Shadow Council

The Shadow Council is a group of mortal warlocks that serve the demons of the Burning Legion.

Formation
When Gul'dan supplanted Ner'zhul as Kil'jaeden's favorite pawn, he began to reorganize the clans into a single engine of destruction. To this end, he promoted a public figurehead, Blackhand of the Blackrock clan to the new position of Warchief. Though Blackhand was cunning, he lacked the loyalty to Kil'jaeden and deviousness needed to drive the Horde. Thus, Gul'dan secretly brought together a collection of warlocks, necrolytes, chieftains, and even the occasional ogre into a clandestine council — the Shadow Council.

The original purpose of the Council was to ensure the stability of the Horde in their quest to destroy the draenei, manipulate the clans and spread the use of warlock magics. When the time came, the Shadow Council fed the blood of Mannoroth to the clans, apart from the Frostwolf clan (whose chieftain, Durotan, forbade them from partaking) and a few other individuals.

The Council made their headquarters at the Black Temple and oversaw the destruction of the draenei until Kil'jaeden mysteriously vanished. As the Horde began to fragment, the Shadow Council was contacted by Medivh, who offered a new world to plunder.

The First War
The Shadow Council operated a number of the Horde's workings during the war effort against the Kingdom of Azeroth. But their time was near.

King Llane Wrynn was assassinated by one of the Shadow Council's finest killers: the half-orc, Garona. Following the death of Medivh, Gul'dan was incapacitated for several weeks. During this time, Orgrim Doomhammer killed Blackhand the Destroyer and seized the mantle of Warchief. He captured and tortured Garona to learn of the existence of the Shadow Council, and sensing it threatened his position, launched an attack on Gul'dan's citadel near the ruins of Azeroth, annihilating most of the warlocks of the Council. Their spirits were subsequently imbued into the death knights.

Beyond the Second Invasion
Even in the aftermath of the second invasion of the Burning Legion, the Shadow Council still remains. It is not clear how the Council was reformed after the death of most of their members, including Gul'dan. It is known that some of its members, including Vorpil and Blackheart, survived by hiding in Auchindoun. The current Shadow Council now includes members of all races, provided they possess the ideology of acceptance of the tenets of the Burning Legion.

Structure and operations
The shape of the original Shadow Council is unclear. Gul'dan is described as a "warlock of the Inner Circle" (also an "initiate of the Seventh Circle" ) and Cho'Gall as an "initiate of the Fifth." This means that there are at least five circles of the Shadow Council, the Inner Circle being the Seventh.

The hold of the current Shadow Council is extensive; they control cell-based organizations throughout Kalimdor including the Burning Blade and Searing Blade cults, which utilize the powers of the Demon Seed. Agents of the Council have even infiltrated areas of the Orcish capital city of Orgrimmar. It is also revealed from a questline in Darkshore that the Cult of the Dark Strand is another branch of the Shadow Council, and certain clues, like Argus Wake members they employ, Marez Cowl, and Darbel Montrose, lead some to believe that the Syndicate may be affiliated, if maybe loosely, with the Council. The Shadow Council is also present at Jaedenar in Felwood, Grangol'var Village in Terokkar Forest, and Kil'sorrow Fortress in Nagrand. Its headquarters are in the Shadow Labyrinth of Auchindoun.

Cults and groups currently directed by the Shadow Council

 * "Many cults exist within the Council, but only to hide its actions against the foolish. Groups like the Burning Blade, the Argus Wake, and the Searing Blade are tools of the Council. Consider them one and the same."
 * —Thrall


 * Burning Blade - Primarily orcs. Concerned with undermining Thrall's Horde. Based in Durotar, Orgrimmar, Desolace, the Barrens and elsewhere. Led by Neeru Fireblade.
 * The Cabal, a faction in Outland consisting of Shadow Council remnants from the time before the First War.
 * Searing Blade - Primarily orcs. Concerned with undermining Thrall's Horde. Based in Ragefire Chasm, beneath the city of Orgrimmar. Led by Bazzalan and Jergosh the Invoker.
 * Argus Wake - Primarily humans. Concerned with sowing chaos among the areas of Lordaeron controlled by the Alliance and Horde. Allied with the Syndicate of the Alterac Mountains. The Wake's leader is unknown, but its members in Alterac were once led by the orc Nagaz, who vanished during the Cataclysm.
 * Cult of the Dark Strand - Various mortal races. Concerned with cultivating an alliance between themselves and the foul satyrs. Based in Darkshore and Ashenvale, led by Athrikus Narassin. Since the Cataclysm, the Dark Strand has been annhiliated.

Note that most Shadow Council members are orcs; although they worship demons, they are not fel orcs.