Meet Season of Discovery's Gregory - A Death Knight With His Own Free Will
Paladins encounter a surprising character during a Phase 3 Rune questline — Gregory, a Death Knight who has regained his own free will, and yet still chooses to follow Arthas.
Aeonas the Open-Minded
The introduction to the Death Knight Gregory begins with Aeonas the Vindicated, who Paladins may remember from Phase 2. Aeonas had been a Paladin of the Silver Hand, but he had left after developing some radical opinions about the Light that caused conflict with the order's leaders. While most followers of the Light believed it to be a force of purse goodness and righteousness, Aeonas believes the Light is neither good nor evil, but a force of nature like any other. This was considered borderline heretical at the time. However, he had since been proven correct, with organizations like the Scarlet Crusade proving that the Light can be used for evil acts such as murder and torture.
We also learned that Aeonas had been captured by the Scarlet Crusade, and were sent to rescue him. In the end, Aeonas was returned to Stormwind City, where he is now known as Aeonas the Vindicated.
During a Phase 3 questline to obtain a Paladin Rune, Aeonas once again displays his rather unusual open-minded perspective, when he introduces us to Gregory as a friend.
The man over there is the friend we've spoken of. His name in life was Gregory.
In the old days… before the fall of Lordaeron, before I left the order we were… very close. He was a member of the Silver Hand as well, and someone I trusted with my life. When the Scourge invaded he fought valiantly against them, but he died at Andorhal alongside The Lightbringer.
While it's not unusual for Death Knights to be seen as allies today, back during Classic this was unheard of. Death Knights were mindless scourge. servants of the Lich King. But though Aeonas admits Gregory remains loyal to Arthas, he also argues that the Death Knight is still the same man he used to be, and can be an ally against the
