ARTHAS MENETHIL (LICH KING)
Basic Info
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β’ Universe: Warcraft
β’ Name: Arthas Menethil (Lich King)
β’ Species: Human (Undead)
β’ Role: Paladin (Death Knight)
β’ Location: Icecrown Citadel
β’ Title: Prince of Lordaeron, Paladin of the Silver Hand, First of the Lich King's Death Knights, Champion of the Scourge, Lich King
β’ Affiliation: Alliance of Lordaeron (Scourge)
β’ Connections: Terenas Menethil (father), Lianne Menethil (mother), Calia Menethil (sister), Invincible (horse steed), Ner'zhul (conjoined spirit of Lich King, Dragon)
Biography
Arthas Menethil, Crown Prince of Lordaeron and Knight of the Silver Hand, was the son of King Terenas Menethil II and heir to the kingdom's throne. He was trained as a paladin by Uther the Lightbringer and became inducted into the Knights of the Silver Hand. Arthas also had a romantic relationship with the sorceress Jaina Proudmoore. The young prince grew up in a time when the lands of Azeroth were ravaged by war, the Alliance was crumbling, and darker clouds still loomed on the horizon.
As a young child, he became best-friends with Varian Wrynn and often sparred with him though Arthas was less experienced. He also watched as his future steed, Invincible, grew up. As a youth, Arthas was trained in combat by Muradin Bronzebeard, the brother of the dwarven king Magni Bronzebeard, and became an adept swordsman, while at the same time learned the ways of the Light under the tutelage of Uther the Lightbringer. He also developed a love interest with Jaina Proudmoore when she was staying in Lordaeron on her way to Dalaran where she would be studying. Committed to the protection of his people, Arthas was determined to stop the plague of undeath from infecting Lordaeron.
Despite his promising beginnings, Arthas became one of the most dark and powerful beings Azeroth would ever know. Although he killed the necromancer Kel'Thuzad, he was unable to stop the plague's spread and resorted to increasingly desperate methods, such as purging the city of Stratholme from its infected. Taking up the cursed runeblade called Frostmourne, Arthas was finally able to defeat the undead leader Mal'Ganis, but in so doing he lost his soul. Becoming a death knight of the Scourge, he led the undead forces in destroying Lordaeron, Quel'Thalas and Dalaran. Arthas afterwards made his way to the Frozen Throne of Icecrown, and merged with the Lich King.In Northrend, Arthas became the first of the Lich King's death knights. He was given a suit of saronite armor, and slew nearly all of his own men before raising them as undead. Some among them, notably Falric, Marwyn and Thassarian, were raised as death knights in Arthas' service. Arthas returned to Lordaeron months later, and the kingdom rejoiced at the return of its champion. Flanked by Falric and Marwyn, Arthas entered the imperial chamber and knelt before the throne. After telling his father that he no longer needed to bear the weight of his crown, Arthas walked up to Terenas and ran Frostmourne through his heart. The king's bloodied, broken crown remains lost to this day. As he drew Frostmourne, Arthas remembered the words of his old friend Varian describing his own father and king Llane being stabbed in the heart. Arthas then unleashed the Scourge upon the Capital City. He soon found Vivian, wife of the fallen hero Killoren. Sensing a conflict within Thassarian, Arthas ordered Thassarian to kill Vivian - his mother - in order to prove his loyalty. Leaving Falric and Marwyn to oversee his forces in the city, Arthas ran to the Balnir Farmstead. There he used his necromantic powers to raise his faithful steed Invincible into undeath, allowing it to serve as his mount once again. A few days later, Arthas appeared in Vandermar Village at the bidding of his new master, the Lich King. As the Lich King, Arthas instigated another Scourge invasion of Azeroth, provoking a counteroffensive in Northrend by the Alliance, the Horde, the Argent Crusade, and the Knights of the Ebon Blade. By doing so, he lured powerful heroes to Northrend and placed many challenges before them, seeking to weed out the weak and make the strong question their own morality. He planned to raise the world's greatest fighters as his new champions, and use them to spearhead attacks on their homelands, in a reflection of his own journey. Ruling as the Lich King for years afterward, Arthas had the last remnants of his humanity destroyed and was ultimately defeated in combat by Highlord Tirion Fordring and his champions of the Light. Cradled by the spirit of his father, Arthas Menethil died, leaving the mantle of the Lich King to be taken by a noble soul who would contain the power of the Scourge. Arthas' soul found no rest in the afterlife, instead being forged into a weapon in the schemes of the Jailer that was spent until nothing was left.
Artifacts, Items, Powers
β’ FROSTMOURNE
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"Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit."
βThe inscription on Frostmourne's pedestal Frostmourne was the runeblade that Ner'zhul, the Lich King, thrust from the Frozen Throne, intending that Arthas Menethil β his unwitting potential host β would discover it on the continent of Northrend. It was wielded by Arthas, the new Lich King, until it was destroyed by Tirion Fordring following his defeat in Icecrown Citadel.
β’ HELMET OF DOMINATION
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β...A crown fit for the king of the damned.β
The Helm of Domination was a magical, ornate helm (or crown) infused with the power of Domination and worn by the Lich King to control the Undead Scourge. It was destroyed by Sylvanas Windrunner to open a rift into the Shadowlands. The pieces of the helm continued to play a role in subsequent events until they were reforged into the Crown of Wills, an instrument intended to be the helm's opposite.
Epic Moments
β Arthas Claiming Frostmourne!
β Lich King Army!
β Sindragosa Frost Wyrm
β Lich King Raising Sindragosa!
Gallery
