| Warlock | |
|---|---|
| |
| About | |
| Associated With | |
| Heroes | Invoker Axe Disruptor Rubick Ogre Magi |
| Races | Oglodi Demons |
| Factions | The Quorum |
| Places | Ultimyr Academy Ultimyr Archives Outer Hells Weeping Rose |
| Characters | Aghanim Anessix |
| Species | Golems |
| Items | Enchanted Mango |
| Cosmetics | The Demonic Archivist Set |
| Texts | Black Grimoire |
| “ | ▶️ The last word of power, ever receding. The final page, ever unwritten. I have devoured all the grammaries this world has to offer. Now I write my own grimoire.
— Warlock explains his passion for collecting arcane knowledge
|
” |
A measured rhythm of thudding sounds and the clinking of a chained lantern heralds the presence of Demnok Lannik, the Warlock of Ultimyr Academy. The obsessiveness of this strange bookman has turned him into a vessel of forbidden knowledge, and from that knowledge springs forth the dark mysteries of the arcane world that shall aid his grateful allies or dispose his unlearned enemies.
Biography[]
Demnok Lannik, the Warlock
Demnok Lannik is the Chief Curator and Head of Acquisitions of the Ultimyr Academy's vast arcane archives. His job is to acquire new texts to expand the archives' vast storage of knowledge and oversee the archives' contents for safekeeping. Unlike most people, Demnok has an unhealthy passion for his profession. Most unenthusiastic people would be content to not throw their lives away for their work, some may dedicate their being to their profession to an extent that doesn't kill them, but Demnok's stubbornness has risked his life over and over again in the pursuit of lost knowledge in the depths of danger, fueled by even the slightest rumor of its existence.
Eventually, his investigations for lost texts have often triggered the wrath of protector entities, compelling him to master sorcery in order to counter any attempts on his life while he continues his research. With the same passion for his work, he enrolled in the same academy that he was in and became the academy's most powerful Warlock ever known in less time than most practitioners required to complete a course of undergraduate work. To equip himself as a Warlock, he carved a staff out of Dreadwood, summoned into a demon spirit from the Outer Hells, and bound it to his staff—all of that done as an afterthought. Now that he is well equipped for his endeavors, Demnok has commenced writing his Black Grimoire: the ultimate and composite body of all arcane knowledge that this world has managed to comprehend and record.
Career[]
When he isn't searching for lost tomes, the Archivist Demnok serves as the archives' watchful warden. Demnok's slogan, "All Who Borrow Must Return", encourages borrowers to return their books lest they be visited by a dark presence sealed within his evil purse.[1]
His dedication to the pursuit of knowledge has greatly expanded the Academy's archives of arcane information, earning him the tentative respect of the Academy's faculty.[2]
Outside of his work, Demnok aspires to earn a seat among the council of thirty one wizards who all govern over Weeping Rose.[3] He also wishes to return the Oglodi to prominence, possibly aspiring to restore the intellectual and esoteric Oglodi before they were destroyed by the Tarnsmen.[4]
Personality and Mannerisms[]
- Demnok is a very inquisitive person. Very little effort is required to spark his curiosity and much is needed to satiate his thirst for knowledge, as not even the threats of potential danger can stop him. Although he initially learned demonology as a mere afterthought, his curiosity has eventually made it into one of his main sciences and led him deeper into learning and consorting with the dangerous world of demons.
- As an academic professional, the wise Demnok values knowledge and is instructive of it. He alone willingly shoulders the burden of caring for the largest mortal-owned repository of arcane knowledge[5] and he boasts the largest contribution to the arcane archives.[2] He wrote the Black Grimoire for the sole purpose of making an instructive book on all arcane knowledge. Outside of his job, he is willing to teach others even simple skills like reading.[6]
- Demnok's pursuit of knowledge has led him to evil, as stated by Windranger.[7] Besides his fellow faculty's concern for his peculiar studies, perhaps this evil is also reflected in his voice responses where he frequently speaks of burning, chaos, darkness, demons, etc.
