Knights of the Ebon Blade

"Knight of the Ebon Blade" redirects here. For the NPC, see Knight of the Ebon Blade (NPC). For the achievement, see  [Knights of the Ebon Blade]. For the quest, see   [10-45] Knights of the Ebon Blade.

Knights of the Ebon Blade
Main leader	Highlord Bolvar Fordragon  The Deathlord
Formerly	Highlord Darion Mograine   The Lich King
Secondary leaders	The Four Horsemen  Darion Mograine  Nazgrim  Thoras Trollbane  Sally Whitemane  Thassarian  Koltira Deathweaver  Dread Commander Thalanor  Salanar the Horseman  Lord-Commander Arete  Duke Lankral
Race(s)	All playable races as death knights Darkfallen Abomination Banshee Gargoyle Geist Ghoul Lich Skeleton Wight Zombie
Character classes	Death knight, Acolyte, Necromancer,[1] Vindicator[2]
Capital	Acherus: The Ebon Hold
Base of operations	Icecrown Citadel,[3] Ebon Watch, Death's Rise, Shadow Vault
Theater of operations	Azeroth, Shadowlands
Formerly	Argus, Alternate Draenor
Language(s)	Common, Language of death, Various languages
Sub-group(s)	The Four Horsemen Dark Riders of Acherus
Affiliation	Independent, Armies of Legionfall
Formerly	Lich King, Scourge
Status	Active
Reputation
Quartermaster	Duchess Mynx  Quartermaster Ozorg
Notable reward(s)	[Arcanum of Torment]  [Pattern: Abyssal Bag]
Tabard

The Knights of the Ebon Blade are an organization of renegade death knights. Freed from the grasp of the Lich King during the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, they regrouped under the banner of Highlord Darion Mograine, took control of Acherus: The Ebon Hold as their headquarters, and cooperated with the Argent Crusade to defeat Arthas Menethil during the Scourgewar. They fight as hard for the safety of Azeroth as anyone living.^[5]

After getting their vengeance, the death knights found themselves without a cause and without a home. One by one they trickled into the land of the living in search of a new purpose.^[6] They dedicated themselves to the protection of Azeroth, and some of their members rejoined the ranks of the Alliance and Horde, of which they were members before their death against the Scourge.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the death knights and the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon come to an agreement: they will help him get revenge on the Legion, and in return, he will keep the Scourge contained and help them with powerful weapons. The Ebon Blade later fought alongside the other orders, and moved their order hall above the Broken Isles.

At the end of the Fourth War, the Ebon Blade expanded its rank with the heroes who died honorably on the battlefields. After he was defeated by Sylvanas Windrunner who destroyed the Helm of Domination, piercing the veil between Azeroth and the Realm of the Dead, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon took the lead of the Ebon Blade. While they assisted the Alliance, the Horde, and the Argent Crusade during the resurgence of the Scourge, the Knights of the Ebon Blade followed their Highlord in the Shadowlands to stop Zovaal the Jailer.

Since the fall of the Banished One, the death knights returned to Azeroth, focusing their efforts on safeguarding Icecrown Citadel and preventing the Scourge from spreading across Azeroth.

History[]

Wrath of the Lich King[]

Main article: Death Knights of Acherus

The Knights of the Ebon Blade were originally an army of Scourge death knights trained in the halls of Acherus and were under the direct command of the Lich King. They were supposedly trained for the specific purpose of destroying both the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn, the last bastions of Light in the Plaguelands.

They managed to destroy Havenshire, New Avalon, and the Scarlet Crusade presence in the Scarlet lands^[7] before turning on Light's Hope Chapel.

Battle for Light's Hope Chapel[]

Main article: Battle for Light's Hope Chapel

During the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, Highlord Darion Mograine, wielding the  [Corrupted Ashbringer], leads Orbaz Bloodbane, Koltira Deathweaver, Thassarian and a force of 10,000 Scourge against 300 Defenders of the Light and the Argent Dawn leadership located at Light's Hope.

The Scourge forces pound hard and take out an entire third of the Argent Dawn defense, but Mograine starts having problems attacking further defenders with the arrival of Tirion Fordring. The paladin emerged to defend Light's Hope Chapel, and along with the paladins of the Order of the Silver Hand and the Argent Dawn, he unleashed his holy fury against the invading armies of undead. Fordring's Light-given powers overpower and defeat Mograine, as well as immediately kill the Scourge forces in the immediate area, causing Orbaz Bloodbane to flee. The Light overwhelmed the might of the Scourge, and the death knights knew defeat. Darion orders the remaining death knight forces to stand down while Fordring berates him for his foolishness and tells him that Arthas sent him and his death knights on a suicide mission.^[8]

As they await the paladin's judgment, they witness a vision of Mograine's father, Alexandros, the legendary Ashbringer himself. He told his son that he would one day wield the Ashbringer and use it to mete out justice, but "that day is not today".

