Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire

This article is about the legendary artifact in Legion. For the entity within the blade, see Xal'atath. For its quest item version, see  [Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire].

Not to be confused with  [Xal'atoh, Desecrated Image of Gorehowl].

• Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire
• Item Level 10
• Binds when picked up
• Unique
• Dagger
• Main Hand
• Speed 1.80
• 1 Damage
• (0.6 damage per second)
• +4 Intellect
• +1 Stamina
• +1 Critical Strike
• +1 Mastery
• Blood Artifact Relic Slot
• Shadow Artifact Relic Slot
• Equip: Grants the Void Torrent ability, which unleashes massive shadowy damage, and delays your descent from madness.
• Classes: Priest
• "Xal'atath has a mind of its own. Ignore its maddening whispers. Do not trust the lies it spins. Take from it what you need, but always remember that the dark presence in the blade is not your ally."

Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire is one of the artifacts used by shadow priests in World of Warcraft: Legion. Equipping it will automatically place  [Secrets of the Void] in your off-hand.

Source

This item is a quest reward from   [10-45] Blade in Twilight.

History

Early history

For more detail, see Xal'atath#Biography.

Xal'atath in Hearthstone.

Xal'atath is the name of both the Blade of the Black Empire (also called the Black Blade) and of a sentient Void being whose spirit was trapped inside it for most of known history. It is not clear whether the two ever existed separately from each other.

The dagger was created during the reign of the Black Empire, where it was used for ritual sacrifices to the Old Gods. There are many theories concerning its creation; the more outlandish claim that it is all that remains of a forgotten Old God who was consumed by its kin, while other theories state it was made from a claw of Y'Shaarj. Whatever its true origin, it is infused with the essence of the Old Gods and uses powerful Void energies and mind magics to warp everything around it. It can grant its owner visions of the Black Empire, though this inevitably drives the viewer mad.

After the fall of the Black Empire, Xal'atath was hidden away by the Old Gods' cultists. It passed from mortal to mortal and has resurfaced at various points in history, always associated with some horrific ritual or disaster and inevitably leaving death and chaos in its wake. Circa 16,000 BDP, Xal'atath was found by the jungle troll Zan'do. Xal'atath guided him into resurrecting the C'Thraxxi general Kith'ix with sacrificial blood magic. Kith'ix subsequently awakened the aqir, beginning the centuries-long Aqir and Troll War. Kith'ix used Xal'atath to inflict pestilence and visions of death upon the trolls, and though they eventually triumphed over him and the aqir the war nearly drove the trolls to extinction.

It spent ages in the hands of the naga following the Sundering, and millennia later was delivered to the sorceress Modgud Thaurissan by one of the Dark Iron dwarves she'd sent to search for magical artifacts. During the War of the Three Hammers, Modgud led a Dark Iron assault on the Wildhammer city of Grim Batol, where she used Xal'atath to perform a ritual to bring the city's shadows to life to attack the Wildhammers. However, when Khardros Wildhammer confronted Modgud in battle, the blade abandoned her and disappeared. Khardros struck her down, and as she lay dying, she repeated the words "You promised..." over and over. Modgud's sorcery left Grim Batol cursed and uninhabitable for centuries after the war and transformed the Dark Iron survivors who fled into the city into skardyn.

Natalie Seline wielding Xal'atath.

During the First War the blade was used by the orcs of the Horde in their rituals. The human bishop Natalie Seline studied their dark magics after the war, and though she originally intended to destroy Xal'atath, after it spoke to her she decided that she needed to understand it first. Xal'atath's whispers taught Seline about the Void and its relationship to the Light, and by the time of the Second War, she had not only learned how to wield shadow magic but taught it to others, using it in secret to wage war against the orcs. Xal'atath's continued whispers slowly corrupted her and her followers, until they eventually murdered her in their sleep and took Xal'atath for themselves; it was rumored that Xal'atath itself incited this rebellion by convincing them she was holding them back from true power. By the time of the Cataclysm it was in the hands of Archbishop Benedictus, leader of the Twilight's Hammer, though he dared not wield it.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

At some point after Benedictus's death it ended up in the hands of his successor, Twilight Deacon Farthing. Formerly a cautious leader who favored operating from the shadows, after obtaining Xal'atath he attempted to use it during the third invasion of the Burning Legion to resurrect Zakajz the Corruptor, a C'Thrax buried in the Tomb of Tyr in Tirisfal Glades. When a priest adventurer entered the tomb to interrupt his ritual, Farthing used Xal'atath's power against them, but when he began to lose the battle the blade left his hands and killed him, saying that he was weak and that she saw potential in the priest instead. The priest picked up Xal'atath and, at its urging, allowed the dagger to consume Zakajz's essence to permanently kill the C'Thrax. The priest wielded Xal'atath against the Burning Legion before ultimately draining its power to draw out the corruption from the Sword of Sargeras, leaving it in a dormant state.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Xal'atath the being is severed from Xal'atath the dagger in the Crucible of Storms.

