Warcraft/Characters/Shadowlands (Death)

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Death is a cosmic force that holds sway over every living thing in the Great Dark Beyond. Acting as a counterbalance to life, it is an unavoidable force that breeds despair in mortal hearts and pushes everything towards a state of entropic decay and eventual oblivion. It manifests in the form of necromantic magic and is represented by the Shadowlands, the realm of the dead.

The Pantheon of Death

Arbiter

The Arbiter is an ancient, mysterious being who dwells atop the city of Oribos and judges all the mortal souls that enter the Shadowlands. Her existence predates all memory—even older than the titans, according to some accounts. When a soul is brought before the Arbiter, all of its contents—deeds, misdeeds, thoughts, accomplishments, and failures—are instantly laid bare, absorbed, and understood by her. The Arbiter then sends the soul off to one of the infinite realms of the Shadowlands, determined by the soul's character.

  • The Faceless
  • Living MacGuffin
  • No Name Given
  • Omniscient Morality License: Between her abilities and that its her job - and hers alone - to judge the souls of the dead, the Arbiter possesses one of these. She decides where souls go, and if there is absolutely no chance of redemption, she has no problem sending them to the Maw. Even those horrible-but-potentially-redeemable souls who get sent to Revendreth do so will full knowledge that they will be inflicted countless torments upon.
  • Physical God: An ancient supernatural being integral to the settings cosmology, and capable of judging the history of a soul's deeds through a single glance.
  • Sealed Good in a Can
  • Time Abyss

Zovaal the Jailer

An ancient being who rules the realm known as the Maw in the Shadowlands. Very little is known about him, since nothing has ever escaped the Maw and no one has ever seen the Jailer himself — or at least, no one has seen him and lived to tell the tale.

  • Bald of Evil: Naturally.
  • Big Bad: The chief threat of Shadowlands. The Jailer seeks to build an army of Mawsworn, and arm them with weapons, both made from the souls he is taking thanks to the broken machine of death. He intends to escape the Maw and then lay waste to all creation so that Death will be the only power left in existence, with himself ruling over Death. Multiple other highly powerful entities within the Shadowlands and various other planes of existence also work to advance his plans.
  • The Dreaded: Any mention of him presents him as the boogeyman of the entire Shadowlands, with even the Eternal ones apart from Denathrius and Attendants dreading what would happen if he escaped. Few even know what he looks like, but everyone fears him.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: He intends to destroy all of reality so that Death is the sole power remaining.
  • Outside Context Villain: Barely anybody in the mortal plane knows he exists aside from select few individuals. Apparently no one who isn't Sylvanas or any of his cronies expected him to start stirring major trouble as well, and that includes the key figures of the Shadowlands themselves barring Denathrius, who had made a deal with him.
  • Physical God: Whatever he is, he definitely has an important role in the cosmology of Warcraft. The developers have described him as being at least as powerful as a titan.
  • Revenge: The Jailer holds a grudge against his fellow Eternal Ones for imprisoning him.
  • Rule of Symbolism: Chains are a recurring motif with the Jailer. In addition to being in charge of the Maw, the Jailer himself is all but stated to be its prisoner as well. He also has numerous chains coming off his armor and his servants use shadowy chains as weapons or to capture foes.
  • Sealed Evil in A Can: Some time at the birth of the Shadowlands, Zovaal was imprisoned within the Maw by his fellow Eternal Ones for a prior act of treachery. He intends to use the influx of souls to his realm to escape his prison and destroy all life in existence.
  • Suspiciously Similar Replacement: The Jailer serves as this to Sargeras. He's a titan-like being who plans to upset the order of the cosmos with a massive supernatural army under his command consisting of corrupted races. Both of them also consider the titan Azeroth integral to those plans and have a backstory involving a great betrayal. This is further lampshaded when Baine theorizes the Jailer's army could rival the Burning Legion for numbers.
  • The Man Behind The Man: To Sylvanas, Kel'thuzad (following Wrath of the Lich King), Helya, Gorak Tul, Mueh'zala and Sire Denathrius.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: Mueh'zala tricked Vol'jin into appointing Sylvanas Windrunner as Warchief of the Horde, leading her to start the Fourth War and increase the Jailer's power by sending more souls to his realm. Denathrius did the same by funneling souls into the Maw after The Arbiter was incapacitated, providing the Jailer with more souls and power. However after Mueh'zala and Denathrius were beaten, the Jailer abandoned them.
  • Your Soul Is Mine: His goal is to gather as much souls as possible and harness their power as a weapon. That also includes Azeroth's own world-soul.

