User:Joshmaul/Artimus Devaneaux/Dead Man's Victory

As his alliance with Saavedro of Stratholme was renewed, Baron Artimus Devaneaux was given the opportunity to avenge himself upon those who had tried to enslave him.

Saavedro's Offer: To Claim His Rightful Place
Artimus' inability to meet face-to-face with Kel'Thuzad still rankled him, but his ally/antagonist, Saavedro, had friends in high places - and in high times. After journeying back nearly a decade to fight in the Battle of Mount Hyjal, Saavedro received the backing of the bronze dragonflight should he wish to go back and participate in other pivotal battles for Outland. Saavedro made one request, however: That, when the time was right (an ironic statement to make to a bronze dragon), Artimus was to accompany him back to Naxxramas, at the point that Saavedro was first able to walk its halls. Soridormi, though suspicious of the death knight, nevertheless consented...all the while warning that there would be consequences.

Saavedro met with Artimus in Wintergarde and asked him point-blank, if he had been with Saavedro during the battle for Naxxramas, who would he most want to face. The Baron replied, without hesitation, that he wanted to face Kel'Thuzad foremost; however, though he had braved the Arachnid and Plague Quarters (including slaying one of his "teachers", Noth the Plaguebringer) before he was wounded so seriously that he had been forced to depart, Artimus also wished he could have fought in the death knight training wing, the Military Quarter, and proven that only one of Razuvious' students could defeat him. Saavedro then revealed his plan to allow Artimus to journey in time with him to Naxxramas, to the very first battle that the Regent had faced, so that Artimus could fight at his side. Wary, but aware of Saavedro's alliance with the bronze dragonflight, Artimus agreed, and they stepped back several months in time...to the very beginning.

The Students Become the Masters


After clearing through the Arachnid, Plague and Construct Quarters - all the while gaining relics that increased his power - Artimus at last set foot in the Military Quarter for the first time since his initial training under Instructor Razuvious, over a year earlier. There were three targets for Artimus here - Razuvious, Gothik the Harvester, and Baron Rivendare - all had aided in his training as a death knight of Acherus, and he had sworn to slay them. Now he had a chance. Attired in the colors of the First Fleet, Artimus was unsurprised to see the remainder of the group were also members.

Artimus and Brunhok Lightbrew, one of Saavedro's brother paladins and a relative of the royal family of Ironforge, led the way while Saavedro himself - in contrast from his original trip here - stayed in the back of the pack as a healer. Artimus knew Naxxramas like the back of his hand, and easily found his way, all the while slaying more acolytes of Arthas. The feeling of slaying Scourge death knights, those who were what he had once been - mindless servants - felt good, better than he could have anticipated. When they reached Razuvious himself, Artimus was ecstatic, and eager to make the kill.

With the Instructor were two understudies; Brunhok and Artimus would each take control of one and use them to slay their master...a fitting irony, in Artimus' opinion. Having mastered the abilities the understudies were training in, Artimus had little difficulty adjusting, and his understudy "pet" was the one who struck the killing blow that ended Razuvious' life. With the Instructor dead, they moved on into the "realm of the harvester"...Gothik the Harvester, to be precise. The necromancer had been General Settra's instructor; after the Battle of Light's Hope Chapel, human and Forsaken had made a pact - if one did not kill him, the other would. The same applied to Rivendare and to Kel'Thuzad, and Artimus swore to carry out that oath.

Standing before the Harvester, Artimus slew the still "living" death knights who charged at him, while Brunhok dealt with the spirits raised by Gothik's necromantic sorcery, before both faced the Harvester, teleporting between the two locked rooms.

Baron Against Baron


After Gothik had been felled, Artimus stood at last in the Horsemen's Assembly, facing the four most powerful death knights of Naxxramas - Thane Korth'azz, Baron Rivendare, Sir Zeliek, and Lady Blaumeux. All were known to Artimus, and he was known to them - especially Rivendare. Brunhok and Artimus stood at opposite sides of the entry-way, and Artimus would bring Rivendare to him, holding him until either his power seemed overwhelming, or until he was dead. Others were dealing with the Thane, Blaumeux and Zeliek; Rivendare was Artimus' responsibility, one he would see taken care of.

