Are Priests just another type of Mage

[Rockwood]

So here is my lore question,

In Wow lore, mages are those who study and learn how to use/control magic be it Frost, Fire, and Arcane. In Wow lore, Priests are those who study the light and learn how to use/control it. During times of war/crisis magi and priests both use their powers to help/protect others.
So is the light another type of magic?
Both the light and arcane/fire/ice take time to study in order to use it effectively. Both the light and fire magic are searing when used on others. Both the light and the arcane are linked to the titans.
The dark side of both the light and arcane/fire/ice is shadow magic. A warlock that uses shadow magic can control demons, a priest that uses shadow magic can control minds.

What if the light isn't a faith but another cosmic force that can be used if the person has enough will to control it. This would explain why others like the scarlet crusade can control the light even though their faith is corrupted. However how can the light abandon people ? Let us look at magic. Magic takes focus to control. So instead of the light abandoning them what if they simply lost the focus needed to control the magic.

This is my theory.

[seni]

Personal Opinion: Yes, the power of the light is similar to the elements of arcane, fire, nature, shadow, frost...etc
Imitated Blizzard Opinion: No, the power of the light is something different entirely...but we aren't ready to reveal that secret yet.
Interpretation of above: Someday, soon, the lore behind the Naaru and Elune will be revealed in a future expansion, which they are saving for when they really run out of plot options.

[Aucald]

I think the primary difference between the Light and the Arcane is that Light-associated abilities are granted by extra-planar entities such as the Naaru or Elune, whereas the Arcane is more a general force intrinsic to the universe which can simply be manipulated to varying degrees by those trained to do so. Both forms of energy can be used to similar ends (the Light to destroy as if by radiant flame, the Arcane to strengthen the body or even heal in a limited capacity), but their origin and limitations are different.

[apepi]

They are very different. Mages study, seek knowledge, Priest follow the light and its code.

They both have different mindsets. Like difference from rogue and monks.

[MrSaggins]

The differences I see between them are their power sources. Norgannon's ley lines create the arcane sewers beneath Azeroth that mages can draw upon, so mages use purple arcane energy and either channel it raw or use it to manipulate the elements of the world around them and time itself. The Highborne and High Elves also drew upon fonts of arcane power and suffered from magical addiction withdraw in their absence following the Sundering and Third War respectively.

Kaldorei turned to fel magic (Legion, see Satyrs), chaos magic (N'Zoth, see Naga) and the druidic/holy magic hybrid of Elune, Ysera, Cenarius, Nozdormu, Nordrassil and the Emerald Dream. Blood Elves were originally promised Illidan's Reliquary of Souls beneath the Temple of Karabor, but found themselves denied and turned to drawing on fel magic and the holy light of the captured naaru M'uru in Netherstorm; and then later, drawing on the redeemed Sunwell that was purified by Velen and the last spark of the defeated void state M'uru.

It's specifically the property of the light to sate magic addiction that makes me think arcane and holy are essentially both just magic. Arcane being the physical manifestation of the kinetic currents of the cosmic body of Azeroth moving through space, harnessed by the titans and channeled into pathways that mages can draw upon; and the Light being the manifestation of life energy that exists within every being, and is tapped into with a sense of morality and devotion to a higher purpose. But both are exchangable energies with the potential to be catalyzed and magnified. They come from different sources and have different effects upon the world around them, but they're essentially the same. They're energy.

That's just my opinion.

[Trassk]

I like how the ideas of light and shadow are as much part of the magic types in warcraft as arcane, fel and nature is. In the same way you could call shamans and druids types of mages because of there practice with the elements/nature.
But with the light and shadow of priests, it doesn't matter what that races faith is, be it elune for night elves, or the earthmother for tauren, or some primal god for the trolls, the power that comes from it is all the same.

Humans and dwarves just seem the most ridiculous, they worship just 'the light', not a deity, just the concept of its power, making it seem very impersonal without a face to its belief.

[Deleted]

I'm not a lore buff by any means but isn't the light used by different races/classes actually different but it is just represented in-game as the same for mechanic reasons.
Or am i getting confused with Paladins?

[Oneirophobia]

Light is magic, yes. They're basically mages.

However, mage magic is powered through knowledge.

Priest magic is fueled through belief. It matters not what you believe in, as long as you believe in it strongly enough. Your belief, your faith will manifest as light.

This is why there are evil priests and good priests, and the light helps both unquestioningly. The light doesn't have an opinion, it isn't a thinking thing like people believe. People thinking the light has a choice in who it helps use that idea as a supporting factor in why they're right.

For example, "the light is helping me, therefore I mustn't be evil. THEY'RE the evil ones, or the light wouldn't come to me!" It simply isn't like that, though. Your belief makes the light, not your moral code.

[Uriel]

In ancient times there was only arcane magic. Mages managed to bring order and balance into the chaos of wild unstable arcane magic and seperated them into the elemental schools.

The light is a godlike energy. Priests can't manipulate it directly. All they can do is pray to the god of light (Naaru?) and ask them to help them by either healing or smiting down their enemies.

