Undeath (Spoilers)

[Fmr]

You don't need to die to become undead. Exposure to shadow magic also causes your body to slowly become undead.

[Winterstorm]

In silverpine in cataclysm we learn that the forsaken are unable to raise anything that is human (and maybe high elves?) through a few quests, however what I am now wondering is how is there deathknights that are dwarves, gnomes, night elves, and such. Are they really dead? I can't remember having them actually being called undead except when Thaurissian saying they are all brothers are in death, I am likely wrong on that point however for it has been a while.

The Scourge can raise anything except for the worgen, due to their immunity to the plague because of the "curse". The Forsaken are comprised of undead humans because these humans were the inhabitants of the region. The few High Elf rangers that are forsaken belong to the defenders of the Sunwell and the BE lands from Arthas that died like Sylvanas. The Worgen Deathknights are retcon unless of course they have no connection to Gilneas and could be one of the many worgen used in the war against the Scourge by Arugal, or from Grizzly Hills. Even then it's a bit of a stretch. In reality there are at least a few undead of every race (besides Draenie), just not the models for them.

[Emaluri]

You don't need to die to become undead. Exposure to shadow magic also causes your body to slowly become undead.

Clearly, this is true. Don't you see all of the career warlocks are undead? Shadow priests, too! Maybe even normal priests, since they have the propensity for shadow magic!

[Stevenmr]

Pretty much this is how it goes:

Lich King= most powerful necromancer in the Warcraft universe.

Val'kyr (that the forsaken are using to make new undead) = old minions of the Lich King using a minute amount of the power he bestowed upon them.

Also we killed most of the more powerful Val'kyr that the Lich King had, so those serving the Forsaken are likely the stray weak ones around.

This all adds up to one fact; the Lich King can create undead from ANY living thing (I mean look at the undead hound like things wtf are they made from?) whereas the val'kyr have very limited powers and can only turn humans and high elves.

[Krunk]

What i dont understand is why she doesnt just make use of necromancers to raise the dead instead of the valkyr

[LeBoucher]

Thaurissian is a weak mortalized fool for helping the Alliance, his love for his sister blinds him and ties him too close to the living. The Highlord only has his motives for the best interest of our kind; those of Acherus. No one deserves the glory to behead the Lich King more than the Forsaken and the Death Knights of Acherus! When our quest is done... you shall see who becomes "warchief" of your pathetic little primitive clans. Garrosh is a war-blind fool, and there is only one leader who can overthrow him. YES! I speak of the Dark Queen herself! Steele yourselves! For the rise of the Undead is nigh... once... again.

[Tyrion Moonblade]

Death Knights were raised by the Lich King, the origin of the Scourge.

The New Forsaken were raised by Val'Kyr, scourge lieutenants at best, under the control of Sylvanas, who is a pale imitation of the Lich King.

It is likely the Val'Kyr can only raise into undeath those that are descended from the Vrykul themselves (humans).

[Stevenmr]

Thaurissian is a weak mortalized fool for helping the Alliance, his love for his sister blinds him and ties him too close to the living. The Highlord only has his motives for the best interest of our kind; those of Acherus. No one deserves the glory to behead the Lich King more than the Forsaken and the Death Knights of Acherus! When our quest is done... you shall see who becomes "warchief" of your pathetic little primitive clans. Garrosh is a war-blind fool, and there is only one leader who can overthrow him. YES! I speak of the Dark Queen herself! Steele yourselves! For the rise of the Undead is nigh... once... again.

Oh yes the oh so powerful forsaken death knights. The only race/ class combination so fail it has managed to die and be born into undeath not once, but twice!