Veil

For the arakkoa settlements known as veils, see list of arakkoa towns.

The Veil as seen by a player in the Howling Fjord.

The Veil (see below for other names and denotations) is a plane acting as the border between the Shadowlands and the countless worlds of the Great Dark Beyond. It can be seen as a shadowy version of the physical plane, and can be visited as a spirit when player characters die and release from their corpse, unless they are in a zone in the Shadowlands.

Passing through the Veil can be traumatic, and a soul that refuses to cross it to join the Shadowlands is a problem the kyrian are familiar with.

Description

The Veil between Azeroth and the Shadowlands shattered by Sylvanas Windrunner above Icecrown Citadel.

The Veil is a greyscale realm where souls of the departed linger until they are gathered by a kyrian to be brought to the Shadowlands. Kyrian Watchers known as Spirit Healers dwell in the Veil and appear to those who die to peer into the soul's inner self and evaluate whether they are ready to be dead. If the Watchers deem the soul ready, they will call forth a kyrian Bearer to come and bring their soul to the Arbiter at Oribos. If they aren't ready, the Watchers return them to life. The kyrian ferrying souls across the veil into the Shadowlands also ensures a steady supply of anima for all the realms of Death. On Azeroth, the tauren spiritwalkers maintain a balance between the world of the living and the spirit realm.

The Spirit of Tony Two-Tusk describes the Veil as "all grey and dark, swirling clouds". While Uuna was in the Veil, she described it as dark and she was unable to see anything, though she could hear people interacting with her in the physical world. From within the Shadowlands, she could see the light of the naaru A'dal who was in the physical world, but it was so bright that it scared her. The moonlight of Elune at Lake Falathim allowed her to see a friend in the physical world.

Sometimes, the spirits roam the Veil without resting. It can be because their resting place wasn't complete, due to a battle in their resting place, or because of the corruption of their resting place. To bring eternal peace to the souls, it is needed to destroy the source of corruption or by making a ceremony with items such as the  [Tuskarr Ritual Object].

Spirits in the Veil can physically interact with objects and people in the living world. Those without a material manifestation are still able to send items from the spirit world to the living.

A spirit healer in the Veil.

Without the protection of the Lich King, shades from the Veil constantly torment the death knights of the Ebon Blade that were liberated from his service.

There are various ways for the living to enter the Veil. For example, the  [Murkweed] plant's toxins are so potent that it even fools the spirit, allowing one to temporarily enter. Inhaling certain incenses are also capable of allowing passage to the Veil. While being alive, it can also be seen with some devices such as the  [Spectrecles], or the helmets of Second Sight, while the  [Spirit Spirits] is a strong alcohol brew that gives the drinker a small glimpse into it. The death priests of the Auchenai are notably allowed to see the world of the dead after drinking a potion during a rite of initiation, but many go mad from it. Many not-dead mortals who visit the Veil do not return.

Since time is perceived differently in the Veil, Salanar the Horseman mentioned that only a few days had passed for him between the war against the Lich King and the third invasion of the Burning Legion when it was nearly five years in the living world.

While within the Veil, visions of past events may be seen.

Appearances

World of Warcraft

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

In World of Warcraft, the Veil can be seen when a character dies. They can be resurrected by a Spirit Healer (or by finding the corpse of their physical body, though this may be just a game mechanic).

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

• At the end of the Invasion of Draenor, the defenders at Expedition Armory were cursed by the Horde's death knights who trapped their souls between the realms of the living and the dead, becoming known as the Unyielding.
• Shirrak the Dead Watcher, an otherworldly being, haunted both the spirit and physical worlds. A Draenei Spirit asked the adventurers to kill it.
• The Inner Veil where Sathrovarr the Corruptor is found is inside the "spectral realm" in the Kalecgos fight in the Sunwell Plateau raid.

Wrath of the Lich King

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

Agmar's Hammer seen in the world of shadows in  [15-30] The Power to Destroy quest.

