Ethereal Treading the chaotic spaces between worlds , the ethereals are astral travelers who dwell within the Twisting Nether . They are known to be collectors and traders of arcane items and artifacts . Now drawn to Outland , many ethereals are seeking to track down its treasures and steal them back into the Twisting Nether . Most of them are liars and scoundrels who will stop at nothing to pursue their mysterious aims . The ethereals have no care at all for the Burning Crusade . They would even play both sides of the conflict against each other if doing so would serve to further their own goals . Some ethereals have chosen to partner with the Alliance and the Horde , and others are neutral to both factions . Ethereals can be found in Nagrand south of Lake Sunspring , in the Mana Tombs of Auchindoun , the Blade ' s Edge Mountains , and throughout the Netherstorm . A small number also dwell in Shattrath . The ethereals are driven by trade and economics , and accordingly their political structures are centered around trade princes and political " companies " . The ethereal faction called The Consortium , which players can gain reputation with , is one of these . The ethereals that currently control the Mana Tombs in Auchindoun led by Nexus - Prince Shaffar are another of these " political companies . " The Ethereum is a radical militant organization that attempts to avenge the destruction of the ethereal homeworld by void creatures . The Protectorate attempts to thwart the void and protect neutral races from the Ethereum ' s attacks . The ethereals are similar to goblin s , in the way their political systems work , and like the goblins the ethereals will support anyone who would further their profits , and oppose anyone who dares interfere with their plans . The Ethereals also share in the goblins ' propensity for technology , though their technology appears to be far more powerful and otherworldly . Ethereals possess everything from the familiar , such as transporters , to the radical , such as their eco - dome s . While most ethereals seem completely neutral , the Consortium later allies with the Sha ' tar . History . K ' aresh was an arid planet , home to a thriving ecosystem and several sentient species before the arrival of Dimensius the All - Devouring . How the void lord found K ' aresh is still hotly debated among the surviving ethereals , but the effects of his coming were unmistakable : he opened countless gateways into the void and the Twisting Nether around the planet , bathing K ' aresh in arcane and dark energies . Using every scrap of its advanced technology , one of the mortal races hastily attempted to construct magical barriers around its cities , but it was only partially successful ; although the dark energies were blocked , the unimpeded flood of arcane energy tore away the mortals ' corporeal shells and infused their souls with enough energy so that they could subsist without a body … barely . Members of this race , now called ethereals , took to binding themselves with enchanted strips of cloth to provide their souls with enough structure to survive . This altered state proved to be a blessing in disguise , as their enhanced minds and magical abilities allowed the ethereals to fight Dimensius and his limited forces to a standstill . Over the years , however , Dimensius eventually grew powerful enough to summon armies of fellow void creatures , forcing the ethereals to flee into the Twisting Nether . Physiology . Originally , Ethereals had physical form . When Dimensius the All - Devouring assaulted their homeworld of K ' aresh , however , the arcane energies they used in their shields against him , ripped apart their bodies . Only their advanced technology allowed them to survive - barely - as beings of pure energy . Ultimately , it was this very change that allowed them to battle Dimensius on an even - footing and travel through the Twisting Nether to find refuge . Their bodies can take many forms , able to be compacted into small sizes , or expanded to their true form : a mass of glowing energy with vaguely distinguishable head , eyes , and arms . They most often appear in their specially enchanted wrappings that keep their energy forms bound within their humanoid shapes . Ethereals appear to need to eat and drink , with their vendors selling specialty bread and drinks not found on vendors of other races . Based on the foods Eyonix sells and their interest in gems , it could be thought they eat them and precious metals . Alternatively , ethereals may not eat at all and sell food only for the sake of the more corporeal beings with whom they trade and interact . It is not known if they sleep , for even if they have inns , it could be stated that they do only for business purposes with other races ; however it is more likely that they do not need rest , since their encampments lack true shelter or any form of relief . Hybrids . Recently , the Ethereum have devised a way to fuse Void shadow energy with their own , creating Void / Ethereal hybrids called Ethereum Nexus - Stalker s that are intended to help in the fight against Dimensius . Though , Ameer states " The Ethereum are not here to hunt Dimensius ! They are here to become void ! " , so they may be for an even darker purpose . So far , however , the process could be flawed , as there are some Void minions called Voidwraith s ( specifically Unstable Voidwraith s due to their proximity to the Ethereum ) that resemble Unbound Ethereal s . Relationship to the Void . Currently , the Ethereals are at war with the Void , the demons made of pure shadow energy ( an example is the Voidwalker used by warlocks ) . The void lord , Dimensius the All - Devouring , ravaged the Ethereals ' homeworld long ago , and ever since the void have been a constant threat to the energy beings . Whether or not the Void invasion was planned by the Burning Legion , or if the Void are even officially a part of the Legion is unknown . It can be speculated however that the Void is a force acting on its own , since the Ethereals seem to hold no vengeance for the Legion ; as well as the fact that Voids are not present in Legion encampments . The renegade Ethereal sect that has devoted their existence to defeating the void by any means necessary is called the Ethereum . In reaction to the Void as well as the radical acts of the Ethereum , the Protectorate was formed .