Wowpedia

We have moved to Warcraft Wiki. Click here for information and the new URL.

READ MORE

Wowpedia
Register
mNo edit summary
 
mNo edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
  +
{{Race_links}}
[[Image:WorldTree.jpg|thumb|Nordrassil prior to Archimonde's ascent]]
 
  +
{{Racebox
'''World Tree''' refers to two great trees in [[Azeroth]]:
 
  +
| image = apothecary.jpg
* [[Nordrassil]], the original World Tree blessed by the [[Dragon Aspects|dragon aspects]], and
 
  +
| name = Forsaken undead, in the name of the Dark Lady
* [[Teldrassil]], the tree created by the [[Night elf|night elves]] in a failed attempt to restore their immortality.
 
  +
| capital = [[Undercity]]
* [[Idrassil]], a concept art found in [[The Art of World of Warcraft]].
 
  +
| leader = {{RaceIconExt|Sylvanas|Small}} [[Sylvanas Windrunner|Lady Sylvanas Windrunner]], Banshee Queen of the Forsaken
  +
| faction = [[Horde]]
  +
| character = [[Mage]], [[Priest]], [[Rogue]], [[Warlock]], [[Hunter]], [[Warrior]], [[Death Knight]] (WoW); [[Fighter]], [[Dark ranger]], [[Dark Knight]], [[Shadow ascendant]], [[Apothecary]], [[Spymaster]], [[Necromancer]], [[Lightslayer]], [[Gunman]] (RPG), [[Assassin]]
  +
| mount = [[Skeletal horse]]
  +
| homeworld = [[Azeroth (world)|Azeroth]]
  +
| region = [[Lordaeron (continent)|Lordaeron]] ([[Tirisfal Glades]], [[Silverpine Forest]], [[Hillsbrad Foothills]], [[Western Plaguelands]], [[Eastern Plaguelands]])
  +
| language = [[Gutterspeak]]
  +
| slang = [[Goblin]], [[Low Common]], [[Thalassian]], [[Orcish]]
  +
| exact = Varies widely depending on species, state of decay, and rigor mortis.
  +
| height = 5'7"(168 cm)(males),<br />5'5" (163 cm)(females)<ref>[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]], pg. 174.</ref>
  +
|
  +
}}
  +
{{this|the race referred to as "undead" in published materials|information on the living dead in general|undead|information on the Lich King's faction|Scourge}}
  +
{{for|the playable race of Undead|Undead (playable)}}
   
  +
The '''Forsaken''' are a [[race]] and [[faction]] of intelligent [[undead]] who broke away from the [[Scourge]] and took control of much of the kingdom of [[Lordaeron]], destroyed during the [[Third War]] by the death knight [[Arthas]]. The Forsaken are led by their Banshee Queen, [[Lady Sylvanas Windrunner]], the former Ranger-General of [[Quel'Thalas]]. Their capital is the [[Undercity]], in the royal catacombs beneath the ruins of the [[City of Lordaeron]].
The idea of a World Tree is almost certainly a reference to the World Tree of Norse mythology, Yggdrasil. Their names are similar, they both have wells underneath them: the [[Well of Eternity]] beneath Nordrassil, and the Well of Urd beneath one of the roots of Yggdrasil. Also, a dragon, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Níðhöggr Nidhoggr] gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil, which could reference back to either [[Deathwing]] or [[Archimonde]]. These parallels only apply to Nordrassil, the "true" World Tree, and not Teldrassil, the "false" one.
 
   
  +
While comprised vastly of undead humans, the Forsaken are a diverse faction that include several different races at their biological core. However, they have all assumed their racial identity as "Forsaken," due to their shared goals and loyalties.<ref>[[Apprentice Crispin]]''"... he's bent the knee to the Dark Lady, so that makes him once of us."''</ref>
[[Category:Lore]]
 
  +
[[Category:Trees]]
 
