Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider

Kael’thas is the last in a long line of Sunstrider kings. He is an extremely powerful mage who sat on the senior council of the Kirin Tor in Dalaran, where he spent most of his time. Although he has not been officially declared a king, Kael’thas sees himself as the king of the blood elves. He is also referred to as “Lord” Kael’thas.

The Third War - Kael’thas by chance runs into Maiev Shadowsong and Tyrande Whisperwind, who are pursuing Illidan Stormrage. This group, along with Malfurion, begin an arduous trek to find Illidan. They track Illidan to Dalaran where he is found to be performing a ritual spell with the Eye of Sargeras to destroy Northrend. Kael’thas and his team go to Northrend where they find Illidan and Arthas in an epic struggle to reach the Frozen Throne first. Whoever can activate all four obelisks will be the new Lich King. Illidan and Arthas engage in mortal combat for the throne, but even with the aid of Kael’thas and his allies, Arthas is found to be the stronger match. And so starts the rein of the Lich King.

On a lighter note, during the time that Kael’thas was in Dalaran, he spent time at the Violet Citadel where he met Lady Jaina Proudmoore. She was a young apprentice mage that held great promise. Kael’thas found himself drawn to this beautiful young woman although there was a great gap in their ages. He finally gives in to his heart rather than his head and attempts to court Jaina. Although filled with respect for this regal mage, Jaina’s heart was already given to another, Arthas Menethil. This relationship, however, did not last. Jaina and Arthas fell apart, but still held a deep respect and quiet love for each other. This was a cause of great anguish for Kael’thas. Although he remained friends with Jaina, he harbored a deep-seeded hatred for Arthas.

I have read where this story will be told in an upcoming book, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King. Can’t wait to read it! It comes out in April 2009.

History of the Blood Elves

 

Please forgive my lack of posting over the holidays. Between family visits and trying to marathon level my fire mage Barbieque, I have neglected my blogging. To rectify the situation, I would like to dealve into the past of the Blood Elf. There was a very interesting conversation in general chat the other day concerning Blood Elf history so I decided to get to the bottom of it. There are no books covering the Blood Elf lore that I am aware of. Hopefully, that will change in the future.

Blood elves owe their history to the exiled high elves ( night elves eh?) led by Dath'Remar Sunstrider, whose surname means "he who walks by day". Although they no longer had the power of the well of eternity, one vial of the precious water was stolen. With this they created a fountain that was to be called the Sunwell, which was located around Quel'Thalas. Through strife and conflict, the blood elves established Silvermoon. In establishing Quel'Thalas, the Amani Trolls had to be usurped, which led to the Troll Wars. In order to defeat the trolls, the current king of Quel'Thalas, Anasterian Sunstrider, formed an alliance with Arathor. With the aid of the humans from Arathor, the trolls were defeated.

During the Second War, the blood elves had a minor roll and found themselves at odds with their human allies. They eventually broke all ties with humans and dwarfs alike.

The Third War ushers in Arthas Menethil, who practically destroyed Quel'Thalas, with the aid of the Scourge. This is where the Forsaken gained their Queen Sylvanas Windrunner, who was killed by Arthas but was raised to undeath to aid Arthas. There was also a blood elf traitor, Dar'Khan Drathir, who aided Arthas in his quest. When the war was over, Lor'themar Theron assumed temporary leadership of the high elves. The true leader would be Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider.

The high elves found themselves addicted to the arcane magic of the Sunwell, which eventually changed their race to what they are today. Prince Kael'thas decided to salvage what high elves were left and renamed them the sin'dorei (blood elf).

Tomorrow, tune in for the story of Prince Kael'thas, and find out who that avatar is in the Sunwell!

A Christmas Treat to All my WoW Mates!

If you have never heard "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", on the widget above, go to music, scroll down to the title and click on the small play button. You wont be sorry. There is also a Casting Crowns video of the song that is very good, but the sound quality on the music tab is awesome. The widget is at the bottom of the page.

This widget is for free distribution to anyone who wants it on their site. Just click on the "grab it" at the top right and copy. It is also found at Casting Crowns' official website, http://www.castingcrowns.com

Click and enjoy!

World of Warcraft Lore – Installment #2

Ever wonder how Illidan became who he is? That story is told in WarCraft, War of the Ancients, The Well of Eternity. This is book one of a set of three which follows the path of night elf twins, Malfurion and Illidan. Malfurion chooses a spiritual path. He is taught the ways of the emerald dream from the demigod Cenarius and becomes the first night elf druid. His twin brother, Illidan, chooses the way of a warrior and becomes high in command of the night elf elite. These two night elves, although brothers, go down a very separate path which leads to destruction and battles between the two. Tyrande Whisperwind is the third element of this group, who has grown up with the twins. She soon develops into one of the leading priests of Elune, but also finds herself having to choose between Malfurion and Illidan.

