- For historical information on how to defeat Rend in World of Warcraft, see Rend Blackhand (tactics).
 Dal'rend Blackhand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title |
Warchief of the Dark Horde, Chieftain of the Blackrock, Chieftain of the Black Tooth |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Orc |
| Class | Warrior |
| Affiliation(s) | Blackrock / Black Tooth, Dark Horde, Black dragonflight |
| Former affiliation(s) | Old Horde |
| Occupation | Warchief of the Dark Horde, Chieftain of the Blackrock clan, Chieftain of the Black Tooth Grin clan |
| Location | Blackrock Stadium, Upper Blackrock Spire |
| Status | Deceased[1] |
| Relative(s) | Blackhand (father), Urukal (mother), Maim (brother), Griselda (sister) |
| Companion(s) | Gyth (mount) |
- "We are the true Horde!"
Dal'rend Blackhand,[2][3] (or Dal'Rend) commonly known as Rend, was the bloodthirsty son of the former Warchief of the Horde, Blackhand the Destroyer, as well as the former Warchief of the Dark Horde. He believed that he was the rightful Warchief of the Horde due to lineage, and sought to overthrow Thrall. To this end, he allied the forces of the Dark Horde with Nefarian. The two used their combined resources to create the chromatic dragonflight, which they hoped to unleash upon the world. His mount was a massive chromatic drake named Gyth. Commanding legions of orcs, forest trolls, and ogres, along with backing from the black dragonflight, Rend was considered to be a great threat to Thrall's leadership of the Horde. He was eventually slain during Quest:For The Horde!.
Background
Rise of the Horde
Rend and his brother and sister had a short childhood due to Warlocks aging of children, but unlike other Orc parents Blackhand was happy to put forward his children first for artificial aging.[4] After 'coming of age' Rend served with the other members of the Old Horde in the fight to exterminate the Draenei. After the Siege of Telmor, Durotan was offered the city as reward for leading the raid on it. When Durotan turned it down, Blackhand and his family were more than happy to take Telmor as their own, even going so far as wearing the clothes and sleeping in the beds of the Draenei they had killed.[5] This ended when the whole of the Orcish Horde was moved to Hellfire Citadel to better carry out the orders of Blackhand.[6] After this, Rend alongside Maim accompanied Blackhand into Blade's Edge, where an alliance of ogres and orcs was made. Eventually, both sons drank the blood of Mannoroth.
Tides of Darkness
During the Second War, Rend served as lieutenant to Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer. He and his brother Maim often questioned Doomhammer's orders, as Orgrim killed Blackhand the Destroyer and took his place as Warchief but never disobeyed any order. However, Orgrim allowed the insubordination because the two brothers were leaders of the powerful Black Tooth Grin clan.[7] Later Rend and his brother were amongst the army who attacked Quel'Thalas.
During the siege of the Capital City of Lordaeron, Rend was ordered by Doomhammer to have his clan break off and chase after the traitorous Gul'dan, who had taken to the sea in search of the Eye of Sargeras.[8] He and his army battled against Cho'gall, but once they learned that Gul'dan had perished within the Tomb of Sargeras they returned to Doomhammer.
Rend and Maim later personally fought Turalyon at the Dark Portal, only to flee when it became evident that the paladin had the upper hand.[9] Rend and Maim took control of the remaining Blackrock orcs and began to rebuild the Horde at Blackrock Spire.
Beyond the Dark Portal
Rend in WoW.
The True Warchief
About two years later, the Dark Portal reopened and emissaries from Ner'zhul, led by Teron Gorefiend, were immediately sent to Rend and Maim asking them to rejoin the Horde, and to ask to borrow the red dragons held captive by the allied Dragonmaw clan. Rend only laughed and refused. Not only did he call Ner'zhul a coward for staying safe in Draenor while he fought the Alliance with Orgrim Doomhammer, but that Ner'zhul will fail in time. Unable to enter an agreement, Teron leaves the warchief to his bidding.[10]
Not long after, Nefarian, sent by Deathwing, came to Blackrock Spire and took control of the Blackhand brothers and the forces under their control.
