Arcane Arcane magic — cold and intellectual — is a magic that warps time and space , and controls the flow of mana , which is just a measure of a fundamental power — if mana were water , then arcane would be steam pressure . Arcane magic can be pulled from ley lines , channels of immense magical power that coursed through the earth itself . The ley lines were like blood vessels of the earth , carrying magic instead of scarlet fluid . Arcane Constructs . Arcane constructs are creations spawned of pure mana and intellect . In the right hands , a construct allows its user to quickly assimilate vast riches of arcane knowledge . Fel Constructs . Fel constructs are what Infernals are . Destroying them is only part of the solution . The stone that infernals are made of still contains large amounts of fel magic even after the infernal ' s death . The rubble of slain infernals leeches its corruption back into the ground . Arcane Mysteries . Arcane mysteries are the mysteries of life and death . Death , in the form of necromantic magic , acts as a counterbalance to life . It is an unavoidable force that breeds despair in mortal hearts and pushes everything toward a state of entropic decay and eventual oblivion . It is said that the sacrifice of life was the only way to ensure the saving of another . Sacrificial magic was considered the greatest violation of life and the energies of life , known commonly as nature magic , promote growth and renewal in all things . In the physical universe , the forces of life and death hold sway over every living thing . Before life began , before even the cosmos took shape , there was Light and Void . The Light swelled across all existence in the form of a boundless sea , unfettered by the confines of time and space . The ocean of Light was dynamic and ever shifting . As it expanded , some of its energies faded and dimmed , leaving behind pockets of nothingness . A new power coalesced and came to be from the absence of Light in these spaces . This power was the Void , a dark and vampiric force driven to devour all energy , to twist creation inward to feed upon itself . The Void grew and spread its influence , moving against the waves of Light . The tension between these two opposite yet inseparable forces eventually ignited a series of explosions , rupturing the fabric of creation and birthing a new realm into existence . In that moment , the physical universe was born . The energies released by the clash of Light and Void raged across the nascent cosmos , raw matter merging and spinning into primordial worlds without number - the Great Dark Beyond - broiled in a maelstrom of fire and magic . An Astral Dimension . The most unstable energies coalesced into an astral dimension known as the Twisting Nether . The creatures that emerged from this turbulent realm were known as demons . They had been formed as a result of the Light and Void energies that had bled together at the borders of the Twisting Nether . The demons embraced their furious passions and reveled in pushing the boundaries of their power , heedless of the consequences . Many of these aberrations indulged in the highly volatile energy that pervaded the Nether . Some learned to wield the all - consuming powers of fel magic and , before long , the bloodthirsty demons clawed their way into the physical universe , terrorizing mortal civilizations and bringing world after world . Fel - Connected Worlds . The cataclysmic birth of the cosmos flung shards of Light throughout reality . These shards suffused the matter of myriad worlds with the spark of life , giving rise to creatures of wondrous and terrible diversity . Composed of the primordial matter from which the universe , the titans are godlike beings who were uniquely susceptible ( and therefore connected ) to fel magic . Their spirits — known as world - souls — formed deep within the fiery core of a small number of worlds . For ages , these nascent titans slumbered , their energies suffusing the celestial bodies they inhabited . When the titans awoke , they did so as living worlds . Ordering of the Universe . Legends hold that the name of the first titan was Aman ' Thul . Intent on finding more titans , he explored the worlds of the Great Dark Beyond . His quest was lonely and arduous , but ultimately fulfilling . In time , he discovered other nascent world - souls . Aman ' Thul nurtured these kin and roused them from slumber . Those who awakened devoted themselves to his search . Aman ' Thul and his siblings became known as the Pantheon . They were benevolent by nature , creatures aligned with order and stability . The titans of the Pantheon realized that order was crucial to finding others of their kind . And on each world they encountered , they employed techniques to ascertain whether a world - soul was present : Most of the time , however , the worlds visited by the titans proved inert . The Pantheon vowed to maintain and protect all of these worlds , even those that did not contain a slumbering spirit . To do so , they empowered life - forms to uphold the integrity of their ordered worlds . The Pantheon also embedded colossal machines in the surface of the worlds that they had shaped . Through these devices , the titans could monitor their worlds - and purge them of life should their evolutionary paths succumb to disorder . Over the ages , the Pantheon discovered fewer and fewer world - souls . Yet they remained undaunted . They knew that the universe was vast beyond measure , and even after epochs of exploring the stars , they had only plumbed but a small corner of creation . Denizens of the Cosmos . Animated Fel . Animated fel is the primal force of chaos , which is order unrecognized by a lesser mind according to the arcane user Iyyokuk the Lucid . Arcane Anomalies . Arcane anomalies can be revealed to be evidence of realities and dimensions ripped asunder . They can wink in and out of existence . Blue Dragons . A keeper known as Loken called on his creator , Norgannon , to endow the proto - dragon Malygos with incredible arcane powers . Henceforth , Malygos would be known as the Spell - Weaver and his very scales radiated potent arcane energies . The limitless realms of magic and hidden arcane would be his to share , explore , and protect . To help the Dragons Aspects protect the world , keepers also sought to create a new species . To this end , the keepers magically altered hundreds of proto - dragon eggs . From them would emerge creatures born in the image of the Aspects . This new race , known as dragons , would form five distinct flights and one of them is known as the blue dragonflight . The blues had gathered much arcane knowledge during Malygos ' s millennia as Aspect of Magic . Ethereals . 