  +
==Introduction==
  +
[[File:ForsakenCrest.jpg|thumb|[[Icon of Torment]]]]
  +
When the Lich King’s grasp on his vast armies faltered after the Third War, a contingent of undead broke free of their master’s iron will. Although this freedom seemed to be a blessing at first, these former humans were soon tormented by memories of the unspeakable horrors that they had committed as mindless Scourge agents. Those who did not descend into madness were faced with a chilling realization: the entirety of Azeroth sought their destruction.<ref name="Battlenet Undead">http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken</ref>
  +
  +
In their darkest hour, the renegade undead were rallied together by the former ranger-general of [[Quel'Thalas]], Sylvanas Windrunner. Defeated during an attack on her kingdom and transformed into a powerful Scourge banshee, Sylvanas had also regained her freedom from the Lich King. Under their new queen's guidance, the independent undead – known as Forsaken – established the Undercity beneath the ruins of Lordaeron’s capital. While some Forsaken feared Sylvanas, others valued the security she provided. Many of the free-willed undead, however, found a purpose to their cursed existence through the banshee queen's burning desire to destroy the Lich King.
  +
  +
Despite not being affiliated with the Scourge, the Forsaken came under threat from humans who were dedicated to eradicating all Forsaken. As a means to further her own goals and protect her budding nation, Sylvanas sent emissaries to various factions in search of allies. The kind-hearted [[tauren]] of [[Thunder Bluff]] proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid [[Hamuul Runetotem]] saw the potential for redemption in Sylvanas' people, even though he was fully aware of the Forsaken's sinister nature. Thus, the tauren convinced [[Warchief]] [[Thrall]], despite his misgivings, to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde. In the end, the Forsaken's chances of victory against the Lich King were bolstered, while the Horde gained an invaluable foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms.<ref name="Battlenet Undead">http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken</ref>
  +
  +
==History==
  +
===Third War and Aftermath===
  +
During the [[Third War]], the once-glorious capital of [[Lordaeron]], [[Capital City]], was decimated by a [[Scourge]] army under the command of Prince [[Arthas]] Menethil. Death offered no escape for the scores of humans killed during the [[Lich King]]'s campaign to scour the living from Lordaeron. Instead, the kingdom’s fallen were risen into undeath as Scourge minions and forced to wage an unholy war against everything and everyone that they once held dear.<ref name="Battlenet Undead"/>
  +
  +
In the wake of [[Illidan]]'s failed attempt to melt the icy continent of [[Northrend]], the powerful energies possessed by the Lich King inside his [[Frozen Throne]] slowly began to decay. Inexorably this resulted in a partial loss of control of the more distant [[Scourge]] forces. The result was that many undead under the Lich King's mental domination had their conscious will restored. Their spirits and memories were somehow returned to their undead bodies. Even the Lich King's champion, Arthas, began to weaken as the Lich King's power waned. Arthas the [[death knight]] and his lieutenant [[Kel'Thuzad]] the [[lich]] were suddenly thrust into an undead civil war. Still fanatically loyal to the Lich King, Arthas heeded the call of his master and returned to Northrend as Illidan launched his second attempt to destroy the Lich King directly. Arthas left Kel'Thuzad in command of his forces when he departed.
  +
  +
Rallied by Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the small amount of newly-freed undead fought their way through Lordaeron. With their leader's sharp cunning and the assistance of their [[banshee|banshees]], the undead forcibly coerced a number of lingering forces in Lordaeron to fighting their battles with them; such as gnolls, bandits, and ogres. First, the [[dreadlord]] [[Varimathras]] fell to the Dark Lady, and swiftly sold his loyalty to Lady Sylvanas in return for sparing him. With Varimathras' assistance, the undead forces successfully deposed the leadership of [[Detheroc]] and his army, allying with the considerable forces of the mind-controlled [[Grand Marshal Garithos]] in order to free Lordaeron from the control of the remaining dreadlord, [[Balnazzar]]. Garithos, though both a (hypocritical) racist and a staunch human supremacist, warily joined forces with the undead and their inhumane allies to this end. Lady Sylvanas promised to leave Lordaeron to his jurisdiction after the battle was won, and together with their new allies, the undead marched to end Balnazzar.
  +
  +
With their combined forces, the undead and the remnants of the [[New Alliance]] dismantled the final bastion of the dreadlords' power in Lordaeron, and Varimathras personally destroyed his nathrezim brother. No sooner than Garithos had ordered the undead to begone from "his" land, however, Lady Sylvanas turned on him and executed the human leader; claiming the ruins of Lordaeron for the free-willed undead instead.<ref name=WC3xundead6/>
  +
  +
With her immediate enemies dealt with and the ruins of Lordaeron firmly in her hands, Lady Sylvanas proclaimed her faction of self-aware undead as the "Forsaken," and resolved to slaughter anyone would dare stand in the way of their dominion.
  +
  +
Following this, Queen Sylvanas and the Forsaken claimed the Undercity as their own and completed the winding network of catacombs and crypts that the [[Scourge]] had begun constructing. Today, rivers of poisonous sludge flow through all avenues of the vast Undercity. The toxic fumes and fetid odors permeating every corner of the stronghold have made it a place almost unbearable for the living members of the Horde. Yet for Sylvanas and her cursed followers, the Undercity has become a much-needed refuge in a world where her kind is still feared and hunted.<ref>http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken</ref>
  +
  +
While the Forsaken had claimed a base of power, their hold on Lordaeron was tenuous at best. To this end, the Dark Lady looked to finding allies.
  +
  +
[[File:Emerson Zantides TCG.jpg|thumb|Emerson Zantides, a forsaken priest.]]
  +
  +
===Alliance with the Horde===
  +
Sylvanas worked to ensure that the damned such as herself would have a home free from threats by the living. As a means to further her own goals and protect her budding nation, Sylvanas sent emissaries to various factions in search of allies. The kind-hearted [[tauren]] of [[Thunder Bluff]] proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid [[Hamuul Runetotem]] saw the potential for redemption in Sylvanas’ people, even though he was fully aware of the Forsaken’s sinister nature. Thus, the tauren convinced Warchief [[Thrall]], despite his misgivings, to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde. In the end, the Forsaken’s chances of victory against the Lich King were bolstered, while the Horde gained an invaluable foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms.<ref>[http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken Races of World of Warcraft: Forsaken]</ref>
  +
  +
Among the [[tauren]] the Forsaken found a champion in [[Magatha Grimtotem]], who argued in favor of the alliance between the two peoples and who continued to work closely with them. Magatha claimed she merely wanted to aid the Forsaken in their quest to redeem themselves, although there are many who believe her true motives to be something very different and much less innocent. The [[Darkspear]] [[trolls]] are not particularly fond of the Forsaken because of their [[shaman]]istic beliefs, but tolerate them and have learned to trust them in times of war.
  +
  +
===World of Warcraft===
  +
{{wow-section}}
  +
As the primary [[Horde]] force in the [[Eastern Kingdoms]], the Forsaken went about dealing with a number of their surrounding enemies. New free-willed undead, freed by Lady Sylvanas, were inducted into the Forsaken's ranks and assisted their new (and old) people in the tasks set before them within [[Tirisfal Glades]]. For years this blighted area has been home to Queen Sylvanas and her Forsaken, as well as the remaining vestiges of the [[Scarlet Crusade]]. Their zealots, bent on wiping out any and all undead from Azeroth regardless of affiliation, have long been a thorn in the Forsaken's side. Recently, the [[Argent Dawn]] has offered assistance to Sylvanas' people against the Crusaders' constant harassment in eastern Tirisfal Glades. In addition, the Forsaken have begun a fresh march on their enemy's stronghold – the [[Scarlet Monastery]] – in an effort to finally secure their homeland from external threats.<ref>http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken</ref>
  +
  +
Concurrent with securing the immediate regions pertaining to Lordaeron, the Forsaken turned their attention to numerous conflicts neighbouring their kingdom. The humans and dwarves of the [[Alliance]], the perennial enemy of their Horde allies, remained at large on the continent. The Forsaken launched several offenses against their new enemies, resulting in the conflict for resources in [[Arathi]] (which the [[Defilers]] were tasked with securing) and a number of conflicts around [[Hillsbrad]], [[Alterac]] and the [[Plaguelands]] arose. Furthermore, the Forsaken began research into a certain form of plague that could be used against the Scourge (and ostensibly, the living). The [[Royal Apothecary Society]] rose to meet this goal, and has been conducting a number of low-key experiments ever since.
  +
  +
[[Nathanos Blightcaller]], the Champion of the Forsaken, was freed by Lady Sylvanas herself after his enthrallment at the hands of the Scourge.<ref>http://www.wowpedia.org/Quest:Ramstein</ref> After they had proved themselves to the queen, the Blightcaller tasked Forsaken members with killing the beast that had taken his life, retrieving a document pertaining to both his and the banshee queen's time as living comrades from a [[Quel'Lithien Lodge|lodge of exiled elves]], and assaulting the Scarlet Crusade's primary power-base in Lordaeron.
  +
  +
===The Burning Crusade===
  +
{{bc-section}}
  +
The [[blood elves]] of [[Quel'Thalas]], newly invigorated by the returned [[magisters]] and the new powers at their disposal, went about reclaiming and rebuilding their ancient capital and expelling the Scourge from their lands. Lady Sylvanas, who had lost no love for her homeland even in death,<ref>[[Quest:Meeting the Warchief]]</ref> offered numerous methods of support to her former people and was a strong supporter of their acceptance into the Horde. Together with the sin'dorei, a regiment of Forsaken troops assisted their elven allies in reclaiming much of the [[Ghostlands]], including the town of [[Tranquillien]]. The Forsaken also assisted the blood elven [[Blood Knight]] order in forging a stone of great power to wield against the Scourge; their intimate knowledge of the Lich King's grasp proving an essential component in its creation.<ref>[[Scourgebane]]</ref>
  +
  +
The Forsaken continued their research into their progressing plague in [[Outland]], where numerous apothecaries such as [[Apothecary Azethen]] took and experimented with a variety of new ingriedients for Forsaken uses.
  +
  +
===War Against the Lich King===
  +
[[File:Andarius the Damned.jpg|thumb|Andarius the Damned, a forsaken warlock.]]
  +
{{wotlk-section}}
  +
As the [[Lich King]] began to make his presence known to the inhabitants of Azeroth, the Forsaken came ever closer to achieving their vengeance upon the despoiler of Lordaeron. The Forsaken were one of the major powers in the [[War against the Lich King]].
  +
  +
Lady Sylvanas moved to and from the frozen wastes of [[Northrend]], and oversaw the construction of a proper Forsaken town within the region of [[Howling Fjord]]. One of the new Forsaken camps in Northrend is [[New Agamand]], where most of the Royal Apothecary Society's members took up residence to finish perfecting the plague to unleash upon the Lich King. Lady Sylvanas had been methodically and patiently overseeing the creation of this contagion for several years now, and it seemed the time at last had come to test it.
  +
  +
During the Lich King's initial attack on the cities of the Horde and Alliance, a renowned apothecary named [[Grand Apothecary Putress]] set up camp in [[Shattrath]] to counter the Lich King's own spreading plague. After numerous stages of experimentation, Putress succeeded in forming a counter-agent and curbing the spread of the plague of undeath. For his efforts, he gained favour within the Forsaken's ranks, and Sylvanas dispensed him to assist the [[Warsong Offensive|Horde advance]] into Northrend. Both Sylvanas and Putress were present during the Scourge attack on [[Orgrimmar]], and the Dark Lady assisted [[Thrall]], [[Garrosh Hellscream]], [[High Overlord Saurfang]] and several adventurers in fighting the invaders off. Nevertheless, the attack convinced Warchief Thrall to commit to a Northrend campaign, much to Sylvanas' approval.
  +
  +
The Forsaken were one of the major superpowers to advance on Northrend. While the main Horde force attacked and conquered regions of [[Borean Tundra]], the Forsaken fleet (comprised of customized Lordaeron ships dredged up from the ocean)<ref>http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721372142</ref> laid siege to Howling Fjord. Coming under the banner of the [[Hand of Vengeance]], the Forsaken army tasked with delivering apt revenge against Arthas, the queen's navy swiftly crushed the Alliance Northwatch fleet and cornered them on the shores of the Fjord. No sooner had the Forsaken began their assault, however, had the Lich King turned his gaze back to his former servants: [[Prince Valanar]] offered the Forsaken commander [[High Executor Anselm]] the chance to renounce his fealty to Queen Sylvanas and return to the Scourge's embrace. However, Anselm swiftly disposed of the [[san'layn]] prince, and had adventurers slay him for his insolence in making mock of the queen and killing his men.<ref>[[Quest:A Score to Settle]]</ref>
  +
  +
The Hand of Vengeance also waged a war against the [[vrykul]], and the Royal Apothecary Society's field-testing plaguebringers drenched a number with a potent strain of blight in order to test its final stages of production.
  +
  +
