This most recent alpha build has updated a small feature which most would overlook, but to lore fans is of great importance: the dungeon journal lore entries. Often they’re the only way to learn who non-final or pre-existing bosses in dungeons and raids are, and why we’re fighting them. Now, with the exception of a few world and Violet Hold bosses, all Legion dungeon and raid bosses have lore entries in the journal, which I will transcribe here for those curious about the enemies we’ll be facing in World of Warcraft: Legion.
Due to the number of bosses throughout Legion’s ten dungeons, I’ll be splitting this post up into a series. Today we’ll be covering the two dungeons located in Val’sharah: Black Rook Hold and Darkheart Thicket.
Darkheart Thicket
In the shadow of Shaladrassil, the Nightmare permeates every inch of the once-lush forest. Where the eldest and greatest druids once tended to the woods, meditating beneath the great world tree, corruption and madness now reign. Deep within the tangled thicket, the Nightmare Lord Xavius works to break the will of his greatest prize.
Arch-Druid Glaidalis: Glaidalis was once known as among the most talented shapeshifters in all of Azeroth, and the elders of Moonglade would regularly send their most promising disciples to his care for instruction. But as has sadly too often been the case, those who are closest to nature are often the first to fall into the Nightmare’s clutches.
Oakheart: An ancient who formed from an offshoot of Shaladrassil itself, Oakheart has survived the Sundering, the Cataclysm, and countless blights. The ancient was able to weather these storms by drawing strength from the essence of the Dream itself. But now, that wellspring has become his undoing.
Dresaron: Once a young green drake, tending to whelps in the shadow of the great world tree, Dresaron is now engulfed in nightmare, lost in a fog of hatred and fear. He lashes out with powerful wings and a withering breath, unleashing his rage on any who stumble into his clutches.
Shade of Xavius: Once a powerful mage, and a councilor to Queen Azshara, Xavius forged a pact with Sargeras to enable the Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth. Cursed and tormented in the wake of that defeat, Xavius now projects his true power from the Nightmare into our world, focusing his dark might to break the spirit of his old rival, Malfurion.
Black Rook Hold
Carved from the greatest mountain in Val’sharah by ancient elven masons, Black Rook Hold stood as a bulwark against the Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients. The nigh-impregnable fortress is also the ancestral home of Lord Kur’talos Ravencrest, one-time mentor of Illidan himself. But since the latest Legion attack, a strange dark energy emanates from the Hold, and restless dead plague the surrounding lands.
The Amalgam of Souls: Immense soul energy was released when Gul’dan conducted the ritual to sever Illidan’s soul from his body at Black Rook Hold. This energy brought the souls of the Ravencrest clan back to their ancestral home – and residual soul energy has merged them into a massive monstrosity.
Illysanna Ravencrest: The daughter of Lord Ravencrest, imprisoned for millennia in the Vault of the Wardens shortly after the War of the Ancients, found herself free from after Maiev released the demon hunters from their prison. Returning to her ancestral home, she has sacrificed everything – including her very soul – to defend what she could not during the War of the Ancients.
Smashspite the Hateful: A brutal, imposing Mo’arg Lieutenant, Smashspite the Hateful led the Legion’s invasion of Black Rook Hold and commanded defense of the keep from the air via his colony of felbats.
Lord Kur’talos Ravencrest: Kur’talos Ravencrest, Lord of Black Rook Hold, was the commander of the Kal’dorei Resistance during the War of the Ancients until he was assassinated by Varo’then under the orders of Queen Azshara. Millennia later, Gul’dan’s foul soul magic has awoken Ravencrest’s soul, and those of his ancestors, from their eternal repose. The Legion, seeking revenge, gleefully forced his soul into his body and mesmerized him, forcing him to eternally relive the horrors of the War of the Ancients.
World of Warcraft Writer and columnist for Blizzplanet. I am also known as The Red Shirt Guy (BlizzCon).
