Prologue

Last update: 16.10.2026

I have many memories. They span a long career.

I remember starting off as a new, clueless druid in Aldrassil, a part of Teldrassil. I remember the long, sometimes painful, but always ultimately satisfying journey to mastery. I'll never forget the moment when I first entered Darnassus, hearing a grand musical score in my head, being struck dumb with awe. Countless combat missions. Blackfathom Deeps was my first love; Scarlet Monastery was epic; the sheer, awe-inspiring size of Blackrock Depths; Lower Blackrock Spire was my all-time favorite, I think; the long, hard slog to get Wildheart Raiment, then upgrade to Feralheart -- I was so proud. Then came Outland; desperate fighting in Sethekk Halls; the interminable quest to attain Druid Swift Flight Form -- again, I was so proud. Northrend; defeating the Lich King -- proud again.

I have memories after Northrend as well, but I don't dwell on them much, for they give me little joy. I did my part in the Cataclysm, the opening of Pandaria, then Draenor, the Legion's invasion … but ever since Arthas went down, a sense of futility gradually came over me. Events after that increasingly felt like they were not worthy of my time. I became disillusioned. When an old druid reaches that point, there is only one option: The Emerald Dream.

And so I went. And I returned from it for a short time, to indulge a nostalgia too strong to resist. But then I was back in The Dream, the only place my soul could find solace. And there I have remained.

It's important to note something: I have all these memories of what I did in Azeroth and other lands, but I have absolutely no recollection of what I've done in The Dream. It's simply part of the pact, the rules, the way things are done. A druid goes to The Dream and fights the good fight there -- yet remembers nothing of it when outside. A wise druid won't break his head about it -- he simply accepts it. I try to be a wise druid.

But I shall soon return. To Azeroth. To the land I fell in love with and remember so poignantly well. Much of the land, and those who populate it, will be as I remember. But there will be differences. Things that were not there before. The Azeroth I enter this time will be more … alive, vibrant and rich than the one I recall. A new timeline, if you will.

I'll have the benefit of my memories of "old" Azeroth, but in all other ways, I'll be a typical new adventurer. Today, I am Shan'do Marcus Livius, a Master Druid. But soon, I'll be a total beginner. My current title, my many achievements, everything I've done before … none of it will matter. Not until I earn it again. And I'm fine with that. I look forward to this new adventure.

But what if it's not everything I hope it will be? What if I again become disillusioned and weary of the world?

Well … we focus on the things we can control and do our best when confronted by the things we cannot. The only thing that truly matters is: have I lived my life in a way that makes me proud? I will ensure the answer is "yes", even if the new Azeroth is unfulfilling, even if I ultimately return to The Dream.

In the meantime, I have work to do.