Cult of the Damned

Cult of the Damned
Main leader	Unknown
Formerly	Kel'Thuzad Mal'Ganis
Secondary leaders	Darkmaster Gandling  Baron Rivendare
Formerly	Ras Frostwhisper † Lady Deathwhisper † Dar'Khan Drathir †
Race(s)	Human Undead Orc  High elf Gnome  Dwarf  Night elf  Draenei  Blood elf
Character classes	Necromancer, Acolyte, Alchemist, Apothecary, Assassin, Bombardier, Engineer, Infiltrator, Mad scientist, Mage, Necrolord, Necrolyte, Plaguebringer, Priest, Rogue, Shadowmage, Summoner
Capital	Mord'rethar
Formerly	Icecrown Citadel, Scholomance
Other major settlements	Aldur'thar, Scholomance
Formerly	Andorhal, Stratholme, Deatholme, Naxxramas
Theater of operations	Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend, Kalimdor
Language(s)	Common, Language of death, Various other languages
Sub-group(s)	Thuzadin
Affiliation	Independent
Formerly	Mawsworn, Scourge
Status	Crippled

The Cult of the Damned is an organization made of living beings who served the Lich King. It was formed years prior to the Third War, as the predecessor and creator of the Scourge officially being loyal to the Burning Legion, and establishing its foothold on Lordaeron. The Lich King Ner'zhul, trapped in his prison-throne, reached out telepathically any dark soul lusted for power that would hear his call - most notably the then-Archmage Kel'Thuzad who would become an Archlich and the creator and leader of the Cult of the Damned. The cult is notorious for concocting grandiose plans that in the end, rarely succeed.

While the cultists aspire to become undead, they remain alive because undeath is considered an honor one must earn, and because living beings are useful to the Lich King for their ability to spy in living Horde or Alliance settlements, and recruit powerful individuals from among the living, either into the Cult or the Scourge. The Cult ranks consists mostly of humans, but orcs, high elves, and other races are also present.

Following the rise of Bolvar Fordragon as the new Lich King, and his proclamation as "Jailor of the Damned", the Cult of the Damned have been seen leading the various remaining Scourge posts in Azeroth. As Fordragon's ability to contain the Scourge was limited to Northrend, the heroes of Azeroth had the responsibility to defeat the rest of the Scourge still beyond that continent.

After the destruction of the Helm of Domination and the fall of Bolvar as the Lich King, the Cult of the Damned re-emerged through Azeroth, answering the call of the Jailer's herald who preached that soon the "Banished One" will claim the soul of Azeroth and that all will serve him.

History

Formation of the cult

Main article: Kel'Thuzad and the Forming of the Scourge

Kel'Thuzad, founder of the Cult of the Damned.

After the Lich King Ner'zhul defeated Azjol-Nerub in the War of the Spider, and gained control of Northrend, he turned his attention south, to Kil'jaeden's chosen targets: Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. Though he was trapped bodiless and confined to the Frozen Throne, he could reach out telepathically across great distances to those seeking power and knowledge of necromancy - his first minions, and the beginnings of the Cult of the Damned.

Chief among the men and women who heard the Lich King's call was Kel'Thuzad, archmage of Dalaran. Forsaking his position as a senior member of the Kirin Tor, Dalaran's ruling council, Kel'Thuzad traveled alone to Northrend. The vast nerubian ruins left decimated by the War of the Spider confirmed his desire to ally with the Lich King. His arrival was expected, and he offered his soul to Ner'zhul. In exchange for loyalty and obedience, Kel'Thuzad was promised immortality and power, but he remained a mortal human for his appointed task: the organization of the Cult of the Damned, which would set the stage for the Scourge's conquest of Lordaeron. The Archmagus was old, but still very charismatic, a useful trait for amassing more and more of Lordaeron's easily-swayed citizens under the shadow of the Lich King.

For three years, Kel'Thuzad worked, preaching his new religion to the masses, promising them immortality and an ideal society free of all the burdens the existing one forced upon its citizenry. Many of Lordaeron's overworked laborers and disenfranchised masses were taken in by this charismatic individual and willingly sold themselves into service to the Lich King. Kel'Thuzad also used his fortunes and offers of great powers and immortality to attract and convince nobles and landowners to join his cause, bringing them into the Cult through the promise of using the lower classes to defeat their rivals and obtain even more wealth. Some of the earliest known members of the Cult of the Damned include Baron Rivendare, Bronjahm, Maleki the Pallid, Diodor the Damned, and Ras Frostwhisper. Eventually, many of Lordaeron's northern towns were completely under the control of the Cult of the Damned, and it became time for the Lich King to act.

