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War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
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2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
“I served Arthas in death, because I had no choice. He had control over my will and my body. The Cult of the Damned serves Arthas in life… willingly. Now that we know the words of power to enter Naxxanar we can put an end to the cultist blight. Go to En’kilah and look for the teleportation orb beneath the floating citadel.
Work your way up and meet me at the top. Arm yourself with what courage you can, we might not make it out of this alive.”
-Thassarian
Go to the Temple City of En’kilah and find the teleportation orb beneath the floating Scourge citadel of Naxxanar. Use it to reach the top and help Thassarian there.
You will be able to choose one of these rewards:
Upon completion of this quest you will gain:
Quest Giver: Thassarian, Wailing Ziggurat [84.8, 41.6]
Turn In: Thassarian (atop Naxxanar after the fight, or back at Wailing Ziggurat if missed)
Objective: Go to Naxxanar and help Thassarian defeat Prince Valanar
Quick Facts
Reaching Thassarian in Naxxanar
Step 1: Enter the Temple City
Step 2: First Teleporter
Step 3: Find the Second Teleporter (Common Confusion Point)
The Battle with Prince Valanar
Pre-Fight Preparation
Starting the Fight
Combat Mechanics
Tactics
If Thassarian Dies
Post-Fight: Reunion
After Valanar falls, a scene plays out between Thassarian and Leryssa:
General Arlos says: “What… what happened to me?” Leryssa yells: “Thassarian! You’re alive!” Thassarian says: “Leryssa… you… you’re all right!”
Leryssa begs Thassarian not to leave again. He responds:
“You might be right, sister. My obligations to my land and King have been fulfilled. But there is still something that I owe to myself.”
Turn in to Thassarian quickly to select your reward. If you miss him, he returns to the Wailing Ziggurat.
Completion Text: “You did well. I was hoping to leave my sister out of all this. Thanks to you she is alive and well. My obligations to my king and my army have been fulfilled. It is clear I’m not welcome among my comrades anymore. I will have to find my own way, fighting no wars but my own and following no orders but my heart’s.”
Lore Context
This quest reveals the mastermind behind Unit S’s suicide mission: Prince Valanar, a San’layn vampire lord who had infiltrated Valiance Keep disguised as Counselor Talbot. From his position as advisor to General Arlos, Valanar manipulated Alliance leadership, kept cultist activities hidden, and sent good soldiers to die on impossible missions.
The San’layn are darkfallen blood elves raised into undeath during Arthas’s campaign through Quel’Thalas. They serve as vampiric lieutenants of the Scourge, wielding blood and shadow magic.
When the Lich King appears, Thassarian confronts him directly: “I would sooner slit my own throat. You will pay for what you did to your own men, Arthas… for what you did to me! I swear it.”
The quest concludes Thassarian’s personal mission in Borean Tundra and sets up his continued story as a death knight seeking his own path.
Cross-Expansion Connections
Explore Borean Tundra’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Borean Tundra Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.
Vikstone's War Journal“I served Arthas in death because I had no choice,” Thassarian said. “He controlled my will and my body. The Cult of the Damned serves him in life. Willingly.”
He handed me the scrolls. “Now that we know the words of power to enter Naxxanar, we can end this. Go to En’kilah. Find the teleportation orb beneath the floating citadel. Work your way up. Meet me at the top.”
He paused. “Arm yourself with what courage you can. We might not make it out alive.”
The orbs carried me through twisted stone corridors until I emerged at the summit of Naxxanar. Thassarian waited there, runeblade drawn, eyes fixed on something beyond.
“Let’s do this,” I said. “Now or never.”
The Image of the Lich King materialized first. Then Counselor Talbot stepped from the shadows beside him, and as he moved, his form shifted; the human disguise melted away to reveal something else entirely. Pale skin. Burning eyes. Fangs.
Prince Valanar. San’layn, the blood prince who’d been hiding in Valiance Keep all along.
“My liege,” Valanar said, “the infiltration and control of the Alliance power structure by our cultists is well underway.”
“Your progress has been impressive, Blood Prince.” The Lich King’s voice echoed through bone. “I am pleased.”
“The power you’ve bestowed upon me has allowed great mental influence over human minds.” Valanar gestured behind him. “I bear these offerings as proof.”
Two figures walked forward. Blank-eyed. Controlled.
General Arlos. And Leryssa.
Thassarian moved before I could react. “LERYSSA!” The runeblade came up. “What have you done to my sister, you motherless elf scum!?”
The Lich King’s image turned toward him. “Now this is a surprise, Thassarian. I hadn’t heard from Mograine or the other death knights for months. Return to me, and I might let your sister live.”
“I would sooner slit my own throat.” Thassarian’s voice shook. “You will pay for what you did to your own men, Arthas. For what you did to me. I swear it.”
Valanar stepped forward, smiling. “Allow me to take care of the intruders, lord. I will feed their entrails to the maggots.”
“Do not fail me, San’layn. Return to Icecrown with this fool’s head, or do not bother to return.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The Image faded. Valanar attacked.
His blood magic hit harder than Andorath’s had. Valanar was the source, and the priests had only been channeling scraps of his power. I charged through the pain, shield raised, and slammed into him before his spell could finish. My mace connected with his shoulder and he staggered, but recovered faster than any mortal should. Thassarian was there in the next instant, runeblade singing, forcing Valanar back toward the edge.
We fought him together. I’d create an opening and Thassarian would drive into it. When Valanar turned his focus on the death knight, I punished him for it. The San’layn’s magic scored burns across my arms, but I’d fought through worse. A thunderclap scattered his summoned minions and a shield slam interrupted his casting. And when Thassarian drove him to his knees, I brought my mace down with everything I had.
Valanar collapsed. Then laughed.
“Pitiful,” he spat. “Just pitiful.”
Dark magic swirled around him, and he was gone. Escaped. The coward had fled rather than face true death.
But Leryssa and Arlos remained, the mind control shattered with Valanar’s retreat.
“What… what happened to me?” Arlos clutched his head. “My head won’t stop spinning…”
Leryssa’s eyes found her brother’s. “Thassarian? You’re… alive?”
He knelt before her. “Leryssa. You’re all right.”
“I thought… I thought you were dead.”
“I was.” He took her hands. “But I came back. And I’m not done yet.”
She studied his face. “I know that look. I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”
“No.”
“If you die on me again…”
“I won’t.” His voice softened, just slightly. “I will come back to you when I’m done. Nothing in the world will stop me from coming home to the only family I have left.”
They held each other for a long moment. Then she rose, and he turned to me.
“You did well. I was hoping to leave my sister out of all this. Thanks to you, she’s alive.”
He looked out over En’kilah, toward the distant horizon.
“My obligations to my king and army have been fulfilled. It’s clear I’m not welcome among my comrades anymore.” He sheathed his runeblade. “I will have to find my own way. Fighting no wars but my own. Following no orders but my heart’s.”
Counselor Talbot had been Prince Valanar. The suicide mission. The silencing of Leryssa. The control over General Arlos. It all made sense now.
The Scourge hadn’t just been attacking Valiance Keep from without. They’d been rotting it from within.
And we’d just cut out the infection.
Valanar fled, Thassarian sheathed his runeblade and left the Alliance for good, and Borean Tundra’s next demand on Vikstone arrived from King Mrgl-Mrgl.
