http://chapteroholyanethion.crazyfruits.net/t360-how-to-roleplay-a-warlock Shadow Magic Shadow magic, although considered as a form of Arcane magic, is actually in a whole section of its own.

This is because magic pertaining to the Arcane require the arcane energy to go through the body and come out guided by a spell. Shadow magic however, is obtained from the shadow plane, which is an integral part of the universe, especially the Warcraft Universe. To get access to this shadow plane, the Magus manipulates the arcane energy surrounding him, and reaches out to the shadow plane through that rift, calling forth shadow energy, which then goes through the same process of spell casting. In this sense, one does not allow arcane magic to enter the body, and since shadow energy does not give the caster the same pleasure as arcane energy, this form of spell casting is not addictive. The shadow plane is just that, a plane with a source of shadow energy, and cannot be said to be good or evil. However, shadow energy corrupts the soul, blocking it from the attributes such as compassion, kindness, etc. Constant use of shadow energy removes any 'feeling' within the practitioner. Inability to feel is the effect of shadow energy, unlike the frost school of magic, which merely requires one to dampen emotional needs. This is why those who employ shadow energy are seen as 'evil', for they disregard common feelings, and are extremely rational beings. Practitioners of shadow magic do not get angry or sad or anything for that matter. Warlocks who specialize in shadow magic maintain their emotions because their demonic affiliations counter the effects of shadow energy. Priests who specialize in shadow magic maintain their emotions because of their faith to their devoted god which counters the effects of shadow magic. In this sense, a person who only uses shadow magic would not exist, for they would be totally unfeeling, and lose all purpose. Only the undead can use shadow magic without fear, for there is no living essence for the shadow energy to cling to. Curses Curses are the usually verbal yet sometimes movement oriented spells. The use of curses can differ hugely, from writing inscriptions on parchment to yelling out and to even swallowing reagents. Curses are spells which alter usually the mentality and physical form of the targeted victim to become weaker, stronger or lose some kind of ability through mental decay. This type of magic comes under necromancy as it needs a strong bond with the magic of death. Soul Shards

The use, power and how soul shards truly are made is a little bit of a mystery. According totally OOCly, During a small 'ritual' the warlock will channel a long purple stream of shadow magic into the victims chest, and slowly pulling out the soul to magically and slowly build up a purple crystal which is the solid form of a soul. We all know that the soul is a powerful object when used right, and when it is a solid form it is even more so. Although the spell is so simple yet reaps something so powerful, ICly it is assumed to take a lot more preparation and power than to just suck a soul out of somebodies chest. Drain soul does not necessarily kill somebody but it does very much hurt them, depending on the ultimate potency of the soul sucking. This can do anything from leaving them with a lack of energy and somewhat withered (like stealing blood), leaving their body as an empty shell of living mass (kind of like a jelly fish), or outright killing them. They may become apathetic and emotionally inept when a soul stealing ritual is done improperly. Summoning Summoning is another very loosely bound thing in the work of warlock to do with special care and eye for details to not be missed. Demons become harder and harder to summon as they go on, and require further concentration, more numbers of people in a ritual, more reagents and a stronger will for each demon higher on the list. Summoning can be done in several different ways. Some people use the profession of inscription to help, where others may use a huge reagent (Such as a Fel crystal as a power source) to make it easier. Summoning is another thing that may be done in many different ways, but the result is usually and clearly the same. Conjuring for warlocks is again, another unexplained thing. Yet it seems that Warlocks can use the souls of other people and combinations of shadow, Fel and demon magic from the nether and turn them into useful items which warlocks can absorb or use as offensive materials in a lot of cases. Soul storing is one of the most powerful conjuring items. It is done by using another soul and combining a 'copy' or maybe a channeling point from which a soul may go to if it is released from the body, like a portal or a safe keep before a soul goes to the nether (Or where ever it goes). Wearing the soul stone on the body and having it contacted with the persons skin or just through any kind of physical contact will connect souls with a dead body, and give life to the dead. http://wilhiemhammerstorm.tumblr.com/post/17901358980/the-forsakenshadow The Forsaken Shadow - A Comparison The Forsaken perspective on use of the Shadow is both a curious and inspiring concept. While driven by rage and poorly held back anger, the Cult