The Primus

The founder and supreme ruler of Maldraxxus who presides over the Five Houses. The most tactical and long-thinking of the Eternal Ones, and a master strategist nearly unbeatable on the field of battle.

Sire Denathrius

Sire Denathrius is the creator and leader of the realm of Revendreth and its inhabitants, the venthyr people, which he rules from Castle Nathria. Calculating and methodical, Denathrius is ancient beyond measure and one of the most powerful beings in all the Shadowlands.

  • Co-Dragons
  • Deal with the Devil: Denathrius made a deal with the Jailer, where he caused the anima drought. He claims its for a greater purpose, and that in return he will get to rule when the Jailer is free and accomplishes said goal.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: He's unhappy that his "son", Prince Renethal, the first Venthyr he created, is leading the rebellion against him. When he defeats Renethal and has him at his mercy, the normally ruthless Denathrius lets him live.
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • Final Boss
  • The Heavy: Him pledging his allegiance to the Jailer has resulted in every single problem the Maw Walker encounters in the realms of the Shadowlands. He masterminded the anima drought which has led to: the Jailer claiming every soul that leaves its body on an universal scale, Devos swaying countless Kyrian to become Forsworn and Mawsworn, a conflict between Bastion and Maldraxxus, the latter's own civil war, Ardenweald groves withering which indirectly enabled the Drust invasion from Thros along with Mue'Zhala usurping The Other Side from Bwonsamdi, and finally a civil war in Revendreth itself. He also created the Ember Wards when he committed an affront against the Light that provoked a retaliatory attack from many Naaru, two of which he managed to imprison in his own castle for research purposes and even corrupted one.
  • Horned Humanoid: One of the few Venthyr to have this trait. An indicator of his link to the Nathrezeim.
  • Monster Progenitor: To the Venthyr race as well as all vampires such as the Darkfallen. It's also implied he's this to the Nathrezeim.
  • Living Weapon: Denathrius' greatsword Remornia is sentient, can move under its own power and talks to him with a female voice, usually about her desire for bloodshed.
  • Motive Decay: Originally fulfilled the task of purging sinful souls of their evil and having them go to another afterlife or become a Venthyr, only sending those who refuse to be redeemed to The Maw.
  • Obvious Judas: Denathrius is introduced dictating a letter about how everyone needs to tighten their belts to overcome the anima drought... while he's shown in despotic luxury as a civilian who tries to give their rations to beggars is shown being executed. He's also a horned vampire-like being who dresses mostly in red. And sure enough...
  • Spanner in the Works: To the Primus' plan to save the Shadowlands. The Primus' message said it was essential for the various leaders of the Shadowlands' afterlives, including Denathrius among them, to join forces to defeat the Jailer. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Denathrius had turned traitor and was serving the Jailer.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Denathrius is callous with those who fail him. Turned back on him by the Jailer, who responded to Sylvanas' query about rescuing Denathrius by saying he'd served his purpose.

Kyrestia the Firstborne

The first of the winged kyrians, one of the Eternal Ones, and the Archon of the Kyrian Covenant.

Winter Queen

The Winter Queen is the creator and ruler of the realm of Ardenweald and its inhabitants, the Night Fae, who defend the spirits of nature. She is charged with the sacred task of maintaining the cycle of rebirth: restoring perished Wild Gods, Ancients, loa, and other nature spirits and returning them to the mortal plane.