World of Warcraft
Warchief Thrall demanded Rend's assassination in Quest:For The Horde!, where he was killed and decapitated. Rend was also the objective of Quest:The False Warchief.
History as told by Eitrigg
- At the end of the Second War, Rend and his brother, Maim, fled to find sanctuary within the mountainous stronghold of Blackrock Spire. It was there that Rend declared himself Warchief of the weakened Blackrock clan.
- Rend and his brother Maim ruled the Spire, in constant conflict with the Dark Iron Dwarves. They managed to displace the dwarves in the upper portion of the city, but only after the dragons came and only after the death of Maim.[11]
Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans
In the canceled Warcraft Adventures, Rend and his brother Maim were the two who killed Thrall's father Durotan. They were traitors to their race, as they collaborated with the internment camps system for gold and favors. They paid a fortune for the gnomes to create the black ale which would keep the orcs pacified, and were about to make a blood pact in agreement to aid Lieutenant Blackmoore with the forces of their Black Tooth Grin clan. Thall interrupted the meeting by setting the room ablaze, and Rend and Maim were trapped between the fires, confronted by the orc whose family they had murdered. Rend, reduced to begging, tried to claim he was forced to by his father, but Thrall failed to fall for Rend's lie, and used their blood mixed together to kill them with the Eternal Damnation spell, causing their flesh to melt and their souls being sent to hell for all eternity.
Rend was described as the brains of the two by Thrall, a description that still seems to apply in modern lore.
Model in a magazine article on the game.
- Rend&maimwca.JPG
Assassinating Durotan.
Eternal Damnation in action.
In the RPG
Dark Iron dwarves from Blackrock Depths swarmed up and tried to destroy the Dark Horde. The Dark Horde fought back, and Maim was killed in savage battle. His sacrifice, plus Rend's alliance with the Black Dragonflight, allowed them to drive back the Dark Irons and maintain their hold on Blackrock Spire.[12]
Trivia
Rend and Gyth.
- In The Frozen Throne on Chapter 6 of the blood elf campaign, blademasters named Maim and Rend reside in the orc camp directly south of where the Master of Pain is located, however these events were retconed.
- His personal weapon was the
[Blackhand Doomsaw], which could be looted on his body. He also dropped Dal'Rend's Arms, a set of swords named after his complete name when he was then simply known as "Rend". - "Rend" is a word meaning to tear asunder or separate by force.
- In the Tides of Darkness novel, Doomhammer ordered Rend to gather his army and free the forest troll warlord Zul'jin from Hillsbrad, however this was later retconed in Chronicle Volume 2.
- In Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, he's the third and final boss of Blackrock Spire, the third wing of the Blackrock Mountain adventure. Defeating him rewards him as a legendary card. His flavor text reads: "Rend believes he is the True Warchief of the Horde and he keeps editing the wikipedia page for "Warchief of the Horde" to include his picture."
See also
References
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 123
- ^ Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2
- ^ Golden, Christie. Rise of the Horde, 231. ISBN 978-0-7434-7138-1.
- ^ Golden, Christie. Rise of the Horde, 253. ISBN 978-0-7434-7138-1.
- ^ Golden, Christie. Rise of the Horde, 268. ISBN 978-0-7434-7138-1.
- ^ Rosenberg, Aaron. Tides of Darkness, 164. ISBN 978-1-4165-3990-2.
- ^ Rosenberg, Aaron. Tides of Darkness, 288. ISBN 978-1-4165-3990-2.
- ^ Rosenberg, Aaron. Tides of Darkness, 367. ISBN 978-1-4165-3990-2.
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal
- ^ Quest:Eitrigg's Wisdom
- ^ Johnson, Luke. Dark Factions, 136. ISBN 9781588464460.
External links
| Preceded by: None |
Position: Chieftain of the Black Tooth Grin Clan (with Maim Blackhand) |
Succeeded by: Rend Blackhand |
| Preceded by: Rend Blackhand and Maim Blackhand |
Position: Chieftain of the Black Tooth Grin Clan |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Orgrim Doomhammer |
Position: Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan (Azeroth) |
Succeeded by: Malkorok |
| Preceded by: None |
Position: Warchief of the Dark Horde |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
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