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Digging up the Dead
WC3-U02
Location Outskirts of Andorhal
Result Scourge victory
Belligerents
  Scourge
 

Knights of the Silver Hand

Commanders and leaders
 

Scourge

 

Knights of the Silver Hand

Casualties and losses
 

Scourge

  • Moderate
 

Knights of the Silver Hand

  • Very heavy
Previous Trudging through the Ashes
Next

The Dreadlords Convene

Into the Realm Eternal
WC3RoC-logo
This article contains lore taken from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the manuals, and/or official bonus maps.

Chapter 2 of the Undead Campaign, Act 2 "Path of the Damned" in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.[1]

Loading screen[]

The next morning, on the outskirts of Andorhal...

Creeps[]

Critters[]

Villagers[]

Digging up the Dead Map

Quests[]

Main Quests[]

Availablequest BTNNecromancer Recover Remains[]

  • Kill the Paladin
  • Bring Arthas to Kel'Thuzad's tomb
  • Arthas must survive

You must recover the horribly decayed remains of Kel'Thuzad. The Necromancer's remains lie within a guarded cemetery, watched over by the stoic Knights of the Silver Hand. The holy knights must be dealt with before the remains can be exhumed.

Availablequest BTNUrnOfKelThuzad Claim the Urn[]

  • Kill the Paladins
  • Recover the Urn

The special Urn required to hold Kel'Thuzad's remains is also guarded by the Knights of the Silver Hand. You must slay the remaining Paladins and recover the Urn before your journey to Quel'Thalas can begin.

Availablequest BTNNecropolis Establish a Base[]

  • Build a Necropolis
  • Haunt a gold mine
  • Build a Crypt
  • Build 3 Ziggurats
  • Build a Graveyard

The Paladins maintain a strong hold over the surrounding area. You must establish a base and bolster your forces. Only aided by Ghouls and Meat Wagons will you be able to break through the Paladins' defenses.

Transcript[]

Prelude
While traveling on the road, Arthas and his Ghouls are met by an Acolyte and a trio of Meat Wagons.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: What the hell is that?
IconSmall Cultist Male Acolyte: This crude contraption will allow you to transport the remains of our master.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Can you not simply raise the remains when we find them?
IconSmall Cultist Male Acolyte: Pardon, Lord, but a being of Kel'Thuzad's power can only be reanimated at a nexus of powerful ley-energies, and there are no such places in this land.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Very well, then. Let's move out.
During the Mission
IconSmall Gavinrad Gavinrad the Dire: Arthas! Stop this madness before it's too late!
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Stand aside, brother. I've come to collect some old bones, and I don't wish to be disturbed.
IconSmall Gavinrad Gavinrad the Dire: I can't believe that we ever called you brother! I knew it was a mistake to accept a spoiled prince into our order! You've made a mockery of the Silver Hand!
In front of Kel'Thuzad's tomb...
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Come along now, necromancer. The powers that you once served have need of your again.
IconSmall Ghost Kel'Thuzad: Told you my death would mean little.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: What the... Am I hearing ghosts now?
Kel'Thuzad's ghost appears next to Arthas.
IconSmall Ghost Kel'Thuzad: It is I, Kel'Thuzad. I was right about you, Prince Arthas.
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: It took you long enough. These remains are badly decomposed. They will never survive the trip to Quel'Thalas.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Quel'Thalas?
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: Yes. Only the energies of the high elves' sunwell can bring Kel'Thuzad back to life.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Then what must be done?
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: You must steal a very special urn from the paladins' keeping. Place the necromancer's remains within it, and he will be well protected for the journey.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: As you wish.
  • IconSmall Necromancer Necromancer: The undead must haunt a gold mine before the acolytes can begin harvesting gold.
  • IconSmall Necromancer Necromancer: Blight is created when undead structures are summoned. Buildings can only be summoned on to blight with the exception of the Necropolis.
  • IconSmall Necromancer Necromancer: When standing on blight, wounded undead units regenerate faster.
  • IconSmall Necromancer Necromancer: Summoning a graveyard will supply the undead army with fresh corpses.
  • IconSmall Necromancer Necromancer: Ghouls harvest lumber for the undead army.
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: I must feast on souls!
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: I grow tired of waiting.
IconSmall Human Male Ballador the Bright: Vile betrayer! You are not fit enough to even carry your father's name! Why Uther ever vouched for you is beyond me. You've stripped him of his honor by casting yours to the winds! You deserve a gruesome death, boy!
IconSmall Human Male Sage Truthbearer: Light have mercy on you! Your betrayal has broken Uther's heart, boy. He would have given his life for yours in a second, and this is how you repay his loyalty?
IconSmall Uther Uther the Lightbringer: Your father ruled this land for seventy years, and you've ground it to dust in a matter of days.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: Very dramatic, Uther. Give me the urn, and I'll make sure you die quickly.
IconSmall Uther Uther the Lightbringer: The urn holds your father's ashes, Arthas! What, were you hoping to piss on them one last time before you left his kingdom to rot?
Arthas chuckles.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: I didn't know what it held. Nor does it matter. I'll take what I came for one way or another.
IconSmall Uther Uther the Lightbringer: I dearly hope that there's a special place in hell waiting for you, Arthas.
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: We may never know, Uther. I intend to live forever.
Sasquatch easter egg
IconSmall ArthasDK Arthas: What the hell is that?
IconSmall Yeti Sasquatch: <Translated to English> What the hell is that!?
IconSmall Yeti Elder Sasquatch: <Translated to English> I don't know, but it can't be good. We should destroy them before they tell others about our secret society of Sasquatch, which lives out here in these ancient woods. None may know the incredible secrets that our race has withheld from the rest of the world...
Outro
Kel'Thuzad's ghost appears in front of Arthas just as Tichondrius teleports in.
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: Excellent work. Now, your journey to Quel'Thalas can begin.
IconSmall Ghost Kel'Thuzad: Tell him nothing! Only you can hear me. The dreadlords cannot be trusted. They are the Lich King's jailors! I will tell you all... when I walk this world again.
Unused quotes
IconSmall Nathrezim2 Tichondrius: Where are the necromancer's remains? Retrieve them immediately!
IconSmall Uther Uther the Lightbringer: Come, then, shadow-spawn!
IconSmall Uther Uther the Lightbringer: I am the hammer of justice!

