Highlord Kruul
 Highlord Kruul | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Doomguard (Demon) |
| Resource | Mana |
| Affiliation(s) | Burning Legion |
| Former occupation(s) | Legion field commander on Outland and Azeroth |
| Location | Various |
| Status |
Deceased (lore) Killable  |
| Companion(s) | Lord Vazuun (servant) |
“Highlord Kruul waded into battle without regard for his own well-being. His wounds would heal - his enemies' would not.”
Highlord Kruul was a doomguard[2][3] and one of Kil'jaeden’s most trusted lieutenants.[3] He served as a boss who appeared in various parts of Azeroth during the Dark Portal Opens event. After the Dark Portal reopened, he replaced Lord Kazzak as the Burning Legion's field commander on Azeroth.
Biography
The Burning Crusade
When Kil'jaeden realized Illidan Stormrage's ambition of destroying the Legion, he dispatched an army under Kruul's command to confront the problem. On Outland, Kruul's force swelled slowly owing to Illidan's continued effort to close portals.[3] Roughly two months before Illidan was killed, Kruul engaged him and the Illidari demon hunters in Hellfire Peninsula, but lost the battle and escaped.[2]
In 26 ADP, the Legion forces led by Kruul on Outland and Kazzak on Azeroth performed a large-scale ritual under Kil'jaeden's guidance on both sides of the Dark Portal, successfully reopening the gateway. Kazzak entered Outland and assumed command of Kruul's troops. Kruul then set out for his new task. He attacked locations throughout Azeroth with a small force and pretended to be arduously pushed back through the Portal, intending to lure Alliance and Horde armies into Outland.[4] In the meantime Kruul retrieved the Aspect Shards.[5]
Shortly later, when the defenders of Azeroth entered Outland to eliminate the threat of the Legion, Kruul fought them at the Stair of Destiny. Unbeknownst to the Azerothian champions, Kruul was attacked by the Illidari when he was trying to outflank his enemies. The demon hunters distracted him long enough for Illidan to kill him with a blast of magic that tore a hole through his torso. Without Kruul to command them, the demons fell into disarray, allowing the Alliance and the Horde to gain a foothold. They would never learn that the Illidari had saved them from certain defeat at the hands of Kruul.[6][7]
Legion
Soon after Kruul's death, the demon hunters were imprisoned by the Wardens, while the Kirin Tor locked Kruul's heart away in the vaults of Dalaran to keep the Legion from retrieving it. Several years later, during the Legion's third invasion in 32 ADP, the demons finally broke into Dalaran's vaults and stole Kruul's heart despite Kor'vas Bloodthorn's attempts to stop them.[8] When Prophet Velen discovered Kruul's minions stole his heart to hasten his return within the Twisting Nether, he sent Kor'vas and an adventurer to the Stair of Destiny to pry open a way into the highlord's realm.[9]
Kor'vas worked to reactivate the portal that Kruul's lackeys had left behind, while being defended by the adventurer from demons that were trying to stave them off while the highlord was regenerating. After the death of Lord Vazuun, Kor'vas decided that the two of them could not defeat Kruul alone and sent the adventurer back to Dalaran to report to the Council of Six while she kept the portal stabilized. Archmage Modera vowed to prepare an assault on his lair, and Archmage Karlain ensured that the Illidari were given all the supplies that Dalaran could spare.[10]
Later, the adventurer, Kor'vas, and Velen confronted Kruul inside the Twisting Nether. He claimed to be empowered by the souls of a thousand conquered worlds and killed most of his own minions to empower himself further. Inquisitor Variss captured Kor'vas, but after Velen and the adventurer killed him to free her, Kruul attacked. Before he could die, Kruul overloaded himself with power to self-destruct and kill his opponents along with him, but Velen saved Kor'vas and the adventurer.[11] Because he died inside the Twisting Nether, Kruul is now dead for good.
Locations
| Locations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone | Level range | Reaction | Notes |
| Dark Portal Opens | ?? Boss | Alliance Horde | See a list of specific zones below. |
| Twisting Nether | 46 Elite | Alliance Horde | During  [110] The Highlord's Return. |
Abilities
Annihilate — Inflicts Physical damage and increases damage taken from the caster by 110% per application.
Twisted Reflection — When the target is damaged, Twisted Reflection heals the attacker for 5%.
Void Bolt — Deals Shadow damage to the current target, reducing its movement speed by 50% for 10 sec.
