Dragon

Dragons
Faction/Affiliation	Valdrakken Accord, Wyrmrest Accord, Pantheon of Order, Old Gods' forces, Independent
Racial capital	Valdrakken (Dragon Isles) Wyrmrest Temple (Dragonblight) Ruby Lifeshrine Caverns of Time Eye of Ysera The Nexus Obsidian Throne
Racial leader(s)	Alexstrasza  Nozdormu  Merithra  Kalecgos  Ebyssian Vyranoth
Formerly	Ysera  Deathwing †  Murozond †  Malygos †
Homeworld	Azeroth, Outland, Emerald Dream, Elunaria, Ny'alotha
Language(s)	Draconic, Common, Various other languages
Organization(s)	Various dragonflights

Dragons (known as nelghor in orcish) are immense, powerful, winged reptilian creatures, created from proto-dragons by the titans and their keepers to safeguard the world of Azeroth millennia ago. They are divided into several types called dragonflights, which are identified by their coloration: red, blue, black, green, and bronze. The leaders of each group are called the Dragon Aspects. Lesser dragonflights and organizations beyond the main five also exist, which are usually off-shoots of the other flights in some capacity.

Dragon is the name for these beings in the Common language. It's not confirmed what they call themselves in Draconic. In Orcish, dragons are called nelghor, meaning "loyal beasts". The Dragonmaw clan originally used this word to refer to their rylak mounts on Draenor. After arriving on Azeroth, they applied the term to dragons as well. All orcs eventually came to refer to dragons as nelghor.

After the fall of Deathwing, the Aspects lost their titan-given powers as well as the ability to reproduce, though they still remain powerful sorcerers. Following the blooming of Amirdrassil, the Dragon Aspects were empowered this time by Azeroth herself. Though gifted with their ancestral power again, it remains to be seen if their ability to reproduce has also returned.

History

Dawn of dragonkind

The first proto-dragons evolving into dragons.

The five original Aspects: Nozdormu, Malygos, Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Neltharion.

The proto-dragons were the ancestors of dragons before they evolved into the sapient, beautiful majestic creatures that they are known as today. Brann Bronzebeard recently uncovered evidence, corroborated by reports from adventurers in Deepholm, that proto-dragons and dragons may have originated from elemental dragons. Dragons share a common ancestry with both gryphons and wyverns, but it is unknown how far back they diverged.

Around 20,245 BDP, Keeper Tyr along with the help of five powerful and intelligent proto-dragons - Alexstrasza, Malygos, Neltharion, Nozdormu, and Ysera - defeated the massive, corrupted, bloodthirsty proto-dragon known as Galakrond. Tyr later suggested to the other Keepers to empower them as defenders of Azeroth since they proved they were able to stand for the planet. While Prime Designate Odyn disagreed and forbade the others to proceed with that idea, they eventually decided to go against him and reached out to the Pantheon of Order. Each of the titans blessed the proto-dragons with a portion of their vast power, channeled through the keepers. Aman'Thul, the Highfather of the Pantheon, charged the bronze dragon Nozdormu with guarding over time itself and police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny. Eonar, the Titan patron of all life, blessed both the red dragon Alexstrasza and her younger sister, the green dragon Ysera, so they would safeguard all living creatures and watch over the growing wilds of the world, respectively. Norgannon, the Titan lore keeper and master magician, made the blue dragon Malygos the guardian of magic and hidden arcanum. Finally, Khaz'goroth, the Titan shaper and forger of the world, gave the black dragon Neltharion dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world.

The Keepers then went on to imbue hundreds of proto-dragons with the same grace and power of the Aspects, thus creating the five dragonflights of Azeroth. However, mortals are told that the dragons were created from Galakrond, also known as the "Father of Dragons" and "progenitor of dragonkind". This is a rumor spread by the Aspects themselves in order to prevent proto-dragons and dragons from doing cannibalism to become like Galakrond; immeasurably powerful but also mad.

Though each of these flights would serve a different Dragon Aspect, they would all be bound by their duty to protect Azeroth. To strengthen the bond between them, the Keepers also forged a grand tower in northern Kalimdor named Wyrmrest Temple. It would serve as the heart of the dragons' culture, a sanctuary where they could gather and discuss their activities, but above all, it would stand as a symbol of their unity. The time following this came to be known as the age of dragons when the civilization of dragonkind was at its peak.

In time, Tyr created the refti, a titan-forged race that would work in harmony with the dragons. He also crafted the facility Uldorus for the dragons, which they started calling "Tyrhold", much to his embarrassment. Meanwhile, the Aspects uplifted the tarasek into the first drakonid, with the roles of guardians, warriors, architects, craftsmen, and caretakers of the dragons' sacred sites. One of their topmost missions is to protect the dragon eggs of their flight.

War of the Scaleborn

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Main article: War of the Scaleborn

Though many proto-dragons chose to become infused with Order magic, there were some among their oldest kin that argued they should remain unchanged, and believed they should embrace their inherent elemental energies instead. Under the lead of the Primal Incarnates, these Primalists proto-dragons joined together to resist the influx of titanic influence and demanded that Keeper Tyr be exiled from the dragons' new home. When the Aspects refused, it sowed the seeds of rebellion for the Primalists, and over the years, what began as a difference of opinion gradually grew into hard feelings, which divided dragonkind and ultimately led to conflict.

Around 20,000 BDP, Raszageth the Storm-Eater struck first at dragonkind on the Forbidden Reach, leading Neltharion to finally submit for the first time to the Old Gods' whispers, using their powers to defeat the Primal Incarnate. Though he had won the battle, this event marked the start of Neltharion's gradual descent into Deathwing. This event was the first in a cataclysmic conflict between the Primalists and the dragonflights known as the War of the Scaleborn. Despite their alliance with the djaradin to end the dragons' reign, the Primal Incarnates were ultimately defeated after more than two hundred years of fighting, and were imprisoned within the Vault of the Incarnates.

Deathwing's betrayal

Main articles: War of the Ancients, Dragon Wars

The dragonflights empowering the Dragon Soul.

