Changes: New Plague

Revision as of 16:47, 2 February 2009

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The New Plague is the Forsaken's altered version of the powerful Plague of Undeath that led to the creation of the Undead Scourge. The Plague of Undeath had the effect of transforming normal humans into mindless undead in the service of the tyrannical Lich King. Some members of the Forsaken, including their queen Sylvanas Windrunner, were once pawns of the Lich King, but were later freed. The Forsaken's aim is to create a new plague that would annihilate the Scourge itself, and perhaps later their living enemies as well — and raise them to replenish and expand their own numbers.

The Royal Apothecary Society, the alchemical experts of the Forsaken, have been working on various ways to use various parts from creatures living in their sphere of control as well as agriculture grown in the Tirisfal Glades and the Hillsbrad Foothills to create powerful toxins. The nearest brush with success yet seen involved pumpkins from the Solliden Farmstead in Tirisfal. When tested on a Scarlet Crusader held captive in the Brill Inn, it brought about transformation into a ghoul, only to cause true death seconds later.

The use of the New Plague on humans has thus far been only partially successful. While it kills the victim, it doesn't bring the human back after death as a new Forsaken. Other problems remaining include distribution; the Royal Apothecary Society is searching for a way to effectively spread their new plague, so that no living thing remains on the entire planet...leaving all of Azeroth as one big plagueland, ruled by the Forsaken. Sylvanas' initial plan is to wipe out her immediate enemies — the Scourge and then the Alliance, and raise them again to her cause.

The Royal Apothecary Society, a sect of Forsaken alchemists, are fanatically loyal to the Dark Lady. Recently, the alchemists were assigned by Sylvanas to a project to create a master Plague, similar to Ner’zhul’s, to wipe out the living races as well as the Scourge. The apothecary Faranell heads the project, constructing a New Plague to wipe out all of humanity and the Forsaken’s nemesis, the Scourge. So far, the Society has not yet produced results. Since the world at large refuses to accept them as people instead of undead, they will continue their dark designs to eliminate all non-Forsaken life forms on Azeroth. However, at this point their Plague kills only humans, and doesn’t affect the Scourge at all. The Royal Apothecary Society believes that their usefulness to the Dark Lady may be coming to an end. If they cannot finish their master Plague soon, they may find their Society disbanded. Due to repeated failures by the society to make a New Plague, Sylvanas has recruited necromancers to find other means of raising slain enemies, into her cause.Template:Cite

Quests that refer to the new plague

In Wrath of the Lich King

The towns of New Agamand and (to a lesser extent) Vengeance Landing in the Howling Fjord and the town of Venomspite in the Dragonblight are the Forsaken's major centers for production of the "New Plague" in Northrend. After several failures in Howling Fjord, the apothecaries of New Agamand send a sample of the perfected plague, known as the "Forsaken Blight", to Venomspite. The Forsaken Blight, combined with a reactive agent, is powerful enough to turn its victims (or at least the undead ones) into shapeless piles of goo. In the quests [72] The Forsaken Blight and You: How Not to Die and [72] Emerald Dragon Tears, Horde players are sent to find said reactive agent (the ectoplasmic residue from the ghosts of Arthas' troops on the Forgotten Shore) and a vessel to contain them (tears of green dragons from the Emerald Dragonshrine). Before delivering the plague to Doctor Sintar Malefious in Agmar's Hammer, the player must drive a Forsaken "blight spreader" catapult from Venomspite to an area of the Carrion Fields outside of Wintergarde Keep, right in the shadow of Naxxramas, to test this new blight on the Scourge ( [72] Spread the Good Word). It appears that the forces of the Scarlet Onslaught are immune to this plague, as indicated in the failed test against an Onslaught Prisoner in [72] Blighted Last Rites.

The Forsaken Blight's most despicable use occurred during the Battle of Angrathar the Wrath Gate. After Saurfang the Younger was slain by the Lich King while he and Bolvar Fordragon confronted him, Grand Apothecary Putress arrived on the bluff overlooking the battlefield with several blight spreader catapults. Serving the dreadlord Varimathras, who had launched a coup against the Dark Lady Sylvanas Windrunner and taken control of the Undercity for the Legion, Putress launched the Blight against both the Scourge and the combined Alliance-Horde forces. The attack resulted in the death of Highlord Fordragon, the near-total destruction of the combined army, and even weakened Arthas himself, who retreated back into Icecrown Citadel.