• Lady Alistra summons Shadow Constructs, Forgotten Servants and a Cenarion Scout from the Realm of Shadows to train her Disciples of the Unholy.
• Salanar the Horseman's dark riders kill captured horses and raise them as Acherus Deathchargers there, while death knight initiates are given the task to enter the Realm of Shadows and to defeat the horsemen and take the deathchargers for themselves, a task that it's said few initiates succeed. There are Shadowy Tormentors when initiates go to the realm for their deathcharger.
• As the Lich King gained sway over the spirit world, the Alliance champion encountered him with Val'kyr Soulclaimers while seeing visions of the past in the Veil using the  [Incense Burner]. He also appeared riding a frost wyrm during  [15-30] The Power to Destroy. In another vision in the spirit world in Nifflevar the origins of the humans from vrykul is discovered.
• The blue dragonflight and their minions attacked the Coldrock Quarry, killing the Kaskala tuskarr shaman and craftsmen working there. The violence threw the spirit world into utter chaos and Elder Atkanok was unable to guide the ancestors home unless he had help in finding a way to soothe the spirits of the murdered]]. Thus, Alliance and Horde adventurers assisted him in freeing the spirits of the murdered tuskarr. As they did so, the upheaval in the spirit world was beginning to calm.
• An adventurer temporarily separated their spirit from their body to question ghosts at the Forgotten Shore.
• In Drakil'jin Ruins in Grizzly Hills, a corruption filled Drakkari spirits with great angst and prevented them from entering eternal rest. Kraz had an adventurer with the goal of setting the spirits to rest and enter the other side by using a gong.
• Eidolon Watchers moved through the Veil at the command of the Knights of the Ebon Blade to disrupt the Scourge operations at the Weeping Quarry.
• Upon the death of Arthas Menethil, the kyrian Devos and Uther the Lightbringer came to Icecrown Citadel through the Veil to take his soul.

The Shattering

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

• Thrall's soul entered into the world of spirit during a vision quest in order to reconnect with the elements. In it, he was transformed into a spirit wolf, and Aggra, in the same form, led him through the swirling mist. The vision quest consisted of witnessing several important past events of his life with the involvement of the elements.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Azuregos and Anara in the spirit world.

• Thoralius the Wise sent a hero into the Deadmines to see a vision of Edwin VanCleef's death inside the spirit world.
• Azuregos hid in the Veil together with the spirit healer Anara.
• High Prophet Barim sent adventurers into the spirit world where they fought Harbinger of Darkness and Soul Fragments.
• In a cave in the Gullet of the Twilight Highlands, Uchek put the Horde adventurer in a trance that sent them in the spirit realm, where they cleansed three shrines and destroyed any evil spirits in the area with  [The Light of Souls].
• Jin'do survived as a shade, weak and broken, in the spirit world. He later found a way back into the world and enslaved Hakkar the Soulflayer. Adventurers entered the Veil to fight him.

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

• Tortured Spirits in the Jade Forest became trapped in the physical world, being unable to move to the next. Ren Whitepaw sent adventurers to put them to rest.
• During his fight, Shan Jitong ripped the spirit from an adventurer's body who needed to quickly return to it.
• Mogu tortured the spirits of pandaren in the spirit world at the Golden Stair in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Adventurers used spirit vortexes to enter and free the Captive Pandaren Spirits. Twisted Tormentors could be found wandering.
• During the battle with Gara'jal the Spiritbinder in Mogu'shan Vaults, adventurers were sent to the spirit world via his Spirit Totems.
• Spirit Flayers are undead trolls in the Throne of Thunder phased into the spirit world, unable to be harmed from the mortal plane.
• In the Cavern of Lost Spirits on the Timeless Isle, an adventurer helped the floating skull Zarhym to find his body by entering the spirit world, while avoiding Timeless Spirits that could kick them out of the spirit world.

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.

The Shadow Gate used by Bloodmaul chieftain Borgal Doomfist to enter the spirit realm.

• The SI:7 rogue Owynn Graddock, shadow hunter Bwu'ja and the commanders of the Alliance and Horde entered the spirit realm by the Shadow Gate in order to stop the Bloodmaul chieftain Borgal Doomfist, who used the  [Soulgrinder] on orcish and draenei spirits. In the spirit realm, there were Phantasmic Watchers, Umbral Lurkers and orc and draenei Crazed Souls.
• An adventurer entered the spirit realm with  [Elixir of Memories] and destroyed the memory of Arumel in Talador.
• Golmash Hellscream died in a brutal combat and entered the spirit world in unrest, as it is with many who die like that.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

• The Knights of the Ebon Blade sent to find Salanar the Horseman in the Realm of Shadows encountered fal'dorei Shadowstalker Arachnar there. Salanar later noted that while years had passed in the regular world, for him in the Realm of Shadows, it had been mere days since he had helped the Deathlord claim their own deathcharger.
  • Salanar later required the Shadow Reins by defeating Dark Rider Ghrave in the Realm of Shadows.
• The corrupted soul of High Priestess Dejahna was fought when champions entered the spirit realm during the The Desolate Host encounter in the Tomb of Sargeras.
• In the battle with Argus the Unmaker, Argus killed all the adventurers but Eonar was able to bring them back from the Veil multiple times with her power. Hungering Souls attack the heroes' spirits while within the Veil.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Spirit of Vol'jin and a Horde adventurer traveled through Orgrimmar in the Veil.