Their efforts would come to a head during the events of [[Dragonblight]], where the Forsaken stationed at [[Venomspite]] and [[Agmar's Hammer]] perfected the final strains of the plague brought over from New Agamand. The Forsaken also came into conflict with their old enemy the Scarlet Crusade, now dissolved and reformed into the [[Scarlet Onslaught]].
  +
  +
However, just as the hour of the Forsaken was to approach, tragedy struck. During the battle for [[Angrathar the Wrathgate]], Grand Apothecary Putress and renegade plaguebringers made their appearance. After questioning the newly-arrived Lich King as to whether he thought the Forsaken had "forgotten" or "forgiven" him for what he had done, Putress drenched the battlefield in a massive strain of blight, causing huge losses to the collaboration of Horde and Alliance forces present. The blight was so powerful, in fact, that Arthas himself was brought to his knees after stating the banshee queen's name. The Lich King fled back to Icecrown, and Putress was left to cackle triumphantly at the destruction wrought on by the plague.
  +
  +
It is revealed that Putress' actions were outside the orders of the Forsaken; and concurrently with the Wrathgate attack, Varimathras had usurped control of the [[Undercity]]. Sylvanas barely escaped with her life and her loyalists, and the Forsaken were taken in by Thrall while they planned their next move. In a conversation with [[Jaina Proudmoore]], Thrall and Sylvanas reveal that Putress had allied with the treacherous dreadlord in order to depose the Dark Lady's rule. Despite this, Jaina warns them that [[King Varian Wrynn]] nonetheless holds them responsible, and is considering leading an army into the Undercity in order to reclaim Lordaeron for the Alliance. Unwilling to abandon Lordaeron to the traitors, Sylvanas, Thrall, and [[Vol'jin]] lead a [[Quest:The Battle For The Undercity (Horde)|Horde counterattack]] in roder to remove Varimathras from power and restore the Undercity to the Forsaken. After fighting their way through a [[Burning Legion]]-controlledUndercity, the Banshee Queen and the Warchief succeed in killing Varimathras and retaking the [[Royal Quarter]]. As they prepare to strike at Putress, however, King Varian enters and declares his intention to end it all there. Before the battle can icnrease in intensity, Jaina swiftly teleports the Alliance forces out of the Undercity, resulting in a successful Horde restoration.
  +
  +
Though the Undercity had been restored to its rightful masters, the repercussions of the Wrathgate have hounded the Forsaken relentlessly. Their abomination guardians were either removed or regulated to the sewers, and [[Kor'kron Overseer|Kor'kron overseers]] were deployed to watch over the Forsaken from that point forward. Thrall's trust for the Forsaken seems to have become thinner than ever, and their credibility in the eyes of the wider Horde has also suffered.<ref>[[Glory_(story)]]</ref>
  +
  +
With the Undercity securely back in Horde hands, Lady Sylvanas personally made her way into Northrend in order to claim vengeance upon Arthas. Together with her dark rangers, the Banshee Queen infiltrated [[Icecrown Citadel]] and fought her way through to the [[Halls of Reflection]], where she came face-to-face with [[Frostmourne|the blade that took her life]]. After Arthas successfully fought her off, however, Sylvanas was forced to face her inability to defeat her greatest foe alone.
  +
  +
With the combined efforts of the [[Argent Crusade]] and the [[Knights of the Ebon Blade]], the Lich King finally fell. However, with his death, a void was left - while Sylvanas and the Forsaken had existed solely to claim their vengeance, the Dark Lady could only ponder what was left for them.<ref>[[Quest:Sylvanas' Vengeance]]</ref>
  +
  +
===Cataclysm===
  +
{{cata-section}}
  +
As it happens, the Forsaken - having successfully partaken in the fall of the Lich King - have turned their attention to other pursuits. For one: the complete conquest of Lordaeron. Now, along with being mistrusted by her own allies, Sylvanas recognizes that many of Azeroth’s other inhabitants still see her people as a threat, even after the Lich King’s defeat. As their numbers dwindle by the day, the Forsaken have begun fortifying their holdings around the Undercity, working to prove their loyalty to the Horde’s cause even as they ready themselves for any future attacks.
  +
  +
After the Lich King's death, a number of the more intelligent former [[Scourge]] members were accepted into the Forsaken's ranks by Queen Sylvanas. Some of them, the [[Val'kyr]], have brought with them a new age for the Forsaken: the ability to "procreate" via their necromantic abilities, bolstering their numbers. The second generation Forsaken are individuals who were raised into undeath by these Val'kyr.
  +
  +
The risen dead of the new Forsaken generation are given a choice of what to do after they are reborn. Some of them, such as {{npc||Valdred Moray}}, accept their fate, and seem keen to make themselves useful and serve the Forsaken in death. The resurrected Prince {{npc||Galen Trollbane}} seems resigned to the fate that befell him and while not particularly enthusiastic about killing his former allies,<ref>[[Quest:The Forsaken Trollbane]].</ref> he personally gives the quests to slay them for the good of the Forsaken.
  +
  +
On the other hand, others do not react so positively. {{npc||Lilian Voss}} reacts in horror to what she had become, and {{npc||Marshal Redpath}}, not happy with his fate, attacks [[Deathknell]] after the transition. Some of the new Forsaken simply kill themselves on the spot. {{npc||Dumass}} is perhaps the most extreme case of how the process can strip away rational thought and intelligence.
  +
  +
After the [[Cataclysm]], the Forsaken launched an offensive against [[Gilneas]], after being ordered by [[Garrosh Hellscream]] to do so. The Forsaken appear to be taking on a more offensive stance regarding the war with the Alliance, and with their new ability to bolster their ranks, their stranglehold on Lordaeron has become tighter than ever. The Forsaken have also began to fortify their own territories, stepping up from their previous preferences of run down human-esque buildings in favour of their own architecture, seen briefly in [[Northrend]].
  +
  +
==Notable Forsaken==
  +
  +
{| class="darktable zebra"
  +
! Name !! Role !! Condition !! Location !! Allegiance
  +
|-
  +
||{{RaceIconExt|Sylvanas|Small}} {{npc||Sylvanas Windrunner}}
  +
|Banshee Queen of the Forsaken
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
| [[Undercity]]
  +
|The Forsaken, [[Horde]]
  +
|-
  +
||{{RaceIconExt|Nathanos}} {{npc||Nathanos Marris}}
  +
|Champion of the Forsaken
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
|[[Undercity]]
  +
|The Forsaken, [[Horde]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIcon|Undead|Male|Small}} {{npc||Master Apothecary Faranell}}
  +
|Overseer of [[Royal Apothecary Society]]
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
|[[Undercity]], [[The Apothecarium]]
  +
| The Forsaken, [[Horde]], [[Royal Apothecary Society]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIconExt|Putress|Small}} {{npc||Putress}}
  +
|Grand Apothecary
  +
| <font color="red">Deceased</font>
  +
| [[Shattrath City]], [[Angrathar the Wrathgate]], [[Undercity]]
  +
| The Forsaken, [[Royal Apothecary Society]], [[Varimathras]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIcon|Undead|Male|Small}} {{npc||Alexi Barov}}
  +
|Heir to the [[Quest:Barov Family Fortune (Horde)#Objectives|Barov Fortune]]
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
| [[The Bulwark]]
  +
|The Forsaken, [[Horde]], [[Barov]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIcon|Undead|Male|Small}} {{npc||Leonid Barthalomew}}
  +
|Argent Commander
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
|[[Light's Hope Chapel]]
  +
|[[Argent Dawn]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIcon|Undead|Female|Small}} {{npc||The Black Bride}}
  +
|[[Arathi Basin]] [[Battlemaster]] and Leader of the [[Defilers]]
  +
|<font color="purple">Undead</font>
  +
|[[Arathi Highlands]], [[Hammerfall]]
  +
|The Forsaken, [[Horde]], [[Defilers]]
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIconExt|Godfrey}} {{npc||Lord Vincent Godfrey}}
  +
|Former Gilnean nobleman and traitor to both Gilneas and Forsaken.
  +
|<font color="orange">Killable</font>
  +
|[[Shadowfang Keep]]
  +
|Himself, formerly [[Gilneas]] and later the Forsaken.
  +
|-
  +
|{{RaceIconExt|UndeadGalen}} {{npc||Galen Trollbane}}
  +
|Fallen Prince of [[Stromgarde]].
  +
|{{text|purple|Undead}}
  +
|[[Galen's Fall]]
  +
|The Forsaken, [[Horde]]
  +
|-
  +
|}
  +
  +
==Culture==
  +
Before the time of the Scourge, many of those that would become Forsaken were devout priests of the Light. It would seem, however, that the Forsaken have abandoned the light, though some are still able to channel it.
  +
<blockquote>{{RPG}}The figure wore the robes of a priest of the Holy Light - not uncommon among the Forsaken, who mocked the order by wearing their garments and allowing the sacred robes to be soiled and tainted by their bloody work. Somehow, [[Andarin]] sensed, this figure was different; the robes seemed to be in almost tolerable condition, even if the body wearing them was not.<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', 170</ref> "You wear the robes of a priest, Trevor. Why do you not channel the Light in battle, if you seek redemption?" The priest seemed to wince at that. "While I refuse to wield the shadow, the Light has refused me, or so it seems. And so, I am truly a broken man; I learned to wield spears of Light like Uther's knights did in the Second. Without the Light, I am unarmed and unarmored -- but not entirely helpless, as you see." Andarin couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the fallen priest, if his story was true. Perhaps a man, no matter how virtuous, could not channel holy power while in such a form."<ref>[[Horde Player's Guide]], pg. 173.</ref></blockquote>
  +
  +
[[File:Undead03-large.jpg|thumb|Forsaken]]
  +
  +
===Balance===
  +
  +
{{RPG}}
  +
  +
Forsaken culture reflects its people; just as the Forsaken stand on the line between life and death, their culture balances between the beliefs each Forsaken held in life and each one's quest for a place in the present. Former healers find this transition more difficult than most Forsaken find it. Priests of the Holy Light in particular struggle to reconcile the philosophy that guided their life with their unfortunate new condition. Some balance their own beliefs with their new forms, but most follow one of two paths." (It goes on to give very brief descriptions of the Forgotten Shadow and the Echo of Life.)<ref>[[Horde Player's Guide]], pg.87.</ref>
  +
  +
Perhaps the greatest element of Forsaken culture, and their culture’s only universal element, is their reverence of death. Every Forsaken respects the dead, and damns those who do not. General society coddles new Forsaken like children, while venerating those who are losing themselves to the Scourge, giving them the greatest comforts before they are put out of their misery. Forsaken treat each other with a measure of respect, as it takes a strong soul to rise, and a stronger soul to not fall to mindless undeath (more on this later). Arthas earns their greatest ire, as the Lich King shows no respect for the living or dead. While Forsaken create undead, they do so with respect to the souls and bodies they use. Life and death is a balance. The Lich King, however, enslaves the dead, stripping their free will. His path is an abomination to the Forsaken.<ref>[[Horde Player's Guide]], pg.151.</ref>
  +
  +
=== Alignment ===
  +
  +
Although most of the race is evil,<ref name="Mostly Evil"/> the Forsaken cannot be thought of in purely dualistic terms entirely. Although undead, the Forsaken are still inherently human, the majority of whom were victims of the plague spread by Kel'Thuzad. Thus some of the Forsaken are still good beings, if no longer living. As the above suggests, some individuals among them are capable of a tragic form of nobility, in that they do not allow their inability to obtain redemption to prevent them from trying.
  +
  +
Those that try often leave the Forsaken, seeing its flaws, and join other causes. These Forsaken rebel against their race, seeking a better way to end the Lich King's reign or search for a way to reclaim their lost humanity,<ref>[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]], pg. 173.</ref> while others work to reform it from within, such as [[Roberick Dartfall]].
  +
  +
[[Leonid Barthalomew the Revered]] of the Argent Dawn is probably the greatest example of this. ([[Trevor]] in fact aspires to leave and join Leonid.) Others that have left include [[Kegan Darkmar]].
  +
  +
It is arguable that such nobility is the only truly genuine form that exists, in that it comes not from duty, religion, or custom, but from a decision born purely of free will.
  +
  +
===True death===
  +
True death is the name given to the final and harshest punishment exercised in Forsaken law - in essence, an execution. It appears to be reserved for criminals who have committed high treason against the Forsaken's leadership,<ref>[[Grand Apothecary Putress]]</ref> proved themselves a threat to the Forsaken's way of life,<ref>[[Warden Stillwater]]</ref> or taken up arms in rebellion against the Forsaken.<ref>[[Rotbrain undead]]</ref>
  +
:'''''Notes:''' The term 'True death' is a obvious reference to the [http://trueblood.wikia.com/wiki/True_Blood True Blood] television drama series based on the [http://sookiestackhouse.wikia.com/wiki/Southern_Vampire_Mysteries Southern Vampire Mysteries series]. Within the series "[http://trueblood.wikia.com/wiki/True_death The True Death]" is when a vampire ultimately meets the final death. There is no coming back after meeting the true death. Similar to the Forsaken law in vampire politics, only certain vampires have the authority to command the true death on other vampires.''
  +
  +
===Faith===
  +
[[File:SoulRend.jpg|thumb|A forsaken spellcaster tearing apart the soul of a [[night elf]].]]
  +