The priest either lost or abandoned Xal'atath after draining the power of the Sword of Sargeras, and it had fallen into the hands of the naga by the time they attacked Kul Tiras and Zandalar. Collector Kojo came across the blade by accident near a makeshift altar near Atal'Gral in Zuldazar, and a Horde adventurer sought to use it to gain insight into the naga's plans. After the adventurer restored Xal'atath's power by feeding the dagger with naga blood and souls, she explained that the naga sought to prepare for N'Zoth's return by conjuring a storm powerful enough to scour all Azeroth using three relics: the Void Stone, the Trident of Deep Ocean, and the Tempest Caller. Xal'atath guided the adventurer to Drustvar where they found the high elf Inanis attempting to wield the Void Stone's power. After killing her, Xal'atath drew upon the Void Stone's power and possessed Inanis's corpse, giving her a corporeal form. She helped the adventurer find the other two relics and brought them to the Crucible of Storms beneath the Precipice of Oblivion.

Rather than stopping the naga, however, Xal'atath offered the relics and the adventurer to N'Zoth in exchange for her freedom. N'Zoth severed her from the dagger, keeping it for himself in the bargain; Xal'atath departed through a portal, confident that she and the adventurer would meet again. Later, the Horde champion returned to the Crucible of Storms to stop N'Zoth's minions from using the relics and found the dagger lying discarded on the ground. Although the consciousness that had resided in it was gone, the weapon still resonated with power and compelled the champion to deliver it to Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, who called it a "compass" that would guide the Horde to victory in the Fourth War. Alliance adventurers later found an echo of the absent dagger in the Crucible of Storms and warned King Anduin that it had fallen into Horde hands.

Sylvanas made a bargain with Queen Azshara, sending her champion Nathanos Blightcaller to deliver Xal'atath to Azshara so that the latter could use the dagger against N'Zoth. Nathanos sailed with Xal'atath and the Horde fleet to Nazjatar, where Azshara parted the seas under their ships. After landing in Nazjatar, Nathanos ventured away from the other Horde forces with the blade in hand in order to complete his mission. Azshara's plans were thwarted by the Alliance and Horde, and she was taken to Ny'alotha to be tortured by Dark Inquisitor Xanesh. She was eventually freed by Wrathion and Azeroth's champions, and subsequently gave them the dagger so that they could use it against N'Zoth themselves. The dagger contained sufficient power to shatter N'Zoth's outer shell, without which the heroes would likely not be able to kill him even using the Forge of Origination; Wrathion stabbed the dagger into N'Zoth's carapace, tearing it open in a massive blast of energy. The blade's whereabouts thereafter, if it remains intact, are unknown.

Artifact traits

Base

Ability	Ranks	Linked powers
[Call to the Void]	1	Touch of Darkness
[Creeping Shadows]	4	Sphere of Insanity; To the Pain
[Darkening Whispers]	1	None
[Death's Embrace]	4	From the Shadows; Void Siphon
[From the Shadows]	4	Death's Embrace; Mind Shattering; Thrive in the Shadows
[Mass Hysteria]	1	Mind Shattering
[Mental Fortitude]	1	Void Corruption
[Mind Shattering]	4	From the Shadows; Mass Hysteria
[Sinister Thoughts]	1	Thoughts of Insanity
[Sphere of Insanity]	1	Creeping Shadows
[Thoughts of Insanity]	4	Sinister Thoughts; Touch of Darkness; Void Corruption; Void Siphon
[Thrive in the Shadows]	1	From the Shadows; To the Pain
[To the Pain]	4	Creeping Shadows; Thriving Shadows; Unleash the Shadows
[Touch of Darkness]	4	Call to the Void; Thoughts of Insanity
[Unleash the Shadows]	4	To the Pain; Void Siphon
[Void Corruption]	4	Mental Fortitude; Thoughts of Insanity; Void Siphon
[Void Siphon]	1	Death's Embrace; Thoughts of Insanity; Unleash the Shadows; Void Corruption; Void Torrent
[Void Torrent]	1	Void Siphon

Hidden trait: Xal'atath will occasionally whisper to you, similar to other Old God-themed weapons.

