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The Story of Cenarius Part 2 - Lore with Nobbel87
Wowhead
Publié
09/12/2018 à 16:53
par
perculia
It's time for our monthly lore collaboration with
Nobbel87
! In this series, Nobbel will examine the lore behind popular content in Battle for Azeroth, and we'll provide links to database pages, guides, and our own story write-ups so you can learn more and experience the lore and content in-game.
Today's video wraps up the story of Cenarius, the powerful demigod worshipped by the Night Elves. With the continuation of the Night Elf story in Patch 8.1, including the Night Warrior questline and Battle for Darkshore Warfront, we thought it was the perfect time to examine Cenarius.
Click here
to see our write-up of the Story of Cenarius Part 1!
Speaking of the Darkshore Warfront, we have many new guides live covering this 8.1 content:
Story of Battle for Darkshore
Updated Warfront Contributions
Darkshore Resources
Darkshore Strategy
Warfront Service Medals
Darkshore Rewards
Darkshore Transmog
Lore of Tyrande Whisperwind
On to Cenarius!
Archimonde's Return
Hello everyone! Last week we began the story of Cenarius in which we talked about his origin and family tree as well as his time guiding the races of Azeroth and fighting in the War of the Ancients. After those events, his student Malfurion became an archdruid in his own right, and for millennia he walked the Emerald Dream. Keeping balance in nature but always present when his people needed him. And his people would need him soon, as Illidan Stormrage was proven right, the Legion would make a return and try to claim the world once more. This part of history was told in Warcraft 3, when the demon lord Kil’jaeden sent the Lich King to the planet which leads Prince Arthas Menethil to a very dark path, transforming him into a death knight in the service of the Lich King and resurrecting Kel’thuzad as a lich. With his newfound powers, Kel’thuzad summoned forth the demons like the pit lord Mannoroth, and of course, also his lord Archimonde into Azeroth once more. No Well was needed this time around, just the proper incantations. After more than 10.000 years, the one responsible for Malorne's demise walks this world once more.
With the arrival of the Burning Legion, they set their eyes on the second Well of Eternity, hidden by the World Tree Nordrassil. This new Well would give them the power to open gateways for the remainder of the Legion, perhaps even for Sargeras himself. Following Archimonde's orders, Mannoroth and the Dreadlord Tichondrius traveled to Kalimdor to weaken its defenses in preparation for the demon invasions. The continent teemed with creatures who were hostile to the Legion. The demons considered most of them harmless, little more than minor annoyances. But Cenarius and the other wild gods were a different story. During the War of the Ancients, they had fiercely resisted the Legion. If the Legion had any hopes of reaching this new Well, the demons would have to get through Cenarius and his woodland allies first.
To blunt the might of the wilds, Mannoroth and Tichondrius had brought a powerful artifact known as the Skull of Gul'dan to Kalimdor. The demons worked on infusing it with even more Fel magic, making it incredibly powerful. They proceeded to draw its energies to poison the forest of Ashenvale and weaken Cenarius. The process would be slow, but it would be effective. Before the demons could begin the process, however, another opportunity presented itself, in the shape of Orcs.
Several years ago the Draenor Orcs had made a pact with the demon Mannoroth, forged in its blood for strength, giving them the power needed to invade Azeroth through the Dark Portal. The invasion, however, was contained by the original Alliance, which defeated the original Horde, imprisoning the remaining Orcs within internment camps. Amongst them, there was one young Orc that would rise to reform the Horde, Thrall. Thrall, however, had a different vision for the Horde, not as the horde of old trying to claim the entire world, but one that sought to live in harmony with other species. Under his leadership, the Horde came together, with many different allies. Even the one who drank the Demon's blood first, Grommash Hellscream and his Warsong clan, they followed Thrall's leadership. One night, Thrall was visited by the prophet Medivh, which told him to take his people and sail to the ancient lands of Kalimdor. Medivh was a powerful being that knew of the coming of the Legion and worked very hard to undermine their plans.
Unfortunately even being near Mannoroth started to affect the orcs. The blood curse still lingered in their veins and made them more hostile, refusing strict orders given by Thrall. The Warchief saw no other option but to send Grommash and his forces away to chop lumber in the forests of Ashenvale. Unbeknownst that the trees and nature around them were under the protection of the Kaldorei and Cenarius.
“Damn Thrall for sending us away! He chooses to use his greatest warriors for manual labor? He’ll be lost without me.”
“Chieftain, there’s something strange about these woods. It’s too....quiet. Almost like we’re being watched.”
“Are you all afraid of spirits now? Hehehe. There is nothing here but ancient trees and shadow.”
“Anadula forore. Night elves talking and giggling with eachother.”
“You hear that? This place is haunted! I fear no living enemy, but my axe cannot cleave fleshless spirits!”
“Still your tongue and get to work! The Warchief’s new settlement will require a great deal of lumber. This section of the forest must be cleared!”
