I must insist that they’re called the Circle in now removed trainer banter.
Friendship is magic, and magic is heresy.
Feh. Paladins. Joyless automatons, all.
Goody! A warlock thread!
I think everyone above makes some stellar points, but I’d like to add my two cents about what I think it means to be a warlock.
First, I’d like to address that the fundamental difference between mages and warlocks (in my eyes) is that mages benefit from mastery whereas warlocks benefit from willpower. Hence a novice mage has much to learn in order to reach greatness and a novice warlock needs to have the will to persist to not end up as a charred husk.
To this end, there are generally two types of warlocks.
- Those who serve a greater power, willingly or begrudgingly. These warlocks generally lean more into being evil, for they are commanded much like they would lesser demons.
Although one could argue all of the orcs were initially such slaves, let alone the first Shadow Council, the main warlock(s) that stand out is/are both iterations of Gul’dan. The regular timeline Gul’dan followed the call of Kil’jaeden into the Tomb of Sargeras where he and his followers were betrayed and torn apart by the demons within. The second iteration from Alternate Draenor too heeded the call of Kil’jeaden and he too was led to the Tomb of Sargeras. However, there he faced Khadgar and during the battle saw a chance to claim the power of the tomb for himself. He ultimately chose to serve the Burning Legion once more and in the process was bestowed even greater power.
(Story to be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYAiQkiUsAk)
In conclusion: These type of warlocks serve a master and in turn are given forbidden knowledge and dark powers. However good their intentions, they are not free to decide their own path and are wisely considered an enemy to all.
- Those who serve themselves for whatever personal goal. These warlocks, for whatever reason, crave power above all. They are not bound by any cults such as the Burning Legion and although their means can often be questionable at best they have been represented at great turns in the history of Azeroth.
Amongst such warlocks I would count the (aforementioned in posts above) Council of the Black Harvest. A group that came to be after the fall of Deathwing at the conclusion of the Cataclysm expansion, their members give us a glimpse of the necessity of their arts. Notable members are:
- Kanrethad Ebonlocke, a human who was present during the defeat of Illidan Stormrage atop of the Black Temple in the Outlands.
- Ritssyn Flamescowl, an orc who participated in the fall of Ragnaros and was burned so badly by the elemental lord’s flames that a permanent flame surrounds his head. (How that works is a secret to everybody. Terrible travel companion for light sleepers.)
- Shinfel Blightsworn, a blood elf who took part in the battle against Cho’gall within the Bastion of Twilight. This battle left her arms heavily scarred and she now wears gear outfitted with elementium.
- Zinnin Smythe, a worgen who was present during the defeat of Deathwing at the Mealstrom. The sight of Deathwing being ‘unmade’ traumatized him and he became a mute.
- The Netherlord, the player character who heads the Council of the Black Harvest during Legion. Like all the other class leaders they sacrificed the power of their artifact weapon to quell the corruption of the Sword of Sargeras protruding from Silithus.
There are more notable warlocks not directly tied to a master, but I don’t want this post to devolve into a list of characters.
What the above list tells us is that despite how much the practices of warlocks are openly shunned by society, warlocks have been playing a vital role throughout the lore representing raw power in whatever dark form grants it. However, the list above also tells us that wielding such power is not without consequences.
Some of you may be familiar with the phrase:
“Be wary of an old man in a profession where men die young.”
I believe this phrase applies to the warlock class rather well. Any warlock worth their weight in salt has seen some bad things and more than likely inflicted their fair share. Therefore I believe warlocks can do good, yet they cannot be inherently good to survive for long. For this, let us look at the general powers associated with a warlock:
- Fel Magic, a source that sadly has been subjected to quite a few reviews over the years. It is chaos, it is volatile and it corrupts not just the wielder but the very environment in which it is conjured. It can be fuelled with souls for even greater power.
- Void aka Shadow Magic, a mysterious force known to drain life, sanity, and give rise to the finest iteration of elves known to elvenkind. Warlocks call upon the Void to inflict harm, be it on the body or mind, and open their minds to the secrets of the unknown.
- Fire, either drawn straight from the Firelands or conjured by some other means; You’ll keep anyone warm for a lifetime if you set them on fire. Whereas a mage may manipulate the flame and direct it with precision, a warlock is less likely to care for the aftermath of their spell.
- Souls, a subject of much controversy and a prime argument against a warlock being possibly good in nature. The claiming and spending of souls allows for the binding of powerful creatures and conjuring of the most forbidden spells.
- Demons, summoned forth from the Twisting Nether and often bound against their will, the presence of demons in employ of a warlock are generally frowned upon in any public place. (No there isn’t a permit that lets you marry your Sayaad. They prefer to keep the relationship professional.) Demons can fulfil a great many roles, be it from a bulwark to keep the warlock’s enemies at bay to sniffing out sources of magic and supple mage throats.
I would like to make clear that a warlock is not limited to the magic sources above! Although they are usually seen in context with the Burning Legion, a warlock is above all a sorcerer that seeks power, whatever the source. Hence they may well research into any old cult and utilize any artifact they can get their hands on. The Scourge? The Burning Legion? The Twilight’s Hammer? A warlock sees only the potential power to be gained.
