WARNING: Midnight spoilers in this post!
Gathering the Vanguard of the Light
Our questline begins directly after the events of the Midnight reveal cinematic, where Liadrin has called soldiers of the Light from across Azeroth to defend the Sunwell from Xal'atath's void army, the Devouring Host. In addition to these forces, the Light has also called upon the player character to meet the image of Liadrin in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, or Dornogal and join her in the defense of Quel'thalas.
Lady Liadrin says: Champion, Xal'atath and her Devouring Host lay siege to the Sunwell. The Light has chosen you to defend it.
Lady Liadrin says: Even with reinforcements, we cannot hold back the Devouring Host for long. Make haste, champion.
When we accept the summons and arrive at the Sunwell Plateau, the battle is already well underway. The holy armies of Azeroth, now gathered into the Vanguard of the Light, are in the midst of holding the forces of the Void back. While many of these are generic soldiers, there are quite a lot of named cameos here. For full details, check out our full list of character cameos here!
Paladin and Priest Cameos in Midnight Intro Questline
We join Liadrin alongside the blood elf leader Lor'themar Theron and High Exarch Turalyon, Lord Commander of the Alliance and leader of the Army of the Light. While the initial assault from Xal'atath has been pushed back, the Sunwell is still in danger, Lor'themar and Turalyon argue over their priorities.
Lady Liadrin says: We prayed for a miracle, and the Vanguard of Light answered the call. But the battle yet rages on.
Lor'themar Theron says: Evacuating the civilians must take priority!
High Exarch Turalyon says: No! We need to focus on launching a counterattack!
High Exarch Turalyon says: Our forces are scattered. The Devouring Host will overwhelm us!
Our job now is to rally the Vanguard of the Light together for a full assault, starting with key figures. On Liadrin's request, we locate and recruit Alonsus Faol, Faerin Lothar, Anduin Wrynn, and the holy dreadlord Lothraxion. In addition, Turalyon also asks a personal request of us: find his son, Arator.
High Exarch Turalyon says: Champion, find Arator! I will rally the Vanguard and prepare an assault!
Lady Liadrin says: Some must remain to guard the Sunwell! If it falls, all is lost!
Lothraxion says: Foul spawn of the Void! Prepare to meet your end!
Champion! I see the Light has called not just on its followers, but the champions of Azeroth.
I had thought myself surrounded and out numbered. But with you here, we may press the attack!
Lothraxion says: The High Exarch calls us to glory or death!
Alonsus Faol says: Xal'atath! If only I had found a way to destroy that accursed blade!
Good to see you, champion!
The Light burns brighter among all this darkness and Void, doesn't it? I always feel the pain of it on my undead skin, but the Devouring Host is more susceptible to its wrath than I am.
Alonsus Faol says: Let your inner fires burn bright, my brethren! We are called to assault the Void!
Faerin Lothar says: The Light will shield the land of my ancestors!
Anduin Wrynn says: We need to move the wounded!
By the Sacred Flame, we were almost overwhelmed by this Devouring Host. I was able to hold back the tide of darkness so that Anduin could heal the injured.
I'm glad to see that others were called to the defense of this sacred place. What can I do to help?
Anduin Wrynn says: Go join the Vanguard, Faerin! I'll escort everyone to the Sunwell.
We find Arator not only surrounded by dead voidspawn, but also boiling over with the remnants of Light, the tassels of his armor charred by holy fire. When asked about it, a cinematic will play, before he joins us as a combat ally.
Arator says: Champion! Over here!
I was overcome, not by the void, but by the Light itself. I couldn't see, and unleashed a power... It felt like a fire. When I came to, they were all destroyed.
My apologies, champion. That feeling has passed. We need to do what we can to aid the people of Silvermoon.
Arator says: Let's find the rest of the Vanguard. The High Exarch hates to be disappointed.
Regrouping with the others, Turalyon begins to enact his plan just as the Devouring Host begins another attack. As the Vanguard of the Light charges forward, Arator and the player are held back by Lor'themar who beseeches us instead to aid the imperiled blood elf civilians.
High Exarch Turalyon says: Vanguard of the Light!
