Warlock Lore: What question do you want answered most?

[xskarma]

Big Warlock Lore question:

As of today, I have noticed 2 application of the term blood in magic. One is the Death Knight manipulation of life energy and the other is the Warlock "sacrificial" style of blood magic (life tap, sacrificial pact, blood fear, health funnel etc).

In 5.2, Lor'themar mentions this:

"Blood as a power source, very powerful form of life magic. The work of the Titans perhaps. How does it work? Aethas, I want our best archmages studying this device at once. We have so much to learn."

What is the meaning of this? Could it be Mages snatching blood magic under the excuse of it being used by Titans? Not to mention that the Dark Animus(Blood Machine Boss) spells are fire spells. I really do NOT want to see that happening.

Meh, necromancy was also first studied by mages, and I don't see mages wielding necromantic spells. Once you specialise in such things you are no longer a mage. I think Mages just stick their nose into anything that concerns magic and try to see how it works. It's like it's said in the Harry Potter books: You don't have to USE dark magic to know how it works. Same goes for mages in WoW. They have basic knowledge of all kinds of magic, but once they specialise in something the general Mage population thinks is "wrong" and refuse to stop doing it they become something else and stop being a mage.

I think this is just the Blizzard short hand way of saying: I want my best scientists on this!

[deviantcultist]

I totally agree with you xskarma.

However, the thing I am worried about is not if Mages delve into dark arts or anything. What if they present life/blood magic as a neutral means of energy, similar to the basic arcane that is used by the titans? I mean, it can be presented as a non-extreme, yet powerful blood magic thing and fit it to Mages. That would be the retcon of the centrury, cause that is what I'm talking about.

[Jessicka]

Big Warlock Lore question:

As of today, I have noticed 2 application of the term blood in magic. One is the Death Knight manipulation of life energy and the other is the Warlock "sacrificial" style of blood magic (life tap, sacrificial pact, blood fear, health funnel etc).

In 5.2, Lor'themar mentions this:

"Blood as a power source, very powerful form of life magic. The work of the Titans perhaps. How does it work? Aethas, I want our best archmages studying this device at once. We have so much to learn."

What is the meaning of this? Could it be Mages snatching blood magic under the excuse of it being used by Titans? Not to mention that the Dark Animus(Blood Machine Boss) spells are fire spells. I really do NOT want to see that happening.

So Blood Mages aren't Mages?

It's weird, from your posts it's like you want Warlocks to be everything they're not, and very little, if anything they actually are :\

Meh, necromancy was also first studied by mages, and I don't see mages wielding necromantic spells. Once you specialise in such things you are no longer a mage. I think Mages just stick their nose into anything that concerns magic and try to see how it works. It's like it's said in the Harry Potter books: You don't have to USE dark magic to know how it works. Same goes for mages in WoW. They have basic knowledge of all kinds of magic, but once they specialise in something the general Mage population thinks is "wrong" and refuse to stop doing it they become something else and stop being a mage.

I think this is just the Blizzard short hand way of saying: I want my best scientists on this!

I think it's less about learning, and more about source of power. While Mages are generally considered bookish and academic and therefore likely to study and know about how other forms of magic work; there doesn't seem to be all that much overlap between what they do and other magic pracitioners. It seems that once you start tapping into different sources of power to fuel spells, the sources themselves put limitations on what the magic is capable of; as well as hampering one's ability to tap into different sources to circumvent those limitations.

Also, that quote from Lorthemar seems weird when there are Bloodmages in the Blasted Lands: http://www.wowhead.com/npc=7506

[Venziir]

Warlocks & Necromancers, what's so different? Gul'dan created the Death Knights, the Nazrethim have Necromatic powers and they're demons.

In wow, anything goes.

Yep, in Warcraft, Necromancy goes under the Fel department of magics.

[deviantcultist]

So Blood Mages aren't Mages?

It's weird, from your posts it's like you want Warlocks to be everything they're not, and very little, if anything they actually are :\


Also, that quote from Lorthemar seems weird when there are Bloodmages in the Blasted Lands: http://www.wowhead.com/npc=7506

Do you honestly believe that those Bloodmages are mages? They quote themselves that they have demonic traits in their practice and believe that the demon scourged blasted lands as they call them will be a wealthy study point.

If you are refering to Sha and now Blood Magic, as being something irrelevant that I personally want and is nothing like a Warlock the sorry, you've run out of facts. Sha are indeed debateable. Blood magic however, is the Life Tap rationale and all of the sacrificial skills Warlocks have. Or it could be the Death Knight life-manipulation thing. How am I wanting Warlocks to be something they are not while a Mage is reasonable to ask to be a Blood Mage?

If Mages gets Blood spells then I could just as easily request some time and space manipulation.

