Wizard's Sanctum
The Wizard's Sanctum is a mage tower and a portal room located in the central-southern part of the Mage Quarter, in Stormwind City. With patch 8.1.5, the tower's interior was completely revamped to house the Stormwind Portal Room,[1] where the mages of Stormwind and their allies maintain portals (once scattered throughout the capital) to a number of different areas on Azeroth, Outland, Draenor, and more recently in the Shadowlands and the Dragon Isles. Though the personnel working here are generally affiliated with Stormwind, decorations such as the insignia at its entrance suggest the Kirin Tor helped with the remodeling. The area is patrolled by arcane golems and summoned water elementals.
The kingdom's magi are trained here and study the arts of arcane magic. Their society of mages has a task to ensure the safety of Stormwind City and its lands,[2] they wage a "secret war" into the "invisible world",[3] notably by investigating and dealing with any magical anomalies and creatures threatening the realm and its inhabitants.[4][5] Inside the Wizard's Sanctum, Maginor Dumas is known to be one of Stormwind's most renowned mages, and met there promising apprentice mages sent by other Alliance mage masters.[6] High Sorcerer Andromath is also present, and is considered as one of the finest and most powerful sorcerers that was not locked away in Dalaran after its destruction.[7]
Outside, Lisan Pierce, Janey Anship, and Suzanne can be found discussing in great and confusing detail about topics such as portals and polarity — however, if one listens closely, it is revealed that they are merely trying to develop a love potion for one of the group's crushes.[8] Archmage Nakada and Linda are also conducting a class for a crew of "Junior Mages".
History
World of Warcraft
Long ago, three mages studied in the tower until one of them, Morganth, fell to the dark arts. He was urged to turn away from that evil magic, but he could not resist, and was banished. Morganth took with him a powerful book – [Ur's Treatise on Shadow Magic], though he failed to break the seals placed on it by the mages of Stormwind. A hero mage was later sent to defeat him and bring back the magic book.[9] To reward them for their actions, the mages of the Wizard's Sanctum contacted Wynne Larson to design a robe suiting an adept mage.[10]
After Azeroth had been victim to massive mystic struggles, which tore magic currents from once stable channels, the mages of the Wizard's Sanctum struggled to determine the effects these changes had caused, and some of them feared the worst. When the flow of magic in Stormwind City and Elwynn Forest was somehow altered, they sent a mage hero to Mirror Lake, in order to test its water for magical properties before those who drank from it would be adversely affected.[4] Another case was a disturbance in the Blue Recluse tavern, where a mana rift has formed, and from which came invisible creatures. A mage hero was then sent to subdue them in containment coffers, in order to study and determine the reason behind their arrival in the physical world.[5]
In Season of Discovery, Garion Wendell was in charge of the tower's library and tasked mage adventurers to bring him any magical works that could benefit their cause and expand their knowledge.
At the same time, the Sanctum's mages were conducting researches at Nethergarde Keep in the Blasted Lands, research vital to their understanding of the Dark Portal, which required nearly constant supplies.[11]
Stormrage
During the War Against the Nightmare, the Mage Quarter was the brighter district in the capital enveloped by the Emerald Nightmare's mist, as its mages were constantly casting spells to repel the invaders.[12]
Cataclysm
During the Elemental Unrest, evacuation portals were placed in the Wizard's Sanctum, and when an elemental invasion was announced by the city guards, many Stormwind citizens evacuated through them. In the other districts, a few Stormwind City mages were in charge of creating other portals to evacuate the rest of the population out of the capital.
