World of Warcraft: The War Within introduced four new zones upon its release, one of which is known as Hallowfall. This stunning seaside biome lies within a truly enormous underground cavern. One would expect this light-starved land to be dark and still, but it thrives with life in the warm glow of its surrogate sun, Beledar.
Any World of Warcraft player who visits Hallowfall will be awestruck by the magnificent crystal jutting from the cave’s roof, filling the atmosphere with light and heat. This titanic monolith has been there for as long as any of the denizens below can remember, and holds a special significance to the Arathi humans that now live there.
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Beledar Is Not the Other End of Sargeras’ Sword
This crystal was somehow responsible for transporting an entire Arathi fleet from the surface to its cavern below, stranding its people in a strange land. The Arathi have come to make Beledar the centerpiece of their culture and worship, believing it to be an entity that dispenses hope and wisdom. At first glance, the shard looks like the bottom portion of Sargeras’ sword, having stabbed through the planet’s crust, but learning more, this is not the case.
Why Beledar Now Has Two Personalities
Despite its seeming benevolence, the unbroken tranquility bestowed by Beledar’s light would suddenly make a terrifying change. Unbeknownst to those beneath Azeroth’s surface, the Burning Legion had been defeated, and their leader, Sargeras, plunged his massive sword into the planet in a final, desperate attempt to destroy it. On that terrible day, Beledar changed.
The mighty gem in the sky began to thrum with a new energy, waves of purple void swallowing its radiance. Hallowfall was plunged into darkness, and the Arathi were left defenseless against the horrors that crawled below, including kobyss and nerubians. Countless enemies, no longer repelled by the Light, swarmed their settlements, and the Arathi were nearly wiped out.
WoW’s Beledar Always Returns To Light
Until, mere hours later, Beledar shifted once more. It regained its holy radiance, lighting up the entire cavern once more. Since then, WoW‘s Arathi people have had to rely ever more on themselves and their devotion to the Light, knowing that at any moment, Beledar could turn to darkness. These mood swings can last minutes or even several days, but they are inevitable.
Nobody Knows Where Beledar Came From
While the origin of Beledar is unknown, it has a tremendous influence on the people and land below. It radiates the Light’s power, and because of this, coupled with its name, many players suspect it is of Draenei origin. The Draenei have the deepest understanding of the opposing forces of Light and Void, and Beledar could be a lost remnant of their ancient civilization.
More have speculated that Beledar must be related to the Naaru in some way. These are floating, sentient entities made of geometric Light crystals, many of whom have befriended the Draenei. Their life cycle often causes them to shift between Light and Void, just as Beledar does. While the crystal’s size and shape don’t quite fit Naaru depiction, the resemblance remains nonetheless.
WoW’s Zone of Hallowfall Is In Constant Shift
Just as its inhabitants do, players have quickly adapted to Hallowfall’s frequent shift between light and dark. Certain NPCs only come out in either of these phases, and even the treasures and battle pets find themselves changing to suit Beledar’s influence. One rare creature made of void energy, called Beledar’s Spawn, only appears the moment the crystal shifts to its Void state, and drops a lookalike mount to boot.
While Beledar remains steeped in mystery, characters like Anduin Wrynn have noted that it must be intrinsically linked to Azeroth and the Titan sleeping within, though it isn’t made of Azerite. As someone who can hear Azeroth’s voice, known as the Radiant Song, Anduin has also stated that Beledar has a nearly identical feel. The day Sargeras plunged his sword into Azeroth changed the planet forever, and the same went for Beledar, the mysterious yet beautiful gem that has come to symbolize both hope and despair.
