Helm of Domination

The Helm of DominationFrozen Memories, "The Helm of Domination shows me many things, Deathlord."World of Warcraft: What’s Next Panel Recap was a magical, ornate helm (or crown)The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm infused with the power of Domination and worn by the Lich King to control the Undead Scourge. It was destroyed by Sylvanas Windrunner to open a rift into the Shadowlands. The pieces of the helm continued to play a role in subsequent events until they were reforged into the Crown of Wills, an instrument intended to be the helm's opposite.
==History==
===Origin===
The Helm of Domination and Frostmourne were crafted at the Runecarver's Oubliette in Torghast by the Runecarver (who was actually the imprisoned Primus), who was forced against his will to do so by the Jailer. The Jailer intended to use the Helm and Frostmourne to establish his influence on Azeroth, thereby allowing him to claim his "final prize", a secret that the First Ones sought to hide.The Jailer's GraspThe Art of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, pg. 197: The Veil between realms wanes. The Helm of Domination was crafted to be our way forward; instead, the one seared by the flames of Life uses it to keep us at bay.
===Reign of the Lich King===
The nathrezim who pretended to serve the Burning Legion bore the two vessels of Domination across the veil: Agents of the Jailer's will forged weapons of Domination and bore them across the veil into the plane of the living, seeding the power of Death and drawing certain mortals to the Jailer's cause. and bound the spirit of the Lich King Ner'zhul to them. The helm, and Ner'zhul's spirit, were both sealed within the Frozen Throne from which the Lich King would control the Scourge telepathically.Ultimate Visual Guide Frostmourne was originally also sealed inside the Frozen Throne,:File:Kel'Thuzad and the Frozen Throne.jpg but Ner'zhul cast it from the throne so that it would eventually find its way to Arthas Menethil.
When Illidan Stormrage attempted to destroy the Frozen Throne and the Lich King at the order of Kil'jaeden, Ner'zhul used the helm's powers to command Arthas—having become Ner'zhul's greatest death knight after taking up Frostmourne—to journey from Lordaeron to aid him.The Legacy of the Damned campaign revolves around this event. After Arthas defeated Illidan, Ner'zhul also had Arthas himself shatter the Frozen Throne in order to free Ner'zhul from his prison. Arthas would then don the helm, merging his soul with Ner'zhul's spirit and become the new Lich King.Arthas: Rise of the Lich KingThe Ascension
Years later when Arthas was killed at the end of the War against the Lich King the helm was passed to Bolvar Fordragon who became the new Lich King in order to prevent the Scourge from running rampant.Fall of the Lich King Following the Fourth War yet a few years later, Sylvanas Windrunner ventured to Icecrown Citadel after having abandoned the Horde and fought against Bolvar atop the Frozen Throne. While the helm made Bolvar immensely powerful, Sylvanas still managed to defeat him and seized the helm after winning the battle. Assuming she intended to become the Scourge's new master, Bolvar remarked that the helm's power would be her prison, however, Sylvanas countered that the world itself was a prison and split the helm in two, thereby piercing the Veil between Azeroth and the Shadowlands.The King & The Queen
===The shards of Domination===
Despite being broken, the shards of the Helm retained the power of Domination and, therefore, incredible power over the souls of the dead.Field SeanceFrom the Mouths of MadnessA Glimpse into Darkness The shards were used to enter the Shadowlands and pursue SylvanasThrough the Shattered Sky and enslave souls for information on how to escape the Maw, before being placed on the Shadowlands Map in Oribos in order to establish a tether with Azeroth.Tether to Home Bolvar subsequently used the Helm to peer into the Maw and Torghast.The Captive King However, this was not without cost, as the continuous gaze allowed for the Jailer to gaze backTorment Chamber: Thrall and finally strike through the helm in an attempt to gain control of Bolvar.A Mourneblade Born However, Jaina Proudmoore and the Maw Walker were able to sever the connection between the helm and the Jailer.