Scourging of Lordaeron

The Cult rallied by Arthas and Tichondrius.

As the Third War started in 20 ADP, the cultists began openly operating alongside Scourge forces, led by their master Kel'Thuzad, distributing plagued grain throughout northern Lordaeron. They were eventually scattered by the vengeful Arthas Menethil and went back into hiding.

In the days since Prince Arthas took the fleet to Northrend, the Scourge continued to grow, taking villages and its turned inhabitants, with help from Baron Rivendare and his corrupted food supplies. Plague cauldrons, artifacts which would spread the blight plague over wide areas, were created and placed by the Cult of the Damned in the cities they controlled, beginning in the northernmost reaches of the kingdom of Lordaeron. The plague spread quickly, wiping out the towns' populations and raising them as Scourge.

When the prince of Lordaeron became corrupted by Frostmourne and changed his allegiances, Tichondrius ordered him to rally the Cult once more. The death knight began his work in Vandermar Village, where many hidden acolytes lived, though they eventually fell under suspicion of the local town guard. Arthas gathered the cultists and saved those in danger, destroying the village in the process. The acolytes began serving Arthas and openly acting once more.

After the Third War

When Arthas shattered the Lich King's prison and took on the Helm of Domination and the spirit of Ner'zhul, the cult continued to serve him in the years to come.

At some point, the Scourge attempted to gain control of the Scarlet Monastery, headquarters of the Scarlet Crusade, in a series of large battles known as the Summertide Assaults. Led by the powerful necromancer Diodor the Damned, the undead launched two successful attacks against the zealots, although the Monastery itself was not captured. In the third and final battle, however, Scarlet operatives succeeded in grasping Diodor's strategy, killed him in the process, and repelled the undead from the vicinity.

World of Warcraft

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

A typical cultist in World of Warcraft.

By the Year 25 ADP, the Cult was still active, secretly present in nearly every city of the Alliance and Horde.

As the only living in Naxxramas, Grand Widow Faerlina was likely a high-ranked member of the cult; other members included Maleki the Pallid in Stratholme.

Season of Discovery

The subject of this section is unique to the World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery.

During Season of Discovery, the Cult was actively trying to recruit through its hidden agents. Ada Gelhardt, a Knight of the Silver Hand, was tempted to join the Damned for more power.

Wrath of the Lich King

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

During the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, the Cult of the Damned made a strong comeback and managed to infect many villages with the Plague of Undeath, including the Magmothran magnataur in Borean Tundra, the Alliance town of Farshire, and the Horde farms north of Warsong Hold, and have infiltrated both factions' main strongholds within Borean Tundra.

In Sholazar Basin, they attacked and destroyed the Lifeblood Pillar, thus granting the undead access to the Basin. They later tried to destroy the Glimmering Pillar, but they were stopped by the Avatar of Freya and adventurers before they could do permanent damage. Using The Etymidian, one of the most destructive forces ever created by the titans, the heroes destroyed thousands of undead and their overlords.

Within Icecrown, cultists were found training and practicing their dark arts upon a gigantic series of gates built to fortify Icecrown Citadel: Mord'rethar: The Death Gate, Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate, and Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate. From the gunships Orgrim's Hammer and the Skybreaker, the death knights Thassarian and Koltira Deathweaver directed heroes against the Cult at Aldur'thar, where they killed off them and vanquished their leader, Alumeth, before he and his followers could complete a vile and powerful ritual. At Sindragosa's Fall, the area was crawling with acolytes who were raising frost wyrms from the ice to increase the ranks of the Frostbrood.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

After the fall of the Lich King, the Cult of the Damned became independent of the Bolvar-controlled Scourge, and was still active in the Plaguelands, attempting to spread the plague and creating new undead horrors. Their task was mostly to re-blight or prevent the healing of the Plaguelands, which has mostly failed outside of the Eastern Plaguelands.

In the Hour of Twilight, an apocalyptic future where the Old Gods managed to free themselves from their prison, Wastes Taskmasters were still commanding ghouls around Galakrond's Rest.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion in 32 ADP, the Cult of the Damned was still active on the island of Caer Darrow, despite many attacks on Scholomance, and were in possession of the Book of Medivh, until Gul'dan and the Shadow Council took it.

Exploring Azeroth

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Following the Fourth War in 34 ADP, Mathias Shaw stated that according to Argent Crusade reports, the Cult of the Damned was still in Scholomance with Darkmaster Gandling at their head.

