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Order and Justice - A Guide to Argent Crusade Roleplay by Anastre

Last updated: 30-04-2012

Soldiers, heroes, traitors, saviours. The amount of names given to the men and women of the Argent Crusade are too numerous to number. They were at their pinnacle as they, under the leadership of Highlord Tirion Fordring, brought an end to the reign of the Lich King. But now their role of protectors of Azeroth and fighters of the Scourge seems to have been played out. In a world filled with racial tensions, is there still place for warriors of the Light who devote themselves only to fight evil? Is it still realistic to think races of both the Horde and the Alliance can work together under one banner?

This guide aims to answer these questions as well as detailing how a Crusader is expected to behave, think and fight. As detailed above, the role of the Argent Crusade in the current game lore is a lot smaller than it was during the Wrath of the Lich King. However, as the Crusade carries on to restore much of the Plaguelands into a habitable area, tensions will probably arise in the future as both the Forsaken and the Alliance are interested in the ‘new lands’. As such, investing time into creating an Argent Crusade character is probably investing time into a nice Roleplay character which will be at the center of that tension.

Careful attention to detail has been taken during the creation of this guide but it is of course possible some points have been overlooked. Discussion is more than welcome in the comments below but please do keep yourself to the facts when making a suggestion to edit a part in the guide.

Disclaimer 1:
Needless to add, this is one view of the lore. This guide is intended to help - if you want to do it differently, go ahead! It’s your game too.

Disclaimer 2:
During the creation of this guide, the lore as it is portrayed in-game, game lore and official novels has taken precedence over various other, non-official lore sources such as the RPG books by White Wolf.

The structure used for this guide will probably be very familiar to those who have read ‘A Guide to Roleplaying a Night Elf character’. That is because I was the founder and main contributor of the guide on my previous character Celegil. So…no plagiarism here, only plagiarising myself!

Contents

• Chapter 1: History of the Argent Crusade
• Chapter 2: Becoming and being an Argent Crusader
• Chapter 3: Current activities of the Argent Crusade
• Chapter 4: Timeline
• Addendum I: The Light and The Three Virtues
• Addendum II: The Watcher Tyr
• Addendum III: Argent Crusaders: ‘Hippies, Traitors’?
• Addendum IV: The Brotherhood of Light (& the Inigo Montoy incident)
• Closing remarks

Written by Anastre/Celegil

Chapter 1: History of the Argent Crusade

To start the Argent Crusade’s history with its founding at the start of the struggle against the Lich King would be forsaking a lot of facts and history which all took place long before the battle at Light’s Hope Cathedral. Therefore we have to go back a lot further, to the end of the First War in fact.

Origins

Long before any Orc had set foot on Azeroth, there existed a group of clerics and light-wielders whose duty it was to spread the words of the Light across all of the Kingdom of Azeroth. Back in the day, the kingdom of Stormwind as we know it today was much larger and held all the lands south of Khaz Modan firmly in its grip. The clerics were lead by Archbishop Alonsus Faol who together made up the ‘Holy Order of Northshire Clerics’.

It’s unclear if the order was mainly founded to spread the beliefs of the Light or as a military order. Both books and in-game lore are very vague on this matter. Fact remains that the clerics were both adept at healing and destruction. As the Orcs set foot on Azeroth and unleashed their hordes onto Azeroth, the order was almost completely wiped out. This suggest that that combat training wasn’t their main priority and the clerics weren’t prepared as to what it meant to serve as a combatant in a war.

The lore again, contradicts itself as to Archbishop Faol’s whereabouts. In the newest lore concerning this topic (Warcraft II Battle.Net edition), it is indicated that the Archbishop fled to Lordaeron with the survivors of Stormwind. Earlier lore states that the Archbishop was already in Lordaeron and learned of the demise of his clerics from Anduin Lothar. For now, we will follow the newest lore facts.

While in Lordaeron Archbishop Faol, along with his apprentice Uther Lightbringer decided to create a new order in memory of the lost clerics of Northshire. Within Alonsus’ Chapel in the city of Stromgarde, the Archbishop annointed Uther as ‘first of the Paladin’s’ and together they founded the ‘Knights of the Silver Hand’, or ‘Order of the Silver Hand’.

Formation of The Silver Hand

After Uther had been sworn in as the first Paladin, the apprentice and the Archbishop began to work on the foundation of their newly created order. To bolster the ranks of the ‘Paladins’, Uther and the Archbishop recruited a number of other would-be members. Among the first were Saidan Dathrohan, Knight of Lordaeron and Tirion Fordring, Governor of Hearthglen. Directly after the order’s founding, the Archbishop decided that instead of spreading the words of the Light, the new order would solely focus on waging war with the Orcs and to serve in defence of the human kingdoms.

Very important to note is the fact The Silver Hand took its name and symbol from the legend of Tyr. Tyr is one of the titanic watchers who is believed to have been a paragon of order and justice during Humanity’s very early infancy. This indicates the fact that The Silver Hand and its future successors all have the goal to create order through justice. Although ‘order’ and ‘peace’ are two different words, it could be said that Paladins are indeed peacemakers as war creates the opposite of order, namely ‘chaos’.

