Lore Series 3: Notable Warlocks - Richard

So you're a warlock. You know the spells, you know the talents, the rotations, the stats. But how much do you really know? How much do you really want to know? The World of Warcraft has a body of lore worthy of most major works of fantasy, potentially more than you'll ever want to know.

This week we're looking at a famous and popular warlock who is, strictly speaking, not a Warcraft character. He is a fan made creation in an Azeroth varyingly divergent from the Warcraft world we're more familiar with,  but still based in the fundamental rules of the world. He's wildly popular, moreso than any of the canon warlock characters, but there's a dark, dark secret about Richard.

He's not actually a warlock. Read on, if you dare, for the startling, innocence ending truth.



Richard is a powerful magic user, there's simply no doubt. He's slain adult dragons with only a couple spells, and emerged unscathed from a solo battle against dozens of demons. He apparently has an imp, though the claim is in severe doubt. However, no evidence yet seen actually demonstrates him to be a warlock, or to have even dabbled in the demonic arts. Some striking evidence would strongly preclude the possibility, at least in recent history.

First off, let's look at his core powers. He makes extensive use of fire and frost magic, a key hallmark of a mage, not a warlock. Even in his theme song he sings of, "fire and cold," not "shadow and flame." He can animate and command the undead, which we will discuss in detail later. He can perform numerous magical parlor tricks of the likes mages revel in but warlocks disdain. He even makes significant use of nature magic, and has been seen communing with animals and nature, which we will also discuss later.

His very limited use of shadow magic is entirely associated with the undead. He has a small army of undead at his call, which are the subject of some interest to us. Threats against that force are threats against him, even if he is distant at the time. This would suggest that his soul is somehow invested in the undead - perhaps they guard a phylactery or in some way act as a phylactery. This could suggest Richard is a nascent lich, still tied to his original form but able to survive the destruction of that form. He has certainly survived dismemberment and decapitation, and even having his soul separated from his body for a time.

Richard is unusual among the undead. He is quite old, predating the Scourge considerably, let alone the Forsaken, and appears to originate in northern Kalimdor, farther separating him from the undead we're most familiar with. This make shim a likely Night Elf, not human or high elf as the Forsaken are. Possibly a Highborn, which does open the possibility that once, very long ago, he was associated with demonic magic in the opening of the portal through the Well of Eternity. It's also not known if he created his undead legion or if he and they were created together by some other party.

His necromantic practices don't particularly reinforce his claim as a warlock. There is some overlap, but not extensively much. In terms of magical mechanics, necromancer is to priest as warlock is to mage. The ability to reanimate and command flesh is not significantly different than the ability to heal it. One of the more notable examples is the Forsaken religious group, the Priests of the Forgotten Shadow, a twisted and necromantic reinterpretation of the Priests of the Holy Light.

Richard's powers being what they are, his warlock powers are lacking, if at all present. When faced with a large force of demons, he fought them with frost and fire magic. He made no use of the anti-demonic magics warlocks learn for self defense, indeed he seemed to specifically slip into his tendency for shaman-like magic. Most notable is that "his" imp, Chtib Elttil, was present in that room, among his assailants.

Let us be clear: Richard has no hold over this imp. It can actively disobey and even openly attack him, and disappeared for an extensive time during which Richard could neither detect it's location or summon it back to his side. Even the least skilled warlocks rarely have trouble with this. Even the fantastically incompetent Gnomish "masters" like Niby the Almighty and Wilfred Fizzlebang have successfully controlled their imps. Indeed many warlocks who performed the complicated ritual formerly used to summon Dreadsteeds before captive breeding was established keep a second imp locked in a jar just because they can. On the other hand, many very powerful mages have captured imps for study and failed to control them by force of magical will. While it requires demonic magic and cannot be managed simply by arcane force, it requires exceptionally little demonic magic. Yet even this is beyond Richard's demonic ability.

Lastly, and most damning of all, is Richard's extensive mastery of nature magic. He commands it offensively as readily as he does fire and frost. He also has a strong bond with nature, able to commune with spirits and animals at will. He has a fantastic bond with a fluffy bunny and even appears to have greater command over Cael'Anon's companion beast than the hunter himself.

While it's common for notable warlocks to also practice arcane and in some cases necromantic magic, there's one boundary which cannot be crossed. While even holy magic can be forcefully bent to one's will, as was done with the captive Naaru M'uru by the Blood Knights, nature magic has not been subject to such force in known history. All of the orc shamans who touched demonic magic found their contact with nature cut off. Their powers would not answer them and the spirits ignored their calls. It took many years for a glimmer of the spirit's voices to return after they abandoned the demonic arts. Yet Richard freely commands the elements, communes with animals and spirits, and does everything expected of a shaman except throw totems around.

His obvious evil means little. A common meatshield warrior is capable of great evil, evil mages are just as common as warlocks, and while nature will not answer the call of one who has touched demonic magic, it does not do so for moral reasons. Nature is without morals, and shamans can be every bit as evil as the worst warlock.

So what are we to conclude by the display of magical power Richard has shown us? He's a definite mage. He's a probable necromancer. He's a likely shaman, though his nature magic could mark him as a druid instead (more in keeping with his likely Night Elf past life), he has never demonstrated the ability to change his physical form as druids do. He is not, however, a warlock. His known origin suggest he may have been one of the Highborn millenia ago, who were primarily mages but dabbled in demonic magic, however his command over nature magic proves he abandoned that magic long ago, possibly he hasn't touched it since the Sundering, if at all.

Richard is a popular figure in the warlock community, and while we as a class certainly can't complain if our popular figures are dishonest to the world, do we truly deserve one who is dishonest about actually being a warlock? Though this does raise an interesting question... Warlocks and necromancers are the most socially unacceptable schools of magical training one can pursue. What is the truth if this is the lie used to cover it?