After Korth'azz was slain, Artimus and Brunhok combined with their party to slay Rivendare, thus taking care of the second of Artimus' three targets. At the back of the room, where another of Saavedro's brother paladins and a priest were keeping Zeliek and Blaumeux occupied, Artimus and Brunhok took over their duties and finished off the last of the Four Horsemen.

Lichfall: The Destruction of Kel'Thuzad


After entering the frozen heart of Naxxramas and destroying the Lich King's "pet", Sapphiron, Artimus, Saavedro and their party at last entered the throne room of Kel'Thuzad. Instructing him on the abilities he had seen at the Archlich's disposal during his battle here, Saavedro warned that if Kel'Thuzad called for the Lich King's aid, he would answer with two of his most powerful guardians of Icecrown. Artimus' task was to take the guardians and ensure they did not slaughter the remainder of the war party.

After what seemed like an endless wait for Kel'Thuzad to enter the battle and become desperate enough to call for his master's aid, the call finally went out. Artimus, unprepared for the size of the creatures he was facing (though perhaps he should have known better, considering they were crypt lords), nonetheless gained his targets' attention...until one of their claws slashed him across the chest. Seriously wounded, Artimus fell to the ground a bloody mess, but remained conscious enough to see, with his own eyes, the final destruction of Kel'Thuzad.

After being tended to by Saavedro and the other healers, Artimus left Naxxramas and returned to the present time with a great sense of what Saavedro had accomplished there. He grew to grudgingly respect the paladin again, though he vowed that one day he would eclipse him entirely - he, not Saavedro, would be the first to the finish at Icecrown, to finish off Arthas. Returning to the Naxxramas crash site outside of Wintergarde Keep, he entered the broken halls of the necropolis again and plundered it for any artifacts Saavedro may have missed.

Artimus' sojourn in the past did not go off without consequences. As Soridormi had feared, a change in the timeline had resulted in the creation of a man known simply as "Kor", who would become an enemy of Seekthreed; Seekthreed in turn would become an enemy of Saavedro, as Kor revealed how he had come into being.

Into the Sanctum of the Lich King


Aided by Saavedro and Taeril'hane Ketiron, Artimus entered the Forge of Souls near Icecrown Citadel and helped bring down the Soul Grinder operation there by slaying Bronjahm, the "Godfather of Souls", and the Devourer of Souls guarding the gateway to the Pit of Saron. Freeing the Alliance slaves (with Ketiron doing the same for the Horde ones) and rallying them into an army under Martin Victus, Artimus marched through the saronite mining operation and shut it down, ending with the destruction of Scourgelord Tyrannus.

Tipped off by the plagued gnome Krick before his demise, Artimus accompanied Jaina Proudmoore into the Halls of Reflection, where - for the first time since the Cathedral of Darkness, months earlier - he came face-to-face with the Lich King himself. Standing with soldiers of the Alliance and Horde, Artimus fought off the ranks of the restless dead, spirits of Lordaeron unleashed by the Lich King to make war on the living. After bringing down the Lich King's deathly captains, Falric and Marwyn, Artimus proceeded into the Lich King's throne room. But he remembered the admonition of Uther, speaking to Jaina - the Lich King could only be fought and destroyed at the Frozen Throne itself.

Fleeing from the Lich King's wrath, Artimus and his companions fought off the ghouls and other minions that the Dark Lord summoned, giving Jaina enough time to break through the walls of ice leading to their exit. Upon reaching the platform, they realized they were trapped - that was, until the gunship Skybreaker appeared and opened fire on the tunnel, sealing it and saving their comrades. Boarding the Skybreaker and making his exit, Artimus continued to gather strength, preparing for his final battle - the entry into the halls of Icecrown Citadel itself...