Annihilan

The annihilan, commonly known as pit lords (or pitlords),Trial by Demonfire are a powerful species of demon recruited by Kil'jaeden to serve the Burning Legion. Their leader, the most feared of them all, is Mannoroth the Destructor, also known as the Demon King of the Pit Lords.
These colossal destroyers serve as the Legion's military commanders. They are as cruel as they are powerful - and revel in the destruction of all that exists.Exodar Holographic Emitter They are known to use felhounds to sniff out sources of magic wherever they be found.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, pg. 136
==History==
The annihilan are one of the demonic species that were naturally born from the chaotic astral realm known as the Twisting Nether. Unlike the cunning nathrezim, who preferred to infiltrate and manipulate mortal civilizations, the pit lords took a more direct approach to conquering worlds. Existing only to brutalize and torture any mortal crossing their path, the annihilan often enslaved the lesser demons of the Nether, using them as fodder to besiege the mortal civilizations of the Great Dark.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 22
At some unspecified point in time, Kil'jaeden recruited the annihilan into the Burning Legion, an invitation the pit lords readily accepted. Though they were recruited by Kil'jaeden, it was Archimonde who empowered the pit lords to serve as living siege engines and inspire dread in all those they faced.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 52
Annihilan are rarely seen on the battlefield, since they are too important to simply waste in combat. The only two annihilan that entered Azeroth during the War of the Ancients and the Third War were Mannoroth and Azgalor, so it is presumed that the annihilan are either generals for smaller forces of the Burning Legion or are still on the Legion's homeworld.
Mannoroth's blood was used to forge a blood-pact with the corrupted orcs on Draenor, making their corruption permanent — only one clan, the Frostwolves, escaped. During the Burning Legion's second invasion, Thrall and Grommash Hellscream defeated Mannoroth, and broke the blood pact he had forged and thus freed the Orcs from demonic corruption. Hellscream did not survive the encounter.
==Description==
The Pit Lords who serve under Mannoroth the Destructor are some of the most cruel, barbarous butchers to ever roam the trackless wastes of the Twisting Nether. These hulking engines of hate and death love only to kill and bring sorrow to all living creatures. Fanatically loyal to Mannoroth, the pit lords will stop at nothing to see the will of the Legion upheld.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, pg. 137 These massive demons take sadistic pleasure from instilling crazed terror, and then slaughtering their enemies.Warcraft III - Neutral -> Neutral Heroes -> Pit Lord
As a demonic species, pit lords, after being defeated, return to the Twisting Nether to reconstruct themselves.
===Appearance===
The annihilan pit lords are described as engines of destruction. They are driven by pure rage and bloodlust. Their bodies resemble massive lizards, with six powerful limbs (four legs, similar in nature to the children of Cenarius), a tail, and wings sprouting from their backs (the wings are vestigial and occasionally used for defense — even with eredar magic, pit lords are far too heavy to fly, except in the non-canon RPG). Their upper torsos are more humanoid, with a large chest, two arms and a large horned head. Their mouths are filled with rows of teeth, their eyes are on fire and even their tongues are studded with fangs. Two long, mammoth-like tusks sprout from both sides of their mouth. The preferred weapon of the pit lords is a massive double-bladed polearm. Though they may look fat and lazy, they are unimaginably powerful. The Warcraft III model had beards, but the cinematic and WoW models do not.
A handful of annihilan, such as Mongrethod or Brutallus, have been shown with a different, more battle-scarred and somewhat corpse-like. They possess no wings or forearms, the former being torn off completely, and the latter being replaced with massive blades in a manner similar to the Shattered Hand orcs. They also feature a broken tusk, and spikes impaling the other tusk, and multiple burning scars. These annihilan seem possibly even more wrathful and murderous, perhaps as a side-effect of their deterioration. This look does appear to be a permanent alteration as well, as Brutallus still features this look when he returns at the end of the Broken Shore.
Annihilan blood has been shown to be extremely potent. As noted above, Mannoroth's blood was used to seal the pact with the orcs; Magtheridon's was used to create fel orcs; Aggonar's corrupted a sacred draenei area; and Brutallus' raised the blue dragon Madrigosa from the dead in the form of Felmyst.
The hide of Magtheridon is described as thick, with the Warglaives of Azzinoth wielded by Illidan barely able to penetrate more than a few inches.World of Warcraft: Illidan, chapter 5 This, and the portrayals of first deaths of Mannoroth and Azgoth show their bodies are thick and when damaged, cause explosions and they die.
==Biology==
Like all demons, annihilan blood contains tremendous fel power,In Need of Felblood and is used to make powerful fel inks,Vial of Felsoul Blood demonic sigils,Blood of Our Enemy and is highly valued for demon hunter rituals.Blood On Your Hands
Annihilan hide can be crafted into armor,Fel Hide and their fel glands can be extracted to make a very deadly poison.A Slow Death
==Notable==
As with other demonic races, the precise hierarchy of the annihilan is unknown. However, there is information on a few of the annihilan pit lords, as several fought in the Third War and died on Azeroth.
