Shadow Council

For the organization from an alternate universe, see Shadow Council (alternate universe).

Shadow Council
Main leader	Unknown
Formerly	See below
Secondary leaders	Unknown
Formerly	See below
Race(s)	Orc Fel orc  Ogre Ogre mage  Satyr  Broken  Demon  Goblin Human  Undead  Night elf  Highborne  Blood elf  Nightborne
Capital	Thunder Axe Fortress (Azeroth) Kil'sorrow Fortress (Outland)
Formerly	Shadow Labyrinth, Shadow Hold, Black Temple
Other major settlements	Grangol'var Village
Formerly	Jaedenar, Tomb of Sargeras
Theater of operations	Azeroth, Outland
Language(s)	Orcish, Eredun, Common, Various languages
Sub-group(s)	See below
Affiliation	Burning Legion
Formerly	Old Horde, Horde of Draenor
Status	Crippled

The Shadow Council is a cult of mortal warlocks that serve the demonic Burning Legion. Founded by Gul'dan, the first orcish warlock, the original purpose of the clandestine council was to ensure the stability of the Old Horde in their quest to destroy the draenei, and spread the use of fel magic across Draenor. In the aftermath of the Great Wars, the Shadow Council has expanded its ranks to include many races, splitting into several organizations acting for the Legion's interests across Azeroth and Outland. The Shadow Council itself was active during the invasion of Outland and the third invasion of the Burning Legion.

History

Formation

The Shadow Council lording over Ner'zhul.

In 7 BDP, after Gul'dan supplanted Ner'zhul as spiritual leader of the nascent Orcish Horde, he reorganized the clans into a single engine of destruction in the name of Kil'jaeden. To this end, he promoted a public figurehead, Blackhand of the Blackrock clan to the new position of Warchief. He also brought together a collection of warlocks, necrolytes, and chieftains into a clandestine council — the Shadow Council. Gul'dan stroked Blackhand's ego by telling him he would rule both the Horde and the Council, but actually intended to manipulate him and the whole orcish people through the Warchief instead.

While creating the Shadow Council in 6 BDP, Gul'dan met the ogre Cho'gall, who had been forced to flee from Highmaul after escaping assassination. The orcish warlock became intrigued by Cho'gall's confidence and lust for power and made him his foremost apprentice, teaching him fel magic and the existence of the Burning Legion. To test the potential of the daggers Anguish and Sorrow, Gul'dan gave them to his assassin Garona Halforcen and ordered her to use them against an unfortunate acolyte, who had no chance to defend himself before she tore open his throat with one slash. When the orc took his last breath, the wound that killed him became irregular. Nobody would be able to tell whether he had died to a knife, an axe, or a spear. Gul'dan saw the possibilities immediately. A mysterious death could be used to sow confusion and redirect suspicion wherever he pleased.

The original purpose of the Council was to ensure the stability of the Horde in their quest to destroy the draenei, manipulate the clans, and spread the use of warlock magics. After the Blackrock masons built Hellfire Citadel in Tanaan Jungle, the orcish warlocks were sent here to hone their abilities and tutor apprentices in the ways of fel magic. In time, the Shadow Council used it as their new headquarters, blending in with its inhabitants, secretly watching over them, and reporting all that they saw to their dark master.

As the orcs started the genocide of the draenei in 4 BDP, they sought to conquer the Temple of Karabor in order to shatter the draenei as a people, destroying everything that meant anything to them. During the assault, Gul'dan and the Shadow Council decided to ignore the Shadowmoon clan's warnings about the Dark Star, an ancient Void god that was actually the fallen naaru K'ara. After their ritual, a pillar of Void energy ripped through the heavens and slammed down on Karabor, driving many draenei defenders to madness while many others died instantly. The Dark Star had forever darkened Karabor, now the Black Temple, which became the Shadow Council's seat of ruling.

When the time came, the warlocks fed the blood of Mannoroth to the clans, apart from the Frostwolves who were forbidden by their chieftain Durotan, and a few other individuals. Not all orc warlocks joined the Shadow Council, however. Some, such as Drek'Thar and Nekros Skullcrusher stayed loyal to their clans instead.

