Aviana

**Aviana** is an Ancient, the mother of harpies, and mistress of the Mother Tree, G'Hanir. She is the wild god of Azeroth's birds and other winged creatures, while the Druids of the Talon are her mortal followers. She uses the Idol of Aviana to grant druids the power of Flight form.

While caring towards her children and worshippers, she is a fierce and savage combatant who slew many demons during the War of the Ancients before being killed. Her spirit is still found within the Emerald dream and has been there for the past 10,000 years.

## History

### Early Life

Aviana found her way to G'Hanir, the Mother Tree, a fount of life that was the first thing Freya created within the Emerald Dream. Aviana grew enchanted with it, as it was more than a tree; it was a source of life, healing, and peace. Aviana spent years melding her power into the tree, and soon all winged creatures of Azeroth dreamed of spending the afterlife flying through its branches. Aviana's spirit became tied with G'Hanir, and in time this would have lasting consequences.

### War of the Ancients

When the red dragon Korialstrasz, trapped in his mortal disguise Krasus, was unable to fly, Aviana gifted him a feather which granted him temporary wings.

During the War of the Ancients, Aviana was one of many Ancient Guardians who came to the aid of the night elves in defense of their world. Though the shock of their attack initially gave them an edge, the endless numbers of the Burning Legion eventually overwhelmed many of them. Aviana was knocked from the sky and Rhonin witnessed her lifeless body fall when a large group of demons attacked her. The doomguard surrounded her and pierced her body with their spears. When Aviana was killed, her realm tree G'Hanir died.

The shock of Aviana's death reverberated through the Emerald Dream, and all the leaves of G'Hanir fell from their branches. Many mourned it, and some succumbed to the temptation of serving dark forces in Aviana's absence. But although she had died, her spirit lingered. As the night elves struggled to rebuild their society in the wake of the Great Sundering, the green dragonflight discovered a gift: A single branch from the Mother Tree, with a single acorn hanging from its leaves, had been left in their care. Alexstrasza of the red dragonflight used the acorn to grow Nordrassil, the World Tree. Malfurion Stormrage sensed that it had been Aviana's spirit that had given the branch to them, and he believed it was best to keep it hidden. Many of Aviana's children had been lost to chaos, and they might be driven to claim the remnant of Aviana's legacy for their new masters. Quietly, Malfurion moved the branch to a safe location within the Emerald Dream. Few knew of its location, but its influence was felt far and wide. For many millennia, the branch served as a stabilizing force for the Emerald Dream, and the land near it was said to be a place of great healing and peace.

The first druids found her body among the carnage and bore it up to the highest mountain. She was laid to rest just outside the Shrine of Aviana, within a circle of sacred stones.

### Emerald Dream

For ten thousand years Aviana drifted formless in the Emerald Dream while the mortal races continued to worship her; the Druids of the Talon in particular focused their worship around her and learned to take the forms of raven and crows. Her children, the harpies, descended into violence and barbaric behavior, and eventually forsook their parent for other, darker masters, or struck out on their own. Some worshippers believed Aviana to have survived her death at the hands of demons, and others claimed to have actually had contact with her. However, this is unlikely, unless it was through the Emerald Dream.