of the Forgotten Shadow brings forth some of the very fundamental ideas behind the use and manipulation of this particular medium. It is important, therefore, to understand several concepts while dealing with it and using it, to ones own advantage. At he very core, the Shadow is an ultimately self-centered source of power. It is curious to look at the two contrasting churches the worship of the Light and the worship of the Shadow at the same time to understand just how the Shadow functions at a basic utilitarian level. Lets refer to a transcript of a speech gathered from a sermon that has been held by a few members of the Cult. BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE SHADOW! Listen well, for I, Darila, First Sergeant and Priestess of the Forgotten Shadow have come to impart my limitless knowledge and wisdom upon your poor, rotten brains. Many of you have felt the touch of the Light as Forsaken. I will not speak of the incredibly rare few of us who still wield it, but rather those who have felt the Light when the living use it to mend our wounds in battle. Why? Why does it burn us? The Forsaken are the only ones who feel this pain from the benevolent Light, save for Ebon Knights - but those Scourge cocksuckers dont count. Ill tell you why, brothers and sisters, the Light hates us. The Light hates us, and using it, or worshipping it, goes against its will; which makes you a worthless hypocritical asshole if you do the latter in death. It causes us immense pain because thats what it wants, it didnt see fit to just abandon us It wants to hurt us on top of it. Put your faith in the Shadow, the stronger half of the Light. It embraced us when the Light did not, it animates you, and offers you a path worth following. That is all, Shadow preserve brothers and sisters. http://deadcolourblind.blogspot.com/2010/12/shadow-sermon-event.html It is important to understand that not every Forsaken holds the same belief. Indeed, the Cult itself is a fleeting and scattered entity that seems to be rapidly gaining power with every slip of the tongue and the knife, but the above is just one of many available perspectives present. There are Forsaken priests that can still use the Light. There are living priests that have learned to heed the Shadow. This shows, if anything, that the two forces have nothing to do with the nature of an individual or their chosen paths.

The main contrast between the two lines of worship is the underlying philosophical principle that drives the self-perfection impulse for an individual. The Light proposes a theory where, upon command, an individual achieves transcendence and control of its power through enhancing the world. Give to the universe around, and the universe will give back the multitude of honourable and kind actions flood back to the individual through discipline and connection to the divine. The Shadow, in turn, is circled around the principle of divine humanism. Working for one self, improving upon ones own capabilities is what distinguishes the Shadow and its uses. It is important to note that this desire is not ultimately selfish. The Light is pillared on the idea of giving, the Shadow is pillared on the idea of taking, and both of them can be considered equally self-destructive. Divine humanism entertains the possibility of self-realization and ultimate ascension to a higher plane of being through actions and endeavours that improve ones grasp on knowledge and power. This seems, almost to the letter, to be what the use of the Shadow is all about. By carefully taking from the world, a Shadow user collects and gathers pieces that will improve their manipulative abilities and control and turn them into a better being. What this means, ultimately, is that the Shadow is not at all corrupt. It is a force and a tool like any other but the drive that it sits upon can ultimately prove self-destructive. It is a force that deals with the self and the mind, with direct drain of energy from an individual, but it is not the Fel. It is not what the twilight cultists draw from, it is more ancient than the trolls and their Loa and the scrying-witches of the Vrykul. It is connected to a whole different plan of existence and links the users in a silent bind. The Forsaken found their solace in it. The humanity found yet another enemy. But it can be tamed and used. With so little information available, it is left to the individual to pass on the teachings. There can be no Church of the shadow as every single person is left to seek answers on their own. I can offer little apart from my dreadful experiences, but all these experiences were rooted in lack of caution, of knowledge. It is tempting to take everything and at once but this is not the way of the Shadow. It waits, it gathers, and it needs to be kept under constant control. One of the biggest tenants of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow is compassion and restraint. You can drink until you gorge, but once the cup is full, you do no have control of the Shadow.

The Shadow has control over you. http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/916826889 Darkest Mojo carries the flavour text that it is "A black, cottony clump that fizzles in your hands." This would well match the dictionary description of mojo in the real world: a mix of herbs, bones, powders, coins, and small items of personal significance. The mojo bag is usually cloth, bound tightly, and worn close to the body. Often to remain efficacious [for luck, health, success, and power], the mojo bag must remain secret and hidden as well. Despite this, most examples of mojo items in the game appear to come in flasks or bottles. Perhaps mojo in the setting is more akin to ectoplasm, or some similar mystical excrescence? One of the most central elements binding together many of the troll-related stories in the game, is music and dance. Sound and drumming and dance seem to pervade trollish magics. From the bone-pounded skin drums of Revantusk Village, to troll NPCs randomly bursting into dance, it is everywhere. Here is a look at some of the troll Hoodoo as performed by NPCs throughout the game. Perhaps it can help to inspire you Witch Doctors out there. Witch Doctor Uzer'i makes use of the "Muisek" [pronounced: "music"] of various beasts and, eventually, sentient species. Night Elves, he says, use this magic as well, trapping the Muisek of a dying beast in a vessel, and then using that Muisek to enhance one's own prowess. Uzer'i is also capable of shrinking heads - he has shrunk the head of a dwarf already. In fact, according to the RPG, head shrinking is designed to trap the victim's soul in the shrunken skull, so that the Witch Doctor can use its power. To capture the Muisek of animals, Uzer'i has prepared a special vessel which shrinks the slain beast, and traps the Muisek inside... sounding much like the head-shrinking in WoW. To imbue the Muisek into a weapon, Uzer'i dances to the Muisek. Witch Doctor Mau'ari makes use of the E'ko from various beasts and Winterfall. Carrying