“Chieftain, we’re under attack!”
“You were right, sisters. These green-skinned brutes have no respect for life! Slay them in Elune’s name!”
Learn more on Wowhead:
You can read an account of the battle in the in-game book
Le retour d'Archimonde et la fuite vers Kalimdor
, which counts towards the
Bonne lecture
achievement.
You'll be able to relive these events in
Warcraft III Reforged
, announced at
BlizzCon 2018
. Check out our
recap of the major Warcraft III announcements
.
If you purchase the "Spoils of War" Edition, you can unlock a
Meat Wagon Mount
in WoW with the start of Patch 8.1.
As part of the remaster,
Reforged
will have updated models as well as polished dialogue.
Gameinformer previewed
some of the concept art!
Learn more about the history of the Orcs in the
Story of Draenor
and the
Story of the Rise of the Horde
.
Fall of Cenarius
Tyrande had ordered the sentinels to observe the newcomers from a distance. She hoped that the refugees were merely passing through Ashenvale en route to other lands. However, she had been wrong. Some of the Horde’s green-skinned Orcs made war on the forest. They stole from the woodlands without asking, felling trees with recklessness. The Sentinels struck Grom and his Warsongs, as deadly as any foe the orcs had faced. That didn’t frighten Grommash and his warriors; it actually excited them. They had been longing for a chance to fight a worthy enemy, but before long, the Orcs found themselves severely outmatched. Cenarius had also been watching them, and he smelled the demon blood in their veins. Thinking that the green-skinned creatures were legion servants, Cenarius attacked them alongside the Night Elves. The Orcs stood no chance against the Night Elves and their forest allies. Though their battle lust remained undimmed, defeat seemed imminent. It was this moment of desperation that played perfectly into the hands of the Legion.
“Ashenvale forest. After ten thousand years, I still recognize this cursed place! This is the vale of our ancient enemy, the Night Elves’ Demigod, Cenarius.”
“Yes. Lord Archimonde demands that Cenarius be destroyed before we launch the invasion of Kalimdor.”
“I would relish the chance to face him again in combat, but he is crafty and rarely appears in the open.”
“Fateful as it sounds, your pet orcs have recently despoiled these forestlands and incurred his wrath. Lord Archimonde and I believe that the orcs are capable of killing Cenarius for us.”
“They would have little chance against Cenarius. If memory serves, his powers were quite formidable.”
“Yes, but so are yours. The blood pact that you made with the orcs long ago still binds them to you. You need only recharge their enemies.”
“Hmm. Just what are you suggesting, Dreadlord?”
“Spill your burning blood into this pool. Its corruption will lure the orcs to it, and once they’ve tasted your blood again, they will be unstoppable!”
Mannoroth spills his blood into the pool
“hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha”
“Who dares defile this ancient land? Who dares the wrath of Cenarius and the night elves?”
Rise nature and cast these invaders out
“The forest is coming alive! We’re under attack!” “Let the battle be joined!”
“Their numbers are too great! We must fall back to the other side of the river!” “I defeated your kind in agest past, and I shall do so again!”
Cenarius won and instantly regrew the forest. Well, that’s handy. What’s the big deal with orcs taking a bit of lumber?
“Now my warriors, cleanse these brutes from the wilds! I will watch over you from the forest.”
“Hellscream, I sense a dark power emanating from the wilderness! It might be a key to destroying Cenarius!”
“The pool emanates great power, but I smell the stench of a demon curse about it!” “I am cursed already! If I must drink from these waters to defeat Cenarius, then I will.”
“No! That goes against everything the Warchief teaches us! We can’t let rage overcome us again!’
“No, warrior. We must embrace it as never before! We must become the vessels of destruction that we were meant to be!”
...
“Yes! I feel the power once again! Come, my warriors! Drink from the dark waters, and you will be reborn!”
“The demons did their job well. You, creatures, are as reckless and bloodthirsty as they ever were!”
“The orcs are free, demigod!”
“Giggle, is that what you tell yourself? Despite what you may believe, you are no better than the malignant bile that flows through your veins.”
“Damn you! AAARGHHGHH!”
“You cannot defeat me! I am the heart of the land!” “The demigod has fallen. The Warsong is supreme!”
