This material opens a series of posts about the type of artifact weapons in World of Warcraft: Legion for each individual class and spec. In the first issue we will look at what the developers have proposed to the death knights.

In my subjective opinion, ancholics received the best weapon. The swords of the FDC are not bad, but not everything is so smooth with the bloods. However, the taste and color of all felt-tip pens are different. From this material, you will learn for what feats you will get access to one or another type of artifact weapon, including hidden ones. For those who are interested in the details - read. There is information about the mechanics and how they are pumped in.

Blood

Classic View - Maw of the Damned

original view

Enhanced View - Bloodmaw

Learn the entire history of the artifact

Valiant View - Soulreaper

Kill 8 world bosses

Hardened View - Executioner

Hidden View - Touch of Undeath

See spoiler

Other types

View one

Second view

third view

Fourth view

How to get the hidden artifact view for the Blood spec

In order to open this view, you need to get the Soul Warping Anima item, which can be looted from the chest at the end of the “The Collapse” scenario in Suramar.

Ice (Frost)

Classic View - Blades of the Fallen Prince

These artifact weapon styles are unlocked by quests related to Class Hall

original view

Complete one of the Pillars of Creation quests

Completing the Recover the Light's Heart quest chain

Completing the first stage of the Class Hall Company

Enhanced View - Frostmourne's Legacy

These styles of artifact weapons are unlocked by quests related to Class Hall, archeology, and discovering artifact traits.

End of the Class Hall Campaign

Unlock all artifact weapon traits

Learn the entire history of the artifact

Find 8 rare archaeological items

Valiant View - Sindragosa's Fury

These Artifact weapon styles are unlocked through various PvE activities.

Complete the Balance Power quest chain

Kill 8 world bosses

Complete a challenge mode dungeon with a level 15 Mythic Keystone

Complete the "Glory of the Legion Hero" meta-achievement

Hardened View - Gravekeeper

These artifact weapon styles are unlocked by PvP ranks (prestige levels)

Get prestige level 1

Reach prestige level 5

Reach prestige level 9

Reach prestige level 13

Hidden View - Dark Runeblade

The way to get it is different for different specs

How to get still unknown

Complete 100 Hidden Artifact instances

Complete 200 World Quests with a Hidden View Artifact

1,000 Honorable Kills with a Stealth Artifact

Other types

These skins were found by dataminers, but for what successes and achievements in the game they are given is still unclear

View one

Second view

third view

Fourth view

Unholy

Classic View - Apocalypse / Apocalypse

These artifact weapon styles are unlocked by quests related to Class Hall

original view

Complete one of the Pillars of Creation quests

Completing the Recover the Light's Heart quest chain

Completing the first stage of the Class Hall Company

Enhanced View - Unholy War

These styles of artifact weapons are unlocked by quests related to Class Hall, archeology, and discovering artifact traits.

End of the Class Hall Campaign

Unlock all artifact weapon traits

We previously reported that each class in the new World of Warcraft Legion expansion will have its own Artifact (or even several). But, unfortunately, all sets of Artfeats were not previously known, and we were content with just a few selections from official announcements. Now, after the official announcement of the release date of the new add-on, as well as the price for it, more information about the add-on itself was shown on the official website of World of Warcraft. Therefore, along with the news that appeared on our website in the article, now you can take a look at all the Artifacts, as well as their history.

Quote Blizzard employees

Only the most experienced heroes of Azeroth are strong enough to face the Burning Legion's invasion armed with legendary artifacts. The power of this magnificent weapon grows with yours. You define its properties yourself, appearance, sounds and behavior in combat. Transform your artifact into the ultimate weapon of war and lead your faction through these difficult times!

We invite you to take a look at more detailed description Artifact weapons for each class in the Legion Class Features section!

Death Knight Artifacts

It's far from news that Death Knights have three various specializations: "Blood", "Ice" or "Unholy". For each of the specializations, the Death Knight will have its own, truly unique Artifact:

• In the Blood specialization, messengers from the other world will tear their enemies to shreds with the help of ax Damndevourer. And even the very lord of all things - Death will bow before the owner of such a powerful weapon. The one who created this ax put his damned soul into it, and now it craves power. It was with the help of this super-powerful weapon, thousands of years ago, the enemies of the Legion were destroyed in a split second.

• In the Frost specialization, Death Knights have unstoppable resilience and a cold mind. Only those with this specialization deserve to have Herald of Cold and Frost Reaper (Blades of the Fallen Prince), which contain tremendous power - the power of Frostmourne. It was her that the Burning Legion forged in order to destroy Azeroth, but their plans were thwarted and, after the weapon of the Lich King was destroyed, countless souls were released from it, which could become the material for creating the perfect weapon ...

