Ten things you probably missed in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

It’s a big, open world out there. With World of Warcraft: Dragonflight spanning an area roughly the size of Kalimdor but with a much lower quest density, there’s a whole lot of empty space to fill. It must have been a daunting task for the developers to flesh it out without getting repetitive, but they rose to the challenge.

Aside from a few rocky vistas on the mountainous outer wall of the Dragon Isles (and, well, Zaralek Cavern), the entirety of this expansion is vibrant, detailed, and full of life. And yet, with all of that splendor, the devs decided to go the extra mile, tossing in little gems that nobody was likely to run into without doing a little extra exploring.

Fortunately for you, there’s nothing I like better than cruising around on my Wylderdrake. Here are just a few of the amazing Easter eggs I’ve discovered since the launch of Dragonflight.

(Bonus challenge: How many of these can you find without consulting the waypoint list?)

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#1 Wildlife wars

Vignettes like this one can be found scattered from the Wild Coast all the way to Brackenhide, but no spot is more contested than this little river in the Azure Span.

The primary conflict appears to be between the ottuks, who want their river to flow free and fast, and the spike-tailed beavers who would like to take things a little slower, actually.

Things have gotten so out of hand that even the neighborhood bakar and crystalspine have things to say about it.

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#2 A. F. Kay

Hearthstone players might recognize this one. First appearing in the Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion, this absent-minded mage has been known to miss entire boss fights while she was distracted by conjured treats. At least she doesn’t seem to be shirking anything more vital than a bit of cartography while she’s busy carb-loading here.

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#3 The happy hoppy hippo

The first time I saw this riverbeast, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I sat in there gaping for nearly ten minutes as he leapt into the river, climbed out, and jumped back in again. I laughed and laughed, and then I cried, for their waterproof hides are in such high demand that the species seemed already to be nigh-extinct, and I still hadn’t filled my quota. I nevertheless can report that I left little Hoppy to his aquabatics in the end.

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#4 The sunning swog

At a glance, this guy seems pretty chill. He’s got a great view of the bay, a nice bit of shade, a beach towel that’s obviously too small for him, and a pair of sunglasses … in his … mouth….

Hang on, is this a crime scene??

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#5 Ottuk fighting

Speaking of crime scenes….

Those with high Iskaara renown have likely acquired one of these battle-ready ottuks, but their training — at least in Uktulut Backwater — may involve some rather dubious practices. One can only hope that their keepers’ nonchalance is because they know these inherently-playful creatures won’t actually hurt each other.

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#6 Conflago the nonbinary alchemist

If you’re not an alchemist, you can be forgiven for missing this indecisive denizen of Valdrakken. I myself must have interacted with them weekly for several months before I clued in to the fact that there were not in fact two different alchemy trainers beneath that awning, but one person swapping guises from day to day.

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#7 Firewing, the lavaswimming duck

We’re not sure if this duck is part black dragon, or if they’ve just been sipping from an Everlasting Horn of Lavaswimming, but they sure seem to be enjoying themselves. Their buddy Zetch on the shore there doesn’t seem worried; perhaps they’re busy training for a big race.

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#8 Fang, Flap, Fire … Shark?

Unless you’ve gone out of your way to acquire the related achievement, you probably walked right past this unassuming statue a dozen times. (More like hundreds, for those of us with the Inscription profession.) Interacting with the statue can grant one of three buffs, which are strong/weak to each other in the same manner as Rock, Paper, Scissors. The rules are … unclear, so better check the guide.

While you’re there playing tag, be sure to check out these shark rocks in the creek nearby. Yeah, you probably missed those too.

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#9 The butterfly lantern

This study spot near Algeth’ar Academy is fun to check out for many reasons, including its splashing fountain and the students’ pets dashing about, but by far the most fun to be had here is the Butterfly Lantern. There are at least two in the area, and when you pick one up you’ll get a 30-minute buff which attracts blue, green, and yellow butterflies to follow you everywhere you go. These lanterns have also been spotted in several other locations around the Isles.

…Hey Blizz, could we get this as an off-hand transmog?

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And now for my personal favorite:

#10 Hawk mama

It’s unclear whether this fierce-eyed matron has adopted these little ducklings wholesale, or is merely babysitting for one of the duck families up the hill. The good news is, the cute little quackers seem to be having the time of their lives.

As for mama hawk, maaaaybe somebody ought to give her a hand … er, wing … before things get any more exciting.

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Bonus: Tea time

This little vignette was too adorable to leave off the list. Whether this is a daily ritual for these little whelplings or a one-off etiquette lesson, I couldn’t tell you, but those snacks look delicious.

(Tag yourself; I’m the whelpling sleeping in a puddle of spilled tea.)

So how about you? Did you catch any of these little gems on your journey, or did you race past all of them at the speed of dragonflight?

Locations

So, how many could you find without help? Here’s a list of locations so you can check out these slice of life moments across the Dragon Isles.

/way #2024 68.52, 53.22 Wildlife wars
/way #2022 49.84, 68.67 A. F. Kay
/way #2022 44.46, 84.58 Hoppy hippo
/way #2022 69.51, 72.53 Sunning swog
/way #2022 53.63, 37.01 Ottuk fighting
/way #2112 36.61, 71.40 Conflago
/way #2022 23.47, 57.80 Firewing, the lava-swimming duck
/way #2112 42.62, 69.37 Fang, Flap, Fire … Shark?
/way #2025 55.22, 45.99 Butterfly lantern
/way #2025 51.36, 37.36 Hawk mama
/way #2022 57.14, 64.80 Tea time

Originally published May 24, 2024