Alonsus Faol

Archbishop Alonsus Faol is the leader of the Conclave, an order uniting all the priesthoods of Azeroth. In life, he was the Archbishop of the Church of the Holy Light and the mentor of many heroes of the Alliance of Lordaeron, including the first paladin of Azeroth, Uther the Lightbringer.
 
In the beginning of the Second War, Alonsus learned of the massacre that the Holy Order of Northshire Clerics had suffered against the orcs during the First War. In order to lend the Church's support, he created with Anduin Lothar an order of holy warriors, the Order of the Knights of the Silver Hand. With the help of Uther, he recruited and trained Turalyon, Tirion Fordring, Saidan Dathrohan, and Gavinrad to make them the first paladins of Azeroth. After completing their training, he chose his apprentice to be the first paladin and their leader in the fight against the Old Horde.
 
During the war, Alonsus joined the Council of Seven Nations and ensured that the meetings between the kings of the Seven Kingdoms did not turn into conflicts. After their victory over the orcs, he worked for years to restore the Kingdom of Stormwind and the lands of Lordaeron, ordering his priests and paladins to help those in need. Among his projects, he invested funds in the reconstruction of Stormwind City, reformed the Brotherhood of Northshire and the Northshire Abbey, and oversaw the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Light.
At some point, Alonsus died for unknown reasons and was succeeded by his apprentice Benedictus as the Archbishop of the Church of the Holy Light. During the Third War, he was resurrected as an undead of the Scourge but managed to free himself from the Lich King's control, like the Forsaken. For years, he remained in hiding and managed to find the princess Calia Menethil, who survived the Scourging of Lordaeron by her brother Arthas Menethil. He then ensured her protection and training as a priestess of the Light.
At the time of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Alonsus returned and joined the Conclave. With the help of the High Priest, he led the priesthoods from all over Azeroth in the fight against the demons, and eventually reached the title of Archbishop once more after the end of the invasion. Prior to the Fourth War, he helped Anduin Wrynn to organize the Gathering in the Arathi Highlands.
==Biography==
Alonsus Faol was a short and stout human with a snow-white beard and a friendly face, he was also occasionally compared to Greatfather Winter.Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, part 1, chapter 5Before the Storm, chapter 8 He needed no introduction anywhere in Lordaeron, as even without the ceremonial robes and staff that he constantly carried with him, Alonsus Faol was the Archbishop of the Church of the Light and was revered by humans everywhere. He was a loved and generous man, and many would enjoy his presence, even those who had just met him, as just watching the old man created a sense of peace and wisdom.Tides of Darkness, chapter 3
When he was a bishop of the Church, Faol met Uther and made him his apprentice many years before the First War,Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Legends of the Land, Sire Uther Lightbringer serving as his spiritual advisor and mentor.Tides of Darkness, chapter 5
===Second War===
Following the First War, Alonsus was present with the kings of the Seven Kingdoms in the Imperial chamber of Capital City, where he listened Anduin Lothar recount the fall of the Kingdom of Stormwind to the orcs of the Horde. As the conversation began to get tense, he stepped in to ask what Lothar was waiting of them, which was the creation of an alliance to save their world from the invading orcs.Tides of Darkness, chapter 3
Days later, Alonsus was present during the second meeting as a member of the Council of Seven Nations. Even if he wasn't a king, he was a leader in his own right, as the Archbishop of the Church of Light his followers included most of the people from all the kingdoms combined. After the meeting, the Archbishop interrupted the mage Khadgar who criticized the behavior of the kings during the discussions, after he politely lectured him, he explained to Lothar that he also voted for him as the Supreme Commander of the Alliance of Lordaeron. He then announced that this war would push both men to the very limits of their talents, courage, and resolve but that he was certain that the Holy Light would be with them, before giving them his blessing. He later pledged the Church of the Holy Light to the cause of the Alliance Lordaeron, and would aid in Stormwind's restoration by raising funds once the crisis had been dealt with.
After he learned what happened to the Clerics of Northshire, Faol was deeply troubled by the loss of Northshire Abbey, and by the terrible attrition its clerics suffered in that conflict. Four days later, he met with Lothar and proposed to create a new branch of the Church, a new order, one that would represent the best qualities of humanity. It would comprise soldiers who were skilled not only in wielding the Light, but also in leadership and the arts of traditional warfare. With Lothar's permission, and aided by his apprentice Uther, Faol recruited a handful of knights to form this new order, all of them showed an aptitude for the Holy Light and also exemplified the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and honor. He began to train other knights in the way of the Light and priests in the arts of martial combat.Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 190 He called his students the paladins, and their group's name was the Order of the Silver Hand.