The Lich King himself arrives not long afterwards and confirmed that the attack on Light's Hope Chapel was merely a ploy to strike at Tirion. Realizing the depths of his betrayal, Darion was enraged that he had been used as fodder, and he lashed out at his master with his wrath. However, the Lich King easily cast him aside, and incapacitated Darion and the other death knights. He then focuses his attention on Fordring, incapacitating him with a crippling spell and knocking back the Argent soldiers who charged in. Remembering the words spoken by his father, Mograine throws the corrupted Ashbringer to Fordring, whose powers of the Light succeed in purifying it. With the purified blade in hand, Fordring charges into the Lich King and throws him back. Aware that even he stands little chance against the Ashbringer near the Chapel, the Lich King retreats, promising that the next time he meets Fordring, it will not be on holy ground.

After Arthas' departure, Fordring calls for the union of the Argent Dawn and the Order of the Silver Hand into the Argent Crusade, intended to bring the war to Icecrown itself. Mograine pledges himself and his knights to the same cause, naming his new order the Knights of the Ebon Blade. With their free will restored, Mograine and his death knights return to Acherus and capture it, destroying the Scourge remnants within. With their new base secured, Mograine then sends his knights to rejoin their people, sending them to throw themselves at the mercy of either King Varian Wrynn in Stormwind (if their race belonged to the Alliance) or Warchief Thrall in Orgrimmar (if they belonged to the Horde).

The surviving death knights that remained loyal to the Scourge formed the Host of Suffering with Orbaz Bloodbane, who fled when the Scourge was defeated at Light's Hope, as their leader.

Northrend invasion[]

Main article: War against the Lich King

This section is a lore stub.

When the War against the Lich King began, the Ebon Blade launched the invasion of Northrend alongside the Alliance, the Horde, and the Argent Crusade. Following the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate, only the Ebon Blade and the Argent Crusade had remained fully dedicated to the war against the Scourge. The two neutral factions had rallied their forces and readied themselves to unleash a new offensive against the Lich King and his servants across the continent.

The disastrous Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate broke a tenuous trust that had only just begun to form between the Alliance and the Horde, and nearly ended the war against the Lich King before it had truly been joined. It was then the Ebon Blade and the Argent Crusade that took over the push for the Lich King's head, and kept both factions from forgetting entirely who the true enemy was.^[9]

Working in tandem, the death knights and paladins focused their attention on Zul'Drak, entrenching themselves in the region. In the region, they established Ebon Watch as a small outpost and from there conducted their own operations—and some in cooperation with the Argent Crusade.^[5]

In Icecrown, after the Shadow Vault fell under the control of the Knights of the Ebon Blade led by Duke Lankral, the destruction of the vrykul village Jotunheim was one of the projects of Ebon Blade.^[10] At first, the Ebon Blade sent adventurers to fight the vrykul at the Savage Ledge,^[11] and then to kill Thane Ufrang the Mighty.^[12] After this, the adventurers were sent there to free their captive death knights,^[13] to weaken the vrykul resolve by burning their banners,^[14] to help the Bone Witch wreaking havoc from within,^[15] to burn down their buildings,^[16] to plant their banners in the bodies of their fallen warriors,^[17] and also to slay their proto-dragons.^[18]

As the sole way for any kind of force to invade Icecrown Citadel would be to breach Mord'rethar: The Death Gate, Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate and Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate, each made almost entirely of saronite, near indestructible, and manned by massive Scourge constructs, the efforts of the death knights Thassarian and Koltira Deathweaver working with the Alliance and the Horde was what allowed them to pass these defenses.^[19]

Icecrown Citadel[]

This section is a lore stub.

As armies began to prepare for the assault on Icecrown Citadel, the Argent Crusade and the Knights of the Ebon Blade launched preliminary attacks on its defenses. In the lead-up to the final battle, the Argent Crusade forged a new alliance with the Knights of the Ebon Blade, one which would lead the assault on the Icecrown Citadel's defenses, the Ashen Verdict was born; united, they gathered in the mighty fortress's shadow to begin the assault. Having swept aside opposition and seized the Citadel's entrance, the gates were battered down and the Ashen Verdict secured a foothold just inside the entrance, from which they would push deeper into the complex.