Following the Cataclysm, the accomplishments of a mage hero reached King Varian Wrynn, who later commissioned the royal enchanter Lucan Cordell to create a special weapon for them. Consequently, Maginor Dumas summoned the adventurer in the Wizard's Sanctum and sent them to Shadowfang Keep, in order to obtain all the materials required.[13][14] He later met them again in the tower, this time to find the grimoire of Pyromancer Loregrain in Blackrock Mountain, in order to devise counterspells and other ways of dampening the elemental magics used by the Dark Iron forces and their Twilight's Hammer allies.[15][16]
Elegy
During the Burning of Teldrassil, the Wizard's Sanctum served as an evacuation point, where Archmage Malin and the Stormwind mages opened portals for the night elf and gilnean refugees from Darnassus. At some point, Tyrande Whisperwind, Anduin Wrynn, Velen, and Genn Greymane came into the mage tower to learn what happened in Kalimdor.[17] For days the magi couldn't sleep, as they were keeping the portals open, and subsisted on conjured food and drink with the priests' continual blessings. Faced with the increasingly heavy flood of confused and frightened refugees, the tower had to be evacuated by the Stormwind City Guard to allow the mages enough space to bring in more civilians. However, when Teldrassil was set on fire by the Horde, the smoke and ashes that entered the tower obliged all the mages to cease their portals.[18]
Battle for Azeroth
In the Vision of Stormwind created by the Old God N'Zoth, a corrupted version of Magister Umbric and his followers of the Black Empire turned the Mage Quarter into a Void summoning location. In order to end the vision, the Alliance heroes had to close all the portals and defeat the corrupted Umbric in the Wizard's Sanctum.
Dragonflight
After the discovery of the Dragon Isles, the Obsidian Warders brought by Wrathion were allowed in the capital by Spymaster Mathias Shaw. One of the dracthyr visited the Wizard's Sanctum, recognizing the magic of its portals like the one of the blue dragonflight, while Elling Trias was sent disguised as one of the mage apprentices to observe them.[19]
Access to the tower
For mages in training, access to the mage trainers is gained by going up the ramp and climbing to the highest part of the tower and then passing through the portal there.
All Alliance mages can learn to teleport directly into the Wizard's Sanctum at level 21, and portal other players there at level 24. They can also reach the Sanctum by using teleport items such as [Cloak of Coordination] and [Wrap of Unity].
Available portals
-
- Azeroth
- Caverns of Time, Tanaris
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- The Exodar, Azuremyst Isle — The Vault of Lights
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Dalaran, Crystalsong Forest — The Violet Gate
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to Wintergrasp Fortress, Wintergrasp
- Paw'don Village, Jade Forest
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Crumbled Palace, Azsuna
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Boralus, Tiragarde Sound — Sanctum of the Sages
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to Magni's Encampment, Silithus
- Portal to Ironforge, Dun Morogh
- Portal to the Exodar, Azuremyst Isle
- Portal to Mezzamere, Nazjatar
- Seat of the Aspects, Dragon Isles
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Bel'ameth, Dragon Isles
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to Nordrassil, Mount Hyjal
- Portal to Lorlathil, Val'sharah
- Portal to Mist's Edge, Darkshore
- Dornogal, Isle of Dorn
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
-
- Outland
- Shattrath City, Terokkar Forest — Terrace of Light
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to the Isle of Quel'Danas
- Draenor
- Stormshield, Ashran
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to Lion's Watch, Tanaan Jungle
- Shadowlands
- Oribos
- Portal to Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest
- Portal to Vestibule of Eternity, Bastion
- Portal to Bleak Redoubt, Maldraxxus
- Portal to Starlit Overlook, Ardenweald
- Portal to Pridefall Hamlet, Revendreth
- Portal to Waystone to Oribos, Maw
Note: At the entrance to the tower there is an Honor Hold Mage that may take you to the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands, if eligible. An Vanguard Battlemage and an Kirin Tor Emissary are also present, if eligible, they indicate to take the portals to Ashran and the Broken Isles upstairs. Additional portals to Cataclysm specific areas are available in the Eastern Earthshrine.[20] Portals for allied race starting areas are still in front of the Stormwind Embassy.
NPCs
Inhabitants
- High Sorcerer Andromath
- Elsharin <Mage Trainer>
- Maginor Dumas <Master Mage>
- Jennea Cannon <Mage Trainer>
- Larimaine Purdue <Portal Trainer>
- Laluu <Mage Trainer>
- Sparkbright <Mage Trainer>
- Coridormi
- Honor Hold Mage
- Kirin Tor Emissary
- Vanguard Battlemage
- Apprentice Mages
- Trading Post Barker
- Garion Wendell <Librarian> (Season of Discovery)
Portal crew
-
- Storm's Wake Tidesages
- Nar'thalas Mages
- Silver Covenant Mages
- Exodar Portal-Keepers
- Tushui Magisters
- Kirin Tor Magus
- Consortium Arcanists
- Bronze Chronomancers
-
Others
In the RPG
The vine-covered tower sits to the west of the city, and it also contains the Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences.[21]
Notes and trivia
- The cleaning of the Wizard's Sanctum is accomplished by a few enchanted brooms.
