Xal'atath

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This article is about the being. For the weapon, see  [Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire].
NeutralXal'atath
Image of Xal'atath
Title Harbinger of the Void,[1]
Blade of the Black Empire
Race(s) Void entity / Void elf body (Humanoid)
Level ?? Elite
Reaction Alliance Horde
Affiliation(s) Void
Former affiliation(s) Black Empire
Location Various
Status Active

“The Worldsoul, so long denied me, shall be mine.”

— Xal'atath[2]

Xal'atath the Harbinger is an ancient and malevolent being of the Void. For most of known history, her spirit was trapped inside the Blade of the Black Empire,[3] a Void-attuned sacrificial dagger[4] originating from the Black Empire.[5] The dagger and the entity inside it passed through many hands throughout history, sowing death and chaos across Azeroth by whispering to and manipulating her wielders. She was involved with causing the ancient war between trolls and aqir, with Modgud's curse on Grim Batol during the War of the Three Hammers, and with Natalie Seline's study of the Void during the Second War.[6]

A shadow priest adventurer wielded Xal'atath during the third invasion of the Burning Legion, before it was used to drain the Sword of Sargeras and was thereafter discarded, like the other artifact weapons.[7] Xal'atath didn't die, however, and released herself from the blade during the Fourth War by possessing the corpse of the high elf Inanis,[8] before concluding a pact with N'Zoth granting her freedom.[9] She subsequently allied herself with the Primal Incarnate Iridikron, who gave her a relic, the Dark Heart.[3] She assumed the role of Harbinger of the Void to usher in a new era of the Void's machinations, and allied with the nerubians of Azj-Kahet, in Khaz Algar,[10][11] to form an army to claim the Worldsoul of Azeroth.[2]

First appearing as the artifact weapon  [Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire] in World of Warcraft: Legion, Xal'atath is the main antagonist of World of Warcraft: The War Within. Alleria Windrunner serves as her main foil, with the unique rivalry between the two defining the conflict of the expansion.[10][11]

Biography

See also: Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire#History

Black Empire

Xal'atath, the Blade of the Black Empire, the dagger in which the being Xal'atath was bound.

The dagger named Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire was created during the reign of the Black Empire, where it was used for ritual sacrifices to the Old Gods.[5] There are many theories concerning its creation; the more outlandish claims 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[6] and uses powerful Void energies and mind magics to warp everything around it.[5] It can grant its owner visions of the Black Empire, though this inevitably drives the viewer mad.[6][12] It is not clear whether the being Xal'atath ever existed separately from the blade that bears her name, but Dimensius the All-Devouring is said to have given the staff Voidsong to her at the height of the Black Empire.[13][14] Xal'atath herself has expressed a desire to make her "brethren" pay for something that was done to her long ago.[15]

After the fall of the Black Empire, Xal'atath was hidden away by the Old Gods' cultists.[5] 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.[5][6][16]

Kith'ix and the aqir

Circa 16,000 BDP,[17] Xal'atath was found by Zan'do, a troll witch doctor who'd been ousted from power by his rivals. Xal'atath latched onto Zan'do's anger and guided him and his followers to the base of the Zandalar Mountains and a forbidden mound of black stone, which was actually the body of Kith'ix, an ancient C'Thraxxi general of the Old Gods. Xal'atath convinced Zan'do to perform blood rituals to rouse the creature. He dismembered some of his companions with the dagger and plunged the weapon into Kith'ix's hide to awaken it. Kith'ix killed the trolls who revived it and subsequently rallied the aqir to destroy troll civilization, beginning a centuries-long war. Unlike the trolls, Kith'ix knew how to use Xal'atath's true potential and used its power to weaken the trolls with pestilence and visions of death. Even after Kith'ix's death and the war's end, many tribes would recount legends about the black blade that had nearly driven them to extinction.[6]

For ages after the Sundering in 10,000 BDP, Xal'atath was in the possession of the naga.[18]

War of the Three Hammers

The cursed city of Grim Batol.

