Lore of Bosses: Heist of Dalaran Edition – Part 1

In this very first edition of Lore of Bosses, we take a look at the history of every single boss featured in Rise of Shadow’s single player campaign, The Dalaran Heist! From legends to Azeroth over real world references to Hearthstone’s homegrown heroes: the total of 75 bosses holds a bit of juicy lore for everyone who is interested in the background of the Warcraft franchise!

Since the number of bosses is so high, we’ve decided to split the article into two parts. Roughly half of the bosses’ lore is featured now, while the rest of it will be showcased next week.

Be sure to check out Part 2 here!

Aki the Brilliant

Aki the Brilliant is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. Ever since the invasion of the Burning Legion on Argus, Draenei found their way with the Holy Light, not last because of the knowledge provided by the energy-filled entities called “Naaru”, which is portrayed on cards like Light of the Naaru.

Albin Eastoft

Albin Eastoft is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. He looks to be an average Worgen rogue, trying to get his share of the loot of Dalaran and fully giving in to the Curse of the Worgen.

Alchemist Wendy

Alchemist Wendy is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. The alchemy profession has been in World of Warcraft since its release, showcasing the art of balancing resources and their respective power.

Awilo, Cooking Trainer

Awilo is a Troll NPC and Cooking trainer in Dalaran. Looking like an average troll on first sight, Awilo, just like countless other NPCs all over Azeroth, is nothing else than an hommage paid to a very popular fan project; in a video series called Never Stay Tuned released in 2007, Awilo first appears as a gnome-slaughtering butcher.

Banker Biggs

Banker Biggs is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. In the financial world of Warcraft, Goblins normally take care of all the shiny and valuable things; however, exceptions to the rule are pretty common!

Boommaster Flark

Boommaster Flark is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. As we know from the Boomsday Project Lab Logs, he has been one of Dr. Boom’s most loyal lackeys. As a Goblin engineer, his affiliation to the Hunter class suits him perfectly. He also already appeared during the Survival puzzles in the Boomsday Project single player campaign.

Carousel Gryphon

Carousel Gryphon is a summoned NPC in World of Warcraft. You can obtain an item called Darkmoon “Gryphon”, which is a consumable item that summons a toy gryphon that a player can right-click to ride on Darkmoon Faire, a special quest zone that opens only once a month.

Chomper

Chomper is a basilisk and loyal companion of a certain Trogg called Grubbis. They both reside in Gnomeregan, one of the most iconic 5-man dungeons of vanilla World of Warcraft. His card art shows a very canonical look of a basilisk, while his model in WoW resembles a very unique mix of a basilisk and … well, something that has whiskers.

Cyanigosa

Cyanigosa is a dragon of the Blue Dragonflight. As a commander of mad Malygos’ forces, she was in charge to free the prisoners of the Kirin Tor prison called Violet Hold. The 5-man WoW dungeon features Cyanigosa as its final boss, where she uses arcane energy to try and stop the adventurers from keeping the prisoners inside their cells.

Dagg Cruelmight

Dagg Cruelmight is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. An Orc warrior through and through, he has no problems punching not only you but his own minions so that they do what they’re supposed to do. He also seems to have earned his rank, looking at the Destroyer Battlegear he’s wearing, one of the most iconic Warrior tier sets in all World of Warcraft.

Dalaran Fountain Golem

Dalaran Fountain Golem is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. However, its original appearance, the Fountain of Dalaran, can be found in the heart of the floating city. By the looks of it, Swampqueen Hagatha has turned the town’s landmark into an abomination to fight against the Kirin Tor. For WoW players, this fountain is associated with several fishing achievements, and some of the loot you can fish up tells interesting stories; a great example is Princess Calia Menethil’s Copper Coin that tells the adventurer that Calia, Arthas’ sister, indeed fell in love with Lord Prestor, better known as Deathwing, although she openly disliked him.

Dancin’ Deryl

Dancin’ Deryl is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. Well, is he really? There’s no trace about a dancing murloc called Deryl. But his hero power Boogie Woogie gave away a interesting detail and a cultural reference.

Almost by accident I found a musician called Daryl Davis. You don’t know Daryl Davis? That’s nothing to be ashamed of, I didn’t know his name either. But as a blues fan I knew his face. And his outrageous piano play. He played with the best of the best: Jerry Lee Lewis. Chuck Berry. MUDDY WATERS. Just listen to this insane showcase of piano goodness.

