War stories, articles & game guides
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2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
“We have much to do, but first I believe a short refresher is in order. We death knights have a colorful past with our Scarlet friends who idiotically rest comfortably in the harbor below us to the northwest.
When you are ready for an earful, speak with me again and I shall provide enlightenment.”
-Lord-Commander Arete
Listen to Lord-Commander Arete‘s tale at Death’s Rise.
Quest Giver: Lord-Commander Arete – Death’s Rise, Icecrown [19.5, 48.1]
Objective: Listen to Lord-Commander Arete’s tale at Death’s Rise.
Quick Facts
Walkthrough
This is an interactive dialogue quest. No combat or travel required.
Accept and Speak with Arete
Efficiency Tips
Lore & Secrets
What Arete Actually Tells You
The dialogue is worth reading. Arete recaps the Ebon Blade’s history with the Scarlet Crusade. Key points he covers:
The death knight rebellion at Light’s Hope Chapel, where Highlord Darion Mograine broke free of the Lich King’s control with help from Tirion Fordring and the Ashbringer. Players who completed the Death Knight starting zone lived this firsthand.
The Scarlet Crusade’s inability to distinguish freed death knights from the Scourge, a grudge the Ebon Blade clearly hasn’t let go.
High General Abbendis landing in Northrend and renaming the faction the Scarlet Onslaught, followed by Admiral Barean Westwind showing up unexpectedly and undermining her authority before she was killed.
The Forsaken at Venomspite sabotaging New Hearthglen, but the surviving Onslaught forces becoming tougher and better-equipped as a result.
Arete’s admission that Westwind disappeared after Abbendis died and that his spies haven’t been able to locate the admiral at Onslaught Harbor, setting up the chain’s investigation.
Design Note
Blizzard structured this quest with multiple gossip prompts specifically to slow players down and encourage them to actually read. Arete says it outright before he begins: “Very well, but if I were you, I would pay attention and not just blindly nod my head at what I heard.”
This was an unusual approach for 2008 quest design and reflects Blizzard’s awareness that most players click through quest text without reading.
Arete vs. the Argent Crusade
Arete states that the Argent Crusade has “chosen to turn a blind eye” to the Onslaught’s presence, possibly viewing them as potential allies against the Lich King. The Ebon Blade disagrees.
This tension between the two factions (pragmatic tolerance vs. total annihilation) runs through several Icecrown quest hubs and is eventually resolved when they merge into the Ashen Verdict for the Icecrown Citadel assault.
Explore Icecrown’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Icecrown Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.
You will be able to choose one of these rewards:
You will also receive:
Upon completion of this quest you will gain:
Vikstone's War Journal“We have much to do, but first I believe a short refresher is in order. We death knights have a colorful past with our Scarlet friends who idiotically rest comfortably in the harbor below us to the northwest. When you are ready for an earful, speak with me again and I shall provide enlightenment.”
Onslaught Harbor was visible from where he stood. I expect that is why he stands there.
“Lord-Commander,” I said, reluctantly. “I would hear your tale.”
“I was getting to that. Indeed when, High General Abbendis landed her forces on Northrend, she changed their name to the Scarlet Onslaught. It was not long before Admiral Barean Westwind presented himself to her at New Hearthglen in the Dragonblight. From all accounts, she wasn’t expecting him. Nor was she expecting that he would undermine her authority and take the reins of command away from her.”
Then, with no change in his manner at all: “Likely you were involved with her demise, but no matter.”
Likely I was.
“Once she was dead, the admiral made a mysterious exit and we lost track of him. As I said, we lost track of him, but this is something that I’m sure you will be able to figure out for me. My suspicion is that he’s down there somewhere, but my spies that have returned haven’t been able to place him anywhere on the island.”
His spies cannot place the man. I have stood near enough to Westwind to watch him look at Abbendis’s body long enough to be certain she was dead, and then stop thinking about her entirely.
“The Forsaken at Venomspite did a good job of sabotaging New Hearthglen, but the Onslaught forces that are present down there are the battle-hardened remnant from that place.”
I told him I was ready to begin.
“I suppose you think that you’re ready to continue? How could you be though… you haven’t yet heard the entirety of my tale!”
He continued. “In their folly, the Argent Crusade has chosen to turn a blind eye upon the presence of the Scarlet Onslaught. We will not. We do not care if they might assist in the battle against the Lich King. We do not believe them worthy of existence. We will be their end, once and for all!”
We do not care if they might assist. He said that standing on a cliff above the harbor with the Citadel at his back.
“You’re not doing this because they’re a danger to the war,” I said.
“No,” Arete said.
Arete’s spies had come back from that harbor with nothing usable, so the next thing he needs is somebody willing to go down and do their job for them in Intelligence Gathering.
