Highlights
- The Emerald Dream in World of Warcraft represents the cycle of life and death, and serves as a blueprint for the evolution of Azeroth's nature.
- The Dream is protected by Druids and green dragons, who have a deep connection to its balance and preservation.
- The upcoming zone and raid tier in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will take place in the Emerald Dream, where players will learn about the harmony of nature and must protect the World Tree sapling.
World of Warcraft’s Emerald Dream is an ever-changing, mystical realm inextricably tied to Azeroth. It’s well-known that this plane is sacred to all Druids and the Green Dragonflight, but little more than that. What exactly the Emerald Dream is and why it was created is not explicitly revealed within the game, so players have to dig a little deeper to find out.
In World of Warcraft: Dragonflight’s current lore, the Emerald Dream is being threatened by the Flame Incarnate, Fyrakk. He wishes to claw his way into this peaceful plane and claim the power of a World Tree sapling growing within. Players will have to venture deep within the Dream if they wish to save Azeroth from the Primal Incarnate’s wrath.
The Emerald Dream in World of Warcraft Represents the Cycle of Life and Death
If one wants to learn more about this wild and verdant realm, it’s important to understand the history of life on Azeroth. When the Titans sought to shape the planet as they saw fit, Freya, the Titan Keeper of Life, created an ethereal realm called the Emerald Dream. This ever-shifting plane serves as a blueprint for the evolution of Azeroth’s nature and reflects a vision of the world unaltered by sapient beings.
When Ysera became Aspect of the Green Dragonflight, she and her kin were sworn to protect the Dream from external influences and preserve its untouched existence. The Emerald Dream itself can be entered both physically and spiritually, although the latter is more common. Druids especially have mastered the art of entering the Dream to deepen their understanding of the cycle of life and death. Understanding this balance is really what it means to be a Druid, and their ultimate goal is to protect this precious ebb and flow.
Although Azeroth’s Druids and green dragons have a deep connection to the cycle of life and death, the life stage, seen as summer and spring, is what is usually represented by the Emerald Dream. This is the phase most are familiar with, shown as a realm of vibrant greenery and rampant growth. In World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, it was revealed that Ardenweald was in essence a reflection of the Emerald Dream, representing the autumn and winter stages. All animals, Druids, Wild Gods, and green dragons go to either the Emerald Dream or Ardenweald when they die, and some can eventually be reborn into the physical world.
Without the Emerald Dream acting as a spiritual realm from which all nature magic flows, Azeroth would be lifeless. Few foes are powerful enough to actually impact the Dream, but protecting it from those threats is the charge of Ysera and her flight. The new World Tree, Amirdrassil, was placed within the Emerald Dream where it could grow undisturbed, as the power nestled within rivals that of a Titan itself.
N’Zoth the Corrupter, one of four Old Gods that used to infect Azeroth, once managed to create a twisted sickness within the Emerald Dream, known as the Emerald Nightmare. This eldritch miasma within the Dream has since been fully expunged, but it took millennia of effort, including eventually slaying N’Zoth himself. Thus, while the Emerald Dream is highly resistant to the dangers of the physical world, it is not invincible.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight’s next zone and raid tier will be set within the Emerald Dream, showcasing the magical wonders of this wild realm. Filled to the brim with fauna and flora of all kinds, players will learn much about the harmony and balance of nature. It will be up to them to protect the World Tree sapling and secure the future of all life on Azeroth.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is available now for PC.