Warlocks are necromancers whom channel forbidden (demonic) fel powers or channelers of forbidden powers and summon the angels known as the demons of the death titan Argus, whom is Sargeras as a broken legion world. Warlocks are magical practitioners who seek to understand darker, fel-based magics, including destructive spells. While many warlocks willingly follow the Burning Legion, there are those who unwillingly follow the Burning Legion, forced to gain their demonic fel powers from the demonic army or from the demons. Warlocks have proven themselves to be powerful allies - as well as powerful foes. The bane of all life, they also see death in the face of demonic power. Communing with dark powers, warlocks are essentially fel mages and utilize forbidden sorcery to wreak havoc on their enemies - able to channel a death coil and raise the dead with soulstones.
Warlocks were mages that delved too deeply into the roots of demonic power, sacrificing the ability to blast beings with the arcane and warp time. Consumed by a lust for dark knowledge, they've tapped into chaotic magics from beyond the world. The Burning Legion now feeds them their powers, allowing them to channel destructive energies and call upon the powerful emissaries of their demon masters. They are known to be interested in seeking power in the darkest of places and making bargains most people in their right minds wouldn't make.
Background[]
Argus, the Death Titan[]
Not only were the eredar mages, but the mages of the titan Argus channeled forbidden powers and divined the secrets of the necrolyte from the dark titan warlock-warrior Sargeras. The eredar not only became the first warlocks, but channeled the necromantic (fel) powers of the death titan Argus and summoned the demons of Sargeras. Among the first warlocks include Archimonde, Kil'jaeden, Sataiel, and Tal'gath.
Brimstones And Fires[]
The dark warlock Sargeras eventually found the highborne mages Azshara and Xavius. The highborne were not only channeling arcane powers, but were also summoning demonic entities from the arcane depths. They attracted the gaze of the dark warlock Sargeras and the godlike being eventually gifted them with demons or demonic fel energies. The highborne mage or warlock Azshara in particular channeled arcane fel energies to enhance her charms so that even demons danced for her eternal court and summoned felguards to guard her. The warlock Xavius was transformed into the first satyr mage, whom channeled demonic fel powers to warp Pero'than into the first satyr warlock touched by the fel and to spread deceit. The demon warlocks would eventually summon or call down infernals - brimstone and fire - from the Nether.
Human Conjurers of Azeroth[]
After the War of the Ancients, human mages would eventually accidentally summon demons into Azeroth and channel forbidden demonic fel energies. The elves would eventually warned the human mages about the demons and formed the council known as the Council of Tirisfal to banish the demons back to the Twisting Nether. The guardian of this council would eventually be known as Aegywynn and would come to battle the lord of the Burning Legion, Sargeras, himself. In time, Sargeras would possess the mage Medivh and mutate him into the first named evil warlock. The necromancer would drain the soul of the land to increase his dark powers, summoning the beings known as orcs or daemons into Azeroth.
Orc Warlocks[]
The eredar warlock Kil'jaeden eventually divined the world known as Draenor and basically mutated the orc Gul'dan into a warlock. The warlock Gul'dan eventually reformed the shaman into necrolytes or warlocks. The warlocks not only channeled brimstone or fire "from the sky". They also channeled forbidden demonic fel energies, transforming Draenor into a demonic fel hell-world technically representing death, and summoned demons. If the energies of this world can be used for destruction, then the energies of the underworld could destroy Azeroth. It is this destructive power that the Orcish warlocks use in their incantations and rituals. During the first war, the orcs or warlocks are greater necromancers whom channel brimstone (fire) along with the demonic to bring damnation to conjurers and led necrolytes through the dark portal - also leading necrolytes through necromantic rituals and channeling the demonic. As the most powerful of the Orcish sects, these dark brethren of Hades go where none others dare in search of ultimate power. The warlocks' towers held the keys to unleashing the very essence of evil upon those they see as a threat to their devious plans. Spells that channel the fire and brimstone of hell through their bodies, or can summon forth great creatures - even daemons - are theirs to use. There is a reference to warlock clans, though they may be euphemisms for a more formally named clan, such as the Shadowmoon clan or Stormreaver clan, which included warlocks in their ranks and animated the dead. It may refer to the warlock class as a group, separate from clan membership.
