Warlock Lore!

[Deleted]

Why does everyone keep yelling that Warlocks, the almighty fel energie, demon controlling badasses that they are, originate from Mages?
Mages are pansies.
Also, if you have read any lore at all, Warlocks are shamans that have gone bad due Gul'dan/the Dark portal.
It really grinds my gears to see people say: Hey I'm a corrupted mage!

[Deleted]

because we are.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Warlock
"Warlocks are former arcanists, or in the case of the orcs, former shaman. In pursuit of ever-greater sources of power they have cast off their studies of the arcane or nature magics to delve deeper into the darker, fel-based magic of shadow. "

http://www.wowwiki.com/Mage
"Mages, the most common of arcanists, are found all over Azeroth. They focus on magic that creates and changes things, most often with the purpose of damaging their enemies and boosting the power of their allies."

need I go on further ?

[Deleted]

Shhhh, we originate from shammys, the first warlock was a shaman corrupted by mannoroth and the dark portal.

[Deleted]

lets not let a little thing like Gul'dan turning his back on shamanism (ie stopped being a shaman) and started to study fel magics get in the way of things.

[Deleted]

lets not let a little thing like Gul'dan turning his back on shamanism (ie stopped being a shaman) and started to study fel magics get in the way of things.

Point proven.

[Deleted]

ORC warlocks have there roots in Shamanism.

you don't many orcs walking around alliance cities

[morgeG]

I think it differ form orcs and other races. orc warlocks are as you said were originally shamans, while the humans and the other races (gnomes, forsaken BE) are mages who seeks more power by practicing demonology spells . (If I remembered correctly in "The Last Guardian" they mention two mages at dalaran that try to summon a doomguard.)
Anyway like human/Draenei/ Tauren paladins are the same class but have completely different origin the same goes with warlocks.

[Viradiance]

Humans, Warlocks, Forsaken, Blood Elves-- None of these races have Shaman among their number, yet they are Warlocks, yes?

The first Warlock was formerly a Shaman, but Shamanism has absolutely nothing to do with Warlock-ness. In fact, it has much more overlap with the Arcane (in that they both deal with power by taking it directly, and there's sizable overlap in the 'Fire' area!)

Basically, if you're an Orc, Troll, or Dwarf Warlock, you were likely either a Mage or Shaman who got so lusty for power you started hitting the hard shit.

If you're a Human, Gnome, Blood Elf, Forsaken-- you started out as a Mage.

[Deleted]

Due to the age of wow now and the lore within that races that we know are warlocks like Blood Elfs / Orcs it is possible that some become warlocks from the start like being the child of a warlock and also being trained by a warlock from the start.
Think about that ^^

[Akakishin]

actually warlockism came along with dread lords and their leaders kil-jaden and archimonde rather than being dark shamanism. yes first orc warlocks were shamans like gul'dan and they attached to fel power and nether realm to wield the unlimited power of fel energy but they wouldn't know a thing about this stuff if kil'jaden the deceiver wasn't there.
so walorcks = corrupted "anything" is so wrong.

[Deleted]

I think people are missing the point.
They ORIGINATE from shamans.

[leaderavia]

I think people are missing the point.
They ORIGINATE from shamans.

They do not.

Dark Magic, like religion and pasta, is an idea that sprang up independently across many cultures. This is why one can't pinpoint a singular location from which warlock magic spawned and why there are so many different groups compared to the governing body of the Kirin Tor for mages. Like other people have already pointed out, orc warlocks indeed were former shamans who were tricked into learning demonic magic by Kil'jaeden. The warlocks of Azeroth (for remember, the orcs learned warlock magic on a different planet) were originally arcanists, currently known as "mages" now that they have largely consolidated under the auspices of the Kirin Tor. They broke away from the more traditional magics in pursuits of power and knowledge that led them down demonic paths.

Warlocks do not all "originate" from shamans. An idea like dark magic continually springs up wherever magic exists.

[Bling]

THE FIRST ORC WARLOCK WAS A SHAMAN, NOT THE FIRST WARLOCK!! Gul'dan was not the first warlock. He was taught by another warlock....

