So if Classic+ were to bring this iconic location to life, what would it look like? Let's go over some possibilities, and then dream big.
What is the Emerald Dream?
In short, the Emerald Dream (or simply "the Dream") is a reflection of what Azeroth looked like before any outside interference. At least, that's the understanding and explanation that we have from the Titans. The true nature of the dream could fill out a whole speculation post by itself, but for simplicity's sake, we're going to stick with this explanation. Oh, and the main way to access this place? You must be asleep.
The Titan Keeper Freya created the Dream during the Ordering of Azeroth (in other words, during the time that the Titans were setting up shop on the planet), and its purpose was to be a blueprint for Azeroth (some have called it a backup copy). In Classic, we mainly hear Druids and Green Dragons talking about the Dream, and they almost always talk about either preserving the Dream or fighting back the Nightmare. So what is the Nightmare? Well...
What is the Emerald Nightmare?
Hold on to your chair, because this is going to be shocking. The Emerald Nightmare is a twisted (and EVIL!) version of the Emerald Dream. Who would have thought?
Again, to simplify a rather long and complex situation, the Nightmare is caused by the influence of the Old Gods. They use their power to corrupt the Dream, and from there also affect the rest of Azeroth. In Classic, most of this corruption is seen in Green Dragons going insane, or Druids being twisted by the Nightmare (like Naralex in the Wailing Caverns).
The corrupted Green Dragon Lethon, wreaking havoc on Azeroth.
So why are we talking about this? Well, the Emerald Dream seems to be a fairly uneventful place without the Nightmare. It's even said that changes made by Dragons or mortals in the Dream are only temporary, as the Dream reconstitutes itself to its original form. That is not the case for the Nightmare; its influences seem to cause real trouble. With that in mind, let's dive in.
What We Don't Want to See in Classic+
Before we start listing exciting and interesting directions that Classic+ could take the Emerald Dream, let's have a look at where other variations of the game have already taken the Dream - and more specifically, where we don't want to go again.
The Emerald Nightmare raid in Legion was many things, but expansive and impactful it was not. Sure, we defeated the Nightmare Lord, but apparently, the Nightmare is still corrupting the Dream. All of the zones we got to see were small slices of already existing zones, slightly altered by corruption. We want more than this, to actually get a glimpse of what the Dream looks like, not just how the Nightmare has impacted already existing locations in Azeroth.
And to have a look at some Classic content, the Nightmare Incursions we saw in Phase 3 of Season of Discovery is the last thing we want from Classic+. The event was confusing, the quest delivery system cumbersome, and the content poorly tuned.
The one thing the World Event got right was using the already existing Emerald Dream portals scattered across Azeroth, which brings us to our next section.
What We Do Want to See in Classic+
I'm not naive enough to expect more than an Emerald Dream raid, dungeon, or zone in Classic+. The expansion entirely set in the Dream that many have dreamt of is very unlikely to show up in Classic+. But there are certain things that long-time players have wanted to see in this game for a long time. One of those things is the unfinished and unreleased zone that has been in the files since Vanilla.
None of this was ever officially shown, but these visuals have captured the fascination of WoW players since the beginning. The previously mentioned Nightmare Incursions in SoD did use some of these textures, but because they were simply layered on top of the already existing zones, they just kind of blended in with the environment. Getting to see these assets in a completely new zone, one clearly designed with this Emerald Dream aesthetic in mind, would be a huge win.
To that end, the version of the Emerald Dream we got in Dragonflight did hit some of the marks. It had aspects of the visual representation that we had hoped for in the Dream, like the giant statues and floating trees. But it didn't quite feel like the mythical place we've always been told that it is. More than anything, it felt like Night Elven culture and Green Dragon aesthetics mashed together. On top of that, we only saw the influence of the Druids of the Flame, not the Nightmare, which didn't really give us a deeper insight into what the Dream truly is.
With at least a direction for the visuals for our hope of the Emerald Dream, what do we want to happen in this Classic+ version? It's easy enough to imagine a dungeon or raid in the Dream, where the Nightmare is encroaching and threatening to tear it apart. But if we were to dig deeper than that basic concept, what could the Nightmare be after, and who could be the defenders we meet?
Will Eranikus Return in Classic+?
Many players, myself included, have been frustrated with how the Eranikus questline in the Sunken Temple ended. Or rather, how it didn't end. After exploring the temple and destroying the Shade of Eranikus, we learn through the Essence of Eranikus that this Green Dragon, who had been charged with watching over the Temple, had been corrupted by the Nightmare. Despite our attempt to purify his essence, the Nightmare's hold is too strong, and he is lost within its madness.
To most players, the only follow-up to this quest is a short visit with Itharius in the Swamp of Sorrows, who sends us to Winterspring for a quick turn in the quest with no follow-up (which also takes the Chained Essence of Eranikus trinket from us, frustrating many players... It's me. I'm the frustrated player). Even today, looking through the comments on the In Eranikus' Own Words quest shows many players questioning why there was never a follow-up.
But the thing is... There was a follow-up, although one that most players never saw. In the Scepter of the Shifting Sands Quest Chain, players are tasked with retrieving the Green Scepter Shard, and to do so, we must summon the corrupted Eranikus from the Dream and purge him of the Nightmare. In the end, Eranikus is cleansed and returns to the Dream to fight back against the Nightmare.
