Fel

Fel magic (also called chaos magic, demonic magicStormrage, chapter 10, sacrificial magic, chaos energy or chaotic energy) is a destructive form of magic used by demons and members of the Burning Legion, and often by warlocks and demon hunters among the mortal races. It is the manifestation of Disorder in the Great Dark Beyond and the Twisting Nether. It is demonic, entropic, chaotic, and extremely volatile. Its use by the wielder, or its effects on the victim, frequently results in an alteration of the individual, colloquially called corruption. All members of the Burning Legion carry the taint of fel magic within their very blood, allowing them to spread greater evil.Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 21 As fel is the language of chaos and disorder, it is the opposite end of the spectrum from arcane, which represents order.Dave Kosak on Twitter (2015-11-10): "Fel isn't death magic. It's the language of chaos, though, so it's pretty nasty stuff :)"Dave Kosak on Twitter (2015-12-03): "Fel is language of chaos, arcane is language of order. Same spectrum, opposite ends!"
==Origins and characteristics==
While Order is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic, on the other hand, Disorder manifests as highly destructive fel magic, a destructive and extremely addictive energy originating as a result of the mutual destruction of Light and Void as they collide on a cosmic scale in the Twisting Nether.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 Fel is fueled by drawing life from living beings and consuming their souls, utterly destroying them in the process. It requires but an insignificant sacrifice—a living fish or two, a few strands of seaweed—to fuel the magic.The Comic Volume 4 - Whispers: "Let me help you fight that monster...for fel magic is powerful...and we are near the sea. It requires but an insignificant sacrifice—a living fish or two, a few strands of seaweed—to fuel the magic."
Fel energy counters and is countered by arcane energy, it's polar opposite.Opposites Repel Consequently, Titans are naturally vulnerable to fel magic. When Sargeras was infused and deformed by the explosion of fel energy caused by the shattering of Mardum, the Pantheon could not overcome Sargeras's fel-fueled might. The fallen titan decimated the Pantheon members by summoning a massive fel storm that would consume their bodies.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 97-99 on e-book
Fel works like radiation, permeating an area and seeping into anything in the vicinity. Anything near a source of fel energy will eventually show signs of slight corruption.Ask CDev Answers: Round 3 It smells like sulfur and brimstone.Well of Eternity dungeon: Fel can also pool into a green goop when it's in physical form.Dave Kosak on Twitter: "Fel is the primal force of chaos. It can pool into a green goop when it's in physical form." Pit lord blood is literal fel goo. When drunk, their blood causes mutations such as the growth of spikes, horns, scales, and wings. Felfire is a flame born of fel magic.Fel FlameRain of Destruction It is deadly to the touch,Mount Journal entry for Felfire Hawk burns much hotter than normal fire,Hotter than Hell and cannot be put out by regular means,The Tomb of Sargeras though the water of enchanted water elementals seems to be able to do the trick.Fire! A scalding core of fel fire is what powers the fel reavers of the Legion.Hotter than Hell
All demon blood contains tremendous fel power,In Need of Felblood it 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 Pure fel energy can manifest as entropic elementals, which essence can poison living beings with a sickness that drains life.Collecting Corruption
When a soul is devoured by fel energies, it produces more fel and is utterly destroyed in the process.Soul engine Powerful demonic rituals often call for the intact skull of a pure soul and the blood of the truly innocent.Skull of the InnocentBlood of the Innocent Jailers are demons that carry fel cages on their backs and use them to capture both the soul and body of their enemy, which they then send to the Twisting Nether to subject their victims to horrific torture and interrogation.Set Them Free
==Uses==
:...fel energies: the dark magic of demons, all corrupting and all-consuming if the craving for it was not held in check.Blood of the Highborne, chapter 4
Fel magic is mainly used to cause massive destruction by its wielders,Journal of Archmage Antonidas notably through devastating blast of chaos and rains of hellfire. Fel can be used as an aura, to temporarily turn into a demon, curse, fear, and drain the life of foes. It can also be used tosummon, banish or subjugate demons. It can also be used to give momentum and propel a boat, to turn oneself invisible,The Tomb of Sargeras to scry,:File:Meryl using fel energy for scrying.jpg and to create portals and gateways much more efficient, long-lasting and easier to create than with arcane magic. Fel can also be used to heal, though it leaves a mark on creatures who are not fel-based.
