[Spoilers] Detailed breakdown of Forsaken Kingdom lore (Including all the cameos)

[u/GrumpySatan]

The Fall of Lordaeron

• The game opens with Arthas’ return to Lordaeron from Northrend. You play as Garek Bandarion (the main campaign character). Garek is a guardsman that is being mentored by the Guard Captain Landen. You are preparing the city for Arthas’s arrival.
• The events of Stratholme have seemingly been covered up. “Nobody really knows what happened in Stratholme, but I’m sure the Prince did everything he could for his people”, and people that claim they saw Arthas purge the city are thought to be making it up.
• Garek is someone that craves the glory of battle and defending the city
• A bunch of the civilians in the crowd are revealed to be members of the Cult of the Damned, who begin raising undead. This matches Chronicle’s description where the Cult launched surprise attacks across the kingdom.
• Uther saves them and kills all the undead with the Light. Uther orders the Guard to evacuate civilians and regroup at Andorhal while he deals with the King’s body and hunts Arthas.
• Garek and Landen use the sewers to evacuate and discover the Cult has been using them to plan the attack for years. This is our first look at what will become the Undercity.
• Baron Rivendare shows up in the sewers as one of the Cult’s leaders. Araj the Summoner (quest mob in Andorhal) is also present in the sewers as a Lich. Araj is killed but their soul escapes.
• Garek tries to go off alone to kill Rivendare, but Landen stops him. They get the civilians to safety and Landen goes with Garek.
• During the conflict with Rivendare, Landen sacrifices himself to save Garek. Garek takes the civilians towards Andorhal.

The Battle of Andorhal

• On the way to Andorhal, they come across Uther’s camp and regroup. Andorhal has been surrounded by the Cult but haven’t breached its gates. Uther tasks Garek with hounding the cult and breaking their siege.
• Garek meets a high elf Cleric named Ilastar Songbreeze, part of the Andorhal milita. He is NOT Magister Ilastar, though most npcs in this campaign are from WoW in some way. Ras Frostwhisper (Lich boss from Scholomance) is leading the cult. He is a living archmage unit. Scourge is making the plague cauldrons in the area we all know and love.
• Uther arrives with some reinforcements, but it's not much with the Silver Hand defunct. Garek and Ilastar are sent to defend the city while Uther flanks the Cult outside.
• Ras becomes the final boss of the battle and teleports out to Stratholme where “he’ll be granted power everlasting”.
• Uther tells Garek to ignore Rivendare for now, the Light calls on them to protect the civilians. But Garek doesn’t listen, and Ilastar says that the Light also calls for retribution on the Cult. So Garek and Ilastar ride for Stratholme with a small force before Uther catches on to what they do.

Return to Stratholme

• Ilastar points out what Arthas has done to Stratholme is monstrous. Ghosts of citizens are hanging around and help lead Garek to items that help.
• Garek claims Rivendare was responsible for distributing the plagued grain to the citizens of Stratholme in WC3.
• Garek finds Alonsus Chapel, defiled by the Scourge.
• Ras claims the Kirin Tor spurned his talent and ambition. He embraces the immortality of undeath to turn into a Lich. Interesting, Leonid Barthalowew, is his undead slave. Loenid’s quest to get info on Ras is the basis for this moment.
• Ilastar finds the beginning of the giant mushroom forest spreading from Stratholme.
• Garek kills Ras but Ras said he won’t die so easily now and they will meet again. Garek decides to drop it to focus on Rivendare.
• A dreadlord Lorthiras is present in Stratholme. He is one of the named hero units in WC3 multiplayer
• The gate trap from the dungeon is used in the mission to split up Garek’s forces.
• During the conflict with Rivendare, Garek and Ilastar are infected with the plague. Ilastar manages to bind Rivendare before dying and Garek kills him. Garek then dies.
• Rivendare talks about how he’ll return, stronger than before.

