Twilight Magic : Lore Discussion

[deviantcultist]

MoP has introduced various spells, including Malefic Grasp or Twilight Ward that contain the twilight descriptor. That school of magic was frequently used in Cata by the Twilight's Hammer, several dragon and Old God creatures. However, concrete information is nowhere to be found regarding the nature of this magic and its exact definition.

What are your thoughts and theories about what is the core idea of this school and how it is applied by Warlocks in terms of lore?

[wolfen]

Simply, from the old gods themself. Then again I believe shadow magic and twilight magic are nearly one and the same. (as Holy comes the Naaru, Fel from legion, Arcane from the Titans, and Shadow from???)

But from the cata spells, it is mainly corrupted shamans,sooooo shadow enhanced elemental power with the blood of the old gods?

[Kulu]

I don't think it's the same, perse, but shadow magic is definitely closely related to twilight magic. The origins of twilight magic is definitely from the Old Gods (as evident by the entire Twilight Dragonflight).

[deviantcultist]

Keep in mind that Twilight Ward absorbs Holy damage as well, something that brings about divine magic, certainly Old-Godlike and likely similar to the Priest's shadow.

[Caerule]

Ah, the mysterious Twilight magic. An unknown divine energy. It seems to have it's own primal and chaotic realm with swirling vortexes of Light and Shadow, and it seems to be an energy damaging or draining to anyone not infused with it.

So what is it? The energies are definitely something associated with the Old Gods. It is chaotic, dangerous, primal. Unleashing it was to be the end of all things, and yet, what if it was also the beginning?

The universe is divided into Light and Shadow, like two sides of a coin. Nice and orderly, even if one side seeks to disrupt this balance (Burning Legion). In this balance, life prevails. But what was there before? Well, only beings as old as time could tell you. Old Gods.

My theory? Twilight: the time where Night and Day overlap. Are one. My theory would be that Twilight predates the order of Light and Shadow being seperate. It is what is both, and yet neither. I would also guess it is the realm the Old Gods originated in. And likely where they are popping their heads out of, for us to kill. The Twilight Realm, a place of primal energies that when enveloping the world would reduce it to a place where Old Gods and the ultimate creations of Deathwing, the Twilight-enfused Dragonflight, cry out in victory.

[xskarma]

Ah, the mysterious Twilight magic. An unknown divine energy. It seems to have it's own primal and chaotic realm with swirling vortexes of Light and Shadow, and it seems to be an energy damaging or draining to anyone not infused with it.

So what is it? The energies are definitely something associated with the Old Gods. It is chaotic, dangerous, primal. Unleashing it was to be the end of all things, and yet, what if it was also the beginning?

The universe is divided into Light and Shadow, like two sides of a coin. Nice and orderly, even if one side seeks to disrupt this balance (Burning Legion). In this balance, life prevails. But what was there before? Well, only beings as old as time could tell you. Old Gods.

My theory? Twilight: the time where Night and Day overlap. Are one. My theory would be that Twilight predates the order of Light and Shadow being seperate. It is what is both, and yet neither. I would also guess it is the realm the Old Gods originated in. And likely where they are popping their heads out of, for us to kill. The Twilight Realm, a place of primal energies that when enveloping the world would reduce it to a place where Old Gods and the ultimate creations of Deathwing, the Twilight-enfused Dragonflight, cry out in victory.

Really nice post.

Do you have in mind that this Twilight Realm is kinda like the Firelands ( a different place in a different "dimension" so to speak), or more like the Emerald Dream ( same place in a different "dimension")? Cause I'd totally go to a warped and twisted place (version of Azeroth?) to fight the Old Gods on their own territory if that could be done. Bring on *that* expansion

(I have vague memories of a zelda game (Twilight Princess) where something that felt like this happened (one of 3 Zelda games I've not played (much) myself))

[Netherspark]

Twilight in game is usually Holy and Shadow combined - that should give you some clue. The use of the word in Wow, much like it's real application describes the end of light and beginning of darkness.

However I suspect that "twilight magic" is only symbolic and is canonically just shadow.

[Caerule]

Do you have in mind that this Twilight Realm is kinda like the Firelands?

You're actually drawn into the Twilight Realm on several occasions in the game. Ultraxion pulls everyone into the Twilight Realm, where he attempts to slay you with its energies. Twilight Dragons seem to normally shift between the Twilight and normal realm at will, able to fase out of the realm they please, to escape damage. Ultraxion seems to exist in the Twilight Realm, and designed to pull others into it, where he is most dangerous.

You also enter the Twilight Realm while facing Halion in Ruby Sanctum, but voluntarely. The dragon shifts between the two realms to escape damage.

So yes, the Twilight Realm seems to be a twisted version, bathed in chaotic Twilight energies, mirroring our own world. It does not seem to match the Shadow Realm(s) encountered in other situations, nor have connection to the dead.