Precise and factual lore-details are scarce concerning the acts of The Silver Hand during the Second War but it is said the knights were crucial in securing a victory against the Orcish hordes. Although the knights were few in number, their presence and imagery of brave knights in silver armour wielding the very power of the Light with their warhammers were a sight to behold. Although the Paladins were very powerful warriors indeed, it is safe to say their presence was mainly used to inspire the normal foot soldiers.

Tirion and Eitrigg

To understand Tirion’s later ability to make friends with both the Horde and the Alliance, we have to zoom in on his personal story for a moment before continuing on to the Third War.

After the Second War had ended, Tirion one day encountered a lone Orc living in an abandoned tower. Since Orcs were sworn enemies of the Humans, Tirion drew steel and battled the Orc untill Tirion was knocked unconscious.

Oddly enough, Tirion found himself awake beside his second-in-command Bathilas. It was clear however that Tirion had been healed by the Orc instead of being killed. Tirion later returned to the tower and discovered that the Orc named ‘Eitrigg’, had healed Tirion because he wanted to have peace with the human. Tirion decided that Eitrigg would have to leave the tower however in order not to be discovered by Humans again. Unfortunately, Bathilas didn’t trust Tirion’s words that the Orc situation had been ‘dealt with’ and decided to track Eitrigg’s steps with a number of his men. Eventually they found Eitrigg and nearly killed him in the ensuing battle.

Tirion, who had quietly followed Bathilas, decided to protect Eitrigg by fighting Bathilas’ men. Tirion and Eitrigg were defeated and both were thrown in prison. Tirion was set on trial and stripped of his rank as a Knight of the Silver Hand and Govenor of Hearthglen while Eitrigg would be executed.

After being released from prison, Tirion rushed back to Stratholme where he freed Eitrigg from captivity. During their flight in the wilds, the two were eventually surrounded by Orcs of the new Horde, now lead by Warchief Thrall. Eitrigg eventually decided to follow Thrall’s men. Tirion meanwhile had gained the respect of Thrall and the Horde. This respect would later lead to Tirion’s ability to win the Horde for his campaign against the Lich King.

After this event, Tirion was forced to live as an exile hidden deep within the wilds of Lordaeron. He even decided to fake his own death by creating a gravestone for his son Tealan to visit.

Destruction of The Silver Hand

After years of peace, Uther Lightbringer and his new apprentice, Prince Arthas Menethil, were send to investigate reports of Orcs who had broken out of internment camps which were established at the end of the Second War. Uther and Arthas however, soon found out that a lich named ‘Kel’Thuzad’ had been poisoning granaries. The grain from these granaries were being spread across Lordaeron and already reached numerous villages.

As Uther and Arthas rushed through the kingdom to stop the plague from being spread, they eventually reached Stratholme, one of the biggest cities in Lordaeron. Unfortunately, Uther and Arthas learned that the plagued grain had already been distributed and that most of the people within the city were already infected with the plague. Arthas, thinking there was no other choice, ordered Uther and the other Knights of the Silver Hand to begin purging the city.

Uther in turn was horrified what his apprentice was proposing and tried to stop Arthas by saying he would never purge an entire city, even if Arthas had been king. While Arthas was increasingly falling under the sway of his arrogance, he ordered the entire Silver Hand disbanded, something which Uther flat out ignored.

Arthas later travelled to Northrend to face Mal’Ganis and claim Frostmourne to become the true embodiment of The Lich King. After that, he returned to Lordaeron to slay Uther and almost decimating the Silver Hand. The remaining members of The Silver Hand managed to keep fighting and win a small foothold in Hearthglen.

The end of the Third War may have marked the end of the demon onslaught in Hyjal and brought upon the salvation of Azeroth, Undead hordes were still a daily reality in the Scourge infested Lordaeron.

Fractions within The Silver Hand

Many of the surviving members of The Silver Hand decided to leave the order to instead create new groups, focusing completely on reclaiming Lordaeron from the Scourge. Thus the Silver Hand slowly crumbled apart. Among the orders founded were:

The Scarlet Crusade: Lord Commander Saidan Dathrohan (remember him from earlier?) commanded a sizable amount of former Silver Hand members and had build a monastery within Tirisfal Glades to keep the pressure against the Scourge in the ruins of Lordaeron’s capital. Meanwhile, he had also gained the help of Lord Valdelmar of Tyr’s Hand and managed to keep a small section of Stratholme under his control. However, no one knew that Saidan was slowly being possesed by the dreadlord Balnazzar. Balnazzar’s influence caused Saidan to eventually believe all who were not part of his men and women were in fact Scourge servants. The Scarlet Crusade was born and would try to eradicate all the ‘un-pure’.

The Argent Dawn: As many of the former Silver Hand discovered what Saidan was trying accomplish, a number of Paladins decided that Saidan’s goals were nothing short of zealotry and madness. These Paladins founded The Argent Dawn, a neutral organisation which welcomed any race of any faction to fight against the Scourge. However, the Argent Dawn also knew that it would have to keep friends with the Scarlet Crusade (or at least for now) in the common interest of restoring the Plaguelands. To keep relations with the Scarlet Crusade, The Brotherhood of the Light was created to keep the mutual tensions from growing violent.

