- This article is about undead skeleton creatures. For inanimate skeletal remains, see corpse. For other uses, see Skeleton (disambiguation).
Skeletons | |
---|---|
Faction/Affiliation | Necrolord Covenant, Scourge, Cult of the Damned, Forsaken, Knights of the Ebon Blade, Independent |
Character classes | Warrior, Mage, Archer, Warlock, Necromancer |
Language(s) | Common |
Skeletons are undead beings that have been reanimated by magic, often being used as fodder or shock troops by their masters. While gangly and seemingly frail, skeletons can possess superhuman strength and be highly resistant to most physical attacks.[1] Some have retained their consciousness and intellect, and are capable of attacking with weapons and magic. They can be summoned by necromancers, liches, death knights, and dark rangers.
Many skeletons are found among the ranks of the Scourge, Forsaken and Knights of the Ebon Blade. In the past skeletons were notably used by the Old Horde and Horde of Draenor.
History[]
First War[]
- Main article: Skeleton (Warcraft I)
Uncontrolled spirits of the underworld sometimes roam the lands where their bodies were slain. Rotted cloth and flesh hangs from their bones as they seek revenge upon those who caused them to endure this eternal damnation. Held together by forces too dark for most to comprehend, they are more difficult to destroy than might be anticipated.[2]
These abominations are magical constructs made from the bones of the dead. They roam the forbidden lands and forgotten realms of Azeroth, seeking to take their anguish out on the living. They know only pain and death, and strive to embrace the living in their arms so they may drag them into the pits of hell.[3]
Second War[]
- Main article: Skeleton (Warcraft II)
These unfortunate warriors gave their lives in battle only to be brought back into soulless servitude by arcane Orc magiks to fight for the Horde. Rising up from the battlefield, the Undead tirelessly hack and slash at their terrified enemies. These skeletal horrors retain none of the personality or emotions that permeated their living bodies and thus will do their master's bidding until they are destroyed. Only mortal creatures such as the Humans, Elves, Orcs, Trolls, and Ogres can be bound by these dark powers and be remade into the Undead.[4]
Third War[]
This section is a lore stub. |
Called forth from the grave by the insidious necromancers, skeletal warriors are mindless slaves of the Lich King's powers. These lumbering fighters are highly resilient and tireless. When operating in great numbers, skeleton warriors serve as an invaluable part of the Scourge's combat force.[5]
In the early days of the Third War, skeletons, and other undead beings, were seen terrorizing the human villages of the kingdom of Lordaeron.[6]
During the Third War, Thrall encountered several skeletons in the Stonetalon Peak caverns.[7]
Corrupted Ancients were a group of in service of the Burning Legion that had skeletons in their ranks. They operated in Winterspring where they were defeated by the Sentinels led by Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage, and in Felwood where they were encountered by Illidan Stormrage.
Drak'thul was haunted by skeletal orcs until Maiev Shadowsong destroyed them.[8]
The Tomb of the Ancients hosted skeletons led by Lord Talendar.
World of Warcraft[]
This section is a lore stub. |
A strange darkness has recently engulfed the region of Duskwood, bringing out skeletons and other undead creatures from deep within the shadows. Though it is unclear whom the skeletons work for or whether they serve a greater purpose at all, it is alarmingly clear that they seek to destroy anything in their paths.[1]
Mordresh Fire Eye found in Razorfen Downs can be seen talking to and encouraging his brethren, holding a speech about how the undead Scourge will consume the whole of Kalimdor.
Large concentration of skeletons are in the Dead Scar in the Ghostlands and in the Bone Wastes in Terokkar Forest and in Auchindoun.
Wrath of the Lich King[]
First introduced with the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, a more menacing looking skeleton was added and mostly appeared in only Northrend until World of Warcraft: Cataclysm made them available in several other locations. These skeletons were used for the risen skeletons of vrykul, storm giants, and frost giants, but they seem to be used for any undead skeleton to give a stronger appearance.
Cataclysm[]
When the Alliance and Horde fought for control of Andorhal, Araj the Summoner called skeletons to his aid through magical towers.[9][10]
Uldum temples contain skeletons.
Warlords of Draenor[]
Warlords of Draenor introduced a new skeleton model, mainly used for skeletal orcs.
