Death Knights of Acherus

For the in-game book, see The Death Knights of Acherus.

Death Knights of Acherus
Highlord Darion Mograine leading his forces against Light's Hope Chapel.
Main leader	The Lich King  Highlord Darion Mograine
Race(s)	All playable races as death knights
Character classes	Death knight
Capital	Acherus: The Ebon Hold
Base of operations	Death's Breach, Crypt of Remembrance
Theater of operations	Scarlet Enclave, Plaguelands
Language(s)	Common, Language of death, Various languages
Sub-group(s)	Dark Riders of Acherus
Affiliation	Lich King, Scourge
Status	Reformed into the Knights of the Ebon Blade.

“Gaze now upon the lands below us. The Scarlet Crusade scurries to undo my work, while Light's Hope stands defiantly against us - a blemish upon these Plaguelands. They must all be shown the price of their defiance. You will become my force of retribution. Where you tread, doom will follow. Go now and claim your destiny, death knight.”

— The Lich King's first words to a new death knight.

The Death Knights of Acherus was the death knight order under the direct command of the Lich King from Acherus: The Ebon Hold. They were trained for a specific purpose: the destruction of both the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn, the last bastions of the Light in the Plaguelands. Their death knights had to take a rite of passage called "Death's Challenge", born of Arthas Menethil's victory over Illidan Stormrage in the heart of the frozen wastes, in which they sought out other death knight initiates and challenged them to a duel.

Following the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, the death knights freed themselves of the Lich King and founded the Knights of the Ebon Blade under the command of Highlord Darion Mograine.

Background

Through a bloody campaign prior to the Scourgewar, the Death Knights of Acherus managed to destroy Havenshire, New Avalon, and the forces of the Scarlet Crusade in the Scarlet lands..

During the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, the Lich King's greatest objective was to draw Tirion Fordring out of his hiding; by destroying this legendary figure, he hoped to erode the resolve of the defenders of Azeroth before the next stage of his campaign. Ten thousand Scourge troops were assembled for this task, led by Highlord Darion Mograine wielding the Corrupted Ashbringer, along with Orbaz Bloodbane, Koltira Deathweaver, and Thassarian as his lieutenants. Their foes were a comparatively few three hundred defenders of the Light and what remained of the Argent Dawn's leadership, assembled at the Light's Hope Chapel. The undead proved successful in their initial objective, annihilating a third of the Argent Dawn's defenders before Tirion emerged to defend the chapel. Assisted by his Knights of the Silver Hand, Fordring overpowered Mograine and called upon the Light to face the might of the Scourge.

In the end, the Death Knights of Acherus knew defeat, and after Highlord Mograine ordered them to stand down, Tirion revealed that this battle was anything but a suicide mission. After the soul of Alexandros Mograine appeared and talked with Darion, the Lich King himself joined the battlefield and claimed the spirit of the Ashbringer with Frostmourne. Realizing the depths of the betrayal, Darion lashed out at his master with his wrath, only to be easily cast aside and incapacitated along with the other death knights. As the Lich King taunted his nigh-inevitable victory, claiming the soul of Tirion with his cursed blade, Highlord Mograine resisted his master's control just enough to give Tirion the corrupted Ashbringer. The paladin drew upon the power of the Light, cleansing it in a blinding flash of energy, and managed to repel the Dark Lord of the Scourge. Aware that even he stood little chance against the Ashbringer near Light's Hope Chapel, the Lich King retreated back to Icecrown Citadel in Northrend.

After the battle concluded, along with Highlord Tirion and the Argent Crusade, Highlord Mograine pledged himself and his death knights to bring an end to the Lich King, naming his new order the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Meanwhile, the surviving death knights loyal to the Scourge returned to Icecrown and formed the Host of Suffering, with Orbaz Bloodbane as their leader.

Known members

The Heart of Acherus, where the death knights trained under the command of Instructor Razuvious.

•   Highlord Darion Mograine (leader)
•   Jayde
•   Koltira Deathweaver
•   Lady Alistra
•   Lord Thorval
•   Munch
  •   Melt (former death knight)
•   Orbaz Bloodbane
•   Thalanor
•   Thassarian
• Death Knight Adventurers

Unnamed

• Death Knight Initiates
• Death Knights

See also

• Dark Riders of Acherus