Relationships[]
Ultimyr Academy[]
Demnok is well respected among the faculty of Ultimyr Academy for his efforts, despite their concerns for his strange interest in demonology and dark magic.[2]
Family[]
According to the Invoker's younger self, he claims to know Demnok's great, great...great ancestor who was also employed in Ultimyr Academy, hinting that Demnok belongs to a long lasting lineage of academic professionals who are all dedicated to Ultimyr.[8]
Allies[]
Although Axe has long distanced himself from the Oglodi, he approves fighting alongside some of them, including Demnok. He also regrets killing them for as long as they're not from the Red Mist. On the other hand, Demnok dislikes Axe's illiteracy[9][10] which he seeks to resolve if Axe does well.[6]
Disruptor respects Demnok as a wise Oglodi, but he believes that he is misguided.[11][12]
Bristleback generalizes and respects the Oglodi for their toughness, not exempting the bookish Demnok.[13]
Demnok has inquired Ogre Magi about his wisdom and magic.[14] On the other hand, Aggron likes Demnok,[15] sometimes addressing him as Mr. Warlock.[16] He also likes playing with his demon summon.[17]
Enemies[]
Demnok has been mocked by true demons, who are implied to be greater than the inferior demons that he controls. For their mockery, he wishes to bring their comeuppance with a greater item of power that may teach even devils how to beg.[18]
His pursuit for knowledge in the field of demonology has not gone unnoticed. The Earthbound demon Anessix wants to punish Demnok for revealing too many secrets.[19]
Rivalry[]
As revealed in Underlords, Rubick is Demnok's rival, although the former may not be aware of it. Demnok asserts that he should be the true heir of Aghanim and not Rubick.[20]
Powers and Abilities[]
Apparatus[]
His signature appurtenance is a tall staff that makes up his recognizable silhouette. He himself carved this staff out of Dreadwood and engraved it with hellish runes to conduct his dark magics.[21] The top of the staff is alight with fire that he can shoot at his opponents, but its true power lies within the staff itself: a captured soul of a demon that lies in wait until it's finally summoned to wreak havoc. This staff may be replaced with a gemstone staff that can hold demon spirits in each of the gem's facets.[22]
Demnok owns a pair of bracers that are imbued with persuasive powers that can turn unwilling pages, likely referring to sentient books or a metaphor for stubborn people that he might investigate for information.[23] He also owns a scary looking purse that is said to contain something ominous (likely a demon that he usually plucks from the depths), but this may just be a false warning to scare negligent borrowers.[1] He may wear a uniform resistant to fungal growth, cobwebs, and curses to protect him from the dangers of browsing the Ultimyr Archives.[24] This uniform comes with a shroud that protects the skull from being invaded by a bookwyrm species that skulks around the archives.[25]
Besides his default Dreadwood staff, Demnok owns a staff fitted and coiled with the dismembered hand of an otherworldly being, acquired as a result of an unsuccessful ritual. This ritual required weeks of incantations to open a rift beyond the mortal realm and consort with the beings outside. A burning tear in the material plane appeared and released an awful roar before a giant hand reached out from the flame. Whatever being that owned the hand could not see beyond the rift and accidentally disrupted the ritual that provided it access in the first place, causing the gateway to close in on the hand and sever it from its owner forever.[26]
He is skilled in constructing golems. One in particular is a headless golem made of obsidian with lava pouring out of the hole where the head is supposed to be.[27] He is also a skilled artificer, being able to create wards that watch for mundane intrusions and Infernal interruptions that may disrupt his studies on the arcane.[28]
Demonology[]
Over the many years of his career, Demnok has summoned and enslaved the many evil spirits that dwell in the Outer Hells. He keeps these demons in a Dreadwood staff inscribed with hellish runes. Only a few of his demons are known by name, and even then their true names in Ozkavosh are unknown to him up till this day. So far, he can only control lesser demons, but the Umbral Glyph might allow him to control the greater demons beyond them.[18]
Demnok has a rudimentary understanding of Ozkavosh due to a lack of native speakers who could help him learn it. He currently speaks broken Ozkavosh,[29] causing others who are familiar with the language to mock him.[30][31]
One notable demon in his repertoire is Ishul-Shog the Watcher, named after the massive eye that makes up most of its head. He has studied for many years to construct the true name of this demon, hoping to invoke its name and bind a demon powerful enough to know and speak Ozkavosh. Unfortunately, the Watcher has no tongue.[32]
Powers[]
Fitting for his role as an Intelligence hero, Demnok's power came naturally to him thanks to his thorough and obsessive study of the arcane arts. His brand of sorcery is the Warlock's arcane arts, learned from his studies in Ultimyr Academy.[33] Those who underestimate him for his bookish ways will soon feel the final chapter of their lives closed upon them.
Fatal Bonds is an ancient incantation that links the vital energies of multiple lifeforms into one collective body. The victim that was first inflicted with this spell will act as a catalyst that will spread the damage it takes to other people who were caught in its vicinity when it was cast. It is said that this spell must be feared by the demons that he cannot enslave.[34]
Learned from his studies in becoming a Warlock, Shadow Word is a versatile incantation that is said to have a myriad of uses, from healing and enchanting his allies to inflicting a damaging curse on his opponents. However, its description implies that Shadow Word is not a singular spell due to it being referred to with a plural pronoun, sc. "them", but rather a set of incantations with various uses. If this is the case, then Demnok may be casting separate spells of the Warlock arcane arts to heal and enchant or to curse, rather than using an all-in-one spell.