Remnants of The Silver Hand: A number of remnants decided to stay true to their Silver Hand heritage and continued to serve the Alliance. As time passed by however, all of them either fully joined the Alliance or joined the Argent Dawn.

During a number of years (between Classic and Wrath of the Lich King), the situation within the Plaguelands barely changed. Victories were made within the necropolis of Naxxramas but these defeats for the Scourge weren’t critical enough for the Paladins to gain ground.

The formation of The Argent Crusade
During these years of stalemate, Tirion Fordring was still living in the wilds of Lordaeron as an exiled hermit. He was horrified when he eventually learned his son Tealan had joined The Scarlet Crusade and had risen to the position of High Lord. Tirion enlisted the aid of a few adventurers to reclaim lost mementoes of his son. These mementoes would, according to Tirion, sway Tealan away from the Scarlet Crusade. Though Tealan eventually agreed with his father and tried to flee from the Scarlet bastion of Hearthglen, he was killed by Grand Inquisitor Isillien in front of Tirion’s eyes.

Broken by the loss of his son, Tirion vowed to restore the original Silver Hand. It wasn’t till a number of years later however that Tirion saw his wish fulfilled. During a bloody battle at Light’s Hope Chapel against thousands of Scourge and Death Knight’s, Tirion confronted the leader of the Death Knights, Darion Mograine.

Years before, Alexandros Mograine, father of Darion, was the wielder of a powerful sword called ‘Ashbringer’. It had the power to burn all Scourge who came close to it. Alexandros was eventually betrayed by his other son Renault, who had been influenced by Balnazzar. Darion eventually managed to get hold of the Corrupted Ashbringer and killed himself to release the captured spirit of his father. This caused Darion to become a Death Knight in service of the Lich King.

As Tirion confronted Darion, the Lich King appeared and almost managed to suffocate Tirion. Darion, now breaking free of the Lich King’s will, threw the Corrupted Ashbringer to Tirion. This caused the sword to become ‘pure’ again and Tirion managed to release himself from the Lich King’s suffocating grip.

Though The Lich King disappeared through a portal back to Northrend, Tirion’s power had grown as he was able to wield the Ashbringer. This made him the official leader of The Silver Hand.Tirion declared the Order of the Silver Hand and the Argent Dawn would come together as one, creating a new single fighting force.

The Argent Crusade was born and would venture to Northrend to late defeat the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel. During the crusade against the Lich King, numerous initiatives were taken to bring the Alliance and Horde together in order to face the common foe. One of these initiatives was the creation of the Argent Tournament in order to prepare champions of both factions for the final battle. After the tournament, Tirion Fordring lead the forces of both factions and the Argent Crusade to Icecrown where they would defeat the Lich King together.

Present Day
After the Argent Crusade, together with aid of the Horde and the Alliance, managed to defeat the Lich King, most of the regiments have returned to Lordaeron. Tirion Fordring too has returned to Lordaeron and has made Hearthglen the current main base of operations of the Argent Crusade. From there, Tirion is coordinating efforts to ensure the restoration of the Plaguelands. This restoration process has been quite successful as crops are currently being grown again at farmlands south of Hearthglen. The restoration appears to be going slower in the Eastern Plaguelands, though this is probably due to the fact the plague’s impact there was much greater.

Though the Argent Crusade has kept a friendly relation with both the Horde and the Alliance, it is not unthinkable tensions will soon flare up. With Sylvannas and her Forsaken using Valkyr to raise ‘new’ Forsaken, it is probable that Tirion will take a strong stance against such actions in the nearby future.

Chapter 2: Becoming and being an Argent Crusader

First and foremost, an Argent Crusader is a person who follows the teachings of the Light OR at least thoroughly respects the Light and its servants. Though an Argent Crusader doesn’t have to be a Paladin, it appears a very large portion of the Crusade’s members (if not, the majority) are indeed Paladins. Crusaders in general are portrayed as respectful and friendly folk, optimistic about the future and seem to generally wish peace for all.

A lot, if not almost all members of the Crusade are indeed followers of the Light. This means that all of the Crusade’s members also follow the teachings of the Light. One of the teachings explained in great detail are the Three Virtues namely Respect, Tenacity and Compassion.

Warning: The Three Virtues are part of lore explained in the White Wolf RPG books, it is not considered official canon but Blizzard has stated that a lot of the RPG books can indeed be considered canon. Since the Three Virtues give a lot more meaning to being a Crusader, it is included in this guide. Further explanation of the three virtues and their role while worshipping the Light can be found in addendum I.

Next to being a follower of the Light, an Argent Crusader is a person who is willing to do ‘good’. An evil character will -never- be allowed within the ranks of the Crusade and even if one turned evil while being in the Crusade, he or she would quickly be detected by either a superior or even Tirion himself. The reason for this is because it is stated numerous times in quests (‘An Audience with the Highlord’ and ‘Tiron’s Help’) that Tirion personally oversees all new recruits who wish to join the Argent Crusade. The quest ‘Tirion’s Help’ even states the following:

We need to take this to the Argent Crusade. Every single paladin in that order was hand-picked by Tirion himself. If there’s anyone free of cultist infiltration, it’s those guys.

