Dungeons - Azjol-Nerub

he surface of Northrend is not the only battleground in the war against the Lich King. Another front lies deep within the subterranean empire of Azjol-Nerub, a vast network of passageways and caverns stretching beneath the icy landmass. The kingdom's highly intelligent founders, the nerubians, established their underground lair in the north of ancient Kalimdor before the Sundering splintered the massive continent. In the ages that followed, the spider-like nerubians kept to themselves in the darkness of their homeland, largely uninterested in the affairs of surface dwellers. By the time the Lich King arrived in Northrend, Azjol-Nerub had developed into a vast empire of great strength.

Determined to bend the inhabitants of Northrend to his will, the Lich King rained destruction upon the continent, dispatching his undead army, the Scourge, to crush any who stood against him. The nerubians fought back, igniting a savage conflict known as the War of the Spider. Azjol-Nerub's last known king, Anub'arak, led the resistance against the Lich King's forces. The brutality and fearlessness of the spiderlord and his warriors made it difficult for the Scourge to overtake Azjol-Nerub, but eventually the endless numbers of undead prevailed.

Small groups of survivors managed to escape, fleeing deep underground, but most nerubians were not as fortunate. Those slain while defending Azjol-Nerub were raised into undeath and forced to serve the Lich King. Even Anub'arak could not escape this grim fate, and so he went on to claim the nerubian stronghold of Naxxramas for his new master. Years of war and abandonment have left the kingdom broken and scarred. The ruins of Azjol-Nerub cast dark shadows that conceal deep cracks and fissures, making it perilous for explorers to traverse the landscape. Undead nerubians patrol the area, guarding clutches of eggs that will one day bring forth a new generation of Scourge warriors to bolster the ranks of the Lich King's armies.

Defeating Anub'arak and his followers will deal a great blow to the Scourge. The destruction of the tainted eggs scattered throughout the kingdom is also crucial, as only then will the Scourge's evil presence truly be purged from Azjol-Nerub. Once that happens, the remnants of the nerubian race can set about restoring their empire and exacting revenge on the one responsible for this dark chapter in their history.