Balnazzar

Balnazzar
Gender	Male
Race	Nathrezim
Level	62 (Elite)
Class	Warrior(RPG)
Affiliation(s)	Burning Legion, Scarlet Crusade, Crimson Legion, Dreadlord Insurgents
Occupation	Using the Scarlet Crusade to forward the Burning Legion's goals
Location	The Scarlet Bastion, Stratholme
Status	Defeatable, possessing Saidan Dathrohan
Relative(s)	Detheroc, Varimathras (Brothers)
Alignment	Lawful evilTemplate:Cite
Scarlet Stratholme Main Gate Skul (rare) Stratholme Courier Fras Siabi Hearthsinger Forresten (rare) The Unforgiven Timmy the Cruel Commander Malor Risen Hammersmith Willey Hopebreaker Instructor Galford Balnazzar (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) Service Entrance Postmaster Malown Black Guard Swordsmith Baroness Anastari Stonespine (rare) Nerub'enkan Maleki the Pallid Magistrate Barthilas Ramstein the Gorger Lord Aurius Rivendare (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) (lore) NPCs Crusade Commander Eligor Dawnbringer Master Craftsman Wilhelm Packmaster Stonebruiser Crusade Commander Korfax Archmage Angela Dosantos Argent Flight Commander Vahdat Loot

Balnazzar (currently under the guise of Saidan Dathrohan, Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Crusade) was one of the three nathrezim siblings left behind in Lordaeron to oversee the demonic conquest of that land. The return of Prince Arthas, following the defeat of Archimonde, sent the three brothers packing, but they quickly regrouped and concocted a new plan to destroy Arthas once and for all. Though they (and Sylvanas Windrunner, who attacked Arthas on her own terms) didn’t destroy Arthas, the undead prince left Lordaeron, leaving Balnazzar to rule the Plaguelands. Soon after, Sylvanas (who forcibly made Varimathras join her) laid siege to Balnazzar's forces and ultimately forced Varimathras to execute Balnazzar. He later came to posses the body of Saidan Dathrohan, a founder of the Scarlet Crusade.

Brann Bronzebeard misspelled his name as Balzannar.Template:Cite

Biography

Balnazzar and his brothers, Varimathras and Detheroc, were not aware that the Burning Legion had been defeated at Mount Hyjal until months after the fact. It was only when Arthas returned from his sabbatical to Kalimdor that he announced Archimonde's destruction. Arthas stated that their deaths would complete their folly. Balnazzar and his brothers quickly teleported away before Arthas could strike.

The dreadlords plotted in the safety of the Tirisfal Glades, and began to form a plan to ruin the undead king. Knowing that Ner'zhul, and Arthas, were losing their powers, they called to Sylvanas, who was no longer locked in loyalty to the Lich King, and asked for her assistance in the coup that was sure to entail. Sylvanas, hungry for vengeance for her current form and the slaughter of her people, agreed. Balnazzar and his brothers staged an ambush for Arthas within the Capital City ruins, separating Kel'Thuzad from him and attacking him with their minions. Balnazzar even loosed other dreadlords on him, but Arthas, rounding up the forces he could find still loyal to him, escaped, or so he thought.

Escorted by a cadre of banshees, Arthas was attacked by Sylvanas, who had prepared a long, grisly death for her murderer, and was about to begin her work when Kel'Thuzad interrupted and chased her off. Though he still lived, Arthas was gone from Lordaeron, or the Plaguelands as they were now called, and Balnazzar was free to reign over it as he liked. He sent Varimathras to bring Sylvanas to join their new order, but things went horribly awry.

As seen in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.

Unfortunately for Balnazzar, Sylvanas had plans of her own and laid siege to Lordaeron. She had defeated Balnazzar’s brother Varimathras, who offered to serve her in exchange for his life. Sylvanas accepted and the dreadlord fought at her side in the attack on Lordaeron. Balnazzar received word from his scouts that Sylvanas had coerced Varimathras to her side, killed Detheroc, and allied with his human minion, Garithos. The banshee and her forces laid siege to Balnazzar's base, which he had fortified within the city ruins. Even armed with demons as his minions, Balnazzar found himself attacked from both ends by Sylvanas and Garithos, and despite his many threats, Balnazzar's forces were defeated.

Sylvanas, Varimathras, and Garithos approached Balnazzar. Sylvanas ordered Varimathras to kill his brother as a testament to his loyalty to her. Varimathras was reluctant. Killing another nathrezim was forbidden, but Sylvanas was adamant.

