Chapter 159: The Lich King
[Of course you know who this voice belongs to—Ner'zhul, the Lich King. A tragic old orc who, after betraying the demon Kil'jaeden, was subjected to torture and ultimately transformed into the Lich King, imprisoned in the Frozen Throne deep within the Icecrown Glacier.]
[This buzzing voice of his is incredibly annoying, like a broken record. But remembering who Ner'zhul used to be, you decide to forgive him. The corners of your mouth curl up exaggeratedly—you think maybe he's a deeply complex old orc, and at the same time, a very challenging gameplay choice. Who's going to control whom—you or him? Without hesitation, you change your course and head toward Northrend.]
[In June 2018, you arrive by ship in the northern continent of Northrend, accompanied by a guide—Tomli Magellas, an archaeologist from the Ironforge Explorers' League. He intends to head to Howling Fjord to meet up with Brann Bronzebeard and explore dwarven history. You, however, make no promises about ensuring his safety.]
[Tomli tells you that the people of Azeroth call Northrend the "Roof of the World." It's a glacial, snow-covered continent. One massive region in Northrend is littered with the remains of thousands of dragons—it's called Dragonblight. When dragons near the end of their lives, they fly here to rest alongside their ancestors. This place is also known as the dragons' ancestral homeland.]
[From June 2018 to March 2019, Tomli disembarks at Howling Fjord. You have no interest in dealing with a seemingly naive and honest man. As you part ways, he tells you that you're a good person and hopes to go on another expedition with you someday. Heh. Then you head to Dragonblight, where you witness countless blue, green, and bronze dragons buzzing through the sky like mosquitoes, occasionally breathing fire down on the ground. On the snow-covered permafrost below, massive Nerubian spider creatures, along with hordes of ghouls, gargoyles, and skeletons, are all running rampant—quite the adrenaline rush. Just then, Ner'zhul's voice once again echoes in your mind. He instructs you to pass through Azjol-Nerub—the vast underground spider kingdom—to reach Icecrown Citadel.]
[In Azjol-Nerub, you encounter a mystery waiting to be unraveled. This place was once home to a powerful and advanced civilization. Its underground halls are packed with gems and magical artifacts—but they're all locked up tight. You toss a bomb into one of the halls to test the situation, only to trigger a chain collapse. Whoa! In the end, thanks to the help of an undead Nerubian spider creature named Anub'arak, and after several arduous months of travel, you finally escape and arrive at the glacial river beneath Icecrown Glacier. (You have obtained the Dungeon Summoning Stone: Azjol-Nerub.)]
[At the end of April 2019, within the glacial river, you encounter another living human—a cold and aloof mage named Kel'Thuzad. A towering skeletal vrykul undead—one of Ner'zhul's deathguards, standing nearly four meters tall—leads you both into Icecrown Citadel. This fortress, forged from saronite, is massive and home to all manner of terrifying undead creatures. When you finally ascend the sky-piercing Frozen Throne, you see a spectral figure sealed within a giant block of ice, clad in jet-black armor. Is this the legendary Lich King?]
[He tries to force you to submit so he can claim your soul. In exchange, you would gain eternal life and immense magical power. But your extremely chaotic mind renders you immune to any brainwashing or mind control. You keenly realize this might be an opportunity. Observing him closely, you note that after enduring Kil'jaeden's prolonged torment, Ner'zhul's mental state is hanging by a thread. Through clever acting and persuasion, you win his trust. He considers you a confidant and grants you an immense source of magical power and dominion over the undead. He then gives you both your first command: travel to Lordaeron and establish a cult that worships the Lich King as a god.]
[You couldn't care less about that—but someone else could. Kel'Thuzad, who entered Icecrown Citadel with you, has completely submitted to the Lich King. Upon returning to Lordaeron with him, he eagerly urges you to begin recruiting cult members. With Kel'Thuzad's illusion magic, countless citizens—many of whom have just suffered the horrors of war and the pains of poverty—are quickly drawn into your underground cult. Following Kel'Thuzad's suggestion, you name this organization the Cult of the Damned. The cult promises its acolytes social equality and eternal life in return for their devotion to Ner'zhul. You mostly slack off during this process, while Kel'Thuzad recruits countless low-status laborers to swell the ranks of the cult. With the help of money and illusions, he easily convinces people to abandon their faith in the Light and embrace the shadowy powers of Ner'zhul.]
[At the end of September 2019, you take a trip back to Stormwind. Once again, the black dragon lady's flavor doesn't disappoint. After a few passionate nights, you bring your trusted subordinates Hogger and Putress back to Lordaeron.]
[In January 2020, you catch your first glimpse of Arthas—from afar, just a fleeting glance. At this point, he's already a moderately powerful paladin. A pitiful man, he's always seen in the company of the exiled former King of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn. The two are now inseparable companions. You also see Jaina—another person whose resolve seems pathetically weak. To you, they're both just low-difficulty "game" content.]
[At the end of February, you encounter a dreadlord named Mal'Ganis in Lordaeron. He tells you he's been sent to lure Prince Arthas into joining the Scourge. For some reason, you feel like you're the same type of person as him.]
[In March 2020, due to your and Kel'Thuzad's success in Lordaeron, Ner'zhul summons you back to Icecrown Citadel. The Lich King hands you a few artifacts known as Plague Cauldrons and instructs you to place them in villages to spread the plague. You find this method crude and tasteless, and show no interest—but Kel'Thuzad handles it all. Soon, large numbers of unsuspecting villagers are infected and die, only to be reanimated as mindless zombies.]
[In April 2020, Ner'zhul delivers another order through Mal'Ganis: either you or Kel'Thuzad will die at Arthas's hands. This will be a key part of Arthas's eventual fall, and in return, the Lich King will resurrect the fallen one and grant them eternal life… Only an idiot would agree to that! But Kel'Thuzad is exactly that idiot, and he willingly walks to his death.]
[As Ner'zhul planned, Kel'Thuzad is killed by Arthas, Varian, and Jaina. Before dying, he tells Arthas that the true culprits are you and Mal'Ganis, both hiding in Stratholme. After Kel'Thuzad's death, you take over the Cult of the Damned. Most of its members are now raving fanatics devoted to the Shadow, easy to manipulate and indoctrinate. Within days, you've completely taken control of the cult. Under your orchestration, three days later, Mal'Ganis is discovered by the Knights of the Silver Hand—led by Uther—and is "unexpectedly" killed, returning to the Twisting Nether.]
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