Anyone have any lore sources on what their deal is?
I haven’t been able to find much on them. There don’t seem to be that many bouncing around Dalaran in any major capacity. In game you only really see a few maintaining Horde portals.
With lack of anything else to go on I’ve been treating mine as a conmage. Kinda a hacky Vegas magician, street hustler type who just happens to have actual if unreliable magical prowess.
As Goblins are often concerned with profit its not much of a stretch to consider some would get into the Arcane arts; Enchantment would be highly lucrative, Conjuration saves money on food and drink, etc. If anything being genuinely skilled in magic would be far more useful than simply faking mastery.
There’s also Akazamzarak, who somewhat fits your ‘conmage’ idea, accept he holds actual masterful prowess with portals.
I would only imagine they draw their power just like any other mage just with your typical goblin characteristics.
Want a portal? Pay up bub.
Food for free? The arcane isn’t a charity pal
Why do you keep paying for ice from Northrend? I’ll make you up some on the spot, for a price.
The likely reason you don’t see them around Dalaran often is that they’re fairly new to the professional/academic magic scene, let alone the Horde and all the complexities that comes with in Dalaran. Its just not something they care about if they can’t monetize it effectively/easily.
I guess my question is where does their arcademic structure come from? Troll Mages were always framed as Loa powered. But the Forsaken had undead Kirin Tor staff on hand to teach new mages and the Belves have a whole ruling caste of magic users. I assumed the Orcs studied at either till they could do it themselves. But where are the Goblins learning this stuff? Good God could you imagine the tuition and text book prices in a Goblin run acane academy?
They could have schools in places. I personally feel individual mentoring systems are the most likely. Considering there isn’t much lore specific to this case it’s pretty much all open to interpretation.
We see back in Kazan that is the kazamite gave them their intelligence and so its likely they stumbled upon it themselves and had mentoring programs or basic books to teach it, but again had no interest in advancing it as a part of their culture or real academia like the elves or trolls have. If its good enough to make a quick buck, help make some machines, or keep those former troll slavers in check, then its good enough for them.
All mages draw their power from the same source, arcane ley lines. Mages have been around forever, Dalaran isn’t the only learning source. And goblins are very social people who commonly interact and trade with virtually everyone. So there may not be one specific source, but rather just knowledge they’ve built up over time. And their own mages could pass it on to apprentices.
The Arcane isn’t much different from a Science.
So they probably view it as such. Studying how things work and how to use it to their advantage.
Frankly , I would call it a blessed liberty if it turns out that there is no answer / lore.
lol , in real life I live in the United States , and you could tack on to your question , " and where does a 17 - year - old get that kind of money ?? , especially in a culture that hasn’t seen paper boys in decades ?? "
The working class would love to know ! 
Seriously , though , the Blood Elves , for example , do have such a structure .
—And I don’t find it particularly appealing either.
First , Blizzard in it’s infinite wisdom has eliminated that tangible structure within the game. The trainers stand around doing nothing , like pieces of furniture. I’m level 94 , and have yet to visit a Warlock trainer. Somehow I got my hands on a Felgaurd anyway , and my Felgaurd doesn’t seem to mind my lack of tangible credentials.
Granted , you can’t find a single toilet , or vendor of feminine hygiene products , anywhere in Silvermoon City , presumably because ; Magic !
So it isn’t too far-fetched to imagine such a society consists near - entirely of aristocracy.
Still , realistically it seems to me , it would be a good bet that many of those aristocrats have seen better days , or are even rather down - at - heel. ( which I suspect describes quite a few of the real life American middle class. )
Several other problems with the whole thing have occurred to me , except not that I can recall at this moment.
So , frankly , I just scrapped the whole thing.
My warlock became a warlock the old - fashioned , realistic , way ;
She knew somebody. — Or more accurately , somebody Knew her.
The somebody was Nalice. A member of the Black Dragonflight to be sure , still , my bet is that most people’s reaction to that name would be , " Who the hell is Nalice ? "
I don’t think you would have to delve too much into lore to come to the reasonable ( ? ) conclusion that most dragons are familiar with all sorts of magics , or know people who do know.
And why would Nalice be so generous to this particular little girl ?
I can reasonably ( ? ) answer , " How the hell would I know ? Ask her . "
Or , I can reasonably ( ? ) answer , * Censored for content * .
I find your claims of tutelage suspect at best, considering the treacherous nature of Black Dragons, as well as Wrathion’s purge of the Black Dragonflight- granted, not perfect… but at the same time, any survivors would be deep in hiding, and would likely stay that way for many more years.
As for how Goblin Mages are trained, I’d presume they use an apprenticeship system, or, as is their nature, they form schools with ludicrously high tuition for mediocre instruction.
Frankly, either one would fit them.
For all their… flaws… Goblins are remarkably close in intellect to gnomes. Even if they express it in… less-than-optimal ways. I would not be surprised if I encountered formalized magic schools in a Goblin settlement.