Following the fall of Shattrath City in 3 BDP, Gul'dan dispatched Teron'gor and his most powerful agents to root out the draenei who had retreated to Auchindoun and prevent them from summoning the spirits of their ancestors against the Horde. The warlocks stormed the city but met fierce resistance from Exarch Maladaar's forces, forcing them to pool their powers to summon a powerful demon, but instead they accidentally summoned the elemental Murmur. The shockwave of Murmur's arrival destroyed Auchindoun and much of the surrounding forest. After Teron'gor and his forces bound the surviving draenei in chains and contained Murmur within Auchindoun, Vorpil and a few warlocks stayed in the city to keep the creature imprisoned.

First War

Gul'dan and Warchief Blackhand facing the Dark Portal in the Black Morass.

When Kil'jaeden mysteriously vanished, the Orcish Horde began to fragment during the Dying Time, until Gul'dan was contacted by Medivh. The mad sorcerer - possessed by the Dark Titan Sargeras - approached the Shadow Council as a hooded stranger. When Gul'dan attacked with his fel powers, Medivh merely threw them back and made the orc kneel before him in front of his followers, an insult Gul'dan would never forget or forgive. When the Guardian of Tirisfal offered him the promise of godhood, locked away within the Tomb of Sargeras, Gul'dan and the Shadow Council agreed to help open the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor. Nearly every draenei prisoner who still lived was brought to the base of the Dark Portal, where Gul'dan drained all of their life essences in an instant, giving the massive burst of power needed to cross such a large distance.

The Shadow Council operated a number of the Horde's workings against the Kingdom of Stormwind in the First War. When the cultists moved into Blackrock Mountain, they were confronted by the fire elemental and Dark Iron dwarf minions of Ragnaros. Cho'gall used his fledgling connection to the Old Gods to convince the dwarves and Ragnaros's lieutenants, who also served the Old Gods, to let the Shadow Council stay in the upper reaches of the mountain, Blackrock Spire. If the warlocks remained there, they would not be disturbed by Ragnaros or his followers. Gul'dan was angered that he could not have the whole mountain, but was pleased by Cho'gall's effective diplomacy. However, he was unaware of the true reason it had worked.

Following the death of Medivh, Gul'dan was incapacitated for several weeks. During this time, Orgrim Doomhammer killed Blackhand the Destroyer and seized the mantle of Warchief, while King Llane Wrynn was assassinated by one of the Shadow Council's finest killers, Garona. Orgrim captured and had Garona tortured to learn of the location of the cultists' secret refuge. Sensing it threatened his position and that it was the root of the Horde's corruption, Orgrim launched an attack on Blackrock Spire, annihilating most of the warlocks of the Council. Their spirits were subsequently imbued into the death knights, while the magical energies of other long-dead warlocks were infused into the bodies of the ogre magi.

Second War

Gul'dan raising the Tomb of Sargeras.

Following Gul'dan's rousing from his coma, he was immediately confronted by Doomhammer -- to whom he pledged his loyalty and his life. Though Doomhammer did not trust Gul'dan, the Horde was facing an uphill battle against the forces of humanity's spell-casters. While Stormwind had fielded clerics and conjurers, the forces of Lordaeron were said to field far greater magi in much greater numbers. Gul'dan claimed he could create new warriors that would allow the Horde to contend with these magi, and as such Orgrim granted him clemency in exchange for this new weapon. In this time, Gul'dan was contacted by Kil'jaeden, who promised that the Legion had not abandoned him. Though Gul'dan was wary of being the Legion's pawn yet again, he followed Kil'jaeden's guidance to remain loyal to Doomhammer and not attempt to kill the new warchief -- as the Legion needed him in order to conquer Azeroth. With the council all but destroyed, Gul'dan was given permission by Doomhammer to craft a new clan for himself and his followers. None would accept him or them into their ranks after the First War and the turning stance on fel magic -- as such, the Stormreaver clan was born.

Gul'dan wished to create this new army with loyalties to him, and as such turned to the Shadow Council. Though most of its membership had died, their spirits lingered, and from them he created the death knights. Merging the spirits of the dead warlocks and necrolytes into the bodies of the deceased knights of Stormwind, Gul'dan sacrificed the remaining necrolytes in his employ; their dark magic fueled the resurrection into these new forms. These new undead warriors were first christened with the resurrection of Gul'dan's great ally, Teron'gor, now Teron Gorefiend. Wielding the power of death, the Death Knights swore allegiance to Doomhammer with the same sincerity as Gul'dan. They were loyal to themselves foremost and sought to preserve their own existence.