Even as they believe they have been abandoned by their faith, so have the Forsaken abandoned the faiths of their living days.<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/> Some still adhere to their old faiths, such as the [[Church of the Holy Light|Holy Light]].<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Magic in the Horde":87. ''"Priests of the Holy Light in particular struggle to reconcile the philosophy that guided their life with their unfortunate new condition. Some balance their old beliefs with their new forms, but most follow one of two paths."''</ref><ref name="Chancellor Velora">{{ref tcg|set=March of the Legion|number=12|title=Chancellor Velora|quote=The Light rewards faith, not form.}}</ref> Many no longer cling to any religion, placing their faith in their queen and their dark science.<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/> Most, however, have embraced new philosophies of their own creation: the [[Cult of Forgotten Shadow|Forgotten Shadow]], the [[Echo of Life]], or the simple value of knowledge.<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Magic in the Horde":87-88.</ref> Some have even turned to the [[Burning Legion]] as a source of power, believing that only it is potent enough to defeat the [[Lich King]].<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/>
  +
  +
The [[Cult of Forgotten Shadow]] is largely based out of [[Deathknell]] and the warrior quarter in [[Undercity]].<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Forsaken Knowledge":154.</ref> Priests of the Forgotten Shadow believe that the faiths they held in life have failed them, and so they instead rely on the power and teachings of the Shadow.<ref>{{ref game|title=World of Warcraft|zone=[[Tirisfal Glades]]|npc=Dark Cleric Duesten|quote=...the Holy Light no longer concerns you, the spirits of your forefathers are fairy tales, and creatures from the Nether don't want you.|quest={{questlong|Horde|1|Hallowed Scroll|race=Undead}}}}</ref><ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160. ''"They felt that the Light forgot them, and turned to the Shadow instead."''</ref><ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Magic in the Horde":87. ''"Forsaken who feel betrayed by the Holy Light's failure to protect them sometimes find that turning their backs on the Holy Light is not enough; they throw aside the Holy Light and embrace its dark twin out of spite."''</ref> The members of the Cult vary between lawful and chaotic, evil and neutral,<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160. ''"'''Alignment:''' Lawful evil, though chaotic neutral and neutral evil individuals are just as prevalent."''</ref> and are taught to eradicate anything having to do with the Holy Light — and life in general.{{Citation needed}} It is also a philosophy of [[Cult of Forgotten Shadow#Divine Humanism|divine humanism]].
  +
  +
Priests of the Forgotten Shadow teach that there must be a balance between Light and Shadow, and while they should never forget that they are from the Shadow, members of the cult must learn the Light as well.<ref name="Garments of Darkness">{{ref game|title=World of Warcraft|zone=[[Tirisfal Glades]]|npc=Dark Cleric Beryl|quote=But before you can know the dark, you must also know the light.|quest={{questlong|Horde|4|Garments of Darkness|race=Undead}}}}</ref><ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160.</ref> Being intelligent undead, the Forsaken fully understand the limitations and vulnerabilities associated with unlife. One of these disadvantages is that they can be turned, rebuked or even commanded by powerful positive or negative energy forces. Naturally, the Forsaken are always on the lookout for ways to limit or negate this vulnerability.<ref>[[Horde Player's Guide]], "Technological Devices":126.</ref>
  +
  +
Some Forsaken priests continue to wield the Holy Light.<ref name="Chancellor Velora"/><ref name="Garments of Darkness"/> While it is possible for them to use or be healed by the Light to its full effect like any living humanoid, it is accompanied by intense pain, making it require notable willpower to suffer through.<ref>{{ref web|url=http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/127548/ask-cdev-1-answers-round-1|title= Ask CDev #1 Answers - Round 1|work=World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums}}</ref> Though painful, this does not cause any actual harm or damage on their undead bodies, even over long periods of time. In fact, some Forsaken with persistent contact with the Light over many years have even started to experience a return of their senses, which is not a pleasant experience given their rotted state.<ref>{{ref web|url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721372142|title=Ask Creative Development -- Round II Answers|work=World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums}}</ref>
  +
  +
===Relations===
  +
[[File:BattleTactics.jpg|thumb|A forsaken rallying his allies.]]
  +
Undercity is the home of the Forsaken. They also have control of Tirisfal Glades and have several towns in the region. Forsaken patrols have tried to secure Silverpine Forest for the past couple years, but they are unable to do so. Though the Forsaken do not trust anyone and no one trusts them, they are members of the Horde and, for now, do their best to help their allies and placate their ambassadors. Forsaken have even less love for the Alliance, particularly because they clash constantly with the human organization called the Scarlet Crusade.<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/> The only other Horde faction they even have a semblance of trust with is Silvermoon City and the blood elves.<ref>Forsaken and blood elves start as Friendly to each other, but Neutral to the other Horde factions</ref> This is probably because Sylvanas was a high elf ranger in life and finds trust in her former companions. The Forsaken and blood elves even took control of the village of Tranquillien in the Ghostlands to fight the Scourge in the area together.
  +
===Relations with the Horde===
  +
Though initially the Forsaken alliance with the Horde was one of pure convenience, in recent times it appears that their position in the faction has begun to solidify and many, though not all, of the Forsaken appear to be more or less loyal to the Horde now. Though the events at the [[Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate]] may seem to contradict this, in the following quests it is revealed that [[Grand Apothecary Putress]]'s actions were [[The Battle for the Undercity|not very well received]] among most of the city's denizens. This seems to suggest that the Forsaken consider themselves part of the Horde now, or are at least upset by the new [[Kor'kron Overseer|limitations]] his failure has placed on them.
  +
  +
===Languages===
  +
Forsaken speak [[Gutterspeak]] and [[Common]]. Forsaken learn the languages of their enemies and their allies (who may become their enemies).<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/>
  +
  +
===Names===
  +
Like their Dark Lady, Forsaken keep the names they had when they were alive. As most Forsaken are human, these tend to be human names. If a Forsaken cannot remember their name, they may make up a suitable name or read one from a headstone. Some invent surnames that imply their desire to eradicate the Scourge.
  +
* Male names: Roberick, Magan, Danforth, Lansire.
  +
* Female names: Yellen, Limmy, Sarias, Mierelle.
  +
* Family names: Dartfall, Blacksling, Ghoulhunter, Blastlich.<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/>
  +
  +
===A cure for undeath?===
  +
Many of the other races (mainly the tauren) pity the Forsaken and a number of Horde healers all over Azeroth, such as [[Mani Winterhoof]], work tirelessly in the hopes of creating a cure for undeath. Some of the Forsaken feel that their undeath is an illness or curse and long for a cure, but many think it is impossible to attain one.
  +
  +
Forsaken with an undead soul can be brought back with raise dead and [[reincarnate]]. The spells work normally on them. Resurrection, true resurrection and similar effects restore them to their undead life rather than to the being they were before they became undead. A Forsaken's body of this type is undead… and so is its soul, corrupted and changed to such a degree that it belongs to its new body now, rather than its old one.<ref>[[Horde Player's Guide]], pg. 37.</ref> Forsaken priests have the power to restore those foolishly slain in battle, though only to unlife. Nothing short of a [[miracle]] can return true life.<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'', 161</ref>
  +
  +
==Necromancy==
  +
[[File:PlagueDemonsoul.jpg|thumb|Plague Demonsoul, a forsaken warlock.]]
  +
The Dark Lady, Sylvanas Windrunner, realized how valuable necromancy was to their cause. Though Forsaken heal naturally, many go to the priests of the Forgotten Shadow for "repairs". Necromancers can also free enslaved, mindless undead and research powerful spells that might one day return the Forsaken to life. Sylvanas knew she needed necromancers to heal, strengthen and replace her people, and she set about wooing necromancers away from the Scourge, mainly by force.<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'':90.</ref>
  +
  +
===Necromancers===
  +
There were only two known Necromancers who joined the forsaken [[Helcular]] the Former Apprentice to Kel'Thuzad and [[Gunther Arcanus]] it is unknown if there other Necromancers besides these two joined the forsaken.
  +
  +
===Val'kyr===
  +
in Cataclysm After the death of the Lich King, many [[val'kyr]] became "unemployed", and have been conscripted into the Forsaken ranks. In order to bolster the Forsaken's numbers.
  +
it seems the val'kyr can only raise humans into undeath. <ref>[[Quest:Lessons in Fear]]</ref>
  +
  +
===Death knights===
  +
The Forsaken have also brought death knights in their ranks. <ref>[[Quest:The Battle for Andorhal (Horde)]]</ref>
  +
The [[Death Knight]] [[Koltira Deathweaver]] is referred to as "[[Sylvanas Windrunner|her majesty's]] top death knight".
  +
  +
==Other members==
  +
The Forsaken include numerous other races. Notably, at least three [[Leper Gnome|Leper Gnomes]] are seen existing within the Forsaken empire. The level of trust such beings receive is dubious, though [[Apprentice Crispin|one is referred to]] as having "bent the knee" to the Dark Lady, thus making him "one of us."
  +
  +
==Appearance==
  +
[[File:Lilian Voss2.jpg|thumb|Lilian Voss as a newly raised Forsaken.]]
  +
<blockquote>Forsaken, unsurprisingly, look like dead people. Their skin is gray and rotting, showing bone and flesh in places. Their pupil-less eyes glow with dim, white ghostlight. Their muscles are withered, making them scrawny. Their movements are slow but jagged. Forsaken hardly ever smile (unless their lips have rotted away - in which case they can appear to be smiling all the time). Necromantic magic keeps them somewhat preserved, but natural decay still proceeds, just slower than normal.<ref name="Undead, Forsaken"/></blockquote>
  +
===Glowing Blue Eyes===
  +
Interestingly, there are some forsaken that players encounter that have glowing blue eyes instead of the more frequent glowing yellow, similar to the eyes of Death knights. Non-death knights with these eyes are Lilian Voss, Lord Godfrey and Master Forteski. Some of the Forsaken deathguards during the Battle for Andorhal also display blue eyes.
  +
  +
==Race==
  +
  +
{{RPG}}
  +
  +
Forsaken are a wild hodgepodge of different ideals and beliefs. No two Forsaken are alike, even more so than any other race. Even referring to them as a race is misleading, as they exist more as a state of being than a race.
  +
  +
All members of the Forsaken race are either humans or of elven descent (high elves and half-elves). However they also control a few [[abomination]]s as well. The [[Royal Apothecary Society]] has independently accepted in a few undead dwarves, leper gnomes, even some orcs, and trolls have joined the society, as [[Apothecary|apothecaries]], but these are not considered true '''Forsaken'''.<ref>[[Lands of Conflict]], pg. 164-165.</ref>
  +
  +
It is not clear why most of the Forsaken are human. Even the Forsaken don't understand the process by which they are created. The leading theory involves the power of humans' spirits. Humans are perhaps the most stubborn race on Azeroth, and fear nothing. Some scholars agree that this will to live extends even into the grave, thus explaining why most ghosts and wraiths are former humans. The unique nature of the Plaguelands, combined with human resolve, created the Forsaken.<ref>''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'':151 .</ref>
  +
  +
==See also==
  +
*[[Horde_technology#Forsaken_technology|Forsaken technology]]
  +
  +
== Speculation ==
  +
{{speculation}}
  +
  +
===Mind Control?===
  +
In the [[Battle for Andorhal]], {{npc||Koltira Deathweaver}}'s negligence caused {{npc||Sylvanas Windrunner||Sylvanas}} to step in and turn the battle around by resurrecting slain Alliance militia as Forsaken. While the [[Cataclysm]] expansion was in [[beta]], Horde players received a quest from Sylvanas to take a [[Val'kyr]] with an spell called [[Charm]] to make these risen Forsaken follow the player and attack enemies (including living Alliance NPCs). Later, the spell 'Charm' was renamed to [http://www.wowhead.com/spell=84155 Call to Arms]. Everything else in the quest, including the quest text, NPC dialog, and effects of the spell, remained unchanged. The original name of the spell, combined with the reasoning that a free-thinking individual would not so quickly turn against the soldiers he was just fighting alongside, led many to argue that the Val'kyr are enslaving the minds of these Forsaken.
  +
  +
In contrast to this, the respect the Forsaken have for free will is actually exemplified in [[Deathknell]], where players can see newly risen Forsaken being given a choice as to what they will do. These Forsaken alternatively immediately return to death, swear loyalty to Sylvanas, or even run away screaming. {{npc||Marcus Redpath}}, {{npc||Lilian Voss}}, and {{npc||Valdred Moray}} are presented as specific case studies of how some individuals react to becoming a Forsaken.
  +
  +
Whether Sylvanas, the Val'kyr, or any other Forsaken dominate the will of new Forsaken risen by the Val'kyr is the subject of intense and ongoing controversy.
  +
  +
==References==
  +
{{reflist|2}}
  +
  +
{{New Horde}}
  +
{{species}}
  +
  +
[[Category:Forsaken| ]]
  +
[[Category:Independent undead| Forsaken]]
  +
[[Category:Horde races]]
  +
[[Category:Racial classes]]
  +
[[Category:World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]
  +
[[Category:Manual of Monsters]]
  +
[[Category:Horde Player's Guide]]
  +
[[Category:Lands of Conflict]]
  +
  +
[[es:Renegados]]
  +
[[ru:??????????]]
  +
[[fr:Mort-Vivant (race jouable)]]
  +
[[nl:Forsaken]]