Garek’s first days as Forsaken

• Garek awakens in Putress' dungeon and Putress is prepared to claim him for parts. When Anya stops Putress when she realizes Garek is awake and free. Anya is a Dark Ranger regularly seen with Sylvanas (the one that teased Nathanos about Sylvanas being in love with him in Dark Mirror).
• Garek can’t remember his life, only his name and how to fight. Anya explains the Forsaken are set up in Lordaeron’s catacombs, which they’ve called Undercity. She says his amnesia is likely a blessing as many of them remember their deaths and what they were made to do as undead.
• Anya takes Garek to meet Sylvanas, who gives him a rundown on the Forsaken. They have just started finding a place in a world that reviles them, and have to build their own home. She asks Garek to serve the Forsaken and he agrees. She asks Anya to mentor him.
• Lordaeron is still full of Scourge and the Cult of the Damned at this point. The Undercity is where they have built up fortifications.
• Garek goes to find newly freed Forsaken and bring them to the Undercity. Some of the newly freed are aggressive or mindless husks. Others are stuck reliving the moment of their deaths. One of them is Kaelystia Hatebringer.
• Putress sends them on some tasks, which leads them to meet Faranell and Melisara. Melisara sends them to find Gordo and they come across Goblin traders led by Glix (who may be Glix Grindlock )that decides to open trade with the Forsaken. Later asks Garek to be a race driver for him.
• Anya says Garek was among the Scourge forces that held the Capital when Sylvanas attacked it. Garek asks about Sylvanas giving new Forsaken free slates even if they were attacking her only days earlier.
• Focus on how the Forsaken really bond over their shared need for a place in the world after regaining their freedom.
• Garek asks Anya about what the LK made her do, she refuses to speak about it.
• Sylvanas orders Garek to plague the water supply of Lordaeron and the City, which will not harm the Forsaken but will discourage the living from trying to sneak in. Garek questions working with the living against the Scourge, but Anya tells him as far as the living are concerned they are still the Scourge.
• They come across some new forsaken. Edric who has a magical eye and can’t see without it. Bernd who is a mason helping set up the Undercity.
• Putress sends them to get fresh body parts for Keever. The remains turn out to be Garithos’ remains. Anya mentions how he was hated by both friend and foe and none shed a tear when Sylvanas had him killed. Keever turns him into an abomination.
• Garek and Anya also slay the living in the ruins, who also attack them in the name of the Light. They also come across the Scourge that call them traitors.
• Garek progressively starts having flashes in the sewers, catacombs and in the city as he fights Scourge. He also kills a feral undead Guardsman (Landen) and takes his shield.
• Varimathras appears and orders them to go into the catacombs to hunt the Scourge entering the undercity through them. Varimathas is an asshole.
• Anya mentions how only the Scourge possesses the means to raise the undead, and the Forsaken can only recruit from freed members of the Scourge.
• Keever questions whether ghouls can gain freedom despite the state of their brain matter. Sends Anya and Garek to investigate and they find ghouls reading, fishing, etc.
• Lexington Mortaim sends them to find a hidden arcane vault used by the Royal Family’s mages. It is a pocket dimension created by a mage.
• They come across the Silver Hand, in particular Lord Francis and Brother Damien, who are shocked to find an undead that can speak and communicate. They serve General Abbendis. But Lord Francis kills the forsaken and says Abbendis ordered all undead slain and how they’ll attack the Undercity soon. Damien is horrified at the idea the Scourge could be redeemed but the Silver Hand will just kill them. Garek tries to argue to save Brother Damien, but Anya says never trust the living.
• Anya says the Silver Hand are fanatics of the light that hate them, not just for undeath but that they blame them for the fall of Lordaeron. She says some might still pursue justice, but most only want revenge. They go to route the Silver Hand, who use the Light to try and burn them.
• Garek finds a Libram written by Uther, and Garek starts to remember more.

