Drethund

== Overview ==
The necromancer known as Drethund continues to evade his enemies and their attempts to take down both him and the Cult of the Damned. For some time now he made the Plaguelands his domain, where to this day he plots the return of the Scourge to consume the living. While he cut off all ties with Bolvar's Scourge, he closely works with others like him within the cult. He vowed his allegiance to the lich Gravehowl.
== Appearance and Personality ==
Drethund was of an older age while in the Kirin Tor, and as the Cult of the Damned was being formed he was intrigued with what wonders Kel'Thuzad's new path would introduce. His main reason for following the cult was the same as many others: power. This desire persisted even through his ascension into undeath. His silver hair turned white along with his beard that stretches down to his waist, his skin pale and his once blue eyes now glow with an eerie radiance. His robes are adorned with skulls of the deceased, torn and tattered of crimson and violet color.
== Background ==
=== Fleeing Already ===
The concept of the Cult of the Damned was just a rumor, how corrupt men raise the dead with dark powers, and it would later turn out to be more than just a tall tale. Drethund was a mere acolyte, his worth meant little at the time, but he was still a member of the sect, one that would slowly raise an army of undead. While Mal’ganis was drawing the attention of the human forces to Northrend, Drethund would still be within the human lands, trying to keep himself out of sight. With one of his attempts to flee his enemies, he came across a farm within the dense forests of Lordaeron, where he would find shelter for the time being. An old man and his son were the farm's only residents, and were reluctant to allow a  necromancer to stay. The old man tried to reason with Drethund and possibly save his own life, but was killed shortly after this attempt, while the son, a young adult, attempted to hack his axe into his father's killer with great desire. The eager farmhand missed Drethund's head and managed to clip his shoulder with his imprecision, and was blasted back with necrotic magic by the enraged necromancer. Drethund was seething with anger, how someone so simple-minded managed to wound him, and for that he proceeded to torture the still living victim by slowly making his flesh decay until, finally, he died. The old man and son were raised as undead servants, naturally, and Drethund took over the farm as his new hideout for months to come.
=== The Infestation Spreads ===
After the death of Lordaeron’s king, and the reforming of the Cult of the Damned, Drethund went out of hiding to heed the call of the Lich King. Arthas, once an enemy to the Scourge, became Ner’zhul’s champion and played a key part in the Scourge’s success in the human lands. Drethund sought out another well-known necromancer, Xarxas Shadowshaper, who would later become his mentor in the foul teachings of necromancy. Drethund helped Xarxas and his other servants in furthering the undead infestation, even to the elven land of Quel’Thalas. The Scourge would soon begin its march to Silvermoon, and the undead agents would do everything within their power to allow this, even Drethund. Inevitably, Arthas would make his way to the Sunwell and bring back the cult’s leader; Kel’Thuzad.
During the invasion Xarxas' minions pursued elven artifacts in particular. Before they made their way to Alterac, Drethund decided to stay in Quel'thalas and do the same, claiming that he sought to hunt down certain mages and nobles for their magical treasures, albeit it is unknown if he actually did so. He thought that pilfering a few belongings from the high elves was distasteful, but would return to the Scourge's main forces with a few new and peculiar items by his side, saying very little of what transpired back in Quel'thalas.
=== To Kalimdor ===
Following Archimonde's demonstration of his terrible power, the destruction of Dalaran, for which Drethund was not present, Xarxas rallied his forces and lead them to the shores of the human lands. The ships they boarded were to take them to Kalimdor, its forests very much familiar to the demon veterans from the War of the Ancients. Drethund didn't question neither Xarxas or the Burning Legion, and took pleasure in ending every single native that tried to stop the dead and their destructive march to the World Tree. The necromancer found little interest in the kaldorei, seeing as they would soon become an extinct race, but their valuables would not go un-noticed. Many of the blessed artifacts were befouled and turned into instruments of death used by the Scourge and the Legion during their battles against the allied mortal races, who did little to stop the undead advance. Much like his masters, Drethund was overconfident, which grew with every step closer to the World Tree.
=== Archimonde's Fall ===
And so, the Defiler was destroyed, and with him Xarxas as well. The necromancer's servants were nearly lost now that the Burning Legion was defeated, but were sent back to Lordaeron with Arthas. Drethund found himself now standing independently from the demon lords of the Legion with the rest of the Scourge, and was not too distraught by the turn of events, seeing as all he ever wanted was power. Shattering the bonds from the demons, he would fight in the Lich King's name to rid the lands of the dreadlords who sought to command the undead.
=== A Minor Inconvenience ===
Arthas left Lordaeron and sailed to Northrend, leaving Kel'Thuzad to rule the land in his stead. With Sylvanas' betrayal, the lich, as well as the Scourge, had a completely new enemy to deal with, one that named themselves the Forsaken. Among them was also a former ally of Drethund's from Xarxas' service, known as Rallen Grimsong. Drethund was never particularly fond of any of his allies, and Rallen was no exception, because of this he would have no problem waging war against him and his newfound faction, perhaps only motivation. However, during the Scourge's strong presence within the Tirisfal Glades, this would not come to pass. Drethund retreated into the Plaguelands.
=== Darkness of the Plaguelands ===
==== To Serve a Lich ====
Drethund travelled east along with a group of undead. Despite his experience and former rank, he was not their master. They were all ordered to report to their new superior within the Western Plaguelands, although none of them knew who was in question, aside from that it was a powerful lich. Drethund brought the geist Plagueleaper with him, who served Xarxas loyally before and preformed his tasks with acceptable results, though not many understood why it mattered. Nevertheless, the necromancer gave no attention to most of his companions, among which were notably Plaguefist -- a death knight, and a self proclaimed duke -- and a skeletal mage, Narsador. During that time, the roads were no safe place for the living, as the Scourge ruled over the majority of the land, though in this case, the group was ambushed by the Scarlet Crusade, who managed to slay many of the undead. They would've ended them all, had there not been an interference...
The so-called worshipers of the Light were caught by surprise, as one of their allies began to slowly freeze from the inside, completely frostbitten from the outside. They were wary as soon as the man fell dead, watching cautiously over their shoulders, though trying to keep their enemy in check and surrounded still. After a few mere moments, another one fell, and soon enough a third one. The leader of the group ordered his allies to attack and slay them all, to halt their dark magics, though during their charge, they were rooted in place by the trembling ground below them. Despite the hesitation, the Scarlet leader charged once more, only to fall into the ground on a short distance from his enemy. The ground trembled once more, and soon enough nerubians began emerging from beneath, quickly attacking the enemy, among them a fearsome crypt lord joined the fray. The rest of the undead joined in as well, the Scarlets all falling before them within a minute. The crypt lord introduced himself as Senif-ka, though was very disappointed with how they allowed themselves to be so easily beaten. The one responsible for the delivering a cold death to the Scarlets showed himself shortly after the crypt lord's insults, revealing to be none other than the very lich they were supposed to serve; Gravehowl the Soulcrusher.
==== In Gravehowl's Name ====
coming soon
Category:ScourgeCategory:NecromancerCategory:HumanCategory:Cult of the DamnedCategory:Back storyCategory:MageCategory:Kirin TorCategory:Undead