All the order's members he recruited were revered individuals from Lordaeron, among them were Turalyon, Tirion Fordring, Saidan Dathrohan, and his apprentice Uther, as he was already an accomplished knight and a pious believer. The last of them was Gavinrad the Dire, a battle-hardened knight of the First War sent by Anduin Lothar, and whose Alonsus welcomed with open arms. The city of Stratholme would serve as their base of operations, but Lothar decided to keep them close and to travel alongside the main Alliance army. For days and nights, Alonsus Faol trained them vigorously, teaching them how to use the Light to comfort their allies and smite their enemies, and also how to lead by example. They would be more than weapons, and would serve as lights in the darkness, as beacons of hope to guide the Alliance. He also instructed his paladins to live simple lives, as they would seek no fortune or glory in war, and until the end of their days, they would put the needs of others above their own.
As training progressed, Faol presented a set of enchanted librams to the paladins. These holy tomes were some of the church's most ancient relics. Each libram represented what Faol saw as a core trait of the Silver Hand: retribution, holiness, protection, justice, and compassion. He gave one libram to each of the paladins and challenged them to become the living embodiments of what their holy tomes represented. When Lothar asked for Turalyon and Uther to serve him as his lieutenants, Faol was happy to accommodate the supreme commander, but he did not release the paladins from his care yet. It would be weeks before they were ready to set foot on the battlefield.
At Alonsus Chapel, he performed the ceremony of induction of his five apprentices,Of Blood and Honor, chapter 2 and made Uther the first paladin of Azeroth and the Supreme leader of the Silver Hand.The Dreadlord Balnazzar
===Aftermath===
Following the Second War, Archbishop Alonsus Faol worked ceaselessly to rebuild the Kingdom of Lordaeron and bring aid to the remaining nations of the Alliance of Lordaeron.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual He helped to reform the Brotherhood of Northshire and raised vast funds to rebuild Stormwind City.Alonsus Faol#Death and remembrance He also took under his wing the kindly Benedictus and spent many years teaching him the ways of the Light, and together, they built the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City.World of Warcraft: Game Manual, pg. 170 Years later, he was in charge of organizing the ceremony for Prince Arthas Menethil's induction into the Order of the Silver Hand, in the Cathedral of Light.Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 5
During the trial of Tirion Fordring in Stratholme, he held the position of one of the four jurors. Like the other judges, he was shocked when Tirion admitted his guilt, for taking a vow of honor to protect the orc Eitrigg and refusing to break it, which led the paladin to his excommunication and his exile.Of Blood and Honor, chapter 5 Later, Alonsus Faol died for unknown reasons when Anduin Wrynn was just a child. His apprentice Benedictus took charge of the Church as the new Archbishop and swore to continue the good work his mentor had begun so many years ago.
During the Scourging of Lordaeron, Alonsus was raised as a mindless minion of the ScourgePriestly Matters though he would later gain free will when the Forsaken, led by Sylvanas Windrunner, freed themselves from the Lich King's control.Before the Storm, chapter 20 At some point, while escaping from undead, Princess Calia Menethil was found by Alonsus to his great joy. As she recognized him, the former archbishop showed her that not all undead had lost their minds, and that there were some who were still themselves even after death. This made her understand that the Forsaken and the Scourge were two separate entities, with the former still deserving of dignity and compassion.Before the Storm, chapter 15 & 25 The princess became his pupil, and both of them went into hiding for some time.
===Legion===
At the time of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Faol returned after years of absence hiding in the shadows. Over this time, he notably worked with Moira Thaurissan in her fight against the Twilight's Hammer, and during their infiltration, they learned about an ancient and powerful Old God relic, Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire.Blade in Twilight
After directing the priest adventurer of the Conclave to search for various artifacts, Faol joined Moira and Velen in Dalaran. From there, the trio journeyed to the Netherlight Temple, an ancient draenei prison for Saraka the Lighteater.The Light and the Void There, Alonsus along with the artifact wielder and several other priests were able to cleanse the naaru, bringing it back to its original state. To celebrate, Alonsus changed the prison into the priest order hall and promoted the artifact wielder as the leader of the order.