So there are two options here. Either Blizzard decides to pick up where the original Sunken Temple questline left off, rehashing what was already seen in the Scepter of the Shifting Sands questline. Most players never saw those quests, so I believe many players would be excited to see where they could take them. Perhaps we can join Malfurion and seek out the corrupted Eranikus and cleanse him inside the Dream itself.
The other option is to stick with the AQ questline and instead have us encounter the now cleansed Eranikus within the Emerald Dream. He would already have an affinity for us, as we are the champions who freed him not once, but twice. Serving as a lieutenant of Ysera, the dragon could be our guide and assist us as we explore the zone. Whichever direction they take it, Eranikus would be a great addition to Classic+.
Will We See Ysera in Classic+?
Speaking of Ysera, adding Emerald Dream content in Classic+ would be a fantastic opportunity to give us more of the Aspect of the Green Dragonflight. In many ways, Ysera has been shoved to the side throughout World of Warcraft's history. She made no appearance in Vanilla, was only part of one short questline in Wrath of the Lich King, and even in Cataclysm, the expansion all about the Dragonflights, she mostly stood around and had visions.
Her first impactful appearance in the game was in Legion, where she joined the fight against Xavius - only to be corrupted by the Nightmare and killed! Thankfully, we saw more of her in Shadowlands and Dragonflight, but that was all after her passing.
A sleepy aspect in Wrath of the Lich King, and a corrupted aspect in Legion.
Ysera deserves better. If we are to enter the Emerald Dream in Classic+, Ysera has to play a big role. It's her domain; she is the one who was tasked by the Titans to guard the Dream, and it would be fantastic to see Ysera at full power!
While it seems to be Blizzard's favorite pastime to corrupt powerful Green Dragons and pit them against us, I would much rather see an uncorrupted Ysera fighting alongside us. She could act as the wise counsel, teaching us how to fight back against the Nightmare. Perhaps she could even be the one to send Druids on a quest for a Legendary weapon? It would be more than fitting to add a legendary questline specifically for the class in a zone or raid all about the Emerald Dream.
Will Malfurion Show His Power in Classic+?
Malfurion Stormrage is one of, if not the most influential, druids in Azeroth. His story is too long to share in this article, but his ties to the Emerald Dream are undeniable. Throughout Vanilla, Malfurion is in a deep slumber, protecting the Dream. If we were to go there, he would without a doubt be there to greet us.
He is also the only one in Vanilla who left us with a loose thread for a story in the Emerald Dream. In the Waking Legends quest, which you can complete after looting a Nightmare Engulfed Object from one of the four Nightmare Dragons, we get to see a short meeting between Keeper Remulos and Malfurion.
Part of their conversation speaks very clearly about the current state of the Dream:
Keeper Remulos says: What is happening in the Dream? What could cause such atrocities?
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.
This isn't really revolutionary information, but it's pretty much the only loose thread we are given in Vanilla. This quote also references the four Nightmare Dragons I mentioned above, which, while they've already been dealt with, could be a story expanding on their madness.
What Will the Emerald Dream Story be in Classic+?
So let's say we enter the Dream in Classic+. Let's say Malfurion is the one to open the way, and we find ourselves wandering the verdant landscape of the Emerald Dream. I think it's a given that the threat of the Nightmare will be the focal point, but in what way?
This is where pure speculation begins. Aside from that one conversation between Keeper Remulos and Malfurion, there is nothing in Vanilla WoW that gives us any indication of what is going on in the Dream. And the conversation in question... Well, "Vague" is its middle name.
The Nightmare doesn't have any specific manifestations of itself, but rather corrupts the denizens of the Dream. While I don't want this to be the case, the most obvious storyline would be for Ysera to have been corrupted. With the help of Malfurion and Eranikus, we could fight back the Nightmare's forces, uncover what had happened to Ysera, and cleanse her from the corruption.
Will we need to lay the corrupted Ysera low?
A more interesting turn of events would be if Xavius made an appearance, who was the first Satyr and eventually the Nightmare Lord. While it would be a bit of a retelling of the events in the Stormrage book, having Malfurion, Ysera, and Ernikus team up against Xavius would be more than worthy of its own entry into Classic+. The events in Stormrage are also set considerably later in the timeline, between the fall of the Lich King and the Cataclysm, so it wouldn't necessarily be a retcon.
Xavius, empowered by the Old Gods, is the source of much of the Nightmare's corruption, so having Classic+ focus on him and his endgame of infecting all of Azeroth with the Nightmare would be very fitting. How do we get away from the fact that Xavius is technically a tree at this point in the timeline? Well... That's a whole different speculation post.
Could Xavius make an appearance in his Satyr form?
In the end, the possibilities for an adventure in the Emerald Dream are endless, just like the maddening whispers of the Old Gods. Whatever the devs can dream up, or wake up in a cold sweat from, could be the next entry in Classic+.
So, what do you think, is this too predictable? Is there a different direction that you would rather see Blizzard take when it comes to the Emerald Dream? Let us know in the comments below!
