Anasterian Sunstrider
 Anasterian Sunstrider
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| Title | High King of Quel'Thalas |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | High elf (Humanoid) |
| Level | ?? Boss |
| Character class | Mage, Warrior |
| Affiliation | Kingdom of Quel'Thalas |
| Former affiliation(s) | Alliance of Lordaeron |
| Occupation | King of Quel'Thalas; Last King of Quel'Thalas (posthumously) |
| Location | Unknown |
| Status | Deceased |
| Relative(s) | Dath'Remar Sunstrider (ancestor), Kael'thas Sunstrider (son) |
Anasterian Sunstrider was the high king of Quel'Thalas, a descendant of the royal bloodline established by King Dath'Remar Sunstrider. His reign, which lasted at least two thousand and eight hundreds years, was marked by several conflicts that threatened the continued existence of Quel'Thalas - ending with his death at the hands of the evil Prince Arthas Menethil.
As officially decreed by his son, Prince Kael'thas, Anasterian was to be the very last king of Quel'Thalas.[1]
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Biography
King Anasterian was the monarch of Quel'Thalas when the sister blade of 
[Quel'Serrar], the powerful Quel'Delar, was handed to the high elven king personally by Alexstrasza the Life-Binder.[2] In turn, Anasterian granted the mighty blade to Thalorien Dawnseeker, who would wield it for years to come.
Reigning during the Troll Wars against the resurgent Amani Empire, Anasterian saw that his people were hard-pressed to keep the forest trolls at bay and were perilously close to defeat. Anasterian hit upon a radical idea: His scouts had reported that a human nation named Arathor had recently formed to the south. One tribe had risen to dominance through the simple expedient of offering amnesty to the people it defeated. That such a strategy was new among humans was a testament not only to the youth of their race, but also to their willingness to gain strength via clear-sighted pragmatism.
Although the humans had no spellcasters, Arathor had a sizeable population. Anasterian was certain there had to be humans with magical talent. They merely needed training in order to be useful in combat. He therefore dispatched ambassadors to the southlands with all speed.
King Thoradin of Arathor greeted the ambassadors with surprise and wary courtesy. He had been hearing rumors of the high elves' plight for months, but he had not suspected that the trolls posed a truly significant threat. The weary elves warned the king that the troll armies were vast. Should Quel'Thalas fall, the trolls would certainly besiege Arathor next.
The king was distrustful of magic, but he could not deny that the elves had a point. Further negotiations ensued until at last Anasterian and Thoradin had reached an agreement. Almost immediately, elven sorcerers arrived in Arathor and began to instruct a group of humans in the ways of magic. One hundred men were taught the very basics of the elves' magical secrets: no more than was absolutely necessary to combat the trolls.
In addition to these new spellcasters, Thoradin sent his armies to the battlefront. Together, the humans and high elves ultimately achieved victory over the trolls, who would never fully recover from their defeat. Assured that Quel'Thalas was saved from destruction, the elves made a pledge of loyalty and friendship to the nation of Arathor and to the bloodline of King Thoradin, a blood debt that King Anasterian would not be coerced into repaying until years later.[3]
The Second War
During the Second War, Anasterian was largely unconcerned with the threat of the orcs rampaging through Lordaeron, considering it a problem that could not touch Quel'Thalas and thus not worth the high elves addressing. After the orcs joined forces with the Amani trolls (the Amani themselves ever-eager to see Quel'Thalas burn,) he was approached by Alleria Windrunner, who attempted to open his eyes to the threat. Still reluctant, the high elven king finally changed his tone when Alleria hurled an Amani head at his feet - Anasterian kicking it away and, enraged at the Amani's nerve, ordered the high elven warriors and rangers to crush them once and for all.[4]
King Anasterian reluctantly joined the Alliance of Lordaeron, honor-bound to fulfill the pledge to the Arathi, of whom Lord Anduin Lothar was the last. Anasterian was forced to contribute more of Quel'Thalas's armies when the outer forests were attacked by the Horde, but sent only a token force. Ultimately, the Horde was to fall, and placed into internment camps. With his blood debt paid, Anasterian retained little interest in the affairs of his supposed allies, rarely deigning to grace his fellow monarchs with his presence.[5] The high elves came to realize that the increasingly strained Alliance needed them far more than they needed it, and after a period of mutual coldness between the humans and their elven allies,[6] Anasterian resolved to officially secede his nation.