Lesser warlocks must use soul shards to summon minor demons. Soul shards can be used to power spells, or to create a connection to the Twisting Nether, pulling a demon through against its will.Soul Shards of Summoning
Like all other types of magic, it can be animated,Animated Fel such as the Flames of Azzinoth. It can also be used to power the monstrous machines of the Burning Legion,Legion ship notably to breathe life into constructs such as infernals, or in a necromantic way by resurrecting demons as undead.Mannoroth (tactics)#Adventure GuideJeremy Feasel on Twitter (2015-06-18). "Well, yes, Mannoroth is an undead demon. Demons know how to raise undead, and he was a demon previously." Devastators and Fel cannons are siege weapons infused with fel energy, while fel reavers are powered with "felfire".Hotter than Hell (Alliance)
Some druids have manipulated fel energy to enhance their attunement with the wild.Impeccable Fel Essence
===Effects on beings===
Infusion with fel magic, also called fel corruption, can manifest through physical transformation normally ensues, such as a change to an individual's eyes or skin color, or heavy genetic mutations such as the growth of demonic traits like spikes, scales, and horns.The Maker Negative corruption tends to lead to physical or mental deterioration, as happened with the draenei that turned into Broken and Lost Ones, or as happened with boars turned into enraged hellboars.
Either way, corruption gives the individual increased strength, more magical potential, and can lead to transformation into a demon. Fel seems to tend to cloud one's judgment, or at least heavily amplify their negative traits such as violence and impatience while snuffing out positive ones such as empathy, allowing one to make decisions they never would've made before. When the human Malus took Xaraax's fel sword, it empowered and transformed him, his eyes blazed green with corruption, and he stated that the fel flames whisper to him of victory and destruction.Traveler: The Shining Blade
Fel energy can also be used as a deadly poison, slowly consuming the victim to death. The Warchief Vol'jin notably died of fel poisoning after being injured by a mortal blow from a felguard's spear.Where He Fell
When the Eternal One Denathrius tasked the nathrezim to spread the influence of Death in the realms of the other cosmic forces, they had to consume fel energy, an unpleasant but necessary process to become demons, in order to infiltrate the plane of Disorder,:Enemy Infiltration - Preface and later the Burning Legion.
As the existence of non-sentient demons suggests, a creature's wishes are irrelevant to the process. Willing or not, a creature can be changed into a demon.The Warcraft Encyclopedia/Demons The chaos magics of the eredar warlocks have burnt out whole worlds and annihilated countless species over the eons,Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos manual#Warlock turning indigenous races into demons.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos manual#Sargeras and the Betrayal During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, many species were corrupted with fel magic, including dragons, harpies, murlocs, arakkoa, hounds, wolves, boars,Testing the Antidote and so on. The void revenant Xhul'horac was twisted and fed overwhelming fel energy by alternate Gul'dan, as he wanted to use his powers to tear open the portals through which he planned to rally the forces of the Burning Legion.Xhul'horac#Adventure Guide
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Felsworn were mortals who swore fealty to the Burning Legion, and in return, were gifted with fel power.
The demon hunter Illidan Stormrage now bleeds green blood.The Child of Light and Shadow
==Practitioners==
===Demons===
All demons carry the taint of fel magic within their very blood, allowing them to spread greater evil. They are immortal beings who feed upon magic and life, and delight in inflicting suffering, spreading corruption, and destroying all that is good. Their souls are tethered to the Twisting Nether and as such, even if a demon dies in the physical universe, their spirit will return to the Nether where they will reform once again. To truly destroy a demon, the creature must be killed in the Nether itself, in places where it bleeds into mortal worlds, or in areas saturated with fel energies. Demons normally delight in inflicting suffering, spreading corruption, and destroying all that is good. Mortal beings can be turned into demons themselves by being infused with fel energy.
===Warlocks===
Warlocks are magical practitioners that seek to understand darker, fel-based magic, and its destructive spells. While many warlocks willingly follow the Burning Legion, there are those who work against it, using their magic to fight against evil. They delight in using fel forces to cause intense pain and suffering in others, and revel in corrupting minds and agonizing souls, leaving enemies in a state of torment that would see them undone in due time. Even the most battle-hardened warriors can be deceived, landing blow after blow against the warlock, only to succumb to their suffering as their very vitality is siphoned away by the dark spellcaster.Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock Warlocks have proven themselves to be powerful allies-as well as powerful foes. Warlocks convert life into fel, draining the victim as a source of power.
