The Midnight Alpha Intro Questline begins with a call of the Light. In this gameplay video, Lady Liadrin summons the player to Quel’Danas. During the Midnight expansion’s launch cinematic, Liadrin prayed to the Sunwell for aid. The army of the Light that poured in included Faerin Lothar and Anduin Wrynn. The champions of Azeroth facing Xal’atath’s Devouring Host are known as the Vanguard of the Light.

In this part of the Midnight questline, many known Paladins and Priests are banding together to protect Quel’Danas from Xal’atath’s void incursion, to name a few:

  • High Exarch Turalyon
  • Alonsus Faol
  • Arator
  • Lady Liadrin
  • Faerin Lothar
  • Grand Vindicator Sorvos
  • Anduin Wrynn
  • Lothraxion
  • High Priestess Ishanah
  • Aponi Brightmane (Sunwalker Chieftain)
  • Nisa Cindersteel (human priest)
  • Ysida Marmon (human priest)
  • Kyros Warstone (Kul’Tiran paladin)
  • Commander Koruth Mountainfist (dwarf)
  • General Amias Bellamy (female Kul’Tiran)
  • Commander Venel Lightblood
  • Delas Moonfang (Priestess of the Moon)
  • Prophet Velen

Anduin is now fully embracing the Light, calling upon it to heal the injured. Alonsus Faol regrets not finding a way to destroy the accursed blade of the Black Empire sooner. Arator might be experiencing a power level up. He was overcome by the Light and unleashed a power, like a fire, that destroyed all the Void enemies surrounding him.

There seems to be an animosity between Lor’themar and Turalyon. Lor’themar complains that Turalyon thinks more like a captain on the battlefield than a leader. How many sin’dorei must die in the name of Turalyon’s victory, he muses. That Turalyon forgets that victory means nothing if it costs them everything in return — Bad foreboding.

Upon arrival in Quel’Danas, Lor’themar Theron commands that evacuating civilians must take priority. The player leads survivors toward the port to board the boats and set sail to safety en route to Silvermoon City.

Behind the scenes, Arator is directly undermining his father, Turalyon’s orders to rally with the Vanguard of the Light. Arator is focusing on rescuing survivors and those left behind, missing. Some were trapped under the rubble of fallen walls. Arator also sees strategy in reactivating robotic sentinels to destroy Void pylons, which call forth new Devouring Host reinforcements.

Arator asks you to kill singular creatures among the Void Walkers invading, which look like commanders. Arator suggests that eliminating those commanders might help to break their lines.

Arator made a comment that might be interpreted in a similar fashion as X’era coercing Illidan with the Light against his will. Arator felt pain in a large, void creature with wings and pondered whether these Void creatures feel the same pain that he felt with the Light. Sometimes Arator is filled with faith, but other times he is filled with wrath, and he lashes out in pain — the same way that void creature did as it died. It might be interpreted as the Void and the Light manipulating the will of their subjects for their own end.

Arator: “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?”

Watch the gameplay video in 1440HD resolution. More on this short questline may be read below this video (after the break).

The player is sent behind the Ethereal Shadowguard lines in Quel’Danas to retrieve the naaru legendary weapons and artifacts claimed, wielded, or crafted by Kael’Thas and his guard during the Burning Crusade expansion’s raid. These have been infused with the power of the Light with their proximity to the Sunwell.

The Shadowguard leader, Norkonahl the Looter, says: “Your precious artifacts now belong to Xal’atath!”

The Vanguard of the Light marches to the Sun’s Reach Harbor to face the Voidwake Behemoth. Turalyon asks you to channel the Light from the weapons collected to drive the behemoth back to the Void.

The Shadowguard wanted those legendary weapons to prevent Azeroth’s heroes from using them against the Devouring Host. The player uses these weapons to defeat a void behemoth (Gaiku?), but Xal’atath taunts the armies of the Light during a cutscene that is supposed to play, with portals opening to give entry to thousands of void creatures running toward the Sunwell — forcing our allies to retreat to the Sunwell on dragonhawks.

With the remaining survivors at the Sunwell, Lady Liadrin asks you to defend it from the attacking Devouring Host and their commander, Imperatus, while they begin a ritual to plead to the Light for aid.

With Imperatus defeated, a cutscene is supposed to play. The description says Arator, Liadrin, and other paladins chant a prayer in the Sunwell to focus their Light. As they channel the Light, the Sunwell begins to glow. The pressure builds as they chant until– We cut outside to see a massive light beam erupt out of the Sunwell, lancing into the void storm above and holding it at bay.

The Void has been defeated for now, but Arator expresses worry — the paladins can’t maintain this ritual forever. Liadrin tells Arator to have faith, but Arator isn’t convinced.

When the cutscene was over, the player spawned in the southern gate leading to the Sunwell. In this Midnight Alpha Week 3 phase, the player is stunned and teleported away: “The area ahead is dangerous, turn back!”

I traveled back to that spot, and that’s the location of the March of Quel’Danas raid entrance.

The Sunwell beam, keeping the Voidstorm at bay in the sky, can be seen from Tirisfal Glades, and you can fly above Stratholme to see it peaking above the mountains.