Violet Citadel
The Violet Citadel (or the Violet Tower)[1][2] is the main fortress of Dalaran, described as a sanctum and haven for mages.[3] The towering spire raised by magic is located the heart of the city.[4] Its majestic spires and great halls, roofed by thick slate the color of lapis lazuli, gave the citadel its name.[5] The mighty structure rose above all else in the city, and its basic form is a huge tower with cone-shaped additions flanking its lower sides, while the sharply pointed tip is surrounded by a circular array kept in place by powerful magic spells.[6] It houses the Chamber of the Air, but also research laboratories, great spell libraries (including the Grand Library of the Kirin Tor),[7] and the chambers for the members of the Council of Six (notably Archmage Vargoth's Retreat). It also contains the Arcane Vault which houses Dalaran's most powerful artifacts, including once among them the Eye of Dalaran.
Mages and apprentices live, study, and dine in the Violet Citadel.[5] It was customary to serve wine with dinner, even to minors such as Khadgar. Medivh implied this wouldn't have been necessary if someone fixed the lead lining the building's aqueduct.[8]
History
The First Guardian
2,600 BDP, in a vault below the Violet Citadel, the Council of Tirisfal trapped the dreadlord Kathra'natir. They tried to destroy him, but the demon escaped, flying and crashing upward, where he found a group of students, including Alodi, Nallorath, and Eidre. With the help of Aertin Brighthand, Alodi forced the nathrezim to flee.[9]
During the Great Wars
After the Second War, the Horde of Draenor sought to obtain several artifacts, including the Eye of Dalaran in the Arcane Vault. It was from there that Teron Gorefiend stole the Eye of Dalaran and killed Sathera. Antonidas and Kael'thas Sunstrider were about to stop the theft when Deathwing attacked the Violet Citadel to support the death knights.[10]
Just before the Third War, plague-infected farmers from the Eastweald were brought to the Violet Citadel's infirmary. When the ill died, they were reanimated shortly afterward. The mages working on them defeated them, but guards arrived and escorted the apprentices to their rooms and were told to lock the door and not come out until they were told by a master personally that it was safe to leave. The citadel was on high alert, troupes of guards with weapons drawn and readied were searching for a necromancer in the building, responsible for the reanimation of the dead farmers. The necromancer was never found, and the quarantine was eventually lifted.[11]
During the Scourging of Lordaeron, the death knight Arthas Menethil invaded Dalaran with his Scourge army and entered the Violet Citadel where he killed Antonidas and took the Book of Medivh.[12][13]
Wrath of the Lich King
In the rebuilt Dalaran seen in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the Violet Citadel is home to Rhonin and his council of advisors — Vereesa Windrunner, Archmage Aethas Sunreaver, and Archmage Modera — who rule Dalaran and lead the Kirin Tor in its war against the blue dragonflight and Scourge. It is also the location of the Kirin Tor quartermaster who is located on an upper platform directly behind the four leaders.
During the Nexus War and the war against the Lich King, several artifacts were stored in the citadel, including Faceless One's Withered Brain[14] and an Artifact from the Nathrezim Homeworld.[15]
Stormrage
During the War Against the Nightmare, the Emerald Nightmare enveloped Azeroth as well as Dalaran. Utterly cut off from the outside world in a chamber of the citadel, Archmage Modera and the remaining mages of the Kirin Tor still awake were doing all they could to contain the greatest of their kind from joining the Nightmare's army.[6]
Tides of War
After Rhonin's death, many, if not all mages of the Kirin Tor gathered here to commemorate the fallen archmage.[16]
Legion
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the upper part of the citadel, the Hall of the Guardian, became available as the class hall for the Tirisgarde.
The tallest spire atop the Violet Citadel is actually a weapon used for the defense of the city and offense against its enemies. However, after the weapon was used against the Burning Legion during the assault on Broken Shore it was sabotaged by the Legion.[17][18] The dreadlord Kathra'natir, helpless and imprisoned within the Nightborne Soulstone, had his power siphoned to re-power the weapon.[19]
NPCs
Archmage Kalec <Kirin Tor>-
Archmage Ansirem Runeweaver <Kirin Tor> -
Archmage Modera <Kirin Tor> -
Archmage Khadgar <Kirin Tor> -
Archmage Karlain <Kirin Tor> -
Archivist Elysiana <Curator> -
Robert Newhearth <Head of the Curators> -
Archmage Lan'dalock
- Phased
-
Rhonin <Leader of the Kirin Tor> 
Vereesa Windrunner <Ranger-General of the Silver Covenant>
Aethas Sunreaver <Kirin Tor>- Archmage Modera <Kirin Tor>
-
Zidormi - Archmage Alvareaux <Kirin Tor Quartermaster>
Notes and trivia
- Its top spire is called the Dalaran Spire.[19][20]
- There is the skull of a dragon hanging in the building.[5]
- Long before the First War, Aegwynn used to live in the Violet Citadel.[21]
- The Violet Citadel itself also holds a striking resemblance to Arcane Observatories from Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (and not the actual Citadel's model) to the point of being nearly exact.
- A subzone called "Violet Citadel Balcony" can be discovered outside the Purple Parlor, but it does not display on the minimap.
- The Violet Citadel was originally told in Warcraft II to be the capital of the nation of Dalaran, being located on Cross Island,[22] which is said to be outside the proper city in The Last Guardian novel.[23]
- According to Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, the mages were reconstructing the Violet Citadel by the time Teron went to attack the Citadel,[24] seemingly implying that it was damaged, apparently referencing the Horde assault in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness.
- The mage towers of Warcraft II were also described to be extensions of the Violet Citadel, allowing the mages inside to research arcane spells unfettered by the affairs of the temporal plane.[25]
Gallery
The citadel from afar in Wrath of the Lich King.
The Violet Citadel from afar in Legion.
The Dalaran Spire in Legion.
Cross Island in Warcraft II, with the Violet Citadel on the upper part of the island.
The Violet Citadel as seen in Warcraft III.
The city of Dalaran, the tall spire in the center is the Violet Citadel.
Artwork of the Violet Citadel by Peter Lee.
Patch changes
- Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Added.
References
- ^ Magister Varenthas#Quotes
- ^ Heart of War
- ^ The Siege of Dalaran (WC2 Orc)
- ^ The First Guardian, intro
- ^ a b c The Last Guardian
- ^ a b Stormrage, chapter 24
- ^ The Last Guardian, pg. 18
- ^ The Last Guardian, chapter 5
- ^ The First Guardian, pg. 4
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, chapter 11
- ^ Damaged Apprentice Journal
- ^ The Siege of Dalaran (WC3 Undead)
- ^ The Archmage Antonidas - Part III
- ^ [80H] Proof of Demise: Herald Volazj
- ^ [80H] Proof of Demise: Mal'Ganis
- ^ Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
- ^
[45] An Urgent Situation
- ^ [45] Backup Plan
- ^ a b [45] Arming Dalaran
- ^ Wowhead
- ^ Cycle of Hatred, chapter 12: ...The words were barely out of his mouth when Aegwynn teleported back to the Violet Citadel, in desperate need of sleep...
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Nations of the Alliance, Dalaran
- ^ The Last Guardian, chapter 7
- ^ The Eye of Dalaran (WC2 Orc)
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Alliance Buildings, Mage Tower
External links
| Northrend | Purge of Dalaran | Broken Isles | Deadwind Pass |
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