Argus Wake

The Argus Wake are a mysterious group of the Shadow Council allied to the Syndicate in Alterac. Known Argus Wake members are the Argus Shadow Mages found in Strahnbrad and the Uplands. According to Thrall, they are members of the Shadow Council, and should be considered one and the same.

"Many cults exist within the Council, but only to hide its actions against the foolish. Groups like the Burning Blade, the Argus Wake, and the Searing Blade are tools of the Council. Consider them one and the same."

The Argus Wake has also made use of vast quantities of bloodstones, primarily in the form of Bloodstone Amulets, and presumably made them out of the stolen Bloodstone Artifact, the Befouled Bloodstone Orb. They distributed them among the Syndicate.

Nearly all the information about this group comes from this letter, which was found by warriors of the Alliance, and translated by Prospector Stormpike.


 * ''Greetings, Master,


 * ''Forgive me for the method of sending this message. My shadow mages in Alterac are intent on their tasks, forcing me to use a foreign messenger — conscripted from our new "allies" — to bring you this report. But I have encrypted this letter with one of our most esoteric ciphers. Its words are safe from these yokels.


 * ''Our plans progress well; as mentioned, we made an alliance with a group of humans who call themselves the Syndicate. Its leaders were once the nobles of Alterac and they crave to once again hold sway here.


 * ''And so they have struck a bargain with us. A bargain they will regret.


 * ''Today the Syndicate holds little power in these lands, but they know the area well and have assembled sufficient manpower for the tasks ahead. With proper guiding I am confident that soon, the Syndicate will again rule Alterac.


 * ''In addition, we have urged the Syndicate to aim for the city of Stromgarde in the nearby Arathi Highlands. The city is a battlefield between our forces, ogres and the humans of Stromgarde, but we feel that with careful tactics we will own this once great city.


 * ''And when this is done, the next stage of our plan may begin. With a nation of our own and a base of power in this region, we may then prepare the way for the Third Host.


 * ''Soon, the Legion Lords will reward our works by raining fire from the skies once again!


 * ''The Council was wise to appoint you head of the Argus Wake, marshal of their strategies in the land of humans and dwarves. And I am honored to serve as the hand of your will in Alterac.


 * ''In Sargeras' Name,


 * ''Nagaz,
 * ''Argus Heirophant

Known members:

Speculation
Judging from the last lines of the letter, it can be implied that the Argus Wake is one of the more powerful splinter cults of the Shadow Council, reporting directly to the higher powers of the Burning Legion. It is unknown who or what the "Third Host" is, however if the Argus Wake are servants of the Burning Legion, it is possible this note refers to a third host for Sargeras, the first two being Aegwynn and Medivh.

In other sources of Warcraft lore, a "host" is also the term used for the main body of an army. So It is also likely that the Third Host is the next invading force to be sent by the Burning Legion (the first having been sent during the War of the Ancients, and the second during the Third War).

The name Argus Wake is likely connected to the eredar homeworld of Argus.