The new enemy in World of Warcraft is very cunning. We will tell you who Xal’atath really is and what makes her so dangerous.
World of Warcraft is soon launching its 10th expansion. With “The War Within,” we will delve deep into the planet, where we will work with Earthen and stand against the Nerubians.
But the cause of all the chaos that is slowly but surely being unleashed is a strange elf named Xal’atath, who is also prominently featured in the first trailer for the expansion. But who is she really? Is she a completely new enemy? Is she someone you need to know?
We will tell you the whole story of Xal’atath so that you are perfectly prepared for The War Within.
What does Xal’atath want?
Xal’atath has many names. Some call her “The Black Blade” or the “Blade of the Black Empire,” for others she is the “Herald of the Void” or the “Herald of Dimensius.”
Xal’atath is fundamentally a creature of the Void and thus belongs to the cosmic force of the Void. The Void aims to eventually swallow everything. However, the most powerful creatures of the Void, the so-called “Void Lords,” cannot manifest in reality. This is only possible if they succeed in corrupting the world soul of a planet, for example with the help of the Old Gods.
Thus, Xal’atath’s mission is to ensure that the world soul of Azeroth is filled with the Void in order to ultimately enable the summoning of one or more Void Lords.
Everything she does ultimately serves the goal of corrupting Azeroth – provided that new motivations do not manifest in The War Within.
Xal’atath in WoW: Legion
The first real mention of Xal’atath came in the expansion “World of Warcraft: Legion.” Here, priests who specialize in shadow acquire this weapon. Xal’atath is a dagger that whispers to the player character repeatedly, sharing little details about the past.
Even back then, it was clear: Xal’atath is powerful and very dangerous. Her whispers have driven many people to madness before. In addition, the blade has the reputation of vanishing exactly when its wielder needs it most.
In Legion, this does not happen. Xal’atath is merely used, like all other artifact weapons, to free the sword of Sargeras from its corrupting influence and essentially extract the “poison” from Azeroth. Used up and seemingly completely stripped of her powers, the blade thereafter disappears from the shadow priest’s possession.
Xal’atath in ancient times
During Legion, the followers of the priest class hall try to learn more about the individual artifact weapons and reveal many details about Xal’atath as well. She has been operating in the shadows for several millennia and has repeatedly emerged to manipulate various incidents in the world.
She corrupted the mind of the jungle troll Zan’do and made him awaken a C’Thraxxi general from his slumber. This general brought the armies of the Aqir with him and waged war against the trolls. Although the Aqir ultimately lost, the surviving troops split up. One part of this group developed into the Nerubians over many centuries.
The daughter of the wizard-king Thaurissan used the blade to curse the dwarven fortress Grim Batol, which would later be haunted by the Shadowhammer clan and other evils and is still considered cursed today.
The human woman Nataline Seline wanted to destroy the blade, but Xal’atath manipulated her as well. Nataline created a cult to uncover the secrets of the blade. Xal’atath had Seline killed by her own followers. This cult later became the basis for the “Cult of the Forgotten Shadows.”
Xal’atath and the Shadowhammer Cult
The Shadowhammer cult is a fairly large organization on Azeroth, which actually originates from Draenor. The ogre mage Cho’gall was plagued by a vision in which the entire cosmos is destroyed. To prevent this vision, there is only one solution: The Void must prevail. Cho’gall gathered his pale orcs and founded the Shadowhammer.
When the orcs invaded Azeroth, they heard the voices of the Void louder than ever before – proof that they were on the right path and had found their destiny.
Cho’gall then began to write the “Wisdoms of the Void” into the skin of his pale orcs, then peeled the skin from their bodies to create a book. This book, the “Twilight Canticle,” would serve as meaning and motivation for the Shadowhammer cult for many years.
The existence of this book is the very reason why Nataline Seline sets out to find the “strange blade” that was supposedly used by the pale orcs in rituals on Azeroth – Xal’atath.
Cho’gall and his orcs temporarily occupied the Northrend Valley along with the abbey. It is suspected that they also left the “Twilight Canticle” in the abbey. The book later found its way into the library of Stormwind and caused many priests to slowly drift away from the light faith and join the cult.
Thus, Bishop Farthing is said to have been corrupted – this is the bishop from whom shadow priests later wrest Xal’atath in the artifact quest line. Again in a moment when Xal’atath refuses to help her wielder.
Xal’atath in WoW: Season of Discoveries
Notably, Xal’atath also made her presence felt in the Classic version of WoW – namely in the Season of Discoveries. These quests and content are new, yet they belong to the official canon. They are thus part of the lore.
In the Blackfathom Deeps, a significant part of the Shadowhammer cult lives and worships a “child of the Old Gods” – the strange creature Aku’mai. Xal’atath whispered to this part of the cult and revealed how to enrich equipment with the Void to enchant it and make it more powerful.