• In the Unholy specialization, death knights are too strong, they are able to bring destruction and leave behind only fear in the eyes of enemies. With the help of the blade Apocalypse the herald of death will be able to fully fulfill his mission in Azeroth. The blade was forged by the Nathrezim vampires and was corrupted by the mage guardian of Tirisfal, but he could not cope with his invisible power. As a result, the sword was hidden in the catacombs of Karazhan and now the moment has come when the blade will be used again in order to stop the army of the Burning Legion.

Demon Hunter Artifacts

New unique class- Demon Hunters, loyal minions of Illidan, are now available to players. These skilled blademasters will only be able to have two specializations, Havoc and Vengeance, but that doesn't make them any less diverse than other classes.

• Demon Hunters in the Havoc specialization are designed to destroy their enemies in an instant. It is with the help double clicks of the Deceiver they will be able to destroy everyone who meets in their path. The Blades of the Deceiver were formerly owned by Varedis Felsoul, who hated and opposed the Burning Legion in every possible way. Unfortunately, a deplorable fate awaited him and such a great demon hunter was killed in the battle for the Black Temple, but then he was resurrected by Kil'jaeden himself and now, his glaives, have the mighty power of the eredar - Kil'jaeden's allies.

• By choosing the Vengeance specialization, the Demon Hunter will be able to withstand everything that will be brought down on him. They love to cut their enemies Aldrachi warblades- a weapon that shed the blood of many demons of the Burning Legion. But Sargeras managed to get hold of these blades, which were later transferred to one of the demon hunters who transferred to the service of Kil'jaden.

Druid Artifacts

Guardians wildlife- Druds, they kept the wisdom and secrets of Azeroth. Now, these ancient creatures have mastered four different specializations: Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Healing.

• In the "Balance" specialization, druids have an incredible equality of all senses, strength and abilities. Only the one who has gained complete peace of mind, will be able to master Scythe of Elune- a legendary artifact created from the Staff of Elune and the fang of the demigod wolf Goldrinn, whose spirit is now contained within this powerful weapon. Before wielding it, remember that many of those who were unprepared became only victims of the scythe, not the true owner.

• In the Feral specialization, infused with the power of nature, druids use Fangs of Cinderheart- A panther who was one of the first Wild Gods. It was she who defended Azeroth in the War of the Ancients and was destroyed by the evil Legion. Legend has it that her fangs still have incredible strength. While druids possess powerful spells, they are weak in their true form. Despite this, they can change their appearance, taking the form of various creatures of nature, it is in them that the full power of true druids is revealed.

• Guardian Druids that draw natural forces, like the trunk of a mighty tree, able to withstand any bulk of enemies. Fully mastering the power Claws of Ursoc, powerful druids are unstoppable. These claws are the creation of the keeper Freya herself, which she gave to the great bear Ursoc, who died in the War of the Ancients. The druids found the soul of the great bear in the Emerald Dream and gave the claws to him for safekeeping.

• Druids in the Restoration specialization faithfully accompanied their allies in battle and, holding G "hanir, the Mother Tree, will keep Azeroth calm until their last breath. This mystical staff was crafted from the branch of the first tree that the demigod Aviana brought as a gift to mortal druids. It is this tree that creates a direct connection with the Emerald Dream, exerting a calming influence on Azeroth. But the Nightmare wandering in these lands still cannot come to terms with its existence.

Artifacts of the hunter

Fearless ranged masters can have one of three available specializations: Beast Mastery, Survival, and Marksmanship.

• With their innate sense of nature, Beast Mastery hunters can easily connect with anyone. wild beast. Especially for them, an incredible inventor, as well as the guardian of the titans Mimiron, was created incredible weapon - "Might of the Titans". Initially, it was created specifically for the closest friend of Mimiron - the guardian Thorim. Using the Lightning Spark relic, the gun fires a magical energy blast, instantly paralyzing the target.

• In Marksmanship, Masters of the Hunt are able to track down their target in an instant. And believe me, if you become the target of a hunter, then you will never run away, his weapon cannot miss, because they have their faithful bow Tas "dora, legacy of the Windrunners. Like the druid staff in the Restoration specialization, the bow was crafted from a branch of the Eversong Woods tree. According to elven traditions, only senior representative every generation. Alleria Windrunner was the last to wield this weapon, but after the destruction of Draenor, it disappeared without a trace.

• Be careful walking in the forest. It is quite possible that a hunter in the "Survival" specialization ran through here, and now your leg will be pinched by a trap, or killed by some other trap. They make their target suffer and, no matter what opponent stands before them, with their weapons Ravenous Claw, Spear of the Wild Gods, they are ready to take him down with ease. This powerful ancient spear was crafted by the great tauren of Highmountain. And for all the time of its existence, the weapon has absorbed more than one blessing of the Ancients, who have invested in it a particle of their power.