When the Highborne opened the portal for the Burning Legion through the Well of Eternity, marking the start of the War of the Ancients, all the dragonflights left the Dragon Isles to join the fight against the demonic invaders. On the battlefield, Neltharion led the dragon forces, consuming the demons under their fiery breaths, but their strength was not enough. Under the orders of Dragonqueen Alexstrasza, the dragons convened at their ancient meeting ground of Wyrmrest Temple to discuss how best to hold back the Legion's invasion. It was during one of these gatherings that Neltharion convinced his fellow Aspects and the dragons of all the other flights to sacrifice a portion of their power and infuse it into a magical matrix that enhanced the device's power greatly, the Dragon Soul. During the artifact's empowerment, the area where the ritual took place was surrounded by a giant, impenetrable magical barrier as Neltharion didn't want anything or anyone to stop the ritual. This barrier was guarded from the inside by dragons from all flights. The black flight, however, had secretly refrained from imparting any of their own power.

Neltharion reveals his true nature as "Deathwing".

Amid a furious battle between the demons and the Kaldorei Resistance, the five dragonflights made their final assault and Neltharion unleashed the full might of the empowered Dragon Soul, utterly decimating the Legion. However, the Black Aspect then revealed his madness and turned the weapon against his own allies, night elf and dragon, killing thousands and demanding that all of Azeroth bowed to his mastery. Malygos and his blue dragonflight attempted to stop Neltharion, who summarily executed the entirety of the flight with the exception of the Aspect of Magic himself. The other dragons were locked in Deathwing's control until the unexpected intervention of Korialstrasz broke his concentration and allowed the other dragons to counter-attack. This proved a failure, however, and Neltharion scattered the hundreds of assembled dragons before retreating from the field of battle, taking the Dragon Soul with him.

Though Neltharion's assault was short-lived, it had changed the world forever. Single-handedly, he had shattered the unity and power of the great dragonflights. On seeing his followers die, Malygos was driven mad with a grief that would linger for thousands and thousands of years. Henceforth, Neltharion would be known as Deathwing, and his treachery would curse his own flight to a life of fear and seclusion. The Dragon Wars began just after the betrayal, leading all the dragonflights against the black dragonflight, which left the dragon race in a state of near-extinction. The black dragons were hunted down and nearly annihilated, and the Dragon Isles were ultimately sealed after they defeat.

To ensure Deathwing would never hold power over dragonkind again, Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu placed an enchantment upon the Demon Soul, so that no dragon could wield it, and hid the foul disc deep beneath the earth.

Before the Great Wars

After Deathwing had killed nearly every blue dragon in existence, their entire flight would have gone extinct if not for the actions of Alexstrasza and her red dragons. They gathered the remaining blue dragon eggs and did what they could to hatch and raise new whelps. For a time, some of the Dragonqueen's followers also safeguarded magical artifacts and places of power on Azeroth, fulfilling the blue draonglifght's ancient duties. In time, the flight's ancient biases against mortals were tempered by the influence of the other dragonflights who had stepped in to care for Malygos' clutch in his absence. Unlike the elder blues, this new generation of dragons accepted both the titan mantle of arcane guardianship and the dragonflights' sacred duty to protect Azeroth. Though they initially hid their true identities behind mortal visages, younger blues sought membership within the Kirin Tor to offer their support, and to ensure that the elite mages of Azeroth did not misuse magic again.

In 975 BDP, during the course of the War of the Shifting Sands, the qiraji swarmed out of Silithus once again, pushing into the eastern deserts of Tanaris where they assaulted the Caverns of Time. Consequently, the bronze flight led by Anachronos enlisted the help of the red, green, and blue dragonflights. The mighty dragons joined the night elves and helped drive the qiraji armies back to their city-kingdom. But even with the mighty dragons joining the war, the qiraji were too numerous to vanquish entirely and Fandral Staghelm feared that the war would never end. Ultimately, the archdruid and the dragons devised a means to end the war immediately: they would lock the insectoids inside Ahn'Qiraj itself. The night elves and dragons gathered before Ahn'Qiraj to complete this task, summoning a great barricade to close off the cursed city behind the Scarab Wall. The dragons suffered few casualties, among them Caelestrasz, Arygos and Merithra were believed lost, having charged deep into Ahn'Qiraj during the final push. When Staghelm shattered  [The Scepter of the Shifting Sands] in a fit of rage and griefs, Anachronos took the four shards and entrusted each to a member of the four flights, including himself.

823 years before the First War, a large hunting party of demons were stalking blue dragons in Northrend, having also managed to kill a green one. The Guardian of Tirisfal Aegwynn traveled to the distant north and tracked these demons into the mountains. There, she found that the demons were killing and draining their prey of their innate magic. The mighty dragons, who had fled from the ever-advancing march of mortal societies, found themselves too evenly matched against the dark magics of the Burning Legion. Aegwynn confronted the demons, and with help from the noble dragons, eradicated them.

Second War

During the Second War, Deathwing saw the opportunity to decimate Alexstrasza and her flight. Unable to wield the Demon Soul himself, he sent visions of the artifact to Chieftain Zuluhed the Whacked of the Dragonmaw clan, who claimed the disc for the Orcish Horde. His lieutenant, the warlock Nekros Skullcrusher, used it to enslave the Dragonqueen and most of her flight, turning them into the Horde's hounds of war. For years, Alexstrasza was forced to birth more dragons, and she cried for the deaths of her children and the deaths they caused. The orcs quickly learned how to utilize the great leviathans, and they were forced to wreak havoc throughout the lands of the Alliance of Lordaeron, committing destructive acts such as setting the forests of Quel'Thalas ablaze, and the complete destruction of the third fleet of Kul Tiras.

Near the end of the war, Deathwing traveled through the Dark Portal to Draenor where he secreted away a cache of black dragon eggs before returning to Azeroth. However, when Ner'zhul recklessly opened multiple portals on Draenor, the magical stress tore the planet apart and the energies released in this catastrophe altered Deathwing’s eggs, resulting in the nether dragons. They became ethereal dragons whose bodies are composed of energies from the Twisting Nether, and without Deathwing's guidance, they ended up finding their own way among the blasted ruins of Outland.

