Algalon the Observer

For strategy on the Ulduar encounter, see Algalon the Observer (tactics). For the quest, see  [30R] Algalon.

Algalon the Observer
Title	Herald of the titans, Celestial Pet Tamer
Gender	Male
Race	Constellar (Elemental)
Reaction	Alliance Horde
Affiliation(s)	Pantheon of Order
Occupation	Celestial observer of Azeroth
Location	Various
Status	Active (lore) Defeatable
Companion(s)	Comet, Cosmos, Constellatius (pets)

“Perhaps it is your imperfections... that which grants you free will... that allows you to persevere against all cosmically calculated odds. You prevail where the Titans' own perfect creations have failed.”

— Algalon the Observer

Algalon the Observer (technical designation: Algalon observer entity) is a constellar who was assigned by the Pantheon of Order to serve as Azeroth's celestial guardian. In the event that the planet or its Worldsoul become corrupted, Algalon has the power to initiate a re-origination process from the Forge of Origination to purge the world of life. During the war against the Lich King, Algalon was summoned to Ulduar by the death of Prime Designate Loken. He deemed the planet to be corrupted by the Old Gods and prepared to re-originate it, but mortal adventurers fought him with enough resolve to call his outlook on mortals into question and convince him to allow them to reverse the protocol and spare the planet. Algalon has since resided in Ulduar, from where he remotely studies Azeroth's inhabitants in the hopes of better understanding what makes them unique in the cosmos.

Algalon is encountered as the final boss of the Ulduar raid on elite mode.

Biography

Ancient history

Prior to being assigned to Azeroth, Algalon observed and was responsible for re-originating countless other planets and planetary systems throughout the Great Dark Beyond, resulting (in his own words) in the combined deaths of "a million-million lives". He acted solely based on emotionless logic and never had the chance to observe the inhabitants of the worlds he purged, and therefore never considered the possibility that they would've fought for their lives had they been able.

At the end of the Ordering of Azeroth, Aman'Thul, the leader of the Pantheon of Order, commissioned Algalon to serve as Azeroth's observer and activate that planet's re-origination device, the Forge of Origination in Uldum, in the event that the Worldsoul succumbed to Old God corruption. The Pantheon believed the first warning sign of such a "systemic planetary failure" would be the death of the Prime Designate, which would therefore automatically activate an emergency signal—the Algalon Failsafe—and summon the Observer to assess the danger of Old God corruption in the planet's life-support and defense systems. His analysis would result in one of two reply signals: Reply-Code Alpha (all is well) or Reply-Code Omega (requesting re-origination), which he would send back to the Pantheon to notify them of his analysis and allow them to approve of the Forge's activation. The reply-codes are built into Algalon himself, making him "both messenger and message".

Keeper Odyn was Azeroth's original Prime Designate. After becoming corrupted by the Old God Yogg-Saron, Keeper Loken betrayed the other keepers, seized control of Ulduar, and made himself the new Prime Designate. Loken remained ever fearful that the Pantheon or Algalon would return to Azeroth and discover and punish him for his crimes. After Keeper Tyr and his allies Archaedas and Ironaya stole Ulduar's Discs of Norgannon, which contained records of Loken's actions, and Loken's own allies Kith'ix and Zakajz failed to recover the discs, Loken altered the communication devices in Ulduar to prevent Tyr's allies or any other living creature from being able to contact Algalon. This meant that only Loken's own death would summon the Observer. Loken assumed that his death would come at the hands of Archaedas and Ironaya, and that if so, Algalon would avenge him by re-originating the planet.

Secrets of Ulduar

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Algalon the Observer in the Celestial Planetarium in World of Warcraft.

During the war against the Lich King, Horde adventurers killed Loken in the Halls of Lightning and triggered the Algalon Failsafe. During the joint Explorers' League-Kirin Tor assault on Yogg-Saron in Ulduar, Brann Bronzebeard learned of the re-origination protocol and Algalon's imminent arrival from Ulduar's Archivum. After Alliance and Horde adventurers defeated Yogg-Saron, Brann led them to the Celestial Planetarium using the sigils of Ulduar's keepers in the hopes of stopping the Observer from sending either reply-code back to the titans. The Observer arrived moments later to evaluate the presence of systemic corruption on Azeroth and survey all the damage that had occurred on the planet since the Pantheon's departure. The Archivum had calculated that there was an over 99.99% likelihood that the Observer's analysis would result in Reply-Code Omega. Indeed, Algalon concluded that since Old God corruption had spread across the world, including strongholds like Ulduar, the only recourse was to activate the Forge of Origination and re-originate the planet. Unbeknownst to both him and the adventurers, the titans were long dead and never received the signal he sent them, but this would not have stopped the Forge from activating.

The adventurers fought to stop Algalon, which struck the constellar as illogical since his death would not stop the re-origination process. The mortals ultimately defeated him and forced him to yield. Moved by their resolve and the realization that life on the other worlds he'd purged might've fought for their lives with the same desperation, Algalon re-examined his view on the "flawed" mortals, and decided that he could no longer trust his own calculations and that the mortals had earned the right to fight Azeroth's corruption themselves. He rearranged the reply code to Alpha—meaning the planet would be spared—but since he was too weak after the battle to transmit it himself, he gave it to Brann and the adventurers and told them to bring it to a "place of power" near the sky, and to do so quickly before the Forge of Origination activated. The adventurers brought the code to Dalaran, where the Kirin Tor transmitted it into the sky from the Eventide.