- Maria Lumere sell only the finest arcane gear made by the crafters and mages of Stormwind City.[22]
- In addition to the Kirin Tor insignia, the area also contains banners of the Tirisgarde for unknown reasons.
- The portal to Draenor seems to exist only for gameplay purposes since, lorewise, the connection ended some time before the Fourth War.[23]
- The Wizard's Sanctum features as an attraction in the Blizzard World in-universe map in Overwatch, but is not seen in the in-game map itself.
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.
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- The tower may be led by High Sorcerer Andromath or Maginor Dumas.
- The Wizard's Sanctum may be one of the Conjurer towers present during the second siege of Stormwind.
- The Wizard's Sanctum portal room could be its own pocket dimension, as it's entered from a portal atop the Wizard's Sanctum tower.
- The Wizard's Sanctum could be partially or entirely part of the Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences.
Gallery
Northeast view of the interior (before patch 8.1.5).
The tower in vanilla (before patch 4.0.3a).
The Wizard's Sanctum in Hearthstone.
The Wizard's Sanctum in Heroes of the Storm.
- Portal room
Portal to Stormshield in Ashran.
Portal to Boralus in Tiragarde Sound.
Portal to the Crumbled Palace in Azsuna.
Portal to Dalaran in Crystalsong Forest.
Portal to the Exodar in Azuremyst Isle.
Portal to the Caverns of Time in Tanaris.
Portal to Shattrath City in Terokkar Forest.
Portal to Paw'don Village in the Jade Forest.
Portal to Oribos in the Shadowlands.
Portal to the Seat of the Aspects in Valdrakken.
Portal to Bel'ameth in Amirdrassil.
Laluu's book corner (replaced by the Caverns of Time's portal in patch 8.2.0).
Patch changes
- Patch 11.0.2 (2024-08-13): Dornogal portal added on second floor.
- Patch 11.0.0 (2024-07-23): Portal pedestal for Dornogal added.
- Patch 10.2.5 (2024-01-16): Bel'ameth portal added on second floor.
- Patch 10.2.0 (2023-11-07): The previously locked section in the back has opened to reveal a new (currently empty) floor.
- Patch 10.0.2 (2022-11-15): Valdrakken portal activated.
- Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Dormant portal to Valdrakken added.
- Patch 9.0.2 (2020-11-17): Oribos portal activated.
- Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): The portal room in Wizard's Sanctum has received additional lighting. Dormant portal to Oribos added.
- Patch 8.2.0 (2019-06-25): Added a Caverns of Time portal.
- Patch 8.1.5 (2019-03-12): Inside completely remodeled and all portals in Stormwind have been relocated here.
See also
References
- ^ World map icon name
- ^ [10] Speak with Jennea
- ^ [15] Report to Jennea
- ^ a b [10] Mirror Lake
- ^ a b [16] Investigate the Blue Recluse
- ^ Journey to the Wizard's Sanctum
- ^ [26] High Sorcerer Andromath
- ^ Mage Quarter#Suzanne - Janey - Lisan conversation
- ^ [28] Ur's Treatise on Shadow Magic
- ^ [26] Pristine Spider Silk
- ^ [45] Vital Supplies
- ^ Stormrage, chapter 21
- ^ Journey to the Wizard's Sanctum
- ^ [8-30D] Mastering the Arcane
- ^ Meet with Maginor Dumas
- ^ [20-30D] The Pyromancer's Grimoire
- ^ Elegy, part 3
- ^ Elegy, part 5
- ^ [10] Ground Leave
- ^ https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/spotlight-on-portals/118521
- ^ Lands of Conflict, pg. 53
- ^ Maria Lumere#Quotes
- ^ [40-80] Vision of Time