Warlocks and fel magic

[Feralan]

(Posted on the forums at pvprp.com. This style of this looks like another pen&paper excerpt, but sadly no source was quoted.)


FEL ENERGY

The ultimate manifestation of the demonic arcane on Azeroth is fel energy. This energy, which is most commonly manifests itself as ghastly, green-yellow flame, is arcane magic at its most corrupt, for it employs the blood of demons. Spell with the fel descriptor are very difficult to resist. Casters who cast fel spells also risk massive amount of arcane corruption. Casting a fel spell is described by many spellcasters as a euphoric experience. If arcane magic is an addiction, fel magic is the embodiment of the drug in its purest form. Since the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth, the world's heroes have encountered fel weapons and fel magic with increasing frequency. As demon cults continue to fester and grow in Desolace, the Ashenvale Forest and other remote corners, gruesome sacrifices are held to entice demons into giving their blood in trade. The cultists use this blood to enchant the weapons that they hope will bring about their masters' ultimate victory.


Fel Offerings

Demons sometimes tempt spellcasters by offering small amounts of their blood in exchange for services. If the recipient drinks the demon's blood within 24 hours of the offering, then the next arcane spell he casts will be a fel spell. Fel blood is highly addictive as well as corruptive.


Warlocks

Warlocks are the supreme, or rather the predominant, users of fel energy. Arcanists are driven to the occupation over various purposes -- difficult life or seeking great powers -- and through the taint of the Burning Legion some casters see a grand future for themselves. Fel magic quickly and surely corrupts the soul of the user wielding it, eventually turning the character to an evil alignment. Like arcane magic, fel energy corrupts and addicts but at a much larger scale. Because of this, those who practice the teachings of a warlock are often the most insane and chaotic of all forms of arcanists. Warlocks gain their powers through the Burning Legion -- as the fel magiks promised to these casters can only be acquired through the blood of demons. While warlocks may believe themselves impervious to corruption, addiction, and slavery to the Burning Legion, often these casters misjudge their powers/strength and are truly in service as thralls to the demonic horde whether they're aware of such or not.

[Ilaran]

Nice !

[Feralan]

"Nice" might not be the right word here, Ilaran.

Anyway, here's my opinion on how to handle warlocks in them game. Anyone who's been around for some time knows how much I hate the fact that they are a playable class because it does not fit the setting to have tons of demon-fondlers run around either flaunting their evil cheerfully, or naming their demons something like "Fluffy" and claiming the poor misunderstood things aren't nasty at all. That kind of behavior ruins the immersion something fierce and my suggestion would be to ignore it completely. It's just not worth arguing with them IC or OOC, and believe me, I tried when I started playing Feralan. Ignoring them isn't satisfying either, but it's better than frustration.

"Properly" roleplayed warlocks hide or even deny what they are and do their best to avoid people who could detect and kill them. Hats off to players who do this, like Elenyia with her gnome warlock Dremmel. Many of us, myself included, play their Kaldorei with a certain sense for the fel taint and the corruption it brings -- but in respect for those players who try to fit their warlocks into the setting, we should not use that sense to "unmask" such a character. Play out your unease and suspicion, certainly, but don't walk right up to the character and scream "WARLOCK!". If the other player truly tries to have their character hide her/his true profession, we need to respect that. Even grudgingly.

And of course, once it's obvious that a character is a warlock, he or she is an enemy.

[Miluiel]

I'm catching up on all the great topics you cover Feralan and this one is something I have been interested in since I do have an Alt who is a warlock...

I am one of the players when I do play the warlock hide the nature of their profession (I mainly claim to be a member of the Kirin Tor), but I also avoid nightelf enclaves due to thier nature of sniffing me out... I also try not to use any of my abilities in cities as that is against what I believe and also against the lore of what they are seeing Warlocks are not acceptable members of society.

I do find frustration (maybe one reason I don't play my warlock so much) with characters who flaunt thier demonic powers or let thier demons run free in cities while sitting upon thier dreadsteeds.

So I am saying I understand and thanks for the great information as always.

[Silathin Starseeker]

As a former long time warlock player as well, I can only nod in agreement with Milu in finding frustration at warlocks that don't have a care for hiding their nature or especially their demons.

But one thing to do make a note of is that warlocks are sanctioned by The Alliance, meaning that kaldorei society as general must accept their presence. That doesn't mean we should like them though, but we cannot do a kill on sight.. or well, in the lone dark woods noone can hear them scream Bound demons are unfortunately a side effect of a sanctioned warlock but by all means, beat them up anyway since that's more or less like walking around town with a gun in the hand and asking for trouble.

