Battle for the Undercity: Putress's betrayal

The Battle for the Undercity is the Horde and Alliance attack on the Undercity, right after the Wrathgate, to bring down the coup by the dreadlord Varimathras and Grand Apothecary Putress. The Horde kills Varimathras, the Alliance kills Putress, and it all ends with Varian Wrynn declaring war on Thrall in the throne room.

It is one of the most remembered moments of Wrath of the Lich King, and you can still play it in WotLK 3.3.5a.

What happened before the Battle for the Undercity?

It all starts at the gate of Angrathar the Wrathgate, in Dragonblight. The Alliance and the Horde were attacking the gate of Icecrown together. In the middle of the fight, Putress used Forsaken catapults to release the New Plague. It killed the undead and the living alike.

The Alliance lost Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and nearly 5,000 soldiers. The Horde lost more than 4,000. Both factions blamed the Forsaken.

If you have not read that part yet, start here: the Wrathgate and the fall of Bolvar and Saurfang.

The coup by Varimathras and Putress

While the armies fought in Northrend, something was happening at home. Varimathras, the dreadlord who served Sylvanas, had secretly realigned himself with the Burning Legion. He convinced Putress that the Legion paid better.

Together, the two staged a coup and seized the Undercity. The rebel apothecaries of the Royal Apothecary Society and Varimathras's demons took control of the Forsaken capital.

Sylvanas Windrunner survived an assassination attempt. Thrall sent for her, but she was already on her way to Orgrimmar. There, she told the Warchief that the coup was the work of Putress and Varimathras. Forsaken refugees camped in Durotar.

To understand why Varimathras was at Sylvanas's side, see the fall of Lordaeron and the birth of the Forsaken.

Diplomacy in Orgrimmar

In Stormwind, King Varian Wrynn was mourning Bolvar. He was ready to blame the Horde and start a war. Even so, he sent Jaina Proudmoore to Orgrimmar.

In the throne room of Grommash Hold, Thrall and Sylvanas promised justice. They said the Horde did not want war, unless provoked. Jaina agreed to carry the message, but she feared Varian's anger would win out.

And it did. Varian saw an opportunity. If the Horde had lost the Undercity, the Alliance could take the chance to reclaim the old nation of Lordaeron.

Want to know more about the kingdom that stood up above? Read Lordaeron: from the glory of the greatest human kingdom to the city of the undead.

Who's who in the Battle for the Undercity

| Side | Who | Role | | --- | --- | --- | | Horde | Thrall | Warchief, leads the main attack | | Horde | Sylvanas Windrunner | Queen of the Forsaken, wants her city back | | Horde | Vol'jin | Leader of the Darkspear trolls, opens the siege | | Alliance | Varian Wrynn | King of Stormwind, hunts Putress | | Alliance | Jaina Proudmoore | Archmage, opens portals and holds back the final fight | | Alliance | Broll Bearmantle | Night elf druid, goes ahead | | Alliance | Valeera Sanguinar | Blood elf rogue, goes ahead with Broll | | Legion | Varimathras | Traitor dreadlord | | Rebels | Putress | Grand Apothecary, creator of the New Plague | | Legion | Khanok the Impassable | Doomlord in the sewers |

How did the Horde attack go?

The Horde attack was led by Thrall, Sylvanas and Vol'jin. The goal was simple: retake the city and kill Varimathras.

Vol'jin went in first, riding his raptor, while Horde Demolishers surrounded the city. The Undercity was a war zone. Putress's apothecaries and Varimathras's demons used the plague against the Horde troops.

The fight went in stages:

1. In the courtyard, Varimathras released the Blight Aberration, a creature made of plague.
2. At the elevators, the passage was trapped and the elevators destroyed. Thrall called on the spirits of air, and cyclones carried the group down safely.
3. In the sewers, Varimathras released Khanok the Impassable, a Doomlord.
4. In the Royal Quarter, Varimathras brought down the hall and opened Legion portals. Then he joined the fight in person.

Thrall faced Varimathras head-on, and the Horde won. The dreadlord fell, and Thrall declared victory. Sylvanas warned that Putress still had to be dealt with.

How did the Alliance attack go?

The Alliance attacked by another route. Varian, Jaina, Broll Bearmantle and Valeera Sanguinar went in through the city's sewers, after Putress.

Broll and Valeera went ahead and waited at the sewer entrance. Jaina opened a portal from Stormwind for the group, and Varian came right behind.

Along the way, the Alliance found the body of Khanok, already killed by the Horde. Then it went down through the Apothecarium, facing traitorous guardians and dreadlords.

At the bottom, Putress released an Engorged Blight Worm, a giant worm full of plague. After defeating it, the Alliance faced Putress himself. It was Varian who killed Putress.

