The Scarlet Onslaught is a faction that splintered off the Scarlet Crusade, and that traveled to Dragonblight in Northrend in their hopes of defeating the Lich King. The Onslaught appears to care little about the original Crusade's wishes, as it employs shadow priests and even death knights into its ranks. Quotes from High General Abbendis in New Hearthglen imply that the Onslaught's goal is not just the destruction of the Scourge, but also of anyone that oppose them.
The Onslaught was crippled by the end of 30 LC by internal strife and a series of assassinations carried out by the Ebon Blade and the Forsaken. However, the Onslaught continues to operate out of New Hearthglen and Onslaught Harbor, biding its time; meanwhile, its festering heart in the so-called Pit of Revelation churns out more and more acolytes of its dark ideology, all in pursuit of a goal no longer entirely clear to outsiders.
OOC Note: This page has been made separately from the main Scarlet Onslaught page, as it is a fanon interpretation of the Onslaught based off the lore of WarCraft III mod Chasing the Dawn.
History[]
The Scarlet Onslaught formally began in 29 LC by the proclamation of its then-leader, Brigitte Abbendis; however, it emerged almost entirely from within the extant Scarlet Crusade, namely its Eastweald wing, comprising the elites of Tyr's Hand and New Avalon. The central ideology of this splinter faction was known as the Crimson Dawn, a prophetic belief held by Abbendis and evangelized by the High Abbot of New Avalon, Landgren, that she was destined to lead a "cadre of the most faithful" to Northrend to put an end to the Lich King. She began gathering her forces for this expedition as early as 28 LC, against the wishes of several notables in the Crusade hierarchy.
Fall of New Avalon[]
Abbendis had gathered her elites at the city of New Avalon, as well as commissioned the construction of four warships at King's Harbor: the Dawnbreaker, the Terenas's Spear, the Light's Dominion, and her personal flagship the Sinner's Folly. However, such a concentration of Scarlet forces did not go unnoticed. The Lich King arrived in early 29 LC atop the dread necropolis Acherus to personally oversee the destruction of New Avalon by the Knights of the Ebon Blade. The local Scarlet commanders put up a valiant defense, and assisted by Abbendis's to-be Onslaught forces they held the line for a time; however, Abbendis ultimately chose to abandon the defensive line and instead use the local militia as cover to launch her ships from harbor. Without her support, New Avalon's defenses crumbled quickly, and the collapse of the Crusade's eastern wing became inevitable. The survivors of this massacre either traveled northward with Abbendis, were killed by the Scourge, or were assimilated into the Risen.
Landfall at New Hearthglen[]
The Onslaught fleet braved a long voyage made all the more treacherous by poor weather and marauding parties of Kvaldir. One of the four warships, the Dawnbreaker, was sunk approximately two weeks' journey from the shore, going down with all hands. The rest successfully landed on the Forgotten Shore, separated by Vrykul encampments but alive; they rendezvoused on the cliffside overlooking the inlet where Sinner's Folly had made landfall. This spot Abbendis dubbed New Hearthglen, and Onslaught workers, led by Foreman Kaleiki, hurriedly began the erection of a stone stronghold.
The Onslaught arrived in Northrend prior to many other factions from mainland Azeroth and Kalimdor, though both Horde and Alliance forces were soon to follow. According to Abbendis's diary, the Onslaught attempted to maintain neutral relations at least with the Valiance Expedition, but the Onslaught was actively hostile towards both the Forsaken outpost of Venomspite and the Warsong outpost of Agmar's Hammer, raiding supply lines and even preparing for a direct assault upon Venomspite. Meanwhile, it deployed scouting parties northward, establishing outposts near Valiance Keep and Frostmourne Cavern.