Millennia later, Xal'atath was delivered to Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan's wife, Modgud, by one of the Dark Iron dwarves she'd sent to search for magical artifacts. Modgud was immediately taken by the dagger, but when she called for the dwarf who'd delivered it, he was nowhere to be found, nor could anyone remember his name or face.[6] During the War of the Three Hammers, circa 230 BDP,[19] Modgud led a Dark Iron assault on the Wildhammer city of Grim Batol. She used Xal'atath to perform a ritual to bring Grim Batol's shadows to life to attack the Wildhammers. However, when Khardros Wildhammer confronted her on the battlefield, the black blade abandoned her and disappeared, allowing Khardros to kill her.[6][20] Modgud's sorcery left Grim Batol cursed and uninhabitable after the war,[21][22] and also corrupted the Dark Irons who fled the losing battle into the depths of the city, transforming them and their descendants into skardyn.[23]

Forgotten Shadows

During the interim between the First and Second War (4[24] - 6 ADP),[25] the human bishop Natalie Seline studied the dark magics used by the orcish Horde and learned that the orcs had once used Xal'atath in their rituals. Seline set out to destroy it, but when she touched the dagger, it spoke to her and she decided that she needed to understand it before she could destroy it. Xal'atath's whispers taught Seline about the Void and its relationship to the Light. By the time of the Second War, she had learned how to wield shadow magic and taught it to other worshippers of the Light, using it in secret to wage war against the orcs. Xal'atath's continued whispers eroded Seline's sanity and slowly corrupted her and her followers, with some forsaking the Light completely in favor of shadow magic. Some claim that Xal'atath eventually incited rebellion among Seline's followers by convincing them that she was holding them back from true power. The conspirators murdered her in her sleep and took Xal'atath for themselves. The Kirin Tor subsequently hid away Seline's teachings, though her doctrine of balance between the Light and the Void lived on in the Cult of Forgotten Shadows. The Kirin Tor also knew of Xal'atath but were never able to find it.[6]

Legion

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.

The Twilight Father, who led the Twilight's Hammer during the latter parts of the Cataclysm, came into possession of Xal'atath at some point but did not dare to wield it.[16] His successor, Twilight Deacon Farthing, eventually found (or was found by) Xal'atath; Shadowlord Slaghammer observed that after he did so, he changed from cautious and calculating to arrogant and audacious.[12][26] During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Farthing intended to restore the Twilight's Hammer to power and cement his own leadership of the cult by using the blade to resurrect Zakajz the Corruptor, a C'Thrax buried in the Tomb of Tyr in Tirisfal Glades.[27][28] A priest adventurer entered the tomb alongside Slaghammer, actually a double agent working for Moira Thaurissan, to interrupt his ritual. Farthing used Xal'atath's power against the priest, 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.[16]

The priest wielded Xal'atath against the Burning Legion,[29] the dagger enhancing them with shadow energy.[4] Though the priest was cautioned not to trust Xal'atath's lies,[6] the being inside the blade frequently whispered to its wielder about the foes they faced, mocked them for having a supposedly narrow perspective on history and the nature of the Void and the Light, and repeatedly alluded to the looming threat of the Old God N'Zoth breaking free from its prison. She took an interest in Alleria Windrunner after the latter's interactions with the Void in Eredath and thanked the priest for supposedly giving the Void a foothold in the Seat of the Pantheon when they brought Xal'atath there.[30] The priest ultimately drained Xal'atath's power to draw out the corruption from the Sword of Sargeras,[31] leaving the dagger in a dormant state.[32]

Battle for Azeroth

Battle for Azeroth This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

“It is no mere coincidence that our paths intersect. You were meant to find me. I was meant to find you. A grand destiny lies before us. Surely you sense it as well as I.”

— Xal'atath to the Horde champion[33]
Xal'atath, possessing the body of Inanis, as she appears in Battle for Azeroth.

