Utgarde Keep

Utgarde Keep
Leader(s)	Unknown
Formerly	King Ymiron †; Ingvar the Plunderer †
Race(s)	Vrykul
Affiliation(s)	Dragonflayer clan
Formerly	Scourge
Location	Central Howling Fjord
Status	Active

For the instance, see Utgarde Keep (instance).

Utgarde Keep
Utgarde Keep (5)
Prince Keleseth Skarvald and Dalronn Ingvar the Plunderer
Utgarde Pinnacle (5)
Svala Sorrowgrave Gortok Palehoof Skadi the Ruthless King Ymiron

Utgarde Keep (/ˈuːt.ɡɑːrd/ OOT-ghaard) is a keep located on the shores of Lake Cauldros, in the Howling Fjord of Northrend. Once the seat of power of King Ymiron, the massive structure of stone blocks with flying buttresses has giant skulls carved into the cliffs below the keep. The height of the keep is like the social ladder for the vrykul: the higher on the food chain one is, the higher up in the keep they live. The keep and Wyrmskull Village below it are the home of the Dragonflayer clan, which leads the vrykul on the frozen continent.^[1]

It is also the location of two dungeons, the first wing is known as Utgarde Keep, and the second is the Utgarde Pinnacle. There are also the Utgarde Catacombs beneath the keep.

Official descriptions

Web site

Utgarde Keep was long thought to be abandoned, a relic of a lost civilization among the central cliffs of the Howling Fjord. Yet in recent days something has roused the fortress' slumbering residents, the vrykul. Feared to be allied with the Scourge, the savage race now terrorizes nearby settlements. With ferocious proto-dragons at their command and unparalleled prowess in battle, the vrykul pose a direct threat to Horde and Alliance campaigns in Northrend. Perhaps the only way to break the will of Utgarde's denizens is to defeat their revered leaders - but any heroes who fail in this task will surely become trophies to line the ancient halls of the vrykul fortress.^[2]

Expansion Features

Long thought to be abandoned, Utgarde has only recently returned to occupation after millennia of disuse. Now the half-giant vrykul pour endlessly from within the keep's battle-scarred walls to assault the nearby settlements. Inside Utgarde, the vicious Dragonflayer clan builds massive weapons of war in ever-burning forges. All of Ingvar's raiders possess tremendous strength and stamina, and a few have also learned to master the arcane arts. Most vrykul magic seems to draw from mysterious runes that even the most experienced magi find unfamiliar. These rune-casters are among the deadliest of all the vrykul, possessing the power to freeze their foes in solid ice and shatter them into a thousand jagged shards [...] With mysterious, foul magic and proto-dragons at their command, the vrykul of Utgarde Keep pose an imminent threat to both the Alliance and the Horde. Only the bravest would dare to strike against Ymiron's faithful and delve into the heart of the vrykul's primeval home.'^[3]

History

Before the Great Sundering, the vrykul of Northrend were led by King Ymiron from Utgarde Keep, who in an effort to stave off the curse of flesh, ordered his people to put themselves into hibernation for the thousands of years that would follow. The vrykul left their homes, villages, and keeps vacant as they slept, remaining undisturbed for thousands of years.^[4]

Wrath of the Lich King

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

View of Utgarde Keep and Wyrmskull Village.

During the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, the Alliance and the Horde built two ports on the shores of the Howling Fjord, Valgarde and Vengeance Landing. A month later, the Dragonflayer vrykul awakened, setting their worgs on his soldiers and blasting the half-built walls with fire from their proto-drakes.^[5] They turned against Valgarde,^[6] launching an ongoing series of attacks which were coordinated by Ingvar the Plunderer from Utgarde Keep. In turn, the Winterskorn clan turned against the Forsaken at Vengeance Landing.^[7]

At some point, Queen Angerboda attempted to awaken King Ymiron under Gjalerbron, so they might serve the new god of death together.^[1] Despite killing her before the awakening ritual was completed, the Lich King himself arrived and took Ymiron away to Utgarde Pinnacle,^[8] where he made the vrykul king undead after proving himself. As the Scourge ambassador, Prince Keleseth, resided at Utgarde where he oversaw the undead operations across the Howling Fjord, working with Ingvar the Plunderer to organize raids against the Alliance and the Horde. During their assault on the keep, the heroes eventually killed the San'layn in the Reaver's Hall,^[9]^[10] then defeated Ymiron at his own seat.^[1]

Exploring Azeroth

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

After the war against the Jailer in 36 ADP, according to reports from Westguard Keep, the Dragonflayer vrykuls were keeping to themselves in their settlements.^[11]

Dungeons

Instance Name	Races	Level Range	Location
Utgarde Keep	Vrykul	70+	Howling Fjord
Utgarde Pinnacle	Vrykul	80	Howling Fjord

Notes

A secret tunnel is being dug from here to Gjalerbron by mindless undead, as the vrykul see manual labor as beneath them.^[3]
Utgarde Keep is a reference to Norse mythology — Utgård (or Útgarðr) is the abode of the giants. This is appropriate since the vrykul are a race of half-giants.