Varimathras "kills" Balnazzar.

Balnazzar was sure that Varimathras would never take that final step. He was wrong. However, Balnazzar survived — Varimathras allowed his brother to fake his death in order to fool Sylvanas.Template:Cite Template:Cite

To remain hidden Balnazzar went underground. Not content to simply sit by while the undead legions overran Azeroth, he formed a new plan to oppose them. He possessed the body of the paladin Saidan Dathrohan, who then helped found the Scarlet Crusade, an order of knights focused on the singular goal of defeating the Scourge in all its forms. Though on the surface the Crusade seems merely interested in fighting the Scourge, it is secretly (through Balnazzar) a tool of the Burning Legion, which still hopes to destroy Azeroth. Balnazzar likely hopes to curry favor with the surviving Lords of the Legion by destroying the Lich King.

Balnazzar also uses agents to do his jobs. One day a mysterious prophet emerged from caverns underneath the Stonetalon Mountains. The prophet warned that the Burning Legion was coming soon and would be ushered in by the Forsaken and sent adventurers on anti-Forsaken missions. Upon further investigation, it was found that the "prophet" was really an agent of Balnazzar, who had survived his "death". Balnazzar had plotted his revenge against Sylvanas ever since that day — and the prophet was apparently just one small part of his plan.Template:Cite

Possessed soul

File:Balnazzarcomic.jpg

Balnazzar in the Ashbringer comic.

No one in the Crusade is aware that Dathrohan is a demon — they simply believe him to be a holy knight obsessed with the destruction of the undead. Balnazzar uses this fact to his advantage as much as possible, intending not only to defeat the undead but one day secure his hold on Lordaeron once again. To maintain his charade, Balnazzar kept (and still keeps) a low profile, letting others run the Scarlet Crusade. At present, Balnazzar dwells within the Scarlet Crusade stronghold in the besieged ruins of Stratholme, in the deepest reaches of the Eastern Plaguelands. The Scourge and the Crusade remain locked in battle, at a stalemate primarily because Balnazzar depends upon his masquerade for his long-term plans. His agents actively recruit new members for the crusade, and his ranks grow steadily. Should anyone find out his true nature, however, the Scarlet Crusade could potentially fall apart overnight, and the undead would become the only power in the Plaguelands.

Balnazzar attempts to remain in his possessed form as long as possible, not revealing his true nature until absolutely forced to do so. He avoids using spells or spell-like abilities unless they could be paladin spells or he can do so in a way that makes them look like they came from a magic item. He avoids direct combat, preferring to let his minions do the fighting for him. If cornered and sorely pressed, he reveals his true nature, abandoning his possessed body and emerging in all his glory. The hulking demon’s skin is a waxy purple, save the black bat-like wings. Its eyes glow crimson as it raises its massive greatsword. At this point he lets loose with all the firepower at his command, subduing and then destroying his enemies with demonic fury. Any allies who remain by his side are then slain in turn, so that he may preserve his secret, and he returns to his former body to maintain the masquerade. If his secret is openly revealed, he retreats, seeking vengeance on those responsible at some future time. Balnazzar can possess the body of a creature he has slain through the use of his energy drain ability. In doing so, his form turns to a misty cloud that invades and takes over the corpse, while the soul of the slain creature moves on to its final reward (or punishment). The slain creature cannot be raised from the dead through any means other than a true resurrection for as long as Balnazzar possesses it (True resurrection ejects him from the body at once). His power sustains the body so it does not decompose; in fact, it appears in all respects as if alive. Balnazzar wears paladin gear (Scarlet Crusade armor and the like) in Saidan Dathrohan’s guise. Otherwise, he carries a greatsword of wounding; this sword is tied to Balnazzar’s life force, and anyone else touching it or trying to wield it is corrupted as long as he contacts the weapon. If Balnazzar possesses a creature, the sword vanishes with him, returning to his side when he emerges. Balnazzar also has a ring of protection and wears bracers of armor.Template:Cite

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

One of the realms in World of Warcraft is named after Balnazzar. Server:Balnazzar

Also, he is the final boss of the Stratholme Living Side, or also known as Scarlet Crusade headquarters. He begins the fight as Grand Crusader Dathrohan, but eventually sheds his human disguise for his true form. His head can be claimed and taken to Light's Hope Chapel for a quest to enter Stratholme and kill Baron Rivendare; however, it can only be looted by someone who has already completed and turned in the quest to kill Archivist Galford.

