Argent Dawn

The Argent Dawn (referred to as the knightly order of the Argent Dawn,Shadow of the Necropolis or simply the Dawn)Gregor Greystone#Quotes was an organization focused on protecting Azeroth from agencies that seek to destroy it, such as the Burning Legion and the Scourge. Base camps of the Argent Dawn could be found in the Eastern and Western Plaguelands as well as in Tirisfal Glades. The Argent Dawn members were also present in Stormwind City, Darnassus, and Everlook.
Before the war against the Lich King and after the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, Tirion Fordring assumed leadership over the Argent DawnUltimate Visual Guide, Updated and Expanded, pg. 190 and merged them with the Knights of the Silver Hand in Lordaeron, creating the Argent Crusade. Following the Cataclysm, the Crusade took over the now-defunct Argent Dawn's outposts in the Plaguelands, effectively swallowing it.
==History==
===Ashbringer===
After the death of Alexandros Mograine, the survivors of the Knights of the Silver Hand became more zealous and fanatic. However, there were those who believed that their comrades had fallen from their once-noble purpose (most notably Lord Maxwell Tyrosus), and left to form their own order — the Argent Dawn. Those that did not break away from Grand Crusader Dathrohan's command formally named themselves the Scarlet Crusade.
Darion Mograine later arrived at the Light's Hope Chapel and aided the Argent Dawn against a Scourge attack led by Kel'Thuzad. The attack was repelled when Darion sacrificed himself using the Ashbringer. However, the Scourge collected the bodies of Darion and some others of the Argent Dawn.
Lord Raymond George was the first leader of the Dawn. He led his soldiers to fight against the Scourge. Their necromancers raised the Dawn's fallen soldiers and created twisted golems to slay more soldiers.Aberrations of Bone After Raymond's demise, Tyrosus succeeded him.Argent Call: The Trial of the Crypt
===World of Warcraft===
While they shared the same goals as the Crusade, the Argent Dawn opened its ranks to not only other Alliance races besides humans, but also members of the Horde and even some of the Forsaken. They cautioned discretion and introspection, and put a lot of emphasis on researching the Scourge and how to combat them. The Argent Dawn's cause is simple - fight swiftly and mercilessly against any element of evil that surfaces in Azeroth. They insist they are not a political body, nor do they ever wish to become one.Argent Officer Pureheart#Quotes
The Siege of the Sanguine was an attack on Light's Hope Chapel by a large army of undead Scourge led by Kirkessen the Zealous. Fortunately, the attack was quickly repelled and Kirkessen suffered an incurable wound from Lord Maxwell Tyrosus that made Kirkessen unable to serve the Scourge in corporeal form.Compendium of Fallen Heroes Recently, Argent Dawn learned that the necromancers of the Scourge were creating their own plagued dragons in Scholomance.Plagued Hatchlings (quest)
With time, the Argent Dawn grew diversified. A sub-faction of the Argent Dawn, the Brotherhood of the Light, worked to keep relations between the Argent Dawn and Scarlet Crusade from growing violent. Commander Eligor Dawnbringer has been leading the coalition's efforts to assault Naxxramas.Echoes of War
Despite their influence, the Argent Dawn did not have the manpower of the Scarlet Crusade, and could not stand alone against the Scourge. As such, the Argent Dawn and the Scarlet Crusade formed an uneasy alliance in order to focus their combined strength against Kel'Thuzad's forces in the Plaguelands. Argent Officer Pureheart recruited adventurers to slay the Scourge in the Plaguelands,Invader's Scourgestones (Classic) while Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff tasked adventurers with raiding Stratholme. Despite their tenuous alliance, Zverenhoff condemned the Scarlet Crusade as blasphemers and directed adventurers to slay Archivist Galford and burn down his archives in order to take away the Scarlet Crusade's most valued documents and punish them for their heretical zealotry.The Archivist Adventurers eventually confronted Grand Crusader Dathrohan and during their battle with him, uncovered that he was really the Nathrezim Balnazzar in disguise. Adventurers sent the Head of Balnazzar to Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff as proof of Balnazzar's evil masquerade. Zverenhoff was shocked that the Crusade was manipulated by such an evil force and pondered what the ramifications of Balnazzar's corruption will have on the Scarlet Crusade should the truth come out.The Truth Comes Crashing Down Zverenhoff later ordered adventurers to slay Baron Rivendare — Kel'thuzad's appointed ruler over Stratholme.Above and Beyond The champions who accomplished such a task were rewarded by Lord Maxwell Tyrosus himself and were given access to the Argent Hold.The Argent Hold (quest)
The Argent Dawn had an embassy in Darnassus and another one in Stormwind City. They were investigating Twilight Lord Kelris, but he eluded them, and sometimes they thought him dead or missing. They also knew that whenever evil made its presence known in Kalimdor, Kelris had played a role.Blackfathom Villainy (Classic)
In Northern Kalimdor, a company of paladins came to Ashenvale to offer their help and assistance to the Alliance's night elven allies in their quest to purge the lands and protect the forests from the forces of the demons and undead.The Tower of Althalaxx (3) Among them were Delgren the Purifier and Feero Ironhand, present at Maestra's Post in order to fulfill their mission to annihilate the Cult of the Dark Strand, a "strand" of the Shadow Council active at the Tower of Althalaxx in Darkshore,Journal Page which they accomplished with the help of an adventurer.The Tower of Althalaxx (9)
===Reopening of the Dark Portal===
Members of the Argent Dawn attacked demons when the Dark Portal was reopened by Kazzak. Led by Agent Proudwell, the members of the Horde and Alliance fought against the waves of demons led by Highlord Kruul. The Tabard of the Protector could be received upon completion of this task.
