ragas | Minion of Mal'Ganis, helped steal the Medallion of Wrath | Defeatable | Dominance Keep, Revendreth |
Razelikh the Defiler | Former Legion overseer in the Blasted Lands, now trapped in the same body as Loramus Thalipedes | Alive | Rise of the Defiler, Blasted Lands; Fel Hammer |
Sathrovarr the Corruptor | Corruptor of Kalecgos, later infiltrator of Sinfall | Alive | Unknown (lore); Inner Veil, Sunwell Plateau (WoW) |
Solenor the Slayer | Legion agent in Silithus, later infiltrator of Sinfall | Defeatable | Silithus; Black City, Broken Shore; Sinfall |
Talnivarr the Sleeper | Gladiator in the Outland Arena | Unknown | Twisting Nether (presumed) |
Ulthalesh | Former self-proclaimed ruler of Mardum and opponent of Sargeras | Active | Imprisoned in Ulthalesh, the Deadwind Harvester |
Vagath | Former servant of Illidan and jailor of Maiev Shadowsong | Defeatable | Various |
Xaraax | Master of the Hidden | Defeated | Twisting Nether |
In the RPG[]
Masters of trickery, deceit, and guile, the nathrezim take pride in the fiendish destruction they have wrought on Azeroth. Affiliated with the Burning Legion, the nathrezim — also termed dreadlords — acted as commanders of the undead Scourge during the Burning Legion's second invasion, slaughtering thousands with their unnatural hordes. The dreadlords lost much power when several of their most influential members fell to the Forsaken armies under Sylvanas Windrunner's banner. For a while, the dreadlords seemed almost a myth, a story told to frighten children. People felt safer when they thought the dreadlords were a remote tale; some instead comforted themselves with the lie that the great Varimathras was the only surviving dreadlord. More practical sorts knew that evil never truly dies and that just because they couldn't see something did not mean it was not there.
Dreadlords invariably stay behind the scenes and affect change through proxies. Adventurers might go their whole lives and never realize a dreadlord has acted against them in countless, seemingly unrelated ways. Only after much exertion and investigation do the heroes uncover the dreadlord behind a plot. Even then, the task of tracking and slaying a dreadlord can overwhelm the most competent hunter of evil. Dreadlords live in heavily fortified lairs or march at the center of an army.[121]
In the nathrezim's eyes, malice is the ultimate gift. To torment another creature with physical and moral agony offers something superior to happiness or contentment. Dreadlords prefer to turn their talents to psychic assault and manipulation, seeking to dissolve the bonds that unify individuals, groups, and nations and leave their mortal victims floundering amidst chaos and decay. A nathrezim-occupied world eventually abandons higher morality as irrelevant to the context in which its inhabitants find themselves, joining the dreadlords in their callous worship of the malign. Although fierce warriors, nathrezim prefer a leadership role, standing behind a wall of ghouls or other allies and retreating when their enemies press too close. This is particularly true of the weaker nathrezim, whose magical abilities cannot always prevent their swift, bloody execution by a determined fighter, wizard, or rogue.[122] A dreadlord engages in melee combat only when convinced he holds the upper hand. A dreadlord studies his opponent first and learns their weaknesses. Then he remains at range, unleashing his most powerful spells on his enemy.[121]
Nearly all dreadlords choose to study both the arts of war and the arts of magic. Some of them, such as Mal'Ganis, are proficient at necromancy. It is important to note that the nathrezim are not as talented in magic as the eredar — whereas the eredar have become adept at almost all forms of magic, the nathrezim show talent for only a handful of types.[citation needed] They most often are arcanists, but some dreadlords favor the physical arts of the rogue or warrior.[121] The nathrezim are called nathrezite two times in the non-canonical Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game,[123] but it is unknown if this is a misspelling or an alternate name.
Tothrezim are distant cousins of the dread nathrezim.
