Dalaran in Northrend: why the city flew

Dalaran ended up in Northrend because the Kirin Tor decided that the danger from Malygos and the Scourge was too great to stay far away. The mages teleported the entire city into the sky over Crystalsong Forest, in the center of the continent, and placed it on the front line of two wars at once: the Nexus War and the war against the Lich King.

Here you will see how that happened, who rules the city and what the Violet Hold keeps locked. For the Kirin Tor as an institution, read Kirin Tor and Dalaran.

Where did Dalaran come from before Northrend?

Dalaran was born as a city-state of mages, on the southern shore of Lordamere Lake, in Lordaeron. It was ruled by the Kirin Tor, led by the Council of Six.

In the Third War, it all fell. The Scourge attacked the city, and Arthas killed Archmage Antonidas, the leader of the Kirin Tor. Kel'Thuzad took the Book of Medivh and used its spells to bring Archimonde to Azeroth. To make an example, the demon destroyed Dalaran. That part is in Third War #5: the path of the damned.

The survivors returned to the ruins. Rhonin was chosen to lead the Kirin Tor and led the rebuilding of the city and its defenses. Around the heart of Dalaran, the mages raised a huge magical dome. For years, anyone passing through Alterac saw only that dome.

Why did Dalaran go to Northrend?

Malygos, the Aspect of Magic, regained his sanity after thousands of years of grief. When he returned, he concluded that mortals used magic without control and that this threatened the world. He declared war on spellcasters, and his main target was the magocracy of Dalaran. On Coldarra, in the Borean Tundra, the Nexus began drawing the energy of the world's ley lines.

The Kirin Tor tried to talk first. The Council of Six sent a delegation to the Nexus. Malygos explained his reasons and made an offer: become mage hunters in the service of the blue dragonflight, or be destroyed. Some mages accepted and switched sides. Those who refused were killed.

That is when the drastic decision came. With the power they still had, the mages moved the rebuilt Dalaran into the skies of Northrend. The city began floating over the western side of Crystalsong Forest. And, as a bonus, no ground attack by the undead could ever reach it again.

At the old site, in Alterac, only the Dalaran Crater remained, the crater you see in WotLK.

The start of the Nexus War in the Borean Tundra is in the story of the Borean Tundra. The end, with Malygos in the Eye of Eternity, is in Malygos and the Nexus War.

Who rules Dalaran in WotLK?

The head is Rhonin, leader of the Kirin Tor and ruler of the city. He works in the Violet Citadel, the central fortress. At his side are his wife, Vereesa Windrunner, Archmage Modera and Archmage Aethas Sunreaver.

Rhonin gathered the Kirin Tor for the war against Malygos and asked Alexstrasza and the red dragonflight for help. The red dragonflight joined the Kirin Tor, and the dragonflights formed the Wyrmrest Accord, as the story of Dragonblight shows. Before that, he had already freed Alexstrasza at Grim Batol, as told in Between the Wars #2: the Day of the Dragon.

Who's who in Dalaran

| Name | Who they are | Where they are in WotLK | | --- | --- | --- | | Rhonin | Leader of the Kirin Tor | Violet Citadel | | Vereesa Windrunner | Leader of the Silver Covenant, Rhonin's wife | Violet Citadel | | Aethas Sunreaver | Archmage of the Council of Six, leader of the Sunreavers | Violet Citadel | | Modera | Archmage of the Kirin Tor | Violet Citadel | | Krasus (Korialstrasz) | Member of the Council of Six, Alexstrasza's consort | Wyrmrest Temple | | Lieutenant Sinclari | Commander of the Violet Hold guard | Violet Hold |

Is Dalaran neutral?

Yes. In WotLK, the Kirin Tor declared itself neutral in the conflict between the Horde and the Alliance and tried to serve as a bridge between the two sides. Most of the city is neutral territory. The Horde and the Alliance share the same streets.

Neutral does not mean calm. When Brann found Yogg-Saron in Ulduar, Rhonin called Varian, Jaina, Thrall and Garrosh to Dalaran and had to stop a fight between Varian and Garrosh. He asked for cooperation. The proposal was rejected.

Silver Covenant against the Sunreavers

Inside the neutral city there are two neighborhoods that are anything but neutral.

The Sunreavers are blood elves tied to the Horde and to Quel'Thalas. The name comes from their leader, Aethas Sunreaver, a member of the Council of Six. Aethas wanted to bring the blood elves back into the Kirin Tor. The Magisters of Silvermoon did not like it, but Lor'themar Theron accepted the proposal. The Sunreavers' work against the Lich King paid off: the blood elves were officially readmitted into the Kirin Tor.

Not everyone accepted it. A group of high elves loyal to the Alliance rejected the readmission and founded the Silver Covenant. It is led by Vereesa Windrunner, younger sister of Sylvanas and Alleria. Vereesa believed the Kirin Tor's destiny was to serve the Alliance, but she had little political weight in the city. The Covenant was born as a precaution against the Sunreavers, whom they saw as suspected traitors.