Warlocks that do try to hide their nature and go to great care of it should feel that their work actually means something too though, they need a pat on the back for making the effort as it's a -lot- of trouble at times clicking away all your active felspells, banishing the demon, changing clothes, having both normal and fel horses and what not each time you approach a city or even just a small village.

[Elendrel]

I also roleplayed my old orc warlock in a similar manner. I would banish my demons and remove any fel magic on me and change my clothes as well. It was sometimes a pain in the butt but it did make sense to do so. I only rp'd with the orc a couple of times, making him out to be an old hermit of sorts that preffered to live a little outside of Orgrimmar away from the masses so as to keep his work to himself but it does annoy me sometimes that many warlock rpers cannot be bothered to hide demons, felsteeds ect. and infact many do the opposite flaunting their demons around knowing that it wouldn't really be tolerated to use fel magic in busy towns especially ones such as Darnassus. The only race I think that would be tolerated would be the forsaken and possible the sin'dorei.

[Miluiel]

I am glad to hear others do the same as I do. It is a pain in the rear, but worth it to keep the work of my warlock hidden from those who disapprove of it.

I have a huge wardrobe on the character and now that we can get Kirin Tor Tabbards it makes it that more realistic (and easier than hunting down a Dalaran apprenctices robe) to do so.

I just wish there were more people out there that had the same common sense as we do to hide it or if they are planning on being brazen about it accept the conseqences of thier actions and not get all rude when they are confronted.

[Feralan]

Gotta disagree with you here Silly. I don't think the presence of warlocks is actually "sanctioned" -- not in the least because at least two of the Alliance members are so utterly hostile to anything demonic, and so is the dominant faith of the humans. Granted, these two members are the latecomers but no one with two working braincells likes or trusts demons or those who deal with them. And even the Kirin Tor, the principal source and society of mages in the Alliance, had strictly outlawed necromancy and demonology. The Horde is a bit trickier due to the horrible mishmash of cultures (cramming the Forsaken and Sin'dorei in with the tribal, shamanistic core Horde) and the at best ambivalent behavior of the orcs. There's a fun little questline showing Thrall at his best -- he knows the demon-mongers are still deeply entrenced among his people so he keeps a few of them close on the pretense of trust, in order to destroy the better-hidden ones and ferret out the traitorous plans of these "trusted" warlocks.

As for the aftermath of WC3, I think it would make no IC sense at all to relax the anti-demon-stance among the Alliance or the "core" Horde. First, there's just been a very brutal reminder of the pure evil of the Legion and those mortals who deal with them. Second ... the demons were beaten, again, without stooping so low as to betray one's own faith to fight fire with fire. Beaten with terrible losses, but beaten. Embracing warlocks now would be totally self-deprecating and a spit in the face of all those who gave life, limb and soul to win the war. The warlocks are not needed. It's the power of the Light / the spirits / nature / Elune etc. that upheld the free people, as it always has.

Third, for the Alliance only, there's the two new 1000% anti-demon members who surely wouldn't allow some blind young fools to force them to allow pure evil among their numbers. For the Horde, the addition of the two "evil bastard" cultures might give a push in the opposite direction, but that's just one of the IC problems with adding Forsaken and Sin'dorei ...

And Alliance-side at least, the few warlock trainers are hidden in rather disreputable places, and there is no NPC warlock presence otherwise that I remember. Some neutral factions and some Horde races do have a few warlock questgivers, but the Alliance is "clean".

All in all, this is why I seriously don't believe they are in any way accepted, and that they "should" be RP'ed as in hiding. (And I still say that making the class playable is one of the biggest mistakes Blizzard ever made because it opens such bottomless cans of worms.)

[Silathin Starseeker]

It is true that it makes -no- IC sense but we have to roll with the flow of the game and seeing as warlocks are a playable class (stupid as it may be) then they are technically allowed. Allowed but not liked nor accepted.

Edit:

I've been doing some brief research on the spread of the "disease" .

According to Lago Blackwrench, King Magni does know of the warlocks in Ironforge and keeps a close eye on them. Sten Stoutarm in Coldridge Valley gives this message before sending you to the warlock trainer: "While you were helping me out, this memorandum was given to me to pass on to you. Take some time to read it when you have a chance. I'm thinkin' it came from the warlock trainer Alamar. Take a gander at it and go find him inside Anvilmar when you've a chance.

And watch yerself, Archîbald, your kind ain't too trusted 'round these parts."

Krom Stoutarm of the Explorers League also knows, and has dealings with warlocks, according to the Tome of the Cabal questline where he reveals dealings with Strahad Farsan as well as wanting a copy of the book you helped find.