The first thing on his agenda was to spread the word to gather more priests to the Temple, and to get rations to the maximum extent against the Burning Legion. He then asked the priest to meet Gilner Greymoss and to find out what was troubling the gnome, thinking he was spouting nonsense, but Velen told him that they could not afford to make careless assumptions.Whispers in the Void He later requested the champion priest to go into the Halls of Valor, and to recover the Spark of Light to recruit a potential ally.Halls of Valor: The Light Within When Alonsus learned about a few defectors among the ranks of the Scarlet Onslaught in Northrend, he sent the champion priest to save them.Onslaught Envoy Upon returning with Mariella Ward and her followers, he said that it was times where they could not refuse any form of help, and thus, he welcomed them as their new allies.Infiltrating Our Enemies (quest)Onslaught EnvoyUnexpected Guests Later, Foal sent the champion priest to Micah Belford, in order to recruit the Cult of Forgotten Shadows. After freeing Natalie Seline from the Void, Alonsus commented that the Forsaken priests would rejoice at Natalie's return, and the Conclave as well, knowing that Velen's prophecy was fulfilled.Forgotten ShadowsRising Shadows
At some point, the night elf priest Delas Moonfang rushed to Faol and explained that she has been working with Aponi Brightmane, and the Highlord of the Silver Hand, to translate a codex that detailed the Legion's plans to establish an invasion point at Felblaze Ingress. She then asked to take a small group of priests to accompany the paladins in their search for the demon world known as Niskara, as if the dreadlord Balnazzar was there, they would find him. After he accepted, Alonsus told her to return to the temple at once when she had any information the Conclave could act on. Later, an urgent message from Lord Maxwell Tyrosus of the Silver Hand revealed that both groups have been captured by the Legion.Crossing Legion Lines After rescuing the paladins and priests from Niskara, the intel on the planet confirmed that the Legion was going to attack the Netherlight Temple. Consequently, Faol asked the Hight priest to go beneath Light's Hope Chapel, in the Sanctum of Light, to ask for the help of their leaders. The Order of the Silver Hand agreed to aid the Conclave, and all that remained was to prepare for the attack of Balnazzar.United As One (priest)Aiding the ConclaveElixirs of Aid
Eventually, the Legion found the Netherlight Temple, and Alonsus told the High Priest to inform the paladins to arrive at the temple at once.Fortifying the Temple After the long struggle against the Legion, thanks to the aid of the holy dreadlord Lothraxion alongside the Army of the Light and the paladins of the Silver Hand, Balnazzar was no more.A Light in the Darkness (priest) To celebrate their victory, Alonsus gave the title of High Priest to their leader,High Priest of Netherlight and told them that their artifact was evolving with them.Champion: Alonsus FaolA Hero's Weapon (priest)
====Legionfall====
During the meeting of order hall champions at Krasus' Landing, Faol was the representative leader of the Conclave who met Khadgar to discuss the Pillars of Creation.World of Warcraft: Legion - Patch 7.2 – The Tomb of Sargeras Trailer
At some point, Alonsus had it brought to his attention that a curious contagion was spreading through a small coastal region within Highmountain.A Curious Contagion The local tribes have abandoned the area for fear of catching this ailment that currently has no known cure at this time. The banshee Aelthalyste traveled there when her companion Roland Abernathy fell ill with the contagion and told the High Priest to lend them a hand. Eventually, with a cure in hand,Contagion Counteragent (1) he informed the High Priest that the Broken Shore needed its attention for using it on their allies and to prevent the contagion from spreading.To the Broken Shore (priest)
===Before the Storm===
When Prophet Velen and Moira Thaurissan brought Anduin Wrynn to the Netherlight Temple, in order to recruit the Conclave in their mission to restore Azeroth from Sargeras' destruction, Alonsus Faol graciously welcomed the king of Stormwind. The Archbishop's warm and friendly demeanor managed to change Anduin's perceptions of the undead, he came to see the Forsaken as just ordinary people in another form, and was shocked when Alonsus also introduced him to his apprentice, Calia Menethil. After the Alliance leaders addressed the Conclave about the plight of Azeroth and recruited them to their efforts, Alonsus commended Anduin for his leadership and as a fellow priest, invited him to take part in Conclave affairs whenever he wished.
Later, Alonsus was doing his part in organizing the healing efforts by traveling to Horde cities and spurring them to support their cause. When King Anduin returned to Netherlight Temple to discuss with Faol and Calia the progress of their mission, Anduin transitioned the conversation to be about his plan to formalize a Gathering between the Forsaken and their human loved ones. Anduin sought to enlist Alonsus' aid in his endeavors. However, Alonsus had doubts about the two races' ability to move past their prejudices or theirs to overcome the obstacles that sought to oppose such a unity. Yet with Calia's urging, Alonsus agreed to work with his fellow priests to lay the groundwork for the event. He later traveled to the Undercity to relay King Anduin's missives to Vellcinda Benton and Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, which concerned the proposal of the Gathering. When Nathanos Blightcaller reproached Alonsus for fraternizing with the Alliance High King, Faol claimed he was politically neutral as he was not a member of the Horde, but a simple priest of the Light. He remained in the Undercity for a few days to address any questions or concerns about the Gathering. According to Blightcaller, at one point he suggested that Faol pledge fealty to Sylvanas and the Horde, but the archbishop demurred, saying he preferred "'to serve the Light rather than kings or queens.'"
