In Xal’atath’s recent animation, Supremacy, we caught a glimpse of who Xal’atath was long before we knew her as the Blade of the Black Empire or Harbinger of the Void. And from what we’re seeing, it looks like Xal’atath worshipped the Light.
Xal’atath was a Mortal
Xal’atath’s modern form is relatively new. She currently inhabits the body of a dead High Elf named Inanis. Before then, she spent centuries trapped within the Blade of the Black Empire. Before that, she resembled a voidwalker. But Xal’atath wasn’t always a creature of the Void. The new animation finally confirms something we suspected for awhile – Xal’atath was once a mortal.
Our first real official hint about this actually happened several months ago, when Ghosts of K’aresh was first on the PTR. A line back then mentioned Xal’atath was a mortal once, but since it was changed before the patch went live, we didn’t know for sure that this was canon. Now, it’s finally official. Not only do we know Xal’atath was a mortal, we even know what she looked like.
Xal’atath’s mortal form appeared to be that of a child, though it is also possible that she was just from a small, childlike race, similar to Gnomes. However, her clothing also seems to indicate that she was some sort of priest.
Xal’atath Worshipped the Light?
As a mortal, Xal’atath wore a simple brown robe similar to one worn by priests. Her face was decorated with golden eye make-up, and she wore a large, twelve-pointed star around her neck.
As clothing goes, all of this is more in-keeping with what we know about worshippers of the Light than worshippers of the Void. Stars, suns, and moons tend to be symbols associated with the Light in World of Warcraft’s universe. Gold is especially a colour that tends to be associated with Light worship. During her story, Xal’atath embraces the powers of the Void – and this appears to be what saved her life after her body was destroyed. When she does embrace the Void, Xal’atath’s eyes turn dark and transform into the eyes we now recognize, but before, her eyes were a golden-red, as if she was infused with the powers of the Light before. All of this suggests Xal’atath may have once worshipped the Light.
We still don’t know for sure what, exactly, destroyed Xal’atath’s planet, or why she embraced the Void. It could be that her planet was destroyed by a Void Lord, perhaps by Dimensius himself, and she chose to embrace the Void to survive. It’s also possible her planet was destroyed by the Light, and that she chose to embrace the Void to escape. Either way, it seems very likely that – if Xal’atath did worship the Light in life, she feels like that power was not enough – very similar to the way that Alleria Windrunner chose to pursue the Void after she realized the Light wouldn’t be enough to ensure the salvation of her family.
What Is Xal’atath’s Star?
One question players are asking is what is the significance of the star that Xal’atath wears around her neck? It is an unusual design – a twelve pointed star with six large points and six smaller points. This reminds me of the Cosmological Chart, which has six large forces – Life, Death, Light, Shadow, Order, and Disorder, and six smaller forces – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit, and Decay. The star also seems to surround a dark stone in the center. In that sense, it actually looks quite similar to the Dark Heart.
Either way, we’re very excited to learn more about Xal’atath’s past, and what her plans may be for the soul of our world. Xal’atath is still very determined to take Azeroth. And of course, it’s up to us to stop her.