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

After Sylvanas Windrunner destroyed the Helm of Domination in 35 ADP, and with it the Lich King itself, the Cult of the Damned re-emerged all across Azeroth, emboldened by the message of Zovaal the Jailer brought by the Mawsworn kyrian Herald Dalora.

Notable members

Main article: Cult of the Damned members

High Invoker Basaleph in Hearthstone.

Name	Role(s)	Location	Status
Alumeth the Ascended	Leader of the Aldur'thar's necromancer sect.	Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate, Icecrown	Killable (Undead)
Bronjahm	The Godfather of Souls.	Forge of Souls, Icecrown Citadel	Deceased (Undead)
Deathspeaker Kharos	Leader of the Deathspeaker's Watch.	Deathspeaker's Watch, Icecrown	Deceased
Diodor the Damned	Scourge commander in the Summertide Assaults.	Killed at the Scarlet Monastery	Deceased
Doctor Kohler	Raised The Black Knight into undeath.	Deathspeaker's Watch, Icecrown	Killable (Undead)
Grand Widow Faerlina	Overseer of spider Naxxramas's spider wing.	Arachnid Quarter, Naxxramas	Killable
Grimkor the Wicked	Leader of the cultists at Ironwall Rampart.	Ironwall Rampart, Icecrown	Killable
Guard Mitchells	Undercover agent in the Valiance Expedition.	Valiance Keep, Borean Tundra	Killable
High Cultist Herenn	High-ranking member of the Cult.	Shaper's Terrace, Un'Goro Crater	Killable
High Cultist Zangus	Leader of the Anub'ar in the Pit of Narjun.	The Pit of Narjun, Dragonblight	Killable
Jandice Barov	Mistress of Illusion in Scholomance.	Hall of Illusions, Scholomance	Active (Undead)
Maleki the Pallid	One of the first to join the Cult.	Gauntlet, Stratholme	Killable
Malicia	Scholomance instructor.	Malicia's Outpost, Western Plaguelands	Killable
The Black Knight	Agent tasked to disrupt the Argent Tournament.	Argent Tournament Grounds, Icecrown	Deceased (Undead)

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

The Cult of the Damned considered the demons' defeat a victory for the Scourge as well. The Lich King was finally freed from the Legion's control and could begin furthering his own plans using his powerful death knight, Arthas Menethil. He already had the greater part of Lordaeron under his control, and he wished to expand his influence. The Cult of the Damned rejoiced in the release of its leader and continues to work for him after the war. They didn't blink an eye when Arthas shattered the Lich King's prison and took on the spirit of Ner'zhul, making the new Lich King the strongest being in the world. The Cult simply vowed to serve this new entity as it did the old, as long as he furthered the efforts of the Scourge. Considering the new Lich King is now a mobile individual, the Cult works itself into a frenzy with the thought he may leave his new home in Northrend and grace Lordaeron with his presence some day. Working beside the undead, delving into the dark magic of necromancy, and striving one day to become undead themselves, the Cult of the Damned is truly a frightening organization.

Organization

The base of operations of the Cult of the Damned is Stratholme, and its leader is Kel'Thuzad. Kel'Thuzad takes orders from the Lich King himself and orchestrates the spread of the Scourge. His two closest living lieutenants are referred to as simply "Next In Line", and are raised as shades and replaced periodically. These leaders serve the Lich King without question, seeing undeath as the ultimate reward. Under the Next In Line, the Cult of the Damned appears to run with little rhyme or reason, but the (apparent) chaos serves the group's purpose - individual leaders cannot be picked out and targeted. Underneath the chaos is a tightly run operation with mortals dedicated to the study of dark magic, the conscription of new mortal members, and undercover scouting for the Scourge's forces.

The Cult is situated mostly in the Plaguelands and, to a lesser extent, in the rest of Lordaeron, always extending the Scourge's sphere of control. The Cult will often be found wherever the Scourge is.

Military tactics

The Cult of the Damned is not a military organization. It is an arm of the Scourge, and the Scourge has other methods of waging war. However, the cult contributes a pair of special weapons: necromancers and blightweavers. Their dark rites support the cult, bringing curses on their enemies and raising new legions of undead.

On the battlefield, they are scavengers, using spells to bring their dead enemies under their control before the carrion birds can get to them, gathering large undead forces and directing them at key targets chosen by their Scourge commanders.

Death comes in many forms — and it's the job of the blightweaver to make sure that death comes in as terrible a form as possible. These tinkers of the vile concoct new poisons and breed new diseases, hoping to discover new plagues that will extend the Scourge's terror to every corner of Azeroth.