Whatever remained of the Shadow Council had segregated into several groups. The death knights, the Twilight's Hammer under ever-loyal Cho'gall, and Gul'dan's own Stormreaver clan. All of them still held loyalty to Gul'dan in some form or another. Gul'dan continued his work with his adherents to breach the Tomb of Sargeras. Inside, the warlock met his doom -- slaughtered by the tomb's guardians alongside many of his followers. Outside, Cho'gall struggled to keep the vengeful Horde at bay by taking their forces to the tomb; Gul'dan had betrayed the Horde and cost Doomhammer much in the Second War. An end in catastrophe, the adherents of the great warlock were scattered. Many of the Stormreavers died with Gul'dan in the tomb, with some of the surviving Stormreavers taking the Skull of Gul'dan -- believing it held great power -- and sailing off with it. The Twilight's Hammer clan was barely able to recover the wounded Cho'gall, sailing off to the west to unknown shores. Some death knights continued to serve under Doomhammer until his defeat and the destruction of the Old Horde.

Among the death knights that survived Doomhammer's defeat was the illustrious Teron Gorefiend. He and his followers retreated back to Draenor before the destruction of the Dark Portal, bringing with them news to their people. The Horde had lost, and while Gul'dan had been defeated, Gorefiend was not ready to give up on the great power he had witnessed at his master's side. Rallying his surviving kindred, the undead set their sights on three artifacts of great power, the Book of Medivh, the Eye of Dalaran, and the Scepter of Sargeras. Gorefiend rallied to the side of Ner'zhul, trying to convince the elder shaman of the great power that could be found on Azeroth still, and the portent of new worlds for the orcish people that were beyond Azeroth itself. To this end, they claimed the Skull of Gul'dan, which had been brought fortunately to Draenor by refugees of the Old Horde.

Invasion of Draenor

Main article: Horde of Draenor

Teron Gorefiend, the first of the death knights and a founding member of the Council.

After Ner'zhul and the death knights reopened the Dark Portal, while Grommash's forces distracted the Sons of Lothar in the Blasted Lands, Gorefiend led a hunting party on a mission for the artifacts. They infiltrated the Royal Library of Stormwind Keep in the form of a magical wind, only to find the Book of Medivh gone and the guard slain with an Alteraci blade. They continued to Blackrock Mountain, hoping to gain the support of the Blackrock clan and use their enslaved red dragons to expedite the journey to Alterac. Gorefiend met with Dal'rend and Maim Blackhand in Blackrock Spire, but they refused to lend their help and sent him out empty-handed. Gorefiend's party was instead approached by Deathwing, the Aspect of the black dragonflight, who informed the death knight of the locations of the other two artifacts and offered the aid of his black dragons in exchange for being allowed to bring the eggs of his brood to Draenor.

After he dispatched Fenris Wolfbrother, Tagar, and Ragnok Bloodreaver to the Tomb of Sargeras for the Scepter of Sargeras, Gorefiend and the other death knights rode the black dragons to the occupied Alterac City, where he demanded the book from its imprisoned king, Aiden Perenolde. The mad king turned over the book in exchange for the dragons slaying the city's Alliance wardens. The group then traveled to Dalaran, where Deathwing and the dragons attacked the city's outer defenses while Gorefiend and his knights snuck through the city streets, broke into the Arcane Vault, and stole the Eye of Dalaran. This tripped the Kirin Tor's alarm, forcing them to duel Archmage Antonidas and his allies inside the vault, before teleporting to a balcony of the Violet Citadel and escaping on the backs of their draconi allies.

After Gorefiend returned to Draenor with the artifacts and Deathwing's eggs, He and his death knights accompanied Ner'zhul on the march from Hellfire Citadel to the Black Temple, where he'd perform the ritual to open new portals. Although Ner'zhul needed Gorefiend's magical knowledge, he privately felt that the death knight's power and cunning would soon become a threat to his authority. When Ner'zhul's group was ambushed by Wildhammer gryphon riders in Terokkar, they escaped the Alliance pursuit into Auchindoun, using the knowledge Gorefiend had obtained of the place during the war against the draenei to find tunnels that provided a shortcut to Shadowmoon Valley." They also encountered and gained the support of the Cabal, another group of the Shadow Council, including Gorefiend's old friend Vorpil, who'd lived in the city for years. Vorpil and the orcs were initially frightened by Gorefiend's form, before recognizing his spirit inside the human corpse.