On Azeroth, the Magocracy of Dalaran attempts to stifle the studies of fel magic. Despite the superior power of fel magic which threatened to overshadow established practices, students were taught about practicality over what is achievable. Fel's efficiency is commonly balked for being unstable and "evil".Journal of Archmage Antonidas The official teachings of the Kirin Tor are that demonology is to be eschewed, avoided, and abjured. Any attempt to summon demons are to be found out and stopped at once, and those involved are to be expelled, or worse.The Last Guardian, pg. 230 However, when mages gave up the arcane to begin a personal quest to understand demons and their fel energies, like Daio the Decrepit, they effectively became warlocks. Some warlocks are also named fel magus such as Fel Magus Verondis and Fel Magus Kel'rothek.
Even if they are still considered as pariahs, operating in the shadows of polite society, they start to be respected by the Alliance and the Horde on the battlefronts.Visiting Warlock#Quotes During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the warlocks of Azeroth have joined forces and efforts in recent years to form the Council of the Black Harvest and have taken over the Legion world of Dreadscar Rift.
===Demon hunters===
The 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. The fel energy that flows within demon hunters, empowers their physical and magical strikes to devastating effect, while they can command chaotic energies to inflict havoc on enemies."Official Demon Hunter" Demon hunters mark their bodies with arcane runes to keep their fel forces in check.Opposites Repel
===Elves===
When the Sunwell was destroyed, the blood elf magisters rebuilt Silvermoon City using demonic energies; living in proximity and absorbing its energies gave many blood elves fel-green eyes,Ask CDev Answers - Round 3 and they subsequently become addicted to the fel energies.Stormrage, pg. 292 For remaining in Outland, Kael'thas Sunstrider's most loyal followers were rewarded by Kil'jaeden with the gift of being allowed to gorge themselves on demonic blood for days, even as many of his blood elves retreated through the Dark Portal, and became Felblood elves.
Satyrs have been transformed into their current shapes by inheriting the demonic curse that originated with Xavius.The Warcraft Encyclopedia/Satyrs
===Eredar===
13,000 years ago,Bringer of the Light Sargeras shattered the tranquility of Argus by offering the eredar immeasurable knowledge and power.Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 39 When Kil'jaeden and Archimonde of the Triumvirate accepted his offer, the Dark Titan infused the eredar with fel energy, turning them into demons called Man'ari eredar, while some became wrathguards. The eredar settled in as commanders within the Burning Legion, and under their leadership, the ranks of the Burning Legion swelled with new demonic races, gathered from the Twisting Nether and the worlds of the Great Dark Beyond.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 pg. 102-103 on e-book
On Draenor, the Old Horde brought the Red mist upon the draenei, causing them to mutate and devolve into the Broken and then further into Lost Ones. Their warped bodies bear only a rough resemblance to the proud draenei they once were, and quite a few have lost their grip on sanity.The Burning Crusade Townhall/Draenei
===Orcs===
Under the tutelage of Kil'jaeden, Gul'dan was the first orc warlock and is considered one of the most powerful mortal warlocks to have ever existed. He taught other young orcs the dark arts and strove to eradicate the orcs' shamanistic traditions. His master, seeking to tighten his hold over the orcs, helped Gul'dan found the Shadow Council, a secretive sect that manipulated the clans and spread the use of fel magic throughout Draenor. As more and more orcs began to wield warlock magics, the gentle fields and streams of Draenor began to blacken and fade.Kil'jaeden and the Shadow Pact
From every account, the demonic energies, used so freely and with no heed given as to their cost, leeched all that was wholesome and life-giving from the world of Draenor.Rise of the Horde, pg. 498 The originally brown orcs changed from under the influence of Mannoroth's blood, their skin became various shades of green and they began experiencing lusts for blood. Those who kept drinking pit lord blood became fel orcs.
