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　　Recently we looked at arguments for making Northrend into a game board for Hearthstone. Not only would the board have a very unique aesthetic, it is also a place that has great relevance in the history of the Warcraft universe. We also touched upon some races that could form the basis for some interesting cards. This got me thinking further about what races and characters could be used to make up more cards alongside the Northrend game board. We’ll start with the cards everybody hopes for when opening a new pack, the legendaries. Who are the picks and why do they deserve this status?

　　Arthas: The Lich King

　　Artist: Wei WangThis is an absolute no brainer, if Arthas is not made into a hero, then he should clearly be a legendary. Not only has Arthas been one of Warcraft’s most prolific villains, he is also the only villain to have an entire Warcraft expansion named after him. Arthas’ story sees one of Azeroth’s most well intentioned and noble heroes turn into a twisted reflection of what he once was. He started as the prince of Lorderon, one of the most powerful Kingdoms in the alliance, ruled over by the great King Terenas. Arthas became a paladin under the turtorlidge of Uther Lightbringer, head of the Silver Hand paladin order.

　　Not long after Arthas’ introduction into the Silver Hand a plague spread across the kindom (through infected grain), turning once healthy citizens into ravenous undead coarpses. Arthas was desperate to save his people from this blight by any means necessary. A Dreadlord named Mal’Ganis taunted Arthas, proclaiming to be the leader of the undead Scourge. Driven by his rage and a will to bring Mal’Ganis to justice, Arthas tracked him down to the city of Stratholm with Uther and Jaina intoe. Arthas immediately noticed the citizens had become infected, seeing no alternative, he ordered that the city must be purged. Uther and Jaina could not follow this order and denied to follow as they thought there must be an alternative. Arthas’ decision to purge Stratholm broke both Uther’s and Jaina’s heart. Uther had seen his proteget transform from one of the greatest patrons of the holy light into a man transfixed on vengeance. Jaina, was Arthas’ lover and could not watch him kill so many.

　　Stratholm was purged but Mal’Ganis escaped to Northrend. Arthas’ vengeance would not be denied so tracked Mal’ganis to the frozen land. Here he discovered Frostmourne a cursed blade with incredible power and defeated Mal’Ganis. But the scourge’s true leader, the Lich King spoke to Arthas through Frostmourne and drove the young prince further into madness. Arthas returned home and committed terrible evils: He slew his father, killed Uther, burned down the elven kingdom of Quel’Thalas and became the ruler of a kingdom of undeath.

　　Arthas would later have to abandon his new kingdom to protect his master in Northrend from Illidan Stormrage. Arthas was victorious and since the Lich King was losing his power Arthas merged with him and became one of the most feared entities in Azeroth, commanding the remnants of the undead scourge in the Eastern Kingdoms and the bulk of his army in Northrend. He would later launch attacks on the two main capitol cities of both Horde and Alliance. This drove both factions to launch assaults on the Lich King’s home territory, which after a long struggle ended with the kings defeat. However it was revieled that the good piece of Arthas that remained was the only thing holding back the undead scourge from running rampant across the world. There must always be a Lich King to control the scourge. This mantle was taken up by Bolvar Fordragon. To this day he sits on the frozen throne, keeping the scourge in check.

　　Kel’Thuzad

　　Artist: Chris RobinsonKel’Tuzad is perhaps best known as the Lich Kings right-hand, serving his master with a fierce, almost admirable loyalty. Kel’Thuzad was a human mage of the Kirin Tor and became a member of the council of Six, the ruling council. He became known as somewhat of a maverick as he was insistent on studying the forbidden arts of necromancy. Kel’Thuzad was a powerful individual and when the mental summons of the Lich King extended across the land. Kel’Thuzad communed with the lich king to learn all he could about the dark arts, to unlock the power he believed they held. The Kirin Tor’s leader, Antonidas, soon learnt of Kel’Thuzad’s dark experimentation. Antonidas reprimanded Kel’Thuzad, threatening his rank and destroying his artifacts with the taint of dark magic. This only prompted Kel’Thuzad to leave Dalaran and his political title behind.

　　He traveled to Northrend and saw firsthand the power of the Lich King. He made his way to the Lich King's throne, being let past by the hordes of dead soldiers. The Lich King tasked Kel’Thuzad with creating the Cult of the Damned, which would spread a plague of undeath through Loderon. In return Kel’Thuzad would be given immortality and great power.

　　Kel’Thuzad gathered many followers and as a result was able to spread the curse over Loderon with great success but was discovered by Arthas and Jaina Proudmoore. Arthas, enraged by what Kel’Thuzad had done to his people, hunted him down and slew him. Before dying Kel’Thuzad proclaimed his death would mean little in the long run.

　　Kel’Thuzad was right, as later Arthas became the first of the Lich King’s Death Knights. One of Arthas’ first missions as the Lich King’s Champion was to revive Kel’Thuzad. Arthas reclaimed the necromancer’s body and with guidance from Kel’Thuzad’s spirit destroyed the Elven kingdom of Quel’Thalas. Using the elves’ font of power, the Sunwell, Kel’Thuzad was brought back to life as a Lich. Kel’Thuzad revealed the scourge was only the harbinger of the Burning Legion's second attack on Azeroth and it was he who would summon Archimond, the leader of the Burning Legion’s armies, to Azeroth. With Archimond’s arrival, command of the scourge was stripped from the Lich King and given to the Dreadlords, demons more fiercely loyal to the legion. Kel’Thuzard had been informed by his master that this would happen. Arthas departed for Kalimdor while Kel’Thuzad and Sylvanas Windrunner (an addition to the scourge during the assault on Quel’Thalas) were left behind in Loderon with the dreadlords. The legion was defeated and Arthas returned to chase away the Dreadlords to Kel’Thuzad’s relief.