Judging by the enormous amount of Argent Crusader’s within Northrend and the Plaguelands, it’s probably safe to say that Tirion doesn’t actually ‘see’ his candidates during the hand-picking proces but selects candidates for the Argent Crusade through reports and documents about the would-be Crusader. An officer within the Crusade would most probably double check the would-be recruit for any evil tendencies.

Every character can become an Argent Crusader as long as they have a pure hearth and strife to create order and justice for themselves and those around them. There are numerous variables to create while pondering about how a character would join the Argent Crusade and how he or she would get in contact with them. To create brief examples how a character ‘could’ become a Crusade, a list below has been made with a description how each of the playable race’s could join the Argent Crusade.

Racial examples

Human: The most logical race to become a Crusader and the race which currently holds a majority within the Crusade due to many of them being former members of the Silver Hand or the Argent Dawn and judging by in-game numbers. A typical Human would have grown up with stories about the Knights of The Silver Hand and their good deeds. A Human with a pure hearth would ask a caretaker within The Church of Light as to how he or she could join their ranks. The young Human would probably be waved away as being foolish but through tenacity, respect and compassion(the three virtues!) towards the caretaker, the Human character would eventually learn where to go and who to meet.

Dwarf: Though rare in number, some Dwarf Paladins were allowed into the mainly Human Order of the Silver Hand as far back as its founding. A Dwarf character would probably have heard stories about his kin fighting on fronts far away with Humans against the Orcish hordes during the Second War. Like Humans, a Dwarf who would visit the Church of Light and shows tenacity, respect and compassion towards the caretaker in gaining information about the Argent Crusade would eventually learn where to go and who to meet.

Blood Elves: The story of the Blood Elves and their connection to the Light is a long one and probably best read separately. Starting with the rebirth of the Sunwell, the Blood Elves started their long and painful road to recovery from their fel addiction. Some of the Blood Knights might have chosen to walk that road of recovery in service of the Light by joining the Argent Crusade. As most Blood Elf forces were kept home during the fight against Arthas in Icecrow, some Blood Elves might have chosen to leave their homeland to join the Argent Crusade and get revenge on Arthas’ crimes.

Tauren: There are a number of ways how a Tauren would join the Crusade. Most recently, the emergence of the Sunwalkers would allow Tauren Paladins to join the Crusade as Lightwielders. Further back in the past, a travelling Tauren could have learned of the troubles within the Plaguelands and offer his aid as an act of faith or a service towards the Earth Mother.

Orc: Not many Orcs are visible in-game as members of the Argent Crusade. This is probably due to their limited contact with the Silver Hand before the Argent Dawn was created. A typical Orc could join the Argent Crusade due to being cast out of his clan and having no other place to go.

Trolls: Trolls are an even lesser presented race within the Argent Crusade. It’s quite probably due to their violent nature that not many have chosen to join the ranks of the Crusade. Still, a possible reason for a Troll to join the Crusade could be simple curiosity or gaining information about the information for Vol’jin.

Forsaken" The Forsaken are a bit of an oddity within the Argent Crusade because some of the Forsaken’s methods are exactly the opposite of what the Crusade is trying to accomplish. Think of Sylvannas using her Valkyr to create new Forsaken, just like the Lich King. Since most Forsaken are fiercely loyal to their people, finding one amongst the Crusade can be rather difficult. Also due to the fact the Forsaken worship the Shadow over the Light. Still, a Forsaken who feels he or she wants to continue serving the Light in death could choose to join the Argent Crusade.

An alternative way a Forsaken could join the Argent Crusade is that a Forsaken character doesn’t agree with Sylvanas’ methods of raising the dead with Val’kyr. There is an NPC named Apothecary Judkins at Plaguewood Tower who claims to have done just that. An ex-Forsaken within the Argent Crusade could for example work on potions or methods to counter The Plague. - Thanks go to Eyil for this suggestion.

Draenei: The survivors of the Exodar are probably the least in number due to the fact they were low in population to start with. Still, Draenei are very close to the Light due to their connection with the Naaru, thought of as pure beings of Light or even the Light itself! This last point is open for debate since the lore doesn’t offer conclusive evidence one way or the other. A typical Draenei could feel joining the Argent Crusade is a repayment for the warm welcome their people received from various denizens of Azeroth, safe for the Blood Elves of course.

Worgen: Having finally been forced to venture beyond Greymane Wall, the people of Gilneas separated themselves from the rest of the world after the conclusion of the Second War. Therefore, Gilneans probably still remember the Knights of the Silver Hand but many would have missed the period where the Argent Dawn was rising along with the Scarlet Crusade. A Worgen character probably would have the same reasons for joining the Argent Crusade as a regular human. Worgen could feel guilty about the way they ignored many of the world’s problems such as the fight against the Lich King. This could be a reason for a Light worshipping Worgen to join the Argent Crusade so he or she finally starts working to solve the world’s problems.

