GREEN DRAGONFLIGHT

Though elemental life existed on Azeroth long before the coming of the titans, it was not until Keeper Freya created the verdant sites of Sholazar Basin, Un'Goro Crater, and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms that nature as we know it began to flourish. Believed to have formed where the Well of Eternity's power coalesced, these cradles of life gave rise to a wide diversity of flora and fauna first envisioned within the Emerald Dream. The Dream exists as an ever-shifting plane of spiritual energy intrinsically tied to the world's unaltered past. It is a vision of Azeroth in a natural state, unaltered by the mortal races and where time as we know it holds no dominion.

As caretakers of the Dream, the green dragonflight seldom exist within Azeroth's waking realm, except in times of dire need. Instead, they've come to rely on the druids who were granted unhindered access to the Dream. In her role as the guardian of nature, Ysera reportedly forged deep relationships with the primordial creatures who emerged from the early, unchecked abundance of Freya's enclaves, known as Wild Gods.

These mighty denizens who once wandered the vast forestlands of Azeroth at the keeper's side were instrumental during the Cataclysm when they answered the green Apsect's call and helped push back the elemental forces of the Firelord Ragnaros. Yet despite the green dragonflight's staunch safeguarding of the Emerald Dream, a sinister rot slowly began to creep into the sanctity of their realm. In an attempt to stop the spread of a Void- tainted mineral known as saronite, Archdruid Fandral Staghelm planted several branches of the World Tree throughout Azeroth. While the trees thrived, the roots of the World Tree Andrassil eventually reached so deep that they made contact with the ancient prison of an Old God. Fearing its corruption, the druids destroyed Andrassil, but their intervention came too late. The taint of the Old God Yogg Saron had already found its way into the Dream, where the rot unleashed the Nightmare upon the unsuspecting Dreamers and slowly began to corrupt the Dream.

YSERA

Aspect of the Green Dragonflight - The Dreamer - Aspect of Nature - The Awakened - The Emerald Queen

Ysera is known as the Dreamer for the perpetual trancelike state the Aspect exhibited. It is said that only a few beings in history had ever seen Ysera's eyes open, with such occurrences always heralding dire events. From within the Emerald Dream, Ysera could concurrently observe the workings of both the ever-shifting spirit realm and the physical world of Azeroth. Charged by Keeper Freya with maintaining the balance of nature and its connection to the Dream, the green dragonflight has a sacred duty to ensure that the cycle of life continues unhindered on Azeroth. To aid in this monumental task, the Aspect of Nature forged an alliance with the elven druids after witnessing their valiant efforts during the War of the Ancients. Through Ysera's blessing, the druids gained direct access to the Dream without the need for intense meditation. Likewise, it is presumed that Ysera's deep connection to the moon goddess was forged through her relationship with the elves, who worshiped Elune as a deity of life. Though Ysera was rarely known to leave the Dream, she never failed to answer her red sister's call to defend their world against threats from the Legion, from the Void, or from within their own dragonflights. During the Winterskorn War, as Keeper Loken's titan-forged army of warrior vrykul wreaked havoc upon the north, legend has it that Ysera joined her fellow Aspects in halting their conquest by sending the fierce fighters into a deep and dreamless slumber that contained them for many thousands of years. Ysera also aided in Alexstrasza's escape during the Battle of Grim Batol and stood united with the other Aspects against Deathwing. Yet after the destruction of the Demon Soul and the return of her long-withheld power, Ysera suddenly felt the sinister and brooding darkness slithering deep within the Dream.

It was a corruption that would come to be known as the Emerald Nightmare; once exposed, it wasted no time in claiming its first victims. Reports soon came in from Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms of twisted green dragons seen emerging from the dream portals located at each of the remaining World Trees planted by Fandral Staghelm. Most shocking, however, was that all four were ancient and trusted lieutenants of Ysera. They became known as the Dragons of Nightmare, terrorizing the local populations. It was decided that the only way to redeem the corrupted was to kill them and hope that their cleansed spirits would return to the Dream. In time, others fell, turning not just dragons into maddened servants of the Void, but any creature with a connection to the Dream itself.

Though the green Aspect managed to resist the Nightmare for many years, she, too, eventually succumbed due to the treachery of the satyr known as the Nightmare Lord Xavius. In recognizing that Ysera's freedom could come only through death, the heartrending task of killing the majestic Aspect fell to one of her closest allies, Tyrande Whisperwind. After Ysera was felled at the Temple of Elune in Val'sharah, the high priestess says that Ysera's spirit was cleansed by the moon goddess and crossed over into the Shadowlands realm of Ardenweald. There, the Aspect of Nature offered her support to the champions of Azeroth until Archdruid Malfurion took Ysera's place within the Winter Queen's domain so that she could return to Azeroth.

