(30) - Yorath the Wolf

Aislin paused before the large, leatherbound tome before her. Unlike many in the library, this libram was an anthology, an accumulae of scraps from other sources, laboriously copied from scraps rescued from the former libraries of the world.

After some time, she found the reference she had wanted.


From the Book of Eibos:

And Lo, it came to pass the the orc Grom Hellscream faced the choice between giving into the demon corruption once more or resisting and saving Thrall. Refusing to accept that the Orcs were cursed forever, he chose his kin. In a heroic last stand Grom slipped past Mannoroth’s defenses and sliced open his chest. The demonic fires erupted outward, slaying the astonished Mannoroth and mortally wounding Hellscream.

With the death of Mannoroth the blood curse on the Orcs was finally lifted. After his defeat, Mannoroth's remains and armor were spirited to Orgrimmar and were attached to a large, irregularly shaped tree. However the large double blade used by the mightly pitlord remains in Ashenvale locked in time to show where the bloodpact was ended. The remains have become a memorial to warn against consorting with demons and celebrating the feat of Grommash Hellscream in finally lifing the blood curse.

One of the most diabolical Pit Lords under Mannoroth, Azgalor was fanatically loyal to the cause of his Demon King and his own master, Archimonde. Azgalor was quick to seize the opportunity that Mannoroth's death offered, and Archimonde promoted him to the position of acting Demon King.

Azgalor's first mission was to accompany Archimonde as he made his dreaded ascension up Mount Hyjal towards Nordrassil, the World Tree. Azgalor's favored servant in this matter was Yorath the Wolf, the Blood Knight who commanded legions of Azgalor's felhounds as his huntsman. But just as they thought they had achieved victory, Malfurion set loose his wisps which imploded the Tree and incinerated Archimonde. The Legion had been defeated once again.

Azgalor escaped into the Twisting Nether, and plotted his revenge on the world that killed his leaders. In his rage, he punished Yorath, imprisoning him in a hellblade and sent it back to Azeroth to be found. Trapped within the sword, Yorath could slowly corrupt its wielder, slowly achieving ascendancy over his host, and then serve the cause of the Burning Legion once more. Eventually, the host body would fall, but the power of the hellblade insured that eventually, another would take it up, secure and confident that he would avoid the mistakes of his predescessor.