It's interesting that you bring up the fifth element. I'm totally obsessed with the idea of a fifth

element and have been since I first heard about it. I'm sure it's open to interpretation, but I've

used the idea of a fifth element as a way to play my BE Shadow Priest, actually. Everything I've

read about the fifth element, or Akasha (um, mostly on Wikipedia but also in a few books) basically

says that it is the aether, the universe, the sum of all things and the absence of all things, and

kind of just... the unknown. But also the amalgamation of all things. (Which I guess is what you

said.) But I run more with a literal idea of the aether, where the universe is sort of the fifth

element. The celestial bodies floating around in space as an element, as simple as "water." Because

I think that's supercool.

Also, though, I've read about the fifth element having to do with things that sort of just exist and

you don't know why, so I would lump consciousness in with that. And since I love for my Priest to be

a follower of the Cult of Shadow, which I've read is mostly about drawing on personal power (which is

basically Satanism), the fifth element idea still sort of works.

I have a Draenei Shaman who's sitting at level 31 or so until I have time to play her, but I really

love her. Of every class I've played, the only ones I've really wished I could be in real life are a

Shaman and a Shadow Priest. (Well, and maybe a Druid, but I've never leveled one past like, 5.) I

adored the starting area quests for Draenei Shaman so much I'd be tempted to start an alt just to go

through the quests again. I wish every class in this game had such involved "training" quest chains.

Great job on Blizz's part.

Anyway, I like the idea of a fifth element but I guess I don't like it very much for Shaman. I think

of them as worshippers of the earth and the elements (whereas Druids are just sort of worshippers of

life in general and the earth is included in that), and I suppose you could say that since Shamanism

started in Outland (if I understand correctly), then they would have considered the aether to be an

element. But for me, I like thinking that WoW's frequently used "shadow" (as in shadow bolt,

shadowform, etc) basically means "aether," as in, it's not evil (fel), it's not frost or fire, it's

not arcane, it's shadow/aether.

That's my two copper. :)

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