• See: Realm Names and their place in Warcraft Lore

Tactics

Before you start the fight, shield your tank and engage Grand Crusader Dathrohan. Wait for a few seconds for the tank to build up aggro before the rest of your party attacks. Dathrohan attacks aren't terribly damaging at this point, but don't let him engage your softer party members. Pull him to face the back wall, facing away from the rest of the party. Keep your party's ranged damage about 10-15 yards away to avoid his stun.

Grand Crusader Dathrohan's spells:

•  Mind Blast — Inflicts Shadow damage (370 - 430) to an enemy, but causes a high amount of threat.
•  Crusader's Hammer — Stuns nearby enemies, rendering them unable to move or attack for 4 sec. (Radius: 20 yards)
•  Crusader Strike — Inflicts 75 damage to an enemy and increases the Holy damage it takes by 30 per Crusader Strike. Can be applied up to 5 times. Lasts 30 sec.
•  Holy Strike — Consecrates the caster's weapon, inflicting 3 additional damage on its next attack. All damage inflicted is based on Holy magic.

At 40% health, Grand Crusader Dathrohan transforms into Balnazzar. When he changes into Balnazzar, he will have full health and mana, but he still retains all aggro. Do not change your tactics, keep him away from your casters and wear him down. Most of his skills are Magic and can be removed by a Priest or Paladin.

Balnazzar's spells:

•  Mind Blast — Inflicts Shadow damage (370 - 430) to an enemy, but causes a high amount of threat.
•  Domination — Takes control of a humanoid enemy up to level 25 for 15 sec. (can't be dispelled by priests or paladins)
•  Shadow Shock — Instantly lashes nearby enemies with dark magic, inflicting Shadow damage. (210 - 242) (Radius: 15 yards)
•  Sleep — Puts an enemy to sleep for up to 20 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only one target can be asleep at a time. (can be dispelled by priests or paladins)
•  Psychic Scream — Lets out a psychic scream, causing up to 5 nearby enemies to flee for 6 sec.

When he dies, undead mobs spawn outside of the room, which is the reason for fighting at the back of the room.

