Совет Теней

Совет Теней

Лидер	Grandmaster Vorpil Blackheart the Inciter Fel'dan
Заместители лидера	Neeru Fireblade Jergosh the Invoker Bazzalan
Расы	Орк Отрекшийся Орк Скверны Гоблин Ночной эльф Высокорожденный Огр Огр маг Эльф крови Демон Человек Сатир Сломленный
Столица	Black Temple (lost), Shadow Labyrinth (Outland), Shadow Hold (Azeroth)
Другие важные города	Jaedenar
Основной язык	Orcish
Другие языки	Eredun
Театр действий	Azeroth and Outland
Отношение к другим	Пылающий Легион. Formerly: Старая орда и Орда Драенора.

Совет Теней - сообщество смертных чернокнижников, которые служат демонам Пылающего Легиона.

История

Создание

Когда Гул'Дан стал любимой пешкой Кил'джедена вместо Нер'Зула, он начал объединять кланы в большое единое орудие разрушения. To this end, he promoted a public figurehead, Blackhand of the Blackrock clan to the new position of Warchief. Though Blackhand was cunning, he lacked the loyalty to Kil'jaeden and deviousness needed to drive the Horde. Thus, Gul'dan secretly brought together a collection of warlocks, necrolytes, chieftains, and even the occasional ogre into a clandestine council — the Shadow Council.

The original purpose of the Council was to ensure the stability of the Horde in their quest to destroy the draenei, manipulate the clans and spread the use of warlock magics. When the time came, the Shadow Council fed the blood of Mannoroth to the clans, apart from the Frostwolf clan (whose chieftain, Durotan, forbade them from partaking) and a few other individuals.

The Council made their headquarters at the Black Temple and oversaw the destruction of the draenei until Kil'jaeden mysteriously vanished. As the Horde began to fragment, the Shadow Council was contacted by Medivh, who offered a new world to plunder.

The First War

The Shadow Council operated a number of the Horde's workings during the war effort against the Kingdom of Azeroth. But their time was near.

King Llane Wrynn was assassinated by one of the Shadow Council's finest killers: the half-orc, Garona. Following the death of Medivh, Gul'dan was incapacitated for several weeks. During this time, Orgrim Doomhammer killed Blackhand the Destroyer and seized the mantle of Warchief. He captured and tortured Garona to learn of the existence of the Shadow Council, and sensing it threatened his position, launched an attack on Gul'dan's citadel near the ruins of Azeroth, annihilating most of the warlocks of the Council. Their spirits were subsequently imbued into the death knights.

Beyond the Second Invasion

Even in the aftermath of the second invasion of the Burning Legion, the Shadow Council still remains. It is not clear how the Council was reformed after the death of most of their members, including Gul'dan. It is known that some of its members, including Vorpil and Blackheart, survived by hiding in Auchindoun. The current Shadow Council now includes members of all races, provided they possess the ideology of acceptance of the tenets of the Burning Legion.

Structure and operations

The shape of the original Shadow Council is unclear. Gul'dan is described as a "warlock of the Inner Circle" (also an "initiate of the Seventh Circle") and Cho'Gall as an "initiate of the Fifth." This means that there are at least seven circles of the Shadow Council, the Inner Circle being the Seventh.

The hold of the current Shadow Council is extensive; they control cell-based organizations throughout Kalimdor including the Burning Blade and Searing Blade cults, which utilize the powers of the Demon Seed. Agents of the Council have even infiltrated areas of the Orcish capital city of Orgrimmar. It is also revealed from a questline in Darkshore that the Cult of the Dark Strand is another branch of the Shadow Council, and certain clues, like Argus Wake members they employ, Marez Cowl, and Darbel Montrose, lead some to believe that the Syndicate may be affiliated, if maybe loosely, with the Council. The Shadow Council is also present at Jaedenar in Felwood, Grangol'var Village in Terokkar Forest, and Kil'sorrow Fortress in Nagrand. Its headquarters are in the Shadow Labyrinth of Auchindoun.

Cults and groups

"Many cults exist within the Council, but only to hide its actions against the foolish. Groups like the Burning Blade, the Argus Wake, and the Searing Blade are tools of the Council. Consider them one and the same."

—Thrall

Burning Blade - Primarily orcs. Concerned with undermining Thrall's Horde. Based in Durotar, Orgrimmar, Desolace, the Barrens and elsewhere. Led by Neeru Fireblade.
The Cabal, a faction in Outland consisting of Shadow Council remnants from the time before the First War.
Searing Blade - Primarily orcs. Concerned with undermining Thrall's Horde. Once based in Ragefire Chasm, beneath the city of Orgrimmar, they were driven out by the Dark Shaman. Led by Bazzalan and Jergosh the Invoker.
Argus Wake - Primarily humans. Concerned with sowing chaos among the areas of Lordaeron controlled by the Alliance and Horde. Allied with the Syndicate of the Alterac Mountains. The Wake's leader is unknown, but its members in Alterac were once led by the orc Nagaz, who disappeared during the Cataclysm.
Cult of the Dark Strand - Various mortal races. Concerned with cultivating an alliance between themselves and the foul satyrs. Based in Darkshore and Ashenvale, led by Athrikus Narassin. Since the Cataclysm, the Dark Strand has been annhiliated.