Languages[]
Dreadlords can apparently understand any tongue psychically. Dreadlords can speak with any creature that has a language.[121] However, since they are members of the Burning Legion, it can be assumed they would speak Eredun most of the time.
Notes and trivia[]
- While the nathrezim are competent necromancers, they were derided by Amal'thazad, who said they were merely making "puppets of bone" when trying to recreate the masterpiece that was the Scourge.[124]
- During the Warcraft III alpha, the dreadlords were initially described as having secretly changed their loyalty from Kil'jaeden to the Lich King, in stark contrast to their story in the final game: "Dread Lords are incredibly powerful demonic entities that are masters of darkness and mental domination. These cunning, malefic beings were once considered to be the most trusted lieutenants of the Burning Legion. Yet Kil'jaeden, the Lord of the Legion, tasked his faithful Dread Lords to watch over the Lich King Ner'zhul, and ensure that he carried out his orders to sew chaos in the mortal world. The Dread Lords carried out their task flawlessly, yet over time they fell under the influence of Ner'zhul's undead plague. Now, unbeknownst to Kil'jaeden and his Legion, the Dread Lords serve the Lich King and live only to carry out his dark agenda. Dread Lords generally appear as dashing human males and are adept at charming and beguiling mortal creatures through telepathy. Dread Lords radiate darkness around them and are fond of traveling within shadows."[125] An early Warcraft III preview described dreadlords as vampires who were subordinates of the necromancers and whose own necromantic skills were only enough to raise lesser undead like ghouls.[126]
- In the published Warcraft III lore, the nathrezim were one of two demon races responsible for Sargeras' corruption, the other being the eredar.[127] In The Burning Crusade, the eredar's origins were retconned so that they were corrupted by Sargeras and not the other way around, leaving only the nathrezim in this role.[38] Chronicle Volume 1 elaborated on the story by stating that while the evil of the nathrezim and other demons filled Sargeras with despair, it was the dreadlords' revelation about the void lords' plan to corrupt titan world-souls that specifically prompted him to form the Burning Legion.[52]
- During the Warcraft III alpha and beta (shown in the gallery below), dreadlords looked less demonic and more like traditional depictions of vampires, with hornless heads and long robes. Although the robes were removed from their models before release, a leftover reference to them remained in one of their unit quotes: "This is not a dress. It's the standard dreadlord uniform."
- In Warcraft III: Classic, nathrezim have long tails, but they lack tails altogether in later games and artwork. The only exception is Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, which at one point (apparently mistakenly) describes Mal'Ganis as having a lashing tail.[128]
- Strangely, some nathrezim are labeled as undead in World of Warcraft. This is likely a game mechanic to prevent warlocks from using [Subjugate Demon] on them.
- Nathrezim have been end bosses of several dungeons. These include Balnazzar in Stratholme, Mal'Ganis in the Culling of Stratholme, Dantalionax in Black Rook Hold, and Mephistroth in the Cathedral of Eternal Night.
- In Warcraft III, Tichondrius tells Arthas that Frostmourne was forged by the Lich King.[129] In Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, the line was retconned, with Tichondrius instead stating that it was the dreadlords who created Frostmourne.[64] Chronicle Volume 3 states that the dreadlords had shielded themselves from Frostmourne's power when they crafted it, and that this is the reason Mal'Ganis' soul wasn't consumed by the sword when Arthas killed him.[74] Frostmourne's origin was retconned again in Shadowlands, which revealed that it and the Helm of Domination were actually made by the Runecarver.
- Chronicle Volume 1 presented the nathrezim as one of the races of original demons that were born directly from the Twisting Nether.[52] In patch 9.0, they were strongly foreshadowed to have a connection to Denathrius and Revendreth, before patch 9.1 explicitly revealed their true origin:
- The names "Denathrius" and "Nathria" as well as Revendreth's general visual themes of bats and vampirism are highly reminiscent of the nathrezim. In a July 2020 interview with Polygon, lead narrative designer Steve Danuser confirmed that the resemblance between Denathrius and the dreadlords was intentional.[130]
- The aforementioned Spire of the Unseen Guests and its [Enemy Infiltration - Preface] book hinted at the plot of the nathrezim infiltrating other cosmic forces on Denathrius' behalf.