During this time, Barean Westwind, Grand Admiral of the Scarlet Fleet and leader of a prior expedition to Northrend, arrived at New Hearthglen, offering his support to the Onslaught leadership. Within a matter of months, his influence had eclipsed even Abbendis's, and his teachings laid the foundations for the Raven Conclave, a radical offshoot of the faith of the Holy Light that embraced the use of shadow magic and elevated Westwind to the status of messiah as the Raven. Many notable Crusaders, such as Landgren, converted, and the next generation of Onslaught leadership, such as Triana Brandt, also numbered amongst the early converts; Abbendis and her inner circle, however, remained wary, a distrust that would cost her.
In the waning months of 29 LC, Westwind gathered the main host of the Onslaught, including the entirety of the Raven Conclave, and began a perilous trek northward, leaving New Hearthglen in the hands of Abbendis and her last stalwarts. Abbendis would not see year's end. Horde forces, eager to end the Onslaught's attacks against Venomspite, began a siege of New Hearthglen, providing cover for a number of Forsaken assassins to infiltrate the city and assassinate the remaining Onslaught leadership. New Hearthglen was saved only by the attack on the Wrathgate, which ravaged the Horde's morale and resulted in their tactical retreat. New Hearthglen stood, but its fortifications were badly damaged, its leadership all killed, and many of its defenders slaughtered. Franklin Gloeckner took charge of the disorganized survivors, but for the time being New Hearthglen was no longer a powerhouse in the Dragonblight.
Onslaught Harbor[]
Westwind's elite painstakingly traversed a hidden mountain pass to circumvent the Scourge's defenses of Icecrown Glacier, allowing the bulk of his host to emerge unscathed. Utilizing the might of the Onslaught's Wind Lancer gryphon riders, Westwind seized a small archipelago and began construction of a fortified harbor base. They were soon joined by the captains of the Light's Dominion and Terenas's Spear, sailing their warships along the western coast to escape pursuit from the Horde's navy. From this location, Westwind planned to assault Icecrown Citadel itself to strike down the Lich King. He implied heavily to his inner circle his desire to seize an artifact of some value that he believed would allow him to defeat Arthas even at the height of his power, though it is unclear if he ever managed to acquire it.
By this point, the Knights of the Ebon Blade had begun their own push into Icecrown, and their advance parties encountered the Onslaught presence on the archipelago. Operating from a seized Vrykul watchtower, Lord-Commander Arete orchestrated the sabotage of the Onslaught defenses and the assassination of several key Onslaught figures, including the captains of both remaining warships and the newly-dubbed Archbishop Landgren. An attempt was also made on Westwind's life, though it is debatable whether this was successful; certain Onslaught sources claim that Westwind departed Onslaught Harbor well before the assassins arrived. The Ebon Blade, of course, maintains that the Grand Admiral's life has ended.
Onslaught Harbor still possessed a sizable garrison, allowing them to hold the line against the few strike forces sent to harass them, but frankly the Onslaught no longer possessed the means to be an active participant in the War against the Lich King, and by and large they were simply left to rot. With their supply lines cut, it was presumed that Onslaught Harbor would be starved out in relatively short order, and the Onslaught would either surrender or die of starvation. Somehow, however, the survivors managed to eek out an existence, maintaining an active, if diminished, garrison for several years.
Waning Years[]
With the Lich King defeated and other catastrophic events demanding the world's attention, the Onslaught was largely forgotten on Northrend's frozen wastes. Commander Gloeckner at New Hearthglen and Commander Dieter Falke at Onslaught Harbor operated completely independently of one another; though the latter assumed full command of both fortifications with Gloeckner's apparent death. The Onslaught continued to engage in occasional skirmishes with the lingering Scourge forces, but survival was its primary focus.
The Raven Conclave, presumed destroyed with the death of its head, Archbishop Landgren, was also still active, having relocated its surviving membership to the Pit of Revelation under the command of the Raven Archon Triana Brandt. Brandt declared herself Landgren's successor to the title of Archbishop of the Church of the Holy Light with the Conclave's approval, and for years the Conclave operated in secret within the depths of Azjol'Nerub.