===Legends===
Around the time of the invasion of Outland, Maddox enlisted the help of the Argent Dawn and hundreds of mercenaries with Thorn's help. They were to attack Andorhal and liberate it from the Scourge. When Maddox and his group arrived to Chillwind Camp, they found only a hundred of warriors and the Dawn's soldiers Pureheart could afford. However, the Retaking of Andorhal was a disaster, the army was bested by the Scourge.Warcraft: Legends Volume 1, The Journey
===Wrath of the Lich King===
When the Scourge moved to the Scarlet Enclave in Eastern Plaguelands, they managed to capture several members and transported them to Acherus. More were imprisoned at the Chapel of the Crimson Flame where they were all executed. From the Enclave, the Scourge proceeded to attack the Argent Dawn at the Light's Hope once again. This time, they were saved by Tirion Fordring.
However, corruption loomed within the ranks of the Brotherhood: when adventurers recovered The Phylactery of Kel'Thuzad from Naxxramas, they turned it in to Father Inigo Montoy - a member of the Brotherhood - at Light's Hope Chapel, who then promised to deliver it to the Argent Dawn in order to ensure the final death of the Lich Lord. As it later turned out, the phylactery never reached its destination. Inigo Montoy's true agenda only became clear later during the Northrend campaign, when the Alliance fought back the Scourge assault on Wintergarde Keep.
With the formation of the Argent Crusade by Tirion, the Argent Dawn ceased to exist as a separate organization. By the time of the Cataclysm, most, if not all, members joined the Crusade, with individuals wearing the Argent Dawn tabard continued to appear. 
In Ashenvale, Delgren the Purifier and Feero Ironhand died while defending Maestra's Post against a Horde's attack. Subsequently, their equipment were recovered and sent to the Argent Dawn embassy in Darnassus.Respect for the Fallen
==Members==
Name	Role 	Status 	Location
 	Caretaker 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Unknown
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Darnassus
 	 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Deceased	Military Quarter, Naxxramas
 	 	Deceased	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Crown Guard Tower, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Unknown
 	Field Marshal 	Alive 	Eastern Plaguelands
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Orgrimmar
 	Former member in life	Undead 	Acherus, The Argent Vanguard, Icecrown
 	 	Deceased	Maestra's Post, Ashenvale
 	 	Deceased	New Avalon, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Deceased	Construct Quarter, Naxxramas
 	 	Deceased	Maestra's Post, Ashenvale
 	Argent Officer 	Alive 	The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades
 	 	Alive 	Dun Morogh
 	Leader (formerly) 	Deceased	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Unknown
 	 	Deceased	Military Quarter, Naxxramas
 	Argent Quartermaster 	Alive 	The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades
 	Trade Supplies 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	Innkeeper 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Unknown
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Eversong Woods
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Exodar
 	 	Deceased	New Avalon, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	Argent Quartermaster 	Alive 	Chillwind Camp, Western Plaguelands
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Thunder Bluff
 	Argent Guard 	Alive 	Craftsmen's Terrace, Darnassus
 	Leader 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	Dispatch Commander 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands, later Argent Stand, Zul'Drak
 	Quartermaster 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Dun Morogh
 	 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Stormwind Harbor, Stormwind City
 	Agent 	Alive 	Unknown
 	Argent Officer 	Alive 	Chillwind Camp, Western Plaguelands
 	Lieutenant 	Alive 	Undercity
 	Dawnwatcher 	Alive 	Craftsmen's Terrace, Darnassus
 	Dawnwatcher 	Alive 	Craftsmen's Terrace, Darnassus
 	Argent Guard 	Deceased	Blackfathom Deeps
 	Commander 	Alive 	Light's Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Deceased	New Avalon, Eastern Plaguelands
 	 	Alive 	Slaughter House, Stratholme
 	 	Deceased	New Avalon, Eastern Plaguelands
==Reputation==
Players must first complete the Fiona's Caravan quests in the Eastern Plaguelands up through and including Argent Call: The Trial of the Crypt. This will grant enough reputation to get exactly 0/21000 Revered reputation with the Argent Dawn, or none if they are already Revered (from performing Argent Dawn quests before the release of Cataclysm). After this point, Lord Raymond George can be summoned in the crypt behind Light's Hope Chapel. Argent Dawn reputation is obtainable by performing the two repeatable quests Aberrations of Bone and Annals of the Silver Hand (quest) he provides. As of patch 10.1.5, it is possible to obtain and turn in Scourgestones for reputation.
