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Jun 10, 2021 · This event drew the queen, who loved her people so very much, to the streets. During this riot, the Queen was hit by a fatal rock, and she wasn't able to recover from the blow. Her death caused Anduin’s father to fall into a depression, which Onyxia exploited.
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“My son, a terrible darkness has returned to our world. As before, it seeks to annihilate everything that we hold dear. I go to face it, knowing I may not return. All my life I have lived by the sword. I've seen kingdoms burn, and watched brave heroes die in vain. It's been difficult for me to trust after losing so much. But from you I have learned patience, tolerance, and faith. Anduin, I now believe as you do, that peace is the noblest aspiration. But to preserve it, you must be willing to fight!”
— Varian's last message to Anduin
Varian Wrynn was the King of Stormwind and High King of the Grand Alliance. During the First War when Varian was a young boy, his father King Llane was murdered and Stormwind was sacked by the Orcish Horde. His guardian and regent Anduin Lothar gathered the survivors and sailed to Lordaeron, where the Alliance of Lordaeron was formed. The Alliance defeated the Horde in the Second War and Stormwind was reclaimed, though at the cost of Lothar's life. Varian was crowned King of Stormwind and stood by King Terenas of Lordaeron as the Alliance began to fracture, but soon faced many internal problems. He was unable to reach a settlement between the Stonemasons who rebuilt Stormwind and the House of Nobles, which led to a riot in which his wife Queen Tiffin was killed. While on a diplomatic mission to Theramore, Varian was abducted by the Defias Brotherhood, formerly the Stonemasons, and went missing.
He had managed to escape from the Defias but was suffering from memory loss and soon after enslaved by the Horde and became a gladiator in the Crimson Ring, teamed with Broll Bearmantle and Valeera Sanguinar. The trio won the Crimson Ring tournament in Dire Maul, for which Varian was given the Taur-ahe moniker "Lo'Gosh" — meaning "Ghost Wolf". After escaping his slavers, Varian discovered he was the missing King of Stormwind and his advisor Lady Katrana Prestor was revealed to be the black dragonflight broodmother Onyxia in disguise, who had manipulated the Defias and Nobles dispute, was behind Varian's kidnapping and created a duplicate of him using dark magic. With the help of his comrades, he was able to recover his true identity and finally defeat Onyxia.
Under his daring leadership, the humans of Stormwind led the Alliance to victory against the Lich King in Northrend. After the death of Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and Alliance forces at the Wrathgate, Varian declared war on the Horde and sought to bolster their strategic holdings against their perennial enemy. Known for his tenacity and fierce will, King Varian Wrynn was committed to protecting the Alliance's interests and raising his son Anduin to follow in his place. With the world plunged into chaos by the great Cataclysm, he earned the respect of the night elves, dwarves, and other Alliance races and took up military leadership of the Alliance as High King, vowing to forge a new destiny for Azeroth. The war with the Horde was finally brought to an end following the victory in the Siege of Orgrimmar.
Leading the Alliance armies against the Burning Legion at the Broken Shore, Varian fell in battle at the gates of the Tomb of Sargeras, sacrificing himself to allow the Alliance forces to escape. Before staying behind to fight, Varian entrusted Genn Greymane with a letter to his son Anduin, advising him that one must be willing to fight in order to preserve peace. In the aftermath of the battle, he was succeeded by Anduin as King of Stormwind and High King of the Alliance.
The First War
Varian Wrynn was born to King Llane Wrynn by Queen Taria Wrynn in Stormwind City ten years before the First War and as a youth lived a joyful and prosperous life as prince of the Kingdom of Stormwind. He would train in horse riding and learning how to fight. But all that changed when the orcs appeared from beyond the Dark Portal and attempted to destroy his homeland, thus ushering in the First War between his beloved Kingdom of Azeroth and the Horde. Anduin Lothar, the Champion of Stormwind, rallied his countrymen and armies and gutted out a desperate attempt to hold the Horde at bay and to keep them away from King Llane, Prince Varian, and Stormwind. While Lothar enjoyed some small success in holding back the Horde, his efforts were dashed when Garona Halforcen, who had become an ally to Stormwind, betrayed King Llane under orders from the Shadow Council in the year 3. Varian could only watch helplessly as his father was murdered and the Horde overran his kingdom, burning its homes and slaughtering all who stood in their way. The death of his father affected Varian greatly; Garona's actions forever tainted the prince's perception of the orcs, and he would view them as a deceitful and murderous people. His later closest friend Arthas Menethil recalled him looking weary and ragged when he first saw him and said that he'd "lost absolutely everything but his life."