Grommash and his forces were able to overwhelm the might of Cenarius and slay the Wild God, but it came at a great price as they were now once again shackled to the Legion. At the moment of Cenarius’s death, the wilds around Hyjal darkened and trembled. Dryads, Chimaeras, Treants and other fay creatures retreated in horror. Though some would return to aid the night elves, many would remain in hiding for the duration of the war. The druids slumbering and walking the dream also felt the effects of Cenarius’ passing. When Tyrande saw Archimonde and his vanguard defiling Ashenvale, she knew that it was time to wake up the druids and gather their forces. It troubled her that Malfurion and his followers had not yet emerged from the Dream. They must have sensed corruption spreading across Ashenvale. The reason for this delay was Cenarius. When he had fallen, his death had sent a shockwave through the dream, weakening the druids and throwing them into a state of confusion. Malfurion and his followers sensed fragments of what was happening in the physical worlds, but they were effectively trapped within the Emerald Dream. Thankfully Tyrande was able to collect the Horn of Cenarius and use its powers to awaken them from their slumber. Together they stood with the remnants of the Alliance, led by Jaina Proudmoore, and the Horde, lead by Thrall. They had been able to save Grommash’ soul and set him free from the legion’s control long enough so that Hellscream could strike down Mannoroth and liberate all of his people. He gave his life for doing so and now all of them were ready to give their lives to defeat Archimonde and the Legion. By buying Malfurion enough time, the Archdruid used the enchantments placed upon Nordrassil to blow up Archimonde and prevent their plans from using the well. This did mean giving up their immortality but if that gave them pause, then perhaps they had lived long enough. Their union saved the world of Azeroth, but it would not last forever.
These major characters from Warcraft III are playing a large role once again in Patch 8.1.
Tyrande, mostly seen as a peacekeeper in the past few Warcraft expansions, is back to the fierce persona from
Warcraft III
in the upcoming patch. If you'd like to learn more about her role in
Warcraft III
and how it changed through Warcraft expansions, check out our
Lore of Tyrande Whisperwind Article
.
Tyrande Whisperwind is the High Priestess of Elune, and in Battle for Azeroth, we see her channel different aspects of the goddess’ power. In the pre-patch, Elune guides Tyrande to Malfurion and stops Saurfang’s blade—he is hesitant to strike. And while the in-game quest does not convey Tyrande’s power, the '
novella “A Good War”
makes it very clear that Tyrande encases Saurfang in Elune’s wrath and contemplates killing him. We then see Tyrande channel a darker side of Elune, one of vengeance, as she undergoes the
Ritual of the Night Warrior
to gain additional powers and strength to aid her on the mission to rid Darkshore of the Horde. Night Elves that complete this 8.1 questline unlock special
“Night Warrior” customizations
.
Malfurion's latest appearance is in the
Battle of Darkshore
, a new Warfront in Patch 8.1. The player gets a taste of his vengeful side in the
"Terror of Darkshore"
cinematic, in which he attacks a Horde supply crew as a warning of what is to come. He also has an updated Bear Form model!
In the related Battle for Darkshore content, the
rewards
and
transmog items
reflect the culture of the Night Elves, such as
Toupie : glaive de sentinelle
,
Chimère d’Orneval
, and
Chouette mornenuit
.
FinalBossTV interviewed Terran Gregory
about the "Terror of Darkshore" cinematic. They discussed many
Warcraft III
throwbacks, deliberately aiming to recall classic imagery and actions of the original elves.
Tyrande and Malfurion fought with Jaina Proudmoore, who will play an important role later in Tides of Vengeance, with the release of the
Battle of Dazar'alor raid
in Season 2. Jaina will serve as the
final boss
of the raid, holding off the Horde on the high seas to allow the Alliance to escape safely.
Perce-Brume, Lumière des mers
: Lessens the effects of Howling Winds while battling Lady Jaina Proudmoore.
Chevalière de l’amiral suprême
and
Sabre de Daelin Portvaillant
, drops from Jaina, are now part of a two-piece set,
Souvenirs du commandant résolu
. Your auto attacks are tinged with the rime of the high seas, dealing 220 Frost damage to your target and reducing their movement speed by 10% for 4 sec.
Vaguerage glaciaire
- "Though she commands a variety of magical powers, Jaina has always been most proficient at summoning powerful elementals of water and ice."
Jaina has been an important recurring character in several WoW expansions, notably Wrath and Mists of Pandaria. We've compiled her story into the
Lore of Jaina Proudmoore
article so that you can follow along with her important story beats, related cinematics, and in-game quests. Notably, at the start of 8.0, Alliance players can complete the
La Fierté de Kul Tiras
storyline to witness Jaina's reconciliation with her mother and the people of Kul Tiras.
Return of Cenarius in Cataclysm
However, it couldn't mean a happy ending, this is Warcraft after all, and new threats would rise to try and claim the world. With the Cataclysm, we saw the Black Dragon Aspect Deathwing shake the world to its core as he was ready to bring about the hour of twilight, the moment in which the Old Gods would break out of their prisons and rule the world once more. To this end, he employed the Twilight Hammer cult while he also summoned the Firelord Ragnaros from the elemental plane of fire.
“By fire be purged!”
“The Firelord has risen! We must send word to the others, let us hurry!”
Ragnaros, in turn, sends out his fiery minions to assault Mount Hyjal, burn it, together with the world tree Nordrassil, to ash. Naturally, we couldn’t let this happen, but in order to stand up against such a mighty force, we’d need to gain the aid of powerful beings in turn. It was time for the demigods of the world to be brought back and stand with us as they had previously during the War of the Ancients. Their connection to the Emerald Dream made it so that when they are slain on the physical plane, their spirit returns to the Emerald Dream. Very similar as to how demons can only be truly slain within the Twisting Nether. That meant that the mighty ancients that gave their lives during the War of the Ancients, and Cenarius himself, could be reborn.