Argent Dawn Exalted reputation is a requisite for the achievement and title The Argent Champion.
===Old reputation===
Prior to patch 4.0.3a, you could gain reputation from a large number of methods, including repeatable quests and instances. Many of these methods involved the use of an Argent Dawn Commission, which allowed players to obtain Scourgestones from any level 40+ undead Scourge enemies in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.
While Scourgestones are still obtainable by players who have the Argent Dawn Commission equipped, they can no longer be turned in for reputation, and in fact no longer have any use at all. All of the other old repeatable quests have also been removed, and defeating enemies in Stratholme and Scholomance no longer grants Argent Dawn reputation either.
===Rewards===
The shoulder enchantments are only sold to players who performed certain quests before Cataclysm. The quest Mantles of the Dawn must be completed to purchase the single-resistance enchantments, and Chromatic Mantle of the Dawn must be done for the multi-resist enchantment. Both quests are now unobtainable, but players who performed them before they were removed can still buy the shoulder enchantments.
==In the RPG==
===Organization===
thumb|Argent Dawn templar in the RPG.
The Argent Dawn is a lawful good organization and is divided into branches based on location, each of which has its own ranking and structure. Non-members are not permitted to know the ranking of members of the organization, since that would make obvious targets of leadership figures, and the leader is not known to the public.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 150 This has sometimes resulted in the Argent Dawn being called a secret society. However, it seems their ranking structure is surprisingly simple; specific regions have a "Commander", who directly leads day-to-day activities, a council of officers, a group of elite templars, and then the body of membership. Templars have no real authority over standard members, but they are highly respected. Branches include the Brotherhood of the Light.Dark Factions, pg. 126
The Argent Dawn has no official headquarters, but small branches exist in several major cities — including Stormwind and Darnassus. The majority of their members in the Plaguelands work out of the Light's Hope Chapel on the far east side of the Eastern Plaguelands, but a good number of them inhabit a camp at Chillwind Camp on the border of the Western Plaguelands and the Alterac Mountains as well. The templars at Chillwind have plenty of work to do. The courageous templars and knights have to contend with ogres to the south and an undead infested graveyard right on their borders.
Through its actions, the Argent Dawn has created several powerful enemies, notably the Burning Legion, the Scourge, and the Twilight's Hammer. Despite common interests (and an alliance at Light's Hope Chapel), there is also a great deal of mistrust, and even open ire, between the Argent Dawn and the Scarlet Crusade — particularly because the Scarlet Crusade views all non-members as potentially evil.
===Military tactics===
In the Plaguelands and other parts of the world that the Alliance and Horde alike have abandoned, the Argent Dawn stands as a last shining bastion of hope against the Scourge, the Burning Legion and other threats. Contrary to what one might expect, the Argent Dawn rarely defends any given location; rather it remains mobile, attempting to strike where it is least expected. This is clearly a strong contrast to the more straightforward Knights of the Silver Hand.
The knights and freedom fighters of the Argent Dawn rely on hit and run tactics, using their magic and knowledge of the terrain to compensate for the disadvantage of their small numbers. Each group is assigned an officer, who chooses when to engage enemies in combat or avoid them; if there is any major risk to the group, the officer avoids the conflict unless there is an impending threat that must be stopped. The Argent Dawn is unwilling to risk even a single member if it can be avoided, for every sword lost could be another to join the Scourge. The Argent Dawn is not a group of cowards; far from it. They willingly risk their lives each day.
If an Argent Dawn force is attacked while guarding a specific person or location, the members form a defensive circle around the target and attempt to repulse their enemies with ranged attacks. If any attackers make it to melee range, paladins and templar move to eliminate the target, then return to their positions in the circle if possible. If the Argent Dawn has multiple locations to defend, it prioritizes and potentially abandons one location completely, depending on the situation; if there are living people to defend in both locations, the Argent Dawn sends just enough people to the less important locations to evacuate anyone who may need help.