Mage Artifacts

No one has yet been able to unleash the full power of magicians who have three different specializations: Arcane, Fire and Ice. Each magician carefully chooses his weapon, because the power contained in it increases the spells used by the magician dozens of times.

• Those who have acquired the knowledge of arcane magic have chosen for themselves Aluneth, staff of Magna, which is not the first time saves its owner from the Burning Legion. On this moment the staff's origins are unknown, but legend has it that after Aegwynn, Trisfal's only female guardian, abandoned the guardian's mantle to defend Azeroth against the Burning Legion, she found Aluneth. However, after some time, for completely incomprehensible reasons, Aegwynn abandoned the staff.

• Fire is an indomitable element that not many people can possess. Mages of the "Fire" specialization gained the power of this element, and the blade increases their strength Felom "melorn, which has a very rich and long history. This blade was crafted by the Sunstriders and has been used in many battles. But the blade itself was destroyed and, for the glory of his brethren, Kael'thas Sunstrider was able to restore this sword by putting even more power into it. After the battle with the Lich King, the weapon was lost in the icy wastelands of Northrend.

• Mages in the Frost specialization will be able to stop time and bring chilling fear to any enemy. Mages of this specialization have chosen for themselves an incredible weapon called Black ice- a greatstaff that previously belonged to Alodi, the first guardian of Tirisfal. After Alodi's death, the Kirin Tor decided to hide such a powerful staff, making sure that the unworthy forces of the staff could not use it.

Monk Artifacts

Hidden in the mists, the monks were found and embroiled in a war between the Alliance and the Horde. They tried to keep calm, but when evil invades your world, you must protect it. With three specializations: Brewmaster, Mistweaver, and Windwalker, the monks will do their best to protect their loved ones.

• Of course, hallmark Brewmaster is a beer belly, but if you're sane, never engage a Brewmaster Monk in combat. Armed with a staff hewn from Pandarian forests Fu Can, Wanderer's Companion, they will destroy you before you can say the word "panda". The staff itself first belonged to Yu-long, the Jade Serpent, and then passed into the hands of the Monkey King, who still keeps it with him.

• Skilled "Mistweavers" skillfully wield any weapon, but they especially fell in love with Sheilun, Staff of the Mists. Previously, the Pandaren were aware of the invasion of Azeroth by the Burning Legion and, in order to save their people, Emperor Shaohao, with the help of his faithful staff Sheilun, separated Pandaria from the rest of the world and covered it with eternal mists. After the staff was found in Tian Monastery, and since then it has been kept in the Terrace of Eternal Spring.

• The power of the wind is always on the side of monks in the Windwalker specialization. Armed Fists of Heaven they are ready to crush all the demons of the Burning Legion. Not everyone will be able to wield these blades, because they have the unbridled fury of the elements that Al "Kair, the Lord of the Wind endowed them with. Unfortunately, after the creator of the Fists of Heaven, Irmaat, tried to release the snares of the blades, she destroyed his city and carried away the blades.

Only the most experienced heroes of Azeroth can meet the Burning Legion's invasion, armed with legendary artifacts. The power of this magnificent weapon grows with yours. You yourself determine its properties, appearance, sounds and behavior in battle. Transform your artifact into the ultimate weapon of war and lead your faction through these difficult times!

The strength of a death knight is in his weapon. Having become one of the greatest representatives of this class, you have earned the right to possess a weapon that is endowed not only with power, but also with its own name.

Dark Knights

Death Knights can choose from three specializations: Blood, Frost, or Unholy. The uniqueness of each of them is reflected in the choice of artifact weapons.

• Blood Death Knights rely on the Ax in combat Cursed Devourer with unimaginable power. Its blade is able to cut not only the flesh of enemies, but also their souls. The owner of such an ax gains power over death itself.
• Death Knights with the Frost Specialization must have a resilient will, able to overwhelm even the will of Frostmourne's wreckage. Inside deadly blades that bear names Herald of Cold And Frost Reaper, there is great power, but they are hungry for more and more new power.
• Unholy Death Knights are particularly brutal in combat. Dread Blade Apocalypse brings with it death and the pernicious spirit of the most terrible diseases. This sword leaves behind only grief and shattered hopes.

Each artifact is the epitome of the might of the death knight who wields it. There is power in names - remember them, because they are legendary weapon will become your faithful assistant in the battle with the enemy, which you have never met more dangerous.

Blood - Cursed Devourer

This ancient ax Legiona was forged from a metal that could drain life energy. Inside is the cursed soul of the ax maker, which is overcome by an insatiable hunger. For more than a thousand years, the insidious mo "arg with the help of this weapon suppressed any attempts at rebellion and absorbed vitality enemies of the Legion. Over time, the ax endowed its owner with incredible power.

