Akama

SS Mac'Aree

The elder sage Akama is the leader of both the Ashtongue tribe and the elite of said tribe, the Ashtongue Deathsworn, a faction of Broken draenei supposedly in the service of Illidan Stormrage. Offered a chance at revenge against the orcs who decimated his people, Akama allied himself with the night elf/demon hybrid and aided in the overthrow of Magtheridon, only to later find that Illidan was no better than the pit lord. To all outward appearances, Akama remained a loyal servant of Illidan and led his Ashtongue Deathsworn in his service — but away from his prying eyes, Akama sought to end Illidan's reign.

Allying with Maiev Shadowsong, whom he had been charged with keeping imprisoned, Akama rallied a group of adventurers to enter the Black Temple, leading up to the final battle with Illidan himself — the battle that ended the Betrayer's life. With Illidan gone, Akama hoped that the Holy Light would fill the dismal halls of the temple once more.

Argus
Although he has been called young during his time on Draenor, Akama lived on the eredar homeworld of Argus, in Mac'Aree. An echo of him can still be found there, watching a jed'hin match at the Circle of Aspirants. His echo is the only one of the future Exarchs who does not have the title of Councilor (except for Naielle, who is a child).

Unbroken
Akama was the Exarch of the Vindicators and a member of the Council of Exarchs, one of the leaders of the draenei under Prophet Velen chosen soon after the draenei crashed on Draenor. Despite the position, he was apparently young, and spent his youth at the Temple of Karabor (indeed, his alternate counterpart was also called young). When the orcs enslaved by the Burning Legion descended upon Karabor, Akama took charge of evacuating as many civilians as possible and then went into hiding with the remnants of the draenei. He fled from the Temple to Shattrath City before going into hiding, where he was the most exposed of the refugees to the fel energies that caused some draenei to mutate, sending him into a coma. Sometime after the general banishment of the Broken from the draenei camps, he came out of his coma and was sent on his way as well.

Before and after the cataclysm and the shattering of Draenor, Akama took an interest in the activities of the former vindicator Nobundo, and had stealthily followed him time and again to observe his efforts to reconnect with the Light, a power the former priest was quite familiar with. After coming out of his coma, Akama had felt nothing but despair and a needling dread of the future. Perhaps he was hoping to see if he succeeded and pave the way back to Akama's own abilities and/or form; only Akama can say. What he certainly did not expect was to witness Nobundo's first contact with the elemental spirits, and while he couldn't hear the spirit of fire when it first spoke to Nobundo, it quite clearly was doing so and left Akama in absolute astonishment.

Akama continued to observe Nobundo for another week, and watched as the elements defended Nobundo from the guards of a draenei camp, allowing him to pass through unhindered. Akama did not dare follow, but he didn't need to. The events that he had just witnessed planted a seed within him; seeing what Nobundo had just done, to see he had accomplished, stirred a feeling in Akama that he had feared long dead: Hope. He slipped back into the marsh with his newfound hope. Nobundo, while he had at times felt as if someone had been watching him through out his efforts, was never the wiser of what he had done for Akama.

Akama later joined the Ashtongue tribe and gloated when a rival died, becoming leader of his people.

The Frozen Throne
Years later, Akama, now an elder sage of the Broken draenei survivors, was forced into the open where he fought a losing battle against the pit lord Magtheridon and his army of demons and fel orcs.

Akama found himself aided by and, a blood elf and naga who had come from Azeroth to find a cure for magic addiction. Hoping to gain allies in the fight against Magtheridon, Kael'thas and Vashj destroyed the fel orc base that had been raiding Akama's makeshift outpost. Akama pledged his loyalty to Illidan and aided them by attacking a larger orcish base, keeping the enemy occupied and away from Kael'thas and Illidan as the two closed the dimensional gateways — which were supplying constant reinforcements to Magtheridon. After that battle, the time had come to lay siege to Magtheridon's Black Temple itself.

Akama pledged allegiance to Illidan, craving vengeance on the orcs and demons who had corrupted and slaughtered his race. He also hoped that reclaiming the Black Temple would redeem the Broken in the eyes of the draenei. Using his stealth abilities, Akama and a band of his followers sneaked into Black Temple and destroyed the magical energy generators which sustained the defenses of the citadel, and then aided Illidan, Kael, and Vashj in the final attack against Magtheridon himself. However, since the moment of Illidan's triumph, Akama began planning his inevitable conflict with the Betrayer.

When Kil'jaeden appeared and ordered Illidan to destroy the Frozen Throne, Illidan, Kael, and Vashj went as ordered, while Akama remained to secure Outland in his absence.

Enemy of my enemy
Time passed with no sign of Illidan returning the Black Temple to the Broken as he had promised; instead, the temple began undergoing further corruption. Akama began to see Illidan as just another pawn of the Burning Legion and contacted the Betrayer's nemesis Maiev Shadowsong, telling her to meet him in Orebor Harborage. While waiting for Maiev's arrival, he healed a sickly Broken child named Rosaria. Once Maiev arrived in the village, she and Akama agreed to work together against Illidan, and the elder sage gave the warden a stone through which he could contact her when needed. Akama publicly remained in the Illidari's service but was greatly disturbed by Illidan's actions, such as using Magtheridon's blood to create more fel orcs and the creation of the demon hunters.