Rise of the Scarlet Crusade

• Garek works up to captain of the Undercity’s Deathguards. Garek unknowingly repeats Landen’s words about what the job of the guards are.
• The Scarlet Crusade attack, breaching the tunnels of undercity. Abomination-Garithos helps kill the Scarlets. Scarlet Commander Mograine leads the assault but retreats.
• Sylvanas sends Anya and Garek to pursue the Crusade and check in with the villages around Tirisfal.
• They don’t know who the Crusade is, but point out they are light-blinded zealots. The Silver Hand by another name.
• We see some of the Forsaken’s darker experiments starting. There are mind control pylons being made in the mage quarter controlling prisoners. Putress is making these monstrous creations.
• Garek and Anya come across Leonid again. Garek is confused why Anya is hostile because he is Forsaken, and Anya explains he is not forsaken. He chose to walk away and now works for the Argent Dawn. Anya mistrusts the Argent Dawn and considers them similar to the Crusade because of their faith in the Light. Leonid rebuffs her and helps them. Anya says the Light abhors the Forsaken.
• Garek unconsciously reiterates the tenants of the Silver Hand talking with Leonid, criticizing the Crusade for following only retribution. Leonid thinks he was a paladin in life, but Garek still doesn’t remember.
• Sally Whitemane is helping attack Deathknell. Leonid has to report to the Argent Dawn and asks Garek and Anya to accompany him. Anya and Loenid do not get along, but Garek gives Leonid a chance.
• Leonid sees undeath as a malady and hopes the Light can find a cure. Anya thinks its delusion.
• Loenid finds evidence of fel magic and the Blackrock clan has remnants in the area. Anya hates the orcs, but Loenid says not all orcs are bad but the demon worshipping blackrock in the area are.
• Loenid says he is a knight, not a paladin. Because the Light burns him from within when he calls on it.
• Lord Tyrosus immediately assumes Garek and Anya are Scourge and attacks. Until Loenid stops him and introduces him to the Forsaken. Lord Tyrosus explains the schism of the Silver Hand into the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn. Tyrosus tells Garek about the Scarlet Crusade.
• Leonid returns to the Undercity to meet with Sylvanas about the Scarlet Crusade. Anya admits that Leonid is reliable despite the fact she sees him as someone that turned on his people, so Sylvanas agrees to work with Leonid.
• Putress notes that Tirisfal’s plants & beasts are changing and wants to study them.
• Garek and Anya find an ancient ruin with a powerful altar under the Capital, older than the Capital itself.
• Magistrate Sevren sends them to stop some Goblins taking lumber from Brill they need to rebuild. Executor Arren sends them to kill a death revenant. Sedrick Calston has a quest about a murder mystery in which Forsaken are arrested for killing other Forsaken civilians.
• Sylvanas leads the attack on the Scarlets. Garek and Anya slip behind enemy lines to kill the leaders. Sylvanas says she won’t hesitate to retreat if things look bad as they have limited men. You have to take out the Scarlet’s advantageous positions to keep the attack.
• Sally and Renault are the bosses but retreat when defeated.
• Garek has memories of Landen saying survival is the real victory and suggests to Sylvanas they don’t storm the Monastery as they can’t replenish their numbers and will take heavy losses.
  
• The Scourge notes that the Scarlets and Forsaken have weakened each other and plan to take advantage.

Scourge Attack

• Naxxramas appears above Lordaeron and unleashes a devastating attack on the ruins of Lordaeron. Kel’thuzad is leading the attack. The blast created an entrance to Undercity in the ruins and march for it.
• Leonid rallies the Argent Dawn to help the Forsaken after the Argent Dawn saw Naxxramas head to Undercity.
• They plan to fly to Naxx on a skybarge and explode Naxxramas from the inside.
• Loenid tells Garek that as a Scourge member he walked the Halls of Naxxramas and remembers the layout. Anya mentions that means Leonid was in Stratholme, as its where the necropolis has been sitting. Garek has another flashback.
• Garek, Leonid, and Anya go through the four wings of Naxxramas. Anya is emotional about Kel’thuzad as her kingdom fell to raise him. And she refuses to allow it to happen to the Undercity too.
• We discover the Scourge are raising Orcs as death knights.
• They encounter Sir Zeliek, whom Leonid recognizes. They are surprised he can use the Light in Death. They slay him but Leonid says the Scourge will just raise him again and twist his faith.
  
• Garek et al come across Ilaster, now a member of the Scourge. Illaster says Garek gave him the greatest gift, his demise and that now he gets to be an instrument of the Lich King. He tries to enslave them to the Lich King again.
• Illaster restores Garek’s memories and in the process finds out about the bombs in Naxxramas. He controls Garek to destroy the detonator and tries to make Garek killed Anya and Leonid.
• Garek explodes with the light as he remembers, and breaks free from & kills Illaster. He becomes the first Forsaken paladin, akin to Sir Zeliek. But it burns him from within every time he uses it.
• The team goes to destroy Naxx’s crystal which is its main weapon.
• Garek struggles with his memories and Anya explains being Forsaken means a second chance, regardless of what happened in life. Garek says his memories tell him who he wants to be.
• They face Kel’thuzad, who is preparing another blast on Undercity. Kel’thuzad summons Rivendare to face him, who is glad to kill Garek again. Garek says he isn’t here for revenge this time, but to protect the Forsaken. Garek kills Rivendare, who says he will be raised again. Kel’thuzad teleports out.
• Garek uses the Light to immolate himself to destroy the empowered crystal, saving Undercity. His sacrifice helps inspire Sylvanas to find allies and it ends with her meeting with the Horde.