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.[34] Collector Kojo came across the blade by accident near a makeshift altar near Atal'Gral in Zuldazar,[35] and a Horde[36] adventurer sought to use it to gain insight into the naga's plans.[35] The adventurer restored Xal'atath's power by feeding the dagger with naga blood and souls,[37] and the being inside 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 body. She mentioned that it had been a long time since she'd last taken a mortal form, but also that she had not thought it possible to do so.[38]

Xal'atath guided the adventurer into recovering the Trident of Deep Ocean from Elsbeth Wavecutter, a pirate captain in Freehold,[39] and the Tempest Caller from Toatana, a makrura hiding in a cave in Vol'dun.[33] She then brought the relics 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, now free to "find [her] own fate", departed through a portal, confident that she and the adventurer would meet again.[40]

Dragonflight

Dragonflight This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

Xal'atath watched as the Alliance and Horde killed N'Zoth—the last of Azeroth's living Old Gods—and destroyed the Black Empire. She consequently assumed the title of Harbinger of the Void and began setting in motion the rise of a new darkness, one that knows her enemies' strengths.[10][11] At the same time as adventurers explored the Dragon Isles,[41] Xal'atath began recruiting the nerubian kingdom of Azj-Kahet, in Khaz Algar, to conscript its inhabitants into a new army to bring Azeroth to its knees.[42] At some point she also gained a force of void spawn, including the Shadowguard.[3] With the help of the infinite dragonflight, the Primal Incarnate Iridikron traveled back in time and used the Dark Heart to absorb the essence of Galakrond. He then left through a Void portal and gave the Dark Heart to the Harbinger, claiming that she would use it to release Azeroth from the grasp of the Pantheon of Order.[43][44]

Khadgar tasked Alleria Windrunner and an adventurer to investigate the identity of the Harbinger and what she meant to do with the Dark Heart.[45] Meanwhile, Xal'atath sent the Shadowguard to try to breach the entrance of Ulduar. She also corrupted Riftwalker Nilara, a void elf sent to investigate Void activity in the area. Alleria and the adventurer tracked Nilara to Ulduar and killed her,[46][47] then followed the Shadowguard through a portal to Eredath,[48] where Xal'atath conjured memories of Alleria's past,[49] including one of her husband Turalyon.[50] Xal'atath then sent the Shadowguard to attack the void elves of Telogrus Rift, where she also conjured memories of some her past wielders (Zan'do, Modgud, and Natalie Seline).[51] Xal'atath recognized that Alleria's greatest fear was endangering her family,[3] and exploited that fear by corrupting the memory of Turalyon and challenging Alleria to kill it, something the latter could not bring herself to do. Locus-Walker destroyed the memory instead, then ordered the Harbinger—whom he recognized as Xal'atath—to leave Telogrus, a request that was followed.[52] Locus-Walker explained that the Radiant Song being heard across Azeroth was similar to visions his people had experienced before K'aresh was destroyed by the void lord Dimensius, and he feared that Xal'atath planned to bring about the same fate for Azeroth. He also told Alleria that she was the one who would have to find a way to stop the Harbinger, despite her misgivings.[3]

The War Within

The War Within This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Xal'atath in Azj-Kahet.

Xal'atath separately reached out both to Neferess, Queen of Azj-Kahet, and her daughter Ansurek, offering them the opportunity to make their people powerful again by using the Black Blood of the Old Gods to transform nerubians into powerful Ascended. Neferess refused Xal'atath's offer, but Ansurek accepted it and stabbed her mother to seize the throne for herself.[53]

Quests

Crucible of Storms questline
  1. B [50] Orders from Azshara / B Priest [50] Orders from Azshara Activequest
  2. N [50] Every Little Death Helps / N Priest [50] Every Little Death Helps AvailablequestActivequest
  3. N [50] Unintended Consequences / N Priest [50] Unintended Consequences AvailablequestActivequest
  4. N [50] The Pirate's Treasure AvailablequestActivequest
  5. N [50] The Tempest Crown AvailablequestActivequest
  6. B [50] Twist the Knife Availablequest

Quotes

Legion

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.

Main article: Blade in Twilight § Notes
Main article: Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire § Quotes

Battle for Azeroth

Battle for Azeroth This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

On-click

Greeting
  • What do you seek?
  • So many possibilities...
  • Tell me what you want.
Farewell
  • Such magnificence awaits us.
  • Open your mind to the whispers.
  • The time comes... soon.