World of the Warlocks[]
Born of the Eredar race, warlocks are absolutely corrupt and unimaginably powerful. Their chaos magics have burnt out whole worlds and annihilated countless species over the aeons. Kil'jaeden taught the orcs the secrets of warlock magics, but the orcs could never master the powers of entropy and destruction as well as the wicked Eredar. Under Archimonde's command, the warlocks serve as the Legion's tacticians and strategists. The last orcish warlock was Nekros Skullcrusher, whom without his demonic warlock magics left the orcs in a state of lethargy, while the warlock Archimonde would be obliterated. Most warlocks of the Shadow Council were slaughtered and Gul'dan later transferred their spirits into the first death knights, while the magical abilities of dead warlocks were infused into the bodies of ogre-magi. Few living warlocks survived Doomhammer's rampage and most joined Gul'dan's Stormreaver clan, where they warred along with the death knights. Other warlocks were involved in the forming of the first Altar of the Storms. The orcs learned of the Shadow Council's defeat and this resulted in the damnation of warlocks on Draenor too. During the Third War, orc warlocks could still be found among the ranks of the Old Horde (notably the Blackrock Warlocks) or of the Stormreaver exiles.
Human warlocks or mages would eventually divine the secrets of warlock magics, learning about the warlock Archimonde or Kil'jaeden's death army, while the orc warlocks would not only channel forbidden demonic fel powers, but promised not to seek control over the Horde - the very army Kil'jaeden had formed with the intent to scour life. In Felwood, the warlock Fel'dan would seek to summon the Burning Legion into Azeroth while the warlock Niby sought to summon a demon to exact revenge upon the Stormwind humans. The first affliction or gnome warlock whom sought to bring death to humanity not only formed affliction warlocks as a group, but accidentally conjured El Pollo the Black Chicken of Death. Affliction warlocks are masters of shadow-touched powers, summoning the Void and being able to corrupt beings with the affliction known as corruption, but unlike shadow priests—able to enter a shadow or voidform and summon the Old God of Death Yogg-Saron—these warlocks delight in using fel forces to cause intense pain and suffering in others. They revel in corrupting bodies with corruption and draining souls, leaving enemies in a demonic state that would see them undone in due time. Even the most battle-hardened warriors can be deceived, landing blow after blow against the mage, only to succumb to their suffering as their very vitality is siphoned away by the priest that ultimately gains his shadow magic from his demon lord.
Demons of the Warlocks[]
Warlocks summon the angels known as demons. These astral beings are essentially the Nether incarnate and are therefore necromantic undead.
Doomguard[]
Doomguard are essentially astral beings whom channel forbidden demonic fel energies to cripple beings and guard warlocks. To summon a daemon, the necrolyte must sacrifice himself - becoming a spirit to guide the entity that revels in death. Since the defiler or dark titan's defeat, the ered'ruin had no master. These angels were once the titans' demonic fel hounds, tasked with policing the use of arcane magic. Sacrificial magic was considered the greatest violation of life and the doomguard were attuned to punish those who would delve into such delicious sorcery. Undead or astral souls, doomguard would be summoned through a corpse sacrificed by a warlock during his ritual doom and can presumably possess a body. The fearsome Doom Guard serve as Archimonde's or Sargeras' personal escorts. Although they are often called upon to perform a number of duties for the Legion, their loyalty lies with him alone.