Long story short: He’s a piano boogie woogie legend, and a pretty cool guy all around who mostly got famous because of his virtuous stance against racism. I pray to the mighty blues gods that Dancin’ Deryl is a reference to that fine man called Daryl Davis. Because if not it would just be a silly dancing murloc, and how boring would that be?

Disidra Stormglory

Disidra Stormglory is a Draenei Shaman that can be found strolling around the streets of Dalaran. She’s wearing the Skyshatter Harness armor set, which shows that Disidra is supposed to look like a real player, just doing player things around Dalaran.

Flight Master Belnaara

Flight Master Belnaara is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. Judging by his name, he could be one of the flight masters of Dalaran. He looks exactly like Aludane Whitecloud, the main flight master residing on Krasus’ Landing, but actually can’t be found in the Warcraft universe.

Haro Setting-Sun

Haro Setting-Sun is a character from the WoW TCG. While Hearthstone up to this day uses tons of art from Warcraft’s first card game, actual character adaptations have become very rare. As his magnificent card art shows, Haro is a Tauren Priest wielding shadow magic.

Hesutu Stonewind

Hesutu Stonewind is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. He’s your average friendly neighbor Tauren Shaman, wielding the power of the Earthmother and giving minions Windfury left and right.

Ichoron

Ichoron is a putrid water elemental and a prisoner of the Violet Hold. In fact, Ichoron is a water revenant, just like Death Revenant. While undead, they still take an elemental form; they are rumored to have served the Old Gods in the past.

Kaye Toogie

Kaye Toogie is an Undead vendor and appears to be a member of the Kirin Tor. In World of Warcraft, this vendor can only be visited through using a particular engineering item called Wormhole Generator: Northend. However, there are ways to sneak between some buggy parts of Dalaran’s architecture to get to Toogie as well.

Kazamon Steelskin

Kazamon Steelskin is a character from the WoW TCG. As already stated when talking about Haro Setting-Sun, it is very rare that actual TCG cards including their names are getting added to Hearthstone today. Back then, Kazamon had the keyword Hardiness, which reduced incoming damage by 1.

Kizi Copperclip

Kizi Copperclip is a Goblin residing in Dalaran. She runs the city’s barber shop, guaranteeing that the Kirin not only cast their spells in style! She also happens to be some sort of rogue, looking at her energy bar in-game.

Lavanthor

Lavanthor is a Core Hound, a dog-like monster (usually two-headed) originating in Firelands. It’s not the first one of its kind in Hearthstone – we already had Core Hound and Core Rager cards. Lavanthor is one of the many bosses that had been locked away in the Violet Hold. Being one of Ragnaros the Firelord’s most loyal servants, core hounds are most commonly used to guard somebody or something, in this case Cyanigosa and her plans to eliminate the Kirin Tor.

Lieutenant Sinclari

Lieutenant Sinclari works as the main guard within Violet Hold. Sinclari has been put in charge by the Council of Six to keep the prisoners at bay; however, Malygos and his loyal commander Cyanigosa try their best to free them. Looking at her card art, it looks like she’s not exactly amused by the fact that the League of E.V.I.L. starts another attempt at letting the prisoners loose.

Lilayell Suntear

Lilayell Suntear is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. Her card art shows the same as Sunreaver Warmage. The Sunreavers are a special blood elf faction who have been exiled from Dalaran during the Purge of Dalaran. And that causes tons of confusion looking at the fact that several Sunreaver cards have been released with Rise of Shadows: Are the Sunreavers allowed back into Dalaran? Or are they trying to get back into “their” city?

Linzi Redgrin

Like Disidra Stormglory, Linzi Redgrin is one of many “player-like” NPCs wandering around Dalaran. She is a Gnome rogue, wearing the infamous Tier 5 Rogue Deathmantle set.

Locksmith Zibb

Locksmith Zibb is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. In World of Warcraft, locksmith NPCs have a very unique role: they restore lost keys that are unobtainable today.

Madam Goya

Madam Goya is a Pandaren and has been around in Hearthstone since the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan expansion. Her main role in WoW is managing the Black Market Auction House, a place where random rare items are sold by a neutral faction.

Fun fact: She plays a role in one of Cravitz Lorent’s steamy romance novels called Hot and Misty!