Frost - Herald of Cold and Frost Reaper (Blades of the Fallen Prince)

The runeblade Frostmourne was forged by the Burning Legion to bring chaos to Azeroth and shattered by the Ashbringer in Icecrown Citadel. At that moment, countless souls were released, but many of them are still in captivity. Frostmourne Fragments can be reforged and given new properties, making them even more powerful. To do this, you need to subdue the will of the souls that are still in ice captivity.

Unholy - Apocalypse

This ancient sword, forged by the Nathrezim vampire demons, brings misery, death, and pestilence. This sword gained an extremely bad reputation after it fell into the hands of the mage - the guardian of Tirisfal, who never managed to control its destructive power. Later, this weapon went to the Dark Riders - the grim minions of Medivh, the infamous keeper of Tirisfal. They hid the sword in the catacombs under his tower, Karazhan.

The story of obtaining an artifact of a death knight commanding ice - the blades of a fallen prince.

After the Battle of the Broken Shore, a powerful death knight from the Ebon Blade traveled to Dalaran, which became the springboard for the assault on the Broken Isles. There he heard a voice that was sure to be familiar to him, but it sounded different than before: the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon spoke in his mind, and his words were cold even in the mind of an undead knight.

"Hear me. The Legion has returned. They hope to subdue us, to subjugate us to their will. Idiots, they only bring themselves within striking distance of our blades. Your brethren in Dalaran have begun to gather at Krasus' Landing. Go and meet Duke Lankral and you will understand. Fate is calling you."

Lankral is a death knight who took the reins of the Grim Vault after the Ebon Blade wrested it from the Scourge. As promised by the Lich King, he was waiting for the hero at the specified location.

Lanclar in the Dark Vault during the Scourge War

“I'm sure you have many questions, but they'll have to wait. We are at war! You have to move fast, but I'll try to explain what I can.

We have an unexpected ally in this war, and we'll need every advantage we can to defeat the Burning Legion. The Ebon Blade will serve as the hand of the Lich King for as long as the Scourge remains imprisoned in Northrend. In return for our support, our ally has offered to help us obtain powerful weapons for our strongest knights. A weapon powerful enough to end the Legion once and for all!

You are one of the best among us. I want you to decide which weapons you will go looking for.”

The death knight decided to start a new journey by creating blades with the power of ice. The legendary Frostmourne, even four years after its destruction in Icecrown Citadel, remained one of the most infamous weapons in all of Azeroth. And with just a bit of a knight's power over necromancy, the broken shards of a sword could be reforged into a pair of runeblades with the potential to be as powerful as their predecessor.

Lanclar was pleased with the choice: “We did not start this war, but we will finish it. You made a great choice.”

And then the knight again felt a powerful presence in his mind.

“I have ordered your brethren to go to Icecrown to prepare for the coming conflict, but I have a more important fate in store for you personally. You will be the hand of our revenge! Use the Death Gate and return to Acherus, and then I will reveal your role in all of this.”

The death knight complied and was transported by the spell to Acherus, the necropolis of the Ebon Blade, to which the spell was bound. Acherus was by then already at Icecrown Citadel itself, in the same place where the flying warship of the adventurers besieging the citadel had arrived four years earlier.

In Acherus, the champion was personally greeted by Darion Mograine, leader of the Ebon Blade: “Ah, it's you. So you are the Lich King's chosen hand? I'm not surprised: we've all heard stories of your exploits. Our forces have gathered together from every corner of Northrend. When we are called, and it will be soon, the Knights of the Ebon Blade will be ready. But remember, we are not bound by chains of power to the new Lich King. However, he is our strongest ally against the Legion. The apocalypse is at our door again, will you rise to the call?”

The hero went to the citadel, and on the way he was noticed by the trainers of the death knights: the mistress of impiety, Lady Alystra and the lord of blood, Lord Torval.

Look, it's him! I told you he would be the chosen one! Now pay!

One of Amal'thazad's students? Ha! Okay, take your gold.

The lich seems to be proud of his apprentice. And another couple of knights were busy on the platform of the citadel, making preparations for the flight of the necropolis away from the snows of Northrend. Their names are Dagnar Stonebrow and Minerva Ravensorrow.

Quick, Minerva, we're leaving now. Mograine will kill us if we cause delays.

We're already dead, idiot!

At the same time, Bolvar again addressed the knight: “Come in, champion, much remains to be done. Many of the souls freed by Frostmourne's destruction roam the halls of Icecrown, screaming in eternal torment. Destroy them and collect the blade shards, for they will become the heart of your new weapon.”

