The dragons of Azeroth will once again be at the forefront of the World of Warcraft storyline when Dragonflight launches later this year. Players will be whisked away on a journey across The Dragon Isles in a story that is heavily entrenched in classic Warcraft lore. This will be the first time that the dragons are the focal point of an expansion since Cataclysm, and players could not be more excited to see what Blizzard has planned for this ambitious expansion pack.
The return of the dragons to World of Warcraft will also bring with it some of the most iconic characters in Warcraft lore. One of these characters is the bronze dragon known as Chromie. Many players have come to know Chromie over the years as she is in charge of Timewalking campaigns, and is responsible for the creation of World of Warcraft Classic. However, she is so much more than that and a far more important character to the World of Warcraft story than many players may realize.
Chromie's Early Life
Chromie was assigned male at birth, and had always struggled with how she wanted the world to perceive her. This struggle came to a head as Chromie's Visage Day fast approached. This day was a rite of passage for dragons as it was the day that they chose what mortal guise they would take on. She confided in her friend Zidormi who told her that maybe the bronze dragon aspect Nozdormu would be better suited in pointing her in the right direction.
So, Chromie went to Nozdormu and asked him if he knew what form she was going to take as the bronze flight specialized in perusing the timeline. Instead of telling her what the future held, he told her that it was too personal of a choice for him to sway her in a certain direction. It was not only a means for the dragons to see how the mortal races see the world, but it was also a way to influence how those same races saw the dragons.
Chromie met with many other dragon aspects to see what their mortal guises were in hopes that she could figure out just what she wanted to be perceived as. Many emissaries from across the dragonflights attend her Visage Day, including the queen of the dragons Alexstrasza. In front of all these dragons, Chromie declared that she had finally found the guise that best suited her. She saw that this choice was not just about how the world would see them, but also how they saw themselves, and she wanted to see the world from the smallest of species building to create a better future on Azeroth. So, she turned into a female gnome under the name of Chromie.
Chromie's Role in World of Warcraft
Chromie's decision to become a female gnome allegedly taught the rest of the dragonflights a lesson about their mortal guises, and it finally made her feel like she belonged. She would then get hard at work in World of Warcraft messing with time and ensuring that Azeroth was protected. Currently, she is one of the few bronze dragons that actually interacts with the players and is often involved in the fight to protect the planet.
Chromie was tasked by the bronze dragonflight to investigate the Scourge in vanilla World of Warcraft and served as the bronze dragonflight's ambassador during Wrath of the Lich King. She also assists the players on Mount Hyjal in Cataclysm, and pointed them towards the Timeless Isle during Mists of Pandaria. Recently, Chromie has become even more involved in World of Warcraft, as she is the NPC that players talk to when they want to choose a specific expansion to level a brand-new character in.
During World of Warcraft Legion, Chromie recruited the players to assist her in a scenario known as The Deaths of Chromie. She discovered that she would die in the near future and asked the players to help her figure out why. She was not against dying, but she knew this was not how she was supposed to die. Together, the player and Chromie venture through the timeways to discover the culprit of this assassination and ensure that the timeline is set right.
Chromie has been spotted in Dragonflight, but it is unknown if she will have a major role. Even if she is simply a side character, she is still one of the most important dragons on Azeroth and will always be a major character within the Warcraft story. Time will tell where her story goes, though it will surely include even more time travel shenanigans.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.