Dialogue

Main article: Every Little Death Helps#Notes
Main article: Every Little Death Helps (priest)#Notes
Main article: Unintended Consequences#Notes
Main article: Unintended Consequences (priest)#Notes
Main article: The Pirate's Treasure#Notes
Main article: The Tempest Crown#Notes
Main article: Twist the Knife#Notes

The War Within

The War Within This section concerns content related to The War Within.

  • "For so long, I've watched you all. Your mortal struggles. Your proud defiance. The loneliness you pretend not to feel. You cling to hollow faith that can't sustain you. You revel in power that cannot withstand what is to come. You convince yourselves that you are of purpose, that your great deeds can make a difference. But deep down, you know the truth. That when all your illusions are burned away, all that is left is your fury. And in the end, your glorious fury... will be mine."[54]
  • "In darkness, she slumbers... and dreams. And for countless generations, mortal heroes have risen to defend her. They faced monsters, tyrants, and beasts of primordial horror. Though they fought amongst themselves, their enmity following them to the most distant shores and even across time and space, their courage never faltered. Even upon the very threshold of death. While new hope blooms on the horizon, the final battle draws near. Now, in the darkness, at the very heart of the world, the drums of war thunder once again. And Azeroth, at last, awakens. The Worldsoul, so long denied me, shall be mine."[2]

Notes and trivia

  • Xal'atath can seemingly understand Nerglish.[33]
  • Xal'atath's name is similar to Xal'atoh, another Old God weapon that whispers to the wielder.
  • The "outlandish" theory of its origin could be a reference to a comment once made on the number of Old Gods on Azeroth changing from five to four.[55]
  • The Blade of the Black Empire's status as an item associated with the Old Gods, along with the copious amounts of sinister lore its whispers hint at, led to the item and by extension the being inside becoming popular and being nicknamed "Knaifu" (a play on the word "waifu") by affectionate priest players during Legion.
    • In the Patch 8.6.7.5309 April Fools patch notes, Blizzard announced that "Knaifu" had been renamed "Bae Blade". Blizzard has also used the term "knife friend".[56]
  • Xal'atath's Legion voice is internally treated as a separate NPC with the model of Ysera and of a human female that can only be seen in the model viewer.
  • Xal'atath is voiced by Claudia Christian.[57]
  • Xal'atath's name is similar, and may be a reference, to that of Xel'lotath, one of the Ancients in the game Eternal Darkness, whose main power is in driving her enemies mad by whispering to them.

Gallery

  • Xal'atath's silhouette (right) appearing next to Iridikron in the Dawn of the Infinite finale.

    Xal'atath's silhouette (right) appearing next to Iridikron in the Dawn of the Infinite finale.

  • The War Within concept art.

    The War Within concept art.

  • Xal'atath in the War Within Features Overview trailer.

    Xal'atath in the War Within Features Overview trailer.

  • Xal'atath in the War Within Features Overview, holding the Dark Heart.

    Xal'atath in the War Within Features Overview, holding the Dark Heart.

  • Xal'atath holding the Dark Heart in the "Shadow and Fury" trailer.

    Xal'atath holding the Dark Heart in the "Shadow and Fury" trailer.

  • Xal'atath on the War Within beta key art.

    Xal'atath on the War Within beta key art.

  • Xal'atath in the "Echoes of Azeroth" cinematic.

    Xal'atath in the "Echoes of Azeroth" cinematic.

  • Portrait of Xal'atath by Bayard Wu.

    Portrait of Xal'atath by Bayard Wu.

  • Xal'atath (left) and Alleria Windrunner on a War Within wallpaper.

    Xal'atath (left) and Alleria Windrunner on a War Within wallpaper.

  • The Kaheti nerubians serving Xal'atath, as depicted in Threads of Destiny.

    The Kaheti nerubians serving Xal'atath, as depicted in Threads of Destiny.

  • Xal'atath and the young Ansurek.

    Xal'atath and the young Ansurek.

  • Xal'atath's influence looming large over Queen Ansurek.

    Xal'atath's influence looming large over Queen Ansurek.

Videos

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Video Link

Speculation

Questionmark-medium.png
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.