Day of the Dragon

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Main article: Battle of Grim Batol

The Dragon Aspects fighting Deathwing during the Battle of Grim Batol.

In 10 ADP, Nekros built up a sizeable army to reunite the failing Old Horde, but the intervention of Rhonin threw his plans awry. The mage rallied hid allies, including Vereesa Windrunner and Falstad Wildhammer, and rushed to Grim Batol with dwarven resistance fighters. As the battle unfolded, they freed Alexstrasza who turned her wrath upon Deathwing. The Aspects Ysera, Nozdormu, and Malygos soon joined her in the fight against their corrupted brother. As the five Dragon Aspects grappled in the sky, Rhonin found a flaw in the ancient artifact and destroyed it. In that moment, the power trapped within the relic escaped, returning to the Aspects and Deathwing was forced to flee as he could not stand against the newly empowered dragons. For ten thousand years, Deathwing's fellow Dragon Aspects had lived without the full measure of their power, and the sudden return of their strength was physically and mentally exhausting. Needing to recover, the Aspects and most of their flights sequestered themselves away to heal, both physically and emotionally, and thus did not play any significant role in the events of the Third War.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

In his lair at the top of Blackrock Mountain, Nefarian captured whelps from the other four flights and magically combined their traits to form the first chromatic dragon whelps, with the intent to bolster his forces against Ragnaros. His experiments were horrific, brutal, and for years his creations died before hatching. Eventually, a few survived and he eagerly set his minions to preparing a clutch that would hatch an entire generation of this flight. However, adventurers of the Horde soon killed Nefarian, destroying the chromatic dragonflight with the aid of the red dragon Vaelastrasz.

Within Scholomance, the Cult of the Damned worked to spread the Plague of Undeath. Under the lead of Vectus, they used black dragon eggs as the basis for their experiments, and hoped to unleash their plagued dragons on the world. However, the Argent Dawn caught wind of their activities and worked to destroy all of them before they could be deployed.

Meanwhile, several green dragons were corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare and became the nightmare dragons. Warped by the dark powers residing within the Emerald Dream, they passed through into Azeroth, intending to spread madness and terror until they were defeated during the War Against the Nightmare and by the adventurers with the help of Ysondre.

Night of the Dragon

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

After the nether dragon Zzeraku was captured by Zendarin Windrunner, he was delivered to Sintharia, the prime-consort of Deathwing, who fed him little by little to her newest creation, the twilight dragon Dargonax. Hidden deep within Grim Batol, she created the twilight dragonflight using the Balacgos's Bane and shards of the infamous Demon Soul to alter several dragon eggs from various dragonflights. Although these earliest creations proved unstable and were destroyed by Korialstrasz and Kalecgos, Dargonax was more powerful and far more cunning, and only the sacrifice Zzeraku allowed Iridi and her allies to finally defeat him.

Nexus War

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Main article: Nexus War

A meeting between the Aspects and ambassadors of the dragonflights at the top of the Wyrmrest Temple.

The Wyrmrest Accord was founded by Alexstrasza following Malygos's declaration of war upon all mortal spellcasters. After the dragonflights' delegation to the Aspect of Magic was met with hostility, the Dragonqueen gathered together representatives from the other three dragonflights, both to oppose the blue dragonflight and to defend the Dragonblight against the undead Scourge. At the top of Wyrmrest Temple was placed a massive sphere, the Orb of Unity, as a symbol of the dragons' alliance.

Cataclysm era

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Following the Cataclysm, and the return of Deathwing, the dragonflights allied with the mortal races of Azeroth to confront the black and twilight dragonflights, and their masters in the shadows. In the Twilight Highlands, full-out warfare has erupted in the Twilight Highlands between the black and red dragonflights, where even the mighty Aspects themselves, Deathwing and Alexstrasza, become engaged in the battle over Grim Batol. In the aftermath, the Dragon Queen decided that the black dragonflight could not be saved and should be totally destroyed.

After being reanimated by the Twilight's Hammer, Nefarian returned to his own experiments and forged a new generation of chromatic dragons. Under the direction of the mysterious Twilight Father, a massive chromatic dragon named Chromatus was created. He had five heads, one representing each of the dragonflight, and was animated by the energies of the Eye of Eternity and the blood of Malygos's son, Arygos. Chromatus was eventually defeated by the combined might of all the Dragon Aspects with the assistance of Thrall, but his body proved indestructible by any known means and was locked in an arcane prison by Kalecgos and the blue dragonflight.

At the end of the war against Deathwing, Deathwing and his black and twilight dragons, aided by his Old God benefactors, laid siege to Wyrmrest Temple. The Aspects, their flights, and the world shaman Thrall agreed upon a course of action and fought to bring the Dragon Soul to bear against the Destroyer. All of them charged the artifact with their powers, and managed to destroy the Black Aspect once and for all before he could unleash a second cataclysm to destroy the world. However, the Aspects had to sacrifice their titanic powers to defeat their fallen brother, losing their immortality in the process and condemning their flight to no longer being able to reproduce. With all the dragonflights weakened, the Dragon Queen announced the beginning of the Age of Mortals.

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

Alexstrasza and all the dragonflights returning to the Dragon Isles after ten thousand years.

After being hidden for 10,000 years, the titan watcher Koranos lit the Beacon of Tyrhold, lifting the veil that was hiding them from the world, and calling the dragons back home.

However, the Primal Incarnates, ancient proto-dragon enemies of the Dragon Aspects who oppose the titans and embrace the elements, also returned from their imprisonment. Knowing that the Aspects could not defeat the Incarnates, as they had been weakened since Deathwing's defeat, Alexstrasza declared that they had to find a way to regain their powers. They first set out to restore their powers through their flights' oathstones, but it ended as a failure. They ultimately regained their powers after Amirdrassil bloomed and Fyrakk was defeated, when Azeroth, rather than the Pantheon of Order, blessed them and Vyranoth, to become her Aspects.

