Dryad

Dryads are the enchanted daughters of the demigod Cenarius. The playful, frolicking creatures vaguely resemble a female night elf for the upper part of their bodies, while the lower part is more akin to woodland fawns. They are swift and sure and are at peace with all of the children of the forest. Like the keepers of the grove, while they prefer peaceUltimate Visual Guide, pg. 183 and abhor unnecessary violence, the dryads will defend the wildlands of Kalimdor with their lives if need be.Dryad at Battle.net or the Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos manual They are curious, but only a few leave the forests.Ultimate Visual Guide They can enter the Emerald Dream by shifting their bodies between the planes.The Well of Eternity, chapter 4Join the Dreamer
Being the children of Cenarius, they have shared ancestry with the centaurs.The Sacred Flame (2) Some are the children of Remulos rather than Cenarius.Stormrage, chapter 24: "dryads, also forest protectors and the powerful daughters of vanished Remulos."
==Background==
The first known encounters with the dryads were almost 15,000 years ago when they were encountered by the dark trolls that eventually evolved into night elves. Following the Great Sundering, the woodland dryads emerged from the secluded Moonglade, traveling to other areas such as Ashenvale and being revered by the night elves as an omen of good times. When dragons left the Dragon Isles after the Sundering, green dragons left dryads among those that were left to care over the isles.https://www.well-played.com.au/dragon-racing-dragon-snoots-and-dragon-sheep-talking-draconic-with-the-wow-expansion-devs/
Notably, they assisted the Kaldorei Resistance and the Wild Gods during the War of the Ancients, the Sentinels during the Third War as well as the dreamform army in the War Against the Nightmare.
They also appear in Val'sharah, and a group of dryads lives in the Verdant Wilds.
==Description==
Dryads, when first grown, stand at around 5'5".Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 121 They first begin their lives as enchanted acorns, cared for and tended to by experienced druids who consider them sacred. These druids whisper in various languages to the acorn to teach them about the world before they're grown, and at the first touch of water, sprout into their normal appearance in a matter of seconds.Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 120 - 127 Once grown, they immediately imprint on the first person they see, meant to be a druid, who will teach them to control and utilize their powers for the good of nature.Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 374 Dryads do not consume animal products, and instead enjoy various vegetables and fruits.Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 145 They can converse with any living beings, such as bee hives,Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 128 can grow plants at their will,Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 132 and are largely immune to all forms of magic.Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 159 Although they grow from an acorn, they do seem to have normal biology once done growing, as they're capable of bleedingTraveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 329 and defecating.Aranelle#Notes
Loa and night elves hold dryads in very high regard. Shadra bowed her head to Taryndrella out of either respect--or fear.Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 332Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 135
It is said that the knowledge of the Ancients of Lore is necessary also to enable communion with the enigmatic, free-spirited dryads.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual
They use spears or wands.
==Notable dryads==
==Other types==
===Nymphs===
The term nymph is interchangeable with dryad. Nymphs are a wilder variation.Ask CDev Answers - Round 4 Two types are known to exist: the frost nymphs and forest nymphs.World of Warcraft: The Magazine Volume 2 Issue 1, pg. 92 Frost nymphs were first discovered in Howling Fjord during Wrath of the Lich King, when they started revealing themselves in order to ask for help. A few forest nymphs have also been seen in Mount Hyjal helping the Guardians of Hyjal during Cataclysm.
===Crystal dryads===
Crystal dryads can be found in Crystalsong Forest. Unlike other dryads, their coloration is not like that of woodland trees. They are most likely this way as a result of the same dragon magic that overtook much of the forest.
==In the RPG==
thumb|A dryad in the Emerald Dream with unknown creatures.