The mechanisms that shot out jets of frost from the walls of the citadel continued to work, but were not a hindrance to the hero. And the voice didn't lie. The translucent figures of foot soldiers and mages of Lordaeron roamed the halls, shrouded in a purple haze. These souls were imprisoned in visions of the past, believing that they continue to defend their homeland. “Meet your second death, you trashy undead! For Lordaeron!” they shouted as they charged at the death knight. And the souls of the mages even turned streams of icy wind against the champion ... but could this cold be a hindrance to someone who was going to forge Frostmourne for himself? Having defeated these ghosts and a couple of gargoyles guarding the gate to the citadel's spire, the knight, using the Death Grip spell, transferred the frozen guards to their pedestals, after which the gate opened. And behind them, a discovery awaited - the Icecrown spire was melting, giant icicles hung from the vaults of the citadel, and fallen ice fragments lay on the bridges.

Outside the spire gate, one of Frostmourne's shards lay on a pile of ice. And at the shard of the sword, the soul of Bailgun Firebeard, bound to it, stood guard. All these years, shards of the unholy sword have remained strewn across the Icecrown Spire. As for the dwarf, during the Third War, he stood guard along with his kindred over the passage to the lower levels of Azjol-Nerub. He wanted to prevent the Faceless and the evil behind them from going free. But on their way to the Frozen Throne, Arthas and Anub'arak slew these dwarves, who wanted to avenge Muradin. Bolvar spoke again, and there was not a hint of pity in his voice: “The soul of Baelgun was cursed to relive the moment of his death again and again until the end of time. He will consider you an enemy. Destroy it."

It turns out that Baelgun still did not survive that fight with the Scourge,

and his story from WoW RPG, according to which he is still alive, is completely outdated.

“The traitor prince sent you? So be it, I will not spare you!” yelled the ghost, attacking the champion. He fought with the might of a true mountain king, but even as an avatar of stone, the dwarf was unable to defeat the hero. Before his final death, he whispered, “What… what have I done?” The first shard was in the hands of a death knight, on the way to the other three were the ghosts of knights riding the same ghostly horses, a banshee and three ghosts of paladins who fell in the Third War. The first of these was Halak the Lifebringer, a knight of the Silver Hand. He led a group of survivors in Lordaeron called the Circle of Holy Light, who were about to escape the ruins of the capital into the lands of the dwarves. Unfortunately, the Scourge caught up with them and Halak was killed by Arthas. This is what Bolvar had to say about him: “Halak's soul was tortured in Frostmourne until he cursed the Light. Now that he has rejected him, kill him.” Indeed, Halak now called himself not Bearer of Life, but Deadly.

“The king may have fallen, but I will never leave Lordaeron!”

But the paladin still did not lose the opportunity to call on the Light, but was still smitten, only before his second death realizing the mistake of his betrayal of the paladin's path: “Light… no…”

The next paladin was also among the refugees who were about to leave the ruins of Lordaeron. Margot the Protector, leader of the Defenders of Justice, remained loyal to the Light even in death, but the Lich King didn't care. His cold mind was equally cruel to the one who betrayed the Light and to the one who remained faithful to him: “Even when Margot's soul was consumed by Frostmourne, he refused to betray the Light. Show him the fallacy of his way.” Margot rushed into battle: “You unholy monster! The righteous fury of the Light will tear you to pieces!” Defeated, the paladin's soul left in peace: “Calm…. on… finally…”

The last shard was in the hands of Gavinrad's ghost. He was one of the original five paladins of the Silver Hand, and it was this knight who once gave young Arthas the paladin's hammer. The Prince killed Gavinrad and his warriors during the Third War in the graveyard where Kel'Thuzad was buried. The knights suspected that the undead would try to take his remains and left their garrison there, but could not stop the Scourge. This is how Bolvar described Gavinrad the Sinister: “Once Arthas treated him like a brother, but his soul was eventually fed to Frostmourne. Grant him final death.” Now Gavinrad has taken on a new title - the Cruel.

“The Silver Hand will wipe your plague from the face of this world!” the ghost announced. But like all Shard Guardians before him, he was slain. Before leaving for the other world, he managed to say that his pain was over. After collecting all the fragments of the sword, the death knight climbed to the top of the Frozen Throne. In front of him, right in the center of the plateau, floated the hilt with the broken blade of Frostmourne. And at the top of the throne, Bolvar still sat, bound in ice. A whirlwind of souls swirled around him: “Behold, the hilt of Frostmourne. From her broken fragments you will create a blade that will not be equal! Come and direct your power into the hilt to create your weapon.”

