Sargeras stabbed Azeroth with his colossal blade to kill the planet's nascent World Soul, believing this act was a necessary step in his nihilistic crusade to prevent the universe from being corrupted by the Void. He knew exactly the devastating impact his action would have.
Why Did Sargeras Stab Azeroth?
Sargeras plunged his massive sword, the Sword of Sargeras, into the heart of Azeroth with the deliberate intention of eliminating the powerful World Soul residing within the planet. This drastic measure was the culmination of his desperate and destructive mission to purge the cosmos of what he perceived as inevitable corruption from the Void Lords.
The Nihilistic Crusade
Sargeras, once the noble champion of the Pantheon and protector of the cosmos, became consumed by dread over the potential victory of the Void Lords. He believed that if a nascent Titan, or World Soul, were to awaken and fall prey to Void corruption, it would become an unstoppable entity capable of destroying all of creation. His solution was extreme: eradicate all life and potential Titans to prevent this catastrophic outcome.
- Preventing Void Corruption: Sargeras viewed the nascent World Soul of Azeroth as a prime target for the Void Lords. Rather than risk its corruption, he chose to destroy it, believing that a dead universe was preferable to a corrupted one.
- A Final, Desperate Act: The stabbing of Azeroth was Sargeras's last desperate attempt to fulfill his twisted crusade before he was imprisoned by the united forces of Azeroth's heroes and the Pantheon at the climax of the Legion expansion.
The World Soul of Azeroth
A World Soul is the dormant spirit of a nascent Titan, a colossal being of immense power destined to shape worlds and maintain cosmic order. Azeroth itself is a planet containing one of the most powerful and promising World Souls ever discovered. Sargeras, recognizing Azeroth's potential, saw it as the ultimate threat if it were to turn to the Void.
Immediate and Lasting Consequences
The impact of Sargeras's sword strike was immediate and profound:
- The Wound: The blade created a massive, festering wound on Azeroth, specifically in the Silithus region, which continued to bleed Azerite, a powerful mineralized form of the planet's lifeblood.
- Planetary Instability: The stab left Azeroth vulnerable and in immense pain, causing geological instability and empowering various elemental forces.
- Catalyst for Conflict: The bleeding Azerite became a highly sought-after resource, sparking conflicts among the factions of Azeroth, most notably the Fourth War between the Horde and the Alliance.
In essence, Sargeras's act was not one of random destruction but a calculated, albeit horrifying, strike aimed at preventing a greater cosmic evil, as perceived through his corrupted ideology.
