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Arthas Menethil
"Your Highness -- it pleases me to know that the man who will be our next king has such a kind heart"
-- Taretha Foxton (Peasant of Lordaeron, Deceased)
| Prince Arthas Menethil | |
|---|---|
 Get Lich or Die Trying | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Champion of the Lich King |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Human |
| Faction | Scourge |
| Health | 103,151,168 HP ;; ∞ RP (Runic Power) |
| Level | ?? |
| Status | ARTHAS: Healthy
FROSTMOURNE: HUNGERS |
| Location | Riful's Crib |
Arthas is extremely headstrong and known to do things without thinking about the consequences that may follow. In general, he does things for the greater good and for, what he believes to be, the best interests of the people of his soon-to-be Kingdom, Lordaeron. Due to the events of Stratholme, many of his fellow paladins look upon him with contempt for slaughtering the “innocent”, as it were, leaving him confused, angry, and torn apart by the fact that these innocents were turning into undead monsters, and the rest of the Knights of the Silver Hand (not to mention his mentor, Uther Lightbringer, and his lady-love, Jaina Proudmoore) refuse to lift a finger to help purge them (Interesting fact #1: This is Young Menethil’s first step on his way to becoming the Lich King). He is very much a loving and caring soul beyond his personality flaws and takes great pain when those close to him and his Kingdom are harmed in any fashion.
On his own as a person, Arthas is a very charming man. If he doesn't have to be extremely professional in a situation, chances are he won't be. This isn't to say Arthas forsakes or detests his title or heritage -- he very much embraces it, perhaps even goes as far to fear the eventual day when he will become King. However, if he doesn't like you...he'll make sure you know it.
Not relevant to his canon, though worth noting is what follows the events of Stratholme. While never directly confirmed by Blizzard, it is quite obvious that Arthas sails to Northrend with a greater purpose in mind: redemption. By allowing Mal'Ganis to escape from Stratholme, Arthas failed not only those citizens, but his entire Kingdom. The only thing that would redeem him from the atrocities that he committed in Stratholme would be the death of the demon that started it all.
As a Death Knight in his current incarnation, Arthas' sense as a paladin has all but left him. He sees himself as a failure in his past life and only seeks to focus on his chosen path, despite the ruin it brought him. Without the whispering of Ner'zhul, however, Arthas' regret is likely to surface, as it was only with Ner'zhul's words that forced such thoughts out of his mind. He still sees his risen, undead soldiers as 'his people' and rallies them as such. Its obvious he can still feel emotional pain, as he cries out in rage and terror when his beloved mount, Invincible, is injured in battle.
He is driven only by his ambition to be as great as he can be, a greater King than his father. His anger more than often gets the better of him, and he isn't afraid to lash out at the offender. Arthas is also a rather unfortunate slave to his blade -- Frostmourne has an insatiable hunger that causes him immense pain when ignored.
Despite the fact that his paladin senses have been forgotten, Arthas is still Arthas to the core, as he hasn't been completely absorbed into the Lich King's being and his connection with the Lich King has been severed. He has a penchant for extravagance when it comes to fighting and takes great joy in it, right down to the killing and raising of his victims. However, as he is not yet the 'ultimate evil', he is not about to put down those he was once very close to without some kind of spark igniting his temper. Harm them fatally, perhaps, but not killing or raising.
His charm has inverted to a good portion of smart-assery and general bigheadedness, and he does not at all take kindly to losing.
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Arthas' Loss (Expanded)
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"No 'we'. No one tells me what to do. I've got everything I need from you--now the power is mine and mine alone. Now there is only I. I am the Lich King. And I am ready."
-- Arthas Menethil, the Lich King
Arthas' loss is the presence of Ner'zhul in his mind, as he was taken from canon from a point before the two of them merged atop the Frozen Throne. In canon, Arthas is constantly influenced by his dark whispers and guided by his hand through Frostmourne. Essentially, he exists as a possessed individual only semi-aware of what exactly is happening around him and absolutely powerless to stop it. Thanks to Paradisa, this 'presence' was sapped from him prematurely, before the last bastion of good intent was snuffed out of him. What does this leave Arthas with, you ask?