Contact between the various Onslaught factions began only in recent years. The Raven Conclave seems to have reached out to the Harbor Onslaught sometime between 33 and 35 LC; this faction, already having been indoctrinated with the Raven ideology, quickly aligned itself with the Conclave. Reconnecting with New Hearthglen took longer, but ultimately the dissolution of the alliance between the New Hearthglen Onslaught and the Army of the Truthful opened the door to a reunion. The Harbor Onslaught commander Falke emerged as the leader of a renewed Onslaught, weakened but united as it had not been since Westwind's departure from New Hearthglen in 29 LC. Under Brandt's watchful eye, the Raven Priest Caspian Ward began a purging of New Hearthglen's clergy, many of whom she considered corrupted by the Truthful's influence. Many of these apostates were rescued during the Third Legion Invasion, but many more did not escape the noose.
Current Activities[]
With their forces once again united under one banner and the once-burgeoning deviant ideologies purged, the Scarlet Onslaught can perhaps for the first time in almost a decade make a claim to be a notable player in its sphere of the world. Its forces have been seen to be mobilizing under the watchful eye of Onslaught Commander Falke, and the occasional Raven spy has been ousted within the ranks of the Church of the Holy Light. The organization seems to have found itself a new purpose, though for now, what that purpose is is anyone's guess.
Structure[]
At its height, the Onslaught was divided into a few primary divisions, with sub-divisions created as necessary. With its current numbers, however, a lot of the divisional boundaries have blurred, with one division having been entirely destroyed.
Scarlet Army[]
The most numerous of the divisions, the Scarlet Army comprised most of the land-based forces of the Onslaught, from humble footmen to armored knights to its feared Wind Lancers. Onslaught Commander Jordan served as its head during the opening months of the War against the Lich King. Onslaught Commander Gloeckner and Onslaught Commander Falke have both claimed leadership of this division at different times.
The Crimson Bulwark[]
The bulk of the Scarlet Army fell into this category. Soldiers of foot of all sorts could be found in the Crimson Bulwark, basically anyone who did not fit in elsewhere. Onslaught Commanders Jordan and Gloeckner, as well as numerous lieutenants such as Captain Ivanek Boltov, headed this branch of the military at New Hearthglen, while Onslaught Commander Iustus commanded the Bulwark at Onslaught Harbor.
The Knights of Abbendis[]
Known during Abbendis's lifetime as the Knights of Dawn, these cavaliers were never many in number, as most Scarlet cavaliers had slowly drifted into the ranks of the paladins or were drafted to become Dreadnaughts. However, in their heyday, these mounted warriors served valiantly as Abbendis's vanguard. She considered herself personally in command of this division, and its leadership passed to Sir Khazar the Dauntless after her death. It is unclear who leads the division now, if the division is even still active.
The Outriders[]
The Outriders functioned as couriers, scouts, and skirmishers for the Onslaught. They operated throughout Northrend throughout the War against the Lich King. While primarily lightly armed and armored, they were led by a paladin-knight called Efrem the Faithful, whose betrayal of the Onslaught in 29 LC took many Outriders with him. The remaining Outriders were led by Captain Melita de'Vyedor until her death in 36 LC. It is unclear who heads this division now.
The Wind Lancers[]
The Wind Lancers comprised the Onslaught's elite gryphon riders. These winged warriors are a common sight at Onslaught Harbor, and comprise perhaps the most experienced and feared warriors left in the Onslaught's arsenal. They were commanded by Dieter Falke prior to his ascension to Onslaught Commander; he has since passed the leadership to his protégé, Lieutenant Arzu Dilara.
Tyr's Fury[]
The paladins of the Scarlet Onslaught, stemming from a chapter of the Silver Hand, saw fit to distinguish themselves from the rank and file infantry and the clergy, particularly as the clergy fell under Westwind's sway. They were led by the Scarlet Highlord Daion until her disappearance in late 29 LC, and are now led by Highlord Tahbert Wulfhart.
Holy Order of New Avalon[]
The Holy Order of New Avalon was a sect of the Church of the Holy Light once centered at New Avalon. It was composed of members from the diocese of Bishop Street, though Landgren was both in practice and in name the head of the order. The Holy Order has largely died out, consumed first by the Prelacy and then later by the Raven Conclave, though in theory the distinction still exists.