　　Not long after Arthas’ return, the Lich Kings power began to leave him. This meant some scourge went rogue, including Sylvanas who very nearly, if not for Kel’Thuzad, would have killed Arthas. Arthas went to aid his master leaving Kel’Thuzad to command the armies of the scourge in Lorderon. Kel’Thuzad was eventually defeated by the Argent Dawn, as the end game boss of the first World of Warcraft but was not killed. In order to kill Kel’Thuzad his phylactery must be destroyed. This meant Kel’Thuzad was able to rise again to protect his master in Northrend where he was again defeated... but not killed. Will he later return in World of Warcraft as an ally under the command of Bolvar? Either way, I hope so, as Kel'Thuzad is easily in my top five Warcraft characters, they way he is written makes him come across as not only loyal, but the only friend Arthas has in the scourge. It's oddly beautiful, in a kill all humanity kind of way.

　　Anub’arak

　　Artist: Wei WangAnub’arak was mentioned as a legendary contender in the last article and here’s why. Anub’arak was the last king of Azjol’nerub but he and many of his subjects were slaughtered by the Lich King’s armies and raised as unwilling undead subjects. Anub’arak, now a crypt lord, was tasked with clearing out any resistance to the Lich King in Northrend and ended up with the title of the Traitor King.

　　When Arthas came to Northrend to protect his master Anub’arak was there to greet him, saving the weakened Arthas from a blood elf attack. Anub’arak had devised a plan that would help Arthas reach his master as quickly as possible. They defeated the Blue Dragon Sapphiron, equipping themselves with the dragon’s powerful horded artifacts and ventured into Anub’arak’s old kingdom. The path through Azjol-Nerub would mean that Arthas and his forces were able to reach the frozen throne quickly without having to force their way through the expansive Blood elf and Naga forces that Illidan Stormrage had brought with him to attack the Lich King. The journey through Azjol-Nerub was perilous, Arthas and Anub’arak needed to fight their way through creatures known as the faceless ones (the faceless manipulator depicts one of these abominations) and defeated a powerful creature known as a forgotten one. The two champions of the Lich King pushed through Azjol-Nerub and engaged Illidan’s forces in battle. To gain access to the Frozen throne, Arthas needed to activate four obelisks. As he did so, he was defenseless and needed Anub’araks protection. Arthas was successful and Anub’arak stood by as Arthas ascended the Frozen throne to become the Lich King.

　　Anub’arak would later become a dungeon and raid boss in World of Warcraft, dying once in his kingdom of Azjol-Nerub and again after being reanimated to disrupt the plans of Tirion Fordring. It was rumoured Anub’arak would be a character that players could interact with, much to my disappointment this never came to fruition, as I love this character and feel his raid encounter was very much a token send off.

　　King Ymiron

　　Artist: Boros- SzikszaiThis character does not have too much input into the Warcraft universe but serves as a good legendary to represent the half- giant Vrykul. Humans actually evolved from Vrykul and King Yimiron was the ruler of his people. When the king felt they had been abandoned by their gods, the Titans that shaped Azeroth, he pledged to protect the Vrykul race. To do this he proclaimed all children that were not normal should be purged to preserve racial purity. This lead to many Vrykul hiding their children to escape this purge, some of which are later thought to have become the human race.

　　King Yimiron would later enter into a deep sleep and fade into obscurity, his Dragoflayer clan still staying loyal to him. Yimiron would later awake to find his wife murdered by the alliance and horde. He pledged himself to the Lich King and vowed through undeath he would enact vengeance on those that had murdered his beloved. In World of Warcraft Yimiron became the final boss of the Utguard Pinnacle instance.

　　Darion Mograine

　　Artist: Alex HorleyThe leader of the Ebon Blade, a faction of friendly Deathknights with soldiers in the alliance and Horde, Darion Mograine is a great legendary choice. He is the son of Alexandros Mograine, the first wielder of Ashbringer, which the Paladin players out there should be familiar with. On his birth, Darion was stillborn, but thanks to the quick actions of his father was brought into the world. Alexandros was able to save the life of his son but sadly his wife passed during the birth. After his father's death at the hands of his brother, Renault, Darion became a member of the Argent Dawn. This organisation was less extreme than the Scarlet Crusade who also battled the scourge. The Argent Dawn allowed all races into their faction rather than only allowing humans.

　　After an ill fated attack on Naxxramas, which saw all except Darion in his party die, he was able to reclaim the powerful Ashbringer. It had ended up in the scourge’s clutches after his father’s death. His father spoke to Darion through the sword and he took it to the scarlet monastery, the home base of the Scarlet Crusade. Darion took the sword to his brother Renault. Alexandros appeared from the sword and decapitated his treacherous son. Darion realised the sword had been corrupted and sought to free his father’s soul. Seeking an answer to how to achieve this, Darion sought out Tirion Fordring who said, only an act of love greater than the act of evil that corrupted Ashbringer could save Alexandros’ soul.

　　Darion returned to the Argent Dawn’s base camp, Light’s Hope Chapel, to find it about to be attacked by the scourge. The scourge knew of the great Alliance heroes buried underneath Light’s Hope chapel and wished to raise them for their army. During the attack, Darion plunged Ashbringer into his body in an attempt to save his father’s soul. The souls of a thousand vengeful knights saw this sacrifice, purged the undead and rescued his father’s soul. Darion had however sacrificed is soul and become a Death Knight in the Lich King's army. He would later break free from the Lich King’s control with the help of Tirion Fordring and aid in defeating the King.

　　There are plenty more characters that could qualify for legendary status, the five I've chosen here are great contenders and also have a nice variation to them. What would your top five Northrend themed legendaries be?