(Edit: Blood Mages should not be mistaken as Blood Elf Mages as it has been implied in lore, I am talking about Blood-wielding casters)

[Jessicka]

Do you honestly believe that those Bloodmages are mages? They quote themselves that they have demonic traits in their practice and believe that the demon scourged blasted lands as they call them will be a wealthy study point.

I think Blood Mages are their own thing entirely. They sit somewhere between Mage and Warlock, but probably closer to Mage thanks to their Elemental rather than Demonic affinity. Same way Demon Hunters sit somewhere between Rogue and Warlock; albeit probably closer to Rogue. The reason those classes perhaps don't exist in game are because of those existing overlaps.

If you are refering to Sha and now Blood Magic, as being something irrelevant that I personally want and is nothing like a Warlock the sorry, you've run out of facts. Sha are indeed debateable. Blood magic however, is the Life Tap rationale and all of the sacrificial skills Warlocks have. Or it could be the Death Knight life-manipulation thing. How am I wanting Warlocks to be something they are not while a Mage is reasonable to ask to be a Blood Mage?

If Mages gets Blood spells then I could just as easily request some time and space manipulation.

(Edit: Blood Mages should not be mistaken as Blood Elf Mages as it has been implied in lore, I am talking about Blood-wielding casters)

I'm talking about all magic users: Priests and Paladins have a 'tie' to the Light, which when broken prevents them from using their spells; similarly Shaman and Druids and their ties to Nature/the Elements. Warlocks have a tie to the Twisting Nether, Mages to the Arcane, Sha Weavers to the Sha and so on...

[deviantcultist]

I think Blood Mages are their own thing entirely. They sit somewhere between Mage and Warlock, but probably closer to Mage thanks to their Elemental rather than Demonic affinity. Same way Demon Hunters sit somewhere between Rogue and Warlock; albeit probably closer to Rogue. The reason those classes perhaps don't exist in game are because of those existing overlaps.


I'm talking about all magic users: Priests and Paladins have a 'tie' to the Light, which when broken prevents them from using their spells; similarly Shaman and Druids and their ties to Nature/the Elements. Warlocks have a tie to the Twisting Nether, Mages to the Arcane, Sha Weavers to the Sha and so on...

Where exactly is there an elemental affinity to a Blood mage or how a DH is more like a rogue than a Warlock?

From how Blood has been defined in WoW, I cannot see how it relates to Mages or how DH relates to rogues apart from the melee/agility style.

[Jessicka]

Where exactly is there an elemental affinity to a Blood mage or how a DH is more like a rogue than a Warlock?

From how Blood has been defined in WoW, I cannot see how it relates to Mages or how DH relates to rogues apart from the melee/agility style.

Blood Mages use almost exclusively Fire, and summon Phoenixes which are Elementals.

DH relates to rogues apart from the melee/agility style.

I think that's pretty strongly defining all on it's own...

[Phoenexis]

Where exactly is there an elemental affinity to a Blood mage or how a DH is more like a rogue than a Warlock?

From how Blood has been defined in WoW, I cannot see how it relates to Mages or how DH relates to rogues apart from the melee/agility style.

I think it's because of the Phoenix. I wouldn't mind having that as a Warlock spell though :3

[deviantcultist]

Guys, we are not talking about Blood mages from Warcraft 3 like Kaelthas. I am talking about actual BLOOD mages, you know, using BLOOD, not phoenix and fire like the blood elven ones. More or less, I am refering to a new thing, not the classic theme and I consider that inappropriate to fit into the Mage arsenal.

[checking facts]

Guys, we are not talking about Blood mages from Warcraft 3 like Kaelthas. I am talking about actual BLOOD mages, you know, using BLOOD, not phoenix and fire like the blood elven ones. More or less, I am refering to a new thing, not the classic theme and I consider that inappropriate to fit into the Mage arsenal.

the blood mages from warcraft are the blood elves who summon phoenixes and cast fireball, pyroblast and flamestrike while looking awesome with verdant spheres floating behind them. they also use blood as a spell reagent, as we discovered in blasted lands.

http://www.wowpedia.org/Blood_mage

[deviantcultist]

the blood mages from warcraft are the blood elves who summon phoenixes and cast fireball, pyroblast and flamestrike while looking awesome with verdant spheres floating behind them. they also use blood as a spell reagent, as we discovered in blasted lands.

http://www.wowpedia.org/Blood_mage

I know, but I am talking about what Lor'themar said which is the following :

"Blood as a power source, very powerful form of life magic. The work of the Titans perhaps. How does it work? Aethas, I want our best archmages studying this device at once. We have so much to learn."

[Deleted]

Much like Blood Queen Lanathel.

Doesn't have the characteristics of your typical mage.

Shadowflame, Blood-based attacks, Fear etc.

[Jessicka]

I know, but I am talking about what Lor'themar said which is the following :

"Blood as a power source, very powerful form of life magic. The work of the Titans perhaps. How does it work? Aethas, I want our best archmages studying this device at once. We have so much to learn."