Name 	Role 	Status	Location
 	Demon King of the Pit LordsWarcraft III manual: Heroes and Villains 	 	Destructor's Rise,
 	Former Lord of Outland; was defeated by Illidan and his blood was used to create fel orcs 	 	
Magtheridon's Lair	 	 	
 	Deceased pit lord whose demonic essence corrupted the Pools of Aggonar in Hellfire Peninsula	 	Pools of Aggonar, Hellfire Peninsula
 	Leader of the Burning Legion forces in Desolace 	 	Shadowbreak Ravine, Desolace
 	Prisoner of Baradin Hold 	 	Baradin Hold
 	Held captive by the Sunfury blood elves 	 	Ruins of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
 	Leader of the ground forces during the Battle of Mount Hyjal 	 	Hyjal Summit; Black Gate,
 	Annihilan doom lord killed by the Illidari 	 	Unknown
 	Killed the blue dragon Madrigosa, and his blood raised her corpse as Felmyst 	 	Dead Scar, Sunwell Plateau; Wrynnfall, Broken Shore
 	Leader of the Legion attack on Nordrassil during the third invasion 	 	Nordrassil, Mount Hyjal
 	Defender of Forge Camp: Wrath 	 	Forge Camp: Wrath, Blade's Edge Mountains
 	Leader of the Legion forces at the Gates of Sothann 	 	Gates of Sothann, Mount Hyjal
 	Summoned by High Warlock Xi'lun to take over Redridge Mountains but ran rampage 	 	Dreadmaul Rock, Burning Steppes
 	Overlord of the Dreadscar Rift 	 	Jagganoth's Lair, Dreadscar Rift
 	One of two pit lords wielding an anti-demon glaive 	 	Legion Hold, Shadowmoon Valley
 	Destroyer of Xandros 	 	Remains of Xandros
 	One of two pit lords wielding an anti-demon glaive 	 	Legion Hold, Shadowmoon Valley
 	Henchman of Xaxion Drak'eem 	 	Unknown
 	Leader of the Legion's efforts in Suramar during the War of the Ancients, killed by Ashamane	 	Unknown
 	Apparent leader of Forge Base: Gehenna 	 	Forge Base: Gehenna, Netherstorm
 	Legion Commander 	 	Blade's Edge Mountains
 	ShadowLord of The Soulless 	 	Unknown
 	Overseer of Forge Camp: Fear 	 	Forge Camp: Fear, Nagrand
 	The Blighted 	 	Chamber of the Moon, Tomb of Sargeras
Other named annihilan include:
*Brutillus (likely inspired the "Brutallus" respelling)
*Malvingeroth, Hunter of Night
*Gogonnash
*Gorgonnash (likely a respelling of the random pit lord "Gogonnash".)
*Undead skeleton pit lords include Mannoroth or Reanimated Pit Lords
==In the RPG==
After Mannoroth's death, Azgalor became the new general of the Legion's ground forces on Azeroth at the Battle of Mount Hyjal.Manual of Monsters, pg. 177 They are known to be barbarians.
Pit lord rangers find fel stalkers and train them.Manual of Monsters, pg. 122
===Named===
*
*
==Trivia==
*The Diablo series also features demons called s.
*The name "pit lord" may have been inspired by the pit fiends from , though the idea of demons being of the pits of Hell is ubiquitous.
==Speculation==
===Name===
The term "pit lord" may be a class or rank within the annihilan species or the Common name for the species.
===Culture===
Nothing is known of the culture of the annihilan, but it is likely one where raw power is valued above all else. While Mannoroth was certainly quite powerful, he probably rose to become their leader through his cunning and magical knowledge — he is said to have been as skilled as a mid-level eredar. Besides Magtheridon, no other pit lord has shown particular affinity for the arcane arts, though many of them know the 'fel firestorm' spell.
==Gallery==
;Warcraft III
Pit lord.jpg|Warcraft III concept art.
Pitlord Anim.gif|Pit lord animation from Warcraft III.
BurningLegionE.jpg|Mannoroth in The Death of Hellscream.
Pitlords1.jpg|Pit lords in Warcraft III. From left to right: Magtheridon, Mannoroth, and Azgalor.
Reforged - Pit Lord concept.jpg|Warcraft III: Reforged concept art.
Reforged - Mannoroth concept.jpg|Warcraft III: Reforged concept art of Mannoroth.
;World of Warcraft
Azaloth.jpg|A pit lord in World of Warcraft.
Agogridon old model.jpg|Old model, prior to patch 7.0.
Reanimated Pit Lord.jpg|A skeletal Reanimated Pit Lord.
Goroth.jpg|Goroth.
Mannoroth Remains.jpg|Mannoroth's remains in Orgrimmar.
BonesAggonar.jpg|Aggonar's skeleton.
Pride of the Pitlord.jpg|Pride of the Pitlord artifact weapon appearance.
Mannoroth WoDcinematic (1).png|Mannoroth in the Warlords of Draenor cinematic.
File:Pit lord figurine.jpg|A pit lord figurine used by the Rooksguard in the Chamber of War in Black Rook Hold.
Magtheridon concept.jpg|Magtheridon concept art.
Mannoroth WC3 cinematic model.jpg|The Warcraft III cinematic model was used as basis for the TBC model. 
Pit lord compare.jpg|Annihilan are considerably larger than humans.
Lore in Short - Legion vs Pantheon.png|A pit lord in Lore in Short.
;Other
Suramar.JPG|An annihilan versus a dragon in Shadows & Light.
Squish Together.jpg|A pit lord crushing a human in the TCG.
Kiss of Death TCG.jpg|Kiss of Death TCG card.
Magtheridon HS.jpg|Magtheridon in Hearthstone.
Pit Commander HS.jpg|A pit lord in Hearthstone. 
Brutal Annihilan HS.png|A annihilan in Hearthstone.
Pit Lord Starcraft II editor.jpg|Unique StarCraft II editor remodeled asset from Warcraft III.
===Fan art===
Pit Lord fan art.jpg|Fan art by Xinxin Zhong.
==References==
 
Category:Races
es:Annihilan
pl:Annihilan