Icecrown

Icecrown, also known as Ice Crown,"Ice Crown", Warcraft III map. is a region composed of mostly Icecrown Glacier and the immediate area around it. Icecrown is dark and inescapably cold, the mountains and glacier that fill the valleys between them so hardened and desecrated that the ice has gone black with corruption. Walls and gates and massive walkways made of saronite lace the ground and connect the various Scourge fortresses and citadels.Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 128
It's been a place of evil since the first Lich King crashed down into the ice and made it the center of Scourge activity, the place from which nearly all blight and undeath ultimately flows. When Sylvanas Windrunner shattered the Veil between the realms of the living and the dead, the sky above Icecrown was rent asunder, allowing the Mawsworn to spill into Azeroth. Following the defeat of Zovaal the Jailer, the rift in the sky has closed, and returned to its normal lightning-blasted gray self.
Icecrown is an anchor that holds Azeroth to the Shadowlands.Jailor of the Damned
==History==
The name of Icecrown became infamous when Kil'jaeden hurled the Lich King back into the mortal world. Ner'zhul's prison slammed into the glacier and created the Frozen Throne, and the impact was seen as far away as the Grizzly Hills. Here, he would begin the formation of the Scourge and in the process weaken the world in preparation for the Burning Legion. Within the Frozen Throne, the Lich King experimented with his psychic powers and enslaved the local indigenous life forms. The plague of undeath that came from the Frozen Throne transformed each of them into his undead servants. Thus, using his psychic and necromantic powers, he was able to conquer much of Northrend.Icecrown and the Frozen Throne
The Lich King remained prisoner here until he was freed by his champion, Arthas Menethil, and the two beings merged into one. For years, the new Lich King sat dormant, while storms raged across Northrend and his minions constructed Icecrown Citadel around the Frozen Throne.
Following the Third War, troops of the Scarlet Crusade succeeded in approaching the stronghold during a counter-offensive, but in the end were repelled by the Scourge. There were many casualties among the high ranks of the Crusade, including Grand Admiral Barean Westwind, first Captain General Orman of Stromgarde and first Chief Assassin Invar One-Arm.
===Wrath of the Lich King===
At the time of the war against the Lich King, Icecrown, previously ravaged by the tremendous force unleashed when Arthas and the Lich King merged into a single being, has been heavily fortified by the Scourge. Massive walls and ramparts have been erected throughout the region, and Angrathar the Wrathgate bars entry from the bordering Dragonblight, while the reconstructed Icecrown Citadel looms overhead. The glacier itself is protected by three gates: Mord'rethar, Aldur'thar and Corp'rethar.
===Aftermath===
Following Arthas' death, Icecrown remained occupied by Horde and Alliance forces for weeks,A Good War, pg. 8 while the Scourge here were relatively quiet for years, thanks to being controlled by Bolvar Fordragon with the Helm of Domination.
===Shadowlands===
Several years later, Sylvanas Windrunner destroyed the Helm of Domination, causing a massive rift to open in the sky of Icecrown linking Azeroth to the Shadowlands. As a result, the Mawsworn from the Maw led by Herald Dalora arrived here, took control of the Scourge and the Cult of the Damned operating in the area, and raised several Scourge champions slain during the war against the Lich King. The Argent Crusade, Horde, and Alliance banded together once more, defended the Argent Coliseum and killed the undead champions stationed all over Icecrown. With the threat halted, the Alliance and Horde converged on the Frozen Throne and entered the Maw.