Revision as of 20:29, 26 September 2011

Core races
Allied races

Template:Racebox

This article is about the race referred to as "undead" in published materials. For information on the living dead in general, see undead. For information on the Lich King's faction, see Scourge.
For the playable race of Undead, see Undead (playable).

The Forsaken are a race and faction of intelligent undead who broke away from the Scourge and took control of much of the kingdom of Lordaeron, destroyed during the Third War by the death knight Arthas. The Forsaken are led by their Banshee Queen, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the former Ranger-General of Quel'Thalas. Their capital is the Undercity, in the royal catacombs beneath the ruins of the City of Lordaeron.

While comprised vastly of undead humans, the Forsaken are a diverse faction that include several different races at their biological core. However, they have all assumed their racial identity as "Forsaken," due to their shared goals and loyalties.[1]

Introduction

ForsakenCrest

Icon of Torment

When the Lich King’s grasp on his vast armies faltered after the Third War, a contingent of undead broke free of their master’s iron will. Although this freedom seemed to be a blessing at first, these former humans were soon tormented by memories of the unspeakable horrors that they had committed as mindless Scourge agents. Those who did not descend into madness were faced with a chilling realization: the entirety of Azeroth sought their destruction.[2]

In their darkest hour, the renegade undead were rallied together by the former ranger-general of Quel'Thalas, Sylvanas Windrunner. Defeated during an attack on her kingdom and transformed into a powerful Scourge banshee, Sylvanas had also regained her freedom from the Lich King. Under their new queen's guidance, the independent undead – known as Forsaken – established the Undercity beneath the ruins of Lordaeron’s capital. While some Forsaken feared Sylvanas, others valued the security she provided. Many of the free-willed undead, however, found a purpose to their cursed existence through the banshee queen's burning desire to destroy the Lich King.

Despite not being affiliated with the Scourge, the Forsaken came under threat from humans who were dedicated to eradicating all Forsaken. As a means to further her own goals and protect her budding nation, Sylvanas sent emissaries to various factions in search of allies. The kind-hearted tauren of Thunder Bluff proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem saw the potential for redemption in Sylvanas' people, even though he was fully aware of the Forsaken's sinister nature. Thus, the tauren convinced Warchief Thrall, despite his misgivings, to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde. In the end, the Forsaken's chances of victory against the Lich King were bolstered, while the Horde gained an invaluable foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms.[2]

History

Third War and Aftermath

During the Third War, the once-glorious capital of Lordaeron, Capital City, was decimated by a Scourge army under the command of Prince Arthas Menethil. Death offered no escape for the scores of humans killed during the Lich King's campaign to scour the living from Lordaeron. Instead, the kingdom’s fallen were risen into undeath as Scourge minions and forced to wage an unholy war against everything and everyone that they once held dear.[2]

In the wake of Illidan's failed attempt to melt the icy continent of Northrend, the powerful energies possessed by the Lich King inside his Frozen Throne slowly began to decay. Inexorably this resulted in a partial loss of control of the more distant Scourge forces. The result was that many undead under the Lich King's mental domination had their conscious will restored. Their spirits and memories were somehow returned to their undead bodies. Even the Lich King's champion, Arthas, began to weaken as the Lich King's power waned. Arthas the death knight and his lieutenant Kel'Thuzad the lich were suddenly thrust into an undead civil war. Still fanatically loyal to the Lich King, Arthas heeded the call of his master and returned to Northrend as Illidan launched his second attempt to destroy the Lich King directly. Arthas left Kel'Thuzad in command of his forces when he departed.

Rallied by Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the small amount of newly-freed undead fought their way through Lordaeron. With their leader's sharp cunning and the assistance of their banshees, the undead forcibly coerced a number of lingering forces in Lordaeron to fighting their battles with them; such as gnolls, bandits, and ogres. First, the dreadlord Varimathras fell to the Dark Lady, and swiftly sold his loyalty to Lady Sylvanas in return for sparing him. With Varimathras' assistance, the undead forces successfully deposed the leadership of Detheroc and his army, allying with the considerable forces of the mind-controlled Grand Marshal Garithos in order to free Lordaeron from the control of the remaining dreadlord, Balnazzar. Garithos, though both a (hypocritical) racist and a staunch human supremacist, warily joined forces with the undead and their inhumane allies to this end. Lady Sylvanas promised to leave Lordaeron to his jurisdiction after the battle was won, and together with their new allies, the undead marched to end Balnazzar.

With their combined forces, the undead and the remnants of the New Alliance dismantled the final bastion of the dreadlords' power in Lordaeron, and Varimathras personally destroyed his nathrezim brother. No sooner than Garithos had ordered the undead to begone from "his" land, however, Lady Sylvanas turned on him and executed the human leader; claiming the ruins of Lordaeron for the free-willed undead instead.[3]

With her immediate enemies dealt with and the ruins of Lordaeron firmly in her hands, Lady Sylvanas proclaimed her faction of self-aware undead as the "Forsaken," and resolved to slaughter anyone would dare stand in the way of their dominion.