Dragonflights

Main Black dragonflight Blue dragonflight Bronze dragonflight Green dragonflight Red dragonflight

Derived Chromatic dragonflight created as experiments in Blackrock Mountain from samples of the five main dragonflights. Infinite dragonflight corrupted bronze dragons that seek to subvert the timelines. Netherwing dragonflight created by black dragon eggs being altered by energies of the Twisting Nether. Nightmare dragonflight corrupted green dragons by Old Gods' forces. Twilight dragonflight originally created with experimentation from various dragonflights stolen eggs through dark magic.

Biology and culture

Although each dragonflight has its own unique characteristics, there are a number of traits shared by all dragons.

Physique

A soaring bronze dragon.

The older a dragon gets, the larger they grow. They have enough sexual dimorphism that it's possible to determine if they're male or female based on their appearance. Specifically, males have larger crests.

Dragons have keen senses far surpassing even those of high elves, including exceptional hearing, eyesight, night vision, and smell. They are able to recognize the scents of individual mortals, and some mortals even say that they can, within limitations, smell magic.

Dragons are covered in defensive scales, but they're vulnerable at the back of the skull and can be killed if struck there. Dragon scale is an extremely strong and durable material, and very small amounts of it can go a long way in crafting. One of the few things capable of ripping through their scales are the beings' own claws. When a dragon shakes their body, their scales clatter rhythmically. They generally lose scales in the same way that other creatures lose fur. The exposed area eventually hardens and becomes new scales, but until then, the soft flesh is vulnerable to weapons and poison. Holding a scale or other part of a dragon supposedly grants a hold of their power, as expressed in a saying once heard by Rhonin: "To bear some bit of the greatest of leviathans is to have a hold on their power". Korialstrasz internally remarked that a gem he had magically fashioned from one of his scales bore properties that would've astounded any mage if they'd known how to cast "dragon magic", which few do.

Dragons are known for their deadly breaths, each dragonflight having a different one. But cutting off their air passage when they are seeking to unleash their internal powers might end in catastrophic results, such as the dragon exploding from within.

Dragon blood is scarlet in color. Most animals can't tolerate ingesting dragon blood, with the notable exception of crocolisks, whose stomachs are protected like plate armor.

While the blue dragonflight are the ones most attuned to it, all dragons are "creatures of magic". As a result, draining the magic from them is even more lethal than plunging a sword through their throat. Dragons always keep various natural magical defenses about themselves.

Dragons are born to the sky. Despite their size, they can leap into the air with less effort than many other flying creatures, fly much faster than hippogryphs and most other creatures, and cover several miles in a matter of minutes. They can fly at least as high as Azeroth's stratosphere, thousands of feet above the ground. Racing has always been a popular competition among dragons, and they play games where they maneuver through mountain ranges from the moment they can fly.

They are also skilled swimmers. Some are more born to the water than others, but even members of the red dragonflight—who are primarily creatures of the sky—can swim very well, and Korialstrasz had the ability to hold his breath for more than an hour.

Dragons do not need as much sleep as most races. They can slumber for minutes, days, or weeks at a time, depending on the circumstances. During some periods, the black dragon Sinestra went for more than a century without sleeping, though this is not normal for most of her kind. Dragons do dream, a fact not limited to the green dragonflight.

At least some dragons can survive being submerged in lava, but only for a short time before burning to death. If gravely injured, red and black dragons can dive into lava and use its heat to revive themselves, but this is more the way of the black flight and is a very unpleasant experience for reds.

Language and naming

Draconic writing at Wingrest Embassy.

Draconic is the language of the dragons and all dragonkin. Every dragon has a unique name; among them, "a name is granted to one and one alone". Most of the dragonflights have unique naming patterns, however, not all use them extensively.

Common name suffixes

Suffix type	Red	Green	Blue	Bronze	Black
Male	-strasz	-us -ikus (no standard suffix)	-gos	-ormu (-dormu, -normu)	-ion -ian
Female	-strasza	-ra -era (-sera, -thera)	-gosa	-ormi (-dormi, normi)	-ia
Gender neutral	-stra	Unknown	-go	-dorm	Unknown

Behavior

Dragon minds are far more complex and advanced than those of the short-lived races. They think on a larger scale and can cope with sensory impressions that humans would find overwhelming, such as a spell to expand one's view in all directions.

Among their kind, many dragons regard with arrogance the mortal races which they call the "lesser races". The others are intrigued by them, and take pleasure in mingling among them with their mortal forms.

Since dragons live long, and their mind refuses to forget the horrors that have beset this world for ages upon ages, the duty and burdens of the world can often weigh heavy on their mind wishing for silence or the peace of a dream. Consequently, some dragonkin specialize in tinctures and tonics to ease the burdens for a time, so that the dragons might find their way to a dream.

A common draconic show of affection is to gently nuzzle each other. They can also hug each other by folding their wings around the other's body. They express respect or obeisance by bowing their heads (which can also be done as a polite greeting) and gratitude by sliding their tails back and forth. They prick up their ears when attentive and flatten them against their skulls when angered. Dragon cheers are described as sounding thrumming and musical, and their laughter is oddly sweet and bell-like. When fighting, they snap, hiss, and display their teeth and claws to each other. Despite being covered in scales, dragons visibly blush when they feel embarrassed.

Objects called oathstones are important to dragons as bonds of agreement.

Dragons enjoy the sport Lish Llrath.

Life cycle

See also: Life spans

A dragon egg in Hearthstone.

Dragon is both the name for the race as a whole and the short title for the mature-aged dragon (aka "mature dragon"). When young, dragons are known for their bloodlust, which they eventually grow out of when becoming older and wiser. Once a dragon has come of age, it is acceptable for them to choose a different gender identity than the one they were born with if they wish.

While full dragons can vary greatly in size and power, most easily exceed the size of a small dwelling and are covered in brilliant, defensive scales that reflect the color of their namesake flight. Likewise, any horns, growths, fins, or crystals unique to their Aspect's titan calling have reached full maturity. Once fully grown, aging appears to slow drastically, allowing dragons to enjoy exceptionally long lifespans.