==Geography==
The entire region that encompasses Icecrown is divided by a series of high walls, each with a gate as its only entrance. The sole way for any kind of force to invade Icecrown Citadel would be to breach these gates in turn. Each gate and its wall is made almost entirely of saronite, near indestructible, and manned by massive Scourge constructs.Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 140
===Maps and subregions===
*Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate
*Argent Tournament Grounds
**Argent Pavilion
**The Argent Valiants' Ring
**The Aspirants' Ring
**The Alliance Valiants' Ring
**The Horde Valiants' Ring
**The Ring of Champions
**Silver Covenant Pavilion
**Sunreaver Pavilion
*Blackwatch
*The Bombardment
*The Breach
*The Broken Front
*Cathedral of Darkness
*Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate
**The Conflagration
**Rise of Suffering
*The Court of Bones
*The Crimson Dawn
*Crusaders' Pinnacle
*Deathspeaker's Watch
*First Legion Forward Camp
*The Fleshwerks
**Sanctum of Reanimation
*Icecrown Citadel 
**The Frozen Halls
**Naz'anak: The Forgotten Depths
*Icecrown Glacier
*Ironwall Dam
*Ironwall Rampart
*Jotunheim
**Balargarde Fortress
**Battlescar Spire
**Death's Rise
**Halls of the Ancestors
**Kul'galar Keep
**Njorndar Village
**Savage Ledge
**Ufrang's Hall
**The Underhalls
***The Circle of Suffering
***Hall of Horrors
**Valhalas
*Malykriss: The Vile Hold
*Mord'rethar: The Death Gate
*The North Sea
*Onslaught Harbor
**The Crimson Cathedral
**The Hidden Hollow
*The Pit of Fiends
*Quel'Delar's Rest
*Scourgeholme
*The Shadow Vault
*Silent Vigil
*Sindragosa's Fall
*The Silver Blade
*Valley of Echoes
**The Argent Vanguard
*Valley of Fallen Heroes
*Valley of Lost Hope
*Weeping Quarry
*Ymirheim
**Saronite Mines
----
;Undisplayed locations
*Crusaders' Coliseum
*Orgrim's Hammer
*The Sea Reaver's Run
*The Skybreaker
*Vanguard Infirmary
----
; Warcraft RPG
*Icecrown River
WorldMap-IcecrownGlacier-old2.jpg|Map of Icecrown prior to patch 3.2 Hrothgar's Landing.
WorldMap-IcecrownGlacier-original.jpg|Map of Icecrown prior to patch 3.1 Argent Tournament Grounds.
===Instances===
Instance name	Group size 	Approximate run time
 	5-player 	20 minutes
(Heroic) 	10/25-player	1–2 hours
 	5-player 	20–30 minutes
 	5-player 	1 hour
 	5-player 	30 min - 1 hour
 	10/25-player	5+ hours
===Travel hubs===
====Flight paths====
*Death's Rise
*The Shadow Vault
*Crusaders' Pinnacle
*Argent Vanguard
*Argent Tournament Grounds
===Regions adjacent to Icecrown===
Zone name 	Faction	Direction	Access
Wintergrasp 	 	Southwest	By flight path
Dragonblight 	 	South 	By flight path
Sholazar Basin 	 	West 	By flight path
Crystalsong Forest	 	Southeast	By foot and flight path
Hrothgar's Landing	 	North 	By flying mount
Storm Peaks 	 	East 	By flight path
==Notable characters==
===Scourge===
* Lich King in Icecrown Citadel
* Orbaz Bloodbane in Icecrown Citadel
===Burning Legion===
* Mal'Ganis in Hidden Hollow
===Scarlet Onslaught===
* Barean Westwind in Onslaught Harbor
* High Abbot Landgren in Onslaught Harbor
===Argent Crusade===
* Tirion Fordring in Argent Vanguard and later, at Crusaders' Pinnacle
* Crusader Bridenbrad at Silent Vigil
===Knights of the Ebon Blade===
* The Ebon Watcher (Darion Mograine) at Valley of Echoes and in Argent Vanguard
* Thassarian aboard The Skybreaker
* Koltira Deathweaver aboard Orgrim's Hammer
* Baron Sliver at the Shadow Vault
===The Sha'tar===
* A'dal at Silent Vigil (upon completing The Boon of A'dal)
===Rares===
Rare elite NPCs associated with the achievement.
* High Thane Jorfus
* Hildana Deathstealer
* Putridus the Ancient
==Quests==
==Resources==
*Cloth
**Frostweave Cloth
*Herbalism
**Icethorn
**Lichbloom
**Deadnettle
**Frost Lotus
*Skinning
**Borean Leather
**Nerubian Chitin
**Arctic Fur
*Mining
**Saronite Ore
**Titanium Ore
==Wild creatures==
*Penguins
*Polar bears
*Sharks
==In Warcraft III==
thumb|Icecrown Glacier on the The Frozen Throne Northrend map.
The obelisks around the Frozen Throne were guarded by ice revenants, and were hostile to all comers, including the Scourge. A small group of tuskarr could be found nearby. The area is notably forested, with significant amounts of meltwater.
A melee map named Ice Crown exists. It uses the Northrend tileset and has the following description: These frozen woods are haunted by souls in torment, enslaved by the dark magic of the Undead.