The Scarlet Inquisition[]
While technically a religious order, the Onslaught's Inquisitors were in fact led not by a priest but by renowned Scarlet torturer LeCraft. LeCraft's practices were particularly brutal and were condemned even by General Abbendis, and as such the Inquisition never gained the sort of power it held back on the mainland. Caspian Ward commanded the inquisition for a brief time in 36 LC, but after his death the inquisitors fell back into obscurity.
Raven Conclave[]
Technically a subordinate of the Holy Order, the Raven Conclave essentially is the Holy Order in practice. The Raven Priests of the Pit of Revelation make up most of the members of this division, though it is also home to a select few Raven Dreadnaughts as well. Due to the powerful influence of the Raven Archon, Dreadnaughts often find themselves commanding Scarlet Army units, despite not being proper members of the division.
Scarlet Fleet[]
This was the second fleet to bear the name, and it fared no better than the first. Comprising only four large warships and a few ramshackle corvettes assembled on Northrend's shores, the Scarlet Fleet was outnumbered and outmatched on every front, and by 30 LC it possessed no ships and no clear leader. Fleet Captain Shely was its commanding officer in 29 LC. He was succeeded in the south by Commodore Martin Gillibrand and in the north by Fleet Captain Percy Reeves.
Restoration Guild[]
Given a name worthy of a new world order, the Restoration Guild took in all the civilian auxiliaries of the Onslaught, namely its stoneworkers, miners, and smiths. Overseen primarily by the Foreman Kaleiki, the Guild labored day and night to build fortresses such as New Hearthglen and Onslaught Harbor at breakneck speed. Leadership of the guild fell to Kaleiki's assistant Wick after the former's death; it is unclear who heads the division now.
Ideology[]
The Onslaught was originally united under the concept of the Crimson Dawn, a prophetic vision beheld by General Abbendis that the Onslaught would travel to Northrend and at last strike down the Lich King. However, with the arrival of Barean Westwind and his new ideology, this philosophy became muddied, and the splintering of the Onslaught into factions during the interwar years only created further ideological divisions. As such, while the Onslaught can be generally said to still be following the core philosophies of the Scarlet Crusade (particularly the sect of Scarlet belief the Truthful called 'Abbendism'), numerous individual ideologies can be found, often around regional divides.
Light of the Raven Divine[]
By the dictate of Archbishop Triana Brandt, this is the official religion of the Scarlet Onslaught. Following in the footsteps of the Raven, as recorded in the Tome of Revelation and interpreted by the Raven Conclave, adherents to this faith believe in the ultimate triumph of the Light over all evil, and allow for the use of any means, no matter how deviant, to see this triumph through to fruition. The Raven Conclave has thus removed any prohibition on the use of shadow magic within their ranks, and even allows its most trusted members to dabble in the forbidden arts of necromancy and demonology. Any official religious services held by the Onslaught are conducted by Raven Priests and follow this ideology, though the Conclave has proved surprisingly tolerant of other Light sects, at least among the lower ranks.
Truth[]
Carried over from Lordaeron by Truthful zealots, this radical Light sect foresees the creation of a holy caliphate in Lordaeron. The Truthful's dismissive or outright hostile opinion of so-called Abbendites meant that converts were slow in coming, and Brandt, however tolerant of the faith among the lower ranks, instigated a purge of followers of Truth amongst New Hearthglen's clergy and upper echelons upon her arrival. For this reason, while the ideology cannot be said to be extinguished from the Onslaught's ranks, it holds sway over only a minority, and a quiet minority at that.
Membership[]
The Onslaught has existed for almost a decade, and as such, it has had many members come and go, often in less-than-pleasant ways. It is also an organization hostile to most others on Azeroth, making the acquisition of definitive records difficult. However, an attempt has been made by SI:7 to confirm either the deaths or the modern activities of most members of this organization here.