One late evening, King Anduin summoned High Exarch Turalyon and King Genn Greymane to the Cathedral of Light and reunited them with Alonsus Faol, officially dressed as he was in life as an archbishop, in a last-ditch effort to convince them of the righteousness of his cause. Genn was outraged that Anduin would traumatize them by using an abominable version of their old friend in order to make a point. He accused Alonsus of manipulating the king, but Faol retorted to Greymane that his hatred of him stems from fear; fear that if he acknowledges the Forsaken as people, then he would also be acknowledging that his son died for nothing. Though Genn was about to assault Faol in fury, Turalyon stopped him as he would not permit violence in a sacred place. Faol tried to convince Genn, his rage and pain prohibiting him from understanding a truth that could change his perceptions, but Genn wanted to cling to hatred and sorrow as it was what fueled him to fight. Faol sympathized but when he asked if he would still hate the Forsaken if Faol came to him with a Forsaken Liam, Genn was shaken to the core. Unable to face the truth, Genn howled in fury and fled the Cathedral. After Genn left the cathedral in rage, Turalyon told Faol that he blasphemed what was once a good man and had stolen his form, and if there were anything left of his old friend Turalyon would kill him in mercy. But when Faol told Turalyon to look for the Light within him, Turalyon did not strike; when he did indeed find it, with tearful joy he knelt in front of the archbishop who gave him a blessing. Overjoyed Turalyon changed his mind about the Gathering and immediately admitting his views had been wrong, offered his help to Anduin.
During the Gathering, Alonsus and his fellow priests supervised the event and provide the participants with their blessings. However, the Gathering ended in tragedy, and Calia was killed on the field by Sylvanas. He took her corpse back to Netherlight Temple and regretted authorizing her participation in the event, but miraculously, Calia's body was not decomposing. With Saa'ra's guidance, Saa'ra, Alonsus, and Anduin raised Calia back to life, but as an undead touched by the Light. The Archbishop then offered to teach Calia how to be an undead walking in the Light to better serve her people, which she agreed to.Before the Storm
===Elegy===
During the War of the Thorns, night elves began to flee Teldrassil for Stormwind City, following the Horde's invasion of Ashenvale under Sylvanas Windrunner and Varok Saurfang ' command. Consequently, King Anduin Wrynn mentioned he has sent someone to the Netherlight Temple, and asked the Conclave priests to provide assistance for the newly arrived kaldorei refugees, saying that he was certain that Faol would be glad to assist them.Elegy, part 3
===Shadowlands===
After the Forsaken reclaimed the Ruins of Lordaeron, Faol was amongst the Forsaken within the ruins.A Walk with Ghosts It is unclear if he has decided to join the Forsaken, and thus the Horde, or if he merely wished to aid the Forsaken as they recovered their city.
==Locations==
==As a champion follower==
As a Class Hall champion, Alonsus Faol is a Discipline Priest with the following abilities:
*Discipline - Uses magic to shield allies from taking damage to counter some Bosses.
*Leap of Faith - You pull the spirit of the friendly target, instantly moving them directly in front of you to counter a Hazard.
*Prayer of Mending - Mission success chance increased by 5% for every troop Vitality on the mission.
He can also be assigned as a bodyguard:
*
**
==Quests==
===Legion===
====Legionfall====
*A Curious Contagion 
*Safekeeping 
*To the Broken Shore (priest) 
==Quotes==
===Tides of Darkness===
*"Not all authority is corrupt or self-serving, young man. There are those of us called to serve by leading, just as your friend here."
*"You will both be tested during the course of this conflict. You will be pushed to the very limits, not just of your talents but of your courage and of your resolve. I believe you both capable of enduring such challenges, however, and of emerging victorious. I pray the Holy Light fills you with strength and purity, and that you find within it the joy and unity you need to survive and conquer."
*"I will establish a new branch of the Church, the paladins. I have already selected the first candidates for this order. Some were knights before but others were priests. I chose these men for both their piety and their martial prowess. They will be trained, not only in war but in prayer and in healing. And each of these valiant fighters will possess both martial and spiritual power, particularly in blessing themselves and others with the strength of the Holy Light."