The knight did as he was told. He extended his hand to the hilt of the sword and channeled his magic into it: Frostmourne was enveloped in a blue haze, and after flashes of lightning and flashes of light, two new swords appeared in its place. These were the blades of the fallen prince, Herald of Cold and Frost Reaper.

"Ready. The twin blades are born from the shards of Frostmourne. Soon they will feed on the souls of my enemies!”

The champion tried to take the swords, but as soon as he touched their hilts, he was transported to the dimension of Frostmourne, the world inside Arthas's blade: an icy dungeon in which the souls of his victims were tortured and served as food for the ever-hungry instrument of death. A more than amazing picture appeared before the knight - the spirits of the orc Ner'zhul and the paladin Arthas, facing the vision of Frostmourne.

Arthas Menethil, raise this blade, accept your fate!

Yes... you're right... I'll take any curse to exact my revenge... What? Uninvited guest! You can't stop me, Frostmourne will be mine!

How dare you interfere! His soul belongs to ME!

"Nothing will stand in the way of my revenge!" Arthas yelled as he charged into battle. Everything was clear to the death knight - the blades needed to be cleansed of the evil souls that still remained inside them. The fallen prince's ghostly hammer smashed the death knight with the power of darkness, while Ner'zhul teleported to the other side of the platform and began to launch a hail of giant Void orbs at the hero. Bolvar's champion pressed Arthas, but Arthas had a trick up his sleeve. “Feel the icy cold of death all around you!” he shouted, and ice spikes began to rise from the growing pool of dark energy around him. But the champion avoided this attack and delivered the final blow to the fallen paladin. “Argh! Darkness, I can’t… I… AAAAAAAAAA!!!” Arthas screamed in pain and covered himself with a shield of dark magic. Souls and a whirlwind of dark energy began to spin around him, he began to create a kind of “dark pact”, taking the illusory Frostmourne in his hands. Ner'zhul repeated his appeal to the hero: "How dare you interfere! His soul belongs to ME!” The orc spirit began to summon the undead Scourge into the Frostmourne dimension. The walking dead moved towards Arthas to restore his strength, but the hero's blades cut them down one by one. The dark pact was thwarted, and Arthas was finally slain. Disappearing, his soul almost exactly repeated it last words before dying: “Only… darkness…” Ner’zhul continued to throw the Orbs of the Abyss at the hero: “Damn you! My plans… collapsed!” But they did not reach the champion, he was again transferred to real world, and he finally picked up his new swords.

It's time to receive the blessing of the Lich King.

“You did well. Ascend to my throne and take on your new duty. Where the weak gave mercy, where the unworthy were slain, you conquered. And now I mark you with my seal, so that everyone recognizes in you the messenger of my will. As we speak, the Ebon Blade is moving towards the Broken Isles to begin hunting down the dreadlords. Go make sure no demon escapes my wrath! Crush all who stand in your way!”

Bolvar opened the Death Gate for the hero, which transported him to Acherus, and addressed the warriors of the necropolis: “Death knights of Acherus, I send this champion to you, who will serve as a messenger of my will. Follow his orders as you would follow my own.” The death knights saluted the herald in unison, and Amal'thazad was especially proud to see his apprentice home: “Ah, the apprentice returns in triumph! You have done well and have not forgotten the lessons I taught you.”

Darion, too, was pleased with the situation.

“The Lich King made a wise choice in giving you these blades. You have more than proven yourself worthy of them. I have to admit, I'm glad I wasn't chosen. I've had enough of the magical weapons that control my destiny. The time has come for you to take a place worthy of your achievements.”

Darion summoned all the defenders of Acherus to the main hall and began his speech: “Knights of the Ebon Blade, gather around me, for we salute one of us! Our brother in arms stands before us today. You have all heard of his legend, the many battles he went through and the trials he overcame at great cost. His deeds are a role model for the Ebon Blade. Indeed, he has shown himself to be one of the best among us and worthy of our greatest honor. By the will of the Lich King and by your authority as Highlord, champion, wielder of the fallen prince's blades, from this day until the end of time, you will be known as the Lord of Death. All of you will bow before him as you once bowed before me and do his will against the Legion!” Shouts of triumph and cheers filled the necropolis as Acherus accepted his Lord of Death.

After that, Darion expressed a desire to become one of the hero's associates.

“I have spent too much time within the walls of Acherus, and the Endless Hunger is tormenting my spirit. It would be good to go back to the battlefield and quench his thirst. I will be happy to fight at your side, Lord of Death.”

The archivist of the Ebon Blade, a blood elf named Dredmoor, also had an affair with the hero.

“Greetings Death Lord, I need to speak to you.

The blades you hold in your hands, while magnificent, contain great untapped potential. As you collect the souls of your enemies, the strength of the blades will grow. Grandmaster Corvius has learned new techniques that you may find useful, my lord. You can find it in the forges on the upper level.”