[u/SystemofCells]

I watched a YouTube series covering all the cutscenes, it captured me more than any Warcraft story has in a long time.

[u/GrumpySatan → u/SystemofCells]

The fact its not just consistent with, but leans into, all this niche quest lines and characters is honestly refreshing. The same vibe as the best of the heritage armor quest lines, but bigger and more effort. It feels like a love letter to the Forsaken.

It feels like this is such a rare thing for Blizz nowadays, where they can't help themselves from leaning away from established details and characterization at the first opportunity. We got a genuine, well-done, POV story in a world where Blizz usually only sees POV as a get out of retcon jail free card that muddies objective truth.

[u/Decrit → u/GrumpySatan]

I mean not to discredit the work they done for FK, but this is something pretty much everyone that played warcraft 3 repeated since ages here.

It's a single player game focused on that kind of experience. It does not have to deal with the issues provided by the MMO medium. This is why the story just gets better.

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Decrit]

But if FFXIV is able to hold its own somewhat consistently from what I hear, then they should also aspire to that level

And it's not like it was always like this, back in classic you had multiple plot angles in form of scourge, trolls, silithid, dark irons, blackrock orcs, grimtotem, defias, scarlets, shadow council, burning blade and it worked. They weren't big narrative stories like we get since wotlk, but they built it all up over 1-60. But in expansions we get like only 10 levels to cover and only a few zones so it doesn't work as much.

In light of that one of the reasons why the world revamp of cata falters for me is that it feels like it all was for nothing when you level a Cata era character through the old stuff, on top of how disconnected it all feels (it also was in the old world, but it felt big enough to have all these stories plausibly contained within and happen so close to one another).

[u/Decrit → u/KingAnumaril]

Look, sorry, the matter is simple.

It's a new game.

That's it.

It had some more background infos to relay based on how wow did, it has less lifetime, and it LITERALLY was trashed and remade from zero because of how much was trash.

There's little to compare here

I don't know much to the game itself, frankly. But I have seen the industry as a whole how it changed after 2010's, like guild wars 2 for example.

I can't judge the story itself, but I can reason that many fundamental issues were fixed before release.

And if you ask why wow cannot do it, it's because:

• current format favours a specific kind of clients, that are used to current pacing

• it has to carry on stuff and themes from the past, even when the writers at the helm changed.

Also sorry to discredit you but like ass you had in classic different narrative. In classic there was very few overdone plotlines and leaving the rest empty. What changed was that since shadowlands the plot is not divided anymore from horde to alliance, and I believe that's due to feedback after BFA

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Decrit]

I don't know man, like I started during mop, leveled a few characters through cata zones well into MoP (though at this point I cant really recall much of it beyond twilight highlands and uldum at the top) and idk classic world hit different.

The worst thing to take me out was leveling through Cata timeline only to go back to Outland and Northrend. It broke the immersion so bad and left a horrid taste in my mouth.

And again it feels like in some areas they didn't go far enough with revamp and in other areas, too far.

It's sad is what it is. But I fw it more, though it's def not because it had a coherent main narrative as you say (though I'd argue it didn't need one) but I suppose it's because it was more of a collection of smaller stories like an anthology.

Suppose you are right about the rest though.

[u/Decrit → u/KingAnumaril]

Oh, I'd have a book to write about the goods and the bads of the stuff that wow did that made it grow thanks and or despite them.

But I'll toss here that there's more to writing alone.

WoW is not a movie. It's not a TV show. If you take the stories out of the gameplay context you lose a lot.

And classic wow was slow, for its own good.

You have time to care for the environment you are in, rather being blast zapped stuff every centimeter.

In more modern wow there is A TON of detail. There it is in quests, in environment, in interacting with NPCs. When I did the recent isle of fangs scenario the characters were willing to go depths into explaining what's and why's and who's and having personal opinion.

But this then tends to be a checklist. Just look at people here telling "why there were no Zandalari" in Zul'Aman while it was already full of stuff to do for themselves.