===Legion===
====Dialogue====
;Combat ally
*
*
*
====On-click====
;Greetings
*I will hide in shadows no longer.
*How may I help you?
*We will accomplish much together.
;Pissed
*I wonder what would happen if you split someone into pure light and pure void. Interested in volunteering?
*Bored? I could arrange discourse with a shadow fiend.
*You do know there's an invasion going on, right?
;Farewell
*Until next time.
*Let us get to work.
*May light and shadow guide you.
===Shadowlands===
;Dialogue
;On-click greetings during Step Into the Light
*May the Light bless you.
*This is an auspicious day.
==Death and remembrance==
Alonsus Faol died prior to the Third War, when Anduin Wrynn was just a child. He was buried at Faol's Rest, a graveyard in the now-plagued Tirisfal Glades, located near the Scarlet Monastery.
A statue and fountain were once standing in front of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, honoring all the hard work done by Faol after the Second War, notably his raising funds to help rebuild the city and to reestablish the Brotherhood of Northshire.
At the time of the Cataclysm, the monument was replaced for unknown reasons by a statue dedicated to Uther the Lightbringer.
Alonsus Faol Monument.jpg|Faol's statue in the Cathedral Square.
Alonsus Faol Tomb.jpg|The tomb at Faol's Rest.
==Retcons==
*According to older accounts, the aged Faol was the Abbot of Northshire Abbey and fled with the surviving citizens of Stormwind to Lordaeron.Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Legends of the Land, Sire Uther LightbringerWarcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, A Brief History of the Fall of Azeroth, The Alliance of Lordaeron Later sources changes his story to already being in Lordaeron during the First War, and only learned about the destruction of Northshire Abbey when he spoke with Lord Lothar in Lordaeron's Capital City.Tides of Darkness
*In Day of the Dragon, set in Year 10, a person exclaims "By the spirit of Alonsus Faol!", and people speak about his "legacy" of the creation of the Silver Hand, implying that he was already dead at the time. This was retconned by Arthas: Rise of the Lich King and Of Blood and Honor, both taking place after Year 10, where he is still alive.
==In the RPG==
The leader of the Holy Order of Northshire Clerics during the war was Archbishop Alonsus Faol, and his apprentice was a devout lad named Uther.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 152 At the onset of the Second War, when the Alliance formed and began mustering its forces, several abbots openly wept as they realized that their pacifist priests would need to learn the arts of war; but Archbishop Alonsus Faol saw an opportunity to unite the sword and the chalice to create a new breed of holy knights: Paladins who were mighty with the hammer as well as the holy magic of the divine. He founded the Knights of the Silver Hand and began training paladins immediately.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 159
In Shadows & Light, he was called "Farol" (likely a typo). Prior to the Second War, Archbishop Faol of Lordaeron created an elite fighting force of divine knights — champions imbued with the Holy Light’s power. The archbishop ordained many warriors into this new order called the Knights of the Silver Hand, the first of whom was Uther.Shadows & Light, pg. 55 The Hammer of the Lightbringer is a mighty weapon forged when Archbishop Faol created the Knights of the Silver Hand, and the archbishop bequeathed it to the order’s first Grand Master — Uther the Lightbringer.Shadows & Light, pg. 169
==In Hearthstone==
Alonsus Faol appears as the first boss in the Paladin's Book of Heroes adventure, in Hearthstone. His flavor text reads: The kindly Archbishop has called on your service as war rages across your homeland.
==Notes and trivia==
*Alonsus Chapel is named after him.
*Alonsus Faol's Copper Coin can be fished from the Dalaran fountain, and Faol's Signet of Cleansing belonged to him.
*He was quite fond of his beard, although as an undead, it seems he accepted that he can't grow another one.Before the Storm, chapter 26
*Although Before the Storm calls him a Forsaken, it also reiterates that he is not a member of the Horde.Before the Storm, chapter 19
*The story of Alonsus Faol and Calia Menethil might have been inspired by the one of Trevor from the non-canon RPG.
*Alonsus Faol is voiced by Gideon Emery.
*Alonsus Faol has a server named after him.
==Gallery==
;Fan art
FormationoftheSilverHand.jpg|The Silver Hand, as featured in World of Warcraft Chronicle Tribute: Hourglass of Time.
==Patch changes==
*
*
==See also==
*Faol's Hearthstone
==References==
==External links==
NPC	Champion
 	
Category:Human characters
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Category:Priest characters
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Category:Church of the Holy Light
Category:Knights of the Silver Hand
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Category:Alliance Player's Guide
Category:Tirisfal Glades NPCs
Category:Netherlight Temple NPCs
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