THM/BLM vs Shadow Priests (WoW)

[RolandDebreton]

I know in another thread a lot of hay was made that the Stillglade Fane and the Conjururs were innately "religious," and I'll reiterate that they could at best be argued to be Eastern style "spiritists," that honor the spirits of the land. The thaumaturges however are explicitly religious in their presentation of Nald'thal and the death/life duality in the religion of the Twelve.

From the storyline point of view however it is, like nearly everything Ul'dah touches, corrupt and prone to a pragmatic, materialistic expediency. In short, its a leverage tool. The brothers in charge of the guild are vapid fakers that finally show some spine only when forced to save someone close to them. Interestingly, the only one who shows outright religious sentiment is Ququruka. At first he spouts phases like, "Heretic," as a leverage tool to frighten and bestir obstacles. It is not until a moment of redemption that he shows true faith or devotion.

From the standpoint of our own world a lot of magic has historically been connected to religious underpinnings. Only a couple of major religions have forbade magical practices. Many actually have spells and incantations as part of the worship (thus the other religions forbidding such).