her small cache will allow the bearer to collect the E'ko [pronounced: "echo"] from slain beasts. Mau'ari then uses that E'ko to make juju which can be used to empower its user, making them "full of juju." Note the similarity in naming style - this is the "echo" of the slain beasts, while Uzer'i is collecting the "music" from them. Kin'weelay in Grom'gol is the most powerful Witch Doctor of the Darkspear tribe. He completes a number of quests for you on the same theme: shrunken heads. Kin'weelay holds the power to create shrunken heads in his cauldron, when the heads are brought to him, and bind the souls of the deceased into them. He can then force information from the Shrunken Heads, and perhaps other power as well. If the form is consistent, he does this by imprisoning the Muisek, the E'ko, in the shrunken head. http://www.wowpedia.org/Shadow_(magic_school The shadow energy (aka Shadow Plane) is not limited to a single plane; it is instead an integral part of every aspect of the universe, woven into every plane. Thus, spells that call upon this energy, such as shadow conjuration, draw upon local sources rather than reaching to another plane. Positive energy remains associated with the energies possessed by living beings, and negative energy with the motive forces of death and the undead. Magical weapons that have effects wielding this energy draw upon energy bound into their own material, freed by enchantment.Shadow" is spell type common to many items and spells created by the Shadow Council and other such nefarious organizations. The arcane and shadow magic appear to be tied together. In the RPG, Shadow appears to be split into subcategories or is synonymous with "Darkness", "Negative", "Death", "Destruction", "Chaotic", "Evil", and "Fel". It is a damage type often found as a bonus type damage (enchantment or enhancement) in the RPG. In one example it's also a sub-school of the magic school of Illusion (illusions composed of a quasi-real, tangible shadow material with shadow bonuses, ex. Storm, Earth and Fire).Spells of shadow may derive their power from actual shadows & darkness. http://www.wowwiki.com/Spirit_world

The final destination of the spirits of the deceased remains a mystery to the priests and philosophers of Azeroth. However, as spells such as resurrection can reunite a dead body with its spirit, and a majority of living creatures from the tauren to the troll shadow hunters claim they can communicate with and call upon the power of the spirits, a widely held belief is that the spirits of the dead remain on the Material Plane in an immaterial state that can only be altered or contacted through the use of magic. [] the spirit world is identical to the Material Plane, with the only difference that in the spirit world the character can only be seen by other spirits. Traits While in the spirit world, visions of past events may be seen. Sometimes, the spirits roam the spirit world without resting. It can be because their resting place wasn't complete, because of a battle in their resting place, or because the corruption of their resting place. To bring eternal peace to the souls, it is needed to destroy the source of corruption or by making a ceremony. http://witchofforestgrove.com/2009/09/13/hedge-witchery The word hedgewitch comes from the Saxon word haegtessa meaning hedge-rider. The hedge in hedge witchery is not a fence of shrubs and wildlife, but instead represents the border between our material world and the otherworld the unknown. In trance-work (also called journey-work, journeying or just travelling) the hedgewitch crosses this border in order to contact spirits on the other side to learn from them and bring back knowledge to the material world. A hedgewitch may also use this ability to enter trance in healing rituals, both physical and mental, and also to perform divination. These practices are very shamanistic in nature. Shamans from around the world would talk to spirits and ancestors through trancework in order to learn about specific chants and herbs for healing. Illnesses were sometimes thought to be caused by evil spirits and it was the shamans job, along with the help of their spirit guides, to drive out the evil spirits from the afflicted person. These practices can be linked from the fairy doctors of the UK to the halaait of British Columbia. The hedgewitch is essentially a witch doctor with the difference being that their practices are usually based on European witchcraft most likely stemming from the spaewives, vlvas, seikona, and fairy doctors of our pagan ancestors. Hedgewitches use various methods to enter into trance including: entheogens (hallucinogens), meditation, breathing exercises, dancing, drumming, visualization, and others. Usually hedge witchery is not a path on its own, but instead is part of the practices of a cultural or traditional witch. The practices of contacting ancestors (both ancient and recently deceased family members), spirit guides (familiar spirits), the good folk, and others are all a part of traditional witchcraft practices. The use of

entheogens is always controversial. There is evidence along with recipes for the use of hallucinogens by witches in the Middle Ages and later, one example being the use of flying ointments. Before then, psychoactive plants may have been used by our pagan ancestors in their religious rituals and ceremonies. (Note: Do NOT attempt to make and use a flying ointment unless guided by a professional herbalist or a very experienced practitioner, many of the ingredients are poisonous and harmful even just to the touch)