Emerald Nightmare

For the raid instance, see Emerald Nightmare (instance). For other uses, see Nightmare.

The Emerald Nightmare (or the Nightmare for short) is the name given to the Old God corruption of the Emerald Dream. When the Nightmare spreads, it consumes the life force of all it touches. The more it spreads, the weaker druid magic becomes.^[1] It is a realm of death, decay, and nightmare.^[2]

During the War Against the Nightmare, it was revealed that the Emerald Nightmare was under the rule of a figure known as the Nightmare Lord, who in fact was really Malfurion Stormrage's old nemesis, the satyr Xavius. However, it was also revealed that Xavius himself was a minion of a powerful yet ancient evil, residing in the Rift of Aln, and possibly also beneath Azeroth's oceans.^[3] Despite the defeat of Xavius and the removal of much of the nightmare through the course of Stormrage, the noting of a still-corrupted area indicated that the Nightmare was still a threat. Its influence was slowly overtaking the forests of Val'sharah through the World Tree Shaladrassil during the events of Legion.

The Nightmare acts like a heavy shroud, warping reality, altering the perception of all living things,^[4] and bending the boundary between reality and dream.^[5] None are immune to the Nightmare's corruption,^[6] and it has been known to take hold of former Dragon Aspects, demigods and even demons. When a mortal has become corrupted by the nightmare, there is no return. Only death will set them free,^[7][8] although Elune's power in Tyrande Whisperwind's presence has seemingly cleansed or resisted its corruption to varying degrees on several occasions, such as with Eranikus, Elothir and Ysera.^[9][10] Once cursed, the nightmare will begin consuming the victim's thoughts and filling their head with the voices of other corrupted beings, even the nearby flora.^[11] The curse itself, however, is known to make the victims very, very powerful, rivaling even that of ancients.^[12]

History

Origins

The origins of the Nightmare stretch back to 4,500 years before the First War, when a small group of druids led by Fandral Staghelm took six branches from Nordrassil, the World Tree, and planted them over saronite that had begun to appear across the world. The five first branches grew into Great Trees, while the last and greatest branch—planted over the largest source of saronite in the Grizzly Hills—became the World Tree Andrassil. Unfortunately, Andrassil's roots went deep enough that they touched the prison of the Old God Yogg-Saron, corrupting the tree and spreading madness throughout the nearby wildlife. The druids sorrowfully destroyed the World Tree, believing that this act would halt Yogg-Saron's corruption. What they did not know, however, was that Yogg-Saron had used the trees planted by Fandral as a doorway for the Old Gods to access the Emerald Dream. The Old Gods spread small seeds of corruption throughout the dreamways, in time these seeds polluted the Dream beginning what would become known as the Emerald Nightmare.^[13] While Yogg-Saron was the Old God who opened the Emerald Dream to its brethren, N'Zoth later became the one who took the most active role in its corruption.^[14]

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

The night elf druid Naralex's former acolytes in the Wailing Caverns were corrupted by the Nightmare - transformed into the wicked Druids of the Fang, while Naralex himself slept, trapped within the Nightmare. Many Deviate creatures appeared in the caverns.^[15]

The green dragon Eranikus was corrupted by the Nightmare. Even Ysera's most trusted lieutenants (Lethon, Emeriss, Taerar and Ysondre) were warped by this dark power within the Emerald Dream. Malfurion fought at Cenarius' side against the Nightmare within the dream, but was eventually turned into an Unwaking himself.

In Dire Maul, the leader of the Gordunni ogres, King Gordok, was driven mad by the Emerald Nightmare plaguing his mind. Encouraged by the Nightmare to madness and slaughter, he commanded his followers to indiscriminately murder anyone they could find.^[16]

During the opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj, a satyr which preached the Nightmare's power was situated in Duskwood.

