A guide to role-playing as a Man’ari Eredar character
Foreword
Thank you for stopping by!
I will preface this guide with an admission. Unfortunately, and despite my deeply held belief to the contrary, I am neither omniscient nor flawless.
As such, I don’t claim this to be the ultimate guide on how to role-play with a Man’ari Eredar character - it’s simply my take on how it might be done well. If there are gaps or errors in the guide, preferably ones with a source in matters of the game’s lore, leave a message below and I’ll endeavour to correct such.
With that out of the way, let’s set the mood and get things underway!
1. Understanding History
Demonic though they are, this is something Man’ari Eredar have in common with all other role-played characters. Knowing their past history is to know what and how events shaped them into the race they are today - and what that entails when trying to form connections In Character (*IC). Below I will offer an abbreviated retelling of events - and encourage anyone with an interest to delve further into things on the warcraft wiki. I have included some links at the bottom of the guide for just that reason.
There was a time where the demons known as Man’ari Eredar were no such thing, but were simply known as the Eredar; a highly advanced and magical race from the planet of Argus. Sargeras, the fallen titan responsible for the Burning Legion, offered the Eredar triumvirate - the three leaders of their people - unparalleled power in exchange for their loyalty. This offer was accepted by the triumvir known as Kil’jaeden and Archimonde, yet rejected by the third leader - Velen.
With their decision to serve, Kil’jaeden and Archimonde were transformed into the corrupted beings that would come to be known as Man’ari Eredar, infused with fel magic and dedicated to Sargeras’ cause. However, just as with Velen, not all of the Eredar accepted this pact. Those who fled from Argus under Velen’s leadership named themselves Draenei, or “exiled ones” in their language. The name “Eredar” thus became synonymous with the demonic denizens on Argus - also called Man’ari Eredar by the Draenei, with “Man’ari” translating to something twisted and wrong.
Seeing this as a monumental act of betrayal on Velen’s part, Kil’jaeden orchestrated a hunt for the Draenei that would last 13.000 years. Never would they be allowed to truly settle in peace, before agents of Kil’jaeden repeatedly forced the Draenei to uproot and take flight across the cosmos yet again.
During those millenia, the Man’ari Eredar were far from idle. Serving above all else as commanders, strategists and warlords, the near-infinite ranks of demons under Sargeras were soon organized and ruled over by demonic Eredar. Argus would over time be saturated with Fel energies, serving as the stronghold of the Burning Legion.
Over time, some among the twisted Eredar would grow to feel discontented and remorseful for what they would go on to do in the service to the Burning Legion - yet Kil’jaeden proved dangerously efficient at rooting out such weakness in his underlings. Such was an affront to the Demon Lord, punishable by true death - a fate generally rare to demons, as they naturally reconstituted in the Twisting Nether when slain. With the completion of the demonic fortress of Antorus upon Argus, such rebirth was swifter than ever at the time.
Thus, potentially for millenia, those regretful Man’ari remained outwardly loyal out of fear - and their hands stained with blood for it.
Some years after the fall of the Legion, during the events of the Dragonflight expansion, a new faction of Man’ari Eredar surfaced: the Penitents. Led by one known as Arzaal, they sought to atone for the several millenia of carnage and cruelty they had played a part in. Though initially wary of this notion, Velen, and the leader of the Broken denizens on Argus, Hatuun, hesitantly let Arzaal prove as good as his word.
Having proven his willingness, even eagerness to fight against demons and Eredar still loyal to the Burning Legion’s creed - and having returned a precious artifact, an Ata’mal crystal to Velen - Arzaal earned some measure of trust. He and his followers were invited to join the Draenei on Azeroth, though many would remain to fight alongside the Broken on Argus. Some of them out of concern for how their uncorrupted kin might react to seeing their kind once again, and not wanting to disconcert them.