==In the RPG==
Icecrown Glacier, like the name implies, is a glacier that most likely ran into Northrend centuries ago or longer and got stuck. Somewhere beneath this ice is the real northwest corner of the continent. It is not known how far it extends — possibly it could go all the way to the shoreline or be just beyond the end of Crystalsong Forest. Everything here is not frozen soil or snow-covered forest, it is all ice. Nothing grows and nothing lives here. Only a few penguins and walruses and other arctic sea creatures might use the shore as a resting place but that is about it. What surely does have is a lot of undead. It is the Lich King's domain and he rules from center of his power in Icecrown Citadel. Travelers learned to avoid the place.Lands of Mystery, pg. 106Lands of Mystery, pg. 108
===History===
Before the Lich King's reign, this region was the capital of Azjol-Nerub, the nerubian spider kingdom. Then Ner'zhul arrived, and he used his magic to draw many dead and dying creatures onto the glacier and into his army. He conquered the nerubians and built his undead Scourge.
Still, you have to give the Lich King credit. He landed in the coldest part of the coldest continent on Azeroth and figured out a way to get loyal, hardworking servants. Undead don't feel cold nor they need food or drink. They don't breathe and neither get distracted or lazy or bored. It is no wonder he managed to build his citadel in a few years when it would have taken even a dwarven team decades. All his servants do exactly what he commands, for as long as he requires.
 
The glacier has seen its share of battle within the past few decades: the Scourge fighting and destroying nerubians, furbolgs and Drakkari; Arthas Menethil and Illidan Stormrage fighting for the right to open the Frozen Throne's chamber. Many consider the glacier the most evil place in all Azeroth. More than one adventurer has sneaked onto Icecrown Glacier, trying to kill the Lich King and destroy the Scourge. None return.
===People and culture===
Nothing lives here, but the Lich King and his Scourge are not exactly "alive". The glacier teems with undead creatures and it is possible more creatures inhabit this one region than the entire rest of the continent, although that is simple speculation. All of the beings here are undead, which makes it a really awful place to visit.
===Geography===
thumb|Map of Icecrown Glacier in Lands of Mystery.
Describing the glacier is easy: ice. That about covers it. Literally. A sheet of ice, several feet thick even at the edges, coats the entire region. A river cuts down through it, from the upper corner to Lake Wintergrasp below, and much of that is frozen over as well, at least on the surface. Along the southern edges, a few stunted trees cling to survival but that is where the glacier ends and real soil begins again.
The glacier is not flat, though. It has levels, some of them gentle hills and valleys and others abrupt tears and sudden cliffs. The banks of the river drop sharply to the water, too high and steep for anyone caught in the waters to climb back out.
Just like the Howling Fjord, Icecrown Glacier has only one real settlement. Unlike the Fjord, the glacier has no exceptions. Icecrown Citadel teems with Scourge forces, and undead wander the landscape on missions for their cursed leader.
==Notes and trivia==
*Due to the heavy Scourge presence in Icecrown, both the Horde and the Alliance are using flying gunships as their base of operations in the region instead of the traditional ground base. However, both factions can use an Argent base camp known as Argent Vanguard, which is located in the southeast of the region. New players to the zone should start here in order to pick up important quests which will update many phases of the zone.http://www.getbuffed.com/getbuffed/videos/show/5
*"Icecrown Glacier" was the entire region's name in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, not solely Icecrown. In the non-canon Lands of Mystery RPG sourcebook, the whole zone was also called Icecrown Glacier.
==Gallery==
;Warcraft III
WC3x-U08.jpg|Icecrown seen on a Warcraft III map loading screen.
A Symphony of Frost and Flame - Scourge assembled.jpg|The Scourge assembled to defend Icecrown in The Frozen Throne.
Obelisk.jpg|An Icecrown Obelisk.
A Symphony of Frost and Flame - Icecrown Citadel.jpg|The gates leading to the Frozen Throne.
;Others
Icecrown-Wrath-Login.jpg|The gates of Icecrown Citadel, as seen in the Wrath of the Lich King login screen.
Icecrown Glacier.jpg|Icecrown Glacier in art.
Icecrown Art 1.jpg|Icecrown in art.
Icecrown Art 2.jpg|More art - possibly concept of Icecrown Citadel.
Icecrown Art 4.jpg|More art - possibly Sindragosa's Fall.
Icecrown Art 3.jpg|More art.
Wrath Wall Peter Lee.jpg|More art - possibly concept of Corp'rethar.
Region-icecrown-glacier01.jpg|More art.
Icecrown Art HS.jpg|Hearthstone expansion.
==Videos==
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==Patch changes==
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==References==
==External links==
 
Category:Northrend
Category:Scourge territories