Thread:Seleuf/@comment-26080992-20150206094211/@comment-2076576-20160801090850

Thank you for the added links and information, though I do believe it was at least sort of covered in the guide as a "gradual transition into undeath." Meaning that they can indeed start out as living death knights, but will eventually become undead, with no clear moment of death. This is, I admit, just a theory, but is backed by some of the same sources you seem to be drawing from, from magic being inherently corruptive...

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Magic

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Arcane#The_laws_of_arcane_magic

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Fel

... to a few lines from those non-canon RPGs that - to my knowledge - have not been disputed anywhere in the canon:

"In calling upon this power, necromancers risk being consumed by it — until eventually they join the ranks of the undead." - http://wow.gamepedia.com/Necromancer#In_the_RPG

"Commanding the undead, generally in the service of the Scourge, they gradually take on the characteristics of the dead — hollow eyes, shambling gaits, pallid and sunken skin, foul odors and so forth." - http://wow.gamepedia.com/Necromancer#In_the_RPG

These things combined tell me that while it is possible for living death knights to exist, the more they use their necromantic powers, the more corrupted by those powers they will become, and will eventually become undead themselves.

That said, I am plotting an overhaul of the guide and may make that point a little clearer.

Thank you for the feedback!