A short time later however, Arzaal - possibly, possibly not aided by a Man’ari Eredar adventurer - would once again join forces with Velen and Hatuun, this time on Azeroth. A Man’ari Eredar by the name of Sironas had taken up residence on Bloodmyst Isle (her second such appearance since The Burning Crusade), and Arzaal aided in foiling her schemes against the Draenei. This victory warranted Arzaal and other Penitents an invitation to the newly revived Tishamaat rite in the Exodar, whereupon Velen decreed unison between the Eredar.
For Penitent characters, this currently leaves them in an interesting spot. They are currently allowed to travel the adjacent towns near the Exodar with an escort - a Vindicator seems to be the default choice - and are presumably permitted to wander the wilds of Azure- and Bloodmyst Isle as well. Velen also rounds off the Tishamaat arguing for unity across all the Eredar branches - Draenei, Broken, Lightforged and Man’ari - though nothing ingame or in external media currently reflects a true equality in the case of the demonic variety.
2. Dark Demonic Deeds
The majority of the Man’ari Eredar took to their dark endeavours rather well. While by no means exhaustive, here is a preliminary list of events and misdeeds either orchestrated by, or participated in by Sargeras’ minions of Argus.
- The Destruction of Countless Worlds
True to the creed of Sargeras’ Burning Crusade, countless worlds were put to the flame by the Legion during the ensuing millenia. The exact number of worlds destroyed has been left intentionally vague by the writers, but has repeatedly been referred to as “innumerable” or “countless” in magnitude.
Given the near-infinite scope of the Great Dark Beyond however, speculation could well number those worlds anywhere in between thousands to millions. Worlds that either could or would not serve Sargeras’ ends were razed, or otherwise left uninhabitable, while the ones with potential were corrupted and twisted into the ranks of demons.
- The War of the Ancients and Sundering of Azeroth
As the Man’ari were the architects of the Burning Legion’s invasions more often than not, it is a reasonable assumption that the strategies in this war were at least partially authored by their ilk. This is admittedly an inferred degree of culpability however, with the only certain degree of guilt being that of association, as members of the Burning Legion.
There were some notable Man’ari Eredar on Azeroth during this conflict however, such as Archimonde and Sataiel, who in their own twisted ways left memorable marks on the world of Azeroth.
- The Orcish Horde, the Ruin of the Draenei and of Draenor
Roughly 200 years ago, the Draenei settled on a world they would come to call Draenor. When Kil’jaeden learned of this, rather than dispatch a planetary invasion as he had before, he hatched a subtler plan. The Draenei had in the past several millenia been one step ahead of the Burning Legion more often than not, and so had evaded the vengeance of their demonic pursuers.
This time around, the machinations of Kil’jaeden would lead to the formation and fel-corruption of the Horde, the genocide of the Draenei and the fall of Shattrath. This display of carnage also caught the attention of Sargeras himself, who anointed the fel-crazed warriors as the perfect candidates to weaken Azeroth’s defenses for a future Legion invasion.
Thus, through the vengeful machinations of Man’ari Eredar, did the First War and Second War come to transpire on Azeroth.
- The Third War, the Undead Scourge and Battle of Mount Hyjal
This one is worthy of an article of its own, so to anyone not quite aware, I sincerely suggest reading up on the lore. A lot of nuance and circumstance is lost in the abbreviation of events, but we are mainly here to focus on what parts of history the Man’ari Eredar are tied to.
First and foremost, the Lich King was created by Kil’jaeden. This would lead to the deployment of the Plague of Undeath, the formation of the undead Scourge, the corruption of Prince Arthas and the fall of Lordaeron an Quel’Thalas. If you were to trace back every atrocity committed by the hands of Death Knights, ghouls and necromancers of the Scourge pedigree, you find the infernal designs of a Man’ari Lord.
Secondly, the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Archimonde walked Azeroth yet again, determined to steal the enormous font of magic that lay contained inside the World Tree atop the mountain. Through the daring and desperate acts of Malfurion Stormrage, this plan was thwarted, yet at the cost of the Night Elves’ immortality.