The Forsaken attack is considered by the Alliance to be outright treachery on the part of the Horde, giving King Varian Wrynn — who had considered Bolvar a brother — an excuse to purge the Horde from Lordaeron. Enraged, Varian leads Alliance forces in a battle for the Undercity to avenge Bolvar and retake Lordaeron. The Horde also launches an attack on the Undercity to reclaim it from Varimathras.

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 ===In Wrath of the Lich King===
-The towns of [[New Agamand]] and (to a lesser extent) [[Vengeance Landing]] in the [[Howling Fjord]] and the town of [[Venomspite]] in the [[Dragonblight]] are the Forsaken's major centers for production of the "New Plague" in Northrend. After several failures in Howling Fjord, the apothecaries of New Agamand send a sample of the perfected plague, known as the "Forsaken Blight", to Venomspite. The Forsaken Blight, combined with a reactive agent, is powerful enough to turn its victims (or at least the undead ones) into shapeless piles of goo. In the quests {{questlong|Horde|72|The Forsaken Blight and You: How Not to Die}} and {{questlong|Horde|72|Emerald Dragon Tears}}, Horde players are sent to find said reactive agent (the ectoplasmic residue from the ghosts of Arthas' troops on the [[Forgotten Shore]]) and a vessel to contain them (tears of green dragons from the [[Emerald Dragonshrine]]). Before delivering the plague to [[Doctor Sintar Malefious]] in [[Agmar's Hammer]], the player must drive a Forsaken "blight spreader" catapult from Venomspite to an area of the [[Carrion Fields]] outside of [[Wintergarde Keep]], right in the shadow of [[Naxxramas]], to test this new blight on the Scourge ({{questlong|Horde|72|Spread the Good Word}}).
+The towns of [[New Agamand]] and (to a lesser extent) [[Vengeance Landing]] in the [[Howling Fjord]] and the town of [[Venomspite]] in the [[Dragonblight]] are the Forsaken's major centers for production of the "New Plague" in Northrend. After several failures in Howling Fjord, the apothecaries of New Agamand send a sample of the perfected plague, known as the "Forsaken Blight", to Venomspite. The Forsaken Blight, combined with a reactive agent, is powerful enough to turn its victims (or at least the undead ones) into shapeless piles of goo. In the quests {{questlong|Horde|72|The Forsaken Blight and You: How Not to Die}} and {{questlong|Horde|72|Emerald Dragon Tears}}, Horde players are sent to find said reactive agent (the ectoplasmic residue from the ghosts of Arthas' troops on the [[Forgotten Shore]]) and a vessel to contain them (tears of green dragons from the [[Emerald Dragonshrine]]). Before delivering the plague to [[Doctor Sintar Malefious]] in [[Agmar's Hammer]], the player must drive a Forsaken "blight spreader" catapult from Venomspite to an area of the [[Carrion Fields]] outside of [[Wintergarde Keep]], right in the shadow of [[Naxxramas]], to test this new blight on the Scourge ({{questlong|Horde|72|Spread the Good Word}}). It appears that the forces of the [[Scarlet Onslaught]] are immune to this plague, as indicated in the failed test against an Onslaught Prisoner in {{questlong|Horde|72|Blighted Last Rites}}.
 The Forsaken Blight's most despicable use occurred during the [[Battle of Angrathar the Wrath Gate|Battle]] of [[Angrathar the Wrath Gate]]. After [[Saurfang the Younger]] was slain by the Lich King while he and [[Bolvar Fordragon]] confronted him, [[Grand Apothecary Putress]] arrived on the bluff overlooking the battlefield with several blight spreader catapults. Serving the dreadlord [[Varimathras]], who had launched a coup against the Dark Lady [[Sylvanas Windrunner]] and taken control of the [[Undercity]] for the [[Burning Legion|Legion]], Putress launched the Blight against both the Scourge and the combined Alliance-Horde forces. The attack resulted in the death of Highlord Fordragon, the near-total destruction of the combined army, and even weakened Arthas himself, who retreated back into [[Icecrown Citadel]].