Wisp Wisps are fey nature spirit s who build night elf structures and gather resources . Wisps have the power to detonate , causing a backlash of mana , and can become Ancients . Several thousand of them , known as the Ancestral Spirit s , gathered at the call of the Horn of Cenarius to Nordrassil to destroy Archimonde . Description . Wisps are ancient spirits of nature that inhabit the forestlands of Kalimdor . Legends say that Wisps are actually the disembodied spirits of deceased night elves , but these rumors have yet to be proven . The wisps act in unison with the night elves and serve to strengthen the demigod - like trees known as the Ancients . Beckoned by the night elves , Wisps are capable of animating various trees and expanding themselves into rough - hewn structures of living wood and stone . Wisps are mysterious “ forest spirits ” of unknown origin . Wisps are forest spirits that heal ancients and keep the forest clean and pure . They are dedicated to the well - being of night elf forests . They are connected to the forest on a supernatural level rivaling that of Cenarius ’ children ; indeed , many believe that wisps often evolve into mighty ancient protectors and other creatures . Wisps play a major role in night elf life by creating and repairing their wooden structures . In addition to healing living wood with their mere touch they can detonate themselves to banish or kill summoned monsters ( such as any outsider , elemental , or several kinds of undead ) . Wisps show little intelligence , free will or self - interest . They appear to exist purely to serve the will of the night elves . Whether this is reality or whether they serve the night elf leadership out of some personal agenda or sense of duty is unclear at this time . A tremendous number of wisps were destroyed at the end of the Third War in Malfurion ’ s gamble to destroy Archimonde . As a result , they are nowhere near as numerous as before the Third War , but nevertheless they play an integral part in the lives of all night elves . Some human scholars think that wisps are the souls of deceased night elves , but these claims have yet to be proven , and are met with near mockery among the night elves . The glowing ball of light hovers a few feet off the ground . Within the eldritch glow , inside can be seen the translucent features of an elven face . Wisps avoid combat and will flee when attacked if they can . Instead , they follow night elf orders , which usually means they act as support troops , healing ancients and repairing night elf structures . They detonate if ordered to do so , or if they cannot flee . If pressed , they slam into mortal foes or detonate themselves to destroy or banish outsiders or undead . A wisp may sacrifice itself to seed an ancient . It takes decades for the ancient to grow to maturity and centuries before it reaches its full potential . Wisps have the ability to safely extract wood from a tree without damaging or harming the plant . This is a slow process , but over the course of a day , a single wisp can produce about 20 pounds of lumber from a large tree . Wisps have the capability to mold wood into nearly any form . A wisp can change the shape of up to a 5 - foot cube of wood , shifting the wood ’ s dimensions at will . This potent ability allows wisps to swiftly create structures for the night elves . A wisp can sacrifice itself . Creatures within 30 feet suffer the simultaneous effects of the spell ' s banishment , dispel magic , and mana burn . A wisp may heal an ancient , plant or wooden structure . The wisp must touch the plant or structure , to heal it . April Fool ' s . In late March 2006 , wisps were announced to be the new race for the Alliance in the upcoming expansion , " " . The announcement , however , was an April Fool ' s joke . The " real " new Alliance race was eventually announced as the draenei . In " World of Warcraft " . Wisp form . A wisp is a special ghost form available to night elves based on a racial ability that allows faster travel when dead to get to their corpse . A wisp looks like a misty , glowing ball of light , with a vaguely discernible night elf face , that floats some distance above the ground . Non - combat pet . During the Midsummer Fire Festival in 2006 , players could complete the quest A Light in Dark Places , which rewarded the player with a . The Flame could be used to activate a non combat pet called — which had the appearance of a red wisp . It is likely an elemental sprite . The Midsummer Fire Festival re - ocurred in 2007 , and the same quest was required to get the Spirit of Summer . It should be noted that a reasonably well - geared level 70 player ( preferably pure DPS or a high - armor healer i . e . Shaman or Paladin ) was able to solo through the four instances to get the pet , provided that they had the keys to open the instances . Ship guides . A wisp can be found each elven ship to help guide the vessel to its destination and also search for lost souls .