N'Zoth

N'Zoth (pronounced nuh-ZAWTH) is the weakest of the four Old Gods of Azeroth, malefic beings that were sequestered by the titans during Azeroth's primordial ages. Until the events of the Fourth War, N'Zoth remained notoriously elusive and was largely a mystery, being the last Old God besides the deceased Y'Shaarj that had still yet to be directly encountered by adventurers.

Prior to the Fourth War, very little was certain about N'Zoth — most beings on Azeroth did not even know its name, much less what it looked like. Scraps of obscure lore claimed that the Old God had been imprisoned beneath the darkest depths of the ocean for millennia beyond counting. There were also whispers that N'Zoth desired nothing more than to twist what was once noble and pure to its own inscrutable ends.

It was rumored that N'Zoth took part, along with the two other remaining Old Gods, in the corruption of the black Dragon Aspect Neltharion into Deathwing. N'Zoth was also the old god responsible for the transformation of Queen Azshara and her Highborne into the naga, as well as the co-creation of the Emerald Nightmare. For years, most of what was "known" about this most insidious of beings consisted largely of speculation. During Battle for Azeroth, N'Zoth became a more direct threat to Azeroth's mortal races, its naga servants becoming more aggressive and spreading its influence to Kul Tiras through the order of the Tidesages. Eventually, thanks in large part to the machinations of Queen Azshara, N'Zoth's bindings were shattered and the Old God was unleashed upon Azeroth once again.

At N'Zoth's command, the Black Empire invaded the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and Uldum in order to acquire the Engine of Nalak'sha and the Forge of Origination. The corrupter also sought to bend Azeroth's champions to its will. However, N'Zoth was resisted and ultimately destroyed when the Heart of Azeroth, empowered by the very powers the old god desired, was fired upon it.

N'Zoth served as the main antagonist (alongside Sylvanas Windrunner) in Battle for Azeroth.

Biography
During the days of the Black Empire, N'Zoth controlled a vast territory in the east of Kalimdor, covering much of what would later become known as the Eastern Kingdoms. Countless ages ago, Warlord Zon'ozz and his soldiers waged endless war in the name of N'Zoth against the forces of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Xal'atath claims that in ages past, the God of the Deep lost a great battle to the God of Seven Heads in the land that would later become known as the Broken Shore. However, as was so often the case, even defeat ultimately worked in N'Zoth's favor.

N'Zoth was the first of the Old Gods to be sealed in an underground prison by the titan-forged after Y'Shaarj's death, in a location halfway between the Well of Eternity and the site where Uldaman was later built.

War of the Ancients
As the War of the Ancients ended and the Well of Eternity collapsed around Queen Azshara and her Highborne, a small fish with strange red eyes seemed to be whispering to Azshara to 'let go' and give up, even as the waves destroyed her palace. Eventually, Azshara's arcane shield failed, and she and her court were swept into the sea. However, something seemed to keep the queen from drowning. The fish began speaking directly to Azshara, revealing itself to be possessed by N'Zoth. Offering Azshara visions of the Black Empire that it had ruled over in ages past, it offered to save her in exchange for becoming its servant. Azshara, ever guileful and charismatic, convinced the Old God that she would not be a servant, but become a queen to rule at its side. It could either accept the offer or potentially have no servants and be left with no way to free itself. N'Zoth reluctantly agreed, transforming her and the Highborne into naga.

Ancient times
When the roots of the growing World Tree Andrassil inadvertently reached Yogg-Saron's prison, it allowed the Old God to first open the door into the Emerald Dream. This then enabled the other Old Gods and N'Zoth to spread their corruption in the form of the Emerald Nightmare.

