How Are Shadow Priests Allowed?

[Triggered Fridgekin]

This is something I've always wondered but never really figured out.

For starters, Shadow Priests are essentially the most evil beings on Azeroth. Unlike Warlocks who are inherently evil Shadow Priests will actively forsake the Light in order to pursuit shadow and void magic to deal a great amount of pain and suffering on to others in spite of the cost on their sanity.

Secondly, their actively dabbling in the Void which is likely, for all intents and purposes, the greatest enemy of the game and yet we're not only allowing them to commune with the Void but we seem to be okay that their using what is the fragment of an Old God as their weapon. NPCs will continue to talk about the threat of the Void as the ultimate destruction and even while doing the Priest Mount chain as Shadow makes for an awkward scenario since the Custodian is essentially telling us that they were placed in protection and that the void was eventually going to destroy the chamber... so here you go, Shadow Priest, take these.

I know it's simply a lot of "gameplay for the sake of gameplay" because it's not like we can just erase a Spec from the game because it clashes with the theme but, in a general sense, is there a lore-friendly reason why the citizens of Azeroth allow Shadow Priests to exist but consider things like Necromancy unacceptable? (this is not a new class plug but rather how Necromancers in the game are usually reserved as being outcast bad guys).

Thanks

[Dead_MAX]

As far as I know, people of Azeroth don't yet know what Void Lords are....and even if the fact that Void lords exist is know...it's only to few people.

Second Shadow Priests are very much the same as Warlocks in the fact that they "use the powers of the enemy against it"

So although people and heroes of Azeroth know how dangerous Old gods and the Void is, as long as the Shadow Priest controls evil forces they are using...it's fine. Also you can use an example in Warlock Fel fire quest....One of the warlocks went too far and got banished. Pretty sure something like this would work for Shadow priests as well.

[KrakHed]

This is something I've always wondered but never really figured out.

For starters, Shadow Priests are essentially the most evil beings on Azeroth. Unlike Warlocks who are inherently evil Shadow Priests will actively forsake the Light in order to pursuit shadow and void magic to deal a great amount of pain and suffering on to others in spite of the cost on their sanity.

Secondly, their actively dabbling in the Void which is likely, for all intents and purposes, the greatest enemy of the game and yet we're not only allowing them to commune with the Void but we seem to be okay that their using what is the fragment of an Old God as their weapon. NPCs will continue to talk about the threat of the Void as the ultimate destruction and even while doing the Priest Mount chain as Shadow makes for an awkward scenario since the Custodian is essentially telling us that they were placed in protection and that the void was eventually going to destroy the chamber... so here you go, Shadow Priest, take these.

I know it's simply a lot of "gameplay for the sake of gameplay" because it's not like we can just erase a Spec from the game because it clashes with the theme but, in a general sense, is there a lore-friendly reason why the citizens of Azeroth allow Shadow Priests to exist but consider things like Necromancy unacceptable? (this is not a new class plug but rather how Necromancers in the game are usually reserved as being outcast bad guys).

Thanks

Read the lore. Shadow Priests know the universe as we know it is formed of both Light and Void in balance. Both are natural and omnipresent forces. To simply ignore the Void, to refuse any effort to understand it, would be folly. To delve into it is dangerous, but can we simply reject half of existence as wholly evil?

Void magic has been used for good before. Hell, the whispers of the Void are what gave the Conclave prior warning to the Legion's assault.

If your mind is properly prepared, the Void can be dealt with. Mutually beneficial arrangements can be made with its less hostile denizens. And maybe one day you'll see what value and worth the Void adds to reality as we know it. To refuse to pursue the unknown out of fear, as well as to pursue the unknown recklessly, are just two ways of succumbing to the Void.

But in time, the wise shall master their darkness and realize it was never something truly apart from themselves all this time. We are all the Children of Light and Shadow.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

This information actually makes me appreciate Shadow Priests even more than I already did.

[Eucep]

Also I think though the void is nothingness, most priests do not see the shadow as that version. The nihilistic void probably is barely known. The shadow as counter to light is what they are more likely to know. It's 'an evil' but not the 'ultimate evil'.

[KrakHed]

Also I think though the void is nothingness, most priests do not see the shadow as that version. The nihilistic void probably is barely known. The shadow as counter to light is what they are more likely to know. It's 'an evil' but not the 'ultimate evil'.