At the Black Temple, while some of the other death knights joined Ner'zhul in casting the Spell of Conjuration, Gorefiend himself was among the soldiers guarding the temple entrance from the attacking Sons of Lothar. He engaged Turalyon in a duel, initially overpowering the paladin with his magic, before Turalyon recovered and used the Light to cleave through the death knight's body with his hammer. Gorefiend's soul rose from the broken corpse and escaped into the skies of Shadowmoon Valley before Turalyon could destroy it. Shortly after, Ner'zhul and his followers abandoned the Horde and escaped into the Twisting Nether just as Draenor tore apart as a result of their spell. There, they were captured by the Burning Legion alongside the shaman. After the Legion transformed Ner'zhul into the Lich King, they likewise ripped apart his death knights and other followers and transformed them into liches.

With the defeat of Teron Gorefiend and his death knights, the remnants of the Shadow Council were scattered once again. Most of the death knights disappeared after Draenor's destruction. The remnants of the Stormreaver clan were scattered, some remaining on the very isles where Gul'dan was killed. The Twilight's Hammer had continued to sail west to distant Kalimdor -- following the will of the Old Gods. With them, Cho'gall and his followers abandoned the tenants of the Shadow Council for a new dark master. The Cabal remained on the now shattered Draenor -- Outland -- within the ruins of Auchindoun, led by Vorpil.

Third War

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

During the Third War in 20 ADP, the Shadow Council was still in disarray. Remnants of Gul'dan's band that headed for the Broken Isles were encountered by Maiev Shadowsong during her hunt for Illidan Stormrage. During this time, the hermit warlock Drak'thul was found by Warden Maiev Shadowsong, who asked him what happened on the isles. Drak'thul, haunted by the ghosts of his slaughtered clansmen and wishing to be rid of the ghosts, said that he would tell her his story if she destroyed the battling apparitions. Maiev destroyed the skeletal orcs, took the artifact that was reviving them from the pits, and returned to Drak'thul to show the artifact to him. When the orc told her his story, Maiev regretted doing his bidding, saying that he deserved far worse than the company of his slain brethren for what he and his comrades had unleashed on the isles. Drak'thul responded by silently retreating back into his hut.

Several other Stormreavers wandered the Broken Isles. Other Stormreavers survived in the Tomb itself, with several necrolytes having raised hosts of skeletal orcs to protect themselves, and outside of the tomb as small communities.

Some Stormreavers managed to hide amongst Thrall's New Horde and escape to Durotar. These warlocks and their coven slaughtered Morg Wolfsong and his band, though they were ultimately brought to justice by Rexxar, Rokhan, and Chen Stormstout. Several other Stormreavers could also be found on the Echo Isles, where they may have also been defeated by Rexxar.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Shadow Hold, the Council's stronghold on Azeroth.

By the Year 25 ADP, the Shadow Council became a conglomeration of various races, provided they followed the tenets of the Burning Legion.

In northern Kalimdor, the cultists set up their seat of power within Shadow Hold in Felwood, under the command of Lord Banehollow. The nathrezim had in his possession Xorothian Stardust which was needed by Gorzeeki Wildeyes. The goblin eventually sent the warlock adventurer disguised as a member of the Shadow Council to obtain it. To gain his favor, Banehollow tasked them to kill his former servant Ulathek, who was actually a spy for Lord Hel'nurath on Xoroth, and to get his heart. With the task done, Banehollow allowed them to buy the stardust from Ur'dan.

At some point, the paladin Trey Lightforge and the night elf Arko'narin Starshade traveled to Felwood, looking for signs of the Shadow Council in the region. The pair was eventually captured and imprisoned by the cultists in a cage within Shadow Hold. While Trey was tortured to death, Arko'narin was saved by an adventurer who escorted her outside after they defeated the corrupted Spirit of Trey Lightforge. The adventurer later returned to Shadow Hold, where they avenged Trey by killing his torturer Rakaiah, then recovered the remains of the paladin so that he may be respectfully buried.

Horde adventurers fighting the cultists in Jaedenar.