Cataclysm
Millennia later, Azeroth's mortal adventurers defeated both C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. Shrouded in an ocean of fevered dreams among the bones of nameless horrors, N'Zoth remained untouched. It was certain that Azeroth's champions would eventually come for it, just as they had C'Thun and Yogg-Saron. It was not afraid, but sensed that a window of opportunity was quickly closing; the world was still recovering from its war against the Lich King, and the Dragon Aspects were consumed by their own struggles. The time to usher in the Hour of Twilight was now, and the herald of the apocalypse would be the corrupted Aspect Deathwing, who was currently recovering in Deepholm. N'Zoth fed its own dark energy into Deathwing's heart, infusing the black dragon with great power but also making his form more unstable. N'Zoth commanded cultists of the Twilight's Hammer to venture into Deepholm and bolt elementium plates to Deathwing to prevent the dragon's body from tearing apart. Meanwhile, the Old God reached out elsewhere in the Elemental Plane and called on the elementals — the Old Gods' ancient servants — to prepare for war. Two of the Elemental Lords — Neptulon and Therazane — refused to serve the Old God, but Al'Akir and Ragnaros embraced N'Zoth's command. They relished the prospect of war, and N'Zoth promised to release them from their prisons and allow them to roam free on Azeroth once more. Once Deathwing was ready for war, he would burst out of Deepholm, tearing a rift between Azeroth and the Elemental Plane, and subsequently serve as an extension of N'Zoth's will by coordinating the elementals and Twilight's Hammer. N'Zoth made Deathwing believe that by doing so, he would be able to scour Azeroth of the other dragons and claim the world as his own. In truth, however, N'Zoth intended to dispose of Deathwing after using him to restore the Black Empire and shroud the world in shadow.

Before long, the time had come. On N'Zoth's word, Deathwing unleashed his rage and exploded from Deepholm into Azeroth, igniting the Cataclysm and causing great devastation across Azeroth. N'Zoth stoked the fire in Deathwing's veins, filling him with excruciating pain. While sporadic battles erupted between the Alliance and Horde, Deathwing unleashed the Old Gods' minions on the world. Al'Akir assaulted Uldum in an attempt to claim the Forge of Origination. Meanwhile, another servant of N'Zoth — Queen Azshara — sent her naga forces to Vashj'ir. Neptulon and his minions had defied N'Zoth's will, and for this they would suffer, but N'Zoth also demanded Neptulon's power to control the world's seas, which the naga could use to cut off all sea travel between Azeroth's continents. N'Zoth was confident that the Alliance and Horde would never be able to stop all of its servants, and if even one of the Old God's campaigns succeeded, it would usher in the Hour of Twilight. However, Azeroth's heroes soon arose to thwart the efforts of N'Zoth's minions in Deepholm, Uldum, and Vashj'ir. Meanwhile, Deathwing and the Twilight's Hammer summoned Ragnaros and his fire elementals to assault Mount Hyjal and the World Tree Nordrassil since N'Zoth believed that burning Nordrassil would deal an irrecoverable blow to the world, but in the end Hyjal was saved by the combined efforts of the Cenarion Circle, the green dragonflight, Azeroth's champions, and the Wild Gods.

Eventually, the tide of the war turned as Azeroth's defenders pushed back against the forces of the Old Gods. Heroes retrieved the Dragon Soul from the past and took it to Wyrmrest Temple, where the Dragon Aspects and Thrall began to empower it with the intention of using it to destroy Deathwing. Deathwing and his twilight dragon and cultist minions unleashed their full fury on Wyrmrest, and N'Zoth sent its n'raqi minions to aid in the assault. However, the Aspects managed to empower the Dragon Soul and unleashed it on Deathwing, forcing him to flee toward the Maelstrom in an attempt to escape back into Deepholm. Wyrmrest's defenders pursued him. N'Zoth sensed that its servant was on the verge of defeat and that its plans were about to unravel. In a final, desperate attempt to turn the tide, N'Zoth infused Deathwing with more of its power than ever before, but in the end, Thrall unleashed the Dragon Soul and finally annihilated the corrupted Aspect. In that moment, N'Zoth's campaign to bring about the Hour of Twilight collapsed.

Legion
Xal'atath claims that the God of the Deep writhes in its prison, breaking free ever so slowly. Xavius in the Emerald Nightmare served N'Zoth, and Malfurion Stormrage theorized that Xavius and his ancient master delighted that Azeroth was focused on fighting the Burning Legion.

Battle for Azeroth
The forces of both N'Zoth and Queen Azshara can be seen during the Stormsong Valley storyline. As Azshara sways the tidesages to their side, N'Zoth sends faceless ones to corrupt the populace of Stormsong Valley into twisted k'thir, with Lord Stormsong serving as the herald of their coming. A portion of N'Zoth itself is located under the Crucible of Storms, in Kul Tiras.

Tides of Vengeance
In accordance with a bargain between N'Zoth and Xal'atath, the latter guided Azeroth's champions, declared as the Opener, the Bringer of Truths, and the Torch That Lights the Way, into the Crucible of Storms with several powerful relics they had collected. Thus with their bargain fulfilled, N'Zoth frees Xal'atath, so that she may find her own way but instructed her to leave the blade she resided in behind so that it would serve N'Zoth's will. Turning its gaze towards the Bringer of Truths, N'Zoth declared that it had dreamed of their destiny, and that the hour was close at hand for that which had been sunken to rise, and that all that were sleeping would be awakened. N'Zoth then gave unto them its gift, so that they could see all truths before them. Those with its gift are able to use it on all who have been blessed by the Old God, though through the use of perilous and painful ritual (Alliance) or the power of the loa Akunda (Horde), N'Zoth's gift could be cleansed from those who were granted it.

Later, a group of adventurers entered the Crucible of Storms to reclaim the relics and halt N'Zoth's plans. N'Zoth watched and whispered to the champions as they defeated its forces, including Uu'nat, who declared to his master with his dying breath that they were "worthy". Horde champions then discovered the empty blade that once held Xal'atath. Feeling the power that resonated within the blade, almost if as if the weapon spoke with another voice, these champions were compelled to deliver the artifact to their warchief. As they picked up the blade, N'Zoth declared: "The fall of night reveals her true face. She will bring only ruin." The Alliance champions, on the other hand, were alerted to the Horde's possession of the blade.

Rise of Azshara
After Azshara was informed of the Horde and Alliance fleets heading towards Nazjatar, N'Zoth reached out to Queen Azshara, who commented on its imprisonment and told it not to worry. Though Azshara would be defeated, she was successful in breaking the chains binding N'Zoth after activating the titan device in the Last Prison using the Heart of Azeroth. The Old God subsequently rescued Azshara from being killed by Lor'themar Theron and Jaina Proudmoore. Following its rescue of the naga queen, N'Zoth ominously declared: "All eyes shall be opened."

Visions of N'Zoth
The events within the Eternal Palace have set the stage for the Old God N'Zoth's release from its titanwrought prison, and an ancient corruption has taken root across Azeroth. Ny'alotha, the Sleeping City, has awakened. Under N'Zoth's command, the armies of the Black Empire threaten to engulf the world and reshape it according to their master's vision. Nightmares dwell in Ny'alotha, the Waking City, the Void-shrouded heart of the ancient Black Empire. The champions of Azeroth venture deep into the horrific realm to confront mad heralds and inscrutable horrors, and ultimately go eye-to-eyes with N'Zoth itself for one final confrontation against the Old God in a fateful battle for Azeroth's survival.

When the Amathet launched an attack to claim the Forge of Origination, N'Zoth's minion Shith'rus the Manipulator snuck in with their forces as Sun Prophet Tenhamen. Upon their death, N'Zoth's appears in the mind of Azeroth's champion where N'Zoth subsequently called them its devoted chosen. As Magni Bronzebeard and the champion fought the mantid to claim the Engine of Nalak'sha, N'Zoth once more reached out to the champion. The Old God remarked that the frenzied mantid swarm knew what was coming and that Azeroth's champion would be its herald. Soon after Magni discovered that an anomaly existed within the Halls of Origination and set off to investigate, discovering that N'Zoth was seeking to gain control of the forge. In order help better combat N'Zoth, Wrathion and the champion sought an object of pure corruption, a task that ended with Azeroth's champion acquiring Ashjra'kamas, Shroud of Resolve. After a Horrific Vision was defeated per Wrathion's request, Magni was stunned to hear N'Zoth's voice within the Chamber of Heart. Subsequently, the Old God attacked the chamber, opening a portal to Ny'alotha and releasing its forces into the facility. Magni fought against the Old God's minions alongside the other defenders of the chamber, but once it became clear that N'Zoth was about to overtake the facility, Ra turned to the adventurer and told them to save Azeroth, no matter the cost. The Highkeeper then charged at the portal to Ny'alotha and used a lightning attack to destroy it, but was pulled into the realm in the process. According to Magni, the Chamber of Heart and all of Azeroth would've been N'Zoth's for the taking had it not been for Ra's sacrifice.

Determined to save Ra and end the threat of N'Zoth, Magni called for Azeroth's Champions to venture into Ny'alotha, the Waking City. Unbeknownst to all, N'Zoth was able to take advantage of the despair Ra-den long harbored and overwhelm any remnants of hope, causing the Highkeeper to do the Old God's bidding. As Azeroth's champion ventured into Ny'alotha, they discovered Dark Inquisitor Xanesh torturing Queen Azshara for betraying N'Zoth. Upon Xanesh's defeat, Azshara revealed that she held Xal'atath and claimed that she would have driven the dagger into N'Zoth's heart herself had the Alliance and Horde not disrupted her plans. The naga then gave Xal'atath to Wrathion while warning him and the champions that if they failed to kill N'Zoth with their first blow, they would not survive to attempt another. Azshara subsequently departed from Ny'alotha while Wrathion and his allies ventured forth to put an end to the Black Empire. As Wrathion examined the black blade for treachery Azeroth's champions struck down N'Zoth's greatest servants, including the likes of Vexiona, Ra-den the Despoiled, and Il'gynoth, Corruption Reborn.

Using the Black Blade, Wrathion stabbed the Carapace of N'Zoth which during the fight with the Fury of N'Zoth helped adventurers regain their sanity by teleporting back to him. Following the destruction of the Carapace, the final battle against the Old God started. During the battle N'Zoth revealed its role in the corruption of Deathwing and how the former Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner conspired with Azshara while revealing that Sylvanas intended to unleash a darkness that only it could save Azeroth from. To that end, N'Zoth called for Azeroth's champions to yield and serve. However, Azeroth's heroes refused to be swayed and N'Zoth's body (along with Ny'alotha) was destroyed when the Heart of Azeroth fired the powers of the Forge of Origination, empowered by the Engine of Nalak'sha, upon it.

Quotes

 * Dialogue

An Unseen Presence whispers to the player when in Deepcoil Tunnels or Shirakess Depository.
 * whisper
 * whisper
 * whisper
 * whisper
 * whisper
 * whisper

In Hearthstone

 * N'Zoth the Corruptor is a a legendary card in the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion. Its flavor text reads: "Has not been able to get "Under the Sea" out of his head for like FIVE THOUSAND YEARS."
 * N'Zoth's First Mate, depicting a qiraji pirate riding a large silithid wasp, appears as a common card for the Warrior class. Its flavor text reads: "Hates when N'Zoth yells "Ahoy Matey!!", but there's not really much he can do about it."
 * The Spawn of N'Zoth appears as a common card. Its flavor text reads: "Who's a cute widdle N'Zoth? You are! Yes you are! Yes you're the cutest widdle N'Zoth in the whole world!!!"
 * The Tentacle of N'Zoth appears as a common card. Its flavor text reads: "Because EVERYDAY is the Day of the Tentacle of N'zoth."
 * It reappeared in HS Madness at the Darkmoon Faire as N'Zoth, God of the Deep. Its flavor text reads "It really just wants to cuddle all the creatures of Azeroth."
 * Players who pre-ordered the Mega Bundle for Madness at the Darkmoon Faire also received N'Zoth as an alternate Warlock hero, whose flavor text reads: "When someone asks if you're an Old God, you can now say "YES!". Players who pre-ordered either bundle also received the N'Zoth card back, which reads: "You're beginning to dream of a glorious destiny! Spoilers: It involves calamari."

