User:Adys/wlki

Prince Arthas Menethil was born four years before the outbreak of the First War. King Terenas II and Queen Lianne were overjoyed, and all of Lordaeron celebrated Arthas' birth.

At the tender age of nineteen, Arthas fulfilled his father's hopes by being inducted into the Knights of the Silver Hand. The paladin Uther the Lightbringer became Arthas' mentor.

Five years later, Arthas and the sorceress Jaina Proudmoore began investigating a deadly plague. Its victims turned into undead fighters in an army that became known as the Scourge.

Arthas and Jaina found and dispatched Kel'Thuzad, the necromancer who was spreading the plague. Tragically the city of Stratholme had already been infected, and so Arthas ordered it purged.

Eventually Arthas came upon the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, who claimed ultimate responsibility for the plague. Eluding capture, Mal'Ganis challenged the prince to a final confrontation in the continent of Northrend.

After landing on Northrend's icy shores, Arthas encountered dwarves under attack by the Scourge. The dwarves' leader, Muradin Bronzebeard, had been searching for the fabled runeblade known as Frostmourne.

At Uther's urging, King Terenas sent word to Norhrend that Arthas and the rest of the fleet were to return to Lordaeron immediately. Arthas' soldiers gladly prepared to obey.

Increasingly driven by thoughts of vengeance, Arthas refused to abandon the hunt for Mal'Ganis. Instead, the prince secretly hired mercenaries to sink his own ships.

As the ships burned, Arthas publicly blamed the mercenaries for the fleet's destruction. They were swiftly killed by Arthas' infuriated soldiers.

Although the blade was cursed, Arthas swore that he would pay any cost for victory. The ice encasing Frostmourne shattered, and one shard of ice flew out, felling Muradin.

Runeblade in hand, Arthas led his troops to victory, but Mal'Ganis remained confident. He explained that the Lich King, ruler of the Scourge, had manipulated Arthas into taking Frostmourne.

Mal'Ganis claimed to be in league with the Lich King. However, the Lich King disagreed, speaking to Arthas through Frostmourne. Gleefuly Arthas slew the astonished dreadlord.

Afterwards, Arthas wandered off into the frozen wastelands of Northrend. Tormented by Frostmourne's maddening voice, he fell deeply under the Lich King's sway.

Driven by the sword's dark will, Arthas returned home to a hero's welcome. Despite Arthas' recent questionable decisions, the king welcomed his son with open arms and loving faith.

Arthas murdered his father and led the Scourge in ravaging Lordaeron. He then retrieved Kel'Thuzad's remains and took them to Quel'Thalas, kingdom of the high elves.

The elves put up a valiant fight, but to no avail. Arthas defeated Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner and, in return for her defiance, warped her spirit into a banshee.

As one of the undead, Sylvanas was subject to the Lich King's iron will. With her unwilling assistance, the Scourge captured the Sunwell, the elves' fount of arcane power.

Using the Sunwell's magic, Arthas converted Kel'thuzad into an undead lich. The demon lord Archimonde ordered Arthas and his new ally to retrieve a spellbook: the Book of Medivh.

The Scourge invaded the city-state of Dalaran, whose magi guarded the spellbook. Ultimately Dalaran was overrun, and Kel'Thuzad used the book to summon Archimonde into the world of Azeroth.

While Archimonde's forces began their invasion of Azeroth, Arthas persuaded the demon hunter Illidan Stormrage to disrupt Archimonde's plans by stealing a powerful magical artifact, the Skull of Gul'dan.

Illidan's theft sealed Archimonde's defeat on Azeroth. Yet the victory was short-lived, for the Lich King soon demanded that Arthas return to Northrend.

In Northrend Arthas was attacked by elven survivors of the Scourge's attack upon Quel'Thalas. Now Illidan's allies, they planned to attack the Lich King.

Undead nerubians led by the crypt lord Anub'arak helped Arthas vanquish the elves, but most of Illidan's army was already marching on Icecrown Glacier, where the Lich King dwelled.

Arthas feared that he would not reach the Lich King in time. Thus, he and Anub'arak took a shortcut through the ancient subterranean kingdom of Azjol-Nerub.

The shortcut paid off, and Arthas intercepted Illidan at the top of Icecrown Glacier. After defeating him in single combat, Arthas warned him to leave Azeroth and never return.

Entering Icecrown Citadel, Arthas merged with the Lich King, their spirits and powers becoming one. A new Lich King ascended the Frozen Throne.

For five years the Lich King has dreamed and waited. Now he has awakened... and his wrath shall scour the living from the face of Azeroth.