Following this, Queen Sylvanas and the Forsaken claimed the Undercity as their own and completed the winding network of catacombs and crypts that the Scourge had begun constructing. Today, rivers of poisonous sludge flow through all avenues of the vast Undercity. The toxic fumes and fetid odors permeating every corner of the stronghold have made it a place almost unbearable for the living members of the Horde. Yet for Sylvanas and her cursed followers, the Undercity has become a much-needed refuge in a world where her kind is still feared and hunted.[4]

While the Forsaken had claimed a base of power, their hold on Lordaeron was tenuous at best. To this end, the Dark Lady looked to finding allies.

Emerson Zantides TCG

Emerson Zantides, a forsaken priest.

Alliance with the Horde

Sylvanas worked to ensure that the damned such as herself would have a home free from threats by the living. As a means to further her own goals and protect her budding nation, Sylvanas sent emissaries to various factions in search of allies. The kind-hearted tauren of Thunder Bluff proved to be the most promising contact. Specifically, Archdruid Hamuul Runetotem saw the potential for redemption in Sylvanas’ people, even though he was fully aware of the Forsaken’s sinister nature. Thus, the tauren convinced Warchief Thrall, despite his misgivings, to forge an alliance of convenience between the Forsaken and the Horde. In the end, the Forsaken’s chances of victory against the Lich King were bolstered, while the Horde gained an invaluable foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms.[5]

Among the tauren the Forsaken found a champion in Magatha Grimtotem, who argued in favor of the alliance between the two peoples and who continued to work closely with them. Magatha claimed she merely wanted to aid the Forsaken in their quest to redeem themselves, although there are many who believe her true motives to be something very different and much less innocent. The Darkspear trolls are not particularly fond of the Forsaken because of their shamanistic beliefs, but tolerate them and have learned to trust them in times of war.

World of Warcraft

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

As the primary Horde force in the Eastern Kingdoms, the Forsaken went about dealing with a number of their surrounding enemies. New free-willed undead, freed by Lady Sylvanas, were inducted into the Forsaken's ranks and assisted their new (and old) people in the tasks set before them within Tirisfal Glades. For years this blighted area has been home to Queen Sylvanas and her Forsaken, as well as the remaining vestiges of the Scarlet Crusade. Their zealots, bent on wiping out any and all undead from Azeroth regardless of affiliation, have long been a thorn in the Forsaken's side. Recently, the Argent Dawn has offered assistance to Sylvanas' people against the Crusaders' constant harassment in eastern Tirisfal Glades. In addition, the Forsaken have begun a fresh march on their enemy's stronghold – the Scarlet Monastery – in an effort to finally secure their homeland from external threats.[6]

Concurrent with securing the immediate regions pertaining to Lordaeron, the Forsaken turned their attention to numerous conflicts neighbouring their kingdom. The humans and dwarves of the Alliance, the perennial enemy of their Horde allies, remained at large on the continent. The Forsaken launched several offenses against their new enemies, resulting in the conflict for resources in Arathi (which the Defilers were tasked with securing) and a number of conflicts around Hillsbrad, Alterac and the Plaguelands arose. Furthermore, the Forsaken began research into a certain form of plague that could be used against the Scourge (and ostensibly, the living). The Royal Apothecary Society rose to meet this goal, and has been conducting a number of low-key experiments ever since.

Nathanos Blightcaller, the Champion of the Forsaken, was freed by Lady Sylvanas herself after his enthrallment at the hands of the Scourge.[7] After they had proved themselves to the queen, the Blightcaller tasked Forsaken members with killing the beast that had taken his life, retrieving a document pertaining to both his and the banshee queen's time as living comrades from a lodge of exiled elves, and assaulting the Scarlet Crusade's primary power-base in Lordaeron.

The Burning Crusade

Bc icon This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

The blood elves of Quel'Thalas, newly invigorated by the returned magisters and the new powers at their disposal, went about reclaiming and rebuilding their ancient capital and expelling the Scourge from their lands. Lady Sylvanas, who had lost no love for her homeland even in death,[8] offered numerous methods of support to her former people and was a strong supporter of their acceptance into the Horde. Together with the sin'dorei, a regiment of Forsaken troops assisted their elven allies in reclaiming much of the Ghostlands, including the town of Tranquillien. The Forsaken also assisted the blood elven Blood Knight order in forging a stone of great power to wield against the Scourge; their intimate knowledge of the Lich King's grasp proving an essential component in its creation.[9]

The Forsaken continued their research into their progressing plague in Outland, where numerous apothecaries such as Apothecary Azethen took and experimented with a variety of new ingriedients for Forsaken uses.

War Against the Lich King

File:Andarius the Damned.jpg

Andarius the Damned, a forsaken warlock.

Wrath-Logo-Small This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

As the Lich King began to make his presence known to the inhabitants of Azeroth, the Forsaken came ever closer to achieving their vengeance upon the despoiler of Lordaeron. The Forsaken were one of the major powers in the War against the Lich King.

Lady Sylvanas moved to and from the frozen wastes of Northrend, and oversaw the construction of a proper Forsaken town within the region of Howling Fjord. One of the new Forsaken camps in Northrend is New Agamand, where most of the Royal Apothecary Society's members took up residence to finish perfecting the plague to unleash upon the Lich King. Lady Sylvanas had been methodically and patiently overseeing the creation of this contagion for several years now, and it seemed the time at last had come to test it.

During the Lich King's initial attack on the cities of the Horde and Alliance, a renowned apothecary named Grand Apothecary Putress set up camp in Shattrath to counter the Lich King's own spreading plague. After numerous stages of experimentation, Putress succeeded in forming a counter-agent and curbing the spread of the plague of undeath. For his efforts, he gained favour within the Forsaken's ranks, and Sylvanas dispensed him to assist the Horde advance into Northrend. Both Sylvanas and Putress were present during the Scourge attack on Orgrimmar, and the Dark Lady assisted Thrall, Garrosh Hellscream, High Overlord Saurfang and several adventurers in fighting the invaders off. Nevertheless, the attack convinced Warchief Thrall to commit to a Northrend campaign, much to Sylvanas' approval.

The Forsaken were one of the major superpowers to advance on Northrend. While the main Horde force attacked and conquered regions of Borean Tundra, the Forsaken fleet (comprised of customized Lordaeron ships dredged up from the ocean)[10] laid siege to Howling Fjord. Coming under the banner of the Hand of Vengeance, the Forsaken army tasked with delivering apt revenge against Arthas, the queen's navy swiftly crushed the Alliance Northwatch fleet and cornered them on the shores of the Fjord. No sooner had the Forsaken began their assault, however, had the Lich King turned his gaze back to his former servants: Prince Valanar offered the Forsaken commander High Executor Anselm the chance to renounce his fealty to Queen Sylvanas and return to the Scourge's embrace. However, Anselm swiftly disposed of the san'layn prince, and had adventurers slay him for his insolence in making mock of the queen and killing his men.[11]

The Hand of Vengeance also waged a war against the vrykul, and the Royal Apothecary Society's field-testing plaguebringers drenched a number with a potent strain of blight in order to test its final stages of production.

Their efforts would come to a head during the events of Dragonblight, where the Forsaken stationed at Venomspite and Agmar's Hammer perfected the final strains of the plague brought over from New Agamand. The Forsaken also came into conflict with their old enemy the Scarlet Crusade, now dissolved and reformed into the Scarlet Onslaught.

However, just as the hour of the Forsaken was to approach, tragedy struck. During the battle for Angrathar the Wrathgate, Grand Apothecary Putress and renegade plaguebringers made their appearance. After questioning the newly-arrived Lich King as to whether he thought the Forsaken had "forgotten" or "forgiven" him for what he had done, Putress drenched the battlefield in a massive strain of blight, causing huge losses to the collaboration of Horde and Alliance forces present. The blight was so powerful, in fact, that Arthas himself was brought to his knees after stating the banshee queen's name. The Lich King fled back to Icecrown, and Putress was left to cackle triumphantly at the destruction wrought on by the plague.

It is revealed that Putress' actions were outside the orders of the Forsaken; and concurrently with the Wrathgate attack, Varimathras had usurped control of the Undercity. Sylvanas barely escaped with her life and her loyalists, and the Forsaken were taken in by Thrall while they planned their next move. In a conversation with Jaina Proudmoore, Thrall and Sylvanas reveal that Putress had allied with the treacherous dreadlord in order to depose the Dark Lady's rule. Despite this, Jaina warns them that King Varian Wrynn nonetheless holds them responsible, and is considering leading an army into the Undercity in order to reclaim Lordaeron for the Alliance. Unwilling to abandon Lordaeron to the traitors, Sylvanas, Thrall, and Vol'jin lead a Horde counterattack in roder to remove Varimathras from power and restore the Undercity to the Forsaken. After fighting their way through a Burning Legion-controlledUndercity, the Banshee Queen and the Warchief succeed in killing Varimathras and retaking the Royal Quarter. As they prepare to strike at Putress, however, King Varian enters and declares his intention to end it all there. Before the battle can icnrease in intensity, Jaina swiftly teleports the Alliance forces out of the Undercity, resulting in a successful Horde restoration.

Though the Undercity had been restored to its rightful masters, the repercussions of the Wrathgate have hounded the Forsaken relentlessly. Their abomination guardians were either removed or regulated to the sewers, and Kor'kron overseers were deployed to watch over the Forsaken from that point forward. Thrall's trust for the Forsaken seems to have become thinner than ever, and their credibility in the eyes of the wider Horde has also suffered.[12]

With the Undercity securely back in Horde hands, Lady Sylvanas personally made her way into Northrend in order to claim vengeance upon Arthas. Together with her dark rangers, the Banshee Queen infiltrated Icecrown Citadel and fought her way through to the Halls of Reflection, where she came face-to-face with the blade that took her life. After Arthas successfully fought her off, however, Sylvanas was forced to face her inability to defeat her greatest foe alone.