Cataclysm[]

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Although the members of the Argent Crusade still stand by the Forsaken heroes who joined them in the battle against the Scourge, Sylvanas Windrunner's actions since the slaying of Arthas Menethil had deeply concerned the crusaders. They, along with certain members of the Ebon Blade, decided to watch Sylvanas and the Forsaken very closely, as similarities between her and the Lich King kept increasing in number by the day.^[20]

Warlords of Draenor[]

The death knights of the Ebon Blade offered their aid to the commander of the Alliance or Horde's forces and joined their garrison. Having an exalted status with the Ebon Blade even offered the commander the possibility to have death knights defend their base.

Among them, Human Death Knights were notably taken out by the followers sent from the Frostwall garrison of the Horde, while Orc Death Knights were taken out by the followers sent from the Lunarfall garrison of the Alliance.

Taking the chance to discover the secrets of Ner'zhul, Darion Mograine had traveled to alternate Draenor and could be found in the Lunarfall Inn (Alliance) and the Frostwall Tavern (Horde). Though the Lich King had been defeated, Darion claimed that they were no closer to unlocking the secrets of the Frozen Throne than they were when jousting pointlessly at the Argent Tournament. Bolvar remained resigned to his fate. Darion believed that perhaps there was something there that could aid their cause. Ner'zhul was not always the Lich King, he explained. Once, he was a mere orc dabbling in dark powers beyond his comprehension. He asked the commanders of the Alliance and Horde's forces to find whatever they could of Ner'zhul's early studies, and they returned with a Dark Parchment from the Shadowmoon Burial Grounds, which Darion brought back to the Ebon Hold.^[21]

A death knight adventurer also appeared in the Spires of Arak.

Legion[]

This section concerns content related to Legion.

Main article: Death Knight Campaign

Following the return of the Burning Legion, the Knights of the Ebon Blade come to an agreement with the new Lich King, Bolvar Fordragon: The Ebon Blade will willingly act as the Lich King's agents against the Legion, if the Scourge remains contained to Northrend. The Lich King offers powerful weapons to champions of the Ebon Blade, directing students of Lord Thorval to the world of Niskara to defeat Gorelix the Fleshripper and take the  [Maw of the Damned], and sending the students of Lady Alistra to the catacombs beneath Karazhan to obtain  [Apocalypse] from the Dark Riders. For those trained by Amal'thazad, the Lich King summons them directly to Icecrown Citadel, where they gather the broken shards of Frostmourne to forge into a pair of new weapons, the Blades of the Fallen Prince. Once these three weapons are obtained, the death knights wielding them are brought to the Frozen Throne and granted the Lich King's blessing, empowered to act in his name against the Legion.

The Knights of the Ebon Blade set out to reform the Four Horsemen, adding new powerful champions into their ranks.

At one point, the champions of the Ebon Blade entered the Monastery in order to retrieve the saddle of Thomas Thomson's steed, killing Faralis the Fanatic in the process.^[22]

Later they assaulted the Scarlet Monastery, now led by High Commander Goodchilde, in their quest to resurrect Sally Whitemane as a member of their new Four Horsemen.^[23] Thassarian declared they would not leave until every last crusader had been killed and every banner burned.^[24]

The Knights of the Ebon Blade aided in the war against the Burning Legion by sending out packs of ghouls to fight against the demons,^[25] as well as creating new death knights from the casualties of the Alliance and the Horde.^[26]

Thassarian also asked death knight champions to aid him in rescuing Koltira Deathweaver from his imprisonment in the Undercity.^[27] Koltira is successfully rescued after the two death knights fight through the guards.

Battle for Azeroth[]

Under Bolvar's command, the Four Horsemen acquired fallen champions of both the Horde and Alliance through the battlefields and graveyards of Azeroth.^[3]

Thus the Knights of the Ebon Blade welcomed a new generation of death knights into their fold, being raised by the Lich King in preparation for times ahead.^[28] They were then sent by Darion Mograine to travel to Orgrimmar or Stormwind. ^[29]

Following the Fourth War, Mathias Shaw's reports mentioned that the Scarlet Crusade was effectively totally wiped out by the Ebon Blade.^[30]

Shadowlands[]

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

After Sylvanas Windrunner destroyed the Helm of Domination, Bolvar was no longer the Lich King. Several undead in Acherus attacked the Four Horsemen, but they made a short work of them and secured the Ebon Hold.^[3] As the rift between the Shadowlands and Azeroth was opened, Bolvar took the direct leadership of the organization as their new Highlord. Following the return of the Scourge, the Ebon Blade stepped forward to help the Alliance and Horde combat the threat.^[31] Sally Whitemane and Nazgrim became the Ebon Blade's emissary to the factions, while members of both factions were called to Icecrown Citadel to work against Sylvanas and the Jailer within the Shadowlands.^[32]