Exodus to Lordaeron
Anduin Lothar, convinced that Stormwind could not be retaken, gathered Varian, Queen Taria, and all who remained in the city and led an escape from their homeland. While they narrowly escaped by boat into the sea, the Queen and many others were lost in the fighting to reach the harbor. They headed North while Lothar gathered his thoughts aboard his ship. Consulting with Varian and the Kirin Tor mage Khadgar, they determined that in order to preserve humanity from annihilation by the Horde they would need to warn King Terenas Menethil II, ruler of Lordaeron, of the danger that loomed on the horizon. After landing at the port of Southshore, Lothar gathered Prince Varian along with Khadgar and several knights and marched towards Lordaeron. Upon arriving, young Varian was greeted by King Terenas, who treated him as an equal king despite Varian's young age. King Terenas quickly offered him his pledge to stand by him until his homeland was retaken and invited him to stay with him for as long as he was willing. Although at first Varian was slightly shy being in a Kingdom he had never seen before, he quickly overcame his timidity and Varian found King Terenas' son Arthas Menethil, who was just a few years younger than he, as a great new friend and the two quickly formed a close friendship. Shortly after the people of Stormwind reached Lordaeron, King Terenas — at Lothar's urging — gathered all the leaders of the other human kingdoms together at the Council of Seven Nations. When the leaders at the council grew divided as Genn Greymane of Gilneas and Aiden Perenolde of Alterac threatened to abandon the council out of fear of losing their regional power to unity, the venerated priest Turalyon brought Varian to his side and called upon the kings to cease quarreling over meaningless issues. If they did not, he announced, then every kingdom would be destroyed and every city would be burned as Stormwind had been, and their children would be orphaned like Varian if they even survived at all. Turalyon argued that if humanity failed to unite they would be remembered as a people that could've saved Azeroth but were too proud to put aside political ambitions, yet if humanity did form an alliance they could change history and become the guardians of Azeroth. These words saw the Council of Seven Nations erupt into applause, even from Greymane and Perenolde, and resulted in a unanimous vote to form the Alliance of Lordaeron. Under the command of Anduin Lothar, its supreme commander, this alliance was finally able to put an end to the Horde reign during the Second War. However, the victory came at a great price as Anduin Lothar was killed shortly before the war ended and would not live to see the retaking of his Kingdom of Stormwind.
Rise as king
With Stormwind retaken and slowly being rebuilt, thanks to the help of King Terenas who had urged the Alliance to help fund the rebuilding of Stormwind, Varian was officially crowned King of Stormwind by the age of eighteen. King Terenas himself was well-pleased with how Varian had grown into a clever and noble king, feeling a father's pride as he had grown attached to Varian over the years, considering Varian almost his second son. Varian was provided with experienced ministers and advisors by High General Turalyon to help secure his place as king. Turalyon also oversaw the repatriation of the citizens of Stormwind. The Stonemasons, led by Edwin VanCleef, came to lend their help in rebuilding Stormwind and hoped to forge a new future for themselves, with aspirations that riches would soon follow their work's completion. Varian was present at Nethergarde Keep along with the other Alliance kings when Khadgar proposed rallying the Alliance army that would undertake the Invasion of Draenor. During his reign as king, Varian left Stormwind City under the stewardship of the House of Nobles and rode to the many corners of his kingdom to protect his people from raiding orc parties, meet with spies who were searching for the assassin Garona, and direct the restoration of his kingdom. After many months Stormwind was finished, reborn as a kingdom of majesty and architectural brilliance eclipsing even its once-pristine condition before the First War. It was during this time of renewed tranquility in Year 15 that Varian married a young, beautiful woman named Tiffin Ellerian and conceived a son, Anduin, named for Lothar. However, the Alliance soon began fracturing, and the elven kingdom of Quel'Thalas, along with the human kingdoms of Stromgarde and Gilneas seceded. Despite this, King Varian vowed he would stand by King Terenas and the Alliance as they had stood by him in his time of need. It was also during this time that the Stonemasons who had rebuilt Stormwind demanded to be paid for their service to King Varian and the House of Nobles. However, the corrupt House of Nobles, under the influence of Katrana Prestor, refused to adequately pay the guild for its work. King Varian was unable to negotiate a resolution that appeased both parties. It is suspected that Lady Katrana had ensorcelled half the House of Nobles and half the Stonemasons and because of this, both sides refused to begrudge their positions: with the House of Nobles only offering meager compensation while the Stonemasons continued to demand extravagant sums. However, even Varian does not doubt that some Stormwind nobles were just irredeemably corrupt. SI:7 notes that the nobles of Stormwind ran up a huge debt by expanding the kingdom's military presence through Elwynn and into Stranglethorn. The massive debt crippled the kingdom's economy and stripped Edwin VanCleef and his Stonemasons of their promised rewards. Edwin VanCleef and the Stonemasons set to rioting in the streets of Stormwind, demanding just compensation. The riot was dangerous and chaotic and in the confusion Varian's young queen was accidentally killed when a large rock hit her upside the head. Varian vowed to punish those responsible and dealt with the rioters more severely. The Stonemasons, fleeing the city, hid in the rural areas of Westfall to escape prosecution. Knowing Varian's anger would never fade, many were forced to remain in hiding. VanCleef fled Stormwind with the Stonemasons, while Varian mourned Tiffin's death. He subsequently fell into a great depression that was ensorcelled to span a decade; all throughout the duration of the Third War. During which, Lady Katrana took advantage of his ensorcelled state to politically outmaneuver him but over time, he fought off the magical effects and regained his consciousness and will. Varian soon reasserted his control over the Stormwind government and vowed to create a new and better world for himself, his son, and the people of Stormwind.