==RPG==
The ultimate manifestation of the demonic arcane on Azeroth is fel energy. Fel energy, which most commonly manifests itself as ghastly, green-yellow flame, is arcane magic at its most corrupt, for it employs the blood of demons. Unlike arcane magic the use of fel magic corrupts the user's body and soul. By contrast, the chief danger of arcane magic is that using it inevitably leads to the desire to wield greater power: power that only fel magic can provide.Dark Factions, pg. 37 When the demons brought death and damnation to Azeroth, they also carried their own brand of magic to the world. Fel magic is pure, evil, and arcane; it resides in the blood of demons. This blood has magical properties; it is addictive to arcane magic users and can be used to create evil weapons. When a weapon is forged in demon blood, it becomes a fel weapon. It glows with a foul, yellow-green fire and deals extra damage to good-aligned opponents. Some arcanists can cast fel spells, perhaps after drinking demon blood.World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 252 Since the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth, the world's heroes have encountered fel weapons and fel magic at an increasing frequency. As demon cults continue to fester and grow in Desolace, Ashenvale Forest, and other remote corners, gruesome sacrifices are held to entice demons into giving their blood in trade. The cultists use their blood to enchant the weapons that they hope will bring about their masters' ultimate victory.Magic & Mayhem, pg. 24
Chaos energy is highly dangerous; some believe it actually is equivalent to arcane magic, although it can be harnessed by tinkers. Thought at first to be magical, as it can sometimes mimic the effects of arcane magic, chaos energy is purely mechanical in nature. Chaos energy is generated through the use of devices called chaos generators. A small box contains magnets, several differing kinds of metal, steam energy, and a tiny golden core that vibrates at a high frequency when powered. Political maneuverings by wizards in Theramore have caused the ruling body to declare chaos generators unlawful, but the goblins and some gnomes still manage to research and develop new uses for chaos energy. The Horde hasn't outlawed the usage yet, as it is not arcane magic, but they are suspicious of it because of the similarities.More Magic and Mayhem, 182
Demons sometimes tempt spellcasters by offering small amounts of their blood in exchange for services. If the recipient drinks the demon's blood within 24 hours of the offering, the next arcane spell he casts will be empowered by the fel. Fel blood is highly addictive as well as corruptive. Anyone who drinks it risks becoming dependent on fel blood, and unless the person continues to drink it daily, he will suffer withdrawal symptoms. He has a chance of breaking the addiction seven days after first drinking the fel blood.
Entropic fire is fel energy given substance: it is entropic fire that burns on infernals, and it is entropic fire that ran down the body of the pit lord Mannoroth the Destructor. Entropic fire burns, as does normal fire, but it is more sinister still: it feeds on life, including the life of its wielder.Dark Factions, pg. 37 A gray ore known as fel stone litters the physical spaces of the Nether. It functions as a conduit for the Nether's entropic energies.Shadows & Light, pg. 154
== Speculation ==
=== Is Fel Energy Essentially Death Energy? ===
Fel energy was once defined by Chris Metzen at Blizzcon 2005 as demonic, essentially entropic, essentially death energy.
==Trivia==
*As evidenced by the Fel Mana Potion, Corrupted Mana Gems, and Fel-Touched Mana Gems, mana can be tainted and corrupted by fel.
*The dreadsteeds of Xoroth, demonic horses used as mounts by warlocks, crave only for fel energy.Dreadsteed#Mount Journal
*The Highmaul magic breakers were strong enough to completely dampen, negate, and nullify any particular school of magic using their Forger stone, even rendering fel magic useless against them.Code of Rule
*Some sensitive mortals have the ability to naturally sniff out fel and arcane magic, being able to detect demons, wizards, and possessed people on their own.Cycle of Hatred, chapter 15
*Falcosaurs are immune to the corruption and infusion of fel.The Burning Birds
*Lumenstone is an enchanted material that can negate magic, and even withstand great amounts of fel.Lumenstone (paladin)Lumenstone (priest)
*Fel has been used as an expletive by characters in-universe in a similar manner to "hell", such as "What the fel is wrong with you?",Rehgar Earthfury to Thrall in Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects or "Who the fel?".Zhahara Darksquall in Pearl of Pandaria However, the more conventional "hell" remains much more commonly used.
**In Shadows of the Horde, Vol'jin uses "fel" as a descriptor for things that are ominous or wrong (similar to the word "fell"), even things that are unrelated to actual fel magic.Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde, chapter 2, pg. 18Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde, chapter 9, pg. 82
*Given the purpose of the Halls of Origination, the titans deemed it necessary to create Setesh, a titanic watcher who held sway over the powers of destructionSetesh Dungeon Journal and chaos.Staff of Ammunae
*In World of Warcraft, chaos is a multi-school damage type that is a combination of all other damage types. The warlock and demon hunter classes have a number of chaos spells.