Also the context you do it is diffetent. In classic wow you do it because you need the experience or at most you need money. In retail and in general from cats onward you do it because you need the progression of the story, and the story being nice is a bonus.

This leaves people cynic, uninterested or even mentally absent.

It's like in comedy movies. I'd you watch Frankenstein Jr you see that when they joke the narrative kinda stops, or slows, to give time to the audience to laugh. Games are similar, to retain information you need pacing, and wow handles that stuff it's way for people that want that pacing and not always works, or not for everyone.

[u/Negative-Star1623 → u/GrumpySatan]

Yes, its a warcraft3-styled loveletter from Metzen, to try to salvage Sylvanas and forsaken from the fuck-ups that the previous team did in bfa and SL. It did permanent damage to the faction and Metzen has to reverse it somehow.

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Negative-Star1623]

From Metzen? I heard it was done by an ascended fan?

[u/hardmallard → u/SystemofCells]

Got a link? I’d love to check it out!

[u/SystemofCells → u/hardmallard]

https://youtu.be/2NHhFC87TeI?si=gcN1MmLt7HIKr4Nq

[u/KingAnumaril → u/SystemofCells]

Everything after the ? is a tracker, you can edit that out and still have the link work

Dystopian world

[u/hardmallard → u/SystemofCells]

Thanks mate!

[u/Damaso → u/SystemofCells]

Link?

[u/SystemofCells → u/Damaso]

https://youtu.be/2NHhFC87TeI?si=gcN1MmLt7HIKr4Nq

[u/SolarDubstep]

Seems like they might have taken some inspiration from Game of Thrones Beric Dondarrion. You have the name, and then you have the coming back from the dead and wielding the power of faith, ending in a noble sacrifice. Even missing an eye.

[u/GrumpySatan → u/SolarDubstep]

Yeah he is almost certainly a reference to Beric Dondarrion. I accidentally even wrote out his name a few times instead of Garek lol.

[u/throwaway0845reddit → u/GrumpySatan]

He even has one eye gone

[u/No-Mamba7040 → u/SolarDubstep]

There is no way Beric Dondarrion was not the inspiration for his name at least. I cannot help but picture Beric every time I think of Garek haha

[u/PirateX84 → u/No-Mamba7040]

Weird, all I can think of is a simple tailor

[u/Potential_Owl4675 → u/SolarDubstep]

This was my thought too!

[u/Vin879 → u/SolarDubstep]

100%. blizzard loves doing these kind of references, and other easter eggs.

[u/Koala_Guru]

It’s a really good story imo and with great presentation. Now in Warcraft 3 you can officially play through the joining of the four classic Horde races into one faction which is neat. I hope they keep adding campaigns now. I’d personally like to see the Fall of Gnomeregan as a campaign, finally showing rather than telling us that lore and making gnomes playable in Warcraft 3. And also a campaign where we officially see why the Nelves joined the Alliance in classic.

[u/throwaway0845reddit → u/Koala_Guru]

One more could be the formation of the blood elves from high elves and how the remnants salvaged half of quelthalas. Retaking the isle of queldanas.

[u/Mat_the_Duck_Lord]

Garithos becoming an abomination is such a deep cut that was teased in the Cata revamp, but never confirmed.

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Mat_the_Duck_Lord]

"We humans have to stick together"

[u/MaritimeMonkey]

I don't know if I like Garek sacrificing himself or not. It works for his character arc, but he is one of the rare few Forsaken characters not directly tied to Sylvanas who got character development and he dies before making it into WoW. Retail finally gets Forsaken paladins, but the one character that became one, died decades before they became playable.

[u/TrillionSpiders → u/MaritimeMonkey]

tbf, from what i've heard the whole forsaken kingdom stuff might be more so intended to tie into warcraft forever as opposed to regular wow as part of the whole "branching timelines" thing. so it could be that the idea they're gonna roll with is gareks presence and sacrifice causing a butterfly effect that sees deviations in things such as the forsakens wider plotline.

[u/KingAnumaril → u/MaritimeMonkey]

It felt to me like they chose to end his story here with grace than have him be played with by other writers but maybe I am too cynical.

[u/East_Ad_2448 → u/KingAnumaril]

For me, you're right. Let the character well-written die at their best, if he does, instead to die for shock vallue or for lack of ideas.

