The Prologue: Fall of the Lich King

[Derek Raines]

After destroying much of the world, Arthas Menethil- once Prince and Paladin- now Lich King and Lord of the Undead, returned to the frozen wastes of Northrend for unknown reasons.

Rallied by a common enemy, the races of Azeroth gathered as allies on the icy shores of Northrend- pushing deeper into the undead lands, destroying the Lich King's allies and growing in numbers. Lead by the legend, Tirion Fordring, the peoples of Azeroth formed an army that transcended Horde and Alliance and focused wholly on ending the Lich King's nightmare forever. But there were tensions easily played..

The heroes, paragons all for their personal feats and histories, were a part of this Grand Defiance. While the armies gathered, they explored deep underground halls that looked to be forged by the mighty Titans long ago. They took part in a great melee that was meant to strengthen bonds between the Horde and Alliance- yet due to the Pride of King Varian Wrynn and the temporary Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream, this was not so. Still, dark mutterings aside, it looked as though the army would march come morning.

The heroes, personally asked to join the King as armorbearer and honorguard, were witness to his murder by Fel creatures of shade and were blamed for the crime. Tensions between both Horde and Alliance boiled up as one of those being tried by the human court was a blood elf and under the authority of Garrosh Hellscream. The trail was frail and thrown together. False testimony, weak evidence, betrayal by Vareesa' own master and the pressure of violence brewing just outside the doors lead to a hasty decision by High Priest Benedictus- but when the King is murdered, someone must take the fall.

The camp fell into madness. Members of the Horde slew countless humans, dwarves, drenai and elves- many while they slept or made ready for war- and only those who bent the knee to Hellscream were sparred. In the chaos, Sylvanus Windrunner and Madurin freed the heroes from their prisons and led them to a hill overlooking the tournament grounds. Jaina Proudmoore and Tirion Fordring awaited- they all sadly watched the massacre below. The small group knew what needed to be done.

[Derek Raines]

Arthas, the Lich King, must be stopped. Jaina believed that if she could find a place of great arcane power that she could use her magics to penetrate the Lich King's defenses and create a portal to his very throne room. A full frontal assault on Icecrown was no longer an option- the Lich King would be assassinated on the highest tower.

The heroes, along with Sylvanus, waited in an ancient Manor House while Tirion and Jaina scouted ahead to find what they needed. The House, while old and falling apart, gave shelter from the cold and a chance at some much needed rest. But rest is for the dead. Or is it? Ghouls, woken by a theft in the graveyard, smashed through window and rotting walls! Meanwhile, an assassin of living scarabs, made her way upstairs to end the life of the Banshee Queen who was struggling to regain control of her will so close to the Lich King's champion. A brutal battle took place leaving Vareesa dead and gone and Jerod a battered corpse as well. With the foes defeated, Sylvanus used an altered sample of the plague created by her Apothecaries to raise Jerod as one of her Forsaken. It was a dark night for all.

The morning was heralded by white light and a bird of living flame! A phoenix guided the heroes to an old Hodir stronghold where Jaina, Tirion and a blood elf named Valris awaited. Valris, the slayer of the traitor Sunstrider, was a survivor of the massacre at the tournament grounds and brother to Vareesa. His grief was great indeed to know she had been killed just the night before. Alongside of the blood elf was a dark woman by the name of Lalanna who also escaped the massacre claiming to be charged with ending the life of the Lich King.

After great effort and preparation, Jaina managed to open the portal to Icecrown and Tirion stepped in first with the powerful Ashbringer in hand. Before the others could follow, the portal turned a sickening shade of red and two figures emerged! The corrupted champions known as Saurfang and Highlord Bolvar stepped out and a savage battle took place. With remorse, the heroes slew their opponents and burned them with honor. At last, they stepped through the portal and onto the High Spire of the Frozen Throne..

[Derek Raines]

Arthas and Tirion has been doing battle the entire time the heroes fought Bolvar and Saurfang, and they each bore wounds from the other. The Lich King's might, however, granted the upper hand and Tirion was tossed aside like a ragdoll. A mighty battle took place as the heroes engaged the Lord of the Scourge. They fought bravely, but Frostmourne cut deep. Within moments they too were slain and their souls claimed by the runeblade.

Within Frostmourne, the spirits of the heroes could see the countless thousands that has also been claimed. They wandered about, trapped in their own nightmares and memories, only the strongest willed able to remember what they had been before their deaths. The heroes met phantoms of their past- Jerod met his father, killed by Arthas at the siege of the Scarlet Monastary- Madurin met Muradin Bronzebeard, sacrificed by Arthas when he first claimed the sword for his own- Valris met his sister Vareesa, so recently claimed by the minions of the Lich King- and Lalanna met a figure of darkness who's words she only knows. Reuniting with these important people from their paths, they barely noticed the arrival of Uther Lightbringer- the mentor or Arthas so long ago and one of the first claimed by Frostmourne.