At the request of Greta Mosshoof of the Emerald Circle, the adventurers were later tasked to prove themselves by culling the cultists in Jaedenar. After they extinguished the protective barriers surrounding Shadow Hold, using purified moonwell waters, the heroes entered the hold to kill Shadow Lord Fel'dan, along with his succubus Moora and Salia, in order to cut "the head of the serpent". Without their leader, the druids expected that the Shadow Council would lose focus and start infighting, struggling with one another for control and hoarding assets for future plans, which would be an opportune time for them to devastate the cultists and their demon slaves.

Meanwhile, the Burning Blade was also active in Desolace, the Barrens, and Durotar, and even had a spy in Orgrimmar, while the Searing Blade dwelled beneath the orcish capital in the Ragefire Chasm. The Cult of the Dark Strand operated in Darkshore and Ashenvale, while the mysterious Argus Wake manipulated the Syndicate in Alterac and the Arathi Highlands. In the Blasted Lands, the nathrezim Razelikh the Defiler united the differing Shadow Council sects and the Dreadmaul ogres of the land, forming the Shadowsworn.

The remote plains of Desolace were once home to a unique breed of horse too proud and wild to countenance riders. Yet it is precisely this willful conceit that enticed the elders of the Shadow Council to bind these majestic steeds to their service with dark rituals too horrific to perform by any but the most depraved of warlocks. These newly-christened felsteeds have become twisted with infernal energies. Where their eyes once shone with exuberance and a zest for life, they now burn with hatred for the warlocks who corrupted them and anguish at the passing of the lives they once knew.

Season of Discovery

The subject of this section is unique to the World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery.

At some point, Caius Blackwood, a warlock working with the Syndicate but secretly allied to Shadow Council, caught the attention of Ravenholdt after the latter tasked the rogue adventurer to steal the Horn of Xelthos and retrieve the Eye of Bhossca for him. Since the League wanted to stop Caius from getting the Talisman of Kazdor, they instructed the rogue adventurer to booby-trap the talisman with the help of Zan Shivsproket, hoping that it would kill the warlock. Grand Master Fahrad, having caught wind of Caius' plan to forge a weapon called the Dream Eater, eventually sent the rogue adventurer to disrupt it. After the ritual failed due to the booby-trapped talisman, the rogue killed him and took the Dream Eater for themselves.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

The Shadow Labyrinth within Auchindoun.

During the invasion of Outland in 26 ADP, elements of the Shadow Council were still active on Outland.

The primary group of the Shadow Council that remained active was the Cabal, led by Grandmaster Vorpil and Blackheart the Inciter. Continuing to operate from within Auchindoun, the Cabal made various motions against the various denizens of Outland on behalf of their demonic masters. A caravan from Lower City was eventually attacked by the cultists, and although Shattrath City's guards had arrived to protect them, they still feared that the Shadow Council could send another attack. The adventurers eventually entered Auchindoun, where they managed to banish Murmur, the cosmic entity who threatened to overrun its Shadow Council jailors, before it could break free into the outside world. They also encountered and defeated the Cabal forces and leadership in the process.

The Shadow Cult agents in Shadowmoon Valley.

The Kil'sorrow clan was active in Nagrand. Led by Giselda the Crone, they were known for murder, ritual sacrifice, communing with the Legion, kidnapping, and burglary. The Mag'har and the Kurenai sought their death. In Oshu'gun, the Kil'sorrow Ritualist tortured the ancestral spirit and drained the energy of K'ure, a naaru, with the help of some demons, such as terrorfiends and shivarra. They wanted to absorb the energy to increase the number of voidspawn in their own ranks. With the help of Lantresor of the Blade, the Horde and Alliance created an open war between them and Warmaul clan.

At the Twilight Ridge, the Deathshadow cultists were trying to stabilize one Outland's four dimensional gateways. As Overlord Mor'ghor had orders from Illidan Stormrage to snuff out the Legion activities across the broken world, he left the task to his Dragonmaw captains and eventually sent the disguised adventurers to strike and put an end to the Deathshadow's operations.

Shadow Council members were also active in the Deathforge. There, under Warbringer Razuun, they toiled away to aid the Legion's plots in Shadowmoon Valley by making massive amounts of infernals. To do so, they erected a summoning chamber to invoke the corrupted elementals of the region to place into the infernals. The Horde and Alliance both sent adventurers to destroy the council forces in the region. Razuun was eventually stopped by said taskforces, harrying the Legion's plans.