Evil? It's dangerous and just that, at least from the Shadow Priest perspective. Most Shadow Priest traditions stem directly from interactions with the Void. The Cult of Forgotten Shadow's teaching were filtered from Xal'atath herself. In their conception, the Void is simply a natural force which the followers of the Light are too timid to study.

Do you have the courage to wander from the familiar Light and plumb the depths of the unknown? In the Void, there are monsters. Loathing voices. Terrifying whispers. Unsettling hints of what will or might be. There are secrets and there are lies. We must keep wary of the dangers, indeed the Void itself will tell us to be afraid, even as it lures us onward with promises of ever more. We must walk with care. Neither giving into the Void nor rejecting it.

Perhaps it'd be best to limit ourselves. To not seek anything outside our comfort zone. To stick to what's safe, where we know the Light will protect us. Yes, that is how life should be.

[Eucep]

Exactly, those are 'bad' things, but not the ultimate evil of ending all existence.

[Ashnazg]

Warlocks are the most evil of classes available to PCs (by our morality standards) - since they actively subjugate and enslave souls and sentient creatures.

Priests merely tap into a force of entropy in their magic - there is no good or evil associated with that, its just a tool that can be used for whatever purpose by the priests who wield it.

[jackofwind]

Also I think though the void is nothingness, most priests do not see the shadow as that version. The nihilistic void probably is barely known. The shadow as counter to light is what they are more likely to know. It's 'an evil' but not the 'ultimate evil'.

I would also argue against labelling it "evil" because of the connotations that accompany it. The Light and The Void are two distinct forces opposed to one another with different agendas, but both are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to gain victory over the other. Neither are "evil", both are just too powerful to not be held in check by each other.

Yes, The Light protects us - but all the gifts it gives The Void can give as well, and I believe if either was to overcome the other the results would be eerily similar.

[zlygork]

Only halfway through legion, Magni gives the first hint at a thing darker than the burning legion existing, you average Joe certainly has no conception of what the void is and what using it might entail.

- - - Updated - - -

I would also argue against labelling it "evil" because of the connotations that accompany it. The Light and The Void are two distinct forces opposed to one another with different agendas, but both are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to gain victory over the other. Neither are "evil", both are just too powerful to not be held in check by each other.

Yes, The Light protects us - but all the gifts it gives The Void can give as well, and I believe if either was to overcome the other the results would be eerily similar.

Also this. See: Rejection of the gift and imagine what if the Naaru were the only force on their level in the cosmos.

[Al Gorefiend]

Warlocks are the most evil of classes available to PCs (by our morality standards) - since they actively subjugate and enslave souls and sentient creatures.

Priests merely tap into a force of entropy in their magic - there is no good or evil associated with that, its just a tool that can be used for whatever purpose by the priests who wield it.

The most evil of classes is definitely the Monk. Idk what you're talking about.

[Deleted]

Why is your base assumption that light = good? The scarlet crusade are insane but still capable of light magic. the light is a source of magic like any other. Even beings made of light (light elementals) like any other elemental are shown to be more complex then 'good' and 'Evil'. While adal was shown to care for the natives of Outland, Xera tried to enslave illdian.

Only like half the playable races (Most Allaince and BE) actually follow the light. At best some of those races might outlaw shadow magic.

[DeltrusDisc]

This information actually makes me appreciate Shadow Priests even more than I already did.

Yes YESSSSS.

One of us. One of us. One of us.

[Lucetia]

Read the lore. Shadow Priests know the universe as we know it is formed of both Light and Void in balance. Both are natural and omnipresent forces. To simply ignore the Void, to refuse any effort to understand it, would be folly. To delve into it is dangerous, but can we simply reject half of existence as wholly evil?

Void magic has been used for good before. Hell, the whispers of the Void are what gave the Conclave prior warning to the Legion's assault.

If your mind is properly prepared, the Void can be dealt with. Mutually beneficial arrangements can be made with its less hostile denizens. And maybe one day you'll see what value and worth the Void adds to reality as we know it. To refuse to pursue the unknown out of fear, as well as to pursue the unknown recklessly, are just two ways of succumbing to the Void.

