Azerite



Azerite is the name given to the crystallized blood of Azeroth. When Sargeras stabbed the world with his sword, it caused her to bleed her life essence all over the world. The Alliance and the Horde are now fighting over it. Magni Bronzebeard gave an adventurer the Heart of Azeroth, a relic from Azeroth herself that allows the bearer to consume the Azerite and through it, heal Azeroth.

Island Expeditions serve as the main source for Azerite, with maps for them provided by the gnomes and goblins.

History
Long ago, Aman'Thul, the Highfather of the titan Pantheon, ripped the Old God Y'Shaarj from the world's crust and tore it apart. The volatile arcane lifeblood of Azeroth's world-soul rushed to the surface and roiled over the world. It was through this event that the Pantheon realized that the Old Gods had embedded themselves too deep in Azeroth's surface to remove without severely harming the world-soul, and so they instead resolved to imprison the vile entities below the surface of the world. After the Old Gods and their elemental minions had been defeated and sealed in their prisons, the titans' most powerful servants — the keepers — set to work to seal the still-bleeding wound. After having labored day and night to construct magic wards around the wound, the tumultuous arcane energies eventually calmed and settled into balance, and the keepers named it the Well of Eternity.

On Kezan before the Cataclysm, the Bilgewater Cartel dug deep enough into the earth that they were able to find and mine a small vein of Azeroth's blood. Jastor Gallywix fashioned it into the orb on his cane. He believes there is a possibility that this mining operation bears partial responsibility for the eruption of Mount Kajaro, and it may not have been solely the fault of the Cataclysm.

After Sargeras stabbed Azeroth in Silithus, Azeroth began to bleed out across the world. The Alliance and Horde saw Azerite's potential as a power source and began to fight over it, while Magni Bronzebeard tasked an adventurer with gathering the blood and returning it to the world-soul to heal her.

Battle for Azeroth

 * The Ashvane Trading Company uses Azerite to create powerful gunpowder and explosives and notably used Azerite weapons to destroy Daelin's Gate.
 * Kezan was left brimming with Azerite following Sargeras' assault on Azeroth. Seeking to make a fortune and ascend to the title of trade prince, the Venture Company's leader Mogul Razdunk focused the company's efforts on weaponizing the mineral and selling it to the highest bidder.
 * The Bloodwake vrykul fervently seek Azerite for unknown purposes.
 * The presence of Azerite threw the Elemental Plane into tumult, with the lesser elementals seeing it as a sign of elemental rebirth.
 * Self-proclaimed black dragon earth-warders claim that the golden world-blood is theirs to protect.
 * The Amathet tol'vir believe that they, stewards of the titans, should control Azerite.
 * Odyn has heard about the mortal races' search for Azerite, and his Valarjar have gathered what they could.
 * The mantid empress Shek'zara has mobilized most of her forces to search for Azerite. The Shado-Pan do not yet know her motives, but they have decided that they don't like it.
 * According to Keerin, most vulpera know better than to go near Azerite due to its volatility, but others don't mind pocketing the "power rocks".
 * The Faithless sethrak harvest Azerite throughout Vol'dun, believing that the power from the stone will fuel their empire.

Appearance
Azerite comes in two forms: fluid and hardened chunks. It is liquid when it bleeds from the earth and only solidifies when exposed to air. It is surprisingly light in its solid form and once hardened, it cannot be broken by swords, hammers, goblin shredders, or the energy pulse from the Crunchola. Armor constructed out of Azerite survived three minutes of bombardment from Sapphronetta's Lightning Blast 3000 with only a slight melting of the metal. Azerite's coloration is a combination of icy blue and a golden color similar to honey or amber.

The Azerite sample that the Bilgewater Cartel found below Kezan before the Cataclysm was originally gold and liquid, but when exposed to air it solidified, gradually lost its amazing properties, and changed color to become as red as a drop of human blood. However, when Sargeras struck Azeroth and new Azerite began flowing to the surface, the old Azerite sample turned back to gold and regained its previous characteristics.