• Whelp (whelpling)
• Drake
• Dragon (mature)
• Wyrm

Mature dragons

Black dragon Blue dragon Bronze dragon Green dragon Red dragon

Infinite dragon Nether dragon Proto-dragon Twilight dragon

Reproduction

As with most reptilian life on Azeroth, dragons are oviparous and thus produce their young by way of eggs that hatch after a set period of maturation. While the incubation time from egg to whelp remains a secret of the dragonflights, one can identify an egg nearing its prime by its rough, stony texture and the appearance of protective spikes.

Since the fall of Deathwing during the Cataclysm, the main dragonflights have all lost the ability to lay eggs.

According to Sinestra, it was possible for dragons from different flights to interbreed, but the flights tended to keep strictly to their own kind due to tradition and prejudice.

When dragons could still reproduce, only half of all eggs ever hatched, and only half of those who hatched survived to adulthood—a harsh beginning to a life of wonder and glory. Dragon eggs can range from being the size of an elf's fist to being almost as large as one whole elf. Newly-laid eggs are smooth and nearly round. As they get closer to hatching, they take on an oval shape, and their shells become rough and scaly. At this point, they shine with a pulsing glow from within and have veins running through their thick shells. Dragons are already conscious while in their unhatched eggs.

Dragons from the same clutch of eggs refer to each other as "clutch brother"/"clutch sister" and are considered the closest of siblings, forming special bonds due to a keen awareness shared by all egg-bound dragons. Dragons also use the term "my blood" for individuals they have close ties with; not just comrades or members of the same flight, but closer yet, such as clutch siblings or parents and offspring.

Death and afterlife

The Dragon Wastes outside Wyrmrest Temple.

When dragons near the end of their lives, they fly to the Dragon Wastes in the center of the Dragonblight in Northrend to die and enrich the land with their passing. As a result, the Dragon Wastes are a place of powerful magical energies left by the spirits of the dead dragons, and some of their bones still hold this power. The taunka believe that this magic can be wielded by those that the dragons' spirits deem worthy. The reason they fly specifically to the Dragonblight is possibly because it is the site of Wyrmrest Temple and the Chamber of Aspects, where the Dragon Aspects were allegedly empowered by the Pantheon. Many choose to set their bodies close to the resting place of Galakrond, since he is (incorrectly) believed to have been the progenitor of dragons.

Kalecgos has variously thought of his own soul as "what passed for a dragon's soul" and "any soul one of his kind might have", implying that their souls are different in some way from short-lived races. Members of the blue dragonflight often stay near the Dragonblight to commune with the spirits of long-dead dragons.

As they are creatures of the sky, the Wild God Aviana considers dragons to be under her protection. Prior to the War of the Ancients, the souls of dragons who died were brought to Aviana's realm, the great tree G'Hanir in the Emerald Dream, to spend the afterlife alongside birds and other winged creatures. It's unclear if this is still the case; G'Hanir died alongside Aviana during the War of the Ancients, but she set out to restore the tree after her resurrection during the Cataclysm. Some dragons believe that the spirits of their dead kin "ascend" to the Chamber of Aspects. Zeryxia claimed that she could hear the voice of the deceased Sintharia whispering to her from "the Dark Beyond". After Ysera died, her soul was sent to the Shadowlands realm of Ardenweald to recover in a wildseed, while Sapphiron was summoned by Kel'Thuzad in the form of an undead dragon in Maldraxxus. Maldraxxus is also home to other undead dragons such as Xantuth the Blighted and the Rotwing Construct, but their origin is not stated.

Shapeshifting

“Many ages have passed since we dragons first peered down from our roosts and watched the young mortal races begin to spread across Azeroth. As we saw their villages grow into cities, and their cities become kingdoms, the timeways told us that we must find a way to live alongside them. And so it was decided that we would each assume a form that would allow us to walk freely among their kind and see this world as they do.”

— Alexstrasza during Chronormu's Visage Day

Onyxia in her mortal form of Katrana Prestor.

Dragons (and some other dragonkin, like the dracthyr and drakonid) have the innate ability to shapeshift into many different forms, primarily the various humanoid races. As evidenced by Alurmi, Wrathion, and some of Chronormu's appearances, they have this ability even when they are as young as whelps. Ysera was the one who came up with the idea of visages, in order to approach mortal races without scaring them and so they could better empathize with and understand them. The spell to do so was designed by Malygos.

They shapeshift for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it is easier to communicate, work with, and live among mortals while wearing a mortal guise. When the Aspects first realized that dragons were destined to share Azeroth with the younger races, the timeways told them that they had to learn to live alongside them. As such, each of them took on a form to allow them to see the world as the young races do. The dragonflights keep disguised spies placed among each of the younger races, who (in the dragons' view) have a tendency to cause disasters when left to their own devices. Even when the mortals they interact with know their true nature, some dragons choose to use their humanoid form to appear less threatening as a show of courtesy. Other reasons include moving unnoticed through areas where a being as large as a dragon would be easily spotted, fitting in smaller spaces, or even for enjoyment: one of the great pleasures of humanoid forms is that soft skin is more sensitive to receiving a loving touch than scales. According to Desharin, dragons generally do not use their disguises to take positions of power among the short-lived races, with some exceptions: black dragons often use humanoid disguises to manipulate mortal affairs (with Deathwing and Onyxia both famously infiltrating human kingdoms) and Korialstrasz became a member of the Council of Six under the name Krasus. Up to the Second War, it was considered a secret even amongst mages that dragons had such transformation powers.

Kalecgos in the process of changing into his true form.

All dragons are individuals and prefer different shapes for different reasons, though some dragons will have shapes looking like those of their own relatives. Deathwing, Onyxia and Nefarian all had visage shapes featuring similar facial features. When a dragon comes of age, they undergo a ceremony known as Visage Day and cast a special incantation that defines their main mortal form ("visage"). The choice of visage is deeply personal and says much about the dragon's personality, as it is not only about how they wish for others to perceive them, but also about how they see themselves and how they experience the world alongside others. The guises of the former Aspects are elaborate and formal, as they command the respect of both dragons and mortals, and many dragons follow their example with their own visages. Others like Kalecgos intentionally choose humbler forms as a contrast to this, since they want to walk among mortals as friends and equals. Yet others, like Onyxia, view shapeshifting solely as a tool to manipulate mortals and take what they want, which was reflected in Onyxia's choice of a form that appealed to human vanity. Tyrygosa refuses to take the form of a human, since she finds elves to be more aesthetically pleasing. While all dragons decide for themselves what form they want to use, each of the main dragonflights tends to gravitate to appearing as certain races. Greens prefer the forms of night elves due to their relationship with Malfurion Stormrage. Reds prefer high elves / blood elves, blues prefer humans, and bronzes (though their task necessitates a variety of disguises) seem to enjoy appearing as gnomes.