Goblin: Only a handful of Goblins can be found ingame serving the Argent Crusade. Due to their greedy nature, it is unlikely a Goblin would join to help others mostly free of charge. Still, a Goblin could always find himself being saved by a Paladin for example and would see serving the Argent Crusade as a debt to be repaid.

Gnomes: Just like the Goblins, there are only a handful of NPC’s ingame which can be found serving the Argent Crusade. For a Gnome, joining the Argent Crusade and following them onto the battlefields could provide them with a proving ground to test their inventions. Think of weapons or a new form of plate armour which can resist bullets!

Regardless of your race, as said before its firmly recommended your character is either respectful towards the Light or a follower of the Light. Characters who act spiteful towards other races and disrespect the tenants of the Light would probably be kicked out the first day after he or she joined the Crusade. More likely, he or she wouldn’t be allowed in anyway.

Chapter 3: Current activities of the Argent Crusade

Now that The Lich King has been defeated in Northrend, you could think the role of the Argent Crusade is played out. Though the amount of crusaders which are shown in the Plaguelands don’t even come near to the amount shown in Northrend, there is still quite a lot of activity and work to do for the Crusade. Down below are some current theatres of operation.

The Plaguelands

Being closest the Hearthglen and the old home of the Order of the Silver Hand, former Lordaeron is currently sees the most intense Argent Crusade activity. During the quests which were updated during the Cataclysm expansion, the player travels through the Plaguelands and aids the Crusade during various tasks. These involve aiding Cenarion Circle allies, reclaiming Tyr’s Hand from the Scarlets and finally exposing a traitor within the Crusade.

The existence of the traitor Bisp during the quest ‘Bagging Bisp’ is a little odd since the whole questline conflicts entirely with earlier statements given by NPC’s during Wrath of the Lich King and examples discussed earlier in this guide. Perhaps the questline to expose Bisp is an example that even Tirion can’t see everything and that some traitors might exist within the Argent Crusade.

The Battle of Stratholme

As players reaches the end of the Eastern Plaguelands questing experience, they will be asked to take part in reclaiming the Scourge bastion for the Crusade. Through numerous dialogs during this questline, it is made clear that the Battle of Stratholme eventually ends up being the deathblow to Scourge activity within the Plaguelands.

During the first half of the new Stratholme instance, players encounter a new Scarlet splintergroup ‘The Risen’. Though it appears the Risen indeed proof to be a threat to the Argent Crusade, all of them are wiped out at the end of first half of the Stratholme instance quests. Commander Eligor Dawnbringer says the following after completing the quest ‘The Dreadlord Balnazzar’:

“Well done, heroes. Balnazzar had been a threat for far too long. He had a hand in the Scourge and the Scarlet Crusade, two of our most difficult foes. The Risen may have tipped the balance against us, had they time to fester. Regrettably, Balnazzar is not yet finished. Defeating a dreadlord in the mortal plane only sends it back to the Twisting Nether. He will be back one day, perhaps even working again with his brothers, Varimathras and Detheroc.”

As said above, Balnazzar isn’t truly killed but banished back to the Twisting Nether. This leaves open the possibility that he may return at some point in the future [editor’s note: he did!]. For now however, it is extremely unlikely a small group if any Risen made it out of Stratholme as most of them would have been cut down by Argent Crusaders who had surrounded the city.

At the very end of the Stratholme instance quest, Crusade Commander Eligor Dawnbringer says the following after completing the quest ‘Lord Aurius Rivendare’:

“Your actions were pivotal in successfully reclaiming the city. Rivendare’s death signifies the beginning of a new era for the Plaguelands. The few remaining Scourge should fall easily, and the land will at last be reborn. Stratholme may take quite some time to be rebuilt and fully cleansed, but it is an effort I will take great pleasure in watching unfold. Perhaps one day we will see the next great defender of the Light armed in the Bastion of the Silver Hand, or ordained in Alonsus Chapel. No matter the outcome, our work here will bear great fruit one day.”

Though no changes or phasing techniques are used to reflect this change, it can be said with a decent amount of certainty that the Argent Crusade now has full control over the Plaguelands. Through rebuilding and cleansing Stratholme, the Argent Crusade could over time gain a very powerful position aside the Horde and the Alliance.

Other theatres of operation: Though the bulk of the Argent Crusade currently resides in the Plaguelands, that doesn’t meant that the Crusade only focuses on combating the Scourge. The Burning Legion are also sworn enemies of the Argent Crusade due to Balnazzar influencing Knights of the Silver Hand into becoming Scarlet Crusaders. Though the Scarlet Crusade and its successor, the Scarlet Onslaught, are now almost completely eliminated (safe for a few vestiges in the Scarlet Monastery in Mists of Pandaria’), it is very plausible the Argent Crusade will look out for a chance to truly end Balnazzar’s reign once and for all. That is, when he returns from being banished to the Twisting Nether.