Effects and uses

 * Being a titan's blood, like the Well of Eternity, Azerite is arcane in nature.
 * It is an extremely potent mineral that can be used to power machines and weapons.
 * Wielding Azerite is a startling experience that fills one's body with an abundance of energy, heightens comprehension, and causes one's mind to be filled with brilliant and innovative ideas. Anduin Wrynn compared the sensation to the Light, but much more intense and more physical than spiritual. Velen considered the sensation to be similar to holding a piece of a naaru. The exact effects seem to differ from person to person:
 * When Anduin Wrynn held an Azerite pebble, his weariness and the grief for his father vanished, replaced by surging energy. His mind raced with strategies to ensure a lasting peace benefiting every being on Azeroth. Furthermore, his body reached new levels of strength, dexterity, and control, making him feel like he could move mountains, end war, and channel the Light into every dark corner. He felt exultant, but the same time perfectly calm and certain how to channel the rush of power. Even when he placed the Azerite in a handkerchief in his pocket and was no longer directly touching it, the sensation remained present and noticeable, albeit less intense.
 * When Sylvanas Windrunner held the mineral, she felt energy coiling through every muscle and like she was powerful enough to crush skulls with her grip or cover a league in a single stride. Frighteningly brilliant and creative thoughts raced through her brain. She saw herself as a goddess of destruction and creation, able to raise entire armies, cities, and cultures, or destroy them to swell the numbers of her Forsaken.
 * When Grizzek Fizzwrench held it, everything in the room around him came into hyperfocus, amplifying the colors and allowing him to hear layers in the sound of the nearby ocean and almost feel the vibrations of birdsong. His mind raced uncontrollably, analyzing and calculating the exact details of his hand's contact with the Azerite and what uses the mineral could have.
 * When Sapphronetta Flivvers held it, she felt alert, strong, and sharp, and the pain of her sunburn, the dryness in her mouth, and the hunger in her stomach all vanished. Her mind was immediately filled with ideas on how to improve Feathers if only she had access to the right tools. Although her brain was "on fire", it was calm and not frantic.
 * Azerite can both neutralize poisons and massively amplify their effects:
 * When a highly poisonous, corrosive substance was smeared on a chunk of Azerite, the poison changed color and became completely harmless to touch and ingest. Furthermore, while the poison was supposed to be tasteless, the Azerite caused it to taste like sunfruit and cherries.
 * Mixing heated Azerite with a drop of poison achieved a similar result to the above and caused a palm tree to double in size when poured on the plant. However, when the proportions of poison to Azerite were switched and then applied to the same tree, the results were the opposite: the plant instantly blackened and died, every fragment of the plant rotting simultaneously.
 * Sapphronetta speculated that Azerite may be able to heal wounds and extend life.
 * When a single drop of an Azerite potion was applied to Grizzek's bald head, he grew a thick mane of glossy black hair flowing down his back.
 * Earth elementals go crazy if Azerite is infused into them.
 * Ancients, being connected to the world, are pained by the presence of Azerite.
 * The appearance of Azerite in the Wailing Caverns caused the animals of the Overgrowth to behave strangely.
 * Azerite can become depleted.

Despite its destructive potential, Sapphronetta believes that Azerite's natural state is ultimately toward growth and healing.

Occurences
Below is a list of locations that the Azerite appeared naturally, in liquid or solid state by an eruption in the land or as scars.

🇨🇴
 * Kul Tiras
 * Tiragarde Sound
 * Winterdeep Basin
 * Winterdeep Mining Camp
 * Winterdeep Mine
 * Umber Shore
 * Winterchill Mine
 * A cave in northern Tiragarde
 * Drustvar
 * A cave in western Drustvar
 * Arom's Crossing
 * Hunter's Run
 * Stormsong Valley
 * Braxton Lodge
 * Mariner's Strand
 * Windshorn Depths
 * Southeastern mountains
 * Mechagon Island
 * Crystalized Cavern


 * Zandalar
 * Zuldazar
 * Bilgewater Bonanza
 * Covescale Rise
 * Predator Pass
 * Verdant Slope
 * A cave entered from Xibala
 * Nazmir
 * Primal Wetlands / Antul'Mita Plateau
 * Plains of Tojek
 * Razorjaw River cave
 * Vol'dun
 * Southwestern Vol'dun
 * Blistering Wastes
 * Bouldered Bluffs cave
 * Redrock Mines

🇨🇴
 * Broken Isles
 * Highmountain
 * Neltharion's Lair
 * Dragon's Spine


 * Kezan
 * The MOTHERLODE!!


 * The Maelstrom


 * Nazjatar
 * Basin Hideout


 * Island Expeditions
 * Crestfall
 * The Dread Chain
 * Havenswood
 * Jorundall
 * Molten Cay
 * The Rotting Mire
 * Skittering Hollow
 * Snowblossom Village
 * Un'gol Ruins
 * Uncharted Island
 * Verdant Wilds
 * Whispering Reef

🇨🇴
 * Kalimdor
 * Ashenvale
 * Blackfathom Deeps
 * Darkshore
 * Nazj'vel
 * Lornesta Mine
 * Mount Hyjal
 * Nordrassil
 * Northern Barrens
 * Wailing Caverns
 * Silithus: The Wound


 * Eastern Kingdoms
 * Blackrock Mountain
 * Blackrock Depths
 * Dark Iron Highway


 * Veiled Sea
 * Seething Shore

Some creatures can also be infused with azerite, such as shale spiders (Azerite Skitterer) or earthen like the Earthen Guardians. An Azerite Leviathan kraken was also seen.

As a companion pet

 * Azeriti and Azerite Puddle can be purchased from Magni Bronzebeard when with Champions of Azeroth, for 100 and 200 Polished Pet Charms respectively.

Notes and trivia

 * Liquid Azerite heals your character and gives a 10% damage buff.
 * Azerite has been likened to plutonium in regards to the nature of its discovery by the Horde and Alliance.
 * Jastor Gallywix's cane is ornamented with Azerite.
 * Priscilla Ashvane has an Azerite necklace.
 * Grizzek Fizzwrench gave Sapphronetta Flivvers an engagement ring adorned with a single hardened drop of Azerite. It's suggested that the ring may have been responsible for saving their lives from the bomb planted by Druz and his goons.
 * Azerite was foreshadowed with the Cursed Shard quest, which rewarded Awoken Titan Essence. See Arcanomancer Vridiel. It was also foreshadowed with the Blood of a Titan (quest) quest, the blood of Argus.
 * Azerite is similar in concept to Mako from the video game Final Fantasy VII, as a power source that is actually the life force of a living planet.

Speculation

 * The Crystallized Drop of Eternity that drops from Xavius may be a crystallized drop of water from the Well of Eternity and would thus be similar to Azerite.
 * Given the similarities between Azerite and Argunite and their ability to solidify into crystals, Argunite was likely the blood of Argus.