Summary
World of Warcraft: Dragonflighthas reintroduced one of its antagonist factions, the Druids of the Flame. These wayward night elves were thought to be extinguished during Cataclysm, so their resurgence in Dragonflight took many by surprise. Their origins offer insight as to why any druid could so fervently turn their back on Azeroth.
Normally, druids inWorld of Warcraftcherish and protect the delicate balance of nature, but the Druids of the Flame do the opposite. They relish in rampant destruction and turning all living things to ash, a goal that has recently aligned them with Fyrakk, the Flame Incarnate. From them, the great proto-drake learned how to access the Emerald Dream, and now the whole world lies in peril.
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Ten thousand years ago, Malfurion Stormrage was the Archdruid of his people, the Kal’dorei, or night elves. But whenhis spirit entered the Emerald Dream, he fell into a deep slumber from which he could not be roused. Left without a druid leader, Fandral Staghelm was chosen to rule alongside Tyrande Whisperwind until Malfurion returned. He was a trusted and valued member of the Cenarion Circle and had saved the world many years ago.
While Fandral seemed like the perfect choice, he soon began to turn to darker schemes. He had previously lost his only son, Valstann, who had been butchered before his very eyes by aQiraji General in Silithus. He appeared to have recovered from the heartbreak, but this wasn’t the case. The grief began to eat away at him, made all the more potent when he realized there was no way to resurrect his child.
Fandral’s pain soon twisted into rage, eating away at his insanity year after year. Even when Malfurion returned, Fandral sought to kill the Archdruid and corrupt their home with nightmarish magic. For this, he was imprisoned, but as theCataclysm shook Azeroth to its core, some in the Cenarion Circle lost faith in their purpose. In the end, those committed to Deathwing’s cause freed Fandral.
The once-noble night elf made adeal with Ragnaros, the Firelord, to transform him and his followers into a new breed of druid, turning their skin dark red and their eyes fiery orange. Their charge was simply to burn Mount Hyjal and its World Tree to ash, along with anyone who stood in their way. Naturally, their plans were foiled and Fandral was slain within the Firelands, but this wasn’t the end of the Druids of the Flame.
During the War of the Thorns, whenSylvanas Windrunner burned Teldrassiland destroyed Darnassus, the surviving night elves were stricken. Many spurned their reverence for Elune since she had done nothing to protect them. Little did they know, some Druids of the Flame had survived all this time, and they welcomed these traumatized night elves into their ranks.
Now, Fyrakk has found new allies with these wayward druids, and their knowledge of the Emerald Dream has clearly been put to use. The Flame Incarnate plans to tear his way into this verdant realm and claim the power of a World Tree as his own. With the Druids of the Flame at his side, he seems all but unstoppable. Azeroth will need all its heroes to fight these fires andsave the Emerald Dream from destruction.