Empowered

Ability	Ranks
[Darkness of the Conclave]	1
[Fiending Dark]	4
[Mind Quickening]	1
[Lash of Insanity]	1
[Concordance of the Legionfall]	50

Appearances

Classic

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: Classic]

This is the default appearance	Recover one of the Pillars of Creation	Recover  [Light's Heart]  [10-45] Light's Charge	Complete the first major Campaign effort with your order   [10-45] Velen's Vision

Upgraded: Embrace of the Old Gods

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: Upgraded]

Complete the priest Order Campaign  [Forged for Battle]	Unlock every artifact trait  [Power Realized]	Research the full history of the artifact  [Part of History]	Obtain eight rare archeological finds  [This Side Up]

Valorous: The Fallen Blade

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: Valorous]

Complete the Balance of Power questline  [Improving on History]	Kill eight world bosses  [Unleashed Monstrosities]	Complete a Mythic Mode Dungeon using a level 15 keystone  [Keystone Master]	Earn the achievement  [Glory of the Legion Hero]

War-torn: Vision of Madness

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: War-torn]

Participate in Player vs. Player combat and reach  [Honor Level 10]	Reach  [Honor Level 30]	Reach  [Honor Level 50]	Reach  [Honor Level 80]

Challenging: Twisted Reflection

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: Challenging]

Complete the Twins Challenge questline	Defeat Heroic Kiljaeden after unlocking a Challenge artifact appearance	Win 10 rated battlegrounds after unlocking a Challenge artifact appearance	Defeat all Legion dungeon bosses after unlocking a challenge artifact appearance

Hidden: Claw of N'Zoth

Achievement:  [Fighting with Style: Hidden]

Acquire  [Claw of N'Zoth]	Complete 30 Legion dungeons after unlocking a Hidden artifact appearance	Complete 200 World Quests after unlocking a Hidden artifact appearance	Kill 1,000 enemy players after unlocking a Hidden artifact appearance

Quotes

Xal'atath in Threads of Destiny.

When equipped, certain zones, characters, and events can trigger Xal'atath to say or whispers things to the player, like the  [Skull of the Man'ari].

Killing a target

• Enjoy that?
• <short chuckle>
• <evil laughter>
• Did you feel it cease to exist?
• Every little death helps.
• Boring.
• Delicious.

