The Fall of a Prince

Full History

Arthas Menethil began his campaign against the plague determined to protect Lordaeron, but each desperate step brought him closer to the Scourge he sought to destroy. He pursued Kel'Thuzad, ordered the culling of Stratholme, and followed Mal'Ganis into Northrend. There he claimed Frostmourne. By the time he returned home, the prince was an agent of the power that had ruined his kingdom.

The plague spread through contaminated grain and turned towns into sources of undead violence. Arthas's pursuit of its architects hardened his judgments and estranged companions such as Jaina Proudmoore and Uther. At Stratholme he refused to wait for a different answer, choosing slaughter before the inhabitants could become undead. His expedition to Northrend continued that pattern of sacrifice, leaving allies behind as revenge took priority over the obligations of a prince and paladin.

Frostmourne completed the fall. Arthas returned to Lordaeron and killed King Terenas, bringing the monarchy to its end. His transformation was both personal tragedy and a decisive political catastrophe: the defender of the kingdom became an instrument of its destruction. The surviving Plaguelands and the Forsaken's later struggle for freedom grew from the consequences of these choices.