Channelling his power, Demnok manipulates space-time over a large area to cause an Upheaval that can mire entire armies at once. It's possible that this spell's effect is caused by time dilation, hence the slowing debuff from affecting space-time, but the visual effects of this spell and some of his voice lines for this spell suggest otherwise. Rather than causing a time dilation, it appears that he is warping space-time to create a vortex of ghostly arms from another realm that scrapes and claws at those in its area of effect to slow them.[35][36]
Chaotic Offering allows Demnok to call upon a captive demon spirit in his staff to ruin enemy formations with its burning aura. Although he has gathered a menagerie of demonic familiars over the years, he can only summon one demon at a time. Aghanim's Scepter allows him to summon two demons at once.[37] Because of their status as lesser demons, they have a temporary presence on the material plane[38] and they will expire before returning to the staff that keeps their soul to be summoned again.[39][40]
- An interesting detail to notice is that when Demnok summons two demons, they will refer to themselves as a group or with plural pronouns.[41]
Friendships and rivalries[]
Allies meeting Warlock
- ▶️
r Side by side, the Oglodi fight. - ▶️ r The Oglodi shall take this fight.
- ▶️ r Warlock brings a book. Axe brings an axe.
- ▶️ r Between you and me, we got this lane, Oglodi.
- ▶️ r Jex is my friend. You're just a two-bit slaver.
- ▶️ r I'm nothing like you, Warlock.
- ▶️ r When do you plan to move onto the real magic, Warlock? You've probably studied the practice spells enough.
- ▶️ r Fatal Bonds, Warlock? Hmm, I like that.
- ▶️ r Your penmanship is surprisingly bad, Warlock.
- ▶️ r There's heaps of musty old spellbooks scattered around the Tomo'kan. Most of 'em are half rotten. But you might find something stupid enough to catch your eye.
- ▶️ r Burn your scrolls, wizard! This is war, not some damned symposium!
- ▶️ r How do you even lift that tome, wizard?
- ▶️ ▶️ r Can I borrow that book when you're done with it, Warlock?
- ▶️ ▶️ r I always did enjoy a good demon story.
- ▶️ r Life's secrets are not found in books, Monsieur Lannik. We write this adventures ourselves!
- ▶️ r But what if someone were to cut out your tongue, Warlock? What then?
- ▶️ r Your grimoire, does it say how this will end?
- ▶️ r Warlock, I hope you don't fight like a librarian.
- ▶️ r Got any pulps in there, Warlock? Good way to pass the time.
- ▶️ r Can I see that book? Mortimer's driving. I can read on the way!
- ▶️ r Warlock, I trust none of my secrets will end up in your grimoire?
- ▶️ ▶️ r Warlock, I know your demon well.
- ▶️ u Warlock, I know your demon well.
Enemies killing Warlock
- ▶️ Magic fails thee.
- ▶️ Axe has no time for all this jibber jabber.
- ▶️ Blade versus book. Blade wins.
- ▶️ Warlock, you should have picked a sharper weapon.
- ▶️ Warlock, who is the smart one now?
- ▶️ Axe hates to kill Oglodi, but it must be done.
- ▶️ Even kin must die.
- ▶️ r Your magic isn't strong enough Warlock!
- ▶️ r You thought that golem would protect you?
- ▶️ Warlock, I hope I've satisfied your morbid curiosity.
- ▶️ Warlock, the Oglodi will sign your name in the book of ancestors.
- ▶️ Warlock, of all the Oglodi, you were the most learned, and the most misguided.
- ▶️ Warlock, what is in that book of yours?
- ▶️ Warlock, I'll add your book to my collection.
- ▶️ r You practice at the dark arts, Lannik. I perform them.
- ▶️ r So you cut down trees to turn 'em into books about demons? Yeah, you had this coming.
- ▶️ ▶️ Never trust a wizard.
- ▶️ Sorry, I burned your book.
- ▶️ Was that a cookbook? Cause I cooked it.
- ▶️ r Your Ozkavosh isn't even passable!
- ▶️ r What did you think was going to happen, bookworm?
- ▶️ ▶️ r Men, demons, men with demons. Huh, makes no difference to me.
- ▶️ ▶️ r I've killed a thousand men like you, Warlock. I'll happily kill a thousand more.
- ▶️ Your books couldn't save you, Warlock.
