Baron Rivendare

Baron Titus Rivendare is a death knight of The Scourge and the master of Stratholme, the ruined city in the Eastern Plaguelands. In life he was a Lordaeron nobleman who joined Kel'Thuzad's Cult of the Damned; in death he rules the Scourge half of the city from its Slaughterhouse. He is the final boss of Stratholme's undead side, one of the most-run level 60 dungeons of Classic, because he has a tiny chance to drop the Deathcharger's Reins.

Biography

Rivendare was a wealthy landowner in Stratholme and a friend of Kel'Thuzad, who drew him into the Cult of the Damned. He became one of the cult's leading members and helped the plague take hold in Lordaeron.

During the Third War, he was among those who helped bring down Lordaeron's capital after Arthas Menethil murdered his father. He was later killed in his own Slaughterhouse by a city guard seeking revenge, but death did not end his service. The Scourge raised him as a death knight and gave him command of the ruins of Stratholme. He also raised his favorite horse, Deathcharger, to serve as his undead mount.

From Stratholme he coordinates the Scourge's work in the Plaguelands, while the Scarlet Crusade holds the other half of the city and the Argent Dawn tries to destroy them both.

In World of Warcraft

The road to the Baron

Stratholme has two halves. The "live" side belongs to the Scarlet Crusade; the "dead" side, entered through the service gate, belongs to the Scourge. To reach Rivendare, a group must kill the three acolytes who guard the ziggurats, Baroness Anastari, Nerub'enkan and Maleki the Pallid. That opens the gate to the Slaughterhouse, where Ramstein the Gorger and waves of abominations attack. Baron Rivendare waits in the center, surrounded by skeletal guards.

He is a level 62 elite. He hits hard in melee, casts Shadow Bolt, and raises skeletal minions from the bones around him, which the group has to kill or keep under control while the tank holds him.

Quests

• Above and Beyond from Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff at Light's Hope Chapel asks for the [Head of Baron Rivendare]. Zverenhoff calls the Baron "Kel'Thuzad's errand boy".
• Players who bring the paladin Aurius his medallion in The Medallion of Faith find him joining the fight against the Baron.
• Blacksmiths who want the sword [Corruption] must first kill Rivendare's Black Guard Swordsmith for Corruption.
• [[forever:quest:8945]]: [[forever:npc:16016]], waiting at the Stratholme gate, begs the party to rescue his wife [[forever:npc:16031]] before the Baron executes her. The rescue only works if the group kills Rivendare within 45 minutes of entering. This timed clear became known as the "Baron run", and saving Ysida rewards [[forever:item:22137]].

Loot

Rivendare drops Dungeon Set 1 leggings for every class, such as [Legplates of Valor] and [Shadowcraft Pants], and [Cape of the Black Baron], [Seal of Rivendare], [Skullforge Reaver], [Bonescraper], [Scepter of the Unholy], [Dracorian Gauntlets] and [Robes of the Exalted]. The rare [Runeblade of Baron Rivendare] drops about one time in a hundred.

The prize everyone wants is the [Deathcharger's Reins], which summons the Deathcharger, a fast skeletal horse. Our data lists its drop rate as 0.02%, and it was one of the rarest mounts of the era. Many players ran Stratholme hundreds of times hoping to see it.

Later history

In Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Naxxramas was rebuilt in Northrend. Baron Rivendare replaced Highlord Alexandros Mograine as one of the Four Horsemen there. The Deathcharger's Reins still drop from him in Stratholme, and players still farm the dungeon for them.

Trivia

• His horse has its own name, Deathcharger, which is also the name of the mount spell.
• Baron Rivendare is often called simply "the Baron", and "Baron run" is still used by players for the timed Stratholme clear.

Sources

• Baron Rivendare (Warcraft Wiki)
• Stratholme (Warcraft Wiki)
• Deathcharger's Reins (Warcraft Wiki)