In the aftermath of the war, the high elves as a whole began to doubt the value of the Alliance. Humanity seemed to need the high elves, but had little to offer in return, especially now that a large portion of Alliance resources was allotted toward maintaining the internment camps.
At last Anasterian rescinded the high elves' allegiance to the Alliance. He stated that the humans' poor leadership had been directly responsible for the burned forests in the borderlands of Quel'Thalas. King Terenas Menethil argued that nothing of Quel'Thalas would have survived if not for the hundreds of valiant humans who gave their lives to defend it. Despite his attempts at reestablishing diplomatic relations, however, the elves opted to remain independent of the crumbling Alliance.[7]
Anasterian's secesion sparked the domino effect that led to the Alliance of Lordaeron splintering almost completely; Gilneas and Stromgarde following Anasterian's example and removing themselves from the increasingly deteriorating Alliance.[8]
The Third War
Still reigning over Quel'Thalas at the time of the Third War, despite his advanced age, Anasterian spared little thought for the plight of the humans in Lordaeron; true to the past, believing it to be a human issue than the high elves would not deign to trouble themselves with.[9]
Anasterian himself was located on the Isle of Quel'Danas with the magisters when word began to spread of an unprovoked undead invasion from the freshly-destroyed ruins of Lordaeron. In the waning moments of the battle, King Anasterian battled alongside the Convocation of Silvermoon when the corrupted Prince Arthas invaded the isle with the undead armies of the Scourge, but even his unyielding will and extraordinary powers proved insufficient against the merciless death knight.
After Arthas arrived on the shores of the Isle of Quel'Danas, he was met by the high king of Quel'Thalas himself. Anasterian swiftly went about destroying the path of frost that Arthas had created over the ocean, wreaking havoc upon it with his fiery magics, though his powerful casting was disrupted when Arthas charged the high elven king personally.[10]
King Anasterian fought a valiant but ultimately hopeless battle against Arthas, wielding a stave in one hand and the ancient runeblade Felo'melorn in the other. Though both his formidable martial prowess and spellcasting proved an apt counter to the corrupted prince's dark powers, Anasterian's three millennia hindered him in his last, desperate battle to protect his people.[11] The high elves' hopes were raised when despite the unfavourable odds, Anasterian managed to severely wound Arthas's necromantic steed, Invincible, by severing its forelegs, though the act only served to enrage the forcibly dismounted Arthas further. Both Felo'melorn and Anasterian fell under the weight of Frostmourne, which cut through the ancient elven blade and stole the soul of its owner.
Anasterian's son, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, survived the fall of Quel'Thalas and indeed the entire Third War. In the wake of the high elven kingdom's destruction, Kael'thas proclaimed his people reborn as blood elves, in honor of those who had perished.
Kael'thas recovered his father's broken runeblade that he later reforged.
Wrath of the Lich King
During the Quel'Delar questline, after returning to Myralion Sunblaze or Caladis Brightspear, Blood-Queen Lana'thel replays the events of Quel'Delar's bestowal to the High elves, images of Alexstrasza, Thalorien Dawnseeker and King Anasterian Sunstrider appear during the small scene, which shows Anasterian granting the blade to Thalorien.
Legacy
Prince Kael'thas decreed that King Anasterian would be the very last king of Quel'Thalas, and chose to style himself with various other titles instead.[12] Despite Anasterian's decision to remove himself and Quel'Thalas from the Alliance, following the attack on Silvermoon, a number of the elves reasoned that the Alliance was still obligated to assist them in their hour of need. This bitter scar provided them with further reason to turn to the Horde years later. Anasterian's long reign would not be matched by his only son, whose own peroid of rule was cut short after his demise in the same place as his father - the Isle of Quel'Danas.