[Grubjuice]

i don't think 'twilight' has an exact definition in this game; it is a purposefully a vague descriptor like 'Fel' as opposed to more exact mechanical terms like 'fire' or 'shadow'

I do like the idea of 'twilight' bearing some relationship to the old gods. There is no strong distinction in my mind between Abberrations (the mob type of the old gods and their minions) and Demons; evil is evil, and any magic user crazy enough to enslave demons and extract their magic would also probably be crazy enough to tap into the eldritch forces sleeping under the earth with power beyond our comprehension. So i don't see why warlocks WOULDN'T be tempted to use Old God magic.

[Murphlord]

Twilight magic is probably some bizarre mix of light and shadow.

[xskarma]

You're actually drawn into the Twilight Realm on several occasions in the game. Ultraxion pulls everyone into the Twilight Realm, where he attempts to slay you with its energies. Twilight Dragons seem to normally shift between the Twilight and normal realm at will, able to fase out of the realm they please, to escape damage. Ultraxion seems to exist in the Twilight Realm, and designed to pull others into it, where he is most dangerous.

You also enter the Twilight Realm while facing Halion in Ruby Sanctum, but voluntarely. The dragon shifts between the two realms to escape damage.

So yes, the Twilight Realm seems to be a twisted version, bathed in chaotic Twilight energies, mirroring our own world. It does not seem to match the Shadow Realm(s) encountered in other situations, nor have connection to the dead.

D'oh! How could I have allready forgotten the Ultraxion fight >.<

Well interesting, I'd love to see if Blizz ever makes use of this twilight realm in some future expansion. I usually like shadowy dimensions that twist the known in to slightly bizarre and dangerous but possibly recognizable things. Again, Zelda does that in a few games.

[Kathranis]

First off, I'll offer a quick non-lore explanation so people can be more informed.

In terms of game mechanics, Twilight spells are multi-school: Shadow + Holy. Blizzard introduced most of the multi-schools at the start of Cataclysm, after experimenting with Frostfire Bolt in Wrath of the Lich King. When hitting a target, multi-school abilities deal damage based on which of the schools the target has the weakest resistance to, and they can also still be cast even if one of the schools is locked.

For reference, according to the game's combat log API, the possible multi-schools are:

Holystrike = Holy + Physical
Flamestrike = Fire + Physical
Holyfire = Fire + Holy
Stormstrike = Nature + Physical
Holystorm = Nature + Holy
Firestorm = Nature + Fire
Froststrike = Frost + Physical
Holyfrost = Frost + Holy
Frostfire = Frost + Fire
Froststorm = Frost + Nature
Shadowstrike = Shadow + Physical
Twilight = Shadow + Holy
Shadowflame = Shadow + Fire
Plague = Shadow + Nature
Shadowfrost = Shadow + Frost
Spellstrike = Arcane + Physical
Divine = Arcane + Holy
Spellfire = Arcane + Fire
Spellstorm = Arcane + Nature
Spellfrost = Arcane + Frost
Spellshadow = Arcane + Shadow
Elemental = Frost + Nature + Fire
Chromatic = Arcane + Shadow + Frost + Nature + Fire
Magic = Arcane + Shadow + Frost + Nature + Fire + Holy
Chaos = Arcane + Shadow + Frost + Nature + Fire + Holy + Physical

Only a handful of these multischools are currently used in-game, but they're all listed in the API.



Now, getting into the lore, Twilight is obviously a combination of Light and Void, Holy and Shadow, or whatever you want to call them. According to Warcraft Saga, the universe was created when Light and Void collided in the Great Dark Beyond. So these are essentially the two most primal forces in the universe, and Twilight is the blending of the two. You could probably consider it a form of chaotic, primordial energy. As such, it's well suited to the Old Gods and their minions, and now the warlocks have learned to harness it.

An important thing to consider from the lore perspective is also that "fel" simply refers to especially corrupting/addictive forms of arcane magic. They're often represented by the shadow school in WoW, but are not actually related to Shadow/Void magic. According to the Warcraft RPG, the green fel fire is technically known as "entropic fire."

[checking facts]

considering he old gods are "necrophotic parasites" and necrophotic means "relative to dead light", and the fact that the twilight ward shields you against shadow and light spells, I'd say twilight magic is either another type of shadow magic, or some sort of twisted mix between shadow and light magic.

[Grubjuice]

+1 Internet Kathranis!

[deviantcultist]

My theory:

Affliction: Twilight/Old God Magic

Demonology: Demonic/Illidari Magic with Void influences

Destruction: Elemental Magic with Fel influences which will be fully applied through the new quest line

[checking facts]

My theory:

Affliction: Twilight/Old God Magic

Demonology: Demonic/Illidari Magic with Void influences

Destruction: Elemental Magic with Fel influences which will be fully applied through the new quest line

affliction - twilight, void and minor necromancy (haunt, and the whole deal about soul shards)
demonology - demonic and fel with some void (shadow bolt, void ray)
destruction - elemental fire with fel if you do the questline.

fel is the pinnacle of demonic magic. if you can use fel and you don't do it on your demonic magic, you are gimping yourself

[deviantcultist]

However I suspect that "twilight magic" is only symbolic and is canonically just shadow.

Not really symbolic, the description of Malefic Grasp mention that it binds the target in Twilight and Twilight Ward absorbs Holy damage as well which is different from Shadow Ward that absorbed exclusively shadow damage.