Note that most Shadow Council members are orcs; although they worship demons, most of them are not fel orcs.

Recent activities

World of Warcraft

The Shadow Council has set up its main base in Shadow Hold, Felwood. There they reign with massive force and numbers. The Burning Blade is active in Desolace, The Barrens and Durotar, and even have a spy in Orgrimmar, while the Searing Blade dwells beneath the orcish capital in the Ragefire Chasm. The Cult of the Dark Strand operates in Darkshore and Ashenvale and the mysterious Argus Wake manipulates the Syndicate in Alterac and the Arathi Highlands.

Burning Crusade

The Cabal acts from within Auchindoun, but members of the Shadow Council are widespread all over Outland.
During the Opening of the Dark Portal in the Caverns of Time, members of the original Council can be seen.

Cataclysm

While some members are missing after the Cataclysm and the Cult of the Dark Strand was wiped out by the Horde, the rest of the Council appears to be undamaged and active.

Known members

Name	Location		Sub-Cult	Status
Gul'dan	Spirit in Altar of Damnation	Shadowmoon Valley		Deceased
Cho'gall	Bastion of Twilight	Twilight Highlands	Now a leader of the Twilight's Hammer	Killable
О Garona Halforcen	Bloodgulch	Twilight Highlands	Formerly mind-controlled	Alive
О Blackhand	likeness in Karazhan	Deadwind Pass		Deceased
Teron Gorefiend	Black Temple	Shadowmoon Valley		Killable
Grandmaster Vorpil	Shadow Labyrinth	Auchindoun, Terokkar Forest	Cabal	Killable
Blackheart the Inciter	Shadow Labyrinth	Auchindoun, Terokkar Forest	Cabal	Killable
Kargath Bladefist	Shattered Halls	Hellfire Citadel, Hellfire Peninsula		Killable
Warbringer Razuun	Deathforge	Shadowmoon Valley		Killable
Summoner Skartax	Deathforge	Shadowmoon Valley		Killable
Doctor Maleficus	Invasion Point: Cataclysm	Shadowmoon Valley		Killable
Doctor Gutrick	Invasion Point: Cataclysm	Shadowmoon Valley		Killable
Shadowmaster Grieve	Grangol'var Village	Terokkar Forest		Killable
Giselda the Crone	Kil'sorrow Fortress	Nagrand		Killable
Fel'dan	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Moora	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Salia	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Lord Banehollow	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Ur'dan	Jaedenar	Felwood		Missing
Ulathek	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Rakaiah	Jaedenar	Felwood		Killable
Prince Xavalis	Shadow Hold	Felwood		Killable
Tyranis Malem	Thunder Axe Fortress	Desolace		Missing
Jugkar Grim'Rod	Mannoroc Coven	Desolace	Burning Blade	Killable
Kohor	Thunder Axe Fortress	Desolace	Burning Blade	Killable
Rathorian	Dreadmist Den	The Barrens	Burning Blade	Killable
Sarilus Foulborne	Dreadmist Peak,	The Barrens	Burning Blade	Killable
Yarrog Baneshadow	Valley of Trials	Durotar	Burning Blade	Killable
Fizzle Darkstorm	Thunder Ridge	Durotar	Burning Blade	Deceased
Gazz'uz	Skull Rock	Durotar	Burning Blade	Killable
О Neeru Fireblade	Cleft of Shadow	Orgrimmar	Burning Blade	Alive
Jergosh the Invoker	Ragefire Chasm	Orgrimmar	Searing Blade	Missing
Bazzalan	Ragefire Chasm	Orgrimmar	Searing Blade	Missing
Taragaman the Hungerer	Ragefire Chasm	Orgrimmar	Searing Blade	Missing
Nagaz	Dandred's Fold	Alterac Mountains	Argus Wake	Missing
Darbel Montrose	Stromgarde Keep	Arathi Highlands	Argus Wake	Killable
Marez Cowl	Stromgarde Keep	Arathi Highlands	Argus Wake	Killable
Athrikus Narassin	Tower of Althalaxx	Darkshore	Cult of the Dark Strand	Deceased
Delmanis the Hated	Tower of Althalaxx	Darkshore	Cult of the Dark Strand	Missing
Ilkrud Magthrull	Fire Scar Shrine	Ashenvale	Cult of the Dark Strand	Missing
О Braelyn Firehand	Sun Rock Retreat	Stonetalon Mountains		Missing
Staffron Lerent		Alterac Mountains		Missing