"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche just might be on to something, here. When attempting to overcome an adversary, he warns not to become what you hate about your adversary.  Hmmm.. I wonder if Illidan did some cross-realm transfering to pick up a bit of light reading.


Blizzard seems to have transliterated this concept directly into the WoW Lore with more than one character, though they have done a decent job using this trope in unexpected ways to freshen up the game. 

Warlocks hold an iconic place in battling the forces of the Nether (and anyone in their way) by embracing them, but none of the specs do so with such tenacity, such fervor, with such literal translation of the concept. 

Demonology requires a balance of control versus chaos, good versus evil, mortal versus demonic. The mortal side keeps the controlled abilities in check, while the demon that lurks within builds power.  That culmination of corruption alters the logical, orderly spells into a twisted form. Doom and Touch of Chaos amplify the damage through.. well.. just look at the names! Touch of Chaos? How much "touching" has to occur before the target starts feeling uncomfortable and calls for an adult?

All this chaos isn't an innocent incidental, though, as we see as the warlock's soul is set ablaze. It grows to such proportions that it's given as burst damage for the lock.  How intense does this torture have to be to force the lock to expunge a portion of the essence that makes him an entity in order to relieve the pain?

In all, for Mists, Blizzard has done a great job of revamping the Warlock specs.  While I miss having to run out of ICC to farm more shards, since I had just gone through the 30 in my bags thanks to various soul stone/ Healthstones, it's not enough for me to want to return to very many of the 'old' warlock ways.

Well, maybe one or two:)