What the Alliance found in the Apothecarium

In the labs, the Alliance found mutilated and desecrated human bodies. The Royal Apothecary Society had used these bodies to create the New Plague.

Varian was horrified. To him, this was proof that the Forsaken were secretly creating a way to kill everyone. That discovery weighed heavily on what came next.

Varian against Thrall: the clash in the throne room

With Varimathras and Putress dead, the two forces met in the Undercity's throne room.

Thrall and Sylvanas were there with Horde guards. Varian arrived weapons in hand and went straight for Thrall. Right there, he declared war on the Warchief and his people.

The fight began. Then Jaina froze all the combatants and teleported the Alliance forces back to Stormwind. Without that, the two factions would have destroyed each other right there.

To learn more about the king who lost his head that day, read Varian Wrynn: the lost king, Lo'Gosh and the sacrifice at the Broken Shore.

What were the consequences of the Battle for the Undercity?

The Forsaken capital went back to the Horde. The demons and the rebel undead were wiped out, and the leaders of the coup died.

Thrall sent the Kor'kron Guard, led by Bragor Bloodfist, to occupy the Undercity. Their task was to watch for outside threats and whatever was left inside.

The Royal Apothecary Society came under watch

The apothecaries' society was not dissolved, but it lost the Horde's trust. The Kor'kron began watching the Forsaken and the apothecaries. Overseer Kraggosh warned that anything suspicious would be punished.

The Horde banned the use of the full-strength plague. A weaker version stayed in use, and the research did not stop. Master Apothecary Faranell argued that Putress and the rebels were an exception and wanted to win back the Horde's trust.

The end of peace between Horde and Alliance

Varian's declaration marked the beginning of the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde. The cold peace was over. During the war against the Lich King, the factions traded blows in smaller battles across Northrend.

Truly open war only came later, after the Cataclysm, with the invasion of Gilneas. But the seed was planted here.

To see how this mood spread through the expansion, read from the end of TBC to the start of Wrath: why Northrend became the focus of the war and the general overview of the history of Wrath of the Lich King.

Where to see it in WotLK

In WotLK 3.3.5a, the Battle for the Undercity is a level 74 group quest (requires 71). It was removed from the live game in patch 4.0.3a, with Cataclysm. On the server, it is still there.

Both chains start after you complete Return To Angrathar, the quest that shows the Wrathgate cinematic in Dragonblight.

Horde chain:

1. Darkness Stirs: pick it up from Alexstrasza the Life-Binder in Dragonblight. Collect Saurfang's armor on the battlefield, near Alexstrasza's front left paw (around 38.2, 18.7), and bring it to High Overlord Saurfang in Warsong Hold, Borean Tundra.
2. Herald of War: Saurfang sends you to Thrall in Grommash Hold, Orgrimmar.
3. A Life Without Regret: Thrall sends you through the Grommash Hold portal to Vol'jin, in the Undercity.
4. The Battle For The Undercity: pick it up from Vol'jin and turn it in to Thrall.

Alliance chain:

1. Reborn From The Ashes: pick it up from Alexstrasza. Collect Fordragon's shield (around 38.0, 19.6) and bring it to Varian in Stormwind Keep.
2. Fate, Up Against Your Will: talk to Jaina in Stormwind. She opens a portal to Orgrimmar, and you turn it in to Thrall.
3. A Royal Coup: Thrall sends a message to Varian. Go back through the Grommash Hold portal.
4. The Killing Time: Varian sends you through the Undercity portal in Stormwind Keep, to Broll Bearmantle.
5. The Battle For The Undercity: pick it up from Broll and turn it in to Varian.

Practical tips:

• Bring a group. The event bosses have millions of health points, but the NPCs help a lot.
• On the Alliance side, Varian gives the Strength of Wrynn buff, which greatly increases your health. He starts the hunt even if you walk away.
• Both quests give a choice of pants and reputation (Orgrimmar and Warsong Offensive for the Horde, Stormwind and Valiance Expedition for the Alliance).

If you are still leveling, use the guide to reach level 80 in less time and do this chain when you hit level 74.

Frequently asked questions

Who killed Putress?

Varian Wrynn. He faced Putress at the bottom of the Apothecarium, after the Alliance defeated the Engorged Blight Worm.

Who killed Varimathras?

The Horde. Thrall, Sylvanas and Vol'jin led the attack, and Varimathras fell in the Royal Quarter, with Thrall facing the dreadlord head-on.

Why did Varian attack Thrall in the throne room?

Varian was mourning Bolvar and already distrusted the Horde. In the Apothecarium, he saw the human bodies used to create the plague and concluded that the Forsaken wanted to kill everyone. That is why he declared war right there.

Does the Battle for the Undercity still exist in the game?

Not in the live game. The quests were removed in patch 4.0.3a. In WotLK 3.3.5a, they are still available from level 71.