The Shadowlands in General

Oribos

The Eternal City and a place of the First Ones, Oribos is connected to every realm of the Shadowlands via transport gates tethered to the soulstreams of In-Between.

The Attendants

Tal-Inara

Tal-Inara the Honored Voice is the Arbiter's spokesperson and usually serves as an intermediary between her and the other entities.

  • Mouth of Sauron: A heroic example.
  • You Are in Command Now: Due to Arbiter being incapacitated, Tal-Inara is now de facto the highest authority of Oribos that works together with the former Lich King, Bolvar Fordragon to restore the natural order of things in the Shadowlands and thwart Jailer's machinations.

Bastion

The Kyrian Covenant as a Whole

Chyrus

Thenios

Vesiphone

Xandria

Adrestes

Mikanikos

  • Gadgeteer Genius: The inventor of numerous automatons that are tasked with various functions around Bastion's important facilities.

Kleia

Pelagos

  • Super Gender Bender: Being able to choose your form in the Afterlife led to Pelagos choosing a male form as a Kyrian, a choice Pelagos is greatly pleased by.
  • Transgender: Born a woman as a mortal but identified as a man later in life and through death and becoming a Kyrian.

The Forsworn

Devos

  • Fallen Angel
  • He Who Fights Monsters
  • Ironic Name: Four times over. Devos was the Paragon of Loyalty... but was the only one of the Paragons to fall into doubt of Kyrestia and turn against her. When she became the Paragon of Doubt, she becomes one of the Jailers most loyal minions, believing he will bring her people salvation. Both also apply to her name Devos, which sounds like "devotion".
  • The Paragon Always Rebels: A literal example, as her former title was the Paragon of Loyalty.
  • Start of Darkness: Learning that souls can be wounded after seeing Uther's and the Archon's dismissal of the situation set Devos on a defiant path that would put her in league with the Jailer.
  • Ubermensch: Deconstructed. Devos considers herself someone rebelling against an unjust system that she wants to free herself and others from, but she offers no good alternatives and her solution is worse. This is all before the Join or Die element of her plan is factored in.
  • Villain Has A Point: While her methods and alternative are indefensible, Devos is not exactly wrong about the flaws of the Path.

Maldraxxus

Necrolord Covenant as a Whole

  • Civil War: After the disappearance of the Primus, the five houses of Maldraxxus began to vie for influence over the realm. By the time the Maw Walker arrives searching for answers regarding an unprecedented aggression of the Maldraxxian forces upon Bastion, the House of Plagues and the House of Eyes have been destroyed through a conspiracy. Two belligerent Margraves - the leaders of the House of Rituals and Constructs respectively - unwittingly reveal that they intend to claim the ancient seat of the Primus and wage war upon the other realms. Once they unwittingly reveal their plans to the Margrave of the last opposing house - the House of the Chosen, and refuse his demand to step down and honor the Primus' charge, it quickly devolves into a civil war.
  • Dark Is Not Evil
  • Large and In Charge: Most of the Margraves are far taller than most of their subordinates. Only Margrave Akarek of the House of Eyes was anywhere near human-sized.
  • Necromancer
  • Our Liches Are Different
  • The Spartan Way: The Primus made Maldraxxus this by turning the realm into a system of great houses, barons, and eternal war games to weed out weakness and allow the army of the Necrolords to continually improve. The reason for this was to make the armies of Maldraxxus as effective as possible at defending the Shadowlands. A better system than most, as troop losses are less important when everyone has access to necromancy.
  • Succession Crisis
  • Super Prototype
  • Well Intentioned Extremist

House of the Chosen

Margrave Krexus

House of Eyes

Margrave Akarek

House of Rituals

Margrave Sin'dane

  • Brains and Brawn: The brains to Gharmal's brawn.
  • Dem Bones
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Sin'dane is deeply hurt when she realizes Kel'Thuzad had misled and used her.
  • Fat and Skinny: The skinny to Gharmal's fat.
  • Lean and Mean
  • Unwitting Pawn: To Kel'thuzad, who had become an agent of the Jailer. This allowed him to manipulate the politics of Maldraxxus into working against the wishes of the Primus to turn the realm towards the conquest, rather than defense of, the Shadowlands.