As the Maw Walkers and their allies prepared to face the Jailer in the Sepulcher of the First Ones, they needed to find a way of resisting his Domination magic. Bolvar asked his daughter Taelia to bring the intact half of the helm to Zereth Mortis. The helm's creator, the Primus, pointed out that Zereth Mortis' automa seemed to be resistant to Domination and that using the helm might allow the heroes to find the source of their resistance.Our Last Option The Maw Walker first used the helm on a volunteering Darion Mograine to ensure that it retained its powers,Hello, Darkness after which the Primus tasked them with testing the object on some of Zereth Mortis' native creatures.Testing One Two The Maw Walker eventually learned from Elder Eru that the automa's resistance to Domination stemmed from the language of the First Ones, phrases of which were buried in the Endless Sands.Two Paths to Tread Bolvar, Taelia, and the Maw Walker worked together to retrieve these Inscrutable Phrases and infuse them into the intact half of the crown,Aggressive Excavation while also using it to weaken the Mawsworn occupying the area. Bolvar stated that he hoped this was the last time the helm was used as a weapon.Oppress and Destroy
Next, the heroes brought the shards of the helm's other half to the Chamber of First Reflection in Bastion,Where the Memory Resides where those who had overcome Domination in the past could draw out the memories of their resistance and willpower and infuse it into the shards. Although it was not easy, Bolvar, Darion,What We Wish to Forget Sylvanas,What Makes Us Strong (quest) and Anduin Wrynn completed this ritual one by one and infused the shards.What We Overcome With the broken half augmented with the language of the First Ones and the shards carrying the heroes' memories and will, the Maw Walker and their allies met up with the Primus in the Runecarver's Oubliette—where the vessels of Domination had once been created—so he could reforge the helm and allow the heroes to draw upon the combined power for themselves.Forge of Domination (quest) Thrall asked what was to stop this new helm from being used to enslave others like its predecessor, to which the Primus replied that it was to become "something greater"—an instrument of free will—and Sylvanas added that a Lich King would never again reign in Icecrown. Combining the First One phrases and memories, the Primus transformed the helm into a new object, the Crown of Wills, which would be the key to the Jailer's defeat by making the Maw Walker and their allies resistant to Domination.The Crown of Wills
==In the RPG==
As long as the Lich King is alive, any creature donning the helm is slain immediately by a surging overflow of power. Only divine beings are not slain, but they still cannot command its powers if the Lich King is alive.Manual of Monsters, pg. 175
The Plate of the Damned, which is described in the Manual of Monsters to be combined with the Helm of Domination, makes the wearer nearly invulnerable.
==In the TCG==
Angrathar the Wrathgate is crafted to look like the Helm of Domination.http://web.archive.org/web/20110106174212/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/misc/images/tcg/card4-large.jpg
==Notes and trivia==
*The helm was not given a name when it first appeared in Warcraft III. It was first called the "Helm of Domination" in the Warcraft RPG in 2003, though the book was later deemed non-canonical. In 2013, Sean Copeland confirmed that the name was still canon,Loreology on Twitter (2013-12-23) though its first official usage in a canon source would not come until patch 7.2.0.
*The helm can be seen in the Caverns of Frost in Diablo III.
*It was originally stated that the Helm of Domination and Frostmourne were crafted by the dreadlords,Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, pg. 204(Archive.org) Legion: Death Knight Artifact Reveal before Shadowlands retconned this with the origin being the Runecarver instead. The original premise is probably what was told to Kil'jaeden during the creation of the Lich King.
==Gallery==
Frozen Throne Ner'zhul.jpg|The Helm of Domination, trapped within the Frozen Throne.
Kel'Thuzad and the Frozen Throne.jpg|Kel'Thuzad and the Frozen Throne.
Fall of the Lich King art.jpg|Wallpaper
Frozen Throne Helmet.jpg|The Helm of Domination lands at Arthas's feet after he shatters the throne.
Arthas5.jpg|Arthas places the Helm of Domination on his head.
ArthasLichKingMerge.JPG|Arthas merges with Ner'zhul to become the Lich King.
Lore in Short - Lich King.png|Ner'zhul and Arthas merging as the Lich King, in Lore in Short.
Tirion and the Helm of Domination.jpg|Tirion with the Helm of Domination in his hand.
Helm of Domination Diablo III.jpg|The Helm of Domination, as seen in the Caverns of Frost in Diablo III.
Shadowlands Cinematic artstation 4.jpg|Sylvanas removing the helm from Bolvar.
Shadowlands Cinematic04.jpg|Sylvanas holding the helm.
Helm of Domination release.png|Energy released when the Helm was destroyed.
Helm of Domination destroyed.png|The Helm destroyed
Shards of Domination.png|Shards of Domination
Shadowlands Map with Helm.jpg|The shattered Helm floating above the Shadowlands Map.
The Jailer's Grasp.jpg|The Jailer striking at Bolvar through the Helm.
Dark Determination HS.jpg|| in Hearthstone.
BlizzConline Helm of Domination 2021.jpg|Blizzard Collectibles, BlizzConline exclusive replica.
==See also==
*Helm of Domination (Assault on Icecrown Citadel), TCG card
*Shattered Helm of Domination
==References==
==External links==
Category:Artifacts
Category:Armor
Category:Manual of Monsters
Category:Oribos objects