Dextren Ward

Dextren Ward is a human grave robber held in The Stockade, Stormwind's prison. He was caught selling corpses from a Duskwood cemetery to a necromancer, and the town of Darkshire, which sentenced him to death, wants him dead badly enough to hire an assassin. His terrifying shout makes him one of the more dangerous inmates in the cramped cell blocks.

Background

Duskwood is a forest of permanent night south of Elwynn Forest, plagued by worgen, the undead and dark magic. Darkshire, its one town, is governed by a council under Lord Ello Ebonlocke, and the townsfolk feel the kingdom has abandoned them.

Dextren Ward made things worse. He was caught digging up bodies from the Raven Hill Cemetery and selling them to Morbent Fel, a necromancer who raises the dead in the forest. Darkshire's law punishes that crime with death, and Lord Ebonlocke sentenced him to be beheaded. Instead, Stormwind's House of Nobles claimed Ward as its own prisoner and locked him in the Stockade. To the council, it was one more insult from a capital that ignores them. When the prisoners took over the Stockade, the council saw its chance.

Abilities

• Frightening Shout: sends nearby players running in fear for several seconds. In the Stockade's narrow halls, a feared player can easily run into the next cell and pull more inmates.
• Strike: a weapon strike with extra damage.

He fights like a warrior, in Battle Stance.

Strategy

Ward may not appear on every visit. When he does, he is in one of the rooms at the far end of the left hall from the entrance.

• Clear the nearby rooms before pulling him. His shout is the main danger, and an empty room means feared players have nothing to run into.
• Warriors and other melee players should stay close to the tank; ranged players should stand where a fear won't send them into an uncleared cell.
• Kill him fast. He has slightly more health than Targorr and no heals.

A chest sometimes appears near him. It is worth opening, since the Stockade has little loot.

Loot

Ward has no special loot of his own.

Quests

• Crime and Punishment: Councilman Millstipe in Darkshire explains the council's grievance and asks the player to kill Ward in the Stockade and bring back his hand. The reward is a choice of [Ambassador's Boots] or [Darkshire Mail Leggings].
• The Color of Blood: Nikova Raskol in Stormwind wants Red Wool Bandanas, which Ward and the Defias inmates carry.

Trivia

• His name is a nod to H. P. Lovecraft's novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, about a young man drawn into grave robbing and necromancy.

Later history

Ward was removed when Cataclysm (patch 4.0.3a) rebuilt the Stockade. The 1.12 version returned with World of Warcraft Classic in 2019.

Sources

• Dextren Ward, Warcraft Wiki
• Crime and Punishment, Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB NPC, loot and quest data for patch 1.12