Ysera: “During my stay in the Dream I made a vital discovery. The rift that weakens the boundaries of this world has hastened the return of powerful allies. The ancient guardians are coming back, Cenarius, Aviana, Goldrinn... I can feel their presence. We must make sure we usher them into this world. Their timely aid will be indispensable. “
At each of their shrines we aid the Wild Gods with their return, but of course, the forces of Deathwing and Ragnaros were not just going to let us do our thing. They try their very best to disrupt the ritual, but together with Jarod Shadowsong, the same commander that worked together with Cenarius during the war of the ancients, we hold our ground and Cenarius and the other Wild Gods walk this world again. With their might at our side, we are able to send Ragnaros back to his elemental plane of fire. Elementals, similar to Wild Gods and Demons, can't be truly defeated unless they are fought in their plane of existence. After taking out the gatekeeper with the aid of our forces summoned with the horn of Cenarius, we join the Wild God as well as Hamuul and Malfurion as they confront the Firelord.
“We are ready Cenarius.”
“We shall face the Firelord and drive every ember of his being out of our realm. I shall call upon the chilling mountain winds to protect us from Ragnaros’ flame. Malfurion and Hamuul will shatter the Firelord’s defenses, allowing us to force him back. Let us begin. It’s only a matter of time before the Firelord becomes aware of our presence and comes to the spire’s defense.”
“Who dares to defile the halls of living flame? I shall sear your essence from your flesh!”
“Quickly, everyone move into position! force him back into the Firelands!”
“Face me, insects. I shall crush you firsthand!”
“You have only delayed the inevitable Cenarius. From the Firelands, my armies are reborn.”
“It took all of our combined strength, but we have pushed Ragnaros back into the Firelands.”
“We must not let down our guard. It’s only a matter of time before he regains his strength and returns to turn Nordrassil into ash.”
“We must confer with the leaders of the Horde and the Alliance. Ragnaros must be defeated in his home realm. Only then will he forever be vanquished.”
“Let us leave this place for now. We must return to the surface and restore the damage our enemies have caused.”
Just defeating Ragnaros off the physical plane of existence was not good enough. We had to end this threat once and for all. In order to do that we gather our forces and enter the Firelands itself and fight the armies of the Firelord in their home realm. His forces were vast and minions powerful, even with some druids even joining the Firelord's side, but together we were able to storm Sulfuron Keep and confront the Firelord. Upon near defeat, he would tell us that we had come too soon and tried to escape from battle, but there would be no escape this time. Malfurion, Hamuul, and Cenarius show up and use their magic to bind the Firelord Ragnaros which cut him off from any exit and forced him to face us.
“No fiend! Your time is now!”
“Arghh outsiders, this is not your realm.”
“When I finish this, your pathetic mortal world will burn with my vengeance.”
With no possible way of escape, Ragnaros became twice as dangerous, but heroes did manage to defeat the Firelord once and for all. A new elemental lord of fire would rise later on in the Legion expansion, but this one was a bit kinder to mortals and allied himself with the Shaman Order Hall in the war against the demons to save Azeroth. They made their return once again only this time Cenarius would not face their threat head-on.
Learn more on Wowhead:
Patch 4.2 introduced the Molten Front, an outdoor zone leading up to the Firelands raid zone, which you can learn more about in the
Guide to the Molten Front
. Unlocking areas in this zone will open up dailies that reward
Marque de l'Arbre-Monde
, which can purchase fun items like
Appel de Mylune
.
In addition to dailies, you can follow the story of Leyara for the
L’héritage de Leyara
achievement. She is the daughter-in-law of Fandral Staghelm, bereft by the loss of her husband in the War of the Shifting Sands. Patch 4.2 finds her allied with Ragnaros as a Druid of the Flame, with a hatred towards Malfurion Stormrage.
Completing
L’offensive du front du Magma
rewards
Hippogriffe gardeflamme
and
Vétéran du front du Magma
rewards .
Ragnaros is the final boss in Firelands, with familiar elements like the Sons of Flame, as well as a special heroic phase. In addition to being challenging, Ragnaros now acquired legs! Ragnaros dropped a number of fiery-themed items with unique transmog appearances including
Ko'gun, marteau du seigneur du Feu
,
Arathar, l'œil de la Flamme
, and
Espauliers de la flamme ronflante
.
Sulfuras, la Main éteinte
is especially notable because it can be transmogged while the similar-looking weapons
Sulfuras, Main de Ragnaros
and
Marteau en sulfuron
cannot be because they are related to legendaries. Defeating Ragnaros on Heroic difficulty also awards as well as a small chance to drop
Œuf fumant de Millagazor
. Check out the
Ragnaros
page for details on the encounter, and strategy tips from back in the day!