Given I feel like I need a shower every time I pass through Booty Bay to arrive at Kalimdor, I’ve never really stuck around long enough to confirm such things.
Otherwise, standard practice among all races outside Dalaran is apprenticeship. A skilled mage finds an individual that displays mystical potential and offers tutelage.
Before the Scourge, Dalaran was downright predatory in seeking prospective magi to add to the fold. Thankfully, they seem to have wound back that policy since. And nowadays, it’s perfectly normal to come across a goblin who is a Dalaran student or graduate.
— based , presumably , on an assumption of a chronology I DID NOT give you …
Very crude , simplistic , stereotype - stuff. Like the , " ( un ) life sucks , and I hate you ." Lore of the Forsaken.
While I’m not psychic , I’m not surprised that UC and Brill got erased , and Sylvannas has gone missing. I suspect it just might have something to do with Blizzard’s own writers having discovered that sort of lore is an unrealistic dead end. So , I speculate , they are obliquely trying to get around it.
Anyway , getting back to chronology , these days , or last I heard , Nalice is the end product of a Rogue quest , the end of which is she gets killed. And , yeah , I already knew that.
Based on previous encounters with the Black Dragonflight- which at best end up with being used as a tool due to my preexisting abilities being deemed useful to their short-term goals.
In several cases, the stereotype exists for a reason. Black dragons were near-totally corrupted by the Old Gods, and the hat of the Old Gods just so happens to be inducing paranoia, distrust, and a psychotic belief that existence is pointless as we will all die in a twisted chaos as an allegedly invincible force of nature destroys us all so we may as well try and die last by serving those eldritch abominations.
The few times a non-corrupted Black Dragon has appeared, it has typically been because outside forces took measures to prevent or reverse their corruption. And even then they’ve turned out to be of a manipulative bent.
The Black emissaries in Wyrmrest? Corrupted, just much less volatile.
Wrathion? A manipulative little princeling who props himself up on a throne, despite being little more than a whelp.
Sabellian? Despite shaking off the taint through sheer distance, even he sees you as nothing more than a tool- a pawn in his vendetta against Gruul’s minions.
I believe I’ve made my case. I’ve absolutely no cause to believe even the most ‘benign’ of Black Dragons would deign to so much as give you the time of day, let alone teach you the dark arts.
I believe you have made your case , given the world view of a blacks and whites Paladin.
I have alts , but I have played a Demonology warlock , fully 90% of the time , since Burning Crusade.
I can’t speak to Affliction or Destruction Warlocks , I have never played them.
Now , just as a simple matter of IN-GAME MECHANICS , the very best , most flattering , thing you can say about demonology warlock is that it is a collaboration.
— A collaboration with a ****** demon that is.
Not so flattering ; You are DEPENDENT on a ****** demon.
A Demonology Warlock ?
TAKE AWAY THE DEMON , and you are the battlefield equivalent of –
– a 15 year old girl ( See , I actually have a specific visually symbolic reason for playing a Female Blood Elf Demonology Warlock )
— in a dress .
— with a plastic wand.
I find it kinda hard to believe that even the most benign , cotton candy and unicorns kind of demon would not see , and perceive the implications , of that in about five minutes flat.
Like I said , best case scenario , it’s a full - blown in - the - bed - with collaboration.
Otherwise , it’s a plain dependent relationship .
In your apparent framework , there would be no cause to believe Demonology Warlocks even existed .
At all.
I dunno , maybe you should take that up with Blizzard ?
On the contrary. Most warlocks possess their own powers with which to force their demons into compliance. True, those who walk the path of Demonology focus on that domination of their demonic servitors, but regardless, most Warlocks do not engage in such… “relationships” without prior training and preparation.
Most warlocks, like myself, started out as mages. Do you truly think anyone with such training would be so helpless? Remember, your demons want to dominate you, they want to corrupt and defile you. And that’s assuming they don’t just want your head on a pike for having the gall to try and bind them.
You say it’s a dependent relationship, but it’s closer to parasitism. We warlocks take from these demons. We don’t ask, we take measures to limit their freedoms and forcibly draw their power from them. We bind and dominate.
You are correct that it is a collaboration. But if you think that both parties benefit equally, or that there’s no enmity from either side, well then I have a nice little jacket that will help you hug yourself, and a comfy padded room, just for you.
In my “apparent framework,” Black Dragons are unholier-than-thou pricks that would sooner shank you than teach you anything. You’re trying to lump together “can’t learn dark magic” with “can’t learn it from a black dragon.” Which is absolutely not what I said- I could completely believe you learning Fel Magic from a magister or summoner of Silvermoon. It’s when you say a Black Dragon who wants to see Deathwing’s dream of a corrupted/dead Azeroth a reality taught you dark magic that your claims become suspect at best.
Go ahead, try and find an actual case of that being incorrect, of the hubris of the Black Dragonflight not leading them to manipulate and use you, or kill you for daring to think you were worth their time. You’ll find just one: Ebyssian- and he’s not qualified to teach the dark arts to begin with.