They monitor the health of Kalimdor's forests, ever watchful against the depredations of evil magic. The creature has the head, arms, and torso of a beautiful night elf woman, but the lower body of a fawn. A gentle calm is evident in her eyes, but she hefts a spear with practiced skill. It doesn't look like she wants to use the spear in her hand — but if she had to, she could.Manual of Monsters, pg. 22Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 206
Allies of the night elves, dryads are the daughters of the demigod Cenarius. They are peaceful by nature and despise violence; however, like ancients, night elves, and their brothers the keepers of the grove, dryads fight to protect the forests and their allies. They are particularly adept at destroying magic and are immune to its effects. Most dryads remain in the forests, frolicking with the animals, dancing in the rain, and occasionally bringing nature's wrath onto their enemies. Some dryads, however, leave their forests and become adventurers. For some, encounters with hostile forces spark this desire — they wish to bring the fight to the enemies of nature. Others are curious about the world outside their forests and wish to experience new environments and meet new beings. Other dryads and night elves see adventuring dryads as a bit less unusual than adventuring ancients. Dryads possess an innate streak of curiosity, after all. However, adventuring dryads are still branded as eccentrics who go against the natural tendencies of their kind.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 28 Dryads are peaceful watchers of the forest. They are friends of the night elves and defenders of nature. Daughters of Cenarius, they somewhat resemble centaurs, their cursed brethren. Dryads enjoy play and frolic in the forests. Despite the fact that dryads abhor violence, they fought alongside their night elf allies in the Third War and continue to protect the forests against the depredations of the Scourge, the Burning Legion, and other intruders. They focus their efforts particularly against hostile magic.
While dryads are peaceful with all inhabitants of the forest, they can be fierce defenders against those who would do harm to nature. Dryads are peaceful, but they fight to protect nature and in defense of their night elf allies. They hurl their spears at close range (most dryads carry five or six spears), closing to melee when they run out of ammunition. In a serious engagement, one or two dryads flee to summon help from ancients, keepers of the grove or night elves, while the others delay their opponents. A dryad's magical nature coats her weapons with a painful and debilitating poison. Dryads attempt to weaken their enemies to the point where their gear weighs them down, forcing them to move slowly and making them vulnerable.
They are playful, frolicking fey creatures that vaguely resemble centaurs (their cursed cousins), but have upper torsos of night elves and lower bodies more akin to woodland fauns.
Dryads are known to visit the Shrine of Aessina to venerate Aessina.Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 187
They can be healersManual of Monsters and mages.Alliance Player's Guide They are classified as Medium Fey.
===Parentage===
The first dryads are the daughters of Cenarius, and sisters of his sons (Zaetar, Remulos, "the centaur", etc). Later, dryads were born from his "favored children", the dryads and keepers. Cenarius' daughter known as "the dryad" mothered dryads, and Remulos fathered dryads as well.Horde Player's Guide, pg. 209
===Corrupted dryad===
A dryad that has been mutated into one of the Corrupted Ones. The creature has the torso of an elf and the body of a faun, it is clearly a dryad. Yet, the body is twisted, its skin scaly and fingers clenched like horrid talons. Its face is screwed up in an evil scowl, and it attacks with a wild scream.Shadows & Light, pg. 149
===Culture===
Dryads usually speak Darnassian. Dryads find it useful to know the languages of the races with which they are most likely to come into contact. These languages include Common, Low Common, and Taur-ahe.
A dryad has wild empathy and can use body language, vocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal (such as a badger or a tallstrider). The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. The dryad must be within thirty feet of the target animal and under normal conditions. A dryad can use this ability to influence a magical beast with low intelligence (such as a darkmantle or a girallon).
==Notes and trivia==
*Young dryads are referred to as fauns.Playing Possum
*The Cenarion Circle considers dryads sacred.Traveler: The Shining Blade, chapter 6
*A Warcraft III manual map shows a place called Dryad Shrine in eastern Ashenvale.
*Concept art for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos refers to the dryad as the "Huntress" and featured a great amount of detail — including additional armor and foliage in the dryad's hair — which couldn't be implemented in Warcraft III due to that game's low polygon count. These concepts were later used as inspiration for Lunara's model in Heroes of the Storm.
*The nymph was likely an early dryad.
