Nightmare dragon

This article is about the dragons serving the Emerald Nightmare. For the raid encounter, see Dragons of Nightmare. For the old world bosses, see Dragons of Nightmare (Classic).

Nightmare dragons
Ysondre in Hearthstone.
Breath	Corrupted, Nightmare
Major leader(s)	Ysera † Xavius †
Area(s)	Emerald Nightmare, Val'sharah
Homeworld	Azeroth
Language(s)	Draconic
Affiliation	Emerald Nightmare (Old Gods' forces)
Status	Defunct

“Peace is but a fleeting dream! Let the Nightmare reign!”

— Taerar

Nightmare dragons are members of the green dragonflight corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare. As the servants of the Nightmare Lord Xavius, they formed the Nightmare dragonflight, and once threatened to plunge both Azeroth and the Emerald Dream into darkness for the cause of the Old Gods.

Background

World of Warcraft

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

Main article: Dragons of Nightmare (Classic)

Lethon, one of the four Dragons of Nightmare, could be found at the Twilight Grove in Duskwood.

In Year 25 ADP, several members of the green dragonflight fell to the Emerald Nightmare; these corrupted green dragons later emerged from the Emerald Dream across Azeroth. Driven mad, they murdered innocents by the hundreds, indiscriminately targeting whatever living creatures were nearby. The Cenarion Circle's druids were mournful but resolute, very few could be saved and were killed, as there was no other way to stop their rampages. Among there were four of Ysera's lieutenants, who became known as the Dragons of Nightmare, consisting of Emeriss, Lethon, Taerar, and Ysondre. They threatened the balance of nature, appearing periodically on the mortal plane via the Dream portals at the Great Trees in Ashenvale, Duskwood, Feralas, and the Hinterlands.

According to Archmage Khadgar, it is believed that what triggered their early downfall was likely their long slumber within the Dream, a condition that prevented them from sensing the writhing tendrils of corruption that had threaded itself amid the realm's abundant life energy. Regardless of the cause, the result was a force of dragons with a singular goal: the extinction of all life on Azeroth. Two of them, Lethon and Emeriss, were eventually put down by mortal heroes, but their twisted spirits persisted within the corrupted part of the Dream.

At some point, Eranikus, former consort to Ysera, was sent to guard the Temple of Atal'Hakkar in the Swamp of Sorrows and prevent Hakkar the Soulflayer's emergence. However, he and his retinue were eventually corrupted by the Nightmare, and he became a shade, pulled between the realms of the Dream and the physical plane. Eranikus was eventually confronted at Lake Elune'ara, where the adventurers had to to protect the people of Nighthaven, until the arrival of Tyrande Whisperwind. With a half-dozen Priestesses of the Moon, she channeled the powers of Elune in a prayer to redeem the cursed dragon. Ceasing to fight, Eranikus changed into his night elf visage — apologizing for all the harm he had wrought — and left to attempt to begin to make amends for his actions. He eventually returned to Malfurion Stormrage, Cenarius, and Ysera to continue the battle raging within the Dream.

In Season of Discovery, many corrupted members of the green dragonflight were repelled by the Emerald Wardens and the heroes during the Nightmare Incursions.

Stormrage

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

During the War Against the Nightmare in 27 ADP, both Lethon and Emeriss were among the strongest of the Nightmare's servants, sent by their master to thwart the efforts of the Dreamform army and their allies. After Ysera was captured and imprisoned within Eye of Ysera, Malfurion Stormrage and Eranikus attempted to free her, but both nightmare dragons ambushed them and attempted to corrupt Eranikus. By the end of the conflict, Emeriss was disintegrated by Tyrande Whisperwind when she tried to purify him with Elune's moonlight, while Lethon was destroyed when Eranikus shifted them both into the unstable boundary between the Dream and Azeroth.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

By the time of the Cataclysm in 28 ADP, Ysondre had managed to free herself of the Nightmare's hold, but at the cost of her connection to the Dream. When she learned of Taerar's continued attempts to spread the Nightmare's rot, she asked for help from adventurers to kill him and seal the Dream Bough's portal in Feralas, thus breaking its connection to the Dream.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

The Nightmare dragons in Legion.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion in 32 ADP, the World Tree Shaladrassil in Val'sharah got corrupted by the Nightmare, engulfing its guardians Nythendra and Dresaron, as well as other green dragons, such as Rothos and Shar'thos. At some point, Ysondre was also drawn back into the Nightmare and nightmares of her former comrades had joined her, completely consuming the Emerald Dreamway in shadows. Even the great matron of the green dragonflight, Ysera, was corrupted by Xavius and the power of the Tears of Elune.

At the Temple of Elune, the corrupted aspect was ultimately put to rest, and with her last breath she stated that the nightmare felt so real. Upon her death, Elune reached down and cleansed Ysera's spirit was seen lifted by tendrils of moonlight and disappeared in a dragon-shaped constellation, leaving the outline of her body in new plant growth.

When the heroes assaulted the Emerald Nightmare, the nightmare dragonflight were among the forces sent to stop them. After Xavius was defeated in the Rift of Aln, the spirits of Ysondre and her comrades were finally freed, and could be seen in the restored Dreamway . Though the dragons' suffering continued for many years, each was eventually redeemed and their souls returned to the purified Dream.

• 

  Corrupted eggs
• 

  Corrupted whelp
• 

  Nightmare drake
• 

  Nightmare dragon

Notable

Ysera corrupted by the Nightmare Lord.

Dragons

•  Ysera ^†
•  Emeriss ^†
•  Lethon ^†
•  Taerar ^†
•  Ysondre ^†
•  Nythendra <Guardian of Shaladrassil>
•  Shar'thos

Drakes

•  Aronus
•  Dresaron
•  Rothos <Nightmare Guardian>
•  Nightmare Drakes
•  Rotten Drakes

Whelps

•  Hatespawn Whelplings

As a companion pet

•  [Nightmare Whelpling] has a chance to drop from the Dragons of Nightmare in the Emerald Nightmare.

Notes

• In World of Warcraft, corruption by way of the Nightmare was depicted differently; especially for dragons. Originally, nightmare-corrupted dragons and dragonkin looked exactly the same, just acting erratically.
  • This included the whelps, the drakes, the dragons, and the dragonspawn.
  • The only exception to this were the Dragons of Nightmare, who showed signs of corruption with the exception of Ysondre, who looked the same as a normal green dragon. Even then, this corruption was dramatically different, looking different for each of them. Later depictions of the Nightmare that affected ancients depicted them as looking more rotted and dead.
  • By Legion the aesthetics of the Nightmare were solidly decided on, as a horrific black and red. All depictions of the nightmare since have followed this color scheme, except in Season of Discovery.

Gallery

• 

  The Dragons of Nightmare in World of Warcraft.
• 

  Corrupted Eranikus in The Comic.
• 

  Ysondre in the Emerald Nightmare.
• 

  Ysondre in Hearthstone.
• 

  Dreaming Drake in Hearthstone.
• 

  Legion concept art for the nightmare dragons.
• 

  Nightmare Whelping plush.