During the Opening of the Dark Portal in the Caverns of Time, members of the original Council could be seen.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Following the Cataclysm in 28 ADP, the Shadow Council continued to perpetuate the corruption of Felwood from Jaedenar, where they worked to open the path for their Legion masters to Azeroth. The Emerald Circle focused their efforts on eradicating all cultists from the area before they could succeed with their twisted goals. Before they could defeat them, the druids needed to extinguish the protective barriers surrounding Shadow Hold, which were projected from demonic braziers. They tasked adventurers to do so with moonwell waters, but also to gather Crying Violets for their own wards, as the magic of the warlocks and demons within Jaedenar was strong. Without the demonic protective barriers blocking the way, the Emerald Circle druids were finally able to enter the Shadow Hold, allowing Farlus Wildheart to sent heroes to eliminate the Shadow Council leaders, including Shadow Lord Fel'dan and Lord Banehollow himself.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

Lord Malgath breaching the Violet Hold in Dalaran.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion in 32 ADP, an alternate Gul'dan rallied the members of the Shadow Council who had been in hiding on Azeroth, in order to help him retrieve the Book of Medivh and Eye of Dalaran. Jergosh the Invoker led a team to obtain the book from the Cult of the Damned at Caer Darrow, while Allaris Narassin and Nagaz traveled to Tol Barad for the eye. All three were later killed by the Netherlord of the Council of the Black Harvest.

At some point, Fel Lord Betrug and Sael'orn hired Lord Malgath of the Shadow Council to free the Violet Hold inmates imprisoned during the Scourgewar, some of the Lich King's most powerful servants, and opened fel portals for the demons' arrival. The invasion was ultimately halted after a group of adventurers defeated and repelled the demons. Among the invaders were several Shadow Council assassins and warlocks. The Knights of the Silver Hand also entered the hold to recover a Fel Lexicon, written by an ancient scholar who spoke both eredun and draenei, from the hands of Malgath.

Several Shadow Council Warlocks were later seen aboard Kil'jaeden's command ship.

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

In Year 40 ADP, a group of demonic followers took control of Shadow Hold, where they proceeded to further corrupt Felwood and summon their master, Lord Hel'nurath. The nathrezim was eventually defeated by a night elven hero, alongside Arko'narin Starshade, Lysander Starshade and Maiev Shadowsong. After Jaedenar was purged of the cultists, its moonwell was purified, allowing the land to slowly heal, while Shadow Hold was destroyed during the battle, caving behind them as they escaped.

On Outland, the Auchenai draenei had reclaimed Auchindoun with the help of the Omenai, including the Shadow Labyrinth, thus leaving the status of the Cabal unknown.

Organization

Gul'dan the Betrayer of the Orcs. The founder and master of the Shadow Council until the Second War.

“Many cults exist within the Council, but only to hide its actions against the foolish. Groups like the Burning Blade, the Argus Wake, and the Searing Blade are tools of the Council. Consider them one and the same.”

— Thrall

The shape of the original Shadow Council is unclear. Gul'dan is described as a "warlock of the Inner Circle" (also an "initiate of the Seventh Circle") and Cho'gall as an "initiate of the Fifth." This means that there are at least seven circles of the Shadow Council, the Inner Circle being the Seventh.

Though the term is never used, according to the High Shadow Councilor's Wrap, a member of the organization would be called a Shadow Councilor.

On Draenor, not all orc warlocks joined the Shadow Council, such as Drek'Thar, Ghun, and Nekros Skullcrusher who stayed loyal to their clans instead.

Leadership

Main leaders

Name	Role(s)	Status	Location(s)
Gul'dan (alternate)	Lord of the Shadow Council during the Legion's third invasion.	Deceased	Various
Grandmaster Vorpil	Co-leader of the Cabal and Shadow Council in Outland.	Killable	Shadow Labyrinth, Auchindoun
Blackheart the Inciter	Co-leader of the Cabal and Shadow Council in Outland.	Killable	Shadow Labyrinth, Auchindoun
Lord Banehollow	Leader of the Shadow Council in Jaedenar.	Killable	Various
Fel'dan	Leader of the Shadow Council in Felwood.	Killable	Shadow Hold, Felwood
Gul'dan	Founder of the Shadow Council and the Stormreaver clan.	Deceased	Apostate's Reach, Tomb of Sargeras