Each side has its own neighborhood:

• Silver Enclave: the Alliance-only neighborhood, of the Silver Covenant.
• Sunreaver's Sanctuary: the Horde-only neighborhood, of the Sunreavers.

In both, guardian mages expel any player of the wrong faction who gets too close. The rivalry also left the city. The two groups have ships in Sea Reaver's Run and each has a pavilion at the Argent Tournament, in Icecrown. To understand Vereesa's family, read House Windrunner: the three sisters. To find out if the pavilion dailies are worth it, see Is the Argent Tournament worth it in 2026?.

What is the Violet Hold?

The Violet Hold, also called the dungeons of Dalaran, is the Kirin Tor's main prison. It sits on the eastern side of the city. The cells have magical shields, and the idea was that no one would ever escape from them.

The prison has history. In the time of the Frozen Throne, Kael'thas was imprisoned there after Lord Garithos called him a traitor. Lady Vashj helped him escape. That escape is in The Frozen Throne #2: Kael and the blood elves.

In WotLK, the prison becomes a target of the Nexus War. Cyanigosa, a lieutenant of Malygos, gets in disguised as an elven mage and almost frees the prisoners. The blue agents open portals inside the prison and kill the guards. Rhonin and Warden Alturas call on adventurers from the Horde and the Alliance to defend the city. Cyanigosa fights to the death.

The commander of the guard is Lieutenant Sinclari. She had already warned that keeping such dangerous prisoners inside the city was a bad idea. No one listened.

How the dungeon works

• Level 75–77 on normal and 80 on heroic. Sinclari clears the room and leaves with the guards.
• 18 portals open. At the 6th and the 12th, one of six randomly chosen prisoners comes out: Erekem, Moragg, Ichoron, Xevozz, Lavanthor or Zuramat the Obliterator.
• After the 18th portal, Cyanigosa appears, the final boss.

The strategy is in Violet Hold: simple dungeon or trap?. Here we cover only the story.

Underbelly, Krasus' Landing and the Antonidas Memorial

The Underbelly is Dalaran's sewers, with its own map. It is home mainly to goblins, and the area is called the city's slum. The main spots:

• Circle of Wills: the central hall, with arena vendors.
• Cantrips & Crows: the inn and tavern.
• Black Market: where rogues sell reagents.
• Dalaran Arena: one of the two new arenas in WotLK, along with the Ring of Valor in Orgrimmar.
• An exit pipe drops you straight into the sky over Crystalsong. Without Slow Fall, the fall kills.

Krasus' Landing is in the east of the city and is named after Krasus, the Kirin Tor mage who is actually the red dragon Korialstrasz. It is where the flight master, Aludane Whitecloud, stands. In WotLK, Dalaran bans flying, and Krasus' Landing is the exception, made for landings.

The Antonidas Memorial is between the Magus Commerce Exchange and Sunreaver's Sanctuary. It is a statue of Antonidas that floats almost two meters above the grass. He holds a magical orb and the staff Archus. The statue was commissioned by Jaina Proudmoore, his student. The plaque ends like this: "Your sacrifices will not have been in vain, dear friend."

Where to see it in WotLK

• How to get there: the quest "The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran" shows up at level 74 with Kirin Tor NPCs in the starting zones. You take the Kirin Tor Signet to Archmage Celindra, at the Violet Gate. Tip from the wiki: until you turn the quest in, the teleport NPCs keep taking you to Dalaran instantly, without paying for a flight.
• Rhonin, Vereesa, Aethas and Modera: in the Violet Citadel, in the center of the city.
• Violet Hold: on the eastern side. Sinclari stands at the door.
• Underbelly: entrances in the northwest, near the inn, and in the southeast.
• Dalaran Crater: the city's old site, in Alterac.

For Kirin Tor reputation, see Kirin Tor: how to level it fast and are the Dalaran dailies worth your time?. If the city makes your game stutter, read Low FPS in Dalaran in WotLK. Not playing yet? Create your account and join the server.

Read more:

• WoW History: Wrath of the Lich King
• Kirin Tor and Dalaran
• Malygos and the Nexus War

Frequently asked questions

Why does Dalaran float?

To escape two threats. The Kirin Tor took the city into the skies of Northrend because Malygos and the Scourge were too dangerous. In the air, no undead army can attack by land.

Who leads Dalaran in Wrath of the Lich King?

Rhonin, leader of the Kirin Tor. He rules from the Violet Citadel, with Vereesa Windrunner, Modera and Aethas Sunreaver nearby.

Is Dalaran Horde or Alliance?

Neither. The Kirin Tor is neutral and most of the city is open to everyone. Only the Silver Enclave (Alliance) and Sunreaver's Sanctuary (Horde) are exclusive.

Who is the final boss of the Violet Hold?

Cyanigosa, the blue dragon lieutenant of Malygos who led the attack on the prison. She appears after the 18th portal.