This points towards the dwarves knowing of the warlocks and having them among them but keeping a very close eye on them in case they try anything "funny". The gnomes.. well they're gnomes and don't really understand the words dangerous or bad.

There are only a scarce few human references towards warlockery. Mainly them coming from the A Noble Brew questline where you poison Lord Wishock from the House of Nobles to stop him from shutting down The Slaughtered Lamb. It indicates that quite possibly more from the House of Nobles are aware of the warlocks but Wishock (pompous arse btw) is the only one wanting to do something and he gets disposed of.

Bolvar might very well have known about it all too but Lady Katrana Prestor ( <3 ) probably kept his hands full with a lot of other more important matters, then we enter book 3 "Hey, the King is back!" and Bolvar goes to the front while King Varian Wrynn tries to make head and tail of his reclaimed kingdom, tell Anduin bedtime stories and spend a lot of time moaning about orcs and declaring war on them.

It could make sense that Varian declares the warlocks abomination as soon as he gets round to it but he's busy with Arthas as well as trying to shatter the bonds that were had with the orcs and creating full out war on The Horde. But at the same time, Varian is hateful and insane enough to might actually want warlocks around to fight the orcs with...

[Sacerdoss]

Personally when it comes to meeting warlocks as kaldorei, i have a nice little macro bascailly telling them to go away and belittle them. ive used it a fair few times in the temple fo the moon and ashenvale.

I will never group with a lock unless im very much so OOC and i stress that, similar with mages escpailly if they are using Arcane magic alot.

I remember as a guard of Stormwind i was very Anti Warlock and Fel in general, mainly as they were untrustworthy and i believe most humans should believe in the light.

Do you think that RP with Warlocks should be avoided, even if confruntational?

[Silathin Starseeker]

I tend to avoid groups with warlocks too unless it's entirely ooc or some very very good ic reasoning stands behind it but so far nothing has. Mages are bad too but not quite as bad though. They can be tolerated a little bit better but all in all still are on the negative list.

Hmm.. Avoiding rp with warlocks? No, I do not think that should be done. It may be confrontational but it is still roleplaying and you can always tell them in a /w the reason why you are reacting with hostility ic in case you worry they might take offense. I met Heba once where I sent her a /w afterwards telling, or rather in a sense apologising, for ic being hostile towards her even if she actually saved me from dying to a couple too many naga. (Incidentally I honoured this incident by telling the story of it at a guild meeting and asking what would have been proper to do )

I completely agree that warlocks in general are untrustworthy (I played my own warlock as such, anything goes to grab power and knowledge, backstabbing ftw) and that most humans should be following the light even if they're "just" commoners.

[Feralan]

I want nothing to do with warlocks IC, period, and that's not just because the whole thing bugs me OOC and I don't enjoy conflict, but also because of bad experience. As I said, when I was new to WoW I tried that approach and found it completely unsatisfying. Why? Because without fail, the warlocks I encountered and who weren't blatantly OOC fell into two categories:

1) I'm best friends with Tyrande Whisperwind, who loves me and protects me. I'm also best friends with my cuddly demons. I'm not evil and they're not evil, it's those mean cruel nasty paladins who want to rape me and burn me who are evil! (This type is usually female.)

2) I'm so ubermegasuperduperKEWL! and scary! and powerful! that nobody can tell me what to do. (This type is usually male and likes to toss /duel and AoE spells around.)

Tarring the whole class with these two brushes would be unfair, admittedly, just as it is annoying when Kaldorei roleplayers get lumped in with the "Golshire nelf whores". There are good warlock roleplayers. But frankly I've had it with both lore-manglers and ego-wankers and don't feel any inclination to risk repeating the experience.

[Malon and Turtle]

Apr 30, 2009 16:22:29 GMT 1 Feralan said:

I want nothing to do with warlocks IC, period, and that's not just because the whole thing bugs me OOC and I don't enjoy conflict, but also because of bad experience. As I said, when I was new to WoW I tried that approach and found it completely unsatisfying. Why? Because without fail, the warlocks I encountered and who weren't blatantly OOC fell into two categories:

Avoiding conflict is something that I've pretty much been doing since I started with my nelfs, with the only real exception being when Lienra was forced to threaten to decapitate a guildie who was going to summon her demon while we waited in Darnassus. It made for quite interesting RP, if a bit worrying for that guildie.

It's one of the reasons why I'm looking around for a Kaldorei guild, since there's too much compromise needed in order to explain close relationships with warlocks, mages and death knights.