Arthas is left with a guilty conscious that strikes him at the worst of moments. Without Ner'zhul to guide his hand, he must do it himself with the weight of what he's already wrought on Azeroth. As that last shred of his old self manifests itself in Matthias, he is constantly at battle with what he believes he must do and what he wants to do. As a runeblade, Frostmourne has a mind of its own and seeps a corrupting essence that must remain in check, lest it destroy Arthas' own soul as payment. So, long story short, it's kill or be killed -- and Matthias only gets in the way 100% of the time.
BackgroundEdit
"We're so proud of you, Arthas. You'll make a wonderful king. I'm sure of it."
-- Calia Menethil (Sister, presumed Deceased)
Added by WikiaBotWhile under the Knights of the Silver Hand, Arthas met the young sorceress, Jaina Proudmoore. They grew close to the point of delving into a romantic relationship, though Jaina’s studies in Dalaran and Arthas’ commitment to Lordaeron forced them to take a break and wait until a time that they could be together without responsibilities to the Alliance getting in their way.
Things went peacefully for some time, until the uprisings in the orc internment camps began to increase in volume. News filtered through Lordaeron of a deadly plague that had begun to spread across the northern lands of Azeroth. Arthas was 23 years of age when the undead began to invade. The first army Arthas encountered was at a plague-infested granary at the town of Brill, shortly after which he, Jaina, and Captain Luc Valonforth encountered the necromancer, Kel’Thuzad. He fled to Andorhal as was pursued by the three. The stored grain in Andorhal had already been infected and shipped out to several villages. Once discovered, Arthas quickly put an end to the necromancer’s life. Shortly before his death, he spoke feverishly of the dreadlord Mal’Ganis, who currently lead the Scourge. Jaina and Arthas quickly travelled north to cut him off in Stratholme. When he and Jaina stopped at Hearthglen to take a break, they were warned of an approaching Scourge army. Taking charge, Arthas ordered Jaina to find Uther while he stayed back to defend the town. When the Scourge attacked, Arthas discovered that the plague of undeath was not only a form of mass-genocide, but a means of turning townsfolk into mindless undead minions. The city was only barely rescued by the arrival of Uther and his troops. Deeply disturbed, Arthas began the march with Uther and Jaina towards Stratholme.
On the way, he was confronted by the prophet Medivh, who gave the son of King Terenas the same advice he had given the father; travel west to Kalimdor. Arthas flat out refused, arguing that his place was with his people in need, and vowed that he would not abandon them. Jaina attempted to convince Arthas otherwise, but he ignored her and continued the march to Stratholme.
When he arrived, Arthas discovered to his horror that the grain had already been put in place and the villagers already infected. In a fever, Arthas demanded Uther and his troops to purge the entire town. Horrified and sickened, Uther chastised the younger paladin and proclaimed that he wouldn’t follow that order even if Arthas was already King. Proclaiming treason, Arthas disbanded the Knights of the Silver Hand on the spot. Many of his soldiers left with Uther, as did Jaina, while those that still remained loyal to Arthas remained at Stratholme’s gates, ready to begin the Culling.
Arthas ends up failing to put down Mal'Ganis and Stratholme lies in ruins. Rather than return and face his father and Uther, he takes a large amount of soldiers and boats and retreats to Northrend to pursuit the dreadlord. He and Muradin follow the snow to the wicked runeblade, Frostmourne, which was the only thing that allowed Arthas to have a chance against those who sought to destroy Lordaeron. Muradin discovered the blade was cursed and begged Arthas to leave it lie, but the Prince was prepared to sacrifice whatever it took to see Mal'Ganis' end and his people's salvation.
Little did he know that Frostmourne would be the undoing of Azeroth.
Arthas did, indeed, slay Mal'Ganis, though at the cost of his mortal soul. He killed all of the men who had followed him to Northrend and set course for home, where he proceeded to murder his father and most of the people he had fought so hard to save, all in the name of the mysterious "Lich King". He traveled north to the elven kingdom of Quel'thalas and razed it to the ground, taking many prisoners including the Ranger-General, Sylvanas Windrunner.
FrostmourneEdit
"Whosoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit."
-- Elemental Spirits of the North, Guardians of Frostmourne
Frostmourne is Arthas' greatest weapon, as well as his greatest weakness. It is what is known as a (vampiric) runeblade, a blade forged with a special brand of (vampiric) shadow magic that requires its wielder to trade its soul and the souls of others for the power it offers. In Frostmourne's case, it offers Arthas unearthly speed and strength no matter the weight he bears as well as immense necromantic powers. Though the power offered has no limit, it comes at a great price to Arthas. During his stay in Paradisa, however, his price is held in suspension thanks to his loss of Ner'zhul. Frostmourne is still connected to Arthas' soul and, as a result, when it is not fed properly, it will proceed to yank on his until he obey's it, causing him immense physical and mental agony. This is the worst possible state to encounter him in.