Illidan eventually learned of Akama's duplicity. Rather than killing the Broken, the Betrayer instead ripped out a portion of Akama's soul from his body and bound it to his service. Illidan then forced Akama to trick Maiev into leading her forces into an ambush at the Hand of Gul'dan, where all of Maiev's soldiers were killed by the Illidari and the warden herself was captured. During the attack, Illidan used the souls of the fallen to rip open a portal to Nathreza. Akama, who had been unaware of this part of the plan, was furious that Illidan had not spared the Ashtongue as promised and that he had used their harvested souls for his own purposes.

Akama was later appointed as Maiev's jailer in the Warden's Cage and told the warden that both Illidan and himself had plans for her.

The Burning Crusade
Akama is a level 70 Broken draenei located in front of Maiev Shadowsong's cell in the Warden's Cage in Shadowmoon Valley. In order to reach him, adventurers of the Horde and Alliance had to enter into the underground portion of the Warden's Cage and look to right at what appears to be just a pool of water. Swimming into and under the pool brought them into Maiev's cell where Akama is standing guard.

After an introductory quest chain, in which players have to prove that they are not allied with Illidan by killing some members of the Illidari, they are sent to speak with Akama. He explains that it is best for his people to continue to appear to serve Illidan until certain omens are fulfilled. He then gives a quest to speak with Udalo who is being held prisoner in the Arcatraz, a satellite of Tempest Keep. Udalo is dead, but has left a clue behind for the next quest.

On returning from the Arcatraz, Akama gives a quest to retrieve the Heart of Fury, one of the shards of the Ata'mal crystal, from the Ata'mal Terrace in Shadowmoon Valley. When this is completed, Akama sends the party to meet the naaru A'dal in Shattrath City.

Afterwards, he was forced to kill one of his closest allies, Seer Olum, because their plan against Illidan was revealed. Olum asked Akama to kill him in order to confirm the loyalty of the Ashtongue to the Illidari.

The, the portion of Akama's soul tied to Illidan's will, is a boss in Black Temple. Akama with the help of the adventurers released his soul and was also able to regain his people's trust. After the Illidari Council is defeated, Akama is assisted by the spirits of Udalo and Olum in opening the gate to the very top of the Temple. During the final confrontation with Illidan, Akama himself assisted adventurers in battle, although he cannot be killed. Akama leaves the battle during the first phase and is not seen again for the remainder of the battle; however, Maiev Shadowsong arrives for the final phase and remains until Illidan's death. Akama had freed Maiev from her prison cell and led her into the Temple with the aid of players seeking to obtain the Medallion of Karabor that allows entry into the Temple. After Illidan is defeated, Akama swears to fill the halls of the Black Temple with Light once again.

Brawler's Guild
At one point, Akama joined the Brawler's Guild, saying that he had to keep his blades sharp due to the ever-present threat of the Burning Legion. He yields after being defeated by an adventurer.

Legacy of the Masters
Akama is distrustful of warlocks after witnessing Illidan's fall to his own corruption, followed by the invasion of the Black Temple by the Council of the Black Harvest after the Cataclysm. When a warlock Adventurer infiltrates the Black Temple following the trail of Jubeka and Kanrethad, they are ambushed by Akama. He agrees to help hunt down the two warlocks, recognizing the Adventurer's name.

Legion
Within the Twisting Nether, the spirit of Illidan Stormrage commands his surviving Illidari demon hunters to re-recruit Akama, as Akama knows Illidan's plans to destroy the Burning Legion. Akama is confronted at the summit of the Black Temple by the demon hunters, and blows away all but their leader with bolts of lightning before proceeding to battle the leader. Akama's ultimate fate varies depending on which demon hunter the player chose as their second-in-command in the Vault of the Wardens:


 * Altruis the Sufferer: Akama joins the Illidari willingly and travels to the Fel Hammer.
 * Kayn Sunfury: The Shade of Akama is once more torn out of Akama's body and travels to the Fel Hammer while Akama is left defeated at the Black Temple.

If the player chose Altruis, then during the battle in Niskara, Altruis tells Akama to stay aboard the Fel Hammer and assist whenever means necessary. When they arrive at the fel barrier where Caria and Varedis await them, Altruis orders Akama to use the Fel Hammer to open the way for them.

Battle for Azeroth
He is a juror during The Brawlpub Trial and The Brawl'gar Trial.