- The Burning Crusade
Besides several schemes, among which to exploit the souls of the dead in Auchindoun, the Legion’s true gambit was the Prince-turned-traitor, Kael’thas Sunstrider. Through his deeds, Kil’jaeden was partially summoned to Azeroth through the Blood Elves’ font of power, the Sunwell. Though rebuffed and the Sunwell rekindled, this, too, nearly spelled the end for a nation - and likely a proper invasion of the Burning Legion’s true might.
- Warlords of Draenor
Though heavily featured at the expansion’s end, the major noteworthy act attributed to the demonic Eredar was committed by Archimonde. Transporting the Gul’dan of that timeline to Azeroth would set the stage for what came next.
- Legion
The demonic invasion in most recently in memory. Razed homes, corrupted lands, and attacks both overt and subtle. The near-fall of the Nightborne due to Legion influence, the near-dissolution of the united leadership in Highmountain, the corruption of numerous individuals and races - to say nothing of the deaths of both King Varian Wrynn and Warchief Vol’jin. The naaru at the heart of the Exodar, O’ros, was also slain by Man’ari Eredar, that being none other than Velen’s own son.
The list of atrocities from this expansion is extensive, and I encourage everyone to go digging for more examples if a curiosity has been piqued. It all amounted to an attempt to raze Azeroth to ash however, and it took artifacts of enormous power, the ranks of the Illidari and many other orders - and some measure of luck - for the world to have endured.
3. Building Blocks of a Demon
While this is simply my own take on how to start out, I’d argue that a solid character begins with a solid backstory. Hence the above revisit of past events. I would suggest for someone to start out by determining how their character fits into the larger narrative of the Man’ari.
Below, I’m offering some points to consider in this regard - but honestly, get creative and conceptualize as many details and quirks as you like. Some are better discovered organically through role-play in my experience, but again, that’s just one way of going about it.
Were they a high-ranking commander or warlock, serving either Kil’jaeden or Archimonde? Perhaps they were a warrior or scholar, who eagerly embraced power, dismissive of the corruption it led to? Alternatively, they may have joined reluctantly or under duress, which opens the door for emotional baggage such as guilt or self-loathing. Perhaps they simply did not make it to Velen’s evacuation in time, which might have fostered some resentment towards Draenei and Man’ari alike.
The next step would be to decide where the character is at now. Are they clinging to Fel magic in the absence of the Legion or trying to remove themselves from that temptation of power? Are they seeking a new purpose and exploring redemption, or simply biding their time until the Burning Legion surely arises once again? Demons have a reputation for being duplicitous after all - and while the Penitents are carefully vetted by Arzaal, nowhere does it say that he is omniscient in that regard.
Another angle entirely, would be for the demonic Eredar to have fought alongside the Illidari during the events of Legion. Little is known of this arrangement, yet a few seems to have indeed done so in-canon. Given the Demon Hunters’ craving for demonic souls, flesh and magic however, assuming this mantle for one’s character is unlikely to be an enjoyable existence. Furthermore, thus not being one of the vetted Penitents, they would enjoy none of the modest freedoms afforded to that group of demonic Eredar.
Somewhat uniquely for the demonic Eredar, it’s also worth considering their perspective on mortals and other non-demonic beings. Are they haughty and dismissive, believing themselves superior? Demons are ageless and frightfully hard to truly kill, as they reform over time in the Twisting Nether upon most deaths. Or perhaps they instead carry bitterness and remorse for their past actions, having a hard time socializing with the very peoples they were all but certain to eradicate only a short few years ago?
Their views on mortal races, the Draenei, and the Legion’s history and downfall, are in my opinion elements best sorted before diving into role-play.
4. Role-Play in Public Hubs
This is the topic that inspired me to finish writing this guide after quite the hiatus from it. It’s a topic that has several vocal sides to it, which makes it difficult to write the end-all conclusion to how it should be handled.
With that being said, my approach is rooted squarely in what I’ve covered thus far. History, culture, and contextual role in the Warcraft setting.
Role-play hubs such as Stormwind present unique challenges for a demonic character.