With the combined efforts of the Argent Crusade and the Knights of the Ebon Blade, the Lich King finally fell. However, with his death, a void was left - while Sylvanas and the Forsaken had existed solely to claim their vengeance, the Dark Lady could only ponder what was left for them.[13]

Cataclysm

Cataclysm This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

As it happens, the Forsaken - having successfully partaken in the fall of the Lich King - have turned their attention to other pursuits. For one: the complete conquest of Lordaeron. Now, along with being mistrusted by her own allies, Sylvanas recognizes that many of Azeroth’s other inhabitants still see her people as a threat, even after the Lich King’s defeat. As their numbers dwindle by the day, the Forsaken have begun fortifying their holdings around the Undercity, working to prove their loyalty to the Horde’s cause even as they ready themselves for any future attacks.

After the Lich King's death, a number of the more intelligent former Scourge members were accepted into the Forsaken's ranks by Queen Sylvanas. Some of them, the Val'kyr, have brought with them a new age for the Forsaken: the ability to "procreate" via their necromantic abilities, bolstering their numbers. The second generation Forsaken are individuals who were raised into undeath by these Val'kyr.

The risen dead of the new Forsaken generation are given a choice of what to do after they are reborn. Some of them, such as Valdred Moray, accept their fate, and seem keen to make themselves useful and serve the Forsaken in death. The resurrected Prince Galen Trollbane seems resigned to the fate that befell him and while not particularly enthusiastic about killing his former allies,[14] he personally gives the quests to slay them for the good of the Forsaken.

On the other hand, others do not react so positively. Lilian Voss reacts in horror to what she had become, and Marshal Redpath, not happy with his fate, attacks Deathknell after the transition. Some of the new Forsaken simply kill themselves on the spot. Dumass is perhaps the most extreme case of how the process can strip away rational thought and intelligence.

After the Cataclysm, the Forsaken launched an offensive against Gilneas, after being ordered by Garrosh Hellscream to do so. The Forsaken appear to be taking on a more offensive stance regarding the war with the Alliance, and with their new ability to bolster their ranks, their stranglehold on Lordaeron has become tighter than ever. The Forsaken have also began to fortify their own territories, stepping up from their previous preferences of run down human-esque buildings in favour of their own architecture, seen briefly in Northrend.

Notable Forsaken

Name Role Condition Location Allegiance
File:IconSmall Sylvanas Small.gif Sylvanas Windrunner Banshee Queen of the Forsaken Undead Undercity The Forsaken, Horde
IconSmall Nathanos Nathanos Marris Champion of the Forsaken Undead Undercity The Forsaken, Horde
IconSmall Undead Male Master Apothecary Faranell Overseer of Royal Apothecary Society Undead Undercity, The Apothecarium The Forsaken, Horde, Royal Apothecary Society
File:IconSmall Putress Small.gif Putress Grand Apothecary Deceased Shattrath City, Angrathar the Wrathgate, Undercity The Forsaken, Royal Apothecary Society, Varimathras
IconSmall Undead Male Alexi Barov Heir to the Barov Fortune Undead The Bulwark The Forsaken, Horde, Barov
IconSmall Undead Male Leonid Barthalomew Argent Commander Undead Light's Hope Chapel Argent Dawn
IconSmall Undead Female The Black Bride Arathi Basin Battlemaster and Leader of the Defilers Undead Arathi Highlands, Hammerfall The Forsaken, Horde, Defilers
IconSmall Godfrey Lord Vincent Godfrey Former Gilnean nobleman and traitor to both Gilneas and Forsaken. Killable Shadowfang Keep Himself, formerly Gilneas and later the Forsaken.
IconSmall UndeadGalen Galen Trollbane Fallen Prince of Stromgarde. Undead Galen's Fall The Forsaken, Horde

Culture

Before the time of the Scourge, many of those that would become Forsaken were devout priests of the Light. It would seem, however, that the Forsaken have abandoned the light, though some are still able to channel it.

WorldofWarcraftRPG logo
This article contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

The figure wore the robes of a priest of the Holy Light - not uncommon among the Forsaken, who mocked the order by wearing their garments and allowing the sacred robes to be soiled and tainted by their bloody work. Somehow, Andarin sensed, this figure was different; the robes seemed to be in almost tolerable condition, even if the body wearing them was not.[15] "You wear the robes of a priest, Trevor. Why do you not channel the Light in battle, if you seek redemption?" The priest seemed to wince at that. "While I refuse to wield the shadow, the Light has refused me, or so it seems. And so, I am truly a broken man; I learned to wield spears of Light like Uther's knights did in the Second. Without the Light, I am unarmed and unarmored -- but not entirely helpless, as you see." Andarin couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the fallen priest, if his story was true. Perhaps a man, no matter how virtuous, could not channel holy power while in such a form."[16]

Undead03-large

Forsaken

Balance

WorldofWarcraftRPG logo
This article contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Forsaken culture reflects its people; just as the Forsaken stand on the line between life and death, their culture balances between the beliefs each Forsaken held in life and each one's quest for a place in the present. Former healers find this transition more difficult than most Forsaken find it. Priests of the Holy Light in particular struggle to reconcile the philosophy that guided their life with their unfortunate new condition. Some balance their own beliefs with their new forms, but most follow one of two paths." (It goes on to give very brief descriptions of the Forgotten Shadow and the Echo of Life.)[17]

Perhaps the greatest element of Forsaken culture, and their culture’s only universal element, is their reverence of death. Every Forsaken respects the dead, and damns those who do not. General society coddles new Forsaken like children, while venerating those who are losing themselves to the Scourge, giving them the greatest comforts before they are put out of their misery. Forsaken treat each other with a measure of respect, as it takes a strong soul to rise, and a stronger soul to not fall to mindless undeath (more on this later). Arthas earns their greatest ire, as the Lich King shows no respect for the living or dead. While Forsaken create undead, they do so with respect to the souls and bodies they use. Life and death is a balance. The Lich King, however, enslaves the dead, stripping their free will. His path is an abomination to the Forsaken.[18]

Alignment

Although most of the race is evil,[19] the Forsaken cannot be thought of in purely dualistic terms entirely. Although undead, the Forsaken are still inherently human, the majority of whom were victims of the plague spread by Kel'Thuzad. Thus some of the Forsaken are still good beings, if no longer living. As the above suggests, some individuals among them are capable of a tragic form of nobility, in that they do not allow their inability to obtain redemption to prevent them from trying.

Those that try often leave the Forsaken, seeing its flaws, and join other causes. These Forsaken rebel against their race, seeking a better way to end the Lich King's reign or search for a way to reclaim their lost humanity,[20] while others work to reform it from within, such as Roberick Dartfall.

Leonid Barthalomew the Revered of the Argent Dawn is probably the greatest example of this. (Trevor in fact aspires to leave and join Leonid.) Others that have left include Kegan Darkmar.

It is arguable that such nobility is the only truly genuine form that exists, in that it comes not from duty, religion, or custom, but from a decision born purely of free will.

True death

True death is the name given to the final and harshest punishment exercised in Forsaken law - in essence, an execution. It appears to be reserved for criminals who have committed high treason against the Forsaken's leadership,[21] proved themselves a threat to the Forsaken's way of life,[22] or taken up arms in rebellion against the Forsaken.[23]

Notes: The term 'True death' is a obvious reference to the True Blood television drama series based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series. Within the series "The True Death" is when a vampire ultimately meets the final death. There is no coming back after meeting the true death. Similar to the Forsaken law in vampire politics, only certain vampires have the authority to command the true death on other vampires.

Faith

SoulRend

A forsaken spellcaster tearing apart the soul of a night elf.

Even as they believe they have been abandoned by their faith, so have the Forsaken abandoned the faiths of their living days.[24] Some still adhere to their old faiths, such as the Holy Light.[25][26] Many no longer cling to any religion, placing their faith in their queen and their dark science.[24] Most, however, have embraced new philosophies of their own creation: the Forgotten Shadow, the Echo of Life, or the simple value of knowledge.[27] Some have even turned to the Burning Legion as a source of power, believing that only it is potent enough to defeat the Lich King.[24]

The Cult of Forgotten Shadow is largely based out of Deathknell and the warrior quarter in Undercity.[28] Priests of the Forgotten Shadow believe that the faiths they held in life have failed them, and so they instead rely on the power and teachings of the Shadow.[29][30][31] The members of the Cult vary between lawful and chaotic, evil and neutral,[32] and are taught to eradicate anything having to do with the Holy Light — and life in general.[citation needed]  It is also a philosophy of divine humanism.

Priests of the Forgotten Shadow teach that there must be a balance between Light and Shadow, and while they should never forget that they are from the Shadow, members of the cult must learn the Light as well.[33][34] Being intelligent undead, the Forsaken fully understand the limitations and vulnerabilities associated with unlife. One of these disadvantages is that they can be turned, rebuked or even commanded by powerful positive or negative energy forces. Naturally, the Forsaken are always on the lookout for ways to limit or negate this vulnerability.[35]

Some Forsaken priests continue to wield the Holy Light.[26][33] While it is possible for them to use or be healed by the Light to its full effect like any living humanoid, it is accompanied by intense pain, making it require notable willpower to suffer through.[36] Though painful, this does not cause any actual harm or damage on their undead bodies, even over long periods of time. In fact, some Forsaken with persistent contact with the Light over many years have even started to experience a return of their senses, which is not a pleasant experience given their rotted state.[37]

Relations

File:BattleTactics.jpg

A forsaken rallying his allies.

Undercity is the home of the Forsaken. They also have control of Tirisfal Glades and have several towns in the region. Forsaken patrols have tried to secure Silverpine Forest for the past couple years, but they are unable to do so. Though the Forsaken do not trust anyone and no one trusts them, they are members of the Horde and, for now, do their best to help their allies and placate their ambassadors. Forsaken have even less love for the Alliance, particularly because they clash constantly with the human organization called the Scarlet Crusade.[24] The only other Horde faction they even have a semblance of trust with is Silvermoon City and the blood elves.[38] This is probably because Sylvanas was a high elf ranger in life and finds trust in her former companions. The Forsaken and blood elves even took control of the village of Tranquillien in the Ghostlands to fight the Scourge in the area together.

