Can runeblades steal demonic souls?

[Seifross]

Hey all,

Not sure if a definitive answer really exists, but I've been wondering if DKs have the ability (obviously, lore-wise) to steal demonic souls with their weapons. We know they can steal regular souls galore, but if they can steal demonic souls, doesn't that make the Ebon Blade one of the most important and powerful anti-demon forces in the world? They'd basically be trapping any demon they kill, stopping them from regenerating.

The reason I ask is largely because of Arthas killing Mal'Ganis, who comes back just fine despite dying to Frostmourne. It also seems like some more emphasis should be placed on the idea if the EB can do it, because it makes them way more useful than almost any other kind of soldier.

Cheers!

Edit: Name correction

[Friendlyimmolation]

Probably not, considering Arthas "killed" mal'ganis and he shows up later. Basically what you talked about in OP

[Aquamonkey]

Frostmourne was created by demons. Maybe making Frostmourne unable to capture demon souls was one of the limits the Legion put in it to keep Ner'zhul in check. So even if Frostmourne couldn't, it's still possible that other runeblades can.

[Mehrunes]

Not sure about runeblades, but Legion has shown on at least two occasions of imps in jars. Very small and round jars. So demons, or at least imps, are squeezable and apparently can't escape the jar on their own. We should explore this option further.

[apepi]

Do demons even have souls?

[Aquamonkey]

Do demons even have souls?

Archimonde is a demon whose demon soul is anchored to the Nether. The Nether transcends all realities. That is all. (Abrosiabi)

[apepi]

Archimonde is a demon whose demon soul is anchored to the Nether. The Nether transcends all realities. That is all. (Abrosiabi)

So you would have to be in the Twisting Nether to even try it then.

[Arrashi]

As seen with both mal'ganis and illidan - they don't. Unless arthas forgot to put batteries in.

[Seifross]

As seen with both mal'ganis and illidan - they don't. Unless arthas forgot to put batteries in.

When was Illidan killed with a runeblade? He fought Arthas but wasn't actually killed, and PC Death Knights weren't in the game when he canonically died in BC.

I agree that they probably don't, though, just wondering why you mentioned Illidan.

In that case, doesn't that make the EB kind of awful for fighting the Burning Legion, lore-wise? They can't use their corpses as undead fodder or manipulate souls. They're not exactly weak, being that they have frost and unholy powers, but it does seem quite limiting for them.

[Deleted]

I think for a demonic soul to be tied to a weapon it needs to be used in the crafting of the weapon, like the Legendary Sword from the Atiesh questline. Or atleast, bound by exceptionally powerful magic ala Sargeras.

[Deleted]

I don't think so. Demon souls are anchored to the Nether. Whatever force pulls them back there seems to be stronger than the soul consuming magic of runeblades.

[Deleted]

Not sure about runeblades, but Legion has shown on at least two occasions of imps in jars. Very small and round jars. So demons, or at least imps, are squeezable and apparently can't escape the jar on their own. We should explore this option further.

I agree completely.

[Aucald]

Most of the soul-stealing runeblades in the possession of the Scourge are probably based on the design of Frostmourne (the exemplar of their kind), given Frostmourne's demonic origins I doubt they would be capable of stealing or siphoning demonic souls.

[Zandalariprelate]

I think the Maw of the Dammen can and maybe the fallen blades but for capturing a demon soul you need powerfull dark magic in a item

[Tenjen]

Depends on the weapon. Iam sure theres weapons out there designed for demon souls.

[Draeth]

The way the Death Knight artifact/order quests are worded, telling you to go harvest souls to empower your weapons, certainly seems to imply that they could, but Mal'ganis seems to contradict that idea.

Perhaps Dreadlords and other Legion lords are too powerful to be consumed by them, but the lesser/nameless/cannon fodder demons aren't? Loramus Thalipedes alludes to something similar in the Demon Hunter order campaign, that demons with powerful souls like the Dreadlord who possessed him could reconstitute in the Nether, which seems to also imply that demons that lack such powerful souls cannot.

[Freddiee]

Not sure about runeblades, but Legion has shown on at least two occasions of imps in jars. Very small and round jars. So demons, or at least imps, are squeezable and apparently can't escape the jar on their own. We should explore this option further.

Jug of Kil'Jaden inc!

[Seifross]

I don't think so. Demon souls are anchored to the Nether. Whatever force pulls them back there seems to be stronger than the soul consuming magic of runeblades.

Yeah, I like that way of thinking about it. They basically play tug-of-war with the demon's soul, but it's a sword vs the entire Twisting Nether.

The way the Death Knight artifact/order quests are worded, telling you to go harvest souls to empower your weapons, certainly seems to imply that they could, but Mal'ganis seems to contradict that idea.

This is actually what made me ask in the first place, instead of just assuming that they couldn't. The Ebon Blade bring up soul stealing a couple of times in conversations that otherwise related to fighting the Legion, though they may just be referring to stuff like the Nightfallen, who are Legion-aligned without being demonic.

[Highwhale]

I believe Maw of Damned capable of it. After all this axe was forged by eredar for one single purpose - to kill KJ.

[Aucald]

The Maw of the Damned has some pretty interesting lore behind it - one has to wonder why Kil'jaeden hasn't made recovering it from Azeroth a specific priority?