As a member of a race almost universally synonymous with destruction and corruption, some of which in very recent memory, they are very unlikely to be openly welcomed in such spaces. At the time of writing this, nothing suggests that Velen’s warming demeanour equates a full pardon and membership of the Alliance. The only larger faction city that they can operate inside of in relative safety, is the Exodar.
In the case of any city, though especially the non-Exodar ones, one should take into account that such places have guards stationed and patrolling the streets around the clock - and that despite these just being NPCs, their presence is very much a real element to our characters.
Adding to this point, and even if we were to assume that the guards didn’t have the collective courage to act upon seeing a demon walking free, the Legion left a great many widows and orphans in its wake. They - to say nothing of the spellcasters, heroes and potentially Demon Hunters that might take note - would be unlikely to simply ignore a Man’ari Eredar for long. Just because an actual mob of players doesn’t form in ten minutes, doesn’t mean such a mob wouldn’t realistically do so from an In-Canon point of view.
Ignoring that element for the sake of what I’ll simply call instant-gratification-RP, not only reflects poorly on the individual player, but Man’ari Eredar role-players in general.
In the event that one’s character absolutely must enter a large RP hub, demonic characters are faced with a decision on whether to disguise themselves and magically conceal their Fel magic, which is possible to competent spellcasters - or to boldly stride into these places regardless of the consequences.
All I will say in the case of the latter approach, is that one should be willing to have their character pay the price for knowingly exposing themselves to immediate and obvious peril. This isn’t exclusive to Man’ari characters either, it’s just a solid guideline to follow in role-play in general.
Furthermore, a Penitent thus cornered by an angry mob might be faced with the choice of either breaking their oath and harming the innocent, or letting themselves fall to the onslaught of torches and pitchforks. Either way, Arzaal would be disappointed!
In general, be mindful of RP etiquette. Avoid dominating conversations or attempting to control other players’ reactions to a demonic character. Allow others to respond naturally, and respect boundaries if they prefer not to engage with demonic themes. It’s not ideal if that ends up being the solution, but better to pass one another by, than spend half an hour arguing out-of-character (*OOC) about who is in the wrong.
Public spaces also demand a level of timely respect. What I mean by that, is that the dramatic/controversial nature of a Man’ari Eredar’s presence may disrupt ongoing storylines and role-play, so do consider how and when to insert such characters into an RP setting.
5. Choose Your Own Adventure
As a rule of thumb with characters as shunned and reviled as the Man’ari, it can be a good idea to have a set goal for them from the outset. Below I’ll chalk up some ideas I workshopped when entering the stage with Desolaari here, but again, the creative sky is pretty much the limit. All I’d say to be mindful of, is adherence to the lore and RP etiquette we’ve covered already.
Perhaps one’s character means to recover a dangerous Legion artifact known to have been lost on Azeroth, or hunt down Legion loyalists in hiding. It could also be something so ambitious as trying to rekindle ties with their uncorrupted relatives.
Mutual for all genuine Penitents of course, are the implicit redemption arcs - letting the characters grapple with the consequences of their actions and seek to atone for the destruction they caused. Of note on that point, is that Arzaal himself does not believe this to be an attainable goal. A worthy aspiration, in other words, yet not a work he intends to ever see the end of.
Alternatively, one could focus on their pursuit of power, portraying a Man’ari who seeks new sources of strength to restore their diminished status after Legionfall.
Such redemption could involve uneasy alliances with the Draenei or Lightforged, or simply other kinds of characters who may not trust them from the outset. I find that opposites and contrasts make role-play a lot more interesting than a uniform gathering of characters - but that’s my own preference shining through. Role-playing is a cooperative hobby however, so regardless of the how and who of it, absolutely get out there and have fun.
And that about wraps up the Version 1.0 of the guide!
I’m positive that there’s room for improvement, but I felt a sudden urge to complete and post it after being stuck in a half-written state since before Christmas.
If you found something of use in my ramblings, it was well worth the exercise. Have a good one!
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