Chief Smith Corvius has been in office ever since Acherus served the Scourge. And this skeleton was more than impressed with the lord's new weapon.

“Ah, this weapon is great! Do you see the souls of the damned dancing on his blade? Oh, how they scream for deliverance! Yes… in their form, I can see what form the blade should take. I have been working for years to improve these forges. This weapon will be a great showcase for their new design! We can take your artifact to the forge and remake it to take advantage of the power of the souls within it, of course, to do this, you need to feed it enough souls first. Let's test the forge for a bit, shall we?"

The hero used the forge and got the opportunity to briefly summon the spirit of Sindragosa to help him.

“Oh yes… that will be very good! Come back when you've fed your blades another feast of souls, and we'll make them the most powerful weapon in history! Your weapon is stronger than ever, but it needs many more souls to reach its true potential. Sioxy is now receiving reports from the scouts, she will direct you to the enemies, and their screaming souls will further strengthen your weapons.”

Sioxy was already waiting for the lord with a report ready.

“Lord of Death, I have prepared a summary of all that we have learned about this new land. It will seem interesting to you.

Have you seen the fog surrounding us? The freezing winds of Acherus have provided us with the perfect cover from the predatory gaze of the Legion! Under the cover of this fog, we were able to send teams of scouts who sketched quite good card Broken Isles. Choose a place where we will begin our assault. You will, of course, receive the honor of personally leading our forces, but the remaining Ebon Blade will follow you as well.”

Afterword

This is the beginning of the history of these accursed blades. But before we finish, I would like to focus on two issues.

First, Frostmourne Shards. At BlizzCon 2011, the developers said that the sword fragments were taken from the Frozen Throne and hidden in a safe place. Does this information contradict what we see now? Yes. But the explanation here is simple - the developers changed their minds

Secondly, the souls of Arthas and Ner'zhul in the dimension of the sword. What were they doing there? From all canon information up to this point, it was believed that Ner'zhul's spirit was killed by Arthas. And Arthas himself was felt by Sylvanas in the terrible afterlife, where he was tortured by unknown terrible creatures that plunged their claws into the soul of the Forsaken queen before she was saved by the Val'kyr. And if Arthas can still be explained by the fact that his soul was tortured by the power of the Abyss, which means that she could become a victim of the power associated with it. If there is such a connection at all. Orcs are more difficult. Personally, I have three theories that can explain this course of events.

The first option is a retcon. There is not much to explain here. Ner'zhul was somehow able to orchestrate his death in the general mind of the Lich King, or like the good side of Arthas' soul was somehow able to survive outside of it. physical body. That is, he still remained out of his lot and just waited for the right moment. Or a very powerful retcon - Ner'zhul was alive and manipulating Arthas all this time.

The second option - Ner'zhul was killed by Arthas, but his essence still remained in the Lich King or his blade. Frostmourne feeds on souls, but do they disappear from her somewhere? This good question, because during its destruction, thousands of souls escaped from it, including those that were absorbed at the beginning of Arthas' dark path. It looks like souls don't disappear from the sword. But what happens to them? The blade devours them, but never destroys them. Some souls were tortured in the blade, others simply served as food for the sword. Some were able to keep their self, others went crazy, while others remained only a faint echo of themselves, which again and again experiences a certain terrible moment of its life. These are no longer quite souls in the true sense of the word: there is no personality left in them, it is rather an echo that plays the same moment of its life again and again. Such an echo is all that remains of many heroes in the End Times. Only their fate was determined by the Time of Twilight and Dornosomu's time manipulation that entangled them in time. There is another kind of echo - echoes of the past.

“When a spirit is consumed by the Abyss, only an echo remains of it. Neither materially nor spiritually, these echoes are alive. The echo is only a distorted echo of the suffering and torment of the absorbed spirit. But they can attack the living and disturb the spirits of those who have long since found peace in the grave.”- Dahaka, spirit from the Ancestral Lands in Nagrand

Many souls from Frostmourne are more like these kinds of echoes. And if we consider them dead, then we can say that there is no retcon here. If we assume that the souls of Arthas and Ner'zhul were only such echoes, then everything is simple. These “cassettes” on the eternal rewind of the moment when Arthas took the sword cannot be considered alive even in the understanding of the world of spirits.

The third option - Ner'zhul was reduced by the power of Arthas to a dummy in his mind and killed. But at the same time, his helpless soul was still in the sword or helmet of the Lich King, and after the death of Arthas, she regained her former strength and came to life, immediately starting to try to absorb what was left of the Prince of Lordaeron himself.

