World of Warcraft: The Legacy of Xal’atath
As a new power awakens in The War Within, a tremor whispers through the hearts of heroes and villains alike. It speaks of ancient pacts and betrayals, and of a hunger for power that could consume the very world it seeks to rule. This is the legacy of Xal’atath, Blade of the Black Empire whose dark whispers and influence have woven a path of chaos throughout Azeroth’s history. From the depths of The Sundering, to the heights of titan-forged power, Xal’atath’s whispers have tempted champions and corrupted heroes across the ages. And as we get ready to explore the next chapter of the saga, how did we get to this point? And what is the role of one of the most enigmatic and intriguing artefacts in World of Warcraft.
Where it all begun
Little is known about Xal’atath’s origins beyond the legends passed down through history. However, what is known is that she was infused with the essence of the Old Gods and possesses a mastery of void magic. Even during the Black Empire, her power was used for heinous purposes. After the Empire’s fall, she was hidden away by Old God cultists, only to resurface periodically, bringing chaos and destruction with her.
Yet, her story unfolds during the War of the Ancients when the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth. While they were ultimately defeated, the resulting Great Sundering ripped the planet itself apart, destroying the well of eternity and crushing most of Azeroth. This is when Xal’atath, as a malevolent blade of shadow, fell into the hands of the naga for millennia. But this did little to impede her evil work. Continuing to weave her web of manipulation and corruption, she whispered to mortals across the ages, tempting them with power and leaving behind a trail of devastation in her wake. Millennia passed, yet her reign of terror remained unscathed.
Xal’atath’s path to freedom
Following death after death of her owners, Xal’atath transferred from hand to hand, until she fell into the possession of a priest who was wise to her corruption. Empowered by the blade, the priest fights the Burning Legion head on, feeding the blade with every enemy they fell. Only when Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion, pierced the Heart of Azeroth with his blade and caused a chain reaction of events, was Xal’atath set on a path that would lead directly to The War Within.
Dormant but not destroyed, Xal’atath later resurfaced in the grasp of an adventurer, who became Xal’atath’s unknowing pawn. She manipulated the adventurer to amass artefacts of immense power with promises of forbidden knowledge, before offering him, alongside the artefacts, as a sacrifice to N’Zoth for her freedom. In a final, chilling act of betrayal, Xal’atath, freed from her physical form, vanished into the shadows, her laughter echoing with the promise of chaos yet to come.
An evil power defeated, while another appears from the shadows
And chaos would come. N’Zoth stirred once more in his watery prison. Queen Azshara had got hold of the blade and planned to use it to free N’Zoth and kill him, so she could rise to power over her master. But N’Zoth had seen all of this and turned Azshara into a puppet of ancient power and his pawn to orchestrate a cunning escape.
Now in possession of the blade, Azshara drew upon the power of the Heart of Azeroth to free N’Zoth and execute her plan. But just as his prison broke, Azshara was defeated, and with her power exhausted, N’Zoth pounced, capturing Azshara and sending her through a portal so he could unleash the full fury of the Black Empire upon Azeroth. The very foundations of the world trembled as N’Zoth sought to claim their power.
When Azshara was finally freed, she handed the blade over to the black dragon, Wrathion, to defeat N’Zoth. Armed with the blade, Wrathion struck a powerful blow to the Old God’s power and combined with the might of Azeroth’s champions and the Heart of Azeroth, N’Zoth’s grasp was shattered and his reign of terror ended once and for all.
Xal’atath seized upon the chaos and assumed the title of Harbinger of the Void – setting in motion the rise of a new darkness.
The War Within
With Azeroth’s dragons reclaiming their ancient homeland, a new threat arose: Iridikron, a vengeful primal dragon seized a powerful and mysterious relic known as the Dark Heart, for a shadowy, unknown ally. Rumours of this danger spread alongside unsettling visions, prompting Khadgar to call upon the renowned hunter Alleria Windrunner to investigate. Her pursuit led her to the Harbinger of the Void, a mysterious figure wielding the Dark Heart’s power, who, to her horror, turned out to be Xal’atath.
Though Xal’atath and the artefact had vanished, Alleria received a chilling warning from her mentor, Locus-Walker. The message was clear. The visions plaguing Azeroth mirrored the destruction of his own world by the void lord Dimensius. Ushering in a new era of the Void’s machinations, Xal’atath allied with the Nerubians of Azj-Kahet to form an army and claim the Worldsoul of Azeroth.
Xal’atath and the Dark Heart pose a grave threat to Azeroth, and their reign of chaos has to be stopped…
World of Warcraft: The War Within is available from August 26th. To learn more about World of Warcraft and The War Within, check out the World of Warcraft website, or for real-time updates, follow the official X.”
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