Secondary leaders

Name	Role(s)	Status	Location(s)
Athrikus Narassin	Leader of the Cult of the Dark Strand.	Deceased	Tower of Althalaxx; Darkshore
Bazzalan	Co-leader of the Searing Blade.	Unknown	Ragefire Chasm, Orgrimmar
Giselda the Crone	Ruler of the Kil'sorrow clan	Killable	Kil'sorrow Fortress, Nagrand
Jergosh the Invoker	Co-leader of the Searing Blade.	Deceased	Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands
Lord Malgath	Leader of the Assault on Violet Hold	Killable	Assault on Violet Hold, Dalaran
Kohor	Ruler of Thunder Axe Fortress.	Killable	Thunder Axe Fortress, Desolace
Neeru Fireblade	Secret leader of the Burning Blade.	Deceased	Cleft of Shadow, Orgrimmar
Shadowmaster Grieve	Leader of Grangol'var Village.	Killable	Grangol'var Village, Terokkar Forest

Subgroups

The Shadow Council in Hearthstone.

• Argus Wake - Mysterious group who manipulated the Syndicate to use Stromgarde Keep for the Legion's Third Host.
• Burning Blade - Originally an orcish clan, the Burning Blade turned into a demon-worshiping cult undermining the Horde's influence in Durotar, Desolace, and the Barrens. Elements of the clan are opposed to the Shadow Council and loyal to the Horde.
• Cabal - A faction made up of the Council survivors after the destruction of Draenor. They operate exclusively in Outland.
• Cult of the Dark Strand - A cult devoted to Athrikus Narassin in Darkshore. They have been annihilated by the Alliance.
• Deathshadow - A sect attempting to open the Twilight Ridge's dimensional gateway to summon demonic reinforcements in Outland, but were waylaid by the Illidari dragonmaws.
• Kil'sorrow clan - An orcish clan affiliated to the Shadow Council. They wage war against the Warmauls in Nagrand.
• Searing Blade - A Shadow Council's that sought to destroy Orgrimmar. They have been annihilated by the Horde.
• Shadowsworn - A united group of Shadow Council sects alongside the Dreadmaul tribe of ogres that served Razelikh the Defiler. By the time of the Ironmarch, they appear to have been wiped out, with the Dreadmaul trading sides to the Iron Horde.
• Stormreaver clan - Originally formed as the shelter for Gul'dan and his remaining followers, the Stormreaver clan acted as the council in all but name under Doomhammer's nose. Following Gul'dan's demise, the clan was shattered and its survivors have last been seen scattered.

Notable members

Main article: Shadow Council members

Name	Role(s)	Status	Location(s)
Allaris Narassin	Brother of Athrikus Narassin.	Deceased	Various
Blackhand	Warchief of the Orcish Horde.	Deceased	Unknown
Darbel Montrose	Agent infiltrating the Syndicate.	Killable	Stromgarde Keep, Arathi Highlands
Jugkar Grim'rod	Representative of the Burning Blade.	Killable	Mannoroc Coven, Desolace
Nagaz	Hierophant of the Argus Wake.	Deceased	D-Block, Tol Barad
Prince Xavalis	Presumed son of Satyr Lord Xavius.	Killable	Shadow Hold, Felwood
Teron Gorefiend	Leader of the Draenor death knights.	Deceased	Black Temple, Shadowmoon Valley
Tyranis Malem	Last warlock disciple of Nagaz.	Unknown	Various
Warbringer Razuun	Overseer of the Deathforge.	Killable	Deathforge, Shadowmoon Valley

Notes

• The orcs of the Shadow Council empowered the Shadow Orb, Gul'dan's artifact, that was found by Maiev Shadowsong in the Tomb of Sargeras.

Speculation

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.

While it may be a simple case of model reuse, the Founding of Durotar campaign shows some Stormreaver warlocks on the Echo Isles and Durotar. It is, therefore, possible that some Stormreaver survivors traveled to Kalimdor and founded the local branch of the Shadow Council.

Gallery

• 

  Shadow Council Warlock aboard Kil'jaeden's command ship.
• 

  Shadow Council Necrolyte in Hearthstone.

See also

• Demon cult