Mallificent Manastorm

Mallificent Manastorm is one of the many prisoners of the Violet Hold. She also happens to be be Millhouse Manastorm’s wife. In World of Warcraft, she is called Millificent Manastorm; however, this typo may very well be intended as a cultural reference to the Disney movie Maleficent.

Back in the day, Millificent developed an apparatus that was able to remove all magical skill from a mage. Luckily, she got captured by the Kirin Tor, and the gadget was destroyed. Her relationship to Millhouse still seems more than complicated, and it is rumored that she developed her dangerous invention just to be able to deal with her nerve-wrecking husband.

There’s also a hidden interaction between Mallificent and her husband. When you start a game, Millhouse appears on your side of the board, but he gets quickly shuffled into your deck (hiding from his wife). If you play him once, there’s a cool interaction between the two. But if you manage to play him five times…

Moon Priestess Nici

Like many others, Moon Priestess Nici is one of many “player-like” NPCs wandering around Dalaran. She is a Night Elf priest wearing the vestments of Faith, the Priest Tier 3 set.

Noz Timbertail

Noz Timbertail is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. His card art shows him as a Kobold pirate. Maybe Noz is part of the Hench-Clan, just like Hench-Clan Burglar; he also could be a part of the Bloodsail Buccaneers, a famous pirate organisation in World of Warcraft.

Ol’ Toomba

Ol’ Toomba is a lonely Troll pirate, sitting around in one of the Dalaran taverns. He looks like he could tell a good pirate story or two, and his hero Power Tales of Fortune shows just how much treasure hunting he really did in his life.

P.O.G.O.

P.O.G.O is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. It looks like a mecha-rabbit that is about to launch directly into your face, and it plays a whole lot of – you know it – Pogo-Hoppers in its deck.  Looking at the datamining efforts from our sister site Wowhead, P.O.G.O will most likely appear as an NPC with the 8.2 patch of World of Warcraft.

Queen Wagtoggle

Queen Wagtoggle is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. The average reader already may have noticed that her name is very close to the name of the King Togwaggle. We can only speculate at this point. Is she somehow related to Togwaggle? A leader of a different Kobold tribe? Maybe she has something to do with Dalaran Bank itself? And finally – is she an actual kobold, or is she just Togwaggle in drag disguise?!

Soothsayer Zoie

Soothsayer Zoie is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. Her card art was taken from a WoW TCG card called Skyler Faye, Daughter of the Light, and was created by Alex Garner, the artist who created the most iconic artworks for Hearthstone such as Dr. Boom or Avenging Wrath. In her card art, she wears the Tier 1 Priest set called Vestments of Prophecy.

Tala Stonerage

Tala Stonerage is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. In her card art she poses as a Tauren druid in the infamous Tier 6 set Thunderheart Raiment.

The Great Akazamzarak

The Great Akazamzarak is a mighty magician based in Dalaran. He is known for his bad tricks involving rabbits and other worldly animals. Mage players were also able to recruit him as a follower during the Legion expansion.

Tipsi Wobblerune

Tipsi Wobblerune is a spectral Gnome mage that can be found in one of Dalaran’s lounges. She also the starring NPC during the Kirin Tor Tavern Crawl, a special mirco-holiday event that takes you on a tour to visit many different taverns and inns all over Azeroth.

Trade Prince Gallywix

Trade Prince Gallywix is the great leader of the Goblins. Ever since the Goblins joined the Horde, Gallywix played an important role in the political ongoings of Azeroth. He and his Goblins found the first signs of azerite after the end of Legion, the precious resource that recently caused the Battle for Azeroth.

Valdera Highborne

Valdera Highborne is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. His card art shows that he really is a Quel’dorei, a high borne Elf. Not many of the upper class sect are left on Azeroth; many died during the Sundering and the War of the Ancients, and a lot were recruited as Queen Azshara’s most loyal naga.

Vas’no

Vas’no is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. His card art shows an angry Troll shaman that is about to unleash the greenest piece of magic, and Stormswell, Vas’no’s hero power, shows where that magic comes from. It almost looks like the maelstrom!

Wirth the All-Knowing

Wirth the All-Knowing is a Hearthstone-exclusive character. It is rumored that his name is a reference to Wirt, a character of the Diablo series, most known for his wooden leg that players needed to open the Cow Level.