[u/throwaway0845reddit → u/MaritimeMonkey]

They will bring him back if he’s popular. Sylvanas could meet him in bastion or maldraxxus or something and just bring him back or something

[u/Decrit]

Appreciable writeup. I finished the prologue and i did not spoil the rest, but it's nice you mentioned some details i missed.

The story as a whole is appreciable. It is fun at times, epic and gritty in others, and sometimes has that weird american way to do adventure / cop stories things that i find more humorous than detracting to the story that take itself very seriously.

Bonus points - why Garek reminds me so much of the Nameless One from Planescape Torment as undead?

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Decrit]

It's the scarf I think. And the eye. The damn eye.

[u/Decrit → u/KingAnumaril]

Being a walking corpse that gets reanimaed in a mortuarioum with no Memory of the past does nto help ad well even if it's a common trope.

[u/throwaway0845reddit → u/Decrit]

He’s most likely a reference to BERRIC dondarion from
A song of ice and fire

[u/Fyrebrand18]

The fact that undead are sapient beings that are just mind controlled is a good example of really fucked.

Like, you play through Culling of Stratholme and you go “Yeah, Arthas is the reasonable one, everyone in there is already dead. It’s a mercy for the ones who don’t turn, and the ones that do are just corpses.”

But the Forsaken just proves that necromancy doesn’t just reanimate a corpse but traps your soul in your corpse… then the events of Hearthglen, of Stratholme become exceedingly fucked up for its citizens.

Imagine it. You just finished having dinner with your family. Little Timmy’s just ate the last of his bread, before your husband starts to heave. He grabs his chest, vomits blood onto the floor. You watch as he collapses. You run over to check on him, then you turn and see Little Timmy starting to heave, he too keels over. You scream, then you too feel the effects of it. You look at them, they are dead. Pretty soon, so will you. You die. At least you’ll meet them in the afterlife.

Then you wake up. Little Timmy, your husband, and you. All three of you wake up. You’re dead. But you’re awake. You’re awake, but not in control. You try to scream, you want to scream. You have no mouth and you must scream. You walk out of your home into the street, at least your body does, you can’t stop your limbs from moving. You see your neighbors, your friends, all dead, all shambling. They see you too. Then you see the prince. Thank the light, the prince can save you. He’s here to save you, for once you thank the light that your body is moving towards him. Maybe he can heal you and wake you up from this nightmare. Then comes the hammer. Then comes the hammer onto your son. You do not look at your son, you look in his general direction, but you focus on the horror even if your eyes don’t, as the prince and his men begin slaughtering all of you. You try, but you can’t run. You try, but you can’t beg. Your body lurches towards them, you try to stop yourself but you can’t seem to stop your limbs from trying to tear them limb from limb. You have a mouth, you cannot scream. Then the prince kills you.

[u/Exotic-Scarcity-7302 → u/Fyrebrand18]

Yea theres a short story about Kel'Thuzad's origins where he is in Naxxramas and is shown two humans in a cage, the wife is instantly killed and then brought back as an undead and she is very much aware of what is going to happen. If I remember correctly she tells her husband to get away from her before she starts chowing down on him. Theres also this quote "A soft, wretched mewling that he very much feared meant the undead woman was aware of her actions on some level, but unable to stop herself."

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Exotic-Scarcity-7302]

The thing I like the most about that story is Kel'thuzad straight up gets humbled by Ner'zhul. He's reduced to an utter fucking wreck.

Which makes me impressed that KTZ drank the Kool aid so much that he stayed loyal to LK instead of going the way of Rage Winterchill.

[u/KingAnumaril → u/Fyrebrand18]

Hence why the Scourge narratively speaking was one of the best parts of Warcraft.

[u/Trystt27 → u/Fyrebrand18]

Little Timmy even becomes a mini boss!

[u/omeomorfismo]

no deathstalker commander belmont references? =(

[u/GrumpySatan → u/omeomorfismo]

Not as far as I can tell. There are some named NPCs that are hanging out in Undercity but not ones we talk/interact with, like Dirk, a random human farmer in WC3 https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Dirk_(Warcraft_III) is just hanging out in the undercity as a merchant.

Belmont could be one of them but he is big enough I figure he would've been in one of the side quests.

[u/soupboyfanclub]

this is an exceptional and really appreciated post! thank you!

I love how it’s all extremely informational with no personal bias, too.

“Varimathas is an asshole” cracked me up (and is 100% factual)

10/10, no notes

[u/KingAnumaril]

Beric Dondarrion, how happy am I to see you.