I hope the above gives the uninitiated a clear and basic view of what it means to be a warlock in the Warcraft setting. A warlock can be a powerful ally and, provided you don’t get in the way of their ambition, even a good friend. Like most, they are just people with a goal and a means to get there. In the spirit of this thread, however, I believe that considering the powers which they command there are few, if any, warlocks of note that haven’t bloodied their hands and caused suffering in their pursuit.
If I made any mistakes or overlooked vital details you would like to address, please reply! We can only learn together.
TL;DR - Warlocks have been present during much of Warcraft’s recent history and their arrival turned the tides of battle. They are powerful sorcerers daring to dabble in the darkest magic, which makes them a frightsome foe. Due to the nature of the powers they wield and the sacrifices demanded in order to do so, I believe no true warlock can be inherently good. However, it is perfectly fine to RP your warlock as a good person, if only to keep up appearances to the public or out of some sense of self-affirmation. Just because your character is likely to burst into flame on sanctified grounds doesn’t mean they can’t believe they are doing the right thing.
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One quick note while I read your post: main timeline Gul’dan was not led there by KJ. Actually, he betrayed the Legion by swerving from what was almost certainly going to be a successful conquest of Lordaeron to go and claim its power. It’s what led to the Horde’s big defeat in the Second War.
“YOU DIED BECAUSE YOU BETRAYED US. YOU WERE MEANT TO HELP MY HORDE EXTERMINATE ALL RESISTANCE ON THIS WORLD. YET AT THE MOMENT OF TRUTH, YOU ABANDONED THEM. YOU SPLIT THEIR ARMIES TO CLAIM THIS PLACE. OUR PLANS CAME TO NOTHING. YOU EARNED YOUR FATE.”
— Kil’jaeden
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Oh man! Serves me right for not digging into the Second War.
Thank you for correcting!
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Blood, especially demonblood, can be used as well to fuel Fel with greater power, with the usage of bloodstones or otherwise; but just like with souls, it’s only used for considerably powerful spells and other rituals, such as the binding of the Eredar Twins in the Class Hall quest.
While constant sacrifice in a more material sense isn’t required for everything, it’s important to note that even throughout these questlines that showed as much, it still might count as self-sacrifice with how dangerous it is. Black Harvest Acolytes are described as rarely making it to the rank of Invoker due to the dangerous nature of their vocation and the magic they deal with.
Something to be taken into account besides this is the fact that most warlocks that are on the side of ‘the good guys’ tend to have a reason to use these powers beyond the sole reason of accumulating power for the sake of it. For example, the members of the Council of the Black Harvest, for one reason or another, openly fought against great evils, such as Illidan, Cho’Gall and the Twilight’s Hammer, Ragnaros, Deathwing, so on.
It is not entirely unbelievable that a person with good intentions would set themselves on a path like that, especially in a world where potentially world-ending threats greater than any power a common mortal might have keep appearing left and right for decades - even if their methods are dangerous to their morals, those around them, and themselves.
Furthermore, even if the Horde won after this split, Gul’dan had failed Kil’jaeden’s plan. Without the Shadow Council not being kept around as useful weapons against the Alliance, any hope that the Horde would’ve been steered towards the arms of the Burning Legion by them was entirely shattered.
MU Gul’dan blew it BIG time for the Burning Legion.
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I argue the moral distinction lies in the choice. Had they great aspirations to vanquish evil, protect their people etc., the avenues for attaining power are myriad. Paths I’d argue to be far more emphasising longevity of drive and the fortitude of one’s convictions to achieve them.
However, it’s the effort therein which makes studying years of Arcane literature, humbling one’s self before the elements, dedicating your life to the divine or mastering martial arts far less appealing than the inordinate effort/reward ratio the path of a warlock grants. All it takes is accepting you desire power, you desire it a great deal and you need it fast.
This is not to say the dark arts are effortless, yet there’s always been a greater emphasis on the compromises of life, honour and the taboo nature of what you’re pursuing.
Your character can say to themselves they harnessed these profane powers to fight evil, but at some point in the road they failed to muster the patience, dedication or decency to achieve their goals without bringing misery to the world to get there.
EDIT: These are OOC postulations on the types of characters we are writing. The warlocks I’m writing about most definitely don’t have to express self-awareness of the road they’ve chosen, but the writer’s own perspective on the person they are writing can amplify their potency. Be it the necrolyte unwilling to face reckoning for their avarice, or the monster relishing in torching the world to get their’s.
Kanrethad Ebonlocke “was there” when Illidan fell at Karabor. And I believe he WAS Sha’tar affiliated at that point: Later on turning and doing his own thing around the Black Harvest becoming a thing?
Unsure really. Someone here hopefully remembers MoP green fire questline better than I do.
Being a Warlock is very much about trading something for more power, how the Warlock uses that power is up to the person in question.
A Warlock can be charming or all around a good person but there is a reason they were drawn to the Dark Arts to begin with and that is usually the thirst for power in its simplest form. Fel is a quick way to power but hard to master and keep control of without becoming wholy corrupted by it.