The Burning Legion had Warlocks for thousands of years before that.... Hell Medivh could have been considered a Warlock before Orcs ever came to Azeroth and he was a mage first. The reason they tend to say most mages become warlocks is because "mage" is a generic term for magic user. Shaman, Druid, mage, priest, whatever caster you want to claim could all generically be considered mages by the nonmagic using populace. Illidan would have been considered a warlock using our current class system, and was a mage first. Kil'jaeden and Archimonde, two of the most powerful warlocks in existance were mages first. The reason orc warlocks were shaman first is because shaman were the only orc magic users.

Hell the reason the Order of Tirisfal was even founded was because rogue mages in Dalaran were using warlock magic and bringing Demons into Azeroth. This was nearly 2000 years before Orcs ever had warlocks.

[checking facts]

Shhhh, we originate from shammys, the first warlock was a shaman corrupted by mannoroth and the dark portal.

the original warlocks were eredar. the original eredar were an extremely talented race of arcanists. therefore the original warlocks were former mages.

it was the eredar who thought orcs how to be warlocks.

also: I've never heard of undead, human or gnome shamans.

[Azgraal]

I think people are missing the point.
They ORIGINATE from shamans.

If Gul'Dan was a Warrior, he would have ended a Warlock all the same. He got his powers and the ability to control fel energy directly from Legion agents. Horde warlocks might have followed the teachings of a formed shaman, but alliance warlocks follow the teaching of former mages that meddled with the forbidden arts of using demonic power as a source of magic.

Your point proves nothing, i'm sorry.

[The Madgod]

The first Warlock was formerly a Shaman, but Shamanism has absolutely nothing to do with Warlock-ness. In fact, it has much more overlap with the Arcane (in that they both deal with power by taking it directly, and there's sizable overlap in the 'Fire' area!)

I think people are missing the point.
They ORIGINATE from shamans.

Actually if we consider that the Order of Tirisfal was created over 3,000 years ago (long before the turn of events which brought forth the rise of the Horde) to stop demonic encroachment on Azeroth, I'd be willing to bet that the first (mortal / "Azerothian") warlocks were not in fact orcish. Rather, that they were high elven and human, who don't have any shamanic ancestry.

Warlock magic originates from the Burning Legion and the Twisting Nether. Their TRAINING in magic in general does typically stem from either the teachings of magi or the teachings of shamanism, however.

Eredar, to our knowledge, are the first warlocks who were originally something else. That something else was being magi.

[Kralljin]

but Shamanism has absolutely nothing to do with Warlock-ness. In fact, it has much more overlap with the Arcane (in that they both deal with power by taking it directly, and there's sizable overlap in the 'Fire' area!)

Depends on your view on Shamanism, there are some Shaman that believe they should take from the Elements what they need and not ask them, these Shaman are much darker and pretty close to Warlocks, they don't enslave demonic Power but Elemental Power.

[Deleted]

I still don't understand why WoW warlocks summon demons. I'm fairly sure in real world mythology warlocks were basically just a male witch?

Not that I'm complaining.

[checking facts]

I still don't understand why WoW warlocks summon demons. I'm fairly sure in real world mythology warlocks were basically just a male witch?

Not that I'm complaining.

"The concept of witchcraft as harmful is often treated as a cultural ideology providing a scapegoat for human misfortune. This was particularly the case in Early Modern Europe where witchcraft came to be seen as part of a vast diabolical conspiracy of individuals in league with the Devil undermining Christianity, eventually leading to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Protestant Europe. Witch hunts continue to this day with tragic consequences."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...l_painting.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch

[Quenden]

It is the easiest to explain, so most people think it tends to be the only way -- going from a Mage to Warlock, I mean. You could very easily go from Priest to Warlock...or really, anything to Warlock. That being said, former Mages would make excellent Warlocks because of their proficiency for magic.

Warlocks can pretty much come from anywhere. Generally, they'll come from Mages or Shamans, but there is nothing in lore that says a former Warrior could not study and develop a proficiency for magic/lust for power and start to embrace fel magic. Essentially anyone can harness the power a warlock does - but few are going to be as proficient as a former Mage. The magic is powerful and can easily corrupt.

It doesn't originate from Mages or Shamans - it originates from the Legion. Granted, I'm looking at this through the eyes of a roleplayer.