Beside the Burning Legion, the Argent Crusade would ‘most likely’ fight any foe which threatens to endanger Azeroth. The Twilight’s Hammer could also be a likely target for the Argent Crusade since they appear to actively oppose groups affiliated with the Light. ‘The Black Bishop’, hiding in the Church of Light in Stormwind and more famously Archbishop Benedictus, are all members of the Twilight’s Hammer who oppose the forces supporting the Light. Benedictus even goes as far as saying there is no Light at all.

Chapter 4: Timeline

The following time-line is based on the latest official timeline published on the old World of Warcraft website on August 7 2010 in combination with in-game information, manuals and novels.

- Sometime before Year 0:
The Holy Order of Northshire Clerics is founded by Archbishop Alonsus Faol to spread the word of the Light amongst the Kingdom of Azeroth as its Dwarven allies and, with lesser success, the High Elves.
- Year 0:
The Dark Portal is opened and brings the Orcish Hordes onto Azeroth. The Holy Order of Northshire Clerics joins the battle with the armies of the Kingdom of Azeroth.
- Year 0-1:
Stormwind is destroyed as is The Holy Order of Northshire Clerics. Archbishop Faol flees to Lordaeron.
- Year 1-6:
The Order of the Silver Hand is founded by Archbishop Faol and Uther Lightbringer in order to combat the Orcish hordes. Other founding members are Tirion Fordring, Saidan Dathrodan and Turalyon.
- Year 6-8:
The Second War at its peak. The Order of the Silver Hand is paramount to achieving final victory for the Alliance of Lordaeron.
- Year 19:
The events of ‘Blood and Honor’ take place. Tirion Fordring is eventually exiled and expelled from The Silver Hand for aiding the Orc Eitrigg and attacking Alliance soldiers while freeing him.
- Year 20:

• The Third War begins
• The Silver Hand is disbanded by Prince Arthas Menethil in response to Uther denying aid in the Purge of Stratholme.
• Fall of Lordaeron: The Silver Hand is almost completely decimated.
  - Year 21:
• The Third War ends
• The Lich King is triumphant.
  - Year 20-25:
• The Resistance begins
• The Scarlet Crusade is formed to organise a new resistance to reclaim the Plaguelands.
• The Argent Dawn is formed in response to the Scarlet Crusade’s increasing madness, arrogance and racism.
• The Brotherhood of Light is created to keep tensions between the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn tolerable.
  - Year 25: (Start of World of Warcraft)
• Tirion Fordring enlists the aid of adventurers to turn his son away from The Scarlet Crusade’s treachery but this ultimately ends with the death of his son Tealan at the hands of the Scarlets. Tirion vows to recreate the Order of the Silver Hand.
  - Year 27:
• The Argent Crusade is formed.
• March on Northrend
  The Death Knights of Archerus attempt to conquer Light’s Hope Chapel. During the assault, the Argent Dawn proves to be victorious as Tirion enters the field. In the aftermath, Tirion receives the Corrupted Ashbringer from Darion Mograine after which the sword is purified. This legitimises his claim to bring remnants of the Order of the Silver Hand and the Argent Dawn together as into one fighting force: The Argent Crusade.
  - Year 28:
• The Final Battle
• The Argent Tournament takes place
• The Lich King is defeated at Icecrown
  - Year 28/29: (Cataclysm Expansion)
• Reclaiming the Plaguelands
• Tyr’s Hand is liberated from the Scarlet Onslaught
• Stratholme is liberated for the Argent Crusade
• Restorations within the Plaguelands begin.

Addendum I: The Light and The Three Virtues

The Light in itself isn’t a physical being or a deity. Though these two facts have been confirmed, there has been much debate on the forums and a lot of vague descriptions within the current lore making it hard to give an exact definition to the Light as a religion. What we do know is that the worship of the Light in itself is a way of life instead of reverence for a certain deity or force. The powers some gain (for example, Paladins) after a period of time following this way of life can be seen as a confirmation that the person is on the ‘good’ path of the Light.

The Light as a religion or way of life can mostly be compared to having a very optimistic outlook on life. Even when evil wins ground, the Light teaches characters there is a reason why the evil wins ground. This is a very quintessential part of the Light since various lore examples can be given where the victory of evil has ultimately resulted in the victory of good sometime later.

Take for example the Invasion of Quel’thalas. Before, Quel’thalas only had a relatively small amount of Light worshippers. Though the invasion caused this small group to forsake the Light initially, the victory over Kil’jaeden and the rebirth of the Sunwell through the aid of the Naaru showed the Blood Elves the Light was still with them. According to snippets of lore since, the Blood Elves slowly start to embrace the power of the Light over that of the diminished Arcane which ultimately is a positive outcome.

As such, a character who is an Argent Crusader will need to be optimistic of the future. Even though setbacks and deaths will harm the character’s morale, he or she will eventually need to find inner strength to persevere.

The Three Virtues

One of the main teachings of the Light are the Three Virtues. These virtues are paramount in day to day activity’s for a follower of the Light and basically are words of wisdom and a guideline how to deal with yourself and the world.

Though the Three Virtues were first detailed in the White Wolf RPG books, they have since been confirmed as ‘official lore’ with the release of patch 3.2. At the Argent Tournament, Argent Confessor Paletress enlightens visitors of the three virtues and their role in worshipping the Light. What follows below is a small summary of the information she shares. Should you wish to read the exact text of Argent Confessor Paletress, look further below. - Thanks go to Strorm for highlighting Paletress’ text and the fact the Three Virtues are now considered official lore.

