1st Legion
 1st Legion | |
|---|---|
 The 1st Legion in Death Knight. | |
| Main leader |
 Prince Arthas Menethil |
| Secondary leaders |
 Captain Falric † Captain Valonforth Captain Marwyn † |
| Race(s) |
 Human  High elf  Dwarf |
| Base of operations | First Legion Forward Camp, Forgotten Shore |
| Theater of operations | Northrend |
| Affiliation | Kingdom of Lordaeron, Alliance of Lordaeron |
| Status | Annihilated by Arthas, survivors formed Valgarde. |
The 1st Legion,[1] also referred to as the Expeditionary Forces[2] and the Doomed Expedition,[3] was the name of the Alliance military forces who accompanied Prince Arthas in his quest to Northrend to destroy the nathrezim Mal'Ganis. They were ultimately betrayed and slain by Arthas before being raised as undead.[4] Some of their ghosts are still haunting their original landing zone at the Forgotten Shore known simply as the Forgotten.[5] The souls of yet more members were once trapped in Frostmourne.[6]
History
Third War
After the Culling of Stratholme in 20 ADP, Prince Arthas Menethil led the Expeditionary Forces to Northrend, in order to combat the Scourge and slay the dreadlord Mal'Ganis. On the frozen continent, they met up with Muradin Bronzebeard and the Dwarven Expedition, uniting with one another against the undead.[7] After Uther the Lightbringer had persuaded him, King Terenas Menethil II sent his emissary to meet the 1st Legion, ordering their return to Lordaeron. Having no other choice but to obey, Captain Luc Valonforth ordered his men to cut their way through the woods in order to reach the ships and avoid the undead. Upon learning of the king's orders, and knowing that he needed his men at his side to defeat Mal'Ganis, Arthas and a reluctant Muradin ventured forth to burn the ships after hiring mercenaries. When they discovered that the Lordaeron Fleet had been burned, Prince Arthas quickly blamed the mercenaries and ordered their execution.[2]
The Expeditionary Forces later fought against the Scourge while Arthas and Muradin retrieved the runeblade Frostmourne. The prince of Lordaeron eventually returned with the sword, but at the cost of Muradin's life, and then destroyed the dreadlord.[8] After their victory, Arthas, along with Frostmourne, disappeared into the frozen wastes, leaving the soldiers stranded in Northrend; during that wait, food was scarce, and the cold was fierce. In the midst of that, the dwarf Baelgun Flamebeard took command of the original expedition of Muradin's dwarves and they parted ways with the 1st Legion and subsequently venturing into the broken kingdom of Azjol-Nerub.[9]
At some point, Captain Falric went to find Arthas but did not return; he was, in fact, slaughtered and raised into a death knight by the mad prince. Afterward, Falric slaughtered Thassarian,[10] while Arthas wiped out the majority of the Expeditionary Forces. Apparently continuing without their leader, the remaining soldiers made their way to Icecrown, where they were nearly all slaughtered by the corrupted prince. Only two soldiers managed to escape: Orik Trueheart[11] and William Allerton.[10]
Afterward, Valgarde became the first home of the lucky few who survived Arthas' betrayal.[12]
Wrath of the Lich King
During the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, Orik Trueheart and William Allerton traveled once more to Northrend, respectively as part of the Argent Crusade and Valiance Expedition. The dwarf returned to the haunted Forgotten Shore of Dragonblight, where he enlisted the adventurers to free the First Legion's souls from their torment. These souls did not seem to know of Arthas' betrayal.[5]
In the Halls of Reflection of Icecrown Citadel, the heroes had to face the ghosts of members of the 1st Legion.
Members
In the RPG
Oni'jus was one of Prince Arthas' infiltrators before the Third War.[13]
Notes and trivia
- Some undead models were changed in China due to not being allowed to show bones. Interestingly, the Bone Guards and Risen Soldiers were given the models of Forsaken wearing the tabard of Lordaeron instead, indicating that they may have been previous members of the 1st Legion.
- In Warcraft III: Reforged, instead of using the name of Expeditionary Forces, Arthas's forces use the name of First Legion.
Gallery
The 1st Legion are ordered back to Lordaeron by the king's emissary.
The Expeditionary Forces hacking their way through the woods in Warcraft III.
Arthas ordering his men to kill the mercenaries in Warcraft III.
Arthas slaughtering and raising his own men.
Arthas raising the massacred 1st Legion soldiers, as depicted in the TCG.
Videos
See also
References
- ^ First Legion Forward Camp
- ^ a b Dissension (WC3 Human)
- ^
[10-80] Lorewalking: The Prince Who Would Be King
- ^
[25-30] Army of the Damned
- ^ a b
[15-30] The Truth Shall Set Us Free
- ^ Halls of Reflection events
- ^ The Shores of Northrend (WC3 Human)
- ^ Frostmourne (WC3 Human)
- ^ Into the Shadow Web Caverns (WC3 Undead)
- ^ a b Death Knight
- ^ [15-30] The Forgotten Tale
- ^ Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 18
- ^ Lands of Conflict, pg. 163, 165