The Reliquary is a blood elven organization dedicated to the acquisition of powerful magical artifacts and studying the past, serving as the Horde counterpart to the Explorer's League.
It is led by High Examiner Tae'thelan Bloodwatcher. Prior to his assassination during the Blood War by Shandris Feathermoon while overseeing an excavation in Vol'dun, High Examiner Arlethal Sunwatcher co-led the Reliquary alongside Bloodwatcher.
Background[]
The leader of the Reliquary, Tae'thelan Bloodwatcher, had spent a lifetime mastering the arts of sorcery and furthering his pursuit of magical knowledge. Gathering like-minded blood elves, he formed the Reliquary, a primarily blood elven (but nonetheless multiracial) organization to acquire powerful magical artifacts for the sin'dorei and theirHorde allies. Tae'thelan maintains that such power not only should not be feared, but can be safety utilized with proper teaching, a creed he aims to instill in allies of the Reliquary.
Through these moderate and controlled methods, Tae'thelan ultimately aims to free his people from their magical addiction, and unite them as the proud, mighty race they once were.
Accounts also make mention of an unknown council based in Silvermoon ordering the Reliquary's formal creation.
Membership[]
As the name suggests, the Reliquary represents a very different side of the elves, one perhaps more in tune with (but still strikingly different to) the Farstriders. In place of wondrous displays of arcane mastery or dedicated knights in plate and mail, the Reliquary is, at a glance, a somewhat more mundane line of work: the art of the dig is certainly not a glamorous endeavor, yet still attracts a diverse variety of members. Nonetheless, when particularly formidable danger is involved, the Reliquary has members of both the Magisters and the Blood Knights on hand to ensure their work proceeds smoothly -- the former to ensure the deciphering and probing of ancient texts (as seen in the Ruins of Ogudei; and later, the grand magister himself and Archmage Aethas Sunreaver were called in to this end) comes along quickly and efficiently, while the latter occasionally serve as guards.
In addition, the Reliquary employs scouts, outrunners and -- inevitably -- adventurers. Making use of the wider Horde, the more physically powerful of the blood elves' allies have also been put to good use by the Reliquary.
The Horde's archaeology trainers are also members of the Reliquary.
Goals[]
Tae'thelan's stated goals for the Reliquary culminate in a desire to free his people of their magical addiction for good, by using powerful magical artifacts through controlled methods. Though the Sunwell is restored, in essence, it is not a cure for magical addiction -- but a constant source of power to keep it in check, as it was since the founding of Quel'Thalas. To truly conquer the elves' addiction to magic (as both Tae'thelan and Lady Liadrin have gone on record as stating), the elves must conquer the addiction itself as their Sunwell sustains them on this quest.
The Reliquary's more immediate goals are to amass a vast amount of magical artifacts, wealth and lore, so as to ensure it cannot be used against them.
The Reliquary also owns a physical vault (named the Grand Vault), though its location is a closely-guarded secret which only the highest-ranking members of the organization are privy to. Some believe it is not even on this plane of existence.