In any case, questions remain unanswered. How did Ner'zhul escape death in Arthas' mind? What has he been doing since then? And does it still exist in the twin blades? And Bolvar himself. He has shown himself to be ruthless and cold in this story, and treats the death knights as if they were his servants. It will be interesting to see what the new Lich King brings out in the future.

Thank you for reading this edition. *)

We continue to understand the artifacts of the Legion. This time, let's talk about the secrets of death knights and unholy necromancy. Why would the Ebon Blade need such a weapon? About new twists of history - in the article by Matthew Rossi from BlizzardWatch.

The Artifact of Blood looks very attractive, and causes several interesting questions about the Burning Legion, but as for me, the leadership in importance for WoW lore is shared by Apocalypse, an artifact of the unholy branch, and blades of ice - Herald of Cold and Frost Reaper. They have tangible significance, are directly connected to the past and present of the Warcraft universe, and promise to turn into a continuation of the stories that we have wanted to know for so long.

So let's take a look at the Forbidden Armory, the death knight's artifact weapons, which include blood, ice, and unholy.

Cursed Devourer

According to the official site:

This ancient Legion ax was forged from a metal that could drain life energy. Inside is the cursed soul of the ax maker, which is overcome by an insatiable hunger. For more than a thousand years, the insidious mo "arg with the help of this weapon suppressed any attempts at rebellion and absorbed the life force of the enemies of the Legion. Over time, the ax endowed its owner with incredible power.

I would like to know more about this artifact. Who created it? Was it the work of some ancient eredar, like the poor man trapped in the skull of the Man'ari? How can we get the artifact? My guess is that we will need to kill its current owner.

But I am amazed, however, at another thought - it seems that the Legion has created a whole bunch of absolutely terrifying weapons that have special power and which would not be given to ordinary soldiers. Many of the artifacts that we know about at the moment were created by the Legion, and all three artifacts for the death knights, in one way or another, are part of the demons' program to arm their troops.

And these creations are unlikely to be handed over to some guardian of filth or someone else. The description states that the Cursed Devourer is an ancient artifact and is said to have been used by the Legion to destroy their enemies for millennia.

This fact is not in the best way speaks of the Burning Legion as an organized demonic army. Why does the Legion need so many weapons for its champions? And how much of it in general?

We will return to this during the discussion of the following artifacts.

Herald of Cold and Frost Reaper (Blades of the Fallen Prince)

The runeblade Frostmourne was forged by the Burning Legion to bring chaos to Azeroth, and shattered by the Ashbringer in Icecrown Citadel. At that moment, countless souls were released, but many of them are still in captivity. Frostmourne Fragments can be reforged and given new properties, making them even more powerful. To do this, you need to subdue the will of the souls that are still in ice captivity.

So, for the newcomers, the Burning Legion does a hell of a lot of nasty work on creating terrifyingly sinister weapons. Both the Cursed Devourer and Frostmourne (as well as other weapons such as the Deadwind Harvester and the Scepter of Sargeras) were forged by the Legion. I do not think it makes sense to talk about Frostmourne itself, but I am extremely interested in knowing where the fragments of the blade ended up after it was destroyed, and how we will reforge the fragments into two swords, which in question. Is that why Bolvar will appear in the Legion? (Alex Afrasiabi hinted at his appearance while answering fan questions).

I've read a couple of spoilers (which I won't share in this article) about Bolvar, his role in the Legion, and his connection to these blades. And the only thing I can say about this is that the death knight who becomes the owner of these artifacts will hold Frostmourne in his hands, and therefore you should not be surprised when you have to pay a big price for using the blades.

Apocalypse

Forged by the Nathrezim vampire demons, this ancient sword brings misery, death, and pestilence. This sword gained an extremely bad reputation after it fell into the hands of the mage - the guardian of Tirisfal, who never managed to control its destructive power. This weapon was later taken over by the Dark Riders, the grim minions of Medivh, the infamous keeper of Tirisfal. They hid the sword in the catacombs under his tower, Karazhan.

So now we have weapons forged by the Nathrezim. They are also called the Dreadlords, and if you remember Balnazzar, Mal'Ganis, Mephistroth or Varimathras, then you have met the Dreadlords. Were the Nathrezim the creators of all of the Legion's most powerful and sinister two-handed weapons? Given the size of this weapon, why would the Tirisfal mage even try to handle it?

Also, quite interesting is the fact that this artifact, like the Deadwind Reaper, ended up under Karazhan, from which it can be concluded that Medivh amassed an impressive arsenal of sinister weapons while under the influence of Sargeras.

And while the above information is news in itself, we also haven't heard from the dark riders for a long time after their search for the Scythe of Elune. Now, as it turns out, it was hardly the only artifact they were after. Why would Sargeras/Mediv need this blade, or even any of the artifacts he collected?