Though not specifically seen, with the shattering of Frostmourne it is safe to say King Anasterian's spirit was finally able to pass on, with the other imprisoned victims of the cursed blade.
The designated regent lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, now rules the elven homeland after the fall of its royal family. Lor'themar had reflected on the decisions made by Anasterian, and does not fault the elven king for them - acknowledging the burden of leadership he bore to be something one cannot simply be taught, only experienced.[13]
King Anasterian is remembered fondly by his people, who to this day are known to charge into battle with the name of their fallen king upon their lips.
Abilities
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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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According to Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, he had the skills of a warrior, and was still a powerful mage. He is shown in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, wearing plate armor. Along with his weapon of choice being the runeblade Felo'melorn, these all point towards a fusion between a warrior and mage. It is possible that Anasterian was a warmage or battle mage.
Personality
Anasterian was a fiercely proud monarch and a staunch elven supremacist, who believed his people were more than capable of dealing with their own issues without outside interference. Despite owing a blood debt to humanity for their part in the Troll Wars, Anasterian balked from his notion numerous times before humbling himself to enter into an alliance to repay it during the Third War; even then, purely because his own people were threatened once more.[14] Anasterian held a strong distaste for humanity, and consented only to sending a token force to assist them as the Second War reached its climax.[15]
His strong disdain for humanity led to him abandoning the younger race on two counts, perhaps most damningly after the Third War - the Alliance was weakened considerably by Anasterian's secesion, and the undead Scourge promptly culled both Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas; Quel'Thalas' independence at the point where only rumours abounded of the fall of Lordaeron.
Appearance
King Anasterian is described as a highly aged man, with long white hair and a pale complexion, his skin thin and his tone having long turned soft. However, his powerful voice still carried the unmistakable hints of his authority. He had piercing blue eyes that had not been diluted by the pangs of advanced age, though little else had been spared of his once slender and powerful body. His anger flaring, even at such an age, was fearsome to behold.[16]
Quotes
- "Outrageous! They dare to invade our home? They dare! We shall teach them to trespass here! Gather our warriors. Summon our rangers. We will attack the trolls and drive them from our forest so sternly they shall never dare encroach again." - in response to the Horde-aided troll invasion of Quel'Thalas
- Blood elves occasionally shout "For Anasterian!" when they /charge into battle.
Trivia
- In World of Warcraft, a plate helm named the
[Crown of Anasterian] can be found in the Sunwell Plateau. Whether it can be considered his "crown" in the literal sense is debatable, though it is worth note that his image during the Quel'Delar quest chain shows a younger King Anasterian wearing an armour set matching the helm's design. 
[King Anasterian Sunstrider's Silver Coin] can be acquired in Dalaran. The coin's flavour text suggests that Anasterian was displaying concern for his son's loyalty, which he felt was torn between Quel'Thalas and the Kirin Tor.
References
- ^ In the Shadow of the Sun
- ^
[80] Return To Myralion Sunblaze - ^ http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/encyclopedia/319.xml
- ^ Rosenberg, Aaron. Tides of Darkness, 206-208. ISBN 978-1-4165-3990-2.
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, pg 92-105
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, pg 60
- ^ http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/encyclopedia/319.xml
- ^ http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/encyclopedia/338.xml
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, pg 266
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, pg 292
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, pg 293
- ^ In the Shadow of the Sun
- ^ In the Shadow of the Sun, Lor'themar's chronicle
- ^ Tides of Darkness, pg205
- ^ http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/encyclopedia/319.xml
- ^ Tides of Darkness, pg 205
External links
| Preceded by: Earliest known: Dath'Remar Sunstrider |
Position: High King of Quel'Thalas |
Succeeded by: Kael'thas Sunstrider (Lord of the Blood Elves) Lor'themar Theron (Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas) |
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