Aftermath

Algalon monitoring Azeroth, as depicted in The Comic.

Algalon himself disappeared but did not go far, instead spending the following years watching over Azeroth from a distance. With his outlook on life and the titans' plans called into question, he monitored the activities of the world's mortal races in the hopes of understanding what makes Azeroth so different from other planets he's observed. From within Ulduar, he studied the seemingly endless cycle of hatred between the Alliance and the Horde as well mortal individuals' ever-varied search for purpose and happiness, while concluding that more observation was necessary in order to determine whether or how they were unique in the cosmos.

Shortly before the Burning Legion's third invasion, Brann Bronzebeard, Khadgar, and adventurers sought out the Speaker Magni Bronzebeard in the Celestial Planetarium. During their conversation, as they reflected on the battle with the Observer years prior, an echo of Algalon briefly appeared and echoed a line he'd spoken during that encounter, about how it may be the imperfection and free will of mortals that allows them to persevere better than the titans' "perfect" creations.

Algalon himself ultimately grew bored of the inactivity in Ulduar and took up pet battling, a pastime he was enthusiastic would sustain his mind for "many centuries". He collected tiny constellation beings to be his companions and summoned adventurers to the entrance of Ulduar to challenge them to a friendly pet battle. As a reward for defeating him, he gave them his favorite constellation, Stardust.

During the 15th to 19th Bronze Celebrations, another echo of Algalon appeared in the Caverns of Time and puzzledly commented on the temporal anomalies at the event.

Locations

Notable appearances
Location	Level range	Health range
Algalon the Observer (tactics)	??	1,316,100
Memory of Algalon	82	5 187,485 5H 232,740
Echo of Algalon	110	51,821,200
Ulduar (Outside)	??	1,038,227,712

Quests

•  [1-80] A Celestial Invitation

Pets

Comet [Roar] [Cosmic Smash] [Flamethrower]

Cosmos [Starfall] [Phase Punch] [Arcane Blast]

Constellatius [Apocalypse] [Wish] [Tail Sweep]

Quotes

Ulduar

Main article: Algalon the Observer (tactics)#Quotes

Beginnings & Ends

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft manga or comics.

• "[...] From the dungeons in Ulduar, I see much... I see strife. I see enemies locked in battle. Perhaps eternal battle. I see death. I see time blindly marching on, turning war machines to ashes, grinding bones to dust. Smoothing down stones rough-hewn by the speaking peoples. Covering up atrocities with blankets of green and blue. And for what? To begin the cycle of violence over again?"
• "The Horde, a faction led by off-worlders and composed of outsiders, has survived these obstacles by bonding together, fighting as family, comrades, or even uneasy allies. Yet some would choose to reject that bond in the face of the harsh wilds."
• "The Alliance consists of powerful cultures and groups bound not by desperation or necessity, but by their deep commitments to abstract concepts like nobility and honor. They, too, have powerful soldiers, deadly with blades, and brawn. But brawn isn't always one's best strength on this world."
• "The young sometimes yearn for change that can never be. Fate can taunt some with their heart's desire. Time and again I see destiny place one's heart's desire in their path, only to fork the road. While other times, the road to what they most desire suddenly becomes clear in the most unexpected way."
• "Perhaps vengeance explains the suffering, the hate. Or perhaps suffering is inescapable... all were born into it... all have known nothing else. Horde. Alliance. A cycle of hatred... eternal. No matter their similarities, it appears that they seldom put aside their differences long enough to maintain peace. Perhaps they and their kind are destined for war... Their fortitude, bravery, expertise... all unquestionable. As for whether, or how, they are unique... that will take further observation."

In Hearthstone

This section contains information exclusive to Hearthstone and is considered non-canon.

• Algalon appears as a bartender in the Battlegrounds mode. His flavor text reads: Algalon takes "sparkling water" to a whole new level.
• He appears as a legendary minion in the TITANS expansion, where he replaces the player's Hero Power with Algalon's Vision, allowing them to manipulate the enemy's deck. His flavor text reads: That's so Algalon, it’s the future he can see.

Trivia

• Algalon's arrival was predicted by the  [Loose Singed Page], which was added to Karazhan in patch 2.4.2 shortly before the launch of Wrath of the Lich King.
• One of the carriers that can be used in Lunarfall Shipyard/Frostwall Shipyard naval missions is named Algalon's Watch.
• Algalon is voiced by Kyle Hebert.
• Algalon's name appears to be derived from Algol, a bright three-star system in the constellation Perseus, given his nature as a living constellation. It might also be inspired by Aigaion, a giant in Greek mythology variously described as an enemy or ally of the Titans (depending on author).

Gallery

• 

  Secrets of Ulduar key art.
• 

  Algalon the Observer in Hearthstone.
• 

  Algalon as a Battlegrounds bartender in Hearthstone.
• 

  Algalon's Vision in Hearthstone, inspired by (but not necessarily a depiction of) the Terrace of the Makers.

See also

• Prime Designate
• Reply-Code Alpha and Reply-Code Omega

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB