Pelagos was one of the brand-new characters that was introduced in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. He served as the first trans character in the Warcraft saga, and players were introduced to him when they first entered Bastion. He started as an aspirant struggling to find his place in the Kyrian, and has seen immense evolution throughout the Shadowlands story. He has now accepted his place as the judge of every soul who enters the Shadowlands.
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Pelagos’ Afterlife Before Shadowlands
When Pelagos was alive he presented as a woman, but he did not remember his name or race. Throughout his life, he never felt truly comfortable in his body, and often struggled with his identity. Upon death, Pelagos was reborn as a kyrian aspirant in the form of a male. His outer appearance finally matched who he was on the inside.
During Pelagos’ time in Bastion, he would go on to befriend Kleia, a fellow aspirant. They would grow fairly close and become soulbinds together, but Pelagos would often struggle with the ascension rituals that are required of kyrian. He feared that he would never pass these trials and be sent back to Oribos to be assigned a different afterlife.
Pelagos’ Quest for Ascension
When the player first entered Bastion, Pelagos was attempting to pass the Rite of Purity again. His memories soon overwhelmed him, and the player intervened to save him. Pelagos would then serve as the player’s guide on their quest to warn the Archon about kyrian who were serving the Maw.
During this time, trouble began at the Temple of Purity and Pelagos went to assist alongside Kleia and the player. They found that many aspirants were being overwhelmed by their doubts, and they tried to help. The Hand of Purity, Eridia, tried to cleanse her own disciple Nikolon of his doubts, and she asked the player to help out. Pelagos wished to assist but Eridia told him he was too fragile, and Nikolon soon fell. Kleia and Pelagos escaped the temple when the Forsworn attacked while the player fought back.
Pelagos met up with the player character again at Hero’s Rest where the player was seeking an audience with the Archon. The Archon ordered the player, Pelagos, and Kleia to inspect the surrounding wards of Bastion’s temples. During the inspection, Uther attacked and disabled one of the wards. The player, Pelagos, and Kleia ran to the Temple of Courage as the Maldraxxi invaded. During this battle, Pelagos was forced to retreat alongside Kleia.
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Chains of Domination
During the kyrian campaign, Kleia succeeded in passing all the trails and ascending, but Pelagos had yet to succeed. He adventured alongside kyrian players as a soulbind during their campaign, but the majority of players did not interact with him again until Chains of Domination.
At the start of the Korthia campaign, the player assists Pelagos, Kelia, and Adresetes in mending Uther’s fractured soul. The ritual fails, and the player is forced to help him relive his memories instead. Alongside Pelagos, they helped guide him through his past and set him on the healing path. Pelagos informed Uther that his painful memories would vanish eventually, but Uther thought that they would instead teach him a lesson and that they should be held onto.
After Uther’s words of wisdom, Adrestes vowed to set Bastion on a new path. Kyrian would be offered a choice of keeping their memories or letting them go. Pelagos chose to stay in Elysian Hold and prepare for Adrestes’ promotion to Paragon of Devotion and Kleia’s promotion as his hand. During the ceremony, Pelagos conferred in the player that he was prideful of how far Kleia had come and was confused on how he had become such an instrumental part of history after failing to ascend so many times. He chose to become one of the first acolytes of the Temple of Devotion and helped reconnect the Forsworn and kyrian.
After the ceremony, Pelagos asked Uther if he knew what happened to the soul of Arthas Menethil. Uther informed him that it had been cast into the Maw, and Pelagos realized that this meant Arthas would have no chance at redemption. He believed that no soul deserved to be sent to the Maw, and that every soul deserves compassion even if they cannot be forgiven.
Pelagos’ Evolution into the Arbiter
At the start of Eternity’s End, The Primus opened a portal to Zereth Mortis and sent Pelagos alongside the player. Once in Zereth Mortis they met the broker Firim and were guided to Haven where they met the Enlightened. The player was able to gain the trust of the Enlightened and was able to activate a waystone which opened the way to Oribos.
Pelagos recruited the player to help him against the devourer threat throughout Zereth Mortis. Together they encountered a damaged Oracle and brought her back to Haven. The Enlightened refused to help as it was against what they believed, so they tracked down Firim instead. Pelagos guided the Oracle to Firim, and the Oracle expended her remaining energy to create Pocopoc. As the player adventured through Zereth Mortis to power up Pocopoc and learn the secrets of the First Ones, Pelagos stayed with Firim to watch over the Oracle.
A bit later, the player was sent on a quest to retrieve an empty vessel for the Oracle. After she finished her preparations with the vessel, Pelagos summoned the player, and they all journeyed to the Crypts of the Eternal. The covenant forces rallied and attacked the Crypts. During this time, Pelagos reflected on the role of the Arbiter and realized that every soul deserved redemption.
The covenant forces were able to breach the Crypts and the Oracle got to work. The ritual was interrupted by the nathrezim who plunged the soul of Argus into the vessel and killed the scryers. The player beat Argus, but the vessel was left without a soul and the scryers were lost. In the turmoil, Pelagos chose to offer his soul as this was his purpose in life. Kleia tried to intervene, but Pelagos was insistent, and after a long hug Pelagos approached the Oracle. His soul was fused with the vessel, and he became the Arbiter, and the Shadowlands were fixed.
Thus, Pelagos’ journey had concluded, and the Shadowlands had their new Arbiter. He quickly took his place in the Crucible and the flow of souls was restored. While he may have failed to fulfifll the path of the kyrian, he was able to find his true purpose and became so much more.
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