Felguard[]
Felguard are the astral guards of the warlocks and are fel angels. Mo'arg, these undead have stitched bodies and demonic strength - only be able to be summoned by a demonologist and can be summoned back from the dead Nether after being damned. As demons, they have souls tethered to the Twisting Nether and are essentially liches. By their very nature, demons or felguard are leeches on the living universe—but the demonologist has mastered harnessing the power of felguard or these malefic beings on the field of battle. Warlocks harvest the souls of their defeated enemies; those specialized in the ways of demonology use this life essence to tap into the Void, pulling all manner of abomination from the chaos of the Twisting Nether. While such a practice is often considered by outsiders to be wicked and reckless, the demonologist maintains absolute control over the summoned creatures. These malignant entities are fully beholden to—and empowered by—the will of the warlock, until banished to the realm from whence they came. Despite being guards of disorder just like the doomguard, warlocks do not need to sacrifice a living target to summon them during a ritual of doom and can presumably possess the dead as well. Loyal to their master's godlike will or practically mindless, these brutes possess demonic fel energies that snuffs out consciousness and warps the body. A greater variation of these beings are known as the fel lords.
Felhunters[]
Felhunters are demonic fel hounds whom bite arcane living magic and have skulls that extend past their demonic fel skins. Not of natural origins, these dogs can multiply given enough magic and have a shadow bite that plague enemies with shadow or void energies, transforming them into undead beings. Forerunners of the Burning Legion, they are used by the pit lords or warlocks to sniff out magic and can also be summoned back from the Twisting Nether after they have died. Felhunters are what fel wolves are. These dogs are undead hunters whom the necrophytes known as warlocks have summoned demons into to possess them.
Imps[]
Imps are essentially astral-undead grell whom channel demonic fel fires that caused them to implode, phase shifting into the Twisting Nether as astral entities, and are not possibly living. The most basic demons warlocks can summon, these angels can channel fireballs as ranged mages or warlocks channeling demonic flames and possess the dead. They are not really corporeal and are spirits, therefore able to enter a person's body and serve as that being's consciousness. They may have been grell whom were imbued with fel energies and are believed to have ancestors found on the titan-world Azeroth.
Infernals[]
Infernals are the undead constructed units of the dreadlord or warlocks' Inferno spell. They are essentially undead creations constructed with elemental brimstone or fire and the demonic disembodied spirits of demons. They are rained down from the sky as brimstone (fire) and are essentially demonic fel green beings whom are raised from Twisting Nether. True warlocks don't need to summon infernal horrors when they are the infernal horror, channling brimstones and fires (or infernals). Warlocks seeking to learn how to an infernal need to go to Felwood and meet the warlock Niby the Almighty. A god, the warlock Niby teaches warlocks aspiring how to summon an infernal and send them to reanimate the remains of an infernal.
Succubus[]
Succubi are demonesses similar in appearance to the dreadlords - demons or vampires of death - and can warp others into vampires. They have fangs that they can sink into their victims and whips that can be made from the flesh of their victims. The male of the sayaad race are called incubi and can also be summoned by warlocks. It is believed the succubi have consumed the male of their race. They are devourers of souls and can presumably teach their warlocks how to devour souls or bind souls to themselves by teaching them how to eat souls.
Voidwalkers[]
Voidwalkers are void beings whom channel void energies and have their souls tethered to the Twisting Nether or the Void. Creatures of chaos, these beings classified as demons can be summoned again by the warlocks after being banished to the Void. They can teach warlocks how to bind souls to themselves and harness the shadows.
Mages of the Arcane[]
Warlocks are diviners or a mage order whom channels forbidden demonic fel powers and summon demons of the death titan-world Argus, divining the secrets of the necrolyte. The mage order channels the fire of Hades - an ability given to the mages of Warcraft - or conjure brimstone (fire) from the sky with the conjurer's Rain of Fire spell and also channel forbidden arcane demonic powers. Warlocks who command the power of destruction favor incantations of pure chaos and aggression in battle. In this regard, they'd find a stronger kinship with fire mages than warlocks of other disciplines—if not for their propensity to make use of magic deemed detestable by all mage orders. The destruction warlock is well-versed in discharging a dizzying array of shadow, fel, fire, and chaos magics upon opponents that rattle souls and conflagrate bodies. They require little motivation for the havoc they wreak, happy to revel in the destruction they cause—thrilled at any opportunity to watch the world erupt in discord around them.
Notable Warlocks[]
Organizations[]
Warlocks form councils in order to not only achieve dark apotheosis, but to obtain more powers.
- The Shadow Council