World of Warcraft’s fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria, takes players on a mystical journey to the eponymous continent. But this picturesque, tranquil place hides a dark secret, one that the Alliance and Horde would discover immediately. But to understand why this shadow lives within Pandaria, one must go back far into Azeroth’s past.
Eons ago, the Old Gods ruled Azeroth. Four mighty beings of malice and corruption dug themselves deep into the planet, spreading their miasma of horrors far and wide. Eventually, World of Warcraft‘s Titans discovered what had happened to Azeroth, the precious planet that held an infant Titan within. They came to her rescue, and were mortified to see the eldritch monstrosities that had taken root.
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World of Warcraft’s Sha Are Remnants of an Old God
Of the four Old Gods entrenched on Azeroth, Y’Shaarj was the greatest and most feared. Known as the Beast With Seven Heads, Y’Shaarj begat terror from all living things. The Titan Aman’thul decided to personally intervene, grasping the fearsome Old God and tearing it from Azeroth. Although successful in killing Y’Shaarj, the ramifications of this act were devastating.
The Death of a God Has Consequences
The wicked Y’shaarj had buried its tentacles so deep that ripping it loose left a gaping wound in the planet, from which pure arcane energy, Azeroth’s lifeblood, flowed forth. This weeping wound became known as the Well of Eternity, and would play a major part in the world’s future. Azeroth’s World Soul survived, but for Pandaria, the consequences were far worse.
With its final, furious breath, Y’Shaarj’s essence was scattered upon the land, leaving it with one last curse. The mortals that would one day inhabit Pandaria soon noticed that their negative emotions drew out these otherworldly echoes of void power, giving them purchase from which to spread chaos. They became known as the Sha, and although they can take many forms, they are a haunting remnant of Y’Shaarj’s lingering influence.
Mists of Pandaria Showcases Seven Primary Sha
There are seven most powerful incarnations of the Sha, each to match the seven heads of the Old God they hail from. Fear, Doubt, Despair, Anger, Hatred, Pride, and Violence plague the very elements of Pandaria, waiting patiently for mortals to invite their possession. If allowed to grow, they will smother life and corrupt people’s minds, consuming them with their respective emotions. It was Emperor Shaohao, along with the help of the August Celestials, who began the pandaren tradition of immunizing oneself to the influence of the Sha.
Other races, like the Mantid, still worship Y’Shaarj and revere the Sha. They are a sapient race of insectoid warriors who share their origins with the likes of WoW‘s nerubians and qiraji. They pose an ever-present threat to the pandaren, and despite initially befriending Azeroth’s heroes to help them overthrow their queen, they warned that their true lotalty lay with Y’Shaarj and his vile purpose.
WoW’s Pandaren Train Themselves to Resist the Sha
Embracing the tenets of real-life Taoism, the pandaren learned to foster ideals like hope, inner strength, wisdom, and fortitude as a way to prevent the Sha from manifesting around them. It was only when the Horde and Alliance found its shrouded shores that Pandaria was once again beset with an infestation of Sha. Those like Garrosh Hellscream embraced this corruption, using it as a potent weapon at the cost of countless lives. In time, Azeroth’s heroes managed to quell the remnants of Y’Shaarj, slaying all seven of the original Sha.
Underestimating the power and influence of the Sha has caused the downfall of entire empires, and those who allow certain emotions to fester within are uniquely vulnerable. Mists of Pandaria doesn’t just teach fictional characters how to resist becoming their worst selves, but can even teach players those lessons as well. Those who carry the lessons of Pandaria in their hearts have nothing to fear from the Sha, and can boldly face these fiends that threaten all of Azeroth and her people.