Characters

• When do you think she turned? Centuries ago? She hides her hunger for power behind a cloak of suffering in righteousness. (at Cordana Felsong)
• This one is old, but still not one of the first. These creatures were too hungry for magic to obey our masters, though they still prove useful from time to time. (at Glazer)
• Skovald seeks to join the ranks of the destroyers, unaware that so many of those who dare are betrayed. (at God-King Skovald)
• Odyn was a great enemy... until his own arrogance proved his undoing. You should ask him if he's considered Loken's final words to him. Go ahead. (at Odyn, in the Seat of Ascension, note that this triggers a fatal interaction)
• Another fool who believed Illidan's lies of sacrifice and righteousness. Tormented, he turns on everyone. (at Tirathon Saltheril)
• So much fury in this soul! It will be a good harvest. (at Illysanna Ravencrest)
• Another tortured soul, long overdue for oblivion. I am more interested in his advisor, though… (at Lord Kur'talos Ravencrest and Latosius)
• Another mindwarped servant of Xavius. A druid should have better control of his own mind, don't you think? (at Arch-Druid Glaidalis)
• Xavius' tricks are cunning. Why reveal yourself when you can control from afar? (at Shade of Xavius)
• Though he is not one of our servants, he has heard our whispers. They darkened him forever. (at Ularogg Cragshaper)
• A beast of stone who ignorantly throws around power he barely controls. He should be put down before he ruins our plans. (at Dargrul)
• How far the Manastorms have fallen! Relying on crude machines and weak arcane wizardry did them no favors. Still, they had their uses. (at Millificent Manastorm)
• For this idiotic pustule of N'Zoth to have lived so long... it does little to refute my opinion of this world's new owners. (at Mindflayer Kaahrj)
• Her mother was more impressive. This one's hunger is uncontrollable and her tactics overused. An easy target. (at Blood-Princess Thal'ena)
• Really? These thugs of Sargeras are so interchangeable. This one is good with his axe! How unique. (at Fel Lord Betrug)
• It is possible N'Zoth may be responsible for her form, but her arrogance is all her own. (at Lady Hatecoil)
• Behold the wasted power of the titans before you. Done in their name no less. (at Wrath of Azshara)
• It was thought his kind was incorruptible. A lesson for my brothers I suppose. (at Harbaron)
• Loken did find work turning her. But in truth, Odyn's arrogance takes most of the credit. (at Helya in the Maw of Souls)
• A great dragon, bent to the will of Xavius, who serves the God of the Deep. Instead of breathing life, she consumes all around her. (at Nythendra)
• A corrupted corpse of a dragon... How dangerous could that be? (at Nythendra and Dresaron)
• It appears the prison of N'zoth is not as strong as it once was. What you see is a tiny growth of the behemoth that may yet consume your world. (at Il'gynoth the Heart of Corruption)
• Another seed of corruption planted in death. An unquiet spirit will wander in anger and grow in pain. Easy prey for the God of the Deep. (at Elerethe Renferal)
• Another defender of the Titans brought low. Every death makes it easier. Perhaps now his misery will end, though I doubt it. (at Ursoc)
• Corrupting the guardians of the dream is a bold move. But Xavius may be overreaching. He would be better off quietly spread the nightmare's influence, instead of raising such alarm. (at the Dragons of Nightmare)
• Xavius uses the power of his new master well. Warping the mind of a demigod is no mean feat. (at Cenarius)
• Xavius, running from one master to the next, scrambling for power, yet defeated again and again. The God of the Deep picks a poor champion? Or, is there something else at play? (when facing Xavius)
• Almost completely gone, as if it never existed. But the rift is deep and vast, and somewhere down there it stirs. Something has changed, the last prison weakens. We must prepare. (interacting with the Remnant of the Void after defeating Xavius)
• Do you see it? The poor host cannot be saved, only put down. (at Ivanyr)
• Another nameless brute of Sargeras pretending to aid these elves. Little do they know their fate. (at General Xakal)
• A traitor to this world and to his kind. His end was never in question, only who deliver it. (at Advisor Vandros)
• An interesting mutation of an ancient species. Its shell is nearly impregnable. Nearly... (at Skorpyron)
• I long for the day our masters can truly pass into this realm. You have only seen fragments, shadows; the faintest of echoes. Ask the Ethereals what one of these manifestations are capable of. (at Star Augur Etraeus)
• An interesting amalgamation of fel species. I wonder, are there more of its kind? (at Krosus)
• Such arrogance, even for a long-lived elf. The taste of her life force is exquisite. (at Spellblade Aluriel)
• Here is one who has caught the merest glimpse of your grim reality. It warped his mind forever. (at Star Augur Etraeus)
• She claims to know the future. But those who have lived far longer than her know the truth. Her desperate bid to remain in control dooms her people. (at Elisande)
• Long has this one's time been coming. A true servant of the fallen titan, he seeks the doom of all things. As if that would really save them from the Void. (at Gul'dan)
• A Legion brute obliterating priceless knowledge. Imagine that. (at Thrashbite the Scornful)
• Long has this one been a blight upon your world. Not all his schemes came to fruition, but those that did caused untold ruin. (at Mephistroth)
• From birth, pit lords are oversized and stupid. Somehow the Legion manages to magnify both traits. (at Goroth)
• At times it seems the naga beg from scraps from the Legion's table. But the queen they serve want far more than that. (at Mistress Sassz'ine)
• I do so enjoy seeing the shrine of a great enemy profaned by the spirits of its own worshippers. (at Sisters of the Moon)
• A remnant of power lingers in this broken temple. It must be ours! Come, enter the circle and take it. (Sisters of the Moon defeated, note that this triggers a fatal interaction)
• My mistake. It seems the upstart "goddess" still holds sway here. Oh well... (fatal interaction when attempting to absorb Elune's power)
• The haughty elves of old had such regard for their own spirits. Such a delicious indignity. (at The Desolate Host)
• Invaders messily corrupting other invaders. Typical. Far more useful to coax them along the proper path. Don't you think? (at Maiden of Vigilance)
• Let me guide you as you battle this vessel. Though it retains but a fraction of the fallen titan's power, you will not survive its onslaught without my expertise. (before the Fallen Avatar)
• You must face the Deceiver on his own ground, where he is vulnerable. Come, let us taste his soul. (at Kil'jaeden)
• I can feel the pulse of your world quickening. Soon, all will be drenched in its life blood. (Kil'jaeden defeated)
• The recruitment of the eredar was quite a win for Sargeras. He desperately needed more intelligence in his warhost. (at Talixae Flamewreath)
• Watch now as a weak mind gives way to darkness. (before facing Arkhaan)
• He flaunts his defiance of the shadows. Arrogance will be his undoing. (at Locus-Walker)
• This one shows promise. The whispers lure her toward her fate. (to Alleria at the Seat of the Triumvirate)
• While I relish a healthy lust for power, this one fumbles for it like an amateur. (at Viceroy Nezhar)
• Now this is true beauty! At least one of the mortals in your midst can appreciate what it offers. (at L'ura)
• The caterpillar has become the butterfly. She is all but ours now. (after L'ura's defeat, when Alleria absorbs her power)
• These pretenders play at whispering madness. Amateurs! I should demonstrate proper technique. (entering the Temple of Anguish, referring to the shivarra)
• What a disappointment. He squandered his potential by backing the wrong side. (at Varimathras)
• This one would make an excellent champion for our cause, perhaps he can yet be turned? (at Dark Keeper Aedis)