High Exarch Turalyon says: We make our stand at the gate!
High Exarch Turalyon says: For Azeroth! For the Light!
Lor'themar Theron says: Arator, wait!
Lor'themar Theron says: I must escort these civilians to the docks and get them to safety.
Lor'themar Theron says: There are still many unaccounted for.
Lor'themar Theron says: We cannot abandon them to the Void.
Arator says: Of course, Lor'themar.
Arator says: We'll do everything in our power to safeguard them.
Arator says: Surely the High Exarch can spare us a moment to save some lives.
Arator's Rebellious Streak
Alongside Arator, we rescue the local blood elves and fend off the voidspawn that were flanking around the plaza, unbeknownst to Lor'themar or Turalyon. With the civilians safe, we then escort them to the docks to begin the task of evacuation. Unfortunately, the ships themselves are also under attack, and we fly out with Arator on Light-infused dragonhawks to fend off the attackers and rescue the drowning civilians. A cutscene then plays as we fly back to rejoin the battle at the Plateau.
Lor'themar Theron says: Arator, Champion! The evacuating ships are under attack!
Lor'themar Theron says: If we don't protect those ships, we'll have sent the people aboard them to die!
Arator says: Clear the skies and rescue any survivors you can find!
Arator says: They've sunk a ship! Throw the survivor a rope!
Arator says: You got them all! Thank the Light!
Arator says: The bay is clear! The rest of the ships can sail to safety!
Onlookers cheer as the player and Arator make a daring rescue. Civilians plucked from the water hang on as the two heroes fly past on the backs of Light Dragonhawks.
The ships begin to safely sail away from the island. Arator and the player return to the docks and re-join the battle.
Lor'themar Theron says: Turalyon forgets that victory means nothing if it costs us everything in return.
While in the area, there is also a bonus objective to help Salandria, a fledgling Blood Knight and adopted daughter of Lady Liadrin. We find her safeguarding a child on one of the ships, and help escort the both of them back to safety.
After we return to Lor'themar, he guides us back towards Turalyon and the Vanguard of the Light, where Arator receives harsh words from his father for his disobedience.
Arator says: Mount up, champion. We must get to the gate before the Vanguard attacks!
00:21:15 Mehlar Dawnblade says: Champion! The Vanguard is gathering at the north gate for a big push!
00:21:24 Aponi Brightmane says: Champion, I thank the light you are with us!
00:21:32 Nisa Cindersteel says: The Light advances!
00:21:40 High Exarch Turalyon says: Lor'themar could have handled the evacuation, Arator. You're needed with the Vanguard!
Champion, I am glad to hear so many of the sin'dorei survived. Even though this was contrary to my orders to the Vanguard, you are not under my command. You acquitted yourself well. Arator did not.
High Exarch Turalyon says: Vanguard of the Light, form a line! Hold this gate!
Despite this, Arator immediately disobeys his father's orders and asks the player to aid him in eliminating key targets and activating defense sentinels in order to bring down the massive void pylons across the island. Along the way, he reflects upon as his relationship to both of his parents, as well as the nature of the Light and the Void.
Arator says: My father is eager to vanquish the Host, but charging forward won't be enough. We have to take out that pylon.
Arator says: Please forgive my father's tone. We don't always see eye-to-eye on things, to say the least.
Arator says: High Exarch Turalyon is a vaunted battlefield commander. Though... I think he sometimes forgets how to be anything else.
Arator says: The Vanguard has faith in the Light, and so do I. But I've also felt it fill me with wrath, and I... I'm not sure what to think when it does.
Arator says: My mother, Alleria, would know better than anyone how to fight the Void. But I haven't seen her for weeks. I just hope...
Arator says: Let's... focus on activating the sentinels.
Latrunculon says: The armies of the Void are vast and varied, you are not prepared for what awaits you!
Latrunculon says: Xal'atath forgive... my failure.
Arator says: For all that creature's might, it was in such pain. When I was overcome by wrath, I lashed out in my pain. Is it the same for the Void as it is for the Light?
Once all of the sentinels are activated, a cutscene will play where our actions are, ultimately, futile in the face of Xal'atath's overwhelming power as she summons even more pylons.