During Season of Discovery, the Emerald Nightmare launched several incursions on Azeroth, prompting adventurers and Emerald Wardens to strike back inside the Dream. Several mortal races such as worgen, harpies, satyrs, and even an expedition of goblin lumberjacks can be found in these.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

By the time of the invasion of Outland, the Nightmare found a way into one of the wings of the Stormrage Barrow Dens, where strange creatures of nightmare suddenly came into the waking world. The Cenarion Dreamwarden were constantly trying to keep the threat at bay. Plantlife was thriving here, but this was not the case in the Emerald Dream. Clintar Dreamwalker could be found asleep in one of the rooms and was part of the quest chain for [Swift Flight Form]. The dread raven god Anzu was behind the attack, his still-cursed physical form having been invoked to Outland by the Sethekk, so that he may attack the Emerald Dream.^[17]

Wrath of the Lich King

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

During the war against the Lich King, adventurers approached Remulos by the advent while saving Crusader Bridenbrad. The Keeper granted them entry into the Emerald Dream to gather Emerald Acorns, where they also fought Nightmare Aberrations and Nightmare Figments.^[18]

When the adventurers fought Valithria Dreamwalker in Icecrown Citadel, she opened portals to the Nightmare where they could find dream clouds.

Stormrage

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

During the events of the War Against the Nightmare, the Emerald Nightmare was almost able to take hold of the whole Emerald Dream and Azeroth at the same time, trapping most of the most powerful heroes of the world in sleep reliving their nightmares. However, Xavius the Nightmare Lord was eventually defeated with the help of a coalition of races, stopping the crisis.

Despite Xavius' defeat at the hands of Malfurion Stormrage and his allies, the Nightmare was not entirely destroyed following its master's defeat. One small part stubbornly stayed in the Rift of Aln, and Malfurion could only seal off the vicinity around the rift until a time that another war would be in their favor.^[19] Xavius's spirit was also sealed inside the Rift of Aln.^[20]

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Following the Cataclysm, the Emerald Nightmare was present in the Nightmare Scar, located at the center of the regrown area of Southern Barrens known as the Overgrowth.^[21] The Nightmare's influence in the Barrens suggested that the evil controlling the Nightmare may have taken advantage of Deathwing's return to infect Azeroth once again.

Taerar still plagued Feralas from the portal at Dream Bough, and Ysondre tasked adventurers to stop him for good.^[22]

The Nightmare was also present in the dream around the Hyjal Barrow Dens, trying to prevent Fandral Staghelm's transfer out of the prison.^[23][24]

Dawn of the Aspects

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

During a meeting of the Wyrmrest Accord, Merithra noted that the Nightmare was stirring within the Rift of Aln and seemed to be seeking a new Nightmare Lord to replace Xavius. However, Ysera said it was now the duty of the druids to watch over the Emerald Dream as she had become mortal following the Hour of Twilight.^[25]

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

By the time of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Emerald Nightmare was revealed to be still active, with its source being located at the tainted World Tree, Shaladrassil in Val'sharah at the Broken Isles. Xavius was revealed to have re-established his ties to the Burning Legion and attempted to use the Nightmare to corrupt the world, while his satyr underlings roamed the tainted glades of Val'sharah.^[26] However, his true loyalties remain with the Old Gods.^[27]

After Xavius was killed, the Emerald Nightmare began to dissipate and the Emerald Dream was restored. However, a small remnant of void remained in the form of a flower. A shadow priest with Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire heared it state that the Nightmare was almost completely removed, but that the Rift of Aln was deep and vast and that the Old God's prison was weakening.

The Deaths of Chromie

At an undisclosed point in the future, but before the end of the Fourth War,^[28] the Emerald Dragonshrine came under attack by the Nightmare. The satyr Thalas Vylethorn plotted the death of Chronormu.^[29]

Battle for Azeroth and aftermath

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

True to Xal'atath's words, the Nightmare has survived the death of Xavius, at least in a form. It was most prominently discovered by an Alliance adventurer and the Order of Embers during the investigation into the Drustvar region of Kul Tiras. There, the ancient enemies of the Kul Tirans and former rulers of the island, the Drust, and their king Gorak Tul were discovered to have survived destruction at the hands of Kul Tirans centuries ago by escaping into a death realm they called "Thros, the Blighted Lands". Though unknown to them, and to the Alliance, this was, in fact, an off-shoot of the Emerald Nightmare.^[2]

Later, while the Alliance adventurer worked with Katherine Proudmoore to discover Jaina's location, they found that she had been pulled into Thros. Though the two succeeded in freeing her from the dark realm and fending off Gorak Tul once more, the Blighted Lands appear to still persist.