Battle[]

Arthas gathered his forces on the outskirts of Andorhal in preparation for recovering the remains of the Necromancer Kel'Thuzad. The Cultists provided him with several Meat Wagons, which would both preserve and transport Kel'Thuzad's remains. When Arthas asked why they couldn't simply resurrect Kel'Thuzad on the spot, the Cultists explained that they needed a powerful nexus of magic to raise a being of Kel'Thuzad's power.

Arthas led his forces to Kel'Thuzad's grave. Along the way, they encountered some resistance from the Champions of Peace. The undead easily overwhelmed these humans and arrived at the grave. The Paladin Gavinrad the Dire, who was guarding the site told Arthas to stop this madness before it was too late. Arthas ordered Gavinrad to stand aside. Gavinrad instead attacked the undead. He was no match for Arthas and the Scourge warriors and was slain. As Arthas entered the graveyard, he suddenly heard the disembodied voice of Kel'Thuzad. A ghostly apparition of Kel'Thuzad then appeared before the Death Knight. The necromancer had clearly been expecting him.

Kel'Thuzad's remains were exhumed and loaded into a meat wagon. However, when Tichondrius inspected the remains, he informed Arthas that they were so badly decomposed, that they would never survive the journey to Quel'Thalas. The power of the High Elves' Sunwell was needed to resurrect Kel'Thuzad. Tichondrius told Arthas that he would have to steal a special urn from the nearby Silver Hand camp. The urn would protect the remains.

Arthas found a nearby goldmine and established a base. The Acolytes summoned the necessary buildings from Northrend while ghouls harvested lumber. Eventually, Arthas's forces were strong enough and he led them into battle. To reach the Silver Hand camp, they had to fight their way through a town protected by the Champions of Light and the Champions of Truth. The Paladin Ballador the Bright confronted Arthas and told the fallen Prince that he deserved a "gruesome death" for his treachery. Arthas defeated Ballador and left him for dead.

As Arthas moved deeper into the town, he encountered another paladin Sage Truthbearer who rebuked Arthas for repaying Uther's loyalty like this. Although the paladin was considerably more powerful than the first two, Arthas triumphed again. He slew Sage Truthbearer and looted a pair of Gloves of Haste from paladin's corpse. These magical gloves allowed Arthas to wield the Frostmourne with greater speed.

Finally, Arthas arrived at the Silver Hand camp where he found Uther waiting. Uther angrily told his former student that he had destroyed his father's kingdom in a matter of days. Arthas told him to hand over the urn. Uther was disgusted. The urn contained the late king's ashes. Arthas didn't care and engaged Uther in battle. Uther proved to be an incredibly powerful foe. He used his skills and magics to slay many of Arthas's minions. Inevitably, however, he fell before the death knight and the numerous undead warriors. In his dying moments, Uther expressed hope that there was a special place in Hell waiting for Arthas. Arthas's reply was that they may never find out as he intended to live forever. The death knight retrieved the urn, emptied it, and placed Kel'Thuzad's remains inside.

Tichondrius appeared again and congratulated Arthas. Kel'Thuzad's ghost appeared as well, although only Arthas was aware of his presence. Kel'Thuzad told Arthas not to trust Tichondrius. The Dreadlords, he explained, were the Lich King's jailors. Kel'Thuzad promised to tell Arthas everything once he had been resurrected.

Forces[]

Scourge
Knights of the Silver Hand

Trivia[]

  • To the left of the village below the undead base, Tichondrius can be found feasting on the souls of sleeping villagers.
    • This easter egg was added to make use of his line: I must feast on souls! If Tichondrius had been playable, this would've been one of his pissed quotes.[2]
  • A secret society of Sasquatch can be found beyond a hidden path through the trees in-between the four skulls on sticks.
  • Behind the base of Ballador the Bright is a cross stone in front of trees that when knocked down lead to a pandaren relaxation area.
    • An image of a pandaren parent and cub designed by Samwise Didier will appear upon entering. The image is based off the Lone Wolf and Cub manga. It will reappear every time the player enters, which wasn't intentional but fixing it could've caused glitches when the game was close to shipping.[2]
  • A sheep aligned to Tichondrius can be found on a cliff at the bottom of the map.
  • These events are revisited in the N [60] I Intend to Live Forever Shadowlands quest.
WC3Reforged-icon This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reforged.
  • In Reforged, there are two new gates, one at the beginning of the map and second, invulnerable one that connects the Kel'Thuzad's graveyard with the rest of the map in the south. The sheep in Tichondrius' team is not present. Ai is not present.

References[]

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