During the encounter with an alternate version of Ner'zhul in the Shadowmoon Burial Grounds, Ner'zhul used tendrils of void to bind ritual bones together,[11] creating an army of the dead.
The Shadow Council warlock Ogzor the Necrothurge has spellcasting skeletons called Ogzor's Bones serving him. These spellcasting skeletons seem to have been imbued with necromantic knowledge as they are shown casting Shadow Bolts.
A pirate fleet of skeletal orcs, known as the Bonefleet, appear in southern Shadowmoon Valley during Hallow's End.
Battle for Azeroth[]
The individuals who fell at the Battle for Lordaeron were raised into skeletal Blighted Soldiers by the Forsaken Blight.
There are skeletal trolls, devilsaurs and raptors raised in Zandalar.
The Drust on Kul Tiras appear as skeletons.
Shadowlands[]
In the Death Rising event skeletons are raised among the forces of the Scourge.
In the Shadowlands there are skeletons in Maldraxxus, in Torghast in the Maw and skeletal trolls in Ardenweald.
Notable[]
- Archmage Galus
- Arkeddon <Lord of the Void>
- Captain Bonerender
- Captain Dargol
- Captain Ironbeard <The True Scourge of the Iron Seas>
- Cauldron Lord Malvinious
- Cauldron Lord Razarch
- Corvus
- Commander Felstrom
- Clerk Horrace Whitesteed
- Dark Summoner
- Devlin Agamand
- Eldreth
- Father Jhadras
- First Lieutenant Connor
- Geness Half-Soul
- Gharsul the Remorseless
- Grimmy
- Ironspine
- Jagganath <Koros Soulsplinter's Minion>
- Lord Darkscythe
- Lord Talendar
- Lurid
- Magistrate Burnside
- Malmortis
- Masophet the Black
- Masud
- Morbidius <The Tomb Guardian>
- Mordresh Fire Eye
- Mor'Ladim
- Nass
- Obrahiim, the Traveler
- Oktel Dragonblood
- Orithos the Sky Darkener
- Rith
- Rythas the Oracle
- Sarhule the Risen <Reagents>
- Skeleton King
- Skul
- Stephen Bhartec
- Talla
- Thalnos the Soulrender
- The Unknown Soldier
- Tsimonh
- Vectus
- Vegard the Unforgiven
- Watch Commander Branson
Types[]
- Major humanoid types: Maldraxxus only types:
- Minor humanoid types:
-
Skeletal animals:
- Skeletal bird of prey
- Skeletal devilsaur
- Skeletal gryphon
- Skeletal horse
- Skeletal hound
- Skeletal monkey
- Skeletal raptor
- Skeletal wind serpent
- Slime cat
-
Skeletal dragons:
- Frost wyrm
- Others
- Crawling spine
- Floating skull
- Skeletal crawling hand
- Skeletal pit lord
Groups[]
As a companion pet[]
- [Macabre Marionette] is rewarded from [1-70] The Grateful Dead during the Day of the Dead.
- [Rattling Bones] is a rare drop from Conflagros in Darkshore.
In Warcraft III[]
Many skeletons can be summoned or are found as creeps.
- Skeleton Warrior (summonable in multiple ways or creep)
- Skeletal Mage (summoned by necromancers)
- Skeleton Archer (creep or summoned form an item)
- Burning Archer (creep)
- Skeletal Marksman (creep)
- Giant Skeleton Warrior (creep)
- Skeletal Orc (creep)
- Skeletal Orc Grunt (creep)
- Skeletal Orc Champion (creep)
- Dark Minion (summoned by Dark Ranger's Black Arrow abbility)
- Skeletal Archer (campaign only enemy unit)
- Skeletal Orc Archer (campaign only enemy unit)
Skeleton Warriors and Skeletal Mages can be summoned by Necromancers from corpses. Book of the Dead summons 4 Skeleton Warriors and 4 Skeleton Archers. Rod of Necromancy creates 2 Skeleton Warriors from a corpse.