House of Plagues

Margrave Stradama

House of Constructs

Margrave Gharmal

Ardenwald

Night Fae Covenant as a Whole

The Other Side

The Drust

Revendreth

Venthyr Covenant as a Whole

Theotar

Known as the Mad Duke, Theotar is an ally in Renathal's rebellion who has been banished to the Ember Ward.

  • Cloudcuckoolander: He's known as the Mad Duke, and has a few screws loose in his head.
  • Nice to the Waiter: While most Venthyr look down on the dredgers, Theotar treats his dredger servants Tubbins and Gubbins well and even calls them friends. The feeling is implied to be mutual as they never complain about him and seem to enjoy his company.
  • Ho Yay: One of the first things he does upon meeting Prince Ren'thal again is to compliment his physique.
  • Shout-Out: His fondness for tea and genteel nature combined with mental instability calls to mind the Mad Hatter.
  • Walking Shirtless Scene: He's shirtless when first encountered and never wears one, even when it would be to his advantage. It's the first thing Prince Renathal comments on when they're reunited during the Revendreth storyline. As he's a skeletally-thin old vampire, this isn't played for fanservice.

General Draven

A General of the Stoneborn Legion who has sided with Renathal's rebellion.

  • Ape Shall Never Kill Ape
  • Didn't Think This Through: He's aware that the player and Lord Chamberlain are in a carriage together and he doesn't want Denathrius to deceive the Maw Walker into fighting on his side. But instead of seperating the two and get the Maw Walker to help the rebellion, he attempted to kill the both by picking up the carriage and dropping it from a great height. Naturally the pair survive, and the now player now has legitimate reasons to ignore the other rebels attempts to warn them about siding with Denathrius.
  • Easily Forgiven: The narrative treats him receiving this from the player.
  • Shout-Out: To the character with the same name and title from the Star Wars film "Rogue One".
  • Well Intentioned Extremist: Only when he ties to kill the player, in order to prevent Denathrius from gaining their support.

Lord Chamberlain

The Lord Chamberlain serves as the head of Denathrius' household and for his service is made a Harvester to replace the Accuser.

  • Ambition Is Evil: He has been mercilessly climbing up the ranks of venthyr society and is determined to become a Harvester. He doesn't gain any kindness or integrity after achieving his goal at The Accuser's expense.
  • Didn't Think This Through: When General Draven is flying with the Lord Chamberlain's carriage and he's still inside it, the Lord Chamberlain orders Draven to release them immediately while invoking the name of Denathrius - who Draven is rebelling against. Draven obliges.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He is only known by his title of Lord Chamberlain, even after he becomes Harvester of Pride.
  • Hanging Judge: When he's made the Harvester of Pride in the Accuser's place, he uses claims that all of the souls in the Halls of Atonement are beyond redemption and must be bled dry of what anima they have left and cast into the Maw, even the souls days away from being absolved. The Accuser is rightfully horrified when she witnesses corrupt inquisitors nearly condemn a soul to the Maw that she had personally worked with and knew he was ready for redemption. This forced her to step in and Sire him into a Venthyr.
  • Mind Over Matter: With a thought and a touch of anima, the Lord Chamberlain can hurl massive stone statues.
  • Smug Snake: Despite the Maw Walker being considered a valued guest by Denathrius, the Lord Chamberlain treats the Maw Walker with contempt and often gloats about how everything the Maw Walker does will benefit himself.