Objective of
- [110] The Highlord's Return
Dark Portal Opens
During the Dark Portal Opens event, Kruul randomly spawned near the gates of Ironforge, Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Undercity (a possible reference to the famous kiting records of his predecessor Kazzak), and some outdoor areas including Hinterlands, Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring, Stranglethorn Vale, Azshara, Silithus, and Searing Gorge.[12]
Abilities
Most of his abilities are copies from Lord Kazzak.
- Melee — No heavy melee damage with normal attacks.
Thunderclap — Inflicts Nature damage to nearby enemies, increasing the time between their attacks by 33% and slowing their movement speed by 40% for 6 seconds.
Cleave — Attacks an enemy and its nearest allies, affecting up to 10 targets.
Capture Soul — When a player is killed, Kruul instantly gains 70k hp.- Twisted Reflection — Magic debuff that heals Kruul for 25k hp every time he attacks the afflicted player.
- Void Bolt — Deals Shadow damage to a player, reducing their movement speed by 50% for 10 seconds.
Shadow Bolt Volley — Hurls long range missiles of dark magic, inflicting Shadow damage to enemies. The volley totally ignores all line of sight issues: it cannot be dodged.
Frenzy — Cast 1 minute after the fight begins. Increases damage done by 30% and casts Shadow Bolt Volley every 2 seconds.
Kazzak's Assault — Instantly kills Kruul's target. Only used against NPCs.
Preparation
After finding Highlord Kruul you will need a well geared/skilled raid. The best places to engage him are the zones far away from major cities so that wandering players aren't killed (this avoids the 70k heal). Due to the short enrage timer, he will put out more damage, so he requires a larger raid with more healing, dps, and tanks to finish him quicker than Kazzak. Before pulling it is important to note a few things. First, there will be a flaming area near his spawn point that periodically releases level 50 infernal hounds. They can be easily killed to avoid them attacking healers. Second, at each spawn there will be two elite infernals, these are easily pulled and killed away from Kruul and do not respawn. They also drop a BoE blue, so finding Kruul before he is killed could be quite profitable.
Loot
Kruul had the same loot-table as Lord Kazzak in the Blasted Lands had.
Quotes
Dark Portal Opens
- Spawn
- Azeroth has cowered too long under our shadow! Now, feel the power of the Burning Crusade, and despair!
- Your fate is sealed, Azeroth! I will find the Aspect Shards, and then you will not stand against our might!
- Cower, little worms! Your heroes are nothing! Your saviors will be our first feast!
- Where? Where are the Shards! You cannot hide them from us!
- Your world will die, mortals! Your doom is now at hand!
- Killing a player
- Your own strength feeds me, <player>!
- Despawn
- Ha! This place is not yet worthy of my infliction.
Legion
- Dialogue
- Main article: Confirming Suspicions#Notes
- Main article: Between Worlds#Notes
- Main article: The Highlord's Return#Notes
Notes and trivia
- Prior to World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, Kruul was described as Kazzak's henchman,[5][12] and the reopening of the Dark Portal in 26 ADP was stated to be accomplished by Kazzak and his minions[5] through an unidentified relic.[13]
- Kruul disappeared from the game after the end of the world event Dark Portal Opens.
- When Illidan and his demon hunters fought Kruul in World of Warcraft: Illidan, he used several of his in-game abilities.
- Illidan hints that Kruul struck Azeroth before the Dark Portal reopened.[14] This contradicts other materials[5][4] and can be safely regarded as a mistake.
- Kruul was orange in The Burning Crusade but blue when he was revived in Legion.
- Kruul is voiced by Josh Petersdorf in Legion.
- Despite not appearing in person in the Azewrath alternate timeline where the Burning Legion won the War of the Ancients, Kruul still has servants there.
Patch changes
- Patch 2.0.1 (2006-12-05): Added.
See also
References
- ^
[Kruul's Resolve]
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 21
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 138
- ^ a b World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 151
- ^ a b c d Game Guide/BC Raid Areas#Doom Lord Kazzak
- ^ World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 23
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 152
- ^ [45] Confirming Suspicions
- ^ [45] Between Worlds
- ^ [45] Dark Omens
- ^ [110] The Highlord's Return
- ^ a b Dark Portal Opens#Text from WorldofWarcraft.com
- ^ World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Game Manual#Shadows Return
- ^ World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 21-22
External links
| Preceded by: Magtheridon |
Position: Legion field commander on Outland |
Succeeded by: Kazzak |
| Preceded by: Kazzak |
Position: Legion field commander on Azeroth |
Succeeded by: Legion field commanders during the third invasion |
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