Before entering combat, Argent Dawn units prepare with as many beneficial spells as possible. Priests cast spell resistance, holy word shield, and bear's endurance on everyone they can to increase their chances of survival. Paladins and Argent Dawn templar enhance their weapons with holy sword if they can cast it; and if not, they focus on other spells to increase their damage-dealing abilities, such as bull's strength.
Once in combat, each spellcaster powerful enough to incapacitate a target with hooks of binding or another spell uses it to thin the enemy group's numbers. After that point, the group focuses its firepower on enemy spell casters (if applicable), moving from what appears to be the strongest target to the weakest. One priest maintains a healing rain if the group fights undead. When fighting intelligent enemies, Argent Dawn groups focus on enemy leadership first, expending their powerful abilities (holy strikes and high-level spells) to destroy that target swiftly, then retreat if necessary.Dark Factions, pg. 169, 170
===Membership===
The Argent Dawn admits members of any race and profession, so long as they are dedicated to the opposition of evil in the world. The organization draws members from both Alliance and the Horde, but not equally. Though independent they favor the Alliance. The focus on the Holy Light makes the organization more appealing to the Alliance, especially to people with a background with the Church or Silver hand. Magi also support and sometimes join the Argent Dawn, since they have similar goals. The Horde has a healthy relationship with the Argent Dawn as well, but it does not actually serve as a sponsor for the faction's activities. Rather, the Horde (mainly the Forsaken) reinforces the Argent Dawn's troops, and works with them only when it seems beneficial (which is often the case).Dark Factions, pg. 125
They screen their members carefully, however, so this seemingly open-ended recruitment policy can be misleading. Most potential members are required to use minor magic items to gather “scourgestones” from defeated undead creatures to prove the combat ability of the applicant. Others have to fight demons in order to prove themselves. Members are also expected to uphold the virtues of the Light, even if they are not followers of Light themselves. They can be strict about what their members do or say, especially in public. 
Members of the Argent Dawn often have differing strategies in furthering the group's aims: some make alliances against the undead; others fight directly; some study new forms of magic or alchemy to combat demons and undead with greater effectiveness. The Argent Dawn is noted for unusual ways of utilizing the Holy Light for new spells, but this draws ire from the most traditional members of the Church of the Holy Light.
Younger members of the Church and the Knights of the Silver Hand find the youthful Argent Dawn appealing, since the organization seems to be less burdened by older (and perhaps outdated) traditions. The Argent Dawn as a whole seems unusually youthful, some leaders appear much younger than they should be.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 150, 151
Apart from the Knights, Argent Dawn membership also numbers some former (and current) members of the Kirin Tor. Since their home city of Dalaran was hit by the Scourge, many of the Kirin Tor wish to strike back. Both groups also find common ground in their interest in magical research.
===Presence in Azeroth===
One could find the Argent Dawn in many places across Azeroth. They were primarily centered in the northern parts of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, addressing the specific threats of the Scourge and the Burning Legion, respectively. In the Eastern Kingdoms was their foremost stronghold: Light's Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands. Their influence in the southern part of the Western Plaguelands was also significant, as they attempted to rout the undead from near Uther's Tomb, Caer Darrow, and Andorhal. They also maintained a less active but more stable headquarters in Darnassus.Dark Factions, pg. 124, 125
==Trivia==
*The Argent Tome is a blessed tome filled with the words of the Argent's Dawn's wisest.
*The re-appearance of the Argent Dawn was possibly planned for the Legion Invasions with Sedona Ironshot.
*Among the unused members of the Argent Dawn are Gracchus Spiritlight and Yuree.
*Argent is an uncommon English word used to refer to the color silver. It is derived from the French word argent, where it refers to silver as a metal, and ultimately from the Latin argentum with the same meaning as in French. This word is particularly common in heraldry, where it is capitalized and may refer either to a variety of colors from silvery light-gray to white. Thus, the Argent Dawn's tabards (where, in real life, heraldry would usually be displayed) depict a silvery-white sun - a sun Argent, in heraldic terms. 
**Interestingly, however, the tincture of Argent is commonly used to represent the moon in heraldry as opposed to the sun as it is used by the Argent Dawn.
==Speculation==
The Argent Dawn and its successor, the Argent Crusade, both have an unusually high number of undead holy men and women in their ranks compared to any other faction, including the Forsaken. They come as Clerics, Priests, Healers, Initiates and Lightbringers. As such, it is possible that these faithful of the Light are members of the Lordaeron branch of the Church of the Holy Light who were initially freed with the other undead and decided to band apart because of the tendency of the Forsaken to instead be shadow priests.
==Patch changes==
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==See also==
*Dawn's Reach
*Necklace of the Dawn (item) & Ring of the Dawn (item)
==References==
==External links==
 
Category:Religions
Category:Factions
pl:Argent Dawn