I kinda missed or forgot the lore around Shadowmorne. All i know is the blade was build to “counter” Frostmourne, or i am wrong?
Has it some relation with Shadowlands? Or it was totally crafted by Mortals in a living realm?
It was entirely crafted by Darion for the player. The base was Arthas’s old hammer.
It probably has Torghast techniques used in its forging assuming DKs use those (a safe assumption), but Shadowmourne itself was never in the Shadowlands.
11 Likes
Shadowmourne is the result of Darion Mograine once again following in his father’s footsteps and deciding that it would be fun to take a bunch of nasty unholy artifacts and materials and make them into a powerful weapon against the undead, but unlike the Ashbringer, the base artifacts weren’t purified, and it remains a scary unholy monster axe instead of a symbol of Light.
Considering that Shadowmourne is crafted using death knight runeforging and that Scourge technology seems to borrow a lot from both Maldraxxus and the Maw, it wouldn’t be surprising if it bears some similarity to weapons forged in the Shadowlands. During the quest to make it you are warned that the weapon might eat your soul or drive you insane, and Darion informs you that since he was the one who tasked you with wielding it and helping make it, he views it as his personal responsibility to kill you if you turn evil in the process.
2 Likes
You also have Arthas whispering sweet nothings in your ear as you get the souls and other things for it, “Soon you too shall have a blade for a a prison.” He really knew how to keep me motivated through the process of forging my sweet axe.
2 Likes
Ugh, I forgot about that. Stupid creepy Arthas, getting inside my head. I love it though, it’s very character-appropriate. I liked the stuff with him in Legion too, with Blades of the Fallen Prince. Somehow it still doesn’t startle me as badly as whenever the Ashbringer decides to talk, though.
Speaking of Shadowlands weapons, I have to say I am disappointed that no one comments on my twin creepy Frostmourne shard swords when I’m running around the Shadowlands. You’d think that at least a few Kyrian would see them and be like, “hmm…those don’t look right” after Devos’ freaked out over Uther’s memories. Then again, maybe it’s for the best, as my death knight joined the Necrolords, and I don’t want Alexandros to punch me.
2 Likes
I’m still disappointed I didn’t get the actual Frostmourne and some random off hand sword, instead got some blades made from Frostmourne that where meh for me. I mean shamans got the freaking Doomhammer and I dont get Frostmourne? Laaaame.
But no I loved everything about those memories of Arthas, and I like how much more personal of a villain Arthas was. Always testing and building me up.
1 Like
I’d be genuinely shocked if someone brought up Shadowmourne to any of the current writers and their response wasn’t to tip their head to the side and stare at you blankly like a newborn pup.
3 Likes
That’s a strong possibility, I mean it never came up in Legion.
It’s a creation of writers that came before them. So if they ever did acknowledge it’s existence they’d probably completely ruin any potential story it could be tied into and then posture like they’ve been blessed by Shakespeare.
1 Like
That’s what we get for Frost being a duel-wielding-only spec in Legion. -shrugs- I suppose Blizzard didn’t want Frost death knights to look lopsided or off balance by having two different blades. It would have been interesting story-wise though, to actually have Frostmourne instead of two derivative swords that in theory had the worst aspects of Frostmourne removed. It would have made Bolvar seem even creepier than he already was.
Lich King Bolvar: Here, have a reforged Frostmourne, good as new!
Frost death knight: That sword was originally cursed to eat the soul of whoever used it, is that still the case?
Lich King Bolvar: No, no, of course not…probably. I’m sure it’s fine. Trust me. It’s not like I would offer you a cursed sword in order to steal your soul and then use you as my instrument to take control of the Ebon Blade or anything…
Frost death knight: You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve got Shadowmourne in my bank somewhere, I think I’ll be okay.
Eh, the Shadowmourne questline contains a pretty important bit of lore in regards to Alexandros, and it seems like Blizzard remembered that part when they wrote the reunion between him and Darion in the Maw. Judging by that and some of the other quest references, at least one person working on questing is a huge nerd for Mograine family lore. I’d expect the Blades of the Fallen Prince to be more relevant than Shadowmourne in the current story, and they haven’t come up either.
I’d have been totally fine with it, I mean let’s be honest he never purged it of its hunger when reforging the blades only cleansing it of the lingering presences of Arthas and Nerzhul. I do believe the blades still hold their original abilities.
We didn’t immediately lose our souls like Arthas did though, so that part seems to be different. Bolvar wouldn’t have needed to threaten us so often if he could have just controlled us through the Blades.
Editing to add: Clearly the solution in Legion should have been to have Frost duel-wield Frostmourne and Shadowmourne, and just ignore that Shadowmourne was originally a two-hander.
I would’ve liked that sooooo much
1 Like
It would be nice thematically too, a death knight wielding both Frostmourne, a symbol of the Scourge so iconic that it’s displayed on their banners, and Shadowmourne, a symbol of the Ashen Verdict’s best efforts to overthrow the Lich King. It would have matched the “arrangement” between Bolvar and the Ebon Blade nicely. We could even have had Bolvar making it a term of the arrangement, something like this:
Lich King Bolvar: I offer vast resources and power for the cause of destroying the Legion, but I’m going to need Mograine to give up that special anti-Lich-King axe that I know he has stashed away somewhere.
Darion: I don’t approve of this.
Bolvar: Of course you don’t. You’re welcome to give it to the Deathlord, I just don’t want you having it.
Darion: Don’t trust me not to use it on you?
Bolvar: No.
Darion: Good, the feeling’s mutual.
1 Like
‘Mourneblades’ seem to be a kind of weapon design unique to the Runecarver as Frostmourne is described by the Jailer as his the finest example of such a weapon.
Shadowmourne was not forged in the Shadowlands, it was forged by techniques that were likely passed to the Ebon Blade via the Scourge who likely received such knowledge directly from the Helm of Domination’s connection to the Jailer.
It’s composition is unique, however, in that it is composed of metal derived from the blood of the Old God of death, Yogh-Saron, as well as chips from the ice of the Frozen Throne which comes from the Twisting Nether, and lastly empowered by the souls of the Lich King’s on minions which we feed to the blade to forge it into its final form. There is as much of Fel and Void about Shadowmourne as there is Death, but that sort of makes sense as it was forged to counter Frostmourne specifically rather than be exactly like it.
2 Likes
Frostmourne was a two-hander too.
The artifact comnig with the trait “Unholy Might: Be infused with inhuman strength allowing the wielder to use massive weapons in each hand with ease”
And thus we get a DK ‘Titan Grip’ temporarily to use the two weapons.
2 Likes
I would accept any reason so long as Frostmourne was allowed to be equipped, shot I would’ve taken an off handed dagger or something.
1 Like