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 . Sin ' dorei . Blood elves are beings who can sense the ebb and flow of arcane magic , and they often manipulate that magic to serve their needs . Titans . " In eons past , the titans used the language of the arcane to weave whole worlds into existence . . . " - Aluneth Undead . Servants of the undead tirelessly study the arcane arts in an effort to imbue weapons and armor with unholy power . Wretched . The Wretched are desperate and demented criminals who had siphoned arcane magic in amounts exorbitant enough to physically transform them into emaciated , reckless , black - hearted fiends who would gladly kill for a few mana crystals . Professions of the Cosmos . Demon Hunters . Demon hunters , disciples of Illidan Stormrage , uphold a dark legacy , one that frightens their allies and enemies alike . The Illidari embrace fel and chaotic magics — energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth — believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion . Wielding the powers of demons they ’ ve slain , they develop demonic features that incite revulsion and dread in fellow elves . There ' s a balance that must be struck when becoming a demon hunter . In order to maintain that balance , demon hunters must infuse themselves with opposite forces of nature . Fel energy is counteracted by arcane energy and they mark their bodies with arcane runes to keep their fel forces in check . Mages . Mages of the arcane are diviners of secrets , balancing the ebb and flow of incredible mystic energies . Unparalleled skill is required to manipulate the volatile forces of the universe . These practitioners push their magical knowledge to its very limits — often to the brink of their own exhaustion , and at great risk to the world around them . Those who master this craft are capable of releasing a barrage of unrelenting power upon their enemies , drawing upon replenishing energies to maintain their assault for as long as the battle demands . Warlocks . Warlocks are magical practitioners who seek to understand darker , fel - based magics , including destructive spells , as oppose to arcane - based magics . The Schools of Arcane Magic . " If you are willing , the arcane will feed even your most twisted desires . " - Flame Keeper Rizzli Abjuration . Abjuration is the study of protective magic and one of the most important schools to study . The most generalized abjuration spell is the mana shield , a spell that transmutes raw mana into a barrier that protects the caster from attacks . Properly executed , this spell can protect against even the most formidable of attacks - but the mana shield is very difficult for a novice to master . It often takes months of practice to even conjure a simple mana shield , and thus , more basic alternatives exist . A series of elemental armor spells were invented to aid in the unfortunate case that one be attacked . These spells require far less raw energy to cast then a mana shield and are more easily maintained over time , but lack the raw potency of the mana shield . Rather than stopping an attack completely , a frost armor spell might simply decrease the effectiveness of the assault . The more advanced armor spells grant other benefits - for example , the potent mage armor spell actually assists the caster in regaining magical power more easily . Practitioners of the arcane arts are often ambitious , and we frequently find themselves in situations where magic may slip just slightly beyond their control . It is for this reason that the ward spells exist . Ward spells are quick , potent incantations to protect the caster against a form of elemental damage - damage which is often caused by the caster attempting one of the other schools of magic . This is why studying abjuration early is so imperative . Conjuration . Conjuration is the study of summoning - both creatures and objects . Divination . Divination is the school of magic dedicated to gathering information . Powerful divinations can allow one to see targets from a great distance , or even view what may normally be invisible . One of the most common uses of divination magic is scrying , which is the art of seeing something that may be far away - perhaps even on another plane of existence . Enchantment . Enchantment is the process of imbuing an object - or person - with magical power . Some enchantments are temporary , while others can offer permanent benefits . Enchanting can be difficult to learn , but it is one of the most potentially lucrative forms of magic to study . Disenchanting is the process of dispelling or removing magic . The dispel magic spell is among the most important in a one ' s arsenal , as it can potentially reverse the catastrophic effects of a misfired spell . It is also possible to permanently disenchant a magical item . This produces a unique form of crystallized mana that can be used in the process of imbuing another item with magical abilities . While this can get expensive , it is often one of the best ways to study the enchanting process . Illusion . Illusion is the art of deceiving reality itself . The mists of illusion can make one invisible or inaudible to the world or twist the image of a location into something entirely different . Illusion can be used for disguise or manipulation , but beware , spells to counteract illusions exist in the divination school . Contrary to popular belief , illusions are far more than mere parlor tricks . The spell of invisibility is among the most integral in a battle mage ' s repertoire . Illusions can also be used to deceive