*Warlock players can complete a quest chain to color their fire spells green like fel magic.
*Matt Burns believes that "hellfire" is a more general term for felfire.
*The word "fel" may be related to the Latin word fel (gen. fellis) literally meaning "gall-bladder, gall, bile," or "poisonous liquid, poison" in poetry.
==Gallery==
Warlock preview Destruction.jpg|Destruction Warlock in World of Warcraft.
Gul'dan channeling fel energies.jpg|Gul'dan channeling fel energies through Illidan's crystal-prison.
Varian death 5.PNG|Gul'dan kills Varian Wrynn.
Varian's death.jpg|Fel magic consuming Varian Wrynn.
Vendellin using fel.jpg|Vendellin Soulfire using fel to consume life around him, as seen in The Comic.
Fel magic siphon.jpg|A group of blood elves draining demonic energy from a fel crystal.
Argus 7.2 Trailer.png|Argus, a planet saturated with fel energies.
Star Augur Etraeus Fel Ravaged Planet.jpg|A fel ravaged planet in the Great Dark Beyond.
Shadowmoon Valley Concept Art Peter Lee 2.jpg|Shadowmoon Valley
Hand of Gul'dan.jpg|Hand of Gul'dan, a volcano filled with fel lava.
Exposure to fel energy.png|Exposure to fel energy for the elves and orcs.
;Trading Card Game
Archimonde - Call of the Legion.jpg|Call of the Legion (Caverns of Time)
Chaos Bolt TCG.jpg|Chaos Bolt (Twilight of the Dragons)
Corruption TCG 2.jpg|Corruption (Heroes of Azeroth)
Curse of Exhaustion TCG.jpg|Curse of Exhaustion (The Hunt for Illidan)
Death Coil (Warlock) TCG.jpg|Death Coil (Fires of Outland)
Demonic fireball TCG.jpg|Demonic Fireball
Demonologist's Pact TCG.jpg|Demonologist's Pact
Devastation TCG.jpg|Devastation (Wrathgate)
Eye of Kilrogg TCG.jpg|Eye of Kilrogg (Through the Dark Portal)
Fel Covenant TCG.jpg|Fel Covenant
Fel Geyser TCG.jpg|Fel Geyser
Fel-acid breath.jpg|Fel-Acid Breath
FelbenderLara.jpg|Felbender Lara
Flame crash TCG.jpg|Flame Crash (Black Temple Raid Deck)
Jar Soul TCG.jpg|Jar Soul
Life Tap full.jpg|Life Tap (Heroes of Azeroth)
Ritual Sacrifice TCG.jpg|Ritual Sacrifice
Soul Trap TCG.jpg|Soul Trap (War of the Ancients)
The Promises of Darkness TCG.jpg|The Promises of Darkness
;Hearthstone
Blade Dance HS.jpg|
Chaos Leech HS.jpg|
Chaos Nova HS.jpg|
Chaos Strike HS.jpg|
Dark Skies HS.jpg|
Deal with a Devil HS.jpg|
Demon's Bite HS.jpg|
Demonic Blast HS.jpg|
Demonic Blast 2 HS.jpg
Eye Beam HS.jpg|
Fel Barrage HS.jpg|
Felfire in the Hole! HS.jpg|
Felfire Potion HS.jpg|
Felosophy HS.jpg|
Felscream Blast HS.jpg|
Fiendish Circle HS.jpg|
Fury (Rank 3) HS.jpg|
Immolation Aura HS.jpg|
Mana Burn HS.jpg|
Metamorphosis HS.jpg|
Pact of the Lich HS.jpg|
Rain of Fire HS.jpg|
Relic of Phantasms HS.jpg|
Sigil of Flame HS.jpg|
Spectral Sight HS.jpg|
Unleash Fel HS.jpg|
Unstable Felbolt HS.jpg|
==See also==
*Chaos
*Chaos damage (Warcraft III)
==References==
 
Category:Game terms
Category:Dark Factions
Category:Magic & Mayhem
Category:More Magic and Mayhem
Category:Shadows & Light
fr:Magie gangrenée
pl:Fel