*When the dryad model was first added in Warcraft III, the texture for the dryad's chest was flipped during creation, resulting in the model having two sets of breasts, one in front and another on her back.
*In the E3 2006 trailer a dryad is shown in Ironforge something not seen in-game.
*In Heroes of the Storm, Lunara is referred to as being the First Daughter of Cenarius and the first of the dryads. However, this information has not been mentioned outside of Heroes and is thus not considered canon.
*Eternal Conservators appear to be dryads living on the planet Bonich, though since dryads are the children of Cenarius this is likely just a case of model reuse.
*The Warcraft III Dryad unit is referenced by the Dryad Spear.
*The Well of Eternity originally implied that dryads and keepers were former night elves that chose to join Cenarius in the protection of his realm, becoming physically altered forever as they became woodland guardians, unlike Malfurion Stormrage who became the first druid, remaining a night elf."Those few who came to him for guidance left ever touched, ever changed. Others did not even leave, becoming so transformed by their teachings that they chose instead to join the demigod in the protection of his realm. Those were no longer elves, but woodland guardians physically altered forever."[...]"You note I call it the Emerald Dream. My own dryads and keepers make use of the Emerald Dream in their duties, but sparingly.” “I’ve never heard of it,” Malfurion admitted with a shake of his head. "Likely because no night elf save those in my service has ever walked it... and they only when they were no longer of your race. You would be the first of your kind to truly take the path... if you so desire.""[...]"No other night elf truly wishes to learn my ways,” Cenarius replied. “Even those who have taken up the mantle of the forest... none of them has truly followed the path I now show you. You are the first with the possible aptitude, the possible will, to truly understand how to wield the forces inherent in all nature." - The Well of Eternity, chapter 4
*The Dragonflight dryad model uses vorkai animations.
**Even after the Dragonflight model update, dryads corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare continue to use the Legion model and nymphs continue to use the Wrath of the Lich King model.
==Inspiration==
In Greek mythology, s (from Anc. Greek: δρῦς/drŷs 'oak') are tree nymphs, specifically those of oak trees.
==Gallery==
File:Illyana.jpg|Original model in World of Warcraft.
File:Lunara at Dreamgrove.png|Updated model in Legion.
File:Aodh Witherpetal.jpg|Nightmare-corrupted dryad.
File:Thalendra.png|Dragonflight model with horns.
File:Norilune.png|Some dryads on the Dragon Isles have treelike hands like keepers of the grove.
File:Lunara HotS.jpg|Lunara a dryad from Heroes of the Storm. 
;Warcraft III
File:DryadWC3.gif|Dryad in Warcraft III.
File:BTNDryad.png|Dryad icon portrait in Warcraft III.
File:BTNDryad-Reforged.png|Dryad icon portrait in Warcraft III: Reforged.
File:Reforged credits art 20.png|Warcraft III: Reforged dryad (center).
File:Nymph.jpg|Warcraft III concept art.
File:Warcraft 3 concept art Dryad.jpg|Warcraft III concept art.
;Art
File:Exploring Azeroth - Dryad.jpg|From Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor.
File:Traveler Drella.jpg|Taryndrella from Traveler.
File:Offspring of Cenarius - Pearl of Pandaria.jpg|Dryads in Pearl of Pandaria.
File:Monstrous Boon.jpg|A dryad in the Trading Card Game.
File:Arisella, Daughter of Cenarius.jpg|Arisella, Daughter of Cenarius in the TCG.
File:Jasani, Shrine Keeper.jpg|Jasani, Shrine Keeper in the Trading Card Game.
File:Summer Flowerchild HS.jpg| in Hearthstone.
File:Lunara HotS Art.jpg|Lunara artwork from Heroes of the Storm.
File:Lunara HotS promo.jpg|Lunara, as seen on a piece of Heroes of the Storm promotional artwork.
==Patch changes==
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==References==
 
Category:Hybrid races
es:Dríade
fr:Dryade