Even after choosing a visage, dragons are not limited to a single disguise and can assume any form they wish, as shown by Deathwing, Korialstrasz, Acridostrasz, Kairozdormu, and Vaelastrasz all appearing as different races on different occasions. However, if they use a form different from the one they're used to, this may be evident by unnatural-looking movements.

They are not limited to appearing as humanoids—for example, they can also take on the appearance of proto-dragons or disguise themselves as part of a tree— or even lifeforms that don't already exist. A red dragon assigned to spy on Cenarius prior to the War of the Ancients used a form whose face resembled a strange mix of reptile and elf. During his long madness, Malygos wore the form of a strange, insect-like humanoid creature, and on one occasion, Nozdormu used an elf-like shape with the face of an owl. Dragons also do not need to transform the entirety of their body all at once, and can instead choose to alter only certain parts of it, such as stretching a smile to inhuman length and revealing menacing draconic teeth.

Transforming is normally a quick process that takes place in the space of a heartbeat or the blink of an eye, with the dragon's body changing faster than the eye can follow. Sometimes, the transformation is accompanied by a swirl of magic that envelops the dragon as they shift, such as a cloud of golden magic for Nozdormu and Chronormu, swirls of arcane magic for Kalecgos, and a cloud of ash for Onyxia. However, rapidly shifting back and forth can be very painful and exhausting.

Dragons are more vulnerable in mortal form, such as being more sensitive to poison, but they can still survive wounds and injuries that would kill or incapacitate humans and other mortal races. Their senses—including sight, smell, and night vision—remain much more acute than those of the beings they disguise themselves as, though their night vision is implied to be weaker than when they're in their true shape. When in mortal form, they also require far less food than when they are in their dragon form.

Many dragons have nicknames they use when in the company of mortals, since dragon names can sound "a bit formal" for the younger races. The clothes they wear in their humanoid forms are not true clothes but rather a false image conjured by the dragon. This also means that they are much more durable than true garments. If such clothes do get damaged, the disguised dragon can make them whole again with a simple wave of their hand. When they resume their dragon form, any clothes they're wearing either fade to nothing or get shredded, fly into the air, and settle on their body to become scales. If a dragon carries an injury in their true form, this will be reflected in their mortal guise as well (such as with Sinestra's various scars and burns). If they die while shapeshifted, they remain in their shapeshifted form.

Various factors can cause dragons to become trapped in their mortal guise. During the Cataclysm, Ysondre appeared exclusively as a night elf since she was too weak to assume her true form. Dar'Khan Drathir used an enchanted collar to keep Kalecgos trapped in his mortal form. Years later, the Twilight's Hammer did the same to Kirygosa using a magical chain.

The Dragon Aspects

Main article: Dragon Aspects

The titans chose a member of each of the five dragonflights to watch over Azeroth in their absence. Several have died, though others have risen to take their place:

Current

Name	Empowered by	Title	Description	Status
Alexstrasza	Azeroth Eonar (formerly)	The Life-Binder The Dragon-Queen Aspect of Life	First Aspect of the red dragonflight. A red leviathan chosen to safeguard all living creatures in the world. Sister of Ysera, the Aspect of the green dragonflight. She lost her powers after the defeat of Deathwing during the Hour of Twilight, until she was re-empowered by Azeroth herself following Fyrakk's defeat at Amirdrassil.	Alive
Nozdormu	Azeroth Aman'Thul (formerly)	The Timeless One Aspect of Time	First Aspect of the bronze dragonflight. A massive bronze dragon chosen to guard time itself and police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny. In contention with a group known as the infinite dragonflight; led by a potential future version of himself known as Murozond. He lost his powers after the defeat of Deathwing during the Hour of Twilight, until he was re-empowered by Azeroth herself following Fyrakk's defeat at Amirdrassil.	Alive
Kalecgos	Azeroth Embrace (formerly)	The Spell-Weaver The Steward of Magic Aspect of Magic	Second Aspect of the blue dragonflight. Former investigator for Malygos and guardian of Anveena Teague, succeeded Malygos as the new Blue Aspect after his death. Empowered by the Embrace following the Cataclysm, he lost his powers after the defeat of Deathwing during the Hour of Twilight, until he was re-empowered by Azeroth herself following Fyrakk's defeat at Amirdrassil.	Alive
Merithra	Azeroth	The Dreamer Aspect of Dreams	Second Aspect of the green dragonflight. Daughter of Ysera, and de-facto leader of the flight following her mother's death. She truly accepted her position as the Dreamer following the Primalists attack on the Emerald Dream, and was later empowered by Azeroth following Fyrakk's defeat at Amirdrassil.	Alive
Ebyssian	Azeroth	The Earth-Warder Aspect of Earth	Second Aspect of the black dragonflight. Uncorrupted black dragon rescued as an egg from Neltharion's Lair by Huln Highmountain. Appointed Aspect of the Black Dragonflight by both Wrathion and Sabellian following the events of Aberrus and Sarkareth's death. He was later empowered by Azeroth following Fyrakk's defeat at Amirdrassil.	Alive
Vyranoth	Azeroth	The Frozenheart Aspect of Storms	Originally the Primal Incarnate of Frost. She joined the Aspects after Fyrakk's attack on the Emerald Dream and was empowered by Azeroth following her brother's defeat at Amirdrassil, alongside the Aspects proper. She has taken the Netherwing and Thorignir, as well as some proto-dragons who follow her still, as her flights; representing the less conventional dragons.	Alive