Respect: As a worshipper of the Light, you need to be aware of the self and the universe. By being respectful, you can gain a connection with the universe and make it a better place. Being disrespectful harms the universe and eventually harms yourself since you are part of the universe.

Tenacity: Only through perseverance can you affect the world and the universe. Basically, Lordaeron wasn’t build in one day! There will be setbacks and failures, but through those failures you will eventually be able to succeed. Keep working on grasping those healings skills and perhaps one day, with patience, you might become a true master.

Compassion: The last of the virtues. Through compassion you can affect the world and the universe around you. But when being too passionate, you might harm the world more than do it a favour. Not being passionate enough might harm the world too. This virtue basically tells us you need to find a balance between being too passionate and not being passionate enough. Should you attack that Scourge group on your own or should you wait for reinforcements? Should you leave that dying beggar or help him? That is the challenge of the last virtue.

Argent Confessor Paletress about the Three Virtues
"Thank you all for attending this sermon. It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces! Today I would like to touch on the three virtues of the Light.

These are dark and difficult times for us all. The armies of the Scourge amass to the south. Companions fall on the battlefield and rise to serve our enemy moments later.
Many of you have experienced a betrayal of trust. Yet you persevere, as we all must. In these times, no one is a stranger to the virtue of tenacity. In the face of despair and hatred, we continue to stand true to our beliefs and fight on. There can be no doubt as to your tenacity… but there are other virtues to consider.

Respect is the first virtue taught to those joining the path of the Light. >>Look across the aisle to those you would call enemy. Despite the hatred that separates you, there are qualities to respect in your opponent. Their prowess should be acknowledged. All of us gathered here have a concept of honorable combat. Conducting yourself with honor and treating your opponent as you wish to be treated shows respect. Respect your opponent on the field, whether he be your brother or your sworn enemy. No matter where your beliefs truly lie, such respect is acknowledging a connection…
…and in acknowledging those connections, you are closer to the Light.

There is one further step on the path of Light: compassion.
Rivalries abound in this day and age. It is easy to see differences wherever you turn. The challenge is in looking beyond appearances and understanding our similarities. Through this understanding, you can feel compassion for the losses others have suffered…
…even if the victim bears another banner. By feeling and understanding compassion in enemy and ally alike, you reaffirm your connection with the world.

Acting on these tenets, these virtues, help make the world a place we all can appreciate. A world of honor and justice. Think on my words, friends. In the darkness that surrounds us all, the Light is needed more than ever."

Addendum II: The Watcher Tyr

During ‘Ask the CDev #1 - Answers’, more insight was given about one of the Titanic Watchers named Tyr. Before contemplating about the meaning and importance of the myth of Tyre to the modern day Argent Crusade, let’s start by quoting the myth itself as described during the Ask the CDev session.

“The story of Tyr slipped into memory long ago, when the young race of humans struggled to survive using the limited supplies provided to them by the parents who had abandoned them. They occasionally took to gathering around a fire whilst trying to read from scrolls telling of ancient heroes and leaders – tales from the civilization that had cast these creatures out. One of these scrolls spoke of a great leader, a paragon of order and justice, who sacrificed his right hand in a fight against an unfathomable evil. Although it was within this hero’s power to fix his hand after the fighting had ended, the hero instead chose to replace it with a closed fist made of the purest silver. In this way, the hero impressed upon those who followed him that true order and justice can only be accomplished through personal sacrifice.”

Although unconfirmed, this myth ‘could’ be one of the basic foundations for the later created Light religion. But also the Silver Hand used the symbol of Tyr, both in their tabards and their name as the order was one to spread order and justice in defence of Lordaeron. Finally, his name was also used in the name of one of the original Scarlet enclaves: Tyr’s Hand. As such, it is quite probably Tyre’s myth is still used in the game world like we use the Greek Pantheon in modern day name giving and symbolism.

Addendum III: Argent Crusaders: ‘Hippies, Traitors’?

Since the Argent Crusade’s formation during the early days of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, numerous debates have sprung up if Argent Crusaders can be considered hippies or not. This has since then grown into a stigma of perceiving Argent Crusaders as soft, peaceful, ignorant and childish personalities which some RPers find very out of place in the violent Warcraft world. Especially now the Argent Crusaders can mostly be seen ‘growing flowers’ in the Plaguelands since the Cataclysm expansion, a lot of RPers consider rolepaying an Argent Crusader a boring experience.

Although Argent Crusaders can definitely considered ‘peaceful’, they are not entirely peaceful themselves. Argent Crusaders mainly wish order and justice to spread, just like the Silver Hand. Was the Silver Hand entirely peaceful? Absolutely not, they slaughtered many Orcs. Was the Argent Crusade’s mission of bringing down the Lich King peaceful? No, it was a massacre considering the amount of deaths on the Crusade’s side around Icecrown Citdael. Even though the Argent Crusade is mostly conducting peaceful activities in Cataclysm (not exclusively though, Stratholme is a nasty battle against the Risen as well), that doesn’t mean they will actively oppose Sylvanas for example when she might grow too bold. As said before, Argent Crusaders wish order and justice. If that means a war is necessary to achieve that order and justice, they won’t hesitate to do so.

