World of Warcraft just made the “Visage Day” short story free to read for all players. This charming tale not only explores draconic society in preparation for Dragonflight, but also shares backstory for Chromie, one of World of Warcraft's first trans characters.
“Visage Day” is a short story written by Steve Danuser, a senior game designer and the lead narrative designer of World of Warcraft. The short story first appeared in World of Warcraft: Folk & Fairytales of Azeroth, a short story anthology released in May 2021.
Danuser’s short story in particular detailed the Visage Day for Chronormu, a popular bronze dragon in World of Warcraft better known as Chromie. The story establishes Visage Day as a coming-of-age ceremony all dragons undergo which establishes the preferred humanoid form they take when interacting with mortals. However, Chronormu is stumped as to what form he should take. After asking advice from several dragons, least of all Nozdormu, Aspect of the Bronze Dragonflight, Chromie decides on a Visage of a female gnome–despite being born a male dragon–because it suited her better.
The World of Warcraft: Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth anthology has short stories from a dozen authors, including famous WoW authors Christie Golden and Madeleine Roux. With stories ranging from original folk tales about mermaids and the moons to some involving well-known characters like Vereesa Windrunner and Uther the Lightbringer, this anthology is a delightful addition for any World of Warcraft fan’s collection.
Many fans are especially glad “Visage Day” was made available free for everyone, however. The short story provides wonderful detail of draconic culture in World of Warcraft. With Dragonflight’s release ostensibly within the next few months, access to the lore provided in “Visage Day” is especially poignant, doubly so because many characters from the expansion play roles in the expansion. All players can now have a better understanding of how these dragons choose their humanoid guises.
Many World of Warcraft fans are hoping Blizzard uses Dragonflight as a platform to create a Visage Day holiday in game. Because of its analogue with the journey of transgender folks, many fans have petitioned World of Warcraft to celebrate the draconic holiday. Establishing the holiday on March 31, Trans Day of Visibility, or during June’s Pride Month celebrations would be an excellent opportunity to expand inclusivity in World of Warcraft. There has been no formal announcement of such a holiday in World of Warcraft, but it is possible the free publication of “Visage Day” could be the first steps towards holding such an event.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC, with Dragonflight launching later this year.