Uther explained that he has remained in the weapon, using his willpower to alter Arthas slightly, to keep him from taking that last plunge off the edge of sanity. He claimed that Arthas desperately sought redemption for his dark deeds. Through the mist and haze of the sword, they could see the living world around them. Tirion had found his feet once more and was doing his best to end the Lich King. A dark shadow circled the tower as they fought, but they could not make it out. With determination, Uther decided that Arthas had to be stopped once and for all and this could be the only chance to do so. He claimed that if he sacrificed his essence, what remained in the blade to keep Arthas slain, he could allow the heroes to escape Frostmourne. But they would need to find the individual essence of another strong willed spirit to mend their broken forms and return them to life. The heroes looked at the figures of their past and it was agreed. Jerod and Father became one spirit, Madurin and the great Dwarven Lord became one spirit, Lalanna and the dark figure became one spirit, and Valris and his sister Vareesa became one spirit. Uther began the ritual to free them from the blade. Before he could finish, however, Val'kyr- the claimer of souls to the Lich King himself- arrived to take what belonged to the master. The heroes, fused with the spirits of their loved ones, crushed the Val'kyr swiftly. Uther finished the ritual, giving the last shred of himself to free them from the blade. The heroes awoke on Icecrown once more, completely healed and full of new found power. As a last gift, Jerod has been restored to the living and was no longer a Forsaken. A gift from his father, perhaps. Where once Valris has been, Vareesa returned with all the skills and abilities of her brother. Valris, ever protective of his little sister, decided to remain behind and let his sister take his place.

Hell had broken loose around them.

[Derek Raines]

Tirion and Arthas were struggling, blades locked, as the heroes found their feet. Arthas was astonished, for none had ever escaped the prison of Frostmourne! The dark monstrosity that was seen in the spirit world circling the tower was the Skybreaker Airship! The crew, cannons and the arcane might of Jaina Proudmoore were doing their best to keep the undead gargoyles and Frostwyrms from interfering with the fight on the tower. Down below, one could see that Garrosh had mustered the army he had claimed for himself and was attacking the waves of undead at the base of the tower.

Cannon balls crashed off of masonry, whistling and bursting all around as the heroes engaged the Lich King once more. Frostmourne hungered for what had escaped it and still cut deeply, but the heroes spirits were fused and they fought hard. The tower shook violently as it was struck again and again by cannon above and Hellscream's catapults from below. Tirion lost his footing just as he meant to run Arthas through with Ashbringer- the Lich King severed his hand at the wrist and Ashbringer with it. Freezing several of the heroes in ice to die within seconds, the Lich King assumed his victory at hand. Jerod gathered up the Ashbringer and ran it through to the hilt in Arthas' chest. Through his dark heart. The coldness of his eyes melted and returned to the blue they once were. The evil that lined his voiced melted away in to that of the Prince- broken, regretful, dying.

"You...you do not know what you have done.." He muttered. "I...I am so sorry.."

Arthas slumped forward, Frostmourne shattering at his side. Ice encased the dead Lich King, trapping the Ashbringer where it had slain him. The living memory, frozen in time, of when the Lich King died.

Icecrown shook. Not due to the battering it had taken. It shook because Northrend shook. In the distance the mountains shuddered and began to fall. Great fissures crept along the landscape, sundering the land. The Heroes gathered the wounded Tirion and boarded the Skybreaker. Then- Northrend revealed it's true nature.

[Derek Raines]

Northrend began to unfold! Like the petals of some massive clockwork flower, the very continent contorted and twisted and OPENED! In the midst of the landmass the heroes could see what resembled the halls they had walked some time ago- running like a maze of veins throughout Northrend. From the Skybreaker, they could see Northrend for what it was! A massive prison!

Creatures ancient and terrible began to emerge from their bindings. Powerful runes arranged around the prison were fading, cooling, and burning out all together- allowing those within to claim their freedom. A Dreadlord unfurled his wings and took to the skies. A living mountain shook from his constraints and shambled onto land. A massive demon of a Fish slid from his containment chamber and burst forth into the icy sea, sending a massive wave crashing down on Northrend's twisted shores. The Firelord himself, Ragnoros, erupted into flame...and looked up at the Skybreaker. At Madurin. The Firelord could sense his hammer..stolen. Several other lesser beings, some as small as a man and looking like ants from so high up, staggered out into the snow. And then, a great shadow covered the continent.

Deathwing, a massive black dragon covered in adamantium plating, took flight. Deathwing, the betrayer, the nightmare Dragon. Lord of the Black Dragon Flight. Slowly he gained altitude as his wings devoured the air. All around him, lesser dragons from his Flight spiraled up and around him, stretching their wings after being imprisoned for so very long.

Jaina watched wide eyed, in awe and terror. A realization struck her.

"I now know why Arthas returned to Northrend! This was the redemption he sought! He must have discovered what Northrend really was! A prison, a prison unlike any we have ever seen! The Titans were rumored to have constructed Northrend back when the world was made! Perhaps this is where they kept the truly wicked! Those too powerful to exile! Oh Arthas, poor Arthas- he must have reclaimed his will..he wanted to save us even after nearly ending us. Did he use the Lich King's own power to make sure that the prison would never open again? Did he.."

Jaina's words were abruptly ended as cannon fire burst from the Skybreaker. Some of the lesser Dragons that emerged alongside Deathwing had taken notice of the airship! A fast paced battle took place as the Skybreaker tried to escape the nightmare of dragons while fending off their advances. The heroes fought on deck with blade, hammer and magic- sending back several waves of the beasts. One of the dragon corpses however, whipped away from the deck by the speed and fury of the battle, collided with one of the Skybreaker's engines. The airship was going down to the dark, churning waters below.

The heroes shouted for Jaina to do something! Lady Proudmoore, drained and heartbroken, did her best to summon a portal in the chaos of the moment. A weak, swirling vortex tore reality and all on board rushed to make their escape. The world went black.