Relations with the Horde

Though initially the Forsaken alliance with the Horde was one of pure convenience, in recent times it appears that their position in the faction has begun to solidify and many, though not all, of the Forsaken appear to be more or less loyal to the Horde now. Though the events at the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate may seem to contradict this, in the following quests it is revealed that Grand Apothecary Putress's actions were not very well received among most of the city's denizens. This seems to suggest that the Forsaken consider themselves part of the Horde now, or are at least upset by the new limitations his failure has placed on them.

Languages

Forsaken speak Gutterspeak and Common. Forsaken learn the languages of their enemies and their allies (who may become their enemies).[24]

Names

Like their Dark Lady, Forsaken keep the names they had when they were alive. As most Forsaken are human, these tend to be human names. If a Forsaken cannot remember their name, they may make up a suitable name or read one from a headstone. Some invent surnames that imply their desire to eradicate the Scourge.

  • Male names: Roberick, Magan, Danforth, Lansire.
  • Female names: Yellen, Limmy, Sarias, Mierelle.
  • Family names: Dartfall, Blacksling, Ghoulhunter, Blastlich.[24]

A cure for undeath?

Many of the other races (mainly the tauren) pity the Forsaken and a number of Horde healers all over Azeroth, such as Mani Winterhoof, work tirelessly in the hopes of creating a cure for undeath. Some of the Forsaken feel that their undeath is an illness or curse and long for a cure, but many think it is impossible to attain one.

Forsaken with an undead soul can be brought back with raise dead and reincarnate. The spells work normally on them. Resurrection, true resurrection and similar effects restore them to their undead life rather than to the being they were before they became undead. A Forsaken's body of this type is undead… and so is its soul, corrupted and changed to such a degree that it belongs to its new body now, rather than its old one.[39] Forsaken priests have the power to restore those foolishly slain in battle, though only to unlife. Nothing short of a miracle can return true life.[40]

Necromancy

PlagueDemonsoul

Plague Demonsoul, a forsaken warlock.

The Dark Lady, Sylvanas Windrunner, realized how valuable necromancy was to their cause. Though Forsaken heal naturally, many go to the priests of the Forgotten Shadow for "repairs". Necromancers can also free enslaved, mindless undead and research powerful spells that might one day return the Forsaken to life. Sylvanas knew she needed necromancers to heal, strengthen and replace her people, and she set about wooing necromancers away from the Scourge, mainly by force.[41]

Necromancers

There were only two known Necromancers who joined the forsaken Helcular the Former Apprentice to Kel'Thuzad and Gunther Arcanus it is unknown if there other Necromancers besides these two joined the forsaken.

Val'kyr

in Cataclysm After the death of the Lich King, many val'kyr became "unemployed", and have been conscripted into the Forsaken ranks. In order to bolster the Forsaken's numbers. it seems the val'kyr can only raise humans into undeath. [42]

Death knights

The Forsaken have also brought death knights in their ranks. [43] The Death Knight Koltira Deathweaver is referred to as "her majesty's top death knight".

Other members

The Forsaken include numerous other races. Notably, at least three Leper Gnomes are seen existing within the Forsaken empire. The level of trust such beings receive is dubious, though one is referred to as having "bent the knee" to the Dark Lady, thus making him "one of us."

Appearance

Lilian Voss2

Lilian Voss as a newly raised Forsaken.

Forsaken, unsurprisingly, look like dead people. Their skin is gray and rotting, showing bone and flesh in places. Their pupil-less eyes glow with dim, white ghostlight. Their muscles are withered, making them scrawny. Their movements are slow but jagged. Forsaken hardly ever smile (unless their lips have rotted away - in which case they can appear to be smiling all the time). Necromantic magic keeps them somewhat preserved, but natural decay still proceeds, just slower than normal.[24]

Glowing Blue Eyes

Interestingly, there are some forsaken that players encounter that have glowing blue eyes instead of the more frequent glowing yellow, similar to the eyes of Death knights. Non-death knights with these eyes are Lilian Voss, Lord Godfrey and Master Forteski. Some of the Forsaken deathguards during the Battle for Andorhal also display blue eyes.

Race

WorldofWarcraftRPG logo
This article contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Forsaken are a wild hodgepodge of different ideals and beliefs. No two Forsaken are alike, even more so than any other race. Even referring to them as a race is misleading, as they exist more as a state of being than a race.

All members of the Forsaken race are either humans or of elven descent (high elves and half-elves). However they also control a few abominations as well. The Royal Apothecary Society has independently accepted in a few undead dwarves, leper gnomes, even some orcs, and trolls have joined the society, as apothecaries, but these are not considered true Forsaken.[44]

It is not clear why most of the Forsaken are human. Even the Forsaken don't understand the process by which they are created. The leading theory involves the power of humans' spirits. Humans are perhaps the most stubborn race on Azeroth, and fear nothing. Some scholars agree that this will to live extends even into the grave, thus explaining why most ghosts and wraiths are former humans. The unique nature of the Plaguelands, combined with human resolve, created the Forsaken.[45]

See also

Speculation

Questionmark-medium
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Mind Control?

In the Battle for Andorhal, Koltira Deathweaver's negligence caused Sylvanas to step in and turn the battle around by resurrecting slain Alliance militia as Forsaken. While the Cataclysm expansion was in beta, Horde players received a quest from Sylvanas to take a Val'kyr with an spell called Charm to make these risen Forsaken follow the player and attack enemies (including living Alliance NPCs). Later, the spell 'Charm' was renamed to Call to Arms. Everything else in the quest, including the quest text, NPC dialog, and effects of the spell, remained unchanged. The original name of the spell, combined with the reasoning that a free-thinking individual would not so quickly turn against the soldiers he was just fighting alongside, led many to argue that the Val'kyr are enslaving the minds of these Forsaken.

In contrast to this, the respect the Forsaken have for free will is actually exemplified in Deathknell, where players can see newly risen Forsaken being given a choice as to what they will do. These Forsaken alternatively immediately return to death, swear loyalty to Sylvanas, or even run away screaming. Marcus Redpath, Lilian Voss, and Valdred Moray are presented as specific case studies of how some individuals react to becoming a Forsaken.

Whether Sylvanas, the Val'kyr, or any other Forsaken dominate the will of new Forsaken risen by the Val'kyr is the subject of intense and ongoing controversy.

References

 
  1. ^ Apprentice Crispin"... he's bent the knee to the Dark Lady, so that makes him once of us."
  2. ^ a b c http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken
  3. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WC3xundead6
  4. ^ http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken
  5. ^ Races of World of Warcraft: Forsaken
  6. ^ http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/forsaken
  7. ^ http://www.wowpedia.org/Quest:Ramstein
  8. ^ Quest:Meeting the Warchief
  9. ^ Inv misc rune 10 [Scourgebane]
  10. ^ http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2721372142
  11. ^ Quest:A Score to Settle
  12. ^ Glory_(story)
  13. ^ Quest:Sylvanas' Vengeance
  14. ^ Quest:The Forsaken Trollbane.
  15. ^ Horde Player's Guide, 170
  16. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg. 173.
  17. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg.87.
  18. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg.151.
  19. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Mostly Evil
  20. ^ World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 173.
  21. ^ Grand Apothecary Putress
  22. ^ Warden Stillwater
  23. ^ Rotbrain undead
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Undead, Forsaken
  25. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Magic in the Horde":87. "Priests of the Holy Light in particular struggle to reconcile the philosophy that guided their life with their unfortunate new condition. Some balance their old beliefs with their new forms, but most follow one of two paths."
  26. ^ a b World of Warcraft Trading Card Game: March of the Legion. Blizzard Entertainment. 12: Chancellor Velora:"The Light rewards faith, not form.".
  27. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Magic in the Horde":87-88.
  28. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Forsaken Knowledge":154.
  29. ^ H IconSmall Undead MaleIconSmall Undead Female [1] Hallowed Scroll, World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment. Tirisfal Glades. Dark Cleric Duesten: "...the Holy Light no longer concerns you, the spirits of your forefathers are fairy tales, and creatures from the Nether don't want you.".
  30. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160. "They felt that the Light forgot them, and turned to the Shadow instead."
  31. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Magic in the Horde":87. "Forsaken who feel betrayed by the Holy Light's failure to protect them sometimes find that turning their backs on the Holy Light is not enough; they throw aside the Holy Light and embrace its dark twin out of spite."
  32. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160. "Alignment: Lawful evil, though chaotic neutral and neutral evil individuals are just as prevalent."
  33. ^ a b H IconSmall Undead MaleIconSmall Undead Female [4] Garments of Darkness, World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment. Tirisfal Glades. Dark Cleric Beryl: "But before you can know the dark, you must also know the light.".
  34. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Cult of Forgotten Shadow":160.
  35. ^ Horde Player's Guide, "Technological Devices":126.
  36. ^ Ask CDev #1 Answers - Round 1. World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums.
  37. ^ Ask Creative Development -- Round II Answers. World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums.
  38. ^ Forsaken and blood elves start as Friendly to each other, but Neutral to the other Horde factions
  39. ^ Horde Player's Guide, pg. 37.
  40. ^ Horde Player's Guide, 161
  41. ^ Horde Player's Guide:90.
  42. ^ Quest:Lessons in Fear
  43. ^ Quest:The Battle for Andorhal (Horde)
  44. ^ Lands of Conflict, pg. 164-165.
  45. ^ Horde Player's Guide:151 .

ru:?????????? nl:Forsaken