Court of Harvesters

Prince Ren'thal

The first Venthyr sired by Denathrius, and originally the Harvester of Dominion, Renathal turned against his former master to lead a rebellion in Revendreth.

  • Badass Long Hair: Undeniably badass, with a distinctive long silver mane of hair similar to that of his sire.
  • Blood Knight: Some of his quest dialog and greeting quotes reveal that he enjoys a good fight finds the insurmountable task of taking down his former master to be... rather exhilarating.
  • Determinator: Charges Denathrius down even as Stoneborn gargoyles pick off his allies, while fending off brutal attacks from Remornia. Only wounds and exhaustion brought on by Remornia's Life Drain attacks stop him.
  • Fate Worse Than Death: He was thrown into the Maw by Denathrius after his first rebellion failed. Thankfully the player characters rescue him.
  • Ironic Echo: Denathrius' last words to Ren'thal after hurling his anima reserves into the Maw - "Remember this lesson", are used against him by Ren'thal after Ren'thal and Z'rali imprison him and Remornia in the Ember Ward.
  • Warrior Prince: The prince of the venthyr and a skilled warrior in his own right.

The Accuser

The Harvester of Pride and master of the Halls of Atonement, siding with Renathal's rebellion against Denathrius.

  • At Least I Admit It: For many Venthyr, their past lives and crimes are a black mark of shame and as a result their sinstones are a tool that can be used to subjugate them. The Accuser has her sinstone on public display, as she takes pride in how much evil she had overcome to atone.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": She is only referred to by her title of the Accuser.
  • Evil Brit:
  • My Greatest Failure: The one sin that still haunts her after eons of atonement was killing her daughter Camille. She had been deceived into killing her, but she was still prepared to kill a child.
  • No Sell: She initially blows off the Lord Chamberlain's attempt to use her sinstone against her, as she's proud of having atoned for her sins, until he uses his medallion to empower the sinstone to show a vision of the daughter she killed.
  • Professional Killer: In life, she was Harriett the Crimson Shade, a woman who orchestrated countless murders for self-advancement.
  • Would Hurt A Child: Though she regrets that it was her own daughter she was tricked into killing, the act of killing a child in and of itself wasn't a concern to her.

The Countess

The Harvester of Desire

  • Gossipy Hens: The Countess shows great interest in rumors and intrigue, and often trades gossip at her parties.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite not joining Ren'thal's rebellion at first, she sympathizes with his goal and offers support in covert ways.
  • Orwellian Editor: Goes out of her way to hide the fact that she was once mortal, and pretends she is one of the original Venthyr made by Denathrius.

The Curator

The Harvester of Avarice

The Stonewrought

The Harvester of Wrath

  • Bald Woman: She has no hair on her head.
  • I Fight for the Strongest Side: She remained loyal to Denathrius during Prince Renathal's rebellion because she thought he couldn't defeat both Denathrius and the Jailer.
  • Like a Son to Me: She sees all Stoneborn as her children and is fiercely protective of them.
  • Mama Bear: The only reason she's willing to hear the Maw Walker out is because she's opposed to the Stoneborn killing each other in the civil war.

The Maw

  • Eldritch Location: The Jailer's tower of Torghast is this, as many rooms change depending on the location and its able to hold all the irredeemable souls - and many besides - in the universe.
  • Floating Continent: The Maw consists of numerous landmasses suspended in the air.
  • Hell: An inescapable (in theory) prison for irredeemable evil souls where they get sent after they die.
    • Fire and Brimstone Hell: The weapon forging chambers in Torghast evoke this image, though souls are burned and rendered into materials for weapons which nearly happened to Jaina.
  • Mordor: The floating landmasses around Torghast resemble this, to the point of having similar architecture. It even has a Barad-Dur equivalent in Torghast where the Jailer's gaze can influence anyone it falls on.
  • Negative Space Wedgie: The entrance to The Maw resembles this, and the hole between the Shadowlands and Azeroth definitely counts.

Ven'ari

The Runecarver

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