Cult of Forgotten Shadow The Forgotten Shadow is a corrupted reinterpretation of the beliefs and traditions practiced by the Holy Light , and is the religion of the Forsaken . The religion of those who follow and use the shadow is called the Cult of Forgotten Shadow . It is a religion of divine humanism ( see below ) . Forsaken who once followed the tenets of the Holy Light often alter their philosophy upon their transformation . Former priests of the Holy Light lost their faith when they became undead . Lost and hurt , these priests founded a new religion based on a self - centered version of their former faith . Dubbed the Forgotten Shadow , this philosophy centers around self - empowerment and a desire to balance life with death . Many of the virtues and principles of the Holy Light exist within the Forgotten Shadow , but are twisted to an egocentric view . While small , the Cult of Forgotten Shadow grows in popularity , especially among Sylvanas ’ dark rangers . The cult claims Deathknell as its home , as well as a section of the warrior sector in the Undercity , but it is not yet organized enough to claim much control over anything . The Forgotten Shadow is the dark interpretation of the Holy Light ' s teachings , and many Forsaken find truth in its doctrine . Forsaken turn to the Forgotten Shadow for different reasons . Forsaken who feel isolated and outcast might join their brethren in support of the Forgotten Shadow to obtain a sense of solidarity , of belonging . Forsaken who feel betrayed by the Holy Light ' s failure to protect them sometimes find that turning their backs on the Holy Light is not enough ; they throw aside the Holy Light and embrace its dark twin out of spite . Finally , some Forsaken simply see the value and practicality in the teachings of the Forgotten Shadow . Forsaken of any class might emulate the values of the Forgotten Shadow , but devoted church members are usually priests . Some become lightslayer s , and others become shadow ascendant s . Even some dark ranger s have joined the ranks of the cult . The curse of undeath proved especially brutal to those humans who once followed the philosophy of the Holy Light . Their lives as Forsaken seem dreary , hateful and unspeakably cruel . Many allowed anger and bitterness to foster in their souls . They had believed in the teachings of the Light , and now find themselves shrouded in eternal darkness . Such Forsaken founded the Cult of Forgotten Shadow . Priests of the Holy Light who become Forsaken alter their beliefs to more adequately reflect their new existences . Practitioners of the Forgotten Shadow believe that the actions and emotions of the self have the capacity to change the universe . The Forgotten Shadow shapes reality . There is no inherent bond between self and universe ; a bond exists only when Forsaken impose its will on the universe . By strengthening their personal power , Forsaken can impart greater changes to the world around it . Exceptionally strong Forsaken can literally shape the world . Forgotten Shadow priests refer to this central tenet as Divine Humanism . The Cult of Forgotten Shadow plays an important role in Forsaken society . Shortly after the emancipation of the Forsaken and the formation of their culture , the Forsaken indulged in a momentary backlash against necromancers . Necromancy was seen as the art of slavery , the tool of the Scourge , and its use was repulsive to the newly liberated undead . The most serious failing of the Cult of Forgotten Shadow is its lack of organization . Dozens of different interpretations of the three or four virtues exist , and no two priests seem to be able to agree on how the faithful should follow the Forgotten Shadow . A single city can hold several different cult leaders , all in disagreement on their philosophy . Members of the Forgotten Shadow spend almost as much time arguing with other members as they do practicing the tenets they believe . A particularly charismatic and intelligent Forsaken may draw all the disparate branches of the cult together someday . A united front of philosophically aligned Forsaken would be a dire threat to the Church of the Holy Light . Priests of the Forgotten Shadow can gain access to the Death , Destruction and Power Domains . Organization . The cult is loosely organized , with a hierarchy defined by power and experience . Novice acolytes work at menial tasks , while a single shadow priest serves as bishop for a community . Dark priests are more like archbishops ruling over wide territories . There are exceptions to the rules , as they haven ' t formed a strict organization as of yet . Lightslayer s are the assassins of the religion sent out to kill enemies of the cult , as well as destroy practitioners of the Holy Light whenever possible . Shadow ascendant s are those that have ascended beyond physical world , and have taken on a form between physical and spiritual , they are often used as spies , priests or assassins . The Three Virtues . The Cult of Forgotten Shadow preaches three virtues : respect , tenacity , and power . Respect . The universe is the physical manifestation of other ' s wills . Thus , for people to denigrate the universe is to ignore the personal power of those around them . This is not only