Previous

Name	Empowered by	Title	Description	Status
Malygos	Norgannon	The Spell-Weaver	First Aspect of the blue dragonflight. This blue dragon was chosen as the guardian of magic and hidden arcanum. After declaring war against all mortal spellcasters, he was killed by agents of Alexstrasza.	Deceased
Neltharion Deathwing	Khaz'goroth	The Earth-Warder The Destroyer	First Aspect of the black dragonflight. This mighty black wyrm was given dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world. He was driven mad by the whispers of the Old Gods and managed to drive the blue dragonflight to near extinction, naming himself as Deathwing. He was slain by forces of the Alliance, Horde and adventurers, with the help of Thrall and the other Aspects.	Deceased
Ysera	Eonar	The Awakened The Dreamer (formerly)	First Aspect of the green dragonflight. She was chosen to watch over the growing wilds of the world from her verdant realm, the Emerald Dream. Ysera fell to the Nightmare and was put to rest by Tyrande Whisperwind. Her spirit was reborn in Ardenweald. She is the sister of Alexstrasza, Aspect of the red dragonflight.	Active

Consorts

The Aspects are aided in their tasks by their consorts, who are their companions, partners, and lovers. Typically, they are chosen by traditional draconic courtship rituals; though a consort may be smarter or more powerful than the average dragon, only those loved by the Aspect will rise to the position. The consorts at any given time are led by the Prime Consort, the one who has held the position longest or is else the most capable. Typically, an Aspect would have three or four consorts at any time.

Name	Consort of	Role	Status
Soridormi	Nozdormu	Prime Consort. Most sensitive to changes in the timestream apart from Nozdormu himself. Participated heavily in the War of the Ancients.	Alive
Tyranastrasz	Alexstrasza	The Scholarly One. Older than his queen and served as her Prime Consort for tens of thousands of years. Killed by Deathwing at the Battle of Grim Batol.	Deceased
Korialstrasz	Alexstrasza	Alexstrasza's fourth consort. "First in loyalty and love." Until recently, Alexstrasza's Prime Consort. Sacrificed self to prevent the use of the Wyrmrest Sanctums as a staging ground for the chromatic dragonflight.	Deceased
Eranikus	Ysera	Taken by The Nightmare. Later freed, and returned to fight along Ysera's side before sacrificing himself to defeat Lethon.	Deceased
Sindragosa	Malygos	Prime Consort. Perished after Deathwing's betrayal during the War of the Ancients. Raised by the Lich King to lead the Frostbrood into war.	Deceased
Haleh	Malygos	Matron Protectorate of Mazthoril.	Alive
Saragosa	Malygos	Guardian of Coldarra. Killed by Keristrasza as revenge for her imprisonment.	Deceased
Keristrasza	Malygos	Taken captive by Malygos, and forced to be his new consort as revenge for Saragosa's death.	Deceased
Sintharia	Deathwing	Prime Consort. Only consort to have survived mating with Deathwing. Mother of Nefarian and Onyxia. Later known as Sinestra. Experimented with twilight dragons, which ultimately led to her death by her own creation, Dargonax. Later resurrected by the Old Gods in the Bastion of Twilight to continue breeding twilight dragons, until she was killed by the adventurers.	Deceased

Other consorts

• Nozdormu has three other unnamed consorts.
• Alexstrasza has two other unnamed consorts who both perished during the Second War. At least two Ruby Consorts.
• Ysera has at least two Emerald Consorts.
• Malygos had at least two Azure Consorts. See also Consort of Malygos
• Deathwing had at least two Obsidian Consorts.

Other notable dragons

Name	Role	Flight	Status
Anachronos	Son of Nozdormu and Bronze Dragonflight heir. Led the Brood of Nozdormu in the War of the Shifting Sands. Holder of the Bronze Scepter Shard. Located outside the Caverns of Time.	Bronze	Alive
Arygos	Son and intended Heir of Malygos. One of the two likeliest successors as the Blue Aspect.	Blue	Deceased
Azuregos	Guardian of the ruins of the ancient highborne city of Eldarath in Azshara. Holder of the  [Blue Scepter Shard].	Blue	Alive
Caelestrasz	Son and Heir of Alexstrasza. Participated in the War of the Shifting Sands. Sacrifices himself to save his mother and is taken prisoner by Deathwing. Killed in the Bastion of Twilight.	Red	Deceased
Chronormu	Bronze agent working to preserve critical timelines, and ambassador to the Wyrmrest Accord. Simultaneously found in Andorhal, Wyrmrest Temple, and Old Stratholme in the guise of Chromie.	Bronze	Alive
Galakrond	Largest known dragon, the progenitor of dragonkind. Remains can be found in the Dragonblight where the Scourge is attempting to reanimate him.	None	Deceased
Merithra	Daughter and Heir of Ysera. Participates in the War of the Shifting Sands. Known as Merithra of the Dream.	Green	Alive
Nefarian	Son of Deathwing. Alive in Blackwing Descent	Black	Deceased
Onyxia	Daughter of Deathwing. Raised from the dead as an experiment of her brother Nefarian.	Black	Deceased
Sapphiron	Ancient servant of Malygos. Lair was invaded by Arthas, who then slew and raised him as a frost wyrm. Placed under Kel'thuzad's command to guard his inner sanctum in Naxxramas.	Blue	Deceased
Tyrygosa	Intended mate of Kalecgos. Assisted in the restoration of the Sunwell. Brought the nether dragons to the Nexus, curing Malygos, and beginning the Nexus War. Found at the Celestial Ridge in Netherstorm.	Blue	Alive
Vaelastrasz	Agent secretly working against his rival, Nefarian, and his minions in Blackrock Spire. Ultimately succumbs to Nefarian in Blackwing Lair. Holder of the  [Red Scepter Shard].	Red	Deceased

Other draconic species

Main article: Dragonkin

• Chimaera
• Dragon golem
• Faerie dragons
• Fel dragons
• Proto-dragons
• Storm drakes
•  Undead dragon
• Plagued dragon
• Dragonspawn
• Drakonid
• Drakeadon
• Dragonman
• Cloud serpents are frequently referred to as dragons, but are not directly related to the dragonflights.