N'Zoth and Xavius
In order to seal of the gateway at the Tomb of Sargeras and stop the legion from pouring in, we discover that we need the Pillars of Creation and one of them, called the Tears of Elune, can be found within the ancient forest of Val’sharah. Malfurion Stormrage leads us into this zone, knowing his mentor Cenarius would know where they’re safeguarding the Tears, but as we go into the zone, we find out that not everything is as dreamy as it seems.
“Ahh, Val’sharah...
Every step in this forest brings back precious memories.
Ages ago, the first druids molded this land to be a reflection of the Emerald Dream.
Merely an echo, but Val’sharah is as close to the Dream as this world can come.
Make ready, hero. We shall soon stand in the presence of the Lord of the Forest.
Follow me.
Malfurion! Thank Elune you’ve come!
It is good to see you agai---
You must come quickly; something’s happened!
He was in the Dream, but now he won’t wake. We cannot stir him.
What is this... corruption?
We—we don’t know. It only just appeared. “
Cenarius is not doing well, and we must gather the Archdruids of the forest, since, with their help, we’ll be able to summon Ysera to aid her adoptive son. She will surely know what horror has taken over Malfurion’s mentor, so we ride out to discover the locations of the Archdruids and gather them. As we do, we find out that Malfurion’s oldest enemy has returned, Xavius now going by the title of Nightmare Lord.
At this point, you might wonder how someone that has been turned into a tree can be such a massive threat. Well, after the War of the Ancients, the land of Kalimdor split apart, and Xavius’ tree form fell into the waves. The waves swallowed him, yet deep below he made contact with an ancient, evil force. The Old God N’zoth allied himself with Xavius and, for millennia, the tree was nurtured, roots digging deep, the small tree becoming bigger and bigger until Xavius was strong enough to move out of the water and plant himself firmly within the world. That was his connection to the world of Azeroth, but he also gained access to the Emerald Dream, which he used to turn it into the Nightmare. The seeds of corruption planted there by Yogg-saron were now handled by N’zoth and Xavius. Eventually, Nightmare was vanquished by the combined efforts of Malfurion, Tyrande, Thura and a whole bunch of other people.
Thura is the niece of Broxigar. Broxigar was a legendary orc accidentally send back in time by Nozdormu, back in time to the period of the War of the Ancients. He was not alone in his journey, being sent together with Rhonin and Krasus. Throughout their adventures, they came in touch with Cenarius who helped them out quite a bit. He even guided Malfurion in forging a mighty axe for Brox, the axe of Cenarius. Composed entirely of oak it was blessed by the wild god. “Let it always swing true, always protect its master. Let it be wielded well for the cause of life and justice. Let it add to the strength of its master and in turn, let him strengthen it.” This weapon would strike none other than Sargeras himself buying Azeroth the time it needed to close the portal. Sadly Broxigar didn’t make it back, but his axe did eventually ending up in the hands of Thura who used it against Xavius. But the victory was hollow, as the Nightmare was not completely banished. Malfurion could only push it back to a portion of the dream known as the Rift of Aln. It was a threat they would have to deal with one day and as it turns out, that day had now come.
N'Zoth will likely play a role in a future patch, so let's look at him in more detail:
We haven't seen N'Zoth in game yet, but here are some details, from our
Black Empire Overview
, of where we've seen him before:
Boîte à secret de Yogg-Saron
, an Archaeology solve, has whispers that alluded to a drowned god in a sunken city:
At the bottom of the ocean even light must die
The drowned god's heart is black ice.
In the sunken city, he lays dreaming.
The fish know all the secrets. They know the cold. They know the dark.
In the land of Ny'alotha, there is only sleep.
In the sleeping city of Ny'alotha walk only mad things.
Ny'alotha is a city of old, terrible, unnumbered crimes.
While questing in the underwater zone Vash’jir, there are several references to an Old God underneath. The Undershell area of L’ghorek sprouts enormous tentacles. In
…Il répondra à votre appel
, the player summons Ick'thys the Unfathomable who states ”I laugh at you, feeble <name>, but I will oblige. Now, let us return to my master, below!” In the followup quest
Débrancher L’ghorek
,
Erunak Parlepierre
states:
L'ghorek is the ancient that rests upon the shelf across from us. It is being controlled and its life energies slowly consumed by something immense beneath us.
There is a cave known as the Undershell down below L'ghorek. In that cave are three powerful ogre magi that are maintaining a ritual connecting the thing below with the ancient.
The Dragon Soul boss
Seigneur de guerre Zon’ozz
has lines about N’Zoth:
Gaze into the heart of N'Zoth.
The will of N'Zoth corrupts you.
Your deaths shall sing of N'Zoth's unending glory.
Your skulls shall adorn N'Zoth's writhing throne.
Victory for Deathwing. For the glory of N'Zoth!