It is speculated that she might be the Shadowy Figure from World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery.

Patch changes

References

 
  1. ^ World of Warcraft®: The War Within™. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17.​ “Journey through never-before-seen subterranean worlds filled with hidden wonders and lurking perils, down to the dark depths of the nerubian empire, where the malicious Harbinger of the Void is gathering arachnid forces to bring Azeroth to its knees. / Azj-Kahet: The pinnacle of nerubian society where Xal'atath, Harbinger of the Void, has been gathering and mutating nerubian forces to create an unstoppable army.”
  2. ^ a b c Echoes of Azeroth
  3. ^ a b c d e N [70] Radiant Warnings
  4. ^ a b N Priest [10-45] A Legend You Can Hold
  5. ^ a b c d e Legion: Priest Artifact Review
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Word of the Conclave: Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire
  7. ^ N [110] The Power in Our Hands
  8. ^ N [50] Unintended Consequences
  9. ^ B [50] Twist the Knife
  10. ^ a b c World of Warcraft 2023-11-03. BlizzCon | The War Within: What's Next Panel | World of Warcraft. YouTube. Retrieved on 2024-07-28.
  11. ^ a b c Blizzard Entertainment 2023-11-03. World of Warcraft®: What’s Next Panel Recap. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04.
  12. ^ a b Slaghammer's Notes: Xal'atath, the Blade of the Black Empire
  13. ^  [Voidsong, Stave of the Harbinger]'s flavor text
  14. ^ Twilight Hermit quotes
  15. ^ Xal'atath whispers: 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.
  16. ^ a b c N Priest [10-45] Blade in Twilight
  17. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 70
  18. ^ Xal'atath whispers: It took ages to make my return to the surface after the Sundering. The naga can be so possessive of artifacts.
  19. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 4, pg. 153
  20. ^ Xal'atath whispers: 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.
  21. ^  [War of the Three Hammers]
  22. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 156
  23. ^ Night of the Dragon, chapter 1, pg. 15 - 16
  24. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 4, pg. 138
  25. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 4, pg. 158
  26. ^ Slaghammer's Notes: The New Leader
  27. ^ Slaghammer's Notes: Tyr's Fall
  28. ^ Shadowlord Slaghammer quotes
  29. ^ B Priest [50] Orders from Azshara
  30. ^ Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire quotes
  31. ^ N [110] The Power in Our Hands
  32. ^  [Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire] (Battle for Azeroth quest item)
  33. ^ a b c N [50] The Tempest Crown
  34. ^ N [50] The Azsharan Medallion
  35. ^ a b B [50] Orders from Azshara
  36. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 4, pg. 157 - 158
  37. ^ N [50] Every Little Death Helps
  38. ^ N [50] Unintended Consequences
  39. ^ N [50] The Pirate's Treasure
  40. ^ B [50] Twist the Knife
  41. ^  [A Song of the Depths]
  42. ^ World of Warcraft®: The War Within™. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17.​ “Journey [...] down to the dark depths of the nerubian empire, where the malicious Harbinger of the Void is gathering arachnid forces to bring Azeroth to its knees. / Azj-Kahet: The pinnacle of nerubian society where Xal'atath, Harbinger of the Void, has been gathering and mutating nerubian forces to create an unstoppable army.”
  43. ^ Dawn of the Infinite Finale
  44. ^ N [70] Siblings Until the End
  45. ^ N [70] The Harbinger
  46. ^ N [70] Walk a Mile in Her Shadows
  47. ^ N [70] Dark Descension
  48. ^ N [70] Legacy of the Void
  49. ^ N [70] The Path Taken
  50. ^ N [70] And Be One Traveler, Long I Stood
  51. ^ N [70] Defend Telogrus Rift
  52. ^ N [70] Null and Void
  53. ^ Threads of Destiny
  54. ^ Shadow and Fury
  55. ^ Blizzard lore posts#Nyorloth
  56. ^ World of Warcraft 2019-04-12. Rise of Azshara Content Preview (01:06). YouTube.
  57. ^ BlizzCon 2016 - Voice Actor Panel (36:08). YouTube (2016-11-09).

External links

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