Beledar

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Beledar's Light.

Beledar, also known amongst the Hallowfall Arathi as "the Emperor's Vision",[1][2][3] is an immense glowing crystal lodged into the ceiling of Hallowfall, a large cavern in Khaz Algar. Most of the time, it radiates Holy Light,[4][5] acting as an inner sun that provides warmth and growth for vegetation, giving Hallowfall a lush climate reminiscent of the surface world.[6][7] It periodically shifts into a Void state called Beledar's Shadow,[8][9][10][11] in which it radiates corrupting shadow energy.[9] These periods can last anywhere from a few moments to several days.[8] Beledar's light does not reach beneath waterways, the Undersea, or caves which thus contain Hallowfall's most dangerous foes.[9] The Arathi revere Beledar and refer to it as a "star".[1][2][3][12]

Beledar's Shadow.

Beledar shifts at several set points during the Hallowfall storyline. After the player completes the main zone storyline, it will shift back and forth periodically. The crystal itself is inaccessible, as it is located far out west above the Undersea beyond invisible walls and Fatigue waters.

Background

More than a decade before the events of The War Within, the emperor of the Arathi Empire received a vision from the Sacred Flame of light, battle, and victory for the Arathi.[2][3][12] He saw Hallowfall and a source of radiant light[2][3] in the form of a falling[13] or fallen star,[14] which was dubbed the "Emperor's Vision". The Hallowfall Expedition set out to find Hallowfall,[3] fight in Renilash (the final battle between light and dark),[1] secure the Emperor's Vision, and return victorious to the Empire.[15][16] While caught in a tempest above the Storming Sea, the Third Fleet became enveloped in Holy Light. In a flash, the light transported the entire fleet underground, into Hallowfall. Those who survived the resulting crash settled in the cavern under the light of the crystal they named Beledar,[2][3][12] which they interpreted as the Emperor's Vision and the fulfillment of the prophesied star.[2][14] Members of the Church of the Sacred Flame, led by Prioress Murrpray, built the Priory of the Sacred Flame to contemplate the sacred star and its mysteries.[17][18]

Beledar's light was steady and reliable[6][7] for years until the Day of Darkness—the day Sargeras plunged his sword into Azeroth[10]—when the crystal for the first time shifted to shadow.[2] Kobyss, shadow elementals, and other monsters emerge to attack the Arathi during these periods. Whenever the crystal shifts, General Steelstrike and the Arathi Army enact the Shadow Curfew, instructing civilians to take shelter indoors. The Arathi use the Sacred Flame, mainly keyflames and dawntowers maintained by the Lamplighters, to keep the darkness at bay during Beledar's Shadow.[8][9] The Arathi believe that it is their duty to guard Beledar, and that it is only their faith in the Sacred Flame which keeps it from shifting into shadow permanently.[1][3]

Beledar is connected in some way to the Radiant Song and the Worldsoul. Upon seeing the crystal for the first time, both Anduin Wrynn and an adventurer heard the Song, and Anduin wondered if it was coming from Beledar.[19] He later concluded that the prophecy that had drawn the Arathi to Hallowfall was in fact the Radiant Song. He also observed that the crystals used in Arathi keyflames are close to Azerite that they may be connected.[10]

When Xal'atath decided to make her move, she made her way to Priory of the Sacred Flame during one of Beledar's shifts, while the nerubians launched an all-out assault against Hallowfall. There, she siphoned Beledar's power into the Dark Heart before being stopped by Alleria Windrunner, Anduin Wrynn, and Faerin Lothar.[20]

Notes

  • The Amber Bloom flower reminds the Arathi of Beledar.[21]
  • All of the flora in Hallowfall is turned toward Beledar, much like plants on the surface following the sun.[6][22]
  • There is another crystal akin to Beledar on the Siren Isle, known as Lorandel.

Speculation

Questionmark-medium.png
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Beledar may be related to the naaru. Its cycling between Light and Void states resembles that of the naaru life cycle, and its appearance is somewhat reminiscent of naaru dimensional ships or even  [Light's Heart]. In addition, the name "Beledar", although given to it by the Arathi,[2][3][12] resembles that of some dimensional ships like the Genedar, Exodar, and Xenedar.

Alternatively, one account of creation says that the birth of the Great Dark Beyond sent "shards of Light" flying through the cosmos, suffusing planets with life.[23] Beledar may be one such shard of primordial Light, which could explain the naaru-like shifting behavior.

It somewhat resembles the Shard of Pure Light in World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery, an object associated with the Shadowy Figure theorized to be Xal'atath. Some tauren called it a "tear wept from An'she".[24]

N [80] Archives: Seeking History all but states that it is a solidified shard of the world-soul.

Gallery

  • Concept art showing Beledar's complete structure.
    Concept art showing Beledar's complete structure.
  • Concept art of Beledar's placement in the ceiling.
    Concept art of Beledar's placement in the ceiling.
  • Beledar glowing radiant like a sun ("Shadows Beneath" cinematic).
    Beledar glowing radiant like a sun ("Shadows Beneath" cinematic).
  • The crystal shifting to Beledar's Shadow.
    The crystal shifting to Beledar's Shadow.
  • The crystal shifting back to Light.
    The crystal shifting back to Light.

References

 
  1. ^ a b c d N [75-78] Where the Light Touches
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h N [75-78] Spar Day
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Beledar- The Emperor's Vision
  4. ^ N [80EWQ] Spreading the Light: "[...] For the Arathi to survive, we must settle in lands shadowed from Beledar's Light."
  5. ^  [Imperial Brut]: "Made from grapes soaked in Beledar's Light."
  6. ^ a b c World of Warcraft 2023-11-03. BlizzCon | The War Within: What's Next Panel | World of Warcraft. YouTube. Retrieved on 2023-11-05.
  7. ^ a b Blizzard Entertainment 2023-11-03. World of Warcraft®: What’s Next Panel Recap. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04.
  8. ^ a b c N [75-78] A Lamplighter's Duty
  9. ^ a b c d  [Shadow Curfew Guidelines]
  10. ^ a b c N [75-78] Nightwatch
  11. ^  [Shadow Curfew Journal]: "He told me to read and reflect on both next Beledar's Shadow."
  12. ^ a b c d Izaeh Strongiron quotes
  13. ^ Discordiankitty 2023-11-04. Wowhead's Exclusive Blizzcon 2023 Interview with Anne Stickney & Tina Wang. Wowhead. Archived from the original on 2023-11-05.
  14. ^ a b The Art of World of Warcraft: The War Within, pg. 107
  15. ^ Lerrenai Fayn quotes
  16. ^ Captain's Chest
  17. ^ Priory of the Sacred Flame: Adventure Guide
  18. ^ Sanctified Grounds - Sister Etna Blayze says: The expedition built the Priory as a place to contemplate the mysteries of Beledar.
  19. ^ N [75-78] The Hallowed Path
  20. ^ N [80] A Light in the Dark
  21. ^  [Amber Bloom]
  22. ^ World of Warcraft 2024-08-19. A New Era of Warcraft Storytelling | The War Within. YouTube. Retrieved on 2024-09-11.
  23. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 18
  24. ^ "I come here seeking knowledge of a brilliant white stone that some say fell from the sky and came to rest in the hills over yonder. Some among my people believe that this is a tear wept from An'she, the eye of the Earth Mother herself." - Brave Stonetorch#Quotes
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