Elemental ascendant

Elemental ascendant
	; Hallazeal the Ascended in Hearthstone.
Faction/Affiliation	Twilight's Hammer (Old Gods' forces), Earthen Ring, 7th Legion
Racial capital	Bastion of Twilight; The Heart of Azeroth
Racial leader(s)	Ascendant Council; The Farseer
Homeworld	Azeroth
Language(s)	Kalimag (Ignan), Common
Average height	Varies

Elemental ascendants^[1]^[2] (also simply called ascendants,^[3]^[4] Ascended,^[5] or elemental ascended)^[6] are former mortals who have been transformed into powerful elementals. They were first and mainly created by the Twilight's Hammer during the Cataclysm, and are therefore also called twilight ascendants.

Background

Twilight's Hammer

“Brothers of Twilight! The Hammer calls to you! (Fire water earth air). Leave your mortal shell behind. (Fire water earth air). Embrace your new forms for here and everafter! (Burn and drown and crush and suffocate). And use your gifts to destroy the unbelievers. (Burn and drown and crush and suffocate)!!”

— Cho'gall^[7]

The highest echelon of Twilight's Hammer cultists may be granted the honor of becoming one with the elements^[3] and thereby granted immortality.^[7]^[8]^[9] Through a dark ritual known as "ascension", they are infused with elemental powers and transformed into monstrosities.^[10] The Ascendant Council—Arion, Feludius, Ignacious, and Terrastra—were the most powerful of the cult's ascendants, and were responsible for overseeing the selection of new ascension candidates from within the Sanctum of the Ascended in the Bastion of Twilight.^[11]

In the Abyssal Depths, the Twilight's Hammer attempted to drain the energy of the ancient L'ghorek to create large numbers of ascendants for their war against Neptulon.^[12]^[13] In the Silvermarsh in Deepholm, High Cultist Maziel developed a ritual to transform himself into an ascendant made of pure mercury by feeding on local mercury elementals.^[14]

By the end of the Cataclysm, Horde and Alliance assaults against the Twilight's Hammer had killed many of the cult's ascendants.^[1]

Other shaman

Shaman adventurers can use a temporary form of ascendance to briefly turn themselves into ascendants.

The Dark Shaman in Ragefire Chasm tried to mimic the creation of Twilight's Hammer ascendants by having one of their shaman, Gordoth, act as a living conduit for energies from the Firelands, but the ritual failed and Gordoth was instead mutated into an insane dire orc.^[2]

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the ascendant Alexor joined the Earthen Ring in the Heart of Azeroth. At the Farseer's request, Alexor beseeched the elements to Ascend selected shaman who had dedicated their lives to air, water, and fire, turning them into a powerful—if short-lived—force to deploy against the Burning Legion. Alexor noted that the ascension ritual was not to be requested lightly^[15] and that the resulting ascended could not be commanded, only unleashed.^[5]

Ascended shaman of the 7th Legion participated in Faction Assaults on Vol'dun.