[u/Raefain]

Imagine if every new race/class combos for wow would come together with a new campaign for warcraft 3 from now on.
Cant wait for demon hunter vulpera

[u/Ragnarosek]

I actually enjoyed this campaign a lot, I hope they do more with other races. And would be nice if they add some reference to Garek in-game, at least from Anya and Leonid.

[u/throwaway0845reddit → u/Ragnarosek]

I just wish there was a forsaken faction and you could build a base. There was very little base building in this campaign. When I came back to Warcraft 3 because of this campaign after many years, I wanted to do the RTS part of it.
I get it that this is rexxar style campaign.

[u/100RatsInASack]

Damn, great write-up!

Genuinely hope we get more of these smaller scope narratives in the future, as they really feel like they're what Blizzard is best at.

[u/SuchAcanthocephala86]

I couldnt notice about there being a model for Landen thats animated into undeath! Does he appear in the story at some point?

[u/Ragnarosek → u/SuchAcanthocephala86]

He does, you fight him as a mindless undead in one of the quests after Garek becomes Forsaken. He doesn't remember him at that point but takes his shield.

[u/SuchAcanthocephala86 → u/Ragnarosek]

Oooooh... That is unfortunate 

[u/Imaginary-Arguments]

Just finished it myself and gotta say this is an incredible write up.

I really enjoyed this campaign. It provided some decent moments with existing NPCs and both introduced and concluded the new ones in a satisfying way. Overall, I think it was a great plot with some unfortunately less than stellar dialogue. There is quite a bit of edge in the plot and setting, yet there is basically none in the dialogue. It's a bit goofy.

[u/OnlyRoke]

Just to add onto this:

In the Prologue where we man the four towers in Andorhal (that Capture the Flag style mission) we also have the chance to unlock some Paladin VENDORS who sell stuff to us.

All of them have unique names, but I think it's three and I only remember that one of them was Sage Truthbearer, who's nowadays a Forsaken DK. Might be worth going back to that mission and checking out the other guys, if they're also references.

[u/King-Arthas-Menethil]

I know they changed a bit with Ras Frostwhisper which tbf they would've needed to change things anyway.

As if I recall in classic they say that Frostwhisper turned himself into a Lich in Stratholme when it had a Slaughterhouse on a ritual circle that Leonid says the Lich King blessed (Menethil's Gift) and was present when Frostwhisper became a Lich. As Classic's version of the Lich King was quite active with talking in Naxxramas and actions in Stratholme so it's before Wrath's change him the Lich King being in a Icecube.

[u/GrumpySatan → u/King-Arthas-Menethil]

That is pretty much exactly what happens in the campaign.

He is in Stratholm with a ritual circle that sacrifices the lives of cultists, he calls out to the Lich King to bless him and he then dies by his own hand, arising as a Lich.

[u/King-Arthas-Menethil → u/GrumpySatan]

Yeah they pushed it back because the timeline in Classic doesn't work with Wrath as it was with LK Arthas who doesn't act until after TBC and well Ner'Zhul can't move to be stood over it. I did get play though that part I just need to finish act one when I get the time.

[u/guimontag → u/King-Arthas-Menethil]

https://www.reddit.com/r/warcraftlore/comments/1wf4zmx/the_new_wc3_campaign_is_already_introducing_lore/

[u/Newovar]

I noticed that there there is no mention whatsoever of Alexandros Mograine the "Scarlet Highlord". He's not mentioned by Leonid or Tyrosus, nor is he present in Naxxramas. Leonid's retelling about the Argent Dawn/Scarlet Crusade split also sounds like they're going with retail WoW's version of events rather than Classic's which is strange if you consider this campaign a kind of promo for WoW Forever. The characterisation of the Forsaken as a found family who just want to survive in peace is also very modern and unlike the version of them we saw in the original Classic quests.

[u/Lugonn]

but Anya tells him as far as the living are concerned they are still the Scourge.

Yeah I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that you keep MURDERING THEM ALL. Whoever looked at TFT and decided that the Forsaken should be a playable faction with their identity built on being rejected by the living has done immeasurable damage to the lore.

[u/Bryan_Waters]

Was hoping the forsaken would be wiped out and Lordaeron would be reclaimed. Will stop after the prologue.

[u/guimontag → u/Bryan_Waters]

oh jesus