Demon Hunters and the Immortal Soul

*“You... were not prepared. The enemy came into our world, their only desire to extinguish all life. They slaughtered our loved ones. They razed our homes, our cities, and our sacred places. You tried to stop them... and you failed. And so you came to me, nothing remaining of you but rage and determination, and you learned that the things that once tormented you could give you power. Now you see that there is no sacrifice too great if it brings an end to the Burning Legion.”*

~Illidan Stormrage

## The Immortal Soul

Demon Hunters walk a path of sacrifice as they forego their humanity, culture, and past lives to embrace fel and chaotic magics. The magical forces that once threatened their world have become their tools to challenge the Burning Legion. If they survive their trial, then a demon hunter has the potential to garner immense power from the demon's they slay. Rumors say that the most tainted and veteran of Demon Hunters are able to shed the bonds of their mortal soul into something much more.

*"Some demon hunters' souls are bound to the Twisting Nether, effectively making them demons, and killing them in the physical universe will only send them back into the Nether. Such souls are described by Illidan as "immortal demon souls". This does not seem to be the case for all demon hunters, as Illidan was intrigued when he learned about the player's."* - Wowpedia, Demon Hunter
From the quote above, we can reasonable say that not every Demon Hunter is equipped with an Immortal Demon Sould. It is unique and rare. However, there is still some ambiguity in how this is obtaines. Does it depend on what demon you've bound your soul to? Or, is it simply a matter of being born with it?
For the sake of this clarification, I will define what an immortal demon soul is and how it is obtained by the Demon Hunter Class.
## Obtaining an Immortal Soul

The Immortal Demon Soul is simply as it states. It is a demon's soul that grants the user a similar immortality that the demon's of the Burning Legion posses. A demon hunter that has consumed the power of countless demons and has indulged in the fel to the point where their own souls are consumed and twisted into that of a demon's. Their mortal soul merges with the demon within them to grant them this demon soul. The hunter now resembles something more than their mortal race and the demon they've consumed.

We acknowledge from the quote above that this skill is rare and the player character, one whom represents the pinnacle of the Demon Hunter class as the slayer, implies that the immortal demon soul can only be obtained by experienced demon hunters. By this logic an immortal demon soul would require progression to unlock and is not innate in the demon hunter class itself.

Demon Hunters are not able to revive themselves without a corpse however. A new body would need to be constructed, or their old body would need to be reassembled for a proper resurrections. An example of this would be Loramus Thalipedes and the quest to revive him that requires all of his body parts.

## Burdens of an Immortal Soul

*"Some succumb to the overbearing power of fel energy and lose all control of themselves. Their blood begins to burn and they unwillingly take on their demon form before lashing out at any nearby living beings.[20] Assuming Metamorphosis form is a very dangerous feat to undertake: unleashing the demon within is risking that the demonic power will take over. Should this happen, all semblance of the elf that was will be lost and only a demonic servant of the Burning Legion will remain.[15]"* - Wowpedia, Demon Hunter

Demon Hunters are able to use the ability metamorphosis which is the temporary release of their inner demon. In this state it's noted that the Demon Hunter is highly susceptible to the influence of the Burning Legion.  A demon hunter's full potential lies within this state and it manifests in different forms, Illidan being the most prominent example of this or the Havoc/Vengeance demon hunter forms. By the merging of one's self to the soul of their inner demon the demon hunter would essentially become a demon themselves. The quote above implies that the indulgence and nature of fel magic on mortal races leads to a lose of sanity.

*"Varedis died in the Black Temple. His soul, imbued with demonic energy, did not rest easily in oblivion. It was whisked away to the Twisting Nether. It is a risk all demon hunters face. By stealing the demons' power, our souls may return to their domain--and their control--after we fall in battle. This was Varedis Felsoul's fate. Kil'jaeden himself claimed his soul and heaped endless torment upon him."* Wowpedia, Tome of Fel Secrets

This can result in the ironic twist of fate of serving the Legion as their sacrifice for great power and immortality can make them a prime target for the demons they fight. The quote above supports the notion of the risk associated with the Immortal Demon Soul. Being immortal comes with its price and risks. Not all Demon Hunters share this fate, as we see with Illidan, but the burden of the immortal demon soul wanes greatly on the individuals sanity and soul.