I can't see anything Titan related being useful or useable by Warlocks who use powers anathema to Titans.

Much like Blood Queen Lanathel.

Doesn't have the characteristics of your typical mage.

Shadowflame, Blood-based attacks, Fear etc.

More tied toward necromancy I think.

[deviantcultist]

I can't see anything Titan related being useful or useable by Warlocks who use powers anathema to Titans.

Check the new questline where the Doomguard mentions something about policing the use of sacrificial magics under the Titan's orders. Yes, the doomguard is refering to these magics as delicious. Let's just be precise about which class is about the forbidden and dark elements.

[xskarma]

Check the new questline where the Doomguard mentions something about policing the use of sacrificial magics under the Titan's orders. Yes, the doomguard is refering to these magics as delicious. Let's just be precise about which class is about the forbidden and dark elements.

Slow down bro, you seem to be running headlong into the assumption that Mages will get Blood fueled spells, when all we have so far is that Lorthemar is asking his mages to study the power. I very much doubt Blizz is going to spin this into Mages using blood in some way. Like I said before it's most likely just Blizzard making a WoW version of the age old "Put your best scientists on it". Mages have been used in that capacity all over WoW.

And to be fair I think Titan based, flash shaping magic is nothing that Warlocks have anything to do with either. Warlocks only use blood or life to gain powers for themselves, not to shape or create life with.

[Deleted]

Blood Mages use almost exclusively Fire, and summon Phoenixes which are Elementals.


I think that's pretty strongly defining all on it's own...

Their primary weapon is also Verdant Spheres and they use demonic fire magic along with banish and siphon mana spells. Additionally didn't Xelnath recently confirm that life tap is indeed a warlock using their own blood as a regent?

[checking facts]

Their primary weapon is also Verdant Spheres and they use demonic fire magic along with banish and siphon mana spells. Additionally didn't Xelnath recently confirm that life tap is indeed a warlock using their own blood as a regent?

life tap is not about blood, but life energy. the WoW comics show that fel magic is able to turn life energy into magic power. for that, you either sacrifice the life of others, or your own flesh. from the life tap TCG card:

"When the dark arts call for flesh, you can only trust your own."

blood has life energy, so you can use it. you can also use your muscles, your bones, et cetera. I don't recommend tapping on the brain though lol

also, when you think about it: fel magic turns life energy into magic power, ok. but we warlocks often turn our magic power (mana) into healthstones, and they look like they are made of crystallized life energy. that would indicate that the process is reversible, and fel magic can be used for healing. it seems warlocks could be healers if they wanted to, they just don't want to.

(I'd much rather have warlock tanks than healers though lol)

[Deleted]

life tap is not about blood, but life energy. the WoW comics show that fel magic is able to turn life energy into magic power. for that, you either sacrifice the life of others, or your own flesh. from the life tap TCG card:

"When the dark arts call for flesh, you can only trust your own."

blood has life energy, so you can use it. you can also use your muscles, your bones, et cetera. I don't recommend tapping on the brain though lol

also, when you think about it: fel magic turns life energy into magic power, ok. but we warlocks often turn our magic power (mana) into healthstones, and they look like they are made of crystallized life energy. that would indicate that the process is reversible, and fel magic can be used for healing. it seems warlocks could be healers if they wanted to, they just don't want to.

(I'd much rather have warlock tanks than healers though lol)

TCG isnt considerred cannon though, that is unless Velen is a shaman?


I'd prefer to go by Xelnath's statement:

Warlocks control their magical power by paying a price - either through their blood (life tap), the suffering of others (affliction), their own internal rage (demonology) or by absolutely obliterating everything their magic touches (destruction).

Also take into account the new spell blood fear which just like life tap takes away the warlocks health and I think this is pretty much confirmed that warlocks use blood for their spells.

---------- Post added 2013-01-17 at 08:41 PM ----------

A challenge for anyone: Whenever I have searched for what fel magic really is in wow lore all I see is the rpg book explanation of how it is demons blood mixed with arcane magic. Does anyone know where to find cannon info of what fel magic actually is?

[checking facts]

TCG isnt considerred cannon though, that is unless Velen is a shaman?

the TCG card is just an example. the fact is in the WoW comics, which are canon.

Also take into account the new spell blood fear which just like life tap takes away the warlocks health and I think this is pretty much confirmed that warlocks use blood for their spells.

blood, flesh, soul, all part of the service

A challenge for anyone: Whenever I have searched for what fel magic really is in wow lore all I see is the rpg book explanation of how it is demons blood mixed with arcane magic. Does anyone know where to find cannon info of what fel magic actually is?

the med'an comics, where the demon who possessed the undead frost mage says fel magic works by turning life energy into magic power. he sacrifices fish for a spell lol