As you can see, both powers are quite different. Mages have almost total control over their magic. The take arcane magic from the neather and turn it into something they want it to be. Whereas Priests are a mere medium of heavenly will. I don't know, if the "Light" (as in a god) uses the priest to do his actions or if the priests decide what to do and just asking the Light for help.

While Mages seem to be the more powerful at first, I think the light is much stronger than any arcane magic and priests can only wield a fraction of its full potential. A proof to that theory is that there are resistances to all magic schools.. Except to light.

[MrSaggins]

Humans and dwarves just seem the most ridiculous, they worship just 'the light', not a deity, just the concept of its power, making it seem very impersonal without a face to its belief.

Though apparently retconned, this wasn't originally the case. Light wielders of Warcraft I and II make specific mentions of God, Hell and angels; more or less akin to the monotheistic Abrahamic religions of the real world. You can see this same theme in the original Diablo. The faith of the Holy Light isn't really fleshed out until Warcraft III, during Arthas and Uther's conversations. It's at that point that we're led to believe that the Light is a sensing/perceiving/judging entity, capable of healing the living and smiting the fel tainted orcs, demons and undead; but not necessarily a sentient, omnipotent/omniscient being.

The Light is more akin the The Force in Star Wars. A force of moral dichotomy possessing both a cleansing, healing, benevolent light side that empowers life and burns unlife; and likewise casts a shadow of darkness that taints, corrupts, and inspires fear in light's absence - void.

Lord Uther: I dearly hope that there's a special place in Hell waiting for you, Arthas!
Prince Arthas: We may never know, Uther. I intend to live... forever.

As for the aformentioned Gods, angels and Hells, those are likely explained by things we know by different names in the game. Warlocks jeopardize their own lifeforce to cast Hellfire, and priests originally said that demons came from Hell, but those are likely synonyms for the Twisting Nether. The angels are likely a reference to Priests' Spirits of Redemption, and Paladins' Guardians of Ancient Kings; but as to *what* exactly they are, or where they come from, I have no clue. "Gods" is a term used in World of Warcraft to describe beings who are worshipped, as there are apparently no truly omniscient/omnipotent beings within existence of the game's story; but I like to think that the Vrykul descended humans were referring to Tyr.

As for your statement that it's ridiculous to worship a concept of power without a face, I couldn't disagree more. The idea that a great universal power has to have a relatable living avatar that exemplifies its worshipers is nothing more than sheer vanity. There is enough power and magic all around us that we don't have to invent omnipotent copies of ourselves to look over us, judge us, and justify our actions. The Holy Light appears to be both a force of creation, in the form of the light of stars and celestial bodies and their stark contrast with the absence thereof, aka the void; and this force of creation takes place both within and around us.

In my opinion it's a concept of higher morality and a collective consciousness that binds all living things. That would explain how it is both a force, and a faceless judging entity. That's also why the Holy Light will abandon you if you abandon morality, but your morality is subjective as good is a point of view, which is why the Scarlet Crusade can wield it. However, as it is a force of life derived from living things, its effects are not subjective, which is why demons and malevolent undead cannot wield the Holy Light not matter how justified they feel - and when it's used to heal Forsaken and Death Knights it cauterizes them, rather than naturally mending. (I believe Metzen said at Blizzcon 2010 that healing playable undead characters caused them excruciating pain.) But that's merely speculation.

[Fmr]

For a priest to use the light he must be FULLY CONVINCED that what he does is good. The light won't respond if he doubts his actions. Even if an outsider sees the action as "evil", as long as the priest has the faith and heart and thinks he does good, the light will respond. For the shadow it's the other way around. For the use of shadow the priest must be evil and / or worhsip an evil being like an old god or the lich king, for example. A priest cannot switch between light and shadow as he wishes. Even if you think you can trick this system by faking your thoughts it won't work. Usually a priest who becomes bad will become evil and most of the time there's no saving him from there. Once corrupted the chance that he becomes good again are very low, almost non existant. Using shadow magic will also corrupt the body and soul and the light is the opposite of the darkness, that means the user will be more vulnerable to holy magic. After a time he even becomes undead without actually dying but that process is very slow. THink of the light and shadow in wow like the force in star wars. The 2 dominant forces in the warcraft universe are light and shadow and are the exact opposite of each other. They will erradicate themselves on contact. That is why you can burn undead with holy magic.
I got a bit out of context here, the differnce of a priest and a mage is the faith required.

[FuxieDK]

For a priest to use the light he must be FULLY CONVINCED that what he does is good. The light won't respond if he doubts his actions. Even if an outsider sees the action as "evil", as long as the priest has the faith and heart and thinks he does good, the light will respond. For the shadow it's the other way around. For the use of shadow the priest must be evil and / or worship an evil being like an old god or the lich king.

This makes sense, so far... However....

A priest cannot switch between light and shadow as he wishes.

Benedictus says otherwise.. He use Holy and Shadow, at will..

There is no good. No evil. No light. There is only POWER!

(Not mentioning player priests, who can mix and match, for the sake of gameplay)