On the battlefield, the Scourge occasionally employs blightweavers as sappers of life; instead of sending teams of goblins to destroy a wall with a burst of explosives, they send these vile priests out to destroy a populace with an explosion of disease and poison. They sneak into a town while the battle rages elsewhere, plant plague animals in stables, and poison wells.

Membership

High elf cultists welcoming a new member.

While the current members of the Cult of the Damned are zealous individuals wholly dedicated to their cause, most new recruits are shy and weak-willed people unsure of themselves. Unpopular, abused people, often considered failures in their careers or their lives in general, are ripe for the manipulation of the Scourge as they don't have much to hold onto in the first place. With the promise of wealth, power, knowledge — whatever will motivate them — the Cult draws them in. When the mortals commit to the Cult, they are forced to drink a concoction that steals their will and enslaves them forever to the Lich King, to help them with the final act of submission. Afterward, they are given an Orb of Illusion, used to disguise a cult member, allowing them to gain safe passage, infiltrate, or simply blend in with an enemy, and are confident and in the full sway of the Lich King's powers, ready to work tirelessly to spread the will of the Scourge. Members view the Scourge with envious fascination, and many felt this way before any dark influences helped convert them. The undead seemingly defy the natural order of things and show limitless potential, for if one can beat death, one can do anything. To be undead is the greatest goal one can have in life. It is considered a reward for a life well lived (according to the Scourge, of course) to be given undeath. There is sometimes a murmur of dissent in the ranks when some feel that their fallen enemies are gifted with undeath undeservedly, while cultists must work to receive that divine payment. Such grumblings are often put down quickly, usually with the threat of death with no final reward. The officers in the Cult explain that their enemies die and become allies because their numbers are much greater than the Cult of the Damned. If the Scourge only raised deserving mortals, it would not be the great force it is today. The Scourge needs the Cult because they need mortals to serve them.

Kel'Thuzad personally appoints officials and leaders for the Cult, looking for people both talented in espionage and in pursuing the dark art of necromancy. Good leadership abilities, a talent for recruitment, and the ability to blend in with normal mortals are also valued skills. It is impossible to reach any officer ranks without magic, however. There are no ranking members of the Cult who do not know at least a handful of dark spells.

Notable members includes Jack, Pai Stormbringer, and Ul'haik Hadanot

Notes

• Pledges to the cult are forced to drink a concoction that steals their will and enslaves them forever to the Lich King. Some say the potion contains the twisted soul of a being who was tormented before being mercilessly slaughtered.
• All cult initiates are given a special item called an Orb of Illusion. These artifacts are used to disguise a cult member, allowing them to gain safe passage, infiltrate, or simply blend in with an enemy.
• Many spellcasters of the cult are known to carry a variety of fell implements and foci of dark magic.
• The members of the cult located in Scholomance celebrated the Midsummer Fire Festival.
• Mobs and NPCs that are members of the Cult of the Damned will usually have the title <Cult of the Damned>. They also often use specific "cultist" facial textures that are not available to players.
• According to  [81] The Defector, an unreleased Cataclysm quest, a Twilight's Hammer instructor in Mount Hyjal was to be involved with the remnants of the Cult of the Damned.
• The French version of A is for Azeroth: The ABC's of World of Warcraft mentions Ul'haik Hadanot as a high elf leading the Cult of the Damned and in charge of spreading the Scourge all over the world. The original (English) version of the book makes no mention of this, and the situation arose because the translators needed to come up with a term for the "U" page, which should normally have referred to "Undead" and "Undercity", two words with different starting letters in French.

Speculation

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.

• Before being a part of the Anub'ar, the humanoid cultists were likely a part of the Cult of the Damned.

Gallery

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  Symbol of the Cult of the Damned.
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  A banner in Scholomance.
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  A banner in Scholomance.
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  A banner in Icecrown.
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  Male human cult member.
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  Female human cult member.
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  Male gnome cult member.
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  Female high elf cult member.
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  Acolytes raising frost wyrms at Sindragosa's Fall.
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  Spray of the Cult of the Damned icon in Heroes of the Storm is colored differently.

Warcraft III

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  Cult of the Damned acolyte in Warcraft III.
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  Unit in Warcraft III.
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  Unit icon in Warcraft III: Reforged.
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  Unit in Reforged.
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  The Cult rallied by Arthas and Tichondrius.

Hearthstone

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  Acolyte of Death
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  Bonecaller
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  Infantry Reanimator
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  Noxious Infiltrator

Fan art

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  "Scourge show no mercy" by Alexey Kruglov.