Warlock

Warlocks
God	Sargeras
Magic	Fel
Resources	Health, Mana, Soul Shards
Spells	Fireball, Poison Cloud, Summon Spider

Warlocks are channelers of the fire and brimstone of hell and dream about summoning daemons or demons. Warlocks are male practitioners of witchcraft or male witches. The most commonly accepted etymology derives warlock from the Old English wǣrloga, which meant "breakers of oaths" or "deceivers". The term came to apply specially to the devil. The term may have become associated with male witches owing to the idea that they had made pacts with the devil and thus had betrayed the faith and broke their baptismal vows or oaths.

Warlocks are magical practitioners who seek to understand darker, fel-based magics, including destructive spells. While many warlocks willingly follow the Burning Legion, a demonic army created by the dark titan Sargeras to scour life, there are those who work against it. Warlocks have proven themselves to be powerful allies — as well as powerful foes.

In the face of demonic power, most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts. These voracious spellcasters summon demonic minions to fight beside them. At first, they command only the service of imps, but as a warlock’s knowledge grows, seductive succubi, loyal voidwalkers, and horrific felhunters join the dark sorcerer’s ranks to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in their master’s way.

Despite the warlocks’ destructive demonic power coming from the netherworld and the warlocks’ demons coming from the netherworld (the netherworld can be defined as the underworld of the dead), warlocks — to Blizzard Entertainment — are not necrolytes or necromancers.

Background

The first warlocks are the eredar Archimonde, Kil’jaeden, Sataiel, Thal’kiel, and Velen. Sargeras gifted Thal’kiel and the magi who followed him demonic fel-forbidden powers as well as the ability to summon lesser demons. Thal’kiel was brilliant, not wise. He summoned infernals that obliterated arcane constructs in front of Kil’jaeden and Velen, who deemed his conjurings heretical. He brooded and sought to become the dictator of Argus. He summoned a demonic fel army, but his acolyte Archimonde betrayed him. He decapitated Thal’kiel, whose skull would be used as a conduit by Sargeras to corrupt Archimonde, who saw a god at the head of a glorious army. He became the first to accept Sargeras offer. Kil’jaeden was second. At some point, the eredar priest Velen — the Prophet — started channeling fire and brimstone.

Sargeras eventually discovered the world Azeroth. He went to Xavius and used him as a conduit to corrupt Azshara, who became a warlock herself. The highborne delved past the limits of order and into the realm of the Burning Legion. During the War of Ancients, demon warlocks summoned infernals. At some point, night elves were banished for channeling forbidden arcane magics. These powers changed them and they became known as high elves. These elves taught 100 humans how to wield arcane powers. These powers would tear a hole in fabric of reality and demons would pour through. They gifted the humans with fel energies and taught the humans how to summon them.

On Draenor

The demon lord Kil’jaeden eventually wanted his own brand of followers who would channel his demonic fel-forbidden powers and worship him as a god.

Demonology 101

Demonology can be defined as a branch of theology, the study about God or the Almighty, who commands demons: evil immortals who feed upon life and magic. Because demons are beings of a priest’s religion, demonologists (warlocks) who study forbidden texts about demons are technically priests. Demonology can also be defined as the scientific field of study favored by warlocks. It is all about experimenting on demons or ghosts (which demons would be because they are from the astral dimension), making warlocks “necromancers” of a sort.

By their very nature, demons are leeches on the living universe—but the demonologist has mastered harnessing the power of these malefic beings on the field of battle. Warlocks harvest the souls of their defeated enemies; those specialized in the ways of demonology use this life essence to tap into the Void, pulling all manner of abomination from the chaos of the Twisting Nether. While such a practice is often considered by outsiders to be wicked and reckless, the demonologist maintains absolute control over the summoned creatures. These malignant entities are fully beholden to—and empowered by—the will of the warlock, until banished to the realm from whence they came.

Sworn And Beholden

Warlocks are defined by a pact with demons. Sometimes the relationship between warlock and patron is like that of a cleric and a deity, though the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods. A warlock might lead a cult dedicated to a demon prince, an archdevil, or an utterly alien entity—beings not typically served by clerics. More often, though, the arrangement is similar to that between a master and an apprentice. The warlock learns and grows in power, at the cost of occasional services performed on the patron’s behalf. The magic bestowed on a warlock ranges from minor but lasting alterations to the warlock's being (such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They are comfortable in light armor and know how to use simple weapons.

Speculation

Are The Warlocks’ Demons Undead?

The warlocks’ demons are from the Twisting Nether or the netherworld and the netherworld (the netherworld, as stated before, can be defined as the underworld of the dead). Because demons are from the underworld, the warlocks’ demons would be necromantic by nature or undead.

Are Warlocks “Necrolytes” or Necromancers?

Warlocks are channelers who channel demons or fel. Channelers can be defined as those who speak with (or for) the spirits of the dead and necromancy actually means communing with the dead — not the magic to raise and control the dead. According to Blizzard Entertainment’s lore historian Justin Parker, warlocks can have necromantic abilities without being necromancers. Warlocks, however, cannot have necromantic abilities if they (to Blizzard Entertainment) aren’t necromancers. They study necromantic abilities BECAUSE they are necromancers who seek to learn necromantic abilities in the first place. They can also be considered necromancers in the sense that their power is also necromantic (death). Their power is from the underworld and power from the underworld would also be necromantic — not just demonic. When Blizzard Entertainment’s other historian Sean Copeland was asked if warlocks are harnessing power from the Nether, he said no. Warlocks, however, had the chaotic energy passive which drains energy from the nether (or they had the nethermancy) passive.

Is The Warlocks’ Fel “Death” Magic?

Fel magic is a demonic entropic magic from the Twisting Nether or netherworld and the netherworld is the underworld of the dead. As such, fel would be necromantic — not just demonic. In 2005, Chris Metzen defined fel energy as essentially death energy.