ERANIKUS

Prime Consort of Ysera - Guardian of the Dream - Tyrant of the Dream - The Redeemed

Legend says that as terror and famine spread throughout the declining troll empire, the ancient Gurubashi turned in desperation to a fiendish loa known as Hakkar who promised them salvation, but at a dire cost. To secure the Soul Flayer's favor and save their people, the trolls were required to offer up the very blood of their tribe. Though initially satisfied with sacrifices made of the Gurubashi's captives and enemies, Hakkar soon demanded increasingly more tribute until they had no choice but to banish the loa and his fanatical supporters, the Atal'ai. Exiled from their homeland in the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, the Atal'ai priests moved northward to take refuge within the Swamp of Sorrows, where they resumed their efforts to manifest Hakkar into the physical realm. Aware of the immense power commanded by the loa, whose strength is said to be akin to the Wild Gods, Ysera feared the actions of the fanatical trolls and shattered the temple they had raised. Though most of the structure sunk beneath the murky waters, enough of its inner sanctum survived to allow the Atal'ai to resume their rituals in secret.

Suspecting that the fanatical trolls would not be deterred so easily, Ysera sent members of her flight to watch over the site. As prime consort and shard guardian for the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, Eranikus was considered the strongest dragon of the green flight after only the Aspect herself; he was entrusted with this essential mission along with his friend Itharius and the four young drakes: Dreamscythe, Weaver, Hazzas, and Morphaz. Despite Eranikus's immense power and enduring will, he and his allies stood no chance of resisting the seeping corruption that was slowly infusing every corner of the Dream. Though they were initially successful in their mission to keep the Atal'ai in check, the Emerald Nightmare soon began to eat at their minds, allowing for the green dragons' eventual capture by their troll enemies. The truth of the group's regrettable fate was uncovered later as the need to reassemble years the Scepter of the Shifting Sands led Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage and High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind to seek Eranikus, whom they found trapped within the Nightmare. Though they managed to rescue him from the corruption's absolute control, Eranikus continued to hear the Nightmare calling out to him and knew that Ysera had become similarly trapped within the Dream. While seeking to free the green Aspect, Eranikus and his elven allies came under attack by several corrupted members of their flight. It was during this battle that Eranikus valiantly sacrificed himself to ensure Ysera's escape. To this day, the shade created by Eranikus remains within the sunken Temple of Atal'Hakkar and is best avoided by those unprepared to face the might of a green dragon.

MERITHRA

Leader of the Green Dragonflight - The Dreamer - Of the Dream

Within most mortal societies, the passage of leadership is determined either through birthright or by vicious displays of strength that, as often as not, lead to devastating wars. Such upheaval among the draconic could be catastrophic for our world, so I am told that a new Aspect is selected by vote of the entire flight during a sacred ceremony known as the Embrace. Following the defeat of Deathwing and the loss of the Aspects' power, however, the transfer of leadership has become a less stately affair, as seen most recently with Ysera's daughter, Merithra. An ancient green with a long history of heroic action, Merithra has risen as the clear leader of her beleaguered flight, despite her unfounded concerns over being unworthy of her beloved mother's legacy (a trait, I've come to realize, that seems to be shared by all great leaders). While examples of her heroic actions are many, the defining example of Merithra's valor was her decision to sacrifice herself to end the War of the Shifting Sands by giving Anachronos and his druid allies a chance to erect the Scarab Wall around Ahn'Qiraj. Together with the red dragon Caelestrasz and Arygos of the blue flight, Merithra spent a thousand years trapped within the aqir-infested walls as a captive of the Old God C'Thun. Though none would have begrudged her decision to flee the vile city upon her release, Merithra instead turned her suffering into action by crafting weapons for the forces who brought down the wall and ended the threat of C'Thun.

Years later, Merithra proved instrumental in empowering the Heart of Azeroth, a conduit capable of drawing upon the powers of the Forge of Origination and the Engine of Nalak'sha, to defeat the Old God N'Zoth. In her mother's absence, the Emerald Dream had come under attack by the Nightmare once again. Together, with a group of unnamed heroes, Merithra fought back the corruption and recaptured lost portions of the green dragonflight's power. In gathering those portions of power from the Dream and forging them into a dragon scale, Merithra was able to join the remaining Aspects at the Chamber of Heart and infuse the artifact with their combined essence. Ultimately, it was this power that allowed the champions of Azeroth to enter the Old God's manifestation of Ny alotha and end the malevolent ambitions of the Black Empire, thus saving our world.

YSONDRE

Guardian of the Dream - The Corrupted - Of the Nightmare

Once considered Ysera's most trusted lieutenant, Ysondre fell like so many others of her flight to the malevolence of the Emerald Nightmare. As one of the first dragons to succumb to the unseen corruption, Ysondre emerged from the World Tree portal of Seradane to terrorize the local population of the Hinterlands. Those who dared face her terrible might gave account of her once beneficial healing energies being twisted to summon the spirits of mad druids seemingly trapped within the Dream. They also spoke of an especially lethal form of lightning that proved the bane of many skilled fighters. Tragically, many believe that Ysondre struggled against the Nightmare's hold even as she unleashed her vengeance upon the mortal races. Rather than roar the same declarations of death cry and terror as her counterparts, her battle warned: "The strands of life have been severed!" This theory might hold some merit, as Ysondre eventually managed to free herself of the Nightmare, but at the cost of her connection to the Emerald Dream. After seeing to the death of her corrupted ally Taerar, Ysondre assumed her visage and sought a simple life among the elven races, only to be drawn back into the fight against the Nightmare. In seeking to stop the seeping corruption of the World Tree Shaladrassil in Val'sharah, Ysondre was captured by the satyr Xavius and forced to join the other Dragons of Nightmare in a fight against the heroes of Azeroth. Though she was slain during that encounter, I am told that her cleansed spirit has since returned to the Dream.