But in time, the wise shall master their darkness and realize it was never something truly apart from themselves all this time. We are all the Children of Light and Shadow.

Some of this is actually touched upon in the Week 3 quest with Alleria (on Mac'Aree) and her diving into the Void Magic. The quest line basically shows you that one must prepare to be able to handle the void magic and be able to control it instead of letting it control you. Which then leads up to the Seat of Triumvirate.

[Razion]

From how I see it, when the time comes the player will fight against the Void with Shadow, so it's again a Demon Hunter slash Death Knight situation of just wielding whatever power you can get your hands on to destroy the enemy.

In the Forsaken Cult of Forgotten Shadow, they exercise a balance between light and shadow must be maintained. Some may be taking up the Shadow so that the Light doesn't become too powerful. (Or perhaps we would otherwise end up seeing more cases like Xera.)

We don't imprison all Warlocks either just because we've fought a lot of bad ones.
In this game we judge the player character by their own merits and actions, and as long as the player character isn't given the option to drastically destroy the world they've worked so hard to protect thus far, they have no reason not to trust us to keep fighting any enemy of Azeroth - regardless if they use the same power as another.

[Deleted]

Weird thing is in priest order hall there are both shadow priests and void priests and this doesn't really make any sense...anyways gotta admit spriiests got quite some lovin with artifact being one of the most active companions in game and the enter-voidform graphs are absolutely epic best by far followed maybe by art and bladt

[deviantcultist]

People need to separate Shadow Priests from a random Void-possessed cultist.

Priests have a solid understanding of Light/Void duality and Shadow Priests are masters of the Void side of things, while maintaining contact with the Light.

Random cultists on the other hand, they just worship the Void and go nuts - those are the villainous types.

Now, they are neutral cases like Benedictus, who was an actual Priest who willingly acted in an evil manner. Then again, that had to do with his personality and not his powers.

[KrakHed]

Weird thing is in priest order hall there are both shadow priests and void priests and this doesn't really make any sense...anyways gotta admit spriiests got quite some lovin with artifact being one of the most active companions in game and the enter-voidform graphs are absolutely epic best by far followed maybe by art and bladt

The difference between Shadow and Void Priests is probably related to their approach. It's worth noting that the Void Priest outfit looks a little more mechanical and sci-fi, while the Shadow Priests are more typical dark priest outfits. While Shadow and Void are often used interchangeably, the Cult of Forgotten Shadow was once described as using it to refer to the balance.

So really, I'd guess from the clothes that Void Priests would be into deeper research than Shadow Priests, and maybe somewhat less constrained. Using the technical term 'Void' rather than the more philosophical 'Shadow'.

[Wyrt]

Shadow priests worked better before Blizzard turned them into full on insane old god worshipers. Cult of Forgotten Shadow, Auchenai, and whatever the troll shadow priests were called(Hex Priests?) were all shadow priests that were accepted before.

Turning them all into insane old god worshipers was really dumb.

[Seranthor]

This is something I've always wondered but never really figured out.

For starters, Shadow Priests are essentially the most evil beings on Azeroth. Unlike Warlocks who are inherently evil Shadow Priests will actively forsake the Light in order to pursuit shadow and void magic to deal a great amount of pain and suffering on to others in spite of the cost on their sanity.

Secondly, their actively dabbling in the Void which is likely, for all intents and purposes, the greatest enemy of the game and yet we're not only allowing them to commune with the Void but we seem to be okay that their using what is the fragment of an Old God as their weapon. NPCs will continue to talk about the threat of the Void as the ultimate destruction and even while doing the Priest Mount chain as Shadow makes for an awkward scenario since the Custodian is essentially telling us that they were placed in protection and that the void was eventually going to destroy the chamber... so here you go, Shadow Priest, take these.

I know it's simply a lot of "gameplay for the sake of gameplay" because it's not like we can just erase a Spec from the game because it clashes with the theme but, in a general sense, is there a lore-friendly reason why the citizens of Azeroth allow Shadow Priests to exist but consider things like Necromancy unacceptable? (this is not a new class plug but rather how Necromancers in the game are usually reserved as being outcast bad guys).

Thanks

You can not have light without darkness, you can not have darkness without light. Either they both exist, or neither exist. Using both to your advantage is a good thing, not 'evil'.