I've talked with the mods about Frostmourne's abilities, as they coincide with the workings of the castle, and here is the general verdict of Frostmourne's capabilities:
Soul Steal: Frostmourne can and will steal souls -- this includes both NPC and PC characters. Generally, Arthas will attempt to pull on the fragments left in NPCs before he's forced to confront a PC character. With this model, he will be in a constant state of hunger, as a few fragments will only be enough to keep him from going completely mad. It also allows for plot for those who might want to play out a plot regarding zombie rebirth!
Necromancy: Arthas can raise multiple bodies -- however, as Paradisa steals the bodies back, the cap on their spawn time is one (1) hour. Depending on the condition of the body and how in-tact the soul he stole prior to resurrection was will determine how long the zombie lasts. So zombies raised from NPCs won't last very long. That being said, he could create a scaled army, but he would need to end the battle quickly if he had hope of winning it with numbers alone. Arthas' ability to control undead vastly outweighs that of other death knights due to his control of Frostmourne.
Arctic Dominion: Frostmourne gives Arthas an obnoxious amount of control over the element of ice. While lesser Death Knights also have a considerable control of the element, Arthas can erect walls several stories high to protect himself or other objects, should he choose. As the ice is enchanted, it doesn't melt or break unless faced with extreme amounts of holy magic or force. Fire does not work on this ice unless you are extremely (like, supernova) potent, kids. With Frostmourne, Arthas can essentially control ice as a mage would, minus firing bolts of it at his enemies.
Plague of Undeath: IMPORTANT: This is not an ability Arthas will likely ever use because of his loss. Ever. But in case it comes up in the future, ITS HERE. The Plague of Undeath was what drove Arthas to the brink of insanity and caused him to seek Frostmourne in the first place. Like the majority of Azeroth's diseases, it is magical in nature and can be masked in food (like grain, as it was in Lordaeron). When consumed, it offers an almost disturbing sweet taste and remains latent in the body for several hours (sometimes days) before revealing itself. When it begins to take hold, the victim will feel stomach pains that rapidly turn to cramps. Their body temperature will run to dangerous levels, crippling them until the body begins to consume itself from the inside. A messy, smelly death always follows not long after the process starts. Within minutes, the body will reanimate into an undead creature under the control of Arthas.
It is not a pretty thing and is only used en masse.
DEATH KNIGHT ABILITIES
The following abilities are general abilities all Death Knights are given when raised:
Disease: As he is a Death Knight, Arthas will still be able to spread sickness and plague through Frostmourne and into his victims. The two specific diseases he will be spreading are Frost Fever and Blood Plague.
- Frost Fever
- Slows body functions
- Attacks the nervous system
- Easily cleansable by a healing type
- Blood Plague
- Travels through the bloodstream
- Burns away white blood cells if left unchecked, leaves open sores
- Easily cleansable by a healing type
Anti-Magic Shell: The death knight coats itself in unholy energies that absorb magical damage. The shell doesn't last long, but it considerably negates all magical abilities being cast upon the death knight.
Blood Boil: This ability is enhanced when diseases are active on a target. The victim's blood will heat to insurmountable levels, causing great agony and distress in the nervous and circulatory systems. The attack doesn't last long, but the effects of it can be dire.
Strangulate: A concentration of shadow magic closes off all airways in the victim's body, inhibiting speech and spellcasting. It causes no real damage (as it doesn't crush airways or keep them closed long enough to kill them), but it's rather uncomfortable.
Pestilence/Wandering Plague: Those diseases mentioned earlier? Very contagious. If there is a large group of people clustered, he can spread them from one person to the rest of the group.
Dark Pact: Arthas can consume the magic in a minion to rejuvenate and heal himself for a good portion of his health.
Dark Simulacrum: Arthas is able to manipulate shadow energy into a ward to duplicate an attack from an enemy.
Death and Decay: The ground beneath Arthas becomes saturated with disease and shadow magic, corrupting those standing upon it and burning their flesh.
Also, since this recently came up with Arthas' slaughter in the City, here's a few more facts about Frostmourne, The Lich King, Arthas, and you!