- In the quest [58-60] A Lesson in Humility, the Accuser mockingly tells Denathrius that he was once "the lord of dread" but now no longer intimidates her.
- One of the quotes spoken by Denathrius during his boss encounter in Castle Nathria is "Scream for me", a line previously used by Anetheron in the Battle for Mount Hyjal and Dreadlord Jaina in Heroes of the Storm.
- Z'rali's dialogue mentions "unseen ones" serving Denathrius.
- [Nathrezim Relic], [Nathrezim Crusader's Hauberk], and [Nethrezim Acolyte's Band] can be looted from treasure chests in Revendreth.
- The Shadowlands nathrezim model introduced in patch 9.1 uses demon hunter Metamorphosis animations (similar to male stoneborn). As a result of this new animation rig, the new models have five fingers instead of the previous four.
- In Warcraft III and all of their World of Warcraft models prior to patch 9.1, the dreadlord death animation shows them dissolving into a cloud of bats, leaving only portions of their armor behind on the ground. The 9.1 models instead dissolve in a burst of anima when killed, similar to the venthyr death animation.
- Prior to 9.1, dreadlords were never shown flying in-game, since both their Warcraft III and original World of Warcraft models lack proper flying animations. This is referenced in one of their Warcraft III unit quotes: "If I have wings, why am I always walking?" However, descriptions in the War of the Ancients Trilogy and Illidan confirmed that they are capable of flight, long before 9.1 showed it in-game.
- Female dreadlords were first depicted in the non-canon Heroes of the Storm with Dreadlord Jaina, a hero skin added in September 2017 and based on the tongue-in-cheek fan theory that Jaina Proudmoore is a disguised nathrezim. Dreadlord Jaina references the fact that she marked the first appearance of a female nathrezim in one of her click quotes: "What's it like being a female dreadlord? Exactly like being a male, only I actually accomplish my goals." Female dreadlords were subsequently also seen in the non-canon Hearthstone with the cards Queen of Pain (added in July 2019) and Enhanced Dreadlord (added in March 2020 with the Ashes of Outland set), both of which are closely based on Dreadlord Jaina's visual design. The existence of female nathrezim in canon was first alluded to in [Enemy Infiltration - Preface] in patch 9.0 before they finally appeared in person in patch 9.1, with a model that looks more like their male counterparts and less like Dreadlord Jaina.
- The Stonewright was not entirely convinced that the Maw Walkers weren't nathrezim when she first met them.[29]
- A Nathrezim Blood Orb artifact was available during the alpha stage of Heroes of the Storm.
- The nathrezim are likely inspired by the Zhentarim from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons, as the two words are anagrams of each other. The Zhentarim consisted of thieves, spies, assassins, and malevolent wizards, and at one point were referred to as the Black Network. The Zhentarim were servants of Bane, Lord of Darkness, and Cyric, Prince of Lies.
- Another likely source of inspiration are the Dreadlords from the book series A Wheel of Time. While the title "Dreadlord" could be ripped straight from the book series, both are commanders of their respective forces in service to a dark power from which they draw magic. They're also both agents for one side in a cosmic conflict and pivotal figures in the fight. The difference is the Dreadlords of A Wheel of Time refer to a faction of multiple races while the Dreadlords of Warcraft are a single race.
Speculation[]
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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- It's yet unclear whether, as beings originating from the realm of Death, nathrezim can only be properly be killed in the Shadowlands; or if they have infiltrated the Twisting Nether (and other realms) so thoroughly that they would be permanently slain there instead. For what it's worth, all nathrezim that appear in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands are classified as demons, unlike venthyr and other similar Death races who are generally classified as humanoids.
