Sargeras was a mighty giant of molten bronze who led the armies of the titans, the Champion of the Pantheon's cause. Like the rest of his kind, he was altruistic and just, unable to conceive of pure evil.W3Man 133 Sargeras was called upon to defeat and imprison the hordes of demons native to the Twisting Nether, so that their evil would not contaminate the titans' vision of order. Sargeras went about his task devoutly for countless millennia.
During his never ending war against the evil in the universe, Sargeras became increasingly depressed by the chaos he saw wrought by all kinds of evil. While his confusion and misery deepened, Sargeras was forced to contend with another group intent on disrupting the Titans' order: the Nathrezim. This dark race of vampiric demons (also known as dreadlords) conquered a number of populated worlds by possessing their inhabitants and turning them to the shadow. The nefarious, scheming dreadlords turned whole nations against one another by manipulating them into unthinking hatred and mistrust. Sargeras defeated the Nathrezim easily, but their corruption affected him deeply.
Shaken by the evil of demons in general and the Nathrezim in particular, Sargeras began to despair of his task and gradually slipped into a brooding depression. As doubt and despair overwhelmed Sargeras' senses, he lost all faith not only in his mission, but also in the titans' vision of an ordered universe. Eventually, he came to believe that the concept of order itself was folly, and that chaos and depravity were the only absolutes within the dark, lonely universe. His fellow titans tried to make Sargeras realize his erroneous way of thinking and calm his raging emotions, but he disregarded their more optimistic beliefs as self-serving delusions. Storming from their ranks forever, Sargeras set out to find his own place in the universe. Although the Pantheon was sorrowful at his departure, the titans could never have predicted just how far their lost brother would go.S&L 122
Fall of Sargeras and the dawn of the Burning Legion
By the time Sargeras' madness had consumed the last vestiges of his valiant spirit, he believed that the titans themselves were responsible for creation's failure. Deciding at last to undo their works throughout the universe, he resolved to form an unstoppable army that would set the physical universe aflame.
Convinced that the titans’ ordering of the universe was unnatural and ultimately responsible for the corrupted nature of the demons, Sargeras decided to undo the work of the titans throughout the universe. The only way that he could correct their mistakes was to destroy all of the worlds that the titans had shaped and brought order to so long ago.S&L 122
Sargeras roamed the Twisting Nether, freeing the many demon races that he had previously hunted down and imprisoned. He became known as the "great, dark god of the Nameless Void".[2] He bound the newly released demons to his will and used them to construct an army of massive proportions — one that eventually became known as the Burning Legion.S&L 122 These cunning creatures bowed before the dark titan's vast rage and offered to serve him in whatever malicious ways they could. However, among the various beings who served him, none of them had the natural cunning and power to act as commanders and tacticians for his new army, so Sargeras looked about for a race who would serve as his favored agents in exchange for horrific power.
On the planet Argus, Sargeras found the agents he sought — the eredar, a race of highly intelligent beings with a natural affinity for magic in all its myriad forms. Sargeras appeared to the eredar's three greatest leaders, namely Kil'jaeden, Archimonde, and Velen, and made his offer: untold power and prestige in exchange for their alleigance. Though Velen had doubts, Kil'jaeden and Archimonde readily agreed. Velen and his followers fled, becoming the draenei. The remainder of the eredar embraced the darkness and became the stuff of nightmares: the man'ari eredar.
Sargeras tasked Kil'jaeden the Deceiver to seek out the darkest races in the universe and recruit them into Sargeras' ranks. Meanwhile, Archimonde the Defiler would lead Sargeras' vast armies into battle against any who might resist the titan's will. Now that his armies were amassed and ready to follow his every command, he launched his raging forces into the vastness of the Great Dark. To this date, it is still unclear how many worlds his Burning Legion has consumed and burned on their unholy Burning Crusade across the universe.W3Man 135
* Telepathy (able to commune with his servants, such as Mannoroth and Archimonde, from the Nether)
* Illusion (created a false vision of what he offered to the eredar in exchange for their obedience)
* Invulnerability against mortal weapons, and limited immunity to immortal weapons (the axe created by Cenarius for Broxigar was able to wound him, but not to any great effect, while the powers of the Demon Soul had no effect) as well as complete immunity to fire and fel magics.
* Various magical abilities (lashed out with energy at Illidan via the portal being opened to summon him).
* Able to look into the mortal realm through the eyes of a chosen servant (his "gift" to Illidan).
* Cosmic knowledge (as a former titan, Sargeras was likely aware of the existence of the malevolent Old Gods).
* Ability to enter mortal bodies (remained within Aegwynn's womb for nearly a millennium) and take control of them (Medivh).
* Body Flames (Sargeras’ flesh burns with demonic energy, scorching everything in his path. Sargeras’s body flames slowly increase the ambient temperature by up to 50 degrees in every direction for 1,000 miles. The effect on natural climates can be devastating.)S&L 123-124
* His molten armor can nearly burn your eyes.S&L 124.
* The strength of 100 dragons is merely a fraction of Sargeras' strength;Sund 324 his strength nearly matches the power of a portal closing.
* In comparison to Sargeras, Mannoroth and Archimonde were as fleas.Sund 324 This could be a reference to either power or height.
* He wields the horrific broken sword, Gorribal.
edit Character development
In the original lore, Sargeras was sent to confront the insidious eredar prior to his confrontation with the Nathrezim. This has now been retconned by new lore that establishes that the eredar, and other races were transformed into demons by Sargeras.
Sargeras was originally a footnote in Warcraft lore, a fallen Daemonlord whose dark legacy was used by Medivh to manipulate Gul'dan. Gradually, novels and game material built up his role to the primary lore villain.
edit Related artifacts
Sargeras or Kil'jaeden?
Sargeras has various weapons:
* Jeweled Scepter of Sargeras — This powerful stave was used by Sargeras for purposes unknown, but it is known that it can make portals. It was eventually stolen by Ner'zhul and was used to make the portals that destroyed Draenor. Its fate is unknown, though given the fact that it was in Ner'zhul's possession when he entered the rift,BtDP 338 it has probably been returned to Kil'jaeden.
* Gorshalach — Sargeras wielded this sword when he was still the Champion of the Pantheon. It sundered itself into two pieces upon Sargeras' fall into madness. Sargeras reforged one of the two fragments into his current weapon, Gorribal, while the other fragment was claimed by Aggramar and reforged into Taeshalach.
* Eye of Sargeras — It is unknown if it was his real eye or a trinket he had with him when he was "killed" by Aegwynn, although it was described by Brann Bronzebeard as "the last remnant of his withered form".LoM 69 It appears to have had the ability to focus magics into a single destructive force. It was destroyed in Dalaran when Illidan's spellwork was interrupted.
* Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian — This weapon was used by Medivh. Sargeras made a powerful demon inhabit it when he possessed Medivh. The demon still inhabited the staff, even when it was shattered. The demon is now known as Atiesh, Hand of Sargeras. He must be killed to purify the staff.
* The unnamed spear of Sargeras, wielded when Aegwynn battled his avatar. The spear is inscribed with runes that continuously bleed. (It is believed to be a mix between Gorshalach and the Jeweled Scepter of Sargeras).LG 121
See also: Tomb of Sargeras