Another popular ‘mistake’ is the fact that Argent Crusaders are perceived as ‘traitors’ by a lot of RPers and can be read in many topics around the forum. The Argent Crusade along with Tirion Fordring lead the battle against the Lich King. Before Deathwing came along and fried Azeroth to cinders, the Lich King was considered to be the deadliest threat to the safety of all of Azeroth. Beside the Lich King’s war crimes during the Third War, remember the Scourge Invasion event prior to the actual launch of Wrath of the Lich King? That is canon, official lore and was a true nightmare for the people of the areas affected. And it is -very recent-.

Now let’s go back to the moment the Lich King was defeated and the Argent Crusade along with Tirion Fordring wend back home. Do you think -anyone- would have thrown rotten apples at the Crusaders? Of course not! They were considered heroes, examples to children!

With the recent tensions and a war gearing up between the Horde and the Alliance, it could happen that a few bitter characters feel the Crusaders are abandoning their service to their respective homelands. But it’s very unlikely an entire faction or race would think of the Argent Crusaders as traitors. They’ve just done way too many good deeds to save Azeroth from destruction to get tomatoes thrown at them.

Addendum IV: The Brotherhood of Light (& the Inigo Montoy incident)

Lore on the Brotherhood of Light is sadly extremely scarce and hard to come by. All we have at the moment are a limited number of quest texts and some dialogue. But it should be enough to draw a small but clear picture about them.

During the ‘tense’ alliance between the Argent Dawn and the Scarlet Crusade in the battle for the Plaguelands and Naxxramas, ‘The Brotherhood of Light’ was created as a subsection of the Argent Dawn. The group was tasked to unite the ‘zealous’ Scarlet Crusaders and the Argent Dawn under one banner for special tasks and missions in addition to being a diplomatic platform between the Argent Dawn and the Scarlet Crusade.

Initial appearance and role

The Brotherhood of Light came into existence during the Naxxramas raid patch in World of Warcraft Classic. During the quests and dialogue, it is made clear that the Brotherhood is a very small group consisting mostly of members from the Argent Dawn who take a ‘strong’ stance against Undead. Simply said, the Brotherhood of Light is like the Scarlet Crusade just not maddened by Balzannar to believe only the members of the Brotherhood are free of the plague. The Brotherhood’s Commander is Eligar Dawnbringer.

During their initial appearance, the Brotherhood of Light had a pivotal role in taking down Kel’Thuzad during the time Naxxramas floated above the Plaguelands. Sadly, once Kel’Thuzad was defeated, not all wend well…

The Inigo Montoy incident

After adventurers (the players) defeated Kel’Thuzad during the original Level 60 Naxxramas raid, they were directed to bring Kel’Thuzad’s phylactery to Father Inigo Montoy of the Brotherhood of Light. What the adventurers sadly didn’t know is that Montoy was secretly working for Arthas.

During the start of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, it is revealed the Argent Dawn never received the phylactery. The Argent Dawn begins to investigate the issue but doesn’t seem to find much until the Scourge attack the Alliance holding of Wintergarde Keep. As the player, and the Alliance, fight the Scourge back to the crypts below Wintergarde Keep, it is revealed to the player that Montoy was the one who stole the phylactery. He secretly took the phylactery to Northrend and handed it back to Arthas. The Lich King ‘rewarded’ Montoy by turning him into a Lich, something Montoy later doesn’t seem to mind all that much.

Moments later, Montoy, now known as the Lich ‘Thel’Zan the Duskbringer’ reveals that Kel’Thuzad has risen once more using the phylactery within Naxxramas. The Alliance forces, along with Bolvar Fordragon, manage to defeat Thel’zan thus ending the life of Father Inigo Montoy.

During the battle at Wintergarde Keep, Eligar Dawnbringer can also be seen giving players and NPC’s instructions about the horrors they will soon face within Naxxramas. Basically, he gives a verbal description of the raid along with its bosses.

Present Day

The Brotherhood of the Light returned to the Plaguelands after their victory within Naxxramas in Northrend. The Brotherhood, along with Eligar Dawnbringer, take a center role in the reclaiming of Stratholme from the Scourge. Though there’s not a lot of lore value to Eligar’s dialogue, there are some interesting bits to consider. For example, we see a select few number of the Brotherhood aiding Eligar and adventurers (players) in their quest like a Packmaster and a Craftsman.

This, along with Argent Crusade reinforcements later on, ‘could’ mean that the Brotherhood of Light is now merely a small squad or group within the Argent Crusade, just with a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ type of style.

Closing remarks

Hopefully this guide aided you in giving an idea about the Argent Crusade’s history, its members and how to create a character who is an Argent Crusader. If you have any ideas or suggestions for additions to the guide, please leave them below. I might add them later on! For now, thanks for reading and good luck with creating that Argent Crusade character!

Anastre/Celegil