In the RTS

Warcraft II

This section concerns content related to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness or its expansion Beyond the Dark Portal.

Main article: Dragon (Warcraft II)

Dragon in the Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual.

Dragons first appeared as a unit of the Old Horde in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. They were described as such:

Dragons are native to the untamed northlands of Azeroth. Reclusive by nature, Dragons have had little contact with their earthbound neighbors over the centuries. Rend and Maim, the Chieftains of The Black Tooth Grin clan, masterminded the capture of the Dragon Queen Alexstraza^[sic] by the Dragonmaw clan. With their Queen held captive, these majestic creatures have been forced into subservience by the Horde - her progeny being raised by the Dragonmaw clan to slaughter the enemies of the Horde.

By combining their incredible destructive powers with a keen intellect, the Dragons represent the single most powerful force within the Horde. The devastating flame that issues forth from the mouths of older serpents can level any number of enemy troops, while their powerful wings allow them to tirelessly soar through the skies.

Despite being depicted with green sprites, the dragons of Warcraft II were enslaved members of the red dragonflight as later lore developed. These red dragons were additionally explained to be mounted by orcish riders instead of acting on their own. The Dragonmaw riders launched attacks on Lordaeron throughout the war and even after its end.

In Beyond the Dark Portal the dragons of the Horde were then being described as once having been enslaved but now continuing to feed upon humans, roosting at Blackrock Spire and being led by Deathwing. Later lore changed them to being willing members of the black dragonflight.

Warcraft III

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

Main article: Dragon (Warcraft III)

On some melee maps dragon roosts were available to buy dragons. The colors of the dragons varied depending on the tileset of the maps.

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

A dragon in the RPG.

A dragon is a reptilian creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities.

The dragons of Azeroth are far more intelligent even than the humans who hunt them and struggle to reconcile their metaphysical nature with the reality of the savage world they inhabit. While each dragon is a powerful entity, dragons also represent the origins of the world and were given care over various parts of Azeroth's creation since time immemorial. Today, the dragons still remember their original natures and attempt to use their powers to continue their original purposes: for some, to shape stone and raise mountains; for others, to protect the forests or expand the realm of magic.

The dragons of Azeroth reach maturity after a mere hundred years have passed. They are very cunning and magical, using spells to complement their powerful physical capacity. Because each creature has an intimate connection with the world around it, the death of a dragon is never a simple thing; it is a metaphysical event, driven by the creature's natural connection to the spirit of the world. A dragon's death can cause massive upheaval in the natural surroundings — earthquakes, surface lava explosions, a new lake flooding forth from a sudden crack in the earth‘s crust, and so on. Even young dragons, those who have not established as close a bond to the spiritual world, still make ripples in the fabric of reality when they die. Although these ripples are not always seen or felt by other races, a young dragon's death nonetheless garners the attention of other dragons in the area — and creatures particularly attuned to the natural state of being that surrounds them.

Tactics

Dragons have a number of reasons for fighting; they are territorial, and numerous factions hunt them for a variety of different reasons. With the exception of black dragons, most dragons do not attack random groups of mortals on sight; although like mortals, each dragon has a different personality and some are more aggressive than others.

Each of the dragonflights fights slightly differently, but their overall tactics are relatively similar. Fearsome alone, groups of dragons are nearly impossible to combat; all five dragonflights are intelligent, and they use everything they can think of to their advantage. When possible, the dragonflights use dragonspawn troops to open the way into combat, allowing these ground-based troops to draw their enemies' attention while they strike from above or a distance. Even when bereft of dragonspawn support, dragons prefer to fight from the skies, resorting to melee only when necessary or when enraged. Dragons are highly intelligent and, due to their long lives, possess vast experience. Thus, they are excellent judges of when to call a tactical retreat. Yet if dragons decide that the cause is worthy, they will fight to the death for it, however hopeless the battle might be.

Blue dragons open combat with magic to disrupt their enemies, such as creating illusions or walls of force. Red and black dragons focus on offensive magic and breath attacks, using spells like chain lightning and blazing column to eliminate waves of weaker enemies. Green and bronze dragons use spells to allow them to maneuver around their opponents, or directly incapacitate their enemies; greater invisibility and charm monster are popular.

When facing a large group of enemies, dragons attempt to affect as large a group as they can with an individual spell or attack. In the battles against the qiraji a thousand years ago, dragons focused their efforts on taking down wave after wave of lesser qiraji with their breath weapons; the mortals had the responsibility of dealing with enemy commanders. This does not mean that if the opportunity presents itself a dragon won't take a bite out of an enemy commander; however, they are more likely to wreak as much havoc as they can than spend their time hunting a specific opponent.

When fighting against a single target, dragons use spells to complement each other; one dragon might serve as a healer or cast enhancement spells like brilliance aura, while another decreases their target's defenses with bestow curse and detrimental magic, while the third attacks directly. In this respect, dragons work together in ways similar to a mortal adventuring party, but due to their inherent abilities they can switch roles and last longer in an extended battle.

Notes and trivia

• It is said among dragons that the ornate shoulder armor worn by the mortal races started as an attempt to emulate their wings.
• Dragons can engage in the ritual of forging a blade of Quel'Serrar, imbuing the weapon with their power.
• Some legends say that dragons were born in the dawn of the world when it was created by the titans from the primal plane.
• In the canceled Warcraft Adventures, dragon teeth necklaces were common enough in the ranks of the Old Horde that Zul'jin could trade five of them weekly at his shop.

Gallery

• 

  Dragons of the five great dragonflights (old model).

• 

  Cinematic render of a Warcraft II dragon.

• 

  Warcraft II dragon unit.

• 

  The dragons in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

• 

  Dragon eggs in Dragonflight.

• 

  Dragon skulls in Dragonflight.

• 

  Concept dragons in Dragonflight.

• 

  Two headed dragon.

• 

  Dragonflight dragons concept arts.

• 
• 
• 
• 

  Draconic Coin in Hearthstone.

• 

  The Dragonflights in Hearthstone.

See also

• Dragon roost