Aboard Acherus, they and Lord Darion Mograine went atop the Citadel where the rest of the Knights of the Ebon Blade and Bolvar were waiting alongside the leaders of the Alliance and the Horde. After explaining how dire the situation was, the Highlord directed the adventurers to use the shattered fragments of the Helm of Domination to conjure a portal to enter the Maw with the troops of the Ebon Blade.^[33]

However, the chaotic energies of this place have scattered the death knights, and their forces were already depleted after only mere moments there.^[34] They had to face the Mawsworn forces,^[35][36] losing a large number of their troops during their advance,^[37] enough for Jaina Proudmoore to be shocked at the few death knights remaining.^[38]

Having no choice but to continue to advance before enemy reinforcements arrive, Darion led the Ebon Blade's charge alongside an adventurer to save the captured leaders of the Horde and Alliance. When they finally arrived at the exit, the Jailer's forces attacked them and only the adventurer made it out, with the others including Darion captured.^[39]

Later, Bolvar managed to travel to Oribos, alongside other Ebon Blade death knights, where they united with the denizens of the city to defend the Shadowlands.^[40] In time Darion was rescued,^[41] and joined his fellow death knights within Oribos. In order for new allies from Azeroth to come in the Shadowlands, acolytes of the Ebon Blade were ordered to establish portals to access Oribos from the Wizard's Sanctum in Stormwind City and the Pathfinder's Den in Orgrimmar.^[42]

As the covenants rallied together to defend Ardenweald from Sylvanas and the Mawsworn, the Knights of the Ebon Blade remained behind in Orbis to defend the city.^[43][44]

Following the departure of Zovaal to an unknown destination at the Sanctum of Domination, Bolvar ordered the death knights to take the unconscious Sylvanas Windrunner prisoner within Oribos in the hopes that they could interrogate her about the Jailer's plan.^[45] Sylvanas was eventually released from their custody, after Uther was able to aid her, and she decided to join the fight against the Jailer.^[46]

Several members of the Ebon Blade accompanied Bolvar and the other heroes into Zereth Mortis and the Sepulcher of the First Ones. Following the death of Zovaal, Darion declared that the Ebon Blade no longer needed to maintain a presence within Oribos and would soon make their exodus from the city and return to Azeroth. However, the death knights' vigil was far from over, as without the Helm of Domination to control them, the Scourge threatened to spread across the world like the plague that created them. Thus, the Ebon Blade's mission was to return to Northrend and keep the Scourge in check, while safeguarding Icecrown Citadel.^[47]

After the san'layn Vorath was killed and his Scourge attack on Quel'Thalas thwarted, Lor'themar promised to inform the Ebon Blade of these events. He also feared that things were far worse in Northrend.^[48]

Exploring Azeroth[]

Following the war against the Jailer, the brothers Bronzebeard reported that Ebon Watch in Zul'Drak remained out of an abundance of caution for years, and that caution turned out to be rather prescient, as they face the unleashed Scourge in the region.^[5] According to Muradin Bronzebeard, the Ebon Blade knights led by Duke Lankral still control the Shadow Vault in Icecrown, but now that the Scourge is no longer under Bolvar Fordragon's control, it is only a matter of time before a counterattack, since it's such a plum location.^[49]

Members[]

Notable[]