- One possibility is that both are true, and infiltrating other powers opens the nathrezim to being permanently killed in more places.
- One of the whispers of Il'gynoth, Corruption Reborn is: "The cunning ones kneel before six masters, but serve only one." This likely refers to the nathrezim pretending to serve all six cosmic forces while they are in reality only loyal to Death.
- The abilities of the vampiric San'layn to serve both as field commanders and infiltrators imply that they may have been created by the Lich King to replace the nathrezim, who stayed loyal to the Burning Legion.
- The observer's declaration on the nathrezim origin[51] may have been created by the nathrezim themselves to serve as their official record within the Burning Legion to help shield their true allegiance to Death.
Gallery[]
Warcraft III concept art.
Mal'Ganis art.
Warcraft III: Reforged model.
Patch 6.2 model.
Varimathras in Antorus, after being tortured by the Coven of Shivarra.
A giant dreadlord threatening Khadgar in Harbingers.
A dreadlord using The Staff of Twin Worlds.
A female Enhanced Dreadlord of the Rusted Legion.
A female Desperate Dreadlord.
A Warcraft III dreadlord in the StarCraft II editor.
Nathrezim of the Burning Legion with Sargeras, in Warcraft Saga.
Xaraax on the cover of Traveler: The Shining Blade.
The Mal'Ganis pet in Diablo III, rewarded by the Warcraft III: Reforged Spoils of War Edition.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ The Sundering, chapter 13, pg. 455 (ebook). "Nathrezim and Eredar cast monstrous spells, but they were caught between defending against the dragons and fighting the Moon Guard. The warlocks could not do both."
- ^ a b c d e The Demon Soul, chapter 14, pg. 226, 230
- ^ Nathrezim Arcanist
- ^ Lothraxion is a protection paladin
- ^ Scheming Dreadlord
- ^ a b c d e f Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Undead Hero Units, Dreadlord
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 38
- ^ Warcraft III - Undead -> Units -> Dread Lord. Archived from the original on 2009-03-24.
- ^ [Beginnings of the Undead Threat]: "Because Kil'jaeden did not trust the Lich King, he sent his dread lords to watch over the spirit and ensure that the Lich King followed his orders."
- ^ a b c Death is Contagious
- ^ a b c d e f g h i [60] Convoy of the Covenants
- ^ a b c d [60] Spy vs Spy
- ^ a b Z'rali#Quotes
- ^ a b c [Scepter of the Nathrezim]
- ^ a b [60] De-Infiltration
- ^ a b c d e [60] The Nathrezim
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 12
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 16, pg. 345 (ebook)
- ^ a b c Exodar Holographic Emitter
- ^ [58] Ulathek the Traitor
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 14, pg. 197 - 199
- ^ Matthew Deyling#Quotes
- ^ a b c d e World of Warcraft: Sylvanas, chapter 25
- ^ [60] They Could Be Anyone
- ^ a b Harbingers - Khadgar
- ^ a b Anduin: Son of the Wolf
- ^ [45] Deciphering the Letter
- ^ [60] Dreadlords!
