Necrolyte from WarCraft: Orcs and Humans
Necrolytes were orcish users of necromantic magic which served the Horde during the First War.
Origins
During the initial corruption of the orcs by the Burning Legion, Gul'dan opened a school of necromancy, through which Kil'jaeden instructed the first necrolytes.
During the First War, the main purpose of the necrolytes was to bolster the orcish forces with undead troops, similar to the necromancers of the Scourge decades later. While Necrolytes did possess other magical abilities, they were quite paltry when compared to those of the other orcish warlocks.
Slaughter of the Necrolytes
Unfortunately for the Necrolytes, the rise of Orgrim Doomhammer was a precursor to their downfall. After Doomhammer spared Gul'dan's life, Gul'dan promised to create a host of undead riders capable of using magic. The necrolytes weren't up to the task, which frustrated Gul'dan. He did nevertheless see potential in them, but not while they were among the living. Gul'dan ritually executed them all.
Gul'dan went on to create the death knights. Each newly-risen death knight was given a jeweled truncheon through which it could better focus its powers. Into these jewels were infused the raw, necromantic powers of the freshly slain necrolytes.
See Also
- Death knight (Second War)
- Orcish Horde of the First War#Necrolyte
- Necrolyte Clan