Main article: List of Knights of the Ebon Blade death knights

Name	Role	Status	Locations
Highlord Bolvar Fordragon	Former Lich King, now Highlord of the Ebon blade	Active	Various
The Deathlord	Champion and leader of the Ebon Blade	Active	Azeroth
Lord Darion Mograine	Former master of the Ebon Blade, now member and leader of the Four Horsemen	Active	Various
Nazgrim	Former General of the Horde, now member of the Four Horsemen	Active	Various
Thoras Trollbane	Former King of Stromgarde, now member of the Four Horsemen	Active	Various
Sally Whitemane	Former High Inquisitor of the Scarlet Crusade, now member of the Four Horsemen	Active	Various
Thassarian	First death knight to rejoin the Alliance	Active	Various
Koltira Deathweaver	Notable Death knight of the Horde	Active	Various
Dread Commander Thalanor	Second-in-command of Acherus	Active	Various
Salanar the Horseman	Creator of the Four Horsemen's steeds and leader of the Dark Riders of Acherus	Active	Various
Lord-Commander Arete	Commander of the Ebon Blade	Active	Death's Rise and Onslaught Harbor, Icecrown
Duke Lankral	Commander of the Ebon Blade	Active	Shadow Vault, Icecrown
Lord Thorval	Blood trainer	Active	Various
Amal'thazad	Frost trainer	Active	Various
Lady Alistra	Unholy trainer	Active	Various
Crok Scourgebane	Grand Champion of the Ebon Blade	Active	Argent Tournament Grounds, Icecrown Citadel
Grand Master Siegesmith Corvus	Armor Vendor	Active	Various
Quartermaster Ozorg	Quartermaster	Active	Acherus: The Ebon Hold
Duchess Mynx	Quartermaster	Active	Shadow Vault, Icecrown
Lady Grendel	Recruiting Officer	Active	Frostwall, Frostfire Ridge
Lord Selterus	Recruiting Officer	Active	Lunarfall, Shadowmoon Valley
Danir Emberlight	Death knight who attempted to turn the dragon Vadekius into a frost wyrm	Killable	Vadekius's Rest, Drustvar
Wilona Thorne	Death knight who died soon after the adventurer finds her in the Maw	Deceased	The Maw

Troops[]

They deploy pack of ghouls, zombies, geists, skeletons, gargoyles, wights, banshees, abominations, Ebon Knights, Ebon Ravagers, and Ebon Knights Frostreavers.

• Though individually frail and unintelligent, ghouls serve the Ebon Blade as fodder, overwhelming their enemies with sheer numbers.

• Raised from the grave by the Lich King, Ebon Knights are made for one purpose: Kill or be killed.

• Hardened veterans, Ebon Ravagers have survived many wars, slain many enemies, and are the epitome of the Ebon Blades's fiercest soldiers.

• On the frozen wings of their steeds, they fall upon their victims with fury and vengeance. Those who face the Frostreavers quickly learn to fear the sky above them.^[50]

Reputation[]

All players, with the exception of death knights, start out at neutral with the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Upon the completion of   [8-30] The Light of Dawn, death knights are raised to friendly reputation.

Reputation with Knights of the Ebon Blade can be earned by completing the following daily quests:

Additionally, as with some other factions, reputation can be gained through Championing via the [Tabard of the Ebon Blade], or by trading 1  [Emblem of Triumph] for 1  [Ebon Blade Commendation Badge] at the Emblem of Triumph Quartermaster in Dalaran.

Rewards[]

These rewards can only be purchased after completing the  [25-30] It's All Fun and Games |  [25-30] It's All Fun and Games questline in Icecrown. The questline is available starting at level 77 from  Thassarian on the The Skybreaker,  Koltira Deathweaver on the Orgrim's Hammer, or from  Baron Sliver at the Shadow Vault.

Rewards are bought from  Duchess Mynx ^[43, 20] at the Shadow Vault.

Duchess Mynx
<Ebon Blade Quartermaster>

Rep	Item	Cost	Type
Friendly	[Design: Deadly Huge Citrine]	2	Jewelcrafting (350)
[Tabard of the Ebon Blade]	1	Tabard
Honored	[Dark Soldier Cape]	20 2 9	Cloak
[Toxin-Tempered Sabatons]	35 10 37	Plate Feet
[Unholy Persuader]	66 48 81	Fist Weapon
Revered	[Design: Deadly Monarch Topaz]	4	Jewelcrafting (390)
[Reaper of Dark Souls]	75 21 65	One-Handed Sword
[Runeblade of Demonstrable Power]	93 68 97	Two-Handed Sword
[Spaulders of the Black Arrow]	34 85 20	Mail Shoulder
[Sterile Flesh-Handling Gloves]	15 36 83	Cloth Hands
[Wound-Binder's Wristguards]	17 50 44	Leather Wrist
[Pattern: Abyssal Bag]	5	Tailoring (435)
Exalted	[Belt of Dark Mending]	18 70 27	Cloth Waist
[Darkheart Chestguard]	48 86 48	Leather Chest
[Death-Inured Sabatons]	51 77 55	Plate Feet
[Kilt of Dark Mercy]	59 7 31	Mail Legs
[Design: Timeless Twilight Opal]	4	Jewelcrafting (390)

Quests[]

The following quests award reputation to the Knights of the Ebon Blade:

Notes and trivia[]

• The title of the short story Silver Hand, Ebon Blade by Raphael Ahad, that won the 2010 Blizzard Global Writing Contest, is a direct reference to the Knights of the Silver Hand and the Knights of the Ebon Blade.

Patch changes[]

• Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Added.
  

References[]

External links[]

• Wowhead
• WoWDB