The heroes of Azeroth first encounter the “Shadowy Apparition” here – clearly Xal’atath, even if the game never confirms it 100%.
Xal’atath cooperates with the heroes of Azeroth and exchanges parts of her knowledge for magical relics or tasks that the hero must complete. While players receive great loot for this, Xal’atath increases her power in the background and simultaneously builds a familiar relationship with the heroes.
Why did Xal’atath help the priest?
Some may wonder why Xal’atath helped the shadow priest in Legion at all. After all, the player character is fundamentally “good” and tries to save Azeroth.
However, this is quite easy to explain. Xal’atath cannot allow the Burning Legion to take over Azeroth. Because then Azeroth would ultimately be destroyed by Sargeras, along with the slumbering world soul.
However, the Void needs this world soul to corrupt it and thus give the Void Lords access to reality.
Xal’atath helps in the fight against the Legion so that the world soul is not destroyed by Sargeras and can later be corrupted by her. And we will likely see these beginnings in “The War Within.”
The Black Blade in Battle for Azeroth
In Battle for Azeroth, Xal’atath reappeared once more. Players take up the blade and once again hear the whispers from within, prompting them to aid the blade. They consume enemies to return Xal’atath’s power and then help her with “a few problems.”
The solution to these problems leads to the essence of Xal’atath being freed from the blade, and she claims the body of a high elf for herself. Thus, Xal’atath acquired the body she has in The War Within.
Subsequently, we return with the liberated Xal’atath and the blade to a ritual site. Here, Xal’atath speaks directly with the Old God N’Zoth and brazenly exposes the heroes. N’Zoth then grants players a buff, the “Gift of N’Zoth,” allowing the Old God to see everything the players do. Meanwhile, Xal’atath opens a Void portal in elven form and disappears through it.
However, the empty blade remains at the ritual site … at least until N’Zoth openly challenges the heroes of Azeroth to face his challenge and defeat some Void creatures.
But the true purpose of this “trial” was not to fight against the creatures, but to have the blade found by a champion of the Horde.
The Horde player then hands the blade to Sylvanas. Sylvanas, in turn, passes the blade on to her general Nathanos Blightcaller. He then sails out to sea with his ship, being pursued by the Alliance.
But this was also planned by Xal’atath, as Queen Azshara intervenes. She tears the ocean apart, causing the ships along with the blade to plunge into the Naga kingdom of Naz’jatar, ultimately coming into possession of the blade.
Azshara’s plan was to use the blade to kill the Old God N’Zoth to free herself from his influence. After all, the blade can host powerful beings and deal great damage to Void creatures.
What Azshara apparently did not know: All of this was meticulously planned by N’Zoth, and it was only because of his efforts that she even came into possession of the dagger.
Azshara is stopped by the heroes, but N’Zoth is freed. He abducts the unconscious Azshara – along with the dagger – and begins to unleash the nightmare of Ny’alothe upon the world.
In the next raid, we encounter Azshara again. She is tortured by a servant of the Void. When we rescue her, she relinquishes the blade and hands it over to Furorion. He later uses it to injure the shell of N’Zoth. It is not entirely clear what happens at this moment, but it seems that the blade is “sucking something out of the shell” – perhaps the essence of the Old God.
What happens to the blade afterwards is unknown. It has vanished once again.
Dragonflight and Xal’atath’s return
Xal’atath’s last appearance was in the (still) current expansion Dragonflight. She apparently works with Iridikron, although this was revealed only very late.
When Iridikron travels to the past (“Twilight of the Eternal”), he retrieves the essence of Galakrond. This is an ancient proto-dragon that has apparently been corrupted by the Void and has only one single goal: to devour everything. The heroes must decide whether to stop Iridikron or save the Bronze Aspect Nozdormu.
The choice ultimately falls on Nozdormu, so Iridikron claims the essence of Galakrond for himself and then opens a Void portal. In this portal, one can see the silhouette of an elf – Xal’atath.
What is Xal’atath actually?
The final question remains unanswered. From the previous story, it is not entirely clear what kind of creature the original Xal’atath was before she became a dagger and subsequently the body of an elf.
Currently, there are two theories, both of which have different indications as their basis:
- Xal’atath was an Old God, similar to C’thun or Yogg-Saron. However, she was devoured early on by the other Old Gods.
- Xal’atath is a piece of the old god Y’Shaarj – a claw from him that was ultimately transformed into a dagger.
Ultimately, this fundamental question is not that important. It is clear that Xal’atath is in league with the Void and intends to do something terrible to the world of Azeroth that must be prevented at all costs.
Moreover, Xal’atath was at some point appointed by Dimensius, one of the legendary Void Lords, as his herald when she received the weapon “Voidsong.” Her task has therefore long been to pave the way for the Void Lords.
If you want to know more about the story of World of Warcraft, we have summarized the entire lore of all Warcraft games compactly.