In the RPG[]
A skeletal creature is the reanimated bone structure of a formerly living creature, a type of undead. Necromantic magic powers the skeleton, forcing it back into a parody of its living self. Most skeletons are mindless automatons, servants of necromancers or other spellcasters, but a few possess some degree of sentience and free will. A skeleton is seldom garbed in anything more than the rotting remnants of any clothing or armor it was wearing when slain. A mindless skeleton does only what it is ordered to do; it can draw no conclusions of its own and has no iniative. Because of this limitation, its instructions must always be simple. A skeleton ordered to attack does so without pause and fights until destroyed.[12]
Risen[]
The risen are skeletal guardians created from the bones and corpses of dead warriors. Unlike a typical skeletal soldier, risen are exceptionally tough and resistant to damage. They also retain the fighting skills they had in life, so they make excellent guards, defenders, or skirmishers. Risen often accompany columns of ordinary skeletons into battle.
Risen typically wear plate or chain armor, although it is often ragged and poorly maintained. Some of the more powerful risen are garbed in magic armor and given magic weapons.
Although virtually mindless, a risen retains a high degree of cunning regarding combat, always employing feats to the best of its ability.[13]
Risen centaur warrior is a centaur that has risen in undeath into a skeletal creature.
Sapient skeletons[]
Every so often, a skeleton retains its intellect or develops sapience over long years of undeath. No one has been able to create this circumstance intentionally, nor does anyone understand why or how it happens.[14]
Notes and trivia[]
- According to Crusader Kevin Frost, huge piles of skeleton skulls seem to keep the waves of undead away.[15]
- Older skeletons use the animations of male Forsaken.
- Skeletal draenei in Auchenai Crypts look like any other skeleton, even though in the loading screen art for the dungeon shows draenei skulls that look different.
- Fire elemental Hell hounds have a skeletal appearance and Ragnaros and Warcraft III Firelords have a skull like face.
- The dark energy that flows through the bodies of reanimated skeletons tends to accumulate primarily in their spine. Blood elf mages discovered a method of instilling this energy into a potion that boosts their magical abilities against the undead.[16]
Gallery[]
A skeletal mage in World of Warcraft.
A human Blighted Soldier
A dwarf Blighted Soldier
A gnome Blighted Soldier
A tauren Blighted Soldier
A goblin Blighted Soldier
A skeletal pit lord
Dracthyr skeleton
Cinematics[]
Skeletons in the 2001 Cinematic Trailer.
Skeletons in the Wrath of the Lich King cinematic.
Skeletons in the Shadowlands cinematic.
Art[]
Skeletons from the Warcraft I manual.
Skeleton from the Warcraft II manual.
Maldraxxi skeletons in Afterlives: Maldraxxus.
Skeletons including those of quillboar, tauren and a harpy in Traveler: The Spiral Path.
Turov the Risen, a skeletal mage in the Trading Card Game.
Soldier of the Frozen Wastes in the TCG.
Valthak Spiritdrinker, a skeletal warlock in the TCG.
Death and Decay in the TCG.
Frost Burst in the TCG.
Krenka becoming a risen centaur warrior from the Warcraft RPG.
Hearthstone
Patch changes[]
- Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Models for dwarf, gnome, goblin, tauren and troll skeletons added, skeletal human model with the same animations as the regular human male added, skeletal devilsaur models added and skeletal monkey models added.
- Patch 6.2.0 (2015-06-23): Skeletal pit lord model added.
- Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Skeletal orc model added.
References[]
- ^ a b The World of Warcraft Townhall/Beastiary#Skeleton
- ^ Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual, Creatures of the Land, Skeleton
- ^ Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual, Monster Descriptions, Skeleton
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Creatures of the Land, The Undead
- ^ Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, pg. 42
- ^ Ravages of the Plague (WC3 Human)
- ^ The Oracle (WC3 Orc)
- ^ The Broken Isles (WC3 NightElf)
- ^ [15-30] The Endless Flow
- ^ [15-30] Araj the Summoner
- ^ Ritual of Bones — Ner'zhul summons an army of shadow and death which marches across his platform, eradicating all life in its path. Tendrils of void bind the ritual bones together, inflicting 29250 to 30750 Shadow damage per second to those who cross their threshold.
- ^ Monster Guide, pg. 125-126
- ^ Monster Guide, pg. 114-115
- ^ Monster Guide, pg. 126
- ^ [15-30] Add 'em to the Pile
- ^ [1-30] Spinal Dust
|
|