Frozen Hearts
Prologue
A cold wind is carried over the walls and into the lively city of Dalaran.
The sky shines in a light reddish grey on this late afternoon only broken up by a few clouds up high.
You can hear how the old mages command their apprentices to train and study in times as dire as these.
'You are doing fine on fire magic but you mustn't neglect the frost, Siiri! Truly skilled mages have to be sufficiently trained in every aspect of the arcane! You have to be prepared properly for combat.' The archmage says to the aspiring young woman.
The Violet Citadel behind them forms the beating heart of the city of magic. This central fortress of Dalaran houses various things, amongst them the Eye of Dalaran that is kept locked away in the Arcane Vault; the mysterious Chamber of Air as well as the vast library of the Kirin Tor.
Yet the Citadel does not only serve as a place of studying or a simple fortress, it is also meeting place of the Council of Six, six powerful and wise mages that form the leadership of Dalaran and its lands. Once their identities remained a secret for everybody even their own ranks, but these times have shifted away as some of them openly called out to be of the Council, approaching their own citizens.
Four people are currently in the lower halls.
Rhonin Redhair, current leader of the Kirin Tor, is standing next to the side of his wife Vereesa Windrunner. She is a proud highelven woman with long silver hair, sister of the famed Sylvanas Windrunner now known as the dreaded Banshee Queen. Although not a member of the Council, she is the leader of the Silver Covenant and rightfully taking part in this gathering.
The other two people in this room are archmage Modera, one of the two surviving members of the Six of the Second War era and archmage Aethas Sunreaver, the blood elf that grants the members of the Horde sanctuary in Dalaran.
No one except for these four people could tell who or where the other three members of the Council are, but most likely not even they know their exact whereabouts.
The meeting today is addressed to various things. Only most recently the ruins of an old titan facility had been uncovered in the far north of the Stormpeaks, a massif in the snow-covered north-east of Northrend finally revealed what had been hidden for eons. Yet the mages of the Kirin Tor are not at all happy about what had been awakened in these halls of the old days. Alarmed because it seems one of the five old goods makes his move from there, they prepare to face this creature of insanity and malice with their full force.
In the tales of old it is said that these hideous creatures once ruled over the whole of Azeroth long before even the Titans tread on the planes of the planet to bring order to this world. They were little more than parasites dwelling on the wild elementals roaming the planet's surface. But as the Titans came they were banished down into the depths of the earth, imprisoned into the heart of the planet never to return. Yet even though their imprisonment it is said that these wretched entities could still influence the life of this world but had not enough power to cause any more direct damage to it. But as time passes by so it seems that their shackles are loosening a bit with every day.
There is only little evidence that creatures as these old gods really exist, many think of them only as a myth, a legend, a gruesome fairy tale to scare the children at most. Yet the Kirin Tor have more than enough reason to be concerned.
This threat emerging from the core of the planet not enough, the Lich King is also taking action again after the events in the eastern plaguelands. His armies are finally preparing to move out and conquer what little is left of the world.
Dalaran was always a private community, looking at strangers with distrust, not letting them stay in their city for long or not even letting them enter at all. Yet many things have changed in the past couple of months...
The streets are busy and people of all races are everywhere, from small gnomish warriors up to tall tauren shamans. The sudden variety is astounding and not at all familiar to those used to the quite lifestyle of the City of Magic.
The Alliance as well as the Horde are now guests in the city of the Kirin Tor as the time of need has come.
Not long ago Dalaran had been moved by some of the strongest magic their archmages could provide.
As it once it lay dormant to it surrounding in a green valley to the south of the Kingdom of Lordaeron and to the west of the Alterac Mountains, it now it floats high above the Crystalsong Forest in the middle of the continent Northrend.
From the towers of Dalaran you can see far into the frozen heart of Icecrown, watching over the towers and gates made of purest Saronite, winding through the valleys of carved out ice and stone.
The village of Ymirheim is located in the center of this broken land, nestled around the tallest peak remaining it serves as the home of the strongest ymirjar serving Arthas. They are a Nordic race of tall grown humans, always ready to fight to prove their strength and pride. They challenge each other and fight till death for their dark lord and own brutal culture. Blinded by the Lich King's unholy ways, they search to be blessed with strength and immortality. Only those that prove worthy and victorious amongst their own kin are allowed to live in the center of Icecrown, closest to their master. The losers on the other hand are revived by the Val'kyr and become nothing more than mindless slaves to their ruthless king.
In the far west of the glacier there lies the Fleshwerks, as these pits is called. There the flesh giants and abominations are created to enrich the undead army with their notorious and brute strength.
And finally, directly off to the west, the Icecrown Citadel lies at close quarters to Dalaran.
It is the large blackened stronghold of the Lich King, built winding around the Frozen Throne where once the armor containing the tormented soul of Ner'zhul was placed in a block of ice as hard as diamonds..., the armor Arthas is now wearing.
No one knows what horrors might dwell inside the bleak walls of the Citadel.
All that is known is that Arthas has his lieutenants and only the strongest of minions close by his side.
The lesser ones roam the valleys below the unholy stronghold, protecting their master and preparing for the final assault on the world of the living. There are hundreds of thousands of them as the moaning of the ghouls filling the air around night-time, reminding the Kirin'Tor of the imminent thread, looming just barely out of reach.
There are two known entrances into the Citadel. One is in Icecrown heavily guarded you can approach it only from the north. The other one is a gate at the border of Dragonblight, known as Wrathgate.
At night you can hear screams coming from the depths of what might lie beyond it.
Forces of the Alliance as well as the Horde are positioned in a frail unity directly in front of it, protecting the world of the living as we know it.
Well prepared to face everything that could come out of it.
Well prepared to face despair itself.
Well prepared to face death...