Locations

• A servant of the Old Gods. Let us consume it. (in the Broken Isles)
• There! A spy for N'Zoth. We should kill it. (in the Broken Isles)
• This land has seen so much upheaval. The Cataclysm, the Sundering, the Scouring. You really have no idea. (in the Broken Isles)
• It is ironic that the weakest of us may be the ultimate victor. C'Thun, Yogg-Saron, Y'Shaarj, and... well. Only one would remain to consume the world, that was always meant to be. (in the Hall of Glory in the Halls of Valor)
• Ymiron was a fine tool. He did more to spread the blessing of flesh than any other of his kind. (in the Maw of Souls)
• Do the naaru speak of the eternal conflict? That the entire history of your world is but a fraction of the time that has passed? Of those that came before the draenei? No? <short chuckle> (in Netherlight Temple)
• The walls between realms are thin here, so easy to tear open. Do you know what would happen if true shadow and light would meet here? (in Netherlight Temple)
• I know the naaru consider us horrors to be resisted. We do not share this view. They are merely beloved brethren that lost the true path. They will return to their masters... in time. (in Netherlight Temple)
• The research into the Void here is commendable, but ultimately futile. How could you possibly understand what the titans did not? (in Netherlight Temple at the Sanctuary of the Void)
• Oh! You've gathered quite the group of followers. It is fortunate they are focused on this incursion and not the true war. The scope of it might destroy your minds. (in Netherlight Temple)
• Helya and her cult are strong here. So close to the truth, yet so far. (in Helheim)
• We may face some of my brethren in this conflict... a prospect that delights me. Their power will be mine! They will pay for what was done to me long ago. (in Orgrimmar)
• I remember the Dark Iron fondly. Modgud was so easy to influence, such was her hate. Imagine her fury when I abandoned her to the Wildhammer at the worst time. I can be very easy to lose. Remember that. (at Blackrock Mountain)

Azsuna

• The dragons are weak here. You would do well to exploit this fact.
• The Legion burrows deep here. If they burrow deeper, they may not like what they find.
• Disaster abounds here. Elf ruins filled with unquiet souls ripe for harvest.
• It took ages to make my return to the surface after the Sundering. The naga can be so possessive of artifacts.

Highmountain

• The fallen Aspect's lair is near. He was the strongest of them, and yet the easiest one for us to corrupt.
• The tauren here are remarkably resilient to corruption, considering their origins.
• More of the titans' failed experiments grow here unchecked. The drogbar prove their failure as creators.

Val'sharah

• The God of the Deep writhes in his prison, breaking free ever so slowly. You should hurry and defeat the fallen titan... there are greater battles yet to fight.
• To see Yogg-Saron's nightmare in full bloom fills me with jealousy... and some pride.
• Here you will see why the Legion's invasion is ultimately futile. All can be corrupted, dreams and demons alike.
• The elves here are desperate to save themselves from the Nightmare, while the demons seek to harness its might. Both will fail.