• In Highmountain, Uul'gyneth's shadowy minions of the spirit realm grew stronger and threatened to pierce the Veil into reality.
• Centuries ago, Summoner Mepjila cursed the followers of Kimbul to constantly relive their battle with her naga forces as spirits for eternity. Kimbul sent an adventurer into the Veil with a  [Spirit Mask] to slay Mepjila's spirit and free his followers from her curse.
• Gorak Tul was causing a rift in the spirit world.
• During the Alliance's fight with Rastakhan during the Battle of Dazar'alor, Bwonsamdi opened gates to the Veil.
• Vol'jin's spirit and the Horde adventurer traveled through Orgrimmar in the Veil as he relived the day of his death. Shades appeared in various locations during the questline.
• A tauren champion investigated unrest within the spirit realm and crossed over at Sun Rock Retreat through a ritual with the  [Spiritwalker's Hallowed Vessel]. When the spirits attacked Bloodhoof Village and Thunder Bluff, the tauren champion fought Necrofiends, Malicious Spirits, and a Malevolent Spirit. They also encountered a Ancient Kodo in the spirit realm. Spirits of Cairne and Tamaala later appeared in Thunder Bluff and reminded Baine of the tauren way, after which they returned to the spirit world.

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

• A shaman on Exile's Reach was sent by a Ghost Wolf to the spirit world, by burning four Veil Blossoms in a campfire, to free three captured ghost wolf packmates trapped by necrotic energies of the island.
• When Sylvanas Windrunner defeated Lich King Bolvar Fordragon she destroyed the Helm of Domination which pierced the veil between Azeroth and the Shadowlands in the sky above the Frozen Throne.
• Long ago, in order to learn how to bring the souls of fallen vrykul to the Halls of Valor, Odyn plucked his own eye from his head and gave it to Mueh'zala, allowing him to see beyond the Veil.
• Affixing the Helm of Domination in Oribos allowed to create a tether to Azeroth that served to bring several Knights of the Ebon Blade across the Veil.
• Kleia and an adventurer in the Kyrian Covenant traveled to the Veil in the Redridge Mountains to witness the life of Ben Howell and decide if he is ready to be brought to the Shadowlands.
• After the Zovaal the Jailer was defeated, the Veil above Icecrown Citadel healed and closed up.

Other names

• Astral realm
• Death realm
• Eternal veil
• Ghost world
• Ghostly Void
• Other side (also name for Bwonsamdi's realm and the Shadowlands)
• Realm of darkness
• Realm of Shadows
• Shadow realm
• Spectral realm
• Spirit realm
• Spirit Void
• Spirit world
• Veil between life and death
• Veil of death
• World of shadows
• World of spirits
• World of the dead

Notes

• After World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, the Veil and the Shadowlands were confirmed to be different places.
  • The first mention of the Shadowlands was in World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1. However, the grey spirit world known to players was referred to with terms related to "shadow" by death knights in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, causing some confusion as to whether there were levels of afterlife or if it was merely an artistic redesign (similar to the Emerald Dream as a phased area versus the eventual raid).
• On Zandalar the Veil is watched over by Bwonsamdi instead of Spirit Healers, and on Argus by Prime Naaru.
•  [Haunting Memento] is a toy that has the target be haunted periodically "causing the spirit world to affect them", with a buff that "haunts" them with a random assortment of spooky effects.
• Death effects were made after Tim Truesdale and Brandon Idol in June 2004. saw the Lord of the Rings movies, the staff decided it was too cool not to feature-creep new video settings to emphasize a character’s death state.

Gallery

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  A typical out-of-body death experience of players in Azeroth.
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  The sky seen by dead players in Azeroth.
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  Koltira Deathweaver tormented by the Veil's shades in Death Knight.
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  Vision of VanCleef's death as seen in the Veil.
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  The Inner Veil during the Sunwell Plateau raid.
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  Corpse Run in the Trading Card Game.