Quests

•  [60D] The Truth Comes Crashing Down

Loot

Notable loot

Book of the Dead Item Level 25Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up Held In Off-hand +4 Intellect +2 Stamina +2 Haste +1 Versatility Use: Summons a Skeleton that will protect you for 1 min. (15 Min Cooldown) Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 86 76 Pattern: Truefaith Vestments Use: Teaches you how to sew Truefaith Vestments. Truefaith Vestments Item Level 29Disenchants into: Not disenchantable Binds when picked up Cloth Chest 14 Armor +4 Intellect +5 Stamina +3 Versatility Equip: Reduces the cooldown of your Fade ability by 2 sec. Durability 165 / 165 Classes: Priest Requires Level 24 Sell Price: 4 73 65 Bolt of Runecloth (12), Mooncloth (10), Righteous Orb (4), Golden Pearl (4), Ghost Dye (10), Rune Thread (2) Requires Classic Tailoring (300) Sell Price: 1 50 Crown of Tyranny Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Mail Head 6 Armor +3 Agility or Intellect +4 Stamina +3 Critical Strike +2 Versatility Durability 85 / 85 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 16 20 Demonshear Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Sword Two-Hand Speed 3.60 5 – 9 Damage (1.9 damage per second) +3 Strength +4 Stamina Chance on hit: Sends a shadowy bolt at the enemy causing 133 Shadow damage and dealing 36 damage every 2 sec for 6 sec. Durability 100 / 100 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 2 86 60 Fire Striders Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Cloth Feet 2 Armor +2 Intellect +3 Stamina +2 Haste +2 Versatility Durability 65 / 65 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 20 57 Gift of the Elven Magi Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Dagger One-Hand Speed 1.80 1 – 2 Damage (0.8 damage per second) +8 Intellect +2 Stamina +1 Critical Strike +1 Haste Durability 65 / 65 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 2 22 59 Grand Crusader's Helm Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Plate Head 10 Armor +3 Strength or Intellect +4 Stamina +2 Haste +3 Versatility Durability 85 / 85 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 14 6 Hammer of the Grand Crusader Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Mace Two-Hand Speed 3.60 6 – 8 Damage (1.9 damage per second) +3 Strength +4 Stamina +3 Haste +2 Versatility Durability 100 / 100 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 2 71 4 Lightforge Boots Item Level 59Disenchants into:  [Large Brilliant Shard]: 1 (99.5%)  [Nexus Crystal]: 1 (0.5%) Binds when picked up Plate Feet 410 Armor +8 Strength +18 Stamina +9 Hit Lightforge Armor (1/8 pieces)  [Lightforge Belt]  [Lightforge Boots]  [Lightforge Bracers]  [Lightforge Breastplate]  [Lightforge Gauntlets]  [Lightforge Helm]  [Lightforge Legplates]  [Lightforge Spaulders] (2) Set: +200 Armor. (4) Set: Increases Strength by 20. (6) Set: Chance on melee attack to increase your spell power by 95 for 10 sec. (8) Set: Reduces magical damage taken by 5%.   Durability 65 / 65 Requires Level 54 Sell Price: 2 39 10 Shroud of the Nathrezim Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Cloth Shoulder 2 Armor +2 Intellect +3 Stamina +2 Critical Strike +1 Versatility Durability 85 / 85 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 14 92 Star of Mystaria Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Neck +2 Stamina +5 Haste +2 Versatility Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 21 57 Wyrmtongue Shoulders Item Level 25Disenchants into:  [Small Glimmering Shard]: 1 Binds when picked up Leather Shoulder 4 Armor +2 Agility or Intellect +3 Stamina +1 Critical Strike +2 Haste Durability 85 / 85 Requires Level 18 Sell Price: 1 15 77 Recipe: Flask of Distilled Wisdom Binds when picked up Use: Teaches you how to make a Flask of Distilled Wisdom. Flask of Distilled Wisdom Use: Increases Intellect by 65 for 1 hour. Counts as both a Battle and Guardian elixir. This effect persists through death. Requires Level 21 Sell Price: 12 50 Dreamfoil (7), Icecap (3), Black Lotus, Tainted Vial Requires Classic Alchemy (300) Requires Cenarion Expedition - Exalted Sell Price: 1 Head of Balnazzar Binds when picked up Unique This Item Begins a Quest

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

After the events in Northrend and Undercity, Balnazzar sheds his disguise and kills the remaining Scarlet Crusaders and uses his necromantic powers to resurrect them, as the Risen.

Statistics in Warcraft III of Balnazzar at Level 10

		Finger of Death
Rain of Chaos	Sleep	Vampiric Aura	Earthquake
Balnazzar's abilities in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Unlike other Dreadlords, he had five abilities.

• 1150 HP (+250 item) (base same as a regular dreadlord)
• 870 MP (base +45% more than a regular dreadlord)
• 44-54 hero melee damage (+ 6 Orb of Darkness)(base same as a regular dreadlord)
• 6 hero armor (base same as a regular dreadlord)
• Attributes
  • 42 Strength Primary Attribute (base same as a regular dreadlord)
  • 25 Agility (base same as a regular dreadlord)
  • 58 Intelligence (base +45% more than a regular dreadlord)
• Abilities
  • Vampiric Aura (aura that makes surrounding units' attacks drain life)
  • Sleep (incapacitates enemy)
  • Rain of Chaos (summons two infernals)
  • Finger of Pain (non-magical damage on single unit which is not as powerful as Finger of Death)
  • Earthquake (huge ranged AoE damage to buildings and slows moving units, not possessed by other Dreadlords.)

Quotes

• Know that I am Balnazzar. Know, as I drink your life, that I will take up residence in this weak shell your soul once called home. Know that I will corrupt and destroy everything and everyone you have ever loved. (killing and possessing Saidan Dathrohan)

• Fleeting are the moments , these days, in which i may truly be myself... That i may rend flesh, shed blood, and shiver bone. Not as the mortal Dathrohan... But as the undaunted and redoubtable nathrezim Balnazzar. Cheater of Death, Master of Mortal Pawns... And Bane of You Rotting Dead! (Said while killing an abomination, when defending Hearthglen)

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB

Preceded by: Saidan Dathrohan

Position: Leader of the Scarlet Crusade

Succeeded by: The Crusade is transformed to the Scarlet Onslaught under Brigitte Abbendis

Preceded by: Arthas Menethil

Position: Ruler of Lordaeron

Succeeded by: Sylvanas Windrunner