| abstract | - Naxxramas was originally a 40-man raid instance floating above the Eastern Plaguelands. It was a massive necropolis and had the unquestionable honor of serving as the seat of one of the Lich King's most powerful officers, the dreaded lich Kel'Thuzad. The instance was regarded as the most difficult before the release of Burning Crusade, and should not be attempted at level 60 without at least 40 well-equipped (preferably Tier 2 or Tier 2.5 armor) players. Naxxramas was also the home of many of the most powerful items of the pre-BC era, and 60+ quests with rewards such as [Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian] and all Tier 3 items available in the game. With the release of The Burning Crusade, finishing this instance still required 25-30 well-equipped level 70 players. The dungeon was added in patch 1.11, making it the last non-expansion instance added to the core game as well as the last 40 man instance. In the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion, Naxxramas was moved to Northrend and retuned to be the introductory level 80 raid dungeon. Like all other Wrath raid dungeons, Naxxramas has both 10-man and 25-man versions. The move is claimed by some to not be a retcon, but a progression of the storyline. Naxxramas was indeed in the Eastern Plaguelands, but after Kel'Thuzad's phylactery was given to the treacherous Father Inigo Montoy, the lich was able to revive himself and make the transition along with his fortress. While at least one boss does not return in the new Naxxramas, there is no explanation yet as how the other bosses "survived" destruction during the original campaign led by the Argent Dawn.
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