Additionally, during the Alliance and Horde's ongoing struggle over Darkshore, Gren Tornfur seemed to be wielding the power of the Nightmare in the form witnessed in Legion.

During the fight against Ra-den the Despoiled, Essences of Nightmare and Night Terrors were fought.

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

According to Zekhan after the Fourth War, the corruption of the Nightmare has remained in the Wailing Caverns since Naralex's rescue. In his words, the corruption was stronger than any war machine, greed, or blind bravery.^[30]

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

While in her wildseed in Ardenweald, Ysera was troubled with nightmares. When the Maw Walkers were working on helping Ysera, nightmare manifestations such as Disturbed Nightmares appeared.^[31]

Appearance

The corrupted environment and beings take the colors black, gray, red, and violet in their appearance. The nightmare seems to have a penchant for fleshy and thorny black-red growths; spreading like weeds and vines. It leaves an ichorous purple mist, from which sometimes nightmare lurkers erupt.

The nightmare affects the ancients and dragons most prominently. Ancients become withered, their bark turning black with red-hewn streaks within it. The dragons become thin and emaciated with strange red light growths. Their skin becomes shades of black and gray in the case of dragons and whelps. In the case of the drakes, their skin seems to have disappeared, leaving them emaciated black bone and red growth skeletal dragons.

Corrupted races

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

The Emerald Nightmare was created using the twisted thoughts and fears of sleeping beings' subconscious minds to corrupt the Emerald Dream. The Nightmare travels slowly through the Dream, leaving corrupted, vicious animals and Unwaking travelers in its path. Many druids were called to the Emerald Dream to help fight back its effects. The green dragons did what they could, though they dared not risk becoming themselves corrupted. The Eye of Ysera had not yet been approached by the Nightmare, but some feared that one day it will.^[33]

The Emerald Dream is not a place of total perfection. It can be shaped and twisted by dreams, usually without a sleeper's knowledge. Sadly, nightmares are themselves a crafting of the subconscious and have given rise to their own place within the Dream. The Nightmare, as the denizens call it, is not a specific location, but a constantly roaming effect that travels about unpredictably. The skies above the Nightmare are constantly clouded, creating a gloomy, depressing zone that weakens and deadens everything it touches. The beautiful green vegetation is twisted into brown decay, while ordinarily peaceful creatures are corrupted into shadowy, mutated versions of themselves known as Corrupted Ones. The Corrupted Ones are vicious and cruel, hunting anything they can, even after they leave the Nightmare's affected zone.

Worse still, some dream-travelers who enter the Nightmare — or are engulfed by its movements — become trapped in the Emerald Dream. They cannot leave, so their bodies back on Azeroth remain in a permanent sleep, slowly starving to death unless tended by helpful aides. While trapped, they are known as the Unwaking; they are also corrupted and will do anything to get back home. The Nightmare is believed to be slowly growing in size and power.^[33]

Memorable quotes

• Malfurion Stormrage says: I fear for the worst, old friend. Within the Dream we fight a new foe, born of an ancient evil. Ysera's noble brood has fallen victim to the old whisperings. It seems as if the Nightmare has broken through the realm to find a new host on Azeroth.
• Eranikus, Tyrant of the Dream yells: My redemption? You are bold, little one. My redemption comes by the will of my god.
• From the novel Stormrage: ...many, regretfully, were like Lethon and Emeriss, and could not survive without the Nightmare; they melted away as the shadow satyrs had. For that and who they once had been, Malfurion mourned them.

Notes

• When seeping into rivers, the Nightmare can corrupt aquatic life.^[34]
• At BlizzCon 2010, Chris Metzen stated that it was the Old God N'Zoth who was responsible for the Emerald Nightmare.^[35] Chronicle Volume 1 later revealed that Yogg-Saron was the one responsible for allowing the Old Gods access into the Emerald Dream. Chronicle Volume 3 clarified that while it was Yogg-Saron's touch that originally corrupted the Dream, N'Zoth later took over the role.^[14]

Gallery

Corrupted races

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  Emerald Nightmare creature

Regions

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Concept art

Fanart

Videos

Load video

• The Story of The Emerald Nightmare

See also

• Dreamform

References