- As the connection with Ner'zhul is absent, Arthas is just that -- Arthas Menethil. The Lich King's powers are not fused with him beyond what he left with on Azeroth, which is still a very large amount of power, but it will not grow or shrink depending on Ner'zhul's personal power level.
- The absence of Frostmourne will lift the corruption on Arthas himself -- however, it will also kill him. Should the sword be obliterated by some means, Arthas would die a very slow and painful death by soul reaping. So please please PLEASE talk to me before you try and take it away from him/destroy it. Which leads to the next point:
- Frostmourne can only be destroyed by holy magic of some kind, and it would have to be an extremely harsh blow to break it. It's enchanted and sealed with a lot of dark magic, so there's really no other way it can be broken. If you think you have an exception, please contact me~
- Frostmourne is a prison -- the souls inside cannot be unlocked or released without breaking the blade. I don't see any reason why sight inside of it would be impossible at close range, so in case your character can do that, this is what they would see, along with thousands of ghost-like images of the souls he's stolen.
- Frostmourne must impale its target to steal a soul -- mere contact is not enough unless the being in question is already undead or is ethereal or spiritual in nature.
- Yes, Frostmourne has stolen Arthas' soul. Or, I should say, it is in the process of attempting to claim it. They are soulbound in the sense that Arthas cannot survive without Frostmourne in close range, and in the event that Frostmourne cannot be sated, it will feed upon his soul instead.
- Taking the sword away from him would result in the very same corruption on the wielder.
RelationshipsEdit
"Arthas, you will be a magnificent King one day. Nobody can seem to deny you anything."
-- Jaina Proudmoore (Beloved, Alive)
Added by BrolocaustLIKE EVERY OTHER WARCRAFT CHARACTER, Arthas' status with various characters will be measured with the fabled Warcraft Reputation scale: Exalted <- Revered <- Honored <- Friendly <- Neutral <- Unfriendly <- Hostile <- Hated.
Most people will start out in the lower half of the spectrum and it will be very rare that anyone rises above neutral. *Denotes canon relationships.
EXALTED
Good luck getting here
REVERED
HONORED
Riful of the West: Stumbled upon him during his arrival and offered information about the realm. She implied that he would be prepared to kill Sylvanas for her disobedience and has set him on edge because of it, but he's since gotten over his initial misgivings. He recognizes her as an ally and has high priorities to keep their shared abode guarded. Aside from the occasional aggravation at her ANNOYING little pet names for him, he's beyond content with their arrangement.
FRIENDLY
NEUTRAL
Tobias: Just a little hawk he stumbled upon during one of his walks. He now knows that Tobias is in fact some sort of shapeshifter and is a rather young and curious lad. Reminds him a lot of himself as a child. So long as he doesn't become a nuisance, he's happy to indulge him on the occasions he chooses to speak to him.
Parker: REALLY ANNOYING. He really wishes she'd stop asking him stupid questions about nothing. Other than that, though, he doesn't harbor much ill will against her. She's just another chick.
UNFRIENDLY
Vereesa Windrunner*: A woman who keeps nagging him every time he addresses the community at large. After he gained his memories back from his child loss, he now knows her name and her relation to Sylvanas. He's not yet made any use out of this information.
Koltira Deathweaver*: Yet another Scourge minion who appears to no longer be under his thrall. While he isn't quite on the hatred level of Sylvanas yet, he does not appreciate the insolence dear Deathweaver has shown. Like his Banshee cousin, Arthas has every intent of dragging Koltira kicking and screaming back to the Scourge forces.
HOSTILE
Sylvanas Windrunner*: This woman gave him a great deal of difficulty during his trip to the Sunwell and as a result, he punished her by killing and raising her to the banshee she is now. He admires her fighting spirit, but does not appreciate her disobedience. Despite her resistance, she is still one of his minions, and he is not so ready to be completely rid of her in such an unfamiliar environment. Her insistent nagging and revelation of her claim over Lordaeron has, however, not sat well with him at all. While he still doesn't wish to kill her, he's prepared to use any means necessary to drag her back under his boot.
Teresa: Teresa almost ruined Arthas' attempt to break Riful's past loss early. As a result, he pretty much loathes her with every fiber of his being, despite the fact that she was unsuccessful.
HATED
GONE
C.C.: Caught her upon her arrival. Her mannerisms intrigued him enough to count her as someone to take notice of, and her actions were less than hostile. He had no reason to dislike her.