disrespectful , it is dangerous . Followers of the Forgotten Shadow must develop their personal power in order to exert its will on the universe , but seeking too much power too quickly puts them in conflict with other , stronger beings . Only a foolish follower seeks to challenge their superiors right away . Showing respect ensures a measure of self - protection . Tenacity . Followers of the Forgotten Shadow put even greater stock in the virtue of tenacity . It may at first seem impossible for people to change the universe when countless others seek to do the same around them . Through unwavering perseverance and tenacity though , they may triumph . Power . Power is the third virtue of the Forgotten Shadow , and the most difficult to attain . Forsaken who grab greedily for power might encounter power too great for them to handle , and die in their attempt to master it . Forsaken who succumb to despair and seek no personal power has no reason to exist ; they crave nothing , desire nothing , they sit alone and pine for their old life . To the cult , Forsaken who do not seek to better themselves might as well still be part of the Scourge . The quest for power requires caution , forethought , and a subtle touch . Other Virtues . Some branches of the Forgotten Shadow consider death to be a fourth virtue ; most consider it sub - virtue of power . Additionally some members of the Forgotten Shadow still show a limited yet twisted version of the virtue of Compassion ( one of the Holy Light ' s main virtues ) . Death . Forsaken reach the pinnacle of power when they master death itself , transcending it . This power over death requires the same delicate touch of any other power . Forsaken must not kill indiscriminately , nor can they withhold death from the weak . To kill wantonly escalates the Forsaken ' s risk of encountering power too great for them to overcome . It also robs them of their strength ; Forsaken who spend all day slaying wildlife and human peasants might exhaust its power , and be left defenseless when a true threat arises . Likewise , Forsaken who show mercy to the weak and forgoes regular exercise of their power may gain a reputation for weakness themselves . This draws predators and offends the cult . They must always preserve a balance . Compassion . Despite their mercenary outlook , the cult possesses a streak of compassion . The living world fears and shuns the living dead , and who can blame them ? The cult understands the plight of the Forsaken and wishes to ease their burden if only a little . This compassion tempers even the most heartless priest - though the compassion they show is only towards other Forsaken . Ascension . The ultimate goal of practitioners of the Forgotten Shadow is to ascend . Ascension occurs once a person achieves complete control over itself and the power to transcend death . Forsaken who ascend become invulnerable , invincible and eternal . In essence , they become gods . The Cult of Forgotten Shadow teaches that the Forsaken of Azeroth were too weak to ascend . Their undead state is a curse brought on by that weakness . Once the Forsaken learn to master themselves and control the world around them , they shake off that curse and become what they always should have been . Those on the path to ascension often become shadow ascendants . Divine Humanism . Instead of seeing both a self and a universe and seeking to create a bond between them through compassion , the Forgotten Shadow preaches a much more self - oriented idea . Priests preach that the self has power over the universe , and the universe revolves around the self . They preach that if undead were powerful enough to rise from the grave on their own free will and become sentient , they may strengthen themselves by increasing their control of the world around them , thus becoming more godlike . Many priests dub this concept " divine humanism " . Divine humanism is the concept that the self shapes the universe . In essence , each sentient creature in the world is a tiny god , able to exert their will to manifest small changes in the universe . A minor example of divine humanism might be something as simple as mood . The Holy Light teaches that to be happy , one must work to better the universe , and the effort of reflecting joy back through the universal bond spreads happiness . However , divine humanism notes that angry individuals who show rage trigger anger in those around them . They do not change some insubstantial universe " out there " - they makes a choice and others sense the strength of their emotions and change themselves . In short , the Holy Light teaches that by changing the universe , followers change those around them . The Forgotten Shadow teaches that by using power , followers can change those around them and change the universe . Power is key , not some mythical bond . Balance between Light and Shadow . While the undead can no longer use the Holy Light , and have learned how to use the Shadow , they also preach that there must be a balance between Light and Shadow , and that they must learn the Light as well , but never forget they were born from the Shadow . However , as of Cataclysm , Forsaken priests have learned to channel the light , as explained in the following blue post :