Your souls shall sate N'Zoth's endless hunger.
Once more shall the twisted flesh-banners of N'Zoth chitter and howl above the fly-blown corpse of this world. After millennia, we have returned.
Leading up to BlizzCon 2018, we speculated on how
N'Zoth and Azshara
would make an appearance in the Battle for Azeroth story. Every time we've fought an Old God in the past, it has been as a unified Alliance and Horde. The Old Gods could be trying to divide us, so we cannot stop N'Zoth.
The Crucible of Storms raid also links Azshara to the Circle of Stars prophecy:
When she struck her bargain with N'Zoth ten thousand years ago, Queen Azshara offered one of her most devoted followers into the Old God's service. Now Uu'nat and the crawling masses he commands herald the coming of their master, as foretold by the stars.
Back when "Warbringers: Azshara" was released, we analyzed all the visuals linking the cinematic to the Circle of Stars prophecy. Eyeballs, rings, and lighting in the shape of circles plays a prominent role in the cinematic. You can read our analysis of the cinematic and see examples of the imagery in
Warbringers: Azshara Cinematic Analysis - N'Zoth, Ny'alotha, Circle of Stars, Old God Whispers
.
The artifact book for
Sharas'dal, Scepter of Tides
describes the fate of Queen Azshara, hinting at her pact with N'Zoth that is dramatized in the cinematic.
In our
analysis
, we also describe how some whispers of Xal'atath and the
Boîte à secret de Yogg-Saron
are referenced in the cinematic, such as "In the sunken city, he lays dreaming"
We've also documented
Queen Azshara's involvement in Battle for Azeroth
, which includes stealing the Kul Tiras fleet and working together with Zul. She appears to be destabilizing both the Alliance and Horde forces--perhaps knowing that we're weaker when we don't work together.
We learned in a
BlizzCon Interview
that the Crucible of Storms is an exposed piece of N'Zoth--this is bound to play a role in later patches.
Val'sharah Storyline
“enter Ysera cinematic”
“Lady Ysera, thank you for answering our call. We face a dire threat!”
No need to explain, Malfurion. I have seen what is coming.
The Emerald Dream is being overtaken by the nightmare. The Legion and the Satyr Xavius are to blame.
Shaladrassil, the world tree, has fallen to the nightmares corruption and spread its curse across our precious land.
The nightmare lord must be vanquished, or Val'sharah is lost.
Her son is slowly falling to the nightmare, and we need the Tears of Elune to save him, the same artifact for which we originally came to this area. At the temple of Elune, we’re allowed to pick them up while we’re told to be careful since the roots of Shaladrassil, a World Tree like Nordrasill and Teldrassil, have reached all the way here and the legion is attacking.
"Hahahahaha, foolish mortal! The tears of Elune are mine now!
If Malfurion wants them back so badly, he can seek me out. I’ll be waiting.”
Xavius had already claimed the tears so we must return to the grove empty handed where Cenarius finally gives in to the corruption.
“Cinematic – Cenarius gives into the corruption.
"Noooooooooooooooooo!"
"I have wasted too much time here. No more!"
"Cenarius’s loss has left Malfurion unable to see reason. Make haste to the World Tree. He may be headed there all too ready to take reckless risks. Meanwhile, you and I will follow his trail from here. Malfurion must not fall. "
The loss of Cenarius to the nightmare is a devastating blow to us all. Malfurion is enraged and quickly goes after Xavius. We follow him of course, Ysera fears that his hatred for Xavius will lead to him making mistakes and she would be right.
“Ahhhaaaaaa" background music.
"Hello Xavius."
"Ahh, the Mother of Dreams has arrived at last!"
"GET...OVER...HERE"
"Nooooo Ysera, dodge!"
"I am Ysera of the Nightmare."
“Muhahahahahaha”
The corrupted Tears of Elune are shot into her heart, and the nightmare takes the dreamer.
Tyrande Whisperwind in search of her husband shows up and asks for our aid. She saw him in a vision, enraged and then distressed, but now lost beyond her minds reach. We eventually find him trapped by Xavius as he gives Tyrande a choice.
Cinematic with Ysera flapping.
“Tyrande Whisperwind! I have longed for this encounter for many years.
Your adoring husband will be joining me in the nightmare. His was a special invitation.
And our dear Ysera! Would you believe she has had a change of heart?
She will aid me in my conquer of Val’sharah, starting with your precious Temple of Elune.
Such a dilemma, High Priestess.
Kneel beside your beloved as he draws his final breath? Or watch the temple of your goddess burn!
Muhahah hahahahah hahahhahahaha”
Tyrande’s heart breaks for Malfurion, but she cannot follow where he goes. She has sworn herself to Elune, her goddess, to defend her temples and lands with all that she is. She cannot stand by while her order is in danger, so she makes her choice and rides out to defend the temple. Sadly, Ysera is too far gone. The Nightmare has her, and we have no other choice but to put Cenarius’ adopted mother down. As she falls, Elune herself reaches down and places her spirit amongst the stars, leaving behind the cleansed Tears of Elune. The Nightmare still has a tight hold over the Dream. Cenarius has been taken by it, and Malfurion is captured by Xavius. The Archdruid is our first target to set free, and despite the taunting words from the image of Xavius, we are able to do so.