This trio embarks on an epic journey to battle the forces of Sargeras, who is determined to claim the tremendous power of the well of eternity for himself. When you are in game, look at your map of the continents. In the center, you will see a huge swirling mass. This is where the well of eternity used to be. They also team up with Krasus, Rhonin, and the dragon aspects against Sargeras and his minions. Illidan finds himself torn between his brother’s dreams and the prospect of having the power of Sargeras. This story ends with Illidan tormented and torn between these two paths.

Another hero mentioned in this book is Brox, an elderly orc warrior who is a hero from the last war. He is summoned by Thrall for a mission that puts him in league with Rhonin, Krasus, Malfurion and the rest. Brox is the epitome of a seasoned orc warrior who is afraid of nothing. I find it kind of strange that Blizzard has not used him in game. I have not been able to find him anywhere.

This book is also written by Richard A. Knaak, an excellent read.

 

World of Warcraft Lore

I have a passion for books, and when I started on the road of this WoW addiction, one of the first things I did was buy some of the books written about the World of Warcraft lore. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the books are very good! They are an in depth look at many of the characters we find ourselves pitted against or working for while playing the game. The first thing I did when I finally got to Dalaran was to look up Rhonin! His history is truly amazing, and after reading all about his life I just had to visit him “in person”.

The knowledge of the background of these characters greatly enhances game play for me. So, instead of adding to the many blogs of gear, specs, and raiding, I would like to take you on a journey into the realms of the past....


WarCraft, Day of the Dragon Book One

This story begins in the great nation of Dalaran, home of the Kirin Tor. The greatest and most powerful wizards in Azeroth are found here. At the moment, the senior council is in session in response to some rumors that have them concerned. It seems that something is amiss in Kaz Modan. It appears that two red dragons have met their deaths, and the manner of their demise leads to the suspicion that only one could have been responsible, and that one is Deathwing. This mighty black dragon turned on the other four dragonflights. He became like no other dragon with scales made of plates from adamantium that hides a raging fire within. Deathwing vowed to destroy all the other dragon flights, with the red flight being the first on his list. The red dragons are led by Alexstrasza, the queen of the red dragon flight who has endless compassion for all living things and has been known as the Life-Binder. Alexstrasza finds herself a captive prisoner at this current time, held by the Dragonmaw clan.

While not totally convinced that Deathwing is back, the wizards of Kirin Tor decide to send someone to observe Kaz Modan and the surrounding areas to confirm anything out of the ordinary. It is decided that Rhonin, the renegade of the bunch, be sent on this mission. Rhonin is a young maverick mage with a sorted past that the senior council has about given up on. With his fiery red hair and brilliant green eyes, Rhonin is a handsome spellcaster even if he does have a crooked nose from being broken in the past.

Rhonin sets out on his mission, accompanied by a night elf ranger, Vereesa Windrunner, who is assigned the task of Rhonin’s safe passage to his destination. They are later joined by Krasus, an old wizard with a very unusual past who has a very interesting relationship with the red dragon queen Alexstrasza. Together they travel through time and history to confront and battle Deathwing, the most notorious and strongest dragon alive.

My synopsis does not give away plots in the book, but gives you a look at some of the characters who we are now seeing in Wrath of the Lich King. The book was written by Richard A. Knaak, one of the many writers of the Warcraft books. Although all of the books are very good, this writer is my favorite.

Fishing - Is It Worth It?

 

I say absolutely! I’m sure many think fishing is very boring and tedious. While cooking and other professions can be done in conjunction with other aspects of the game, fishing is a dedication.. But the payback is worth it. I went fishing in Lake Kum’uya in Borean Tundra and caught 60 mussleback sculpin in about thirty minutes from the ample supply of schools they have there. If you are fishing alone, it is almost impossible to outfish the schools with the number there and respawn rate. I headed back to Dalaran and grilled me up some sculpin that gives you 60 attack power and 40 stamina for an hour. Not bad to stack with other buffs. Of course, you can get close with the mammoth meal, but hey, I love to fish!

And don’t throw those bonescale fish away! You can use grilled bonefish to replenish your health/mana without losing any previous buffs from eating.

Another must is to do the daily cooking quests from Awilo Lon’gomba (horde) in the Filthy Animal. (Where does Blizz get all these names!). You will receive a cooking award that can be exchanged for better recipies.

 

Drown some wyrms and make Nat proud!