Quests

 * Akama (quest)
 * Seer Udalo (Dungeon)
 * A Mysterious Portent
 * The Ata'mal Terrace
 * Akama's Promise
 * The Secret Compromised
 * Ruse of the Ashtongue
 * An Artifact From the Past
 * The Hostage Soul
 * Champion: Akama


 * Demonstrate Your Power

Objective of

 * Confrontation at the Black Temple

Warcraft III

 * "I am Akama, Elder Sage of the draenei. Lord Illidan promised to rid us of our ancient enemies in exchange for our loyalty. These cursed orcs serve Magtheridon--a terrible lord whose Black Citadel lies to the west. Under his command, the orcs hunted us to the brink of extinction. But now, with Lord Illidan behind us, we will fight back and retake our ancestral lands." (Draenei Village)
 * "We draenei have fought the orcs and their demon masters for generations. Now, at last, we will end their curse forever. We are yours to command, Lord Illidan." (Lord of Outland)

Warden's Cage
To many of my people I am known as a traitor... as Illidan's lapdog. It is best that they continue to think that for now.

Legion

 * I am encouraged that we have come to an understanding. I admired Altruis when he opposed the direction Illidan was taking all those years ago. While the annihilation of the Burning Legion is of paramount importance, in the process, we must not become that which we hope to destroy. If you would have me as a champion, I will bring all of my knowledge to bear on the task at hand. With time, I believe that we might even come to trust each other.


 * Greeting
 * What do you need?
 * How can I help?
 * Achal hecta.
 * Together, we can defeat the Burning Legion.
 * I have a plan for the Legion's downfall.
 * Krona ki cristorr!
 * Chroma heckt corta.


 * Irritated
 * One day, I will regain the Temple.
 * You I trust, but never Illidan.
 * I am getting too old for this.
 * Why did you poke me?
 * Is this some strange custom of your people?
 * Your finger is puny, so it is more annoying than anything else.
 * Now you're just TRYING to annoy me. Mission accomplished.
 * Magtheridon had better manners.
 * Very well. You leave me no choice but to ignore you.

Combat ally

 * Aggro
 * say
 * say
 * say


 * Killed a mob
 * say
 * say
 * say


 * Defeated
 * say
 * say

World of Warcraft: Illidan

 * "Illidan spends lives like a drunken mercenary squanders ill-gotten silver"
 * “Because you are not stupid. Let us not play games with each other, Maiev Shadowsong. You are free because I have set you free. You can indulge a childish thirst for revenge or you can help me overthrow our true enemy.”

In Hearthstone
Akama appears as HS Akama (a legendary card) for the rogue class in the Ashes of Outland expansion for Hearthstone. Upon death, he shuffles back into the player's deck as HS Akama Prime, who is permanently in HS Stealth and strongly resembles the Shade of Akama. Akama's flavor text reads: "To many of my people, I am known as a traitor... as Illidan's lapdog. I will remain in the shadows, for now... Actually, maybe I'll just remain in the shadows forever."

Notes and trivia

 * Like all draenei in Warcraft III, Akama was originally depicted as looking like a Lost One. The Burning Crusade changed him to a Broken, but some of his features more closely resemble a cross between a Broken and a Lost One, such as his strange face (notably his mouth) and the basket he carries on his back. The short story Unbroken mentions that Akama took in a larger amount of the fel energy that caused the draenei to mutate into Broken, which likely explains his physical appearance.
 * Akama can be spotted with his original Warcraft III appearance in the background of the art piece "Foes of Outland" by Wei Wang.
 * In Warcraft III: Reforged, Akama has a unique model closely resembling his World of Warcraft appearance, even though all other draenei units continue to look like Lost Ones.
 * As of Cataclysm, Akama and Maiev are depicted on the loading screen for Outland.
 * Before Illidan's resurrection in Legion, Akama was the last survivor of the original Illidari leaders.
 * The time at which Akama met Illidan and his followers seems to have been retconned (or possibly just eluded the developers). In the Warcraft III mission Gates of the Abyss, it is obvious that he met them after they had begun to close down Ner'zhul's dimensional gateways. In the patch 2.1 trailer, however, he is instead seen together with them when they first decide to close the gates.
 * Akama was originally described as a priest of the Temple of Karabor. retconned him to a vindicator.
 * His name is possibly a pun, as Akama and other draenei in Warcraft III fight with sickle-like weapon resembling , so he uses a kama. Akama himself uses both a sickle-like weapon and another blade in Warcraft III, while in World of Warcraft he uses two of the sickle-like weapons. The same type of weapon can be seen on draenei banners.
 * One of the possible names for Alliance submarines used during naval missions on the alternate Draenor is "Akama's Scythe".
 * Following the release of Warlords of Draenor, Akama in Outland uses Exarch Akama's on-click quotes. This is probably not intentional.
 * Akama admired Altruis the Sufferer for opposing the direction Illidan was taking.
 * As a bodyguard in Legion, Akama rides a Warsong Direfang while mounted on the ground and, strangely, Reins of the Bronze Drake while flying.
 * During the development of Legion, each Class Hall champion's unlock quest included descriptions of who they are and what their role would be on missions. Akama's read: "As the master architect of Illidan's plan to destroy the Burning Legion, and head of the Ashtongue tribe, Akama has proven to be a resourceful leader as well as a brilliant strategist and skilled fighter." / "Akama is a master of stealth, combat, and strategy."
 * Akama is voiced by Steve Blum.