The real full power of Xavius still waits for us within the Nightmare, so we get to climb into Shaladrasil, take the battle to him and fight against the root of the corruption. It’s not going to be easy though since the Nightmare has claimed many powerful beings, some being friends or allies in the past but now their mind has been twisted and warped by the nightmare. One by one we take them down, set them free from the grasp of the Nightmare until we weaken it enough to open the path forward.
Val'sharah is a dynamic leveling zone in Legion, intended for players 98-110. Here are more details on this zone:
Val'sharah Leveling Guide
Achievements:
Exploration de Val’sharah
: Explore Val'sharah, required for
Exploration des îles Brisées
Trésors de Val’sharah
: Discover 40 treasures in Val'sharah.
Le dormeur du Val’sharah
: Complete the Val'sharah storylines, required for
Maître des traditions de Legion
Aventurier de Val’sharah
: Defeat a number of rare spawns/elites in Val'sharah.
Val'sharah Toys:
Orbe maudit
- Gaze into the dark glass.
Voie d'Elothir
- Earned from Friendly Rep.
Portail de poche de la Légion
- Requires Revered Wardens Rep in order to find it.
Statue de plumelune
- Revered Rep.
Larme de l'Aspect vert
-Summons the green Aspect.
Branche de chardofeuille
- Look like a thistleleaf thorndancer.
Faveur du Gardien des chemins
- Turn into a moose.
Poupée usée
- Creepy doll follows you.
Val'sharah Pets:
Petit cendregueule
Chouette pygmée
Jeune sabre fantomatique
Ondulin fétide
Emerald Nightmare Raid
Malfurion: “Behold, the iris opens! The way to Cenarius is clear. Moonglade is the most sacred place in all the Dream. To think that my shan’do could play any part in its corruption... I must see with my own eyes what horrors have befallen my beloved teacher. Steel your hearts against the darkness, heroes.”
Cenarius: “Villains! You poison the children of the dream.”
Malfurion: “Master, we fight to save them! To save you!
“I have purified one of them. They fight for us now.”
Cenarius is so caught up in the nightmare that he can’t see that we’re trying to help him. To him, we are the corruption, we are the enemies of the Nightmare, and he does everything in his power to stop us.
Cenarius: “Is that you, Thero’shan?”
Malfurion: “Yes, Cenarius! We are here to save you!”
Cenarius: “We must strike back at the Nightmare!”
“You fight with noble hearts! Could it be true? Could the darkness be inside of...me?”
Malfurion: “Hold your weapons! He begins to see the truth!”
Cenarius: “Father? Father, is that you?
“Yes, father! I will not fail you.”
Malfurion gets stuck in bramble bush
Malfurion: “Cenarius! Do not listen to him!”
Xavius even uses an image of Malorne, Cenarius’ father to convince him that we are the enemies and he binds Malfurion, preventing him from aiding us further. We are able to break the Archdruid out, and the mighty Cenarius is brought low. We don’t kill him though, we merely knock him out and leave Malfurion to cleanse his teacher while the real core of the corruption awaits
Cenarius: “Thero’shan....how...could you?”
Malfurion: “It is done! Cenarius is beaten, but my great teacher lives. Now I must focus all of my strength to cleanse him. Xavius waits ahead in the Rift of Aln, the true heart of the Nightmare. Would that I could fight at your side, heroes, but....to this place, I cannot go. My bond with the Emerald Dream gives me great power...but it also makes me vulnerable to the rift’s darkness. I have peered inside it and know this to be true. Should I step within, I would be lost...just as Cenarius was. Go. Destroy the Nightmare Lord. Only this way can the Dream be restored...and Azeroth be saved.”
“We must put an end to the Nightmare. Say the word, and I will take us into the heart of that twisted place.”
Learn more on Wowhead:
Emerald Nightmare
was the first raid of Legion, opening September 20th, 2016.
Nythendra
is a former Green Dragon, turned when Xavius corrupted Shaladrassil.
Elereth Renferal
originally summoned Ivus in Alterac Valley. In the novel
The Shattering
, Twilight Hammer members disguised as the Horde ambushed and killed her in the middle of peace talks with Hamuul Runetotem. She died believing the Horde betrayed her, and due to her anger, resides in the Emerald Nightmare. Upon cleansing the zone, her spirit is at rest, and you can interact with her NPC once again as the
Archdruid of the Valley
.