Jaina Proudmoore*: Former lover, best friend, and the one who knows Arthas the most intimately. It's no secret that he still pines for her, despite her abandonment of him in his greatest hour of need. He does not want forgiveness -- he merely wants her as far away from him as possible, as he recognizes his weakness in her presence. It is not something he wants to get in the way of his chosen path.
Cloud Strife: Encountered him on the way back from feeding Frostmourne in the town. Initially taking his glowing blue eyes to mean he was undead, Arthas attacked to try and bring him under his command. However, when he discovered that the man was, in fact, not undead, he chased him off. Hmm...
Venom: This fellow is somewhat skiddish, but since he's living in Riful's manor, he's willing to overlook it. He seems harmless enough.
Turalyon*: A man he hasn't seen since he was a very young boy -- before he even was thrusted into the order of the Silver Hand. He barely remembers him thanks to everything Ner'zhul forced into the back of his head. Talking to him brings him great pain, as it brings memories of what Lordaeron used to be, rather than what he warped it into. He hates the man for being a symbol and, perhaps, for reminding him of his father. He also actively accused him of bringing about Lordaeron's ruin -- several times. The constant debate sets him on edge.
Thread HistoryEdit
"You no longer need to sacrifice for your people. You no longer need to bear the weight of your crown. I've taken care of everything."
-- Ner'zhul (The Lich King)
Added by WikiaBotThis will likely lag behind because I'm forgetful, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY!
10.05.10: Arrival
10.06.10: Conversation with C.C.
10.07.10: Conversation with the Prince of Persia
10.08.10: Sylvanas gets away; Frostmourne Hungers
10.08.10: Riful witnesses Frostmourne's power
10.09.10: Cloud stumbles upon Arthas and Riful returning from the slaughter
10.09.10: Arthas addresses Paradisa regarding his attacks and flees to Riful's manor.
10.11.10: Arthas meets Venom, talks with Riful on losses and discovers his own loss.
10.13.10: Arthas meets several people including Lucy Saxon, Tobias, and Hank Henshaw. Turalyon and Arthas fight -- it ends in a stalemate.
10.31.10: Arthas bitches about Halloween destroying the meaning of Hallow's End
11.01.10: Arthas crafts a candy skull Citadel to mark the entry into his territory in memory of the lost souls of Lordaeron. Matthias Lehner makes an appearance.
11.02.10: Arthas visits the graveyard to hunt corpses amongst the festivities and, instead, encounters the ghosts of Lordaeron's past.
11.08.10: Frostmourne hungers and Arthas nearly breaks after exerting himself. Riful saves the day.
12.02.10: Arthas emerges from his confinement and is confronted by Sylvanas. First loss occurs.
12.03.10: As a nine year old, Arthas explores Paradisa.
12.04.10: Young!Arthas meets Riful as she was before awakening.
12.04.10: Young!Arthas meets Young!Legato.
12.05.10: Young!Arthas Does A Bad Thing and meets Alleria.
12.06.10: Young!Arthas meets Tobias.
12.06.10: Young!Arthas encounters the Prince of Persia and Halloween in the snow.
TriviaEdit
- "Matthias Lehner" is actually an anagram of "Arthas Menethil".
- The lyrics in his profile are "Once Upon a December", translated from Russian directly to English.
- Arthas is a direct reference to King Arthur while Frostmourne is meant to represent Excalibur. His mentor's name is Uther, the name of Arthur's father.
- Arthas can play the electic guitar.
- Arthas has an entire song (This being the cinematic version with his father's voiceover) dedicated to him. "O Thanagor" otherwise known as "O King", which appears in both "Arthas, my Son" and "Invincible". Invincible is found in his profile on livejournal, Arthas, My Son is the first link in this factoid.
TROPES, YAY
- AntiHero
- Berserk Button
- Complete Monster (almost -- doesn't quite apply to this Arthas, since he still has his conscious.)
- He has a Cool Sword
- The Evil Prince
- Knight in Shining Armor (No, really.)
- Knight Templar
- Jumping off the Slippery Slope
- Prince Charming AND Prince Charmless
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge (Always all the time)
- Tragic Villain
- Well Intentioned Extremist
- White Haired Pretty Boy
- White Prince
OK I THINK THAT'S ALL OF THEM...OR MOST OF THEM.
More to come as I think of it~!