[citation needed] At one point, Varian did battle with an assassin who had snuck into Stormwind Keep and nearly stabbed Anduin. Before the Third War, he was using the SI:7's elite, Reigol Valdread, to spy on the kingdom of Lordaeron. Varian bestowed him the title of baron, but Reigol continued to serve him in missions. At the start of the Third War, Varian wondered whether Reigol would finally retire, but the rogue returned to Lordaeron to investigate the plague of undeath.
This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.
Krasarang Wilds
• A King Among Men
• Lion's Landing
• A Little Patience
• What Had To Be Done
This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.
King Varian was perhaps the hardest city leader to defeat for Horde players. The relocation of Stormwind Keep and the change of Stormwind's geography made getting to Varian undetected nearly impossible. Additionally, Varian's elite guard were spread all the way along the path to the king, ranging as far as the steps of the keep itself. A fast kill was vital as Stormwind is highly populated during most hours and Alliance players were very likely to come to the aid of their King.
In addition Genn Greymane accompanied Varian, further complicating the battle. Genn didn't attack for the first two to three seconds after aggro as he changed into worgen form. Genn would be tanked separately from Varian and kept away from the rest of the raid due to his Intimidating Roar. For his other abilities refer to Genn's main article.
Varian retained his previous abilities of Heroic Leap and Whirlwind as well as continuously spawning guards. In total King Varian and Genn Greymane had the largest total health of all the racial leaders (around 785 million), however the biggest threat in this fight was definitely the Alliance playerbase, success could rely almost entirely on how many respond to the raids attack.
The subject of this section has been removed from World of Warcraft.
Until patch 1.9.0, players could witness the king in his captivity in the sewer dungeons of Alcaz Island just north of Theramore, though he was not involved in any quests at the time. With patch 1.10, Varian was replaced with an elite level 62 warrior named Tidelord Rrurgaz and a sewer full of elite naga, and Alcaz Island became home to Doctor Weavil, a major part of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj world event.
King Varian is a ruler with a fierce love for his people and his son, Anduin. He would willingly give his life to save his people. He is driven by ancient principles few understood today—a code of conduct that demanded something more of its leaders. He believes in the principles of truth, honor, justice, and duty. Though the events of his life have left him severely distrusting of the Horde, he has shown a willingness to attempt peace. Before he was kidnapped by the Defias, he was en route to a peace summit with Thrall. Unfortunately, manipulations of the Twilight's Hammer made the conference with Thrall a disaster and reinforced his little love for the Horde. His reasons for his hatred are many: when Varian was a young boy, he saw his father murdered by the half-orc Garona; the orcs' warchief, Orgrim Doomhammer, slew the valorous Anduin Lothar, who had delivered Varian safely to Lordaeron after the fall of Stormwind; Varian was later enslaved by the orcish gladiator trainer Rehgar Earthfury; and at the Wrath Gate, many brave Alliance soldiers died at the hands of the Forsaken's Royal Apothecary Society. Varian, who had always been wary of the orcs, discovered that the Royal Apothecary Society had been developing the new plague for years. The events that transpired during the battle for the Undercity convinced the human king that the Horde has been left unchecked for too long and sought to dismantle it entirely; an attitude that grew worse throughout most of the Scourge war. However, after witnessing the fate of Dranosh Saurfang and sympathizing with the father's plight of Varok Saurfang, his attitude began to soften; bidding his men to stand down and allow Varok to retrieve his son's corpse, an action that moved Jaina to tears. Throughout the course of the Cataclysm, Varian slowly grew more tolerant and diplomatic, taking many lessons from his son. He also reconciled his fury at tragedies he's endured with his hot-blooded behavior, enabling him to become more level headed in administering the justice he desired. Unlike Garrosh he did not use the Cataclysm to gain military advantage and focused on the more pressing threat of Deathwing and the Old Gods. By the time of the Pandaria Campaign, Varian has become far more composed and confident; proving his new attitude by rejecting the notion of utilizing the Sha as a weapon, leading a careful, controlled, and strategic operation to free the Temple of the Red Crane from Horde control, earning the respect of his allies, and ultimately declaring the war to be over with Garrosh's arrest, willing to give the Horde a second chance under their new Warchief.
