Shadow priest

"Shadow Priest" redirects here. For the specialization, see Priest#Shadow. For the Legion NPCs, see Shadow Priest (NPC).

A Forsaken shadow priest using

[Shadowform] in the Trading Card Game.

Shadow priests (or shadowpriests) are priests whose powers derive from the Void instead of the Light. Shadow priests can be worshipers of many dark forces such as the loa or the Old Gods, or simply focus their art on shadowy magics and mental manipulation, understanding the necessity of balance between dark and light. But to truly understand such ancient, corruptive influence is to be driven mad. This is the state in which these dark priests thrive, embracing insanity and feeding off of the minds of their opponents to reach terrifying new limits.^[1]

Shadow priests often stand out by assuming a [Shadowform].

Background

"Victims of a shadow priest seldom remember why they're victims."^[2]

The high arakkoa of Draenor were once worshipers of the sun goddess Rukhmar. But discipline was harsh among them, and those found guilty of dabbling in shadow magic or worshiping gods other than Rukhmar were hurled from the spires and into the cursed pools of Sethekk Hollow, where their wings shriveled and their bodies contorted.^[3] This led to the rise of a new caste of outcast arakkoa, with their own custom of worshiping Anzu the Raven God and their own shadow priesthood known as the talonpriests.

Shadow priests were first brought to human society after the First War. Natalie Seline, a bishop of Stormwind, began to delve into workings of the orc necrolytes who had poured through the Dark Portal and desecrated their hallowed dead. While at first this was done in order to provide Azeroth with the knowledge it needed to fight against such dark magic, the bishop's studies over the years became increasingly obsessed with finding out why such dark energies existed at all, and why she began to see the ebb and flow of such energies in the world around her. She began preaching about the necessity of a balance between dark and light, but after her death, her books were locked away in the Kirin Tor's vaults in Dalaran.^[4] These teachings were rediscovered by Forsaken priests in Lordaeron after the capture and refurbishing of the Undercity,^[4] leading to the creation of the Cult of Forgotten Shadow.

During the war against the Lich King, part of the Scarlet Onslaught's clergy became corrupted by the nathrezim Mal'Ganis, leading to the appearance of raven priests.^[5]

The spreading of the Twilight's Hammer during the times of the Cataclysm led many priests of the Church of the Light to lose their faith in the Holy Light and turn to the worship of the Old Gods instead.^[6]

Years later, during the Burning Legion's third invasion, many shadow priests joined the Conclave in the Netherlight Temple.^[7]

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

A single shadow priest serves as a bishop for a Forsaken community.^[8] There are also shadow priests among the trolls, they find Forsaken to be kindred spirits, supporting them because they are evil.^[9] There are also shadow priests that follow Kil'jaeden.^[10]