- ▶️ Hahahaha! Your books couldn't save you.
- ▶️ May the silverfish devour your books.
- ▶️ Sorry 'bout your grim…grim… Your book!
- ▶️ Such power, Warlock, is kept secret for a reason.
- ▶️ r What good is a book against a fine blade?
- ▶️ r Life on the battlefield offers no tenure, Warlock.
- ▶️ I sense this book of yours may be full of erroneous information.
- ▶️ Your grimoire is mine now.
- ▶️ So you keep a book for your spells? Good idea.
- ▶️ Warlock, you should have written your memoir, not your grimoire.
- ▶️ Your bookish ways have made you myopic.
- ▶️ I put you down unfinished, like a terrible book, heh heh.
- ▶️ r Stick to your funny papers and leave the fighting to those with the taste for it.
- ▶️ r Wizards and wiseacres, the lot of ya.
- ▶️ That grimoire of his got terrible reviews.
- ▶️ Warlock, your soul is an open book with moldy pages.
- ▶️ Warlock, you were so easy to read.
- ▶️ ▶️ ▶️ Warlock, now the mages can summon you from Hell.
- ▶️ ▶️ ▶️ Warlock, you've summoned your last demon.
- ▶️ ▶️ ▶️ Warlock, you've enslaved your last demon.
- ▶️ Warlock, you should put down your spell book and pick up a textbook!
- ▶️ r Such ingenuity from such an insignificant brain.
- ▶️ You'll make a better subject than anything in your book.
Enemies dying to Warlock
- ▶️ Write my name in the book of the dead.
Others
- ▶️ r Why, I dreamt I read your obituary in a popular grimoire.
- ▶️ ▶️ Swords and sorcery!
- ▶️ ▶️ Defend your beard!
Trivia[]
- According to Grimstroke, Demnok has surprisingly bad handwriting.[42]
- Demnok likes Enchanted Mangoes.[43]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Demonbag of the Archivist description.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chaos of the Infernal Maw description.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: Soon, I will sit in the Quorum of Weeping Rose.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: I will return the Oglodi to prominence.
- ↑ Grand Mantle of the Archivist description.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dota Underlords - Warlock response: Play your cards right, Axe, and one day I'll teach you to read.
- ↑ Compass of the Rising Gale response: ▶️ r You could've used your knowledge for good, Warlock. At every fork you chose evil.
- ↑ The Good Old Days response: ▶️ r I think I know your great great great great great great great great great great…
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: Axe, your monosyllabic rambling gives the Oglodi a bad name.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: Axe, be more like Disruptor and I.
- ↑ Disruptor response: ▶️ Warlock, the Oglodi will sign your name in the book of ancestors.
- ↑ Disruptor response: ▶️ Warlock, of all the Oglodi, you were the most learned, and the most misguided.
- ↑ Bristleback response: ▶️ r Between you and me, we got this lane, Oglodi.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: Thank you for sharing the knowledge of your magic with me, Magi.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Ogre Magi response: I'm a lot more fun if you play Mr. Warlock around too.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Ogre Magi response: Hey, Mr. Warlock!
- ↑ Voice of Flockheart's Gamble response: ▶️ r Can your friend come out and play. Please?
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Umbral Glyph description.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Shadow Word lore.
- ↑ Dota Underlords - Warlock response: I should be Aghanim's heir, not Rubick.
- ↑ Staff of Infernal Chaos description.
- ↑ Hellish Gemstaff description.
- ↑ Bracers of the Archivist description.
- ↑ Robe of the Archivist description.
- ↑ Shroud of the Archivist description.
- ↑ Hellborn Grasp description.
- ↑ Obsidian Golem description.
- ↑ Hellgazer description.
- ↑ Warlock responses.
- ↑ Mars response: ▶️ Your Ozkavosh isn't even passable!
- ↑ Eminence of Ristul response: ▶️ r I'm sorry Warlock. It's rude to laugh at someone just learning.. Pfh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
- ↑ Ishul-Shog the Watcher description.
- ↑ Shadow Word description.
- ↑ Warden of the Hellborn description.
- ↑ Warlock response: ▶️ Encircling dark.
- ↑ Warlock response: ▶️ The gyre of evil takes you.
- ↑ Warlock response: ▶️ Double demon.
- ↑ Shadow Demon biography.
- ↑ Warlock Golem response: ▶️ Time to go!
- ↑ Warlock Golem response: ▶️ Out of time!
- ↑ Warlock Golem responses.
- ↑ Grimstroke response: ▶️ Your penmanship is surprisingly bad, Warlock.
- ↑ Warlock response: ▶️ Hm.