Ursoc
and Ursol were twin bear brothers who fell in the War of the Ancients, now worshipped by the Furbolgs. In Wrath of the Lich King, it is revealed that the fallen world tree Vordrassil is corrupting the furbolgs in
Les Grisonnes
, who have resurrected and corrupted Ursoc using the magic of the tree (
Ursoc, le dieu Ours
). In Legion, the
Guardian Druid questline
sends you to rescue Ursoc’s spirit, which is surrounded by satyr corruption in the Emerald Dream. This is set up to be a trap; Xavius then captures Ursoc. Guardian Druids wield the
Claws of Ursoc
artifact, and fittingly this boss drops the
Marque du gardien de la clairière
and
Dernier souffle de la forêt
artifact appearances. At the end of the raid, you can find an uncorrupted version of Ursoc in the Emerald Dream.
Il'gynoth
, a manifestation of corruption and madness, continues to be popular in Battle for Azeroth due to delicious speculative whispers and proclamations. Discussions surrounding Alleria/Azeroth/Sylvanas' third death, Anduin as the Boy King, the symbolism of the Circle of Stars, Magni as a pawn, and the Curse of Flesh have all been sparked by this boss' dialogue. You can check out a list
on this NPC page
. Il'gynoth also appears to have ties to N'Zoth, the one Old God we have not directly fought yet in WoW, due to the
Griffe de N’Zoth
artifact appearance drop.
The
Dragons of Nightmare
were first encountered in vanilla WoW as world bosses that dropped Nature Resistance gear--brought back for
WoW's 14th Anniversary
. Since WoW's early days, they have now all fallen to corruption. The Nightmare versions of the Emerald Dragons use abilities reminiscent of their original world boss version's attacks, and notable loot includes
Souffle du serpent immortel
and
Jeune dragonnet de cauchemar
. Once the Emerald Nightmare is cleansed at the end of the raid, you can view the spirits of the dragons at peace.
Cenarius
is found in Nightmare-corrupted Moonglade. Throughout the fight, Malfurion Stormrage assists the raid in fighting Cenarius's corruption. At the end of the encounter, Cenarius falls unconscious, and Malfurion will begin Cleansing all traces of the Nightmare from Cenarius's body.
Final Boss - Xavius
Our final confrontation in the Emerald Nightmare takes place at the Rift of Aln, which is thought to believe the point where Dream itself originated. Those who venture into the Nightmare will face the full extent of Xavius’ power, and his true form – a grotesque and distended monstrosity, one that definitely skipped leg day.
Xavius: “The nightmare has corrupted dragons, gods and legends. Your downfall will be simple and swift!”
We don’t face Xavius alone though since up above her beautiful form shows up, and her sweet words echo in our mind.
Ysera: “Embrace the Dreaming, champions! It can save you!”
Xavius: “No! I will not permit it. I’ll slice into the heart of you.”
Ysera aids us in our battle. With her help and guidance, we’re able to end the Nightmare and slay Xavius.
“My work...left...unfinished...”
Cenarius: “Heroes! Champions! Step forth and hear me!”
“The nightmare has long been a cancer eager to consume the Emerald Dream. Had Xavius succeeded, his corruption would have overwhelmed Azeroth, giving rise to a living Nightmare.”
“Your triumph restores the Dream and safeguards your world. The allies of Xavius will never relent, but this road, at least, is closed to them.”
“To honor your courage, I offer passage into the pure heart of the Dream. As you feel the essence of life blooming beneath your feet, know that it endures thanks to what you achieved this day.”
Learn more on Wowhead:
Check out our
Xavius Strategy Guide
to learn more about this encounter, the final boss of the Emerald Nightmare.
Killing Xavius is required to loot
Corne du seigneur du Cauchemar
for
Cauchemar d’émeraude : en plein cauchemar
. This is part of the
Apprentissage historique
questline. Killing Xavius is also required for
Terreau onirique
which is part of "A Growing Crisis" for
Le bon Suramaritain
.
Defeating Xavius is required for
Le feu follet et le cauchemar
as part of the questline for
Refuge éternel de la sentinelle
reagents.
In addition Xavius also has some special items:
Ranks 1 and 2 for
Rune de Vantus : Xavius
drop for Scribes
Illusion : Cauchemar
is a new weapon illusion (not limited to dropping for Enchanters)
Formule : Enchantement de collier (Marque du Satyre caché)
drops for Enchanters
Spallières du premier Satyre
is a special transmog item that resembles the boss' armor
Defeating Xavius on Mythic difficulty rewards
Defeating Xavius cleanses the Emerald Nightmare and
Jeune dragonnet du Rêve
battle pets spawn, which can be captured.
And that is where the story of Cenarius ends for the moment with the Emerald Dream cleansed, and balance returned to nature. This stalwart defender of Azeroth has seen the battle through many of the worlds darkest hours, but we can rest easy knowing that the Lord of the Forest will be there of us when we have need of him. I wonder what he thinks of the Burning of Teldrassil and the campaign into Darkshore. Rather odd that we haven’t seen him come to its defense quite yet, but who knows what might happen in the future.
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