Highlights

  • World of Warcraft's new update, Guardians of the Dream, reveals the origins of Dryads, iconic creatures featured in previous Warcraft games and associated with the Emerald Dream.
  • Players embark on a sidequest to help Druid Ethidris Creekward and encounter a newborn Dryad named Dionaessa, who imprints on the character and becomes their adopted child.
  • The quest draws inspiration from the Traveler novel trilogy, which introduced a similar Dryad character, and fans are excited to see this beloved lore incorporated into the game.

A new quest in World of Warcraft reveals how Dryads–an iconic creature players have known about since they appeared as a unit in Warcraft 3–are created. The sidequest exploring the lore of these frolicking fey creatures appears in Guardians of the Dream, the next major content update for World of Warcraft.

Dryads, also called the Daughters of Cenarius, are a type of fey-like being associated with the Emerald Dream in World of Warcraft, where Patch 10.2, Guardians of the Dream, takes place. Featuring the lower body of a deer, and an upper body similar to an elf or a nymph, the origin of these popular World of Warcraft creatures has been shrouded in myth for many years.

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Now, World of Warcraft has pulled back the curtain on the lore of these creatures in Guardians of the Dream. While exploring the new zone, players encounter the Druid Ethidris Creekward and Melyrine Petalshade, a Dryad. While helping them retrieve missing Dream acorns, one falls into the water and emerges into a newborn Dryad named Dionaessa, who immediately imprints on the character, treating them like a parent and guardian. Wowhead cataloged some screenshots and dialogue highlights from this charming quest.

Technically speaking, this lore appeared outside of World of Warcraft itself in the past. Traveler, a young adult novel trilogy set in the WoW universe released in 2016 through 2019, featured a Dryad named Taryndrella, who was born via a similar method. That said, several parts of the books were retconned in recent World of Warcraft lore, which made many players uncertain as to what was still canon. Several years later, it seems this aspect of the lore has finally made the jump to World of Warcraft proper.

Fans were understandably charmed by this new World of Warcraft quest. Dryads are a fan-favorite creature, so being able to not only learn more about them but also adopt one was a delight for those who found the quest on the Public Test Realm already. The Traveler trilogy is also a wellspring of fantastic lore, so many fans are glad to see aspects of the beloved series make it into the game. Players hope World of Warcraft uses Dionaessa again somewhere in the future, especially considering the player becomes a parental figure to her.

Players can meet Dionaessa and all the other denizens of the Emerald Dream in World of Warcraft on November 7. Were that not exciting enough on its own, BlizzCon is right around the corner. The World of Warcraft panel where they will likely reveal the next expansion takes place on November 3, so players should be sure to tune in.