The Sentinels activated by the player attack the Void Pylon, destroying it.
Xal'atath taunts the defending forces as dozens more Pylons descend from the sky.
In the area, there is also a bonus objective to aid the Prophet Velen in preventing the Twilight's Blade from defiling holy wards and destroying the isle's records.
Prophet Velen says: Xal'atath's forces are not just content to eliminate us, they work to destroy all records and history of Quel'Danas. Help us safe guard the archives in Dawnstar Village.
From there, we head towards Sun's Reach Plaza with Arator, where he is again chastised by his father.
High Exarch Turalyon says: Arator! You broke formation.
Going behind our lines was reckless! Was this Arator's idea? Lately he has been so headstrong.
Sorry, champion. I shouldn't air this family business. I will admit that your actions have aided the Vanguard of Light in this battle.
Retaking Sun's Reach
In Sun's Reach Plaza, we find the former Shattered Sun hub taken over not by mere void creatures, but Void Ethereals who are busy looting the buildings of their treasures. Among those treasures are the temporary legendaries from the Kael'thas Sunstrider fight in Tempest Keep, which we now use on the Ethereals to drive them back.
Lady Liadrin says: We cannot allow these ethereals to pillage our sacred artifacts!
High Exarch Turalyon says: On that we agree. Arator, hold the line. Champion, seize those weapons!
Norkonahl the Looter says: Your precious artifacts now belong to Xal'atath!
Norkonahl the Looter says: I failed... my people...
Lady Liadrin says: Thank the Light! You've recovered the artifacts.
With Sun's Reach reclaimed and the artifacts in hand, our final task to push back the Void invasion is to defeat the giant behemoth in the harbor. Joined by the full might of the Vanguard, we push our way to the docks and use Kael'thas' relics to obliterate the behemoth and expunge the Void...
High Exarch Turalyon says: Vanguard of the Light! With me! Push these invaders back to the Void that spawned them!
Lothraxion says: For the Light!
Commander Koruth Mountainfist says: The Light offers respite! But ye must press on!
Commander Venel Lightblood says: Keep going! Do not succumb to the darkness!
Aponi Brightmane says: Forward! We will push back the shadows!
Alonsus Faol says: Hurry, champion! We need your help against that behemoth!
High Exarch Turalyon says: Channel the Light from the weapons you recovered! Drive this monster back to the Void!
...Or so we thought. In an incoming cutscene, Xal'atath rather effortlessly recuperates her lost forces, amplifying her invasion even further and making all our efforts thus far futile.
Defending the Sunwell
The Vanguard is left little choice but to retreat. As the forces of the Void begin to grow beyond counting, we mount up with Lady Liadrin and fly back towards the Sunwell, in hopes that it will grant us salvation once more.
Lady Liadrin says: Turalyon! We must regroup at the Sunwell before it's too late!
High Exarch Turalyon says: Damn it all! Vanguard, fall back!
Arator says: Champion! Mount up! Retreat to the Sunwell!
Arator says: We made it! Light preserve us.
Lady Liadrin says: Turalyon is rallying the survivors to the Sunwell chamber.
Lady Liadrin says: We will beseech the Light once more to help us push back the Devouring Host.
Lady Liadrin says: The Sunwell brought us salvation before. We must have faith that it will happen again.
At the Sunwell itself, the Vanguard of the Light have all gathered for their last defense. Even amidst its very chambers, the Void has begun to encroach, and our job is to push them back as Priests and paladins like Velen, Anduin, Aponi, Delas, Faerin, Turalyon, Liadrin, and Lothraxion all gather around its waters, channeling and praying for salvation before the Sunwell.
Lady Liadrin says: You are the last of the Vanguard to make it.
Lady Liadrin says: Arator, champion! Defend us as we perform the ritual!
One of Xal'atath's mysterious intelligent void beings, the Domanaar, arrives to finish the job, but as we defeat it, the Sunwell reacts to push back the Voidstorm in an upcoming cinematic that concludes the introduction questline.
In the wake of this story, players will then embark on their journey into the modernized Silvermoon City and Eversong Woods, and begin the full leveling campaign for Midnight.