EMERISS

Guardian of the Dream - The Corrupted - Of the Nightmare

Of the four Dragons of Nightmare, it is said that Emeriss may have suffered the most from the corruption of the Emerald Dream. Upon her sudden appearance within the Bough of Shadow in Ashenvale, eyewitnesses reported that her once shimmering emerald hide had rotted away, turning the benevolent and majestic green into a diseased abomination. Though the dragon's putrid appearance was enough to drive many hardened fighters from the field of battle, her decaying attacks stood Ysondre's tragic fall to the unrivaled until the horrors of Naxxramas and Icecrown Citadel. According to veterans of the battle, those felled by the rot of her infection or the fury of her claws were viciously turned against their allies by becoming hosts for volatile, poisonous mushrooms. Unlike Ysondre, whom many believe actively fought the corruption, Emeriss displayed the true depth of her madness with the spiteful taunt of "Disease." As an agent of the Nightmare, Emeriss sought for years to corrupt others of her flight, including the prime consort Eranikus after he was redeemed by Tyrande Whisperwind. During a later encounter, the High Priestess of Elune made a similar attempt to cleanse Emeriss, only to find the dragon too far gone to her corruption. Relief did not come in death, however, for Emeriss's tainted essence was still tied to the Nightmare and its master, the Nightmare Lord Xavius, who forced her to fight a group of champions seeking to cleanse Val'sharah during the Burning Legion's invasion of Azeroth. Upon Xavius's defeat, Emeriss's cleansed soul was able to return to the restored sanctity of the Emerald Dream.

TAERAR

Guardian of the Dream - The Corrupted - Of the Nightmare

Taerar was tainted by the same malevolent rot as the other Dragons of Nightmare. However, the manifestation of his corruption was distinct among his brethren. The dark forces at work within the Emerald Dream shattered not only his sanity, but also his corporeal form. No longer restrained to a single physical appearance, Taerar had become capable of splitting himself into multiple copies, each with a volatile new form of magic that he viciously unleashed upon his enemies. After emerging from the Dream Bough in Feralas, Taerar quickly earned a reputation for his uniquely cunning tactics. Those who faced him often spoke of his proclivity to prey upon healers unwary to the presence of his numerous shades. Taerar's war upon the mortal races was eventually halted, but his forced service to the Nightmare continued for many years. The task of ending Taerar's life fell to Ysondre after she managed to break free of the Nightmare's hold. Upon learning of her former ally's continued attempts to spread the Nightmare's rot, Ysondre journeyed to Feralas to stop him. Though she feared that she could once again fall to the same corruption, the ancient green and her mortal allies succeeded in closing the Dream Bough portal. Taerar suffered the same fate as his fellow Dragons of Nightmare after being summoned by the Nightmare Lord Xavius to prevent the cleansing of the Emerald Dream. Upon the satyr's defeat, Taerar's essence was freed of the Nightmare's grasp and now resides within the Emerald Dream.

LETHON

Guardian of the Dream - The Corrupted - Of the Nightmare

hough Emeriss exhibited the worst physical manifestations of the four Dragons of Nightmare, many speculate that Lethon's corruption ran far deeper due to his ability to wield the Void. He emerged from the Dream portal in the Twilight Grove of Duskwood, loudly proclaiming his mastery of such forbidden energy, and few were prepared for the raw power they faced. Bands of glory-hungry fighters made the journey from Stormwind, only to charge recklessly into battle and be cut down in a lethal volley of shadow bolts. Even veterans of the Second War who faced the unbridled fury of the Dragonmaw orcs' captive red dragons found themselves fleeing from such an unthinkable merger of green dragon and shadow energies. Heroes of both the Horde and the Alliance speak of the same impossible talent that allowed Lethon to summon malevolent shades capable of healing each rendering slash and scorching blast leveled against him. Though opinions and accounts differ based on the experience of the group's commander, the unusually high number of casualties incurred to bring down Lethon gave him the dubious reputation of being the most powerful of Ysera's former lieutenants. Lethon's campaign of death was finally ended by the redeemed green dragon Eranikus, who gave his life in defense of his mate and Aspect, Ysera. Seeing no way to defeat the Void-infused dragon in equal combat, Eranikus drew Lethon into the unstable boundary between the waking world and the Dream, where their physical forms were torn apart. As with the other Dragons of Nightmare, Lethon's tainted essence was summoned to prevent the heroes of Azeroth from ending the corruption at Shaladrassil. The champions' brave victory over the Nightmare freed Lethon from his corruption and allowed him to return to the splendor of the Dream.