Highlights

  • Xal'atath, a powerful sentient blade, returns in World of Warcraft: The War Within. She was previously the Artifact Weapon for shadow priest players in Legion.
  • Xal'atath's origins trace back to the days of the Black Empire, where she was imprisoned within the dagger. She later tricks the player and gains her freedom during Battle for Azeroth.
  • Xal'atath has teamed up with the Earth Incarnate and plans to attack Azeroth's World Soul, potentially destroying the Titan Pantheon. Azeroth's guardians will not let her create her own empire without a fight.

World of Warcraft: The War Within has offered a sneak peek into what lies ahead for the game. New zones, features, and characters will make their debut, but alongside these are some familiar faces. One such returning individual, Xal’atath, actually has a long and fascinating history within World of Warcraft.

Shadow priest players who journeyed through the Broken Isles in WoW: Legion will remember the name Xal’atath. This dark weapon was their stalwart companion throughout the expansion, an ever-sinister voice that whispered to them from the shadows. Eventually, as the game’s story progresses, Xal’atath fades into the past, but her obscurity is about to come to an end.

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The Shadow Priest Artifact From WoW: Legion Is More Than Meets the Eye

As leaders of the Netherlight temple, shadow priest players in Legion obtained Xal’atath as their Artifact Weapon, a key feature within the expansion. Every class specialization had its own artifact, and many were also significant to the lore, but Xal’atath was unique. This Old God blade was sentient, sly, and at times, sarcastic. Priests who wielded it would be bombarded with otherworldly whispers, taunting them with tantalizing prophecies.

Xal'alath's Origins Before WoW: Legion

The blade itself has been around since the days of the Black Empire, eons ago. It’s implied that at some stage, Xal’atath, a powerful servant of the Void, was imprisoned within the dagger for all that time. Her presence has lingered on since, serving the dark intentions of countless masters as she was passed from one owner to another. However, her enslavement would soon come to an end.

How Xal'atath Won Her Freedom From the Old Gods

During Battle for Azeroth, Xal’atath tricks the player, be they shadow priest or not, into freeing her. She makes a sinister bargain with the Old God, N’Zoth, who releases her from servitude. At this time, she also managed to take on a mortal form, possessing the body of a recently deceased high elf sorceress. Now, with her freedom and a body of her own, Xal’atath began to scheme once more.

Xal'atath's Role in World of Warcraft: The War Within

That was the very last players heard of the shadowy charlatan, that is, until the events of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. At the end of the Dawn of the Infinites dungeon, a crucial piece of exposition plays out. This cinematic shows a triumphant Iridikron, unconcerned by recent setbacks. The Earth Incarnate casually siphons the last of Galakrond’s essence into a void relic, after which he escapes through a void portal.

WoW's Earth Incarnate Has Teamed Up With Xal'atath

Iridikron hints at a grand plan regarding a “harbinger”, the identity of whom was a matter of speculation for some time. Only after the announcement of The War Within expansion was it revealed that this harbinger of the Void was none other than Xal’atath herself, the very same entity who used to haunt shadow priests’ nightmares.

The fact that Xal’atath has struck a bargain with the Earth Incarnate does not bode well for Azeroth. It’s been further revealed that she has also allied herself with a vast Nerubian empire beneath the planet’s surface, the denizens of which she has promised all power and glory.

Azeroth Is in Grave Danger, And So Are the Titans

If Iridikron’s word is anything to go by, the two of them plan to attack Azeroth’s nascent World Soul, poisoning it with Void magic. This would almost certainly get the attention of the Titans, who would flock to protect their incubating infant within the planet’s core. That is what Xal’atath and Iridikron are hoping for, and there’s little doubt they intend to use Galakrond’s essence to destroy the Titan Pantheon for good.

Xal’atath has never been more dangerous, and it was folly for Azeroth’s inhabitants not to take her seriously. She is about to create her own empire of the Void, one which puts even the Old Gods in World of Warcraft to shame. Until now, she has been operating unopposed, but Xal’atath will soon learn that Azeroth’s guardians never go down without a fight.