Even if you use those powers for good you will still be seen as a pariah by those who follow holier paths for a lack of words. Chaos/Fel/Void has been used for a lot of bad acts and it has a bad rep because of it.
Consumer makes a lot of good points above and she is more articulate than I am.
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Well, you can’t be a squeaky clean pacifist priest and a warlock at the same time. Being a warlock by its very nature means you get your hands dirty in some dark doings no matter how valiant your attempts may be.
I think most warlocks fall in shades of evil or morally gray, when I think of a “good” warlock I tend to think they have (or had) good intentions in what they do but are willing to be the “necessary evil” to get the job done.
Remember the summoner arugal had “GOOD INTENT” when he summoned the worgen to silverpine, he wanted to help his people.
Also remember Illidan was a mage who turned to fel in what he thought was “the only way”.
It really comes down to the characters motives and agenda, I think Jubeka Shadowbreaker (the undead warlock in the green fire quest line) is a good example of a warlock with good intentions. There will be plenty more warlocks who are selfish power hungry and corrupt to the core for every one warlock who is like her however.
Thats my take ^^
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If I remember correctly, the Black Harvest was a coven of warlocks who decided to ignore faction loyalties so they could work together to further their own goals and power. Them fighting the Legion in Legion can be viewed as them joining Team Good Guys, but I think they’re still just furthering their own goals of not being burnt to a crisp or being enslaved.
This makes me ask as I am no that familiar with warlock lore. (This character is inactive) Can a mortal trade something with a demon for power like in DnD with devils? Trading probably soul or something like that and the demon would bestow the power and knowledge on the mortal, if it is possible in WoW.
I think all warlocks eventually go down the path of corruption. One way or another.
It’s not so much a question of if, but when.
But are warlocks evil? Depends on tge context. Reaping the souls of others seems quite evil, up until they are your enemies.
I mean, you probably can, although a demon might not be too interested in just your soul. At that point, they might as well just kill you and take your soul.
But we do see a lot of bargains being struck where people are rewarded in exchange for just, making the life of the demons easier. Things like Gul’dan, Elisande, Azhara, Kael’thas. Sort of a “You help us, we help you” sort of deal. But you do need to be in a special situation to draw their attention like that.
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The important part is if the demon can just bestow the power on mortal like that. The trade is on the parties what they want from each other ofc.
Not in the same way. D&D devils (and other patrons) infer knowledge directly to their warlocks, as it’s full of esoteric magic that cannot be produced otherwise, or that they have a tight lockdown under - but once it’s given, it’s for the warlock to enjoy. Even if they ditch their patron, that knowledge will be theirs, as it’s just that: knowledge or power they can now wield for themselves.
World of Warcraft, on another hand, just has warlocks taking these vast sources of knowledge about these supernatural creatures and taking them for themselves, counter-engineering them, and so on.
Could a D&D type of deal be struck with a demon in Warcraft? You could, if demons weren’t the way they were. In D&D, they make contracts with devils because they hunt demons, and they are the ‘contract’ kind of demonic entity. It’s less of a ‘keep feeding me these souls and I’ll grant you power fed on these souls’ and more of a ‘do your shift and enjoy a wage of a steady supply of power for you to have’, because you both sort of have a common enemy in the shape of demons. In Warcraft, the enemies that the only existing demonic entities have is you.
tl;dr: the black harvest in D&D would be a union of workers under a devil patron, the black harvest in Warcraft beat up demons with baseball bats to get their power
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Demoniaco described it quite well, but the closest to this specifically would be to just straight up infuse/corrupt someone with Fel directly. Which doesn’t require them to be a warlock.
And would be more similar to what Mannoroth did to the orcs. It will give you raw power yes, but you’re not going to be yourself at all anymore and very likely straight up enslaved and a monster.
Yeah, if a demon offers you power and you accept it, it usually turns out with you a) being enslaved, or b) being enslaved and turned into a demon.
It’s a point that people have severely misrepresented in the thread with the whole ‘warlocks enslave demons and that’s evil’, when the whole point is that demons have done the very same thing to the entire cosmos for eons. I don’t think anyone except demons themselves would really mourn for a demon being enslaved by someone.
There’s no pact with a demon in Warcraft that doesn’t end with the non-demonic party ending up severely screwed over, unless their aim is to become something akin to a demon from the get-go like Gul’dan.
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Warlocks really only have two ways to get benefits/aid from a demon like their minions. You either manage to get some kind of deal with them(which is basically guaranteed to hurt you in the end at some point, its just a matter of when). This is also most likely only going to be applicable to certain demons like Imps or Sayaad.
Or you beat them into submission and forcefully enslave them. Safer for you personally, as long as you maintain that power and control. If you were to lose it however, you’re probably the first thing said demon will kill.
Demons will never serve you just out of friendship or any alliance. You’re either under their thumb in a deal(even if you don’t think so or know it), or they are under yours by direct force of control.
Oh. Well if the demons did it I’m sure it’s fine.
And then Man’ari questline in september happened… thanks, Blizzard. I guess it’s on the individual demon.
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