User:GoldenYak/Patch X.1 - The Dark Ancients

The Dark Ancients is the first patch for the Emerald Dream Expansion Concept.

General Overview

 * New World Bosses: Six mighty new enemies have been unleashed upon the Emerald Dream by the Nightmare - the Dark Ancients.
 * New Storyline: The Dark Ancients rise, and the heroes of Azeroth must defend the regions of the Emerald Dream that they fought so hard to free from the Nightmare's corruption. The wicked architect of the Nightmare, the Old God N'Zoth, will rear his ugly head and send his minions to directly oppose the efforts of the heroes.
 * Upgraded Nightmare Incursions: Nightmare Incursions in zones with an active Dark Ancient become even more dangerous, and offer greater rewards.

The Story So Far...
The Nightmare's forces have suffered major defeats thanks to the heroes of Azeroth. The latest assault of the Nightmare on Eden'ar has failed, and the Nightmare Lord Malorne was reclaimed and purified by the natural energies at the Emerald Dream's uncorrupted heart. The heroes of Azeroth have learned of the existence of the source of the Nightmare, the Nightmare Seeds, relics created by the Old Gods and cast into the Dream long ago. These dark artifacts have been lost to the Nightmare for centuries, but were recently unearthed, and are being sought after by the Nightmare's forces as a way to reverse their misfortune. The defenders of the Dream also seek to secure the Nightmare Seeds to prevent the Nightmare's forces from abusing their power. The seeds may also provide the key to defending against the Nightmare's corruption, and perhaps even reveal a means to destroy the Nightmare itself.

Angered by the loss of the Nightmare Lord and determined to recover the Nightmare Seeds, the Nightmare has called forth its most powerful creations, corrupted incarnations of the Wild Gods of Azeroth - the Dark Ancients. Each one of these horrific entities bears ferocious strength and has the ambition to dominate the forces of the Nightmare and lead them in all-out war upon the defenders of the Emerald Dream. Born of the Nightmare's own essence, even when slain these monsters will inevitably return, reborn time and again from the Nightmare's power.

The Dark Ancients
While the Nightmare Lord was defeated and reclaimed from corruption, the Nightmare has learned and grown under the guidance of N'Zoth. The resurrection of Shaharoth and the defection of Vermilanx has given N'Zoth all the knowledge necessary to use the Nightmare to spawn the Dark Ancients, demigod beings forged in the twisted image of Azeroth's mighty Wild Gods. The Dark Ancients and their monstrous followers have begun flooding throughout the Emerald Dream, retaking territory that was hard-won by the heroes of Azeroth and their allies. These monsters must somehow be defeated before they overtake the Dream, but even when slain they can eventually be reborn from the Nightmare and return. Only when the Nightmare and it's vile architect are defeated will their threat be truly ended.

Lycanthoth the Wolf
The wicked wolf god Lycanthoth has chosen the Shimmerwyld as his hunting grounds. With him he brings his evil children, the lycanorn, a breed of wolf-men created for the express purpose of hunting down and exterminating, and ultimately replacing, all those who bear the mark of the worgen. Lycanthoth will not rest until he has slaughtered all of Goldrinn's children.

Chaug'Noh, the Mammoth
The peaks of Frostholt shudder under the footfalls of the titanic Chaug'Noh, the Mammoth God. With a sweep of her mighty trunk she can uproot entire groves of evergreen trees, and with a trumpeting bellow she can cause the living to drop dead from sheer terror. In her wake come the mugon, mammoth-like abominations spawned from the Dark Ancient's power. Like their hideous mother-creature, they desire to see every living thing trampled beneath their thunderous feet.

Vikaragg, the Boar
Vikaragg the Boar God rampages through the Ignaris Mountains. The colossal mountain-sized boar causes horrible black thorns and vines to spring up in the wake of his rampage, choking the life of anything that survives the Dark Ancient's passage. From out of these tainted thorn-patches come the skiverine, boar-like humanoids spawned in twisted image of the quillboar race. Vikaragg was formed by the Nightmare in mockery of the great boar deity Agamaggan, and he bears a special loathing for his counterpart.

Nemesis, the Tortoise
The once-tranquil Sea of Zurvan is menaced by the coming of Nemesis, the Tortoise God. Erupting from beneath the earth, Nemesis brings the corruption of the Nightmare with him like a tide of choking oil on the sea. Hideous creatures are spawned from the toxic spill, the nemesyne, turtle-like monsters made in the image of Nemesis. The hordes of the Dark Ancient gather for an all-out assault on the Halls of Dreaming, seeking to capture it for N'Zoth.

Mirhira, the Tiger
Still ravaged by the actions of Hakkar and the blood-maddened Gurubashi Loa, the Forevergreen is now menaced by a new evil deity. Mirhira the Tiger stalks the polluted forests of the Forevergreen, seeking to hunt down and slay those who have escaped the Nightmare's corruption. Mirhira's Nightmare-spawned children, the tiger-like baihu, add to the carnage by conducting their own hunts throughout the jungle in vicious war-packs.

Malocaris, the Scorpion
Erupting from beneath the black sands of the Thanacross Wastes is Malocaris, the Scorpion God. A colossal arachnid horror, Malocaris' armored hide is laced thick with saronite metal, having leeched the substance from the tainted sands of the wastes. Seething with the Nightmare's power, Malocaris' mutated body has spawned a vast horde of giant scorpions that surround and protect him. What little life remains in the Thanacross Wastes is in mortal danger from Malocaris and his brood-spawn, and before long their numbers will overwhelm the defenders in the Wastes and threaten more of the Dream.

New Creatures

 * Lycanorn - The corrupted nightmare-spawned children of Lycanthoth. They exist for the express purpose of hunting down, slaughtering, and ultimately replace the worgen.
 * Mugon - Creations of the dark ancient Chaug'Noh, these mammoth-like monstrosities wish to see everything that is trampled beneath their feet.
 * Skiverine - Wicked spawn of Vikaragg the Boar, they bear a special loathing of their kin the quillboar. Born from the black thorns that grow wherever Vikaragg rampages.
 * Nemesyne - Reptilian humanoids spawned by Nemesis. They are the very image of their wicked parent, and desire to slowly but steadily destroy everything in their path.
 * Baihu - Children of the dark ancient Mirhira. Tiger humanoids with reverse-patterned bodies - black fur with fiery orange stripes. Their savage hunger is never sated, driving them to constantly hunt and kill.