When his consciousness was split by Onyxia, so too was his personality. One side retained all of Varian's knowledge, manners, and etiquette; while the other, Lo'Gosh, retained his skill in battle and is known to wage war with a relish equal to his enemies. Though the two halves were eventually reunited, they did so imperfectly. At times, Lo'Gosh is more dominant, and he is not one to shy away from conflict if he believes it is necessary.
•A statue of King Varian, alias Lo'Gosh, stands in Valiance Keep in the Borean Tundra:
In tribute to King Varian Wrynn
known to some as LO'GOSH the "Ghost Wolf"
His miraculous return from long years of exile and hardship has ignited a new fire of spirit and courage within the Alliance.
We shall march boldly into these perilous lands holding his valor and his tenacity in our hearts.
- Highlord Bolvar Fordragon
•Varian's belt was previously worn by Anduin Lothar. It was probably destroyed when Varian died. [Lionshead Lapel Clasp] drops from Gul'dan in the Nighthold.
•The rest of Varian's armor appeared when Onyxia's spell merged Varian (who was dressed in royal finery) and Lo'Gosh (was wearing his gladiator equipment) back into one. This armor may have been Lothar's as well, given that the design patterns seem to match. Varian's armor featured the lion and gryphon (animals also featured in the Crest of the Alliance) in its design.
•Varian wielded a legendary blade called Shalamayne, which was created from a fusion of Shalla'tor and Ellemayne. He used this weapon in the comic book, in the Secrets of Ulduar trailer, in the BattleCry mosaic, in the novel Stormrage, and in World of Warcraft (as of patch 3.3.3). It was later mentioned in The Shattering and saw battle in Wolfheart.
•In World of Warcraft, Varian wielded two Cruel Barbs (in beta), two [Quel'Serrar] blades (until 3.1.0), and then two swords that looked like Shalamayne (until 3.3.3).
Beyond the Dark Portal
"Greymane only complains to hear the sound of his own voice."
Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
"My father tried to protect me, too. Didn't work. The realities of life have a way of intruding."
World of Warcraft Comics
•"A gladiator's life is simple: You win and live, or lose and die. A king's life is more complex. The only truth for a king is that there are no easy answers." •"I will seek out my enemies, and woe betide those who set themselves against me." •"I am the King of Stormwind and no one, not the Naga, nor the Scourge, nor the fiery lords of the Burning Legion will keep me from my people!" •"When we win and the Lich King has been defeated...then let us hope your time, a time of peace and healing, will begin. When that day comes you will be greater than I."[100]
Sep 26, 2019 · With the finale of the War Campaign, Sylvanas Windrunner closed one chapter of her plan to master death and embarked upon another step in her shadowy path. We'll examine Sylvanas' dialogue from the loyalist ending, her current bargains, and how likely it is we're going to the Shadowlands. Story spoilers.
- Perculia
Jun 28, 2021 · When Sylvanas was killed by Arthas, her soul was meant to go to Ardenweald before it was ripped back to turn her into the Banshee Queen. However, not all of her soul made it back from the Shadowlands. Frostmourne, when used in anger, has the ability to shatter a soul and tear off a fragment.
It was a bitter and ironic death, as Queen Tiffin was the staunchest supporter of paying the Stonemason's guild what they were owed. And in one fragile moment, Varian's world plunged back into...
Mar 4, 2022 · Angered Stonemasons marched through the streets, resulting in the death of Queen Tiffin. Varian vowed to punish everyone responsible, and the Stonemasons were forced into hiding. During The Third...
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Apr 10, 2022 · The game’s narrative said that she did it because of the war between the Alliance and Horde; she was attempting to defend her people with a pre-emptive strike. This kicked off the...