Notes and trivia

 * Xal'atath describes Mindflayer Kaahrj as an "idiotic pustule of N'Zoth".
 * Claw of N'Zoth is the hidden artifact appearance for Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire.
 * In a developer chat in 2012, Dave Kosak stated that the titans were unable to defeat N'Zoth and that it was "still lurking". This notion has not been mentioned since, and Chronicle Volume 1 instead establishes that N'Zoth was defeated and imprisoned by the titan-forged just like C'Thun and Yogg-Saron were.
 * When Shadow Priests say "Seeker" while in Voidform, it translates into "N'zoth".
 * Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire references N'Zoth several times in her quotes.
 * Prior to patch 8.3.0, N'Zoth was the only Old God besides Y'Shaarj to have never been directly seen by players in World of Warcraft. The elusive being's appearance was first revealed when it was added as a legendary card in the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion for Hearthstone.
 * In Heroes of the Storm, Alarak, a character from StarCraft, has a skin called "Herald of N'Zoth Alarak".
 * N'Zoth is voiced by Darin De Paul as of Warbringers: Azshara.
 * N'Zoth's name is most likely derived from Zoth-Ommog of H.P. Lovecraft's shared Cthulhu Mythos. Just as Zoth-Ommog was imprisoned by the Elder Gods beneath the seabed, N'Zoth was imprisoned by the titans under what is now the Great Sea.
 * N'zoth is also the name of a star system in the Star Wars expanded universe, that is inhabited by a brutal and xenophobic alien race.
 * N'Zoth has been consistently referred to with masculine pronouns, instead of gender-neutral ones.
 * C'Thun and Yogg-Saron both have only their apexes showing, with massive bodies buried underground and fused to Azeroth in an attempt to assimilate the world. In contrast, N'Zoth's debut and subsequent art from Hearthstone has its main head resting on a mass of tentacles, posed in a way that implied that it was somewhat ambulatory, with no obvious connection to a larger body. In Ny'alotha, N'Zoth's main body more closely resembles C'Thun's but unburied, while the interior head of the N'Zoth the Corruptor fight still rests on a more distinct mass of tentacles, but which now seem to be directly embedded in the floor.

Speculation

 * N'Zoth's Hearthstone appearance bears a striking resemblance to the kraken patriarch Ozumat, possibly indicating a connection between the two, or between N'Zoth and krakens in general, although within the game we are told they are servants of Neptulon the Tidehunter and normally dwell in the Abyssal Maw and not on Azeroth.
 * Il'gynoth might be talking about N'Zoth when he says Whisper.
 * The Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron mentions "a black goat with seven eyes", which could refer to N'Zoth.
 * When interacting with the Remnant of the Void in the Emerald Nightmare raid instance, Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire will whisper: Whisper This could be a reference to N'Zoth.
 * N'Zoth's aptitude for manipulation has made some fans skeptical of how final its defeat really was, skepticism which has not been discouraged by development members.

Location

 * When Malfurion Stormrage contained the Emerald Nightmare within the Rift of Aln, he sensed an "ancient evil" that was keeping its foothold in the Emerald Dream from somewhere beneath Azeroth's oceans. This may have been N'Zoth.
 * In Vashj'ir, Ick'thys the Unfathomable in the Scalding Chasm proclaims yell Ogre magi of the Twilight's Hammer also attempted to connect L'ghorek to "something immense" further below in order to allow that thing to drain the dying ancient's life energies. While inside L'ghorek, adventurers rescue several Twilight's Hammer prisoners in order to prevent them from being sacrificed to "whatever lurks below". The presence of enormous tentacles similar to those of Yogg-Saron and C'Thun in the Undershell may further indicate the presence of an Old God.
 * The mysterious contents of Mosh'Ogg Bounty are possibly connected to N'Zoth, given that the region of Stranglethorn Vale was also once located within the Old God's domain.
 * The Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron's whispers seem to describe an Old God residing at the bottom of an ocean, matching Malfurion's description and the Vashj'ir quests listed above. They may refer to N'Zoth.
 * Chronicle Volume 1 put N'Zoth's prison in Ancient Kalimdor at a location that seems to be near Kul Tiras and Zandalar, between Suramar City and Vashj'ir.
 * The prison was ultimately confirmed to be beneath Nazjatar, specifically the Eternal Palace.