- ^ a b [60] The Unseen Guests
- ^ a b c [60] Dread Tidings
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 107
- ^ [60] Cryptograms
- ^ [60] Nothing is True
- ^ [60] Scour the Sands
- ^ a b c [25-30G5] The Admiral Revealed
- ^ Ashbringer, epilogue
- ^ a b c Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Undead History, Kil'jaeden and the New Deal
- ^ a b c Sargeras and the Betrayal
- ^ a b c d Libram of the Dead: Apocalypse
- ^ [10-45] Spoils of Victory
- ^ Sean Copeland on Twitter[dead link]
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 18 - 19
- ^ [15-30D] The Dreadlord Balnazzar
- ^ [10-45] Demonic Improvements
- ^ a b A New Power in Lordaeron
- ^ [45] A Light in the Darkness
- ^ World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 96
- ^ a b [Translated Cryptograms]
- ^ World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 137
- ^ [Enemy Infiltration - Preface]
- ^ a b [35] An Unusual Tome
- ^ a b c d World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 21 - 24
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 48 - 49
- ^ a b [60] Acquaintances Forgotten
- ^ Dreadlord Defenders and Dreadlord Debilitators are encountered in the Well of Eternity dungeon
- ^ [10-45] Huln's War - The Nathrezim
- ^ The First Guardian
- ^ Whispers, pg. 5
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 17
- ^ [60] The Jailer's Grasp
- ^ Remnant of Ner'zhul#Adventure Guide
- ^ World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 121: Agents of the Jailer's will forged weapons of Domination and bore them across the veil into the plane of the living, seeding the power of Death and drawing certain mortals to the Jailer's cause.
- ^ Helm of Domination Exclusive Replica. Blizzard Gear Store. Archived from the original on 2021-03-21. “Forged according to the Jailer's will, the Helm of Domination was to be the vessel of Death's influence on Azeroth. The nathrezim imprisoned the spirit of the orc chieftain Ner'zhul within the helm, granting him command over a vast army of undead Scourge.”
- ^ a b Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 17
- ^ World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 137
- ^ World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, pg. 20
- ^ The Revelation
- ^ The Birth of the Lich King
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 18
- ^ Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Undead History, War of the Spider
- ^ War of the Spider (History of Warcraft)
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 39
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 50 - 52
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 53
- ^ Under the Burning Sky (WC3 Undead)
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 77
- ^ Illidan's Task
- ^ a b A Kingdom Divided
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Sylvanas, chapter 13
- ^ King Arthas
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 94
- ^ The Flight from Lordaeron
- ^ Sylvanas' Farewell
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 100
- ^ The Dark Lady
- ^ Dreadlord's Fall
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 103
- ^ [15-30] You Are Rakh'likh, Demon
- ^ [Diabolical Plans]
- ^ [7-30] Never Again!
- ^ [25-30] Against the Illidari
- ^ World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 29
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 148
- ^ Portal Keeper Hasabel#Quotes
- ^ [10-30] The Path of Anguish
- ^ [10-30] Felspark Ravine
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3
- ^ Balnazzar (tactics)
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 191
- ^ [15-30D] The Dreadlord Balnazzar
- ^ The Mind of the Enemy
- ^ [45] Arming Dalaran
- ^ a b [The Unseen Guests Among Us]
- ^ [60] Under the Illusion
- ^ [60] Dreadlords!
- ^ [Infiltrators]
- ^ [60] The Unseen Guests
- ^ [60] The "Unwelcome" Guests
- ^ [60] The Power of a Crown
- ^ [60] The Meaning of Wrath
- ^ [60] Medallion of Wrath
- ^ Dreadlord Commander
- ^ Nathrezim Arcanist
- ^ a b [60] Fighting for the Forge
- ^ [60] Scour the Sands
- ^ [60] In Plain Sight
- ^ [60] A Break in Communication
- ^ [60] Doppelganger Duel
- ^ [60] For Every Soul
- ^ Lords of Dread#Adventure Guide
- ^ a b c d Monster Guide, pg. 50
- ^ Manual of Monsters, pg. 117
- ^ Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 96
- ^ [45WQ] Life's a Lich
- ^ Warcraft III - Dreadlord. Archived from the original on 2002-01-26.
- ^ File:Gamestar Warcraft III alpha info 2.jpg
- ^ Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Origin of the Burning Legion, Sargeras and the Betrayal
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 16, pg. 230 (paperback): "[Mal'Ganis] straightened to his full imposing height, his wings beating the air, his tail lashing."
- ^ Trudging through the Ashes
- ^ Cass Marshall 2020-07-23. Behold World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’ new vampire haven. Polygon. Retrieved on 2021-08-21.
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