opponents into thinking that one is elsewhere , or even trick enemies into fighting each other . This is no easy task , but the accomplished illusionist can turn allies into enemies - and his or her own enemies into allies . Necromancy . Necromancy is the study of magic involving the dead . Necromantic magic has many functions beyond simply raising the dead . Masters of this tainted field of magic can conjure festering diseases , harness the shadows into bolts of incendiary energy , and chill the living with the power of death . Necromancy can also be used to reconstruct the flesh of undead creatures , allowing them to function again even after the foul monsters have been destroyed . Transmutation . The ninth and final school of magic is transmutation . It is among the most popular and useful of all of the schools , allowing a one to manipulate time and space . Perhaps the most iconic Transmutation spell is Polymorph , which allows a mage to turn something - or someone - into something else . Fortunately , the effects are not permanent . The second most famous use for transmutation magic is teleportation . The most basic teleportation spell is blink , and it remains among the most useful . Blink can be used to quickly escape a foe - or save a mage who has accidentally fallen off a cliff . Spells that manipulate time also fall into this category . The ever - popular slow fall spell is an excellent alternative to falling to your death ( and much more reliable than Blink at this function ) . More advanced practitioners of the arcane arts can also learn a spell that slows the movements of their enemies . The RPG . Arcane magic is the gift of titans to the world , a gift that comes with the highest price . Thousands of years ago , the titans placed the Well of Eternity in the center of Kalimdor to serve as a source of restoring , life - giving energy . They intended that the Well ' s energies would empower life of all forms to emerge on Kalimdor — plants , animals , monsters , races . After a time , the titans left Azeroth , leaving Kalimdor in the hands of the five dragon Aspects . Yet the Well of Eternity proved too great a lure to remain hidden for very long , particularly from Sargeras and the Burning Legion . Children of the Stars . The Well was discovered by the Kaldorei , who were later known as night elves . Ever eager to uncover secrets hidden in dark places , the Kaldorei listened to the Well as it promised to give them great power . At the Well ' s behest , the Kaldorei learned spellspeech and used it to weave the first arcane spells . Within decades , Kaldorei mages had attained sufficient mastery over arcane magic that they built a great civilization . They founded the imperious city of Zin - Azshari , from which they extended their domination over most of Kalimdor . Ultimately , the magic corrupted them . The Kaldorei had been a simple folk who gazed blissfully at the stars , enjoying the immortality given to them by the Well , but their haughtiness robbed them of that gift forever . Each succeeding generation became prouder and more decadent , and the lust for power only made the Kaldorei more of a beacon to the lords of the Twisting Nether . Finally , their greatest mage , Queen Azshara , cast a spell in the heart of the Well of Eternity itself — and a way was opened for evil to invade the world . Through Azshara ' s breach came the Burning Legion , the most terrifying warriors in existence . This fiendish horde ravaged Azeroth , pillaging entire kingdoms , destroying all that stood in its path , mocking anyone who begged it for mercy . When the Burning Legion ravaged the land , great heroes recognized that arcane magic posed a continuing threat to all living creatures , so they elected to destroy the Well of Eternity and put an end to arcane magic forever . Unfortunately , among their number was one Illidan Stormrage , an arcane spell caster who dreaded the thought of losing his powers . Secretly he stole some of the well ' s water and used it to create a new Well of Eternity at Mount Hyjal , thus preserving the power of the arcane . This theft allowed future elven generations to follow in the footsteps of Illidan and Queen Azshara . These elves called themselves the Quel ' dorei , " the high elves " ( for they believed that their mastery of the arcane elevated them to higher status ) . They also taught the arcane arts to the newly discovered race of humans , who showed a natural aptitude . Human Magi . These human mages , however , were even more reckless than the night elves had been . The high elf mages warned their human pupils that magic was addictive , but the acolytes dismissed any suggestion that the tragedies that had befallen the elves would also afflict them . The humans were no better at resisting corruption than the elves had been , and eventually the arrogance of wizards brought the Burning Legion to Azeroth once more . Once again , great acts of heroism were needed to spare Azeroth from destruction . Orc Warlocks . Elsewhere , on the orcish home world of Draenor , arcane sorceries corrupted the once noble race of orcs , transforming them into the Horde , a nigh invincible army . After ravaging their home world , the orcs came to Azeroth ; and with their warlocks , they waged two great wars against the races of human , elf and dwarf . The orcs failed to seize control of Azeroth ; during these wars , Draenor itself was utterly destroyed , and the orcs were forced to relocate to Azeroth . In the wake of the Third War against the Scourge and Burning Legion , the orc Warchief Thrall has rejected arcane magic and embraced his race ' s traditional shamanistic ways . Yet orc warlocks still walk the world , and demons whisper in their ears each time they cast a spell . Neither human nor high elves have abandoned the pursuit of the arcane ; if anything , the defeat of the Burning Legion at the Battle of Mount Hyjal has fed the arrogance of many spell casters , who believe the world is now protected from demonic influences and that arcane spell casters may practice their art in relative safety . Nothing sows the seeds of the fields of tragedy quite like arrogance .