Stormheim

• Do not be impressed by tall icons of the titans which stand here. The towers of sacrifice in Ny'alotha dwarf these pathetic temples.
• The spawn of the Titans infest this area. Despite our "gift" of the flesh, they still worship those false gods. (in Hrydshal)

Suramar

• This city of the elves pales in comparison to the sleeping city...
• Suramar, its "noble" citizens greedily slurping at their world's very lifeblood.
• The fallen elves cower behind their wall. They know no other way...

Broken Shore

• That fel edifice towering over this land pales in comparison to the grandeur of what stood here long ago.
• Is this not the site of what you mortals consider your greatest humiliation? I hope you fare better this time...
• This conflict is but a shadow of an ancient war that predated the meddling of the titans. Infinite armies clashed in ceaseless battle. But I'm sure your little war is impressive... in its own way.
• This was always a place of power. Aegwynn was drawn here, and before her, the elves, and before them, the trolls. And before them...
• I don't believe these lands have seen such carnage since the Battle for K'tanth. Such a long time ago...
• It was here in ages past that the God of the Deep lost a great battle to the God of Seven Heads. But as was so often the case even defeat ultimately worked in N'zoth's favor.
• Your allies consider me a bad influence. Yet all I've ever done is speed you along the path you chose. (at Deliverance Point)

Argus

• Such potential here, but all of it wasted on a doomed crusade. (aboard the Vindicaar)
• Can you taste it on the air? The sweet nectar of madness? Mmm... this place is swollen with it. (at Eredath)

Antorus, the Burning Throne

• So much effort, so much bluster, only to delay the inevitable victory of their betters. (at Light's Breach in Antorus, the Burning Throne)
• Imagine this machinery infused with our power. Interesting... (in the Hallowed Felworks, with all the fel reavers)
• Long have we sought entry into this realm! To think we have a mortal to thank for giving us our foothold. Your service will be remembered! (at the Seat of the Pantheon)

Battle for Azeroth

• So much death here, so much power. (used in a blue post by Kaivax to announce the Crucible of Storms release date)
• The nearness of the Void here is comforting. I was used in a sacrifice of many creatures in a place like this. Every death brought us closer to the complete corruption of this world. (at the Locus of Infinite Truths in Ny'alotha, where N'Zoth is located)

Other

• You were a good choice. No other wielder has murdered their way across a continent like you have. I admire your endurance. (after beating all raids in a single expansion)
• The Light would have your kind remain obedient and stagnant. I offer the gifts of freedom and strength. I hope you remember my kindness.

Unused

• A powerful dragon could be a powerful tool. Alas, gone are the days of Galakrond.
• These three have enjoyed the secret favor of N'Zoth for long enough. Sadly, their (breathing/reaving) days are done. (possibly in reference to The Soultakers in Stormheim, as one of the bosses is Reaver Jdorn)
• This trifling skirmish is little more than a distraction. The true battle draws neigh as the circle nears completion.

Trivia

• Its flavor text was changed from "Do not put your faith in the black blade. It will deceive you. It will not be controlled." during the Legion alpha.
• For the main skins, the cutting edge of the blade faces towards the wielder, while a pointed talon section is used against enemies.
• Xal'atath appears as one of the relics that can be generated by Queen Azshara's effect in the Voyage to the Sunken City expansion for Hearthstone.
• Its name is very similar to  [Xal'atoh, Desecrated Image of Gorehowl], further pointing towards their shared origin as tools created by the power of the Old Gods. Both also whisper to the wielder.
  • Both names were likely inspired by Xel'lotath, an Ancient from the horror game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Like Warcraft's Old Gods, Eternal Darkness was directly inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
• The blade is still referred to as Xal'atath even after the entity inside left.

Gallery

• 

  The Blade of the Black Empire in Diablo IV.

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.

• Kaivax's use of the quote "So much death here, so much power." in relation to the Crucible of Storms under the Shrine of the Storm, which is part of N'Zoth's body, in combination with the Ny'alotha quote is "The nearness of the Void here is comforting. I was used in a sacrifice of many creatures in a place like this. Every death brought us closer to the complete corruption of this world." and her mentioning in the quest  [50] Twist the Knife that the Shrine of the Storm is a place of ancient power that has had many names over the ages, might indicate that the Shrine of the Storm is where she had been used previously.
• Xal'atath may be the dagger mentioned in  [Ogmot's Dream Journal].

Patch changes

• Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Added.
  

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB