Storm dragon

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For the storm dragons of Skywall, see elemental dragon.
Storm dragon
Nithogg HS.jpg
Domain Storm
Breath Lightning
Major leader(s)

IconSmall ProtoWater.gifIconSmall Vyranoth.gif Vyranoth (Aspect of Storms)

 Nithogg (Brood of Nithogg)
  Formerly  Daumyr †
Secondary leaders  Vethir
Racial capital Valdrakken, Stormheim
Area(s) Dragon Isles, Stormheim
Homeworld Azeroth
Language(s) Draconic
Affiliation Thorignir, Brood of Nithogg, Odyn, Valdrakken Accord
Status Active

The storm dragons[1][2] or storm drakes[3][4][5][6] are dragons possessing the power of the storms and who make their lairs in the mountain peaks of both Stormheim and Suramar in the Broken Isles,[1] and also inhabit the island of Jorundall.[7] Storm dragons play a large role in the Stormheim storyline.

Life cycle, appearance, nomenclature

Storm dragons, as with all other dragons, go through various life stages before they are fully grown. These stages are divided into whelps, drakes and dragons. Whelps are the children of their kind, while drakes are adolescents and young adults. The oldest of their kind become dragons, though they appear to still grow in some capacity as far older dragons are usually larger than their younger kindred. Traditional dragons look largely the same, akin to an immense lizard with four legs and wings sprouting along their spine. In their youthful stages, whelps seem to exclusively travel by way of flight, with older dragons flying or walking depending on their whims.

Unlike the dragonflight dragons, storm dragons do not have a defined scale color, being found in red, white, purple, and green scale colorations (though the green is almost exclusively fel-tainted). They are instead marked by their distinct appearance, strong presenting jaws, and an outline of storm magic that highlights along their neck and chin. Many storm dragons are also adorned with vrykul designs painted (or potentially tattooed) along their scales; especially those in service to Odyn.

Unlike other dragons, there do not appear to be any form of lesser dragonkin inspired by their kind. Many of their names are often vrykul in nature.

  • A red storm whelp from the Legion expansion.

    A red storm whelp from the Legion expansion.

  • A red storm dragon from the Legion expansion.

    A red storm dragon from the Legion expansion.

History

When the titan keeper Tyr proposed uplifting proto-dragons into Dragon Aspects as protectors of the world for their great bravery against Galakrond, Prime Designate Odyn challenged this idea. Though he acknowledged the proto-dragons' heroism, he did not agree that Azeroth's fate should be placed on their shoulders. He was of the belief that only the titan-forged could be trusted to protect the world. The other keepers disagreed, and the Aspects were empowered despite Odyn's objections.[8]

For the good of Azeroth, and believing that the Aspects would fail in their charge to safeguard the world, Odyn decided to create an elite army to protect the world should the need arise. He always admired the mighty vrykul for their courage and their strength, and secured one of Ulduar's wings as the base for this new army, the Valarjar.[9] Raising it into the sky with the help of Helya, he named this place the Halls of Valor.[10]

At some point, it seems that Odyn saw fit to uplift some dragons to serve in his army. These storm dragons, "born of the gods",[11] are known as the Thorignir. Imbued with the power of the storms, they swore fealty to the titan keeper. They are of great importance, as protectors of Stormheim, presiding over the Trial of Will to determine the worth of those who seek the Aegis of Aggramar,[12] and helping to prevent the unworthy from entering the Halls of Valor.[13]

Shortly after their creation, however, one of the storm dragons named Nithogg left the Thorignir, believing that one day he would be more powerful than even the keepers, and refused to be their subject. Instead, he took up roost in the mountain Nastrondir, where he raised his brood and terrorized the nearby lands whenever the mood struck him.[14]

At some point under their mutual service to Odyn, the Drekirjar entered into a new era when Hakkap One-leg first learned to tame the nearby Thorignir. The relationship between the two races was mutually consenting, and they would form a pact with each other that lasted many years. The result was the formation of the Drekirjar Galeborn, the fiercest airborne combatants on the Broken Isles. Hakkap himself would fall in battle during a major thunderstorm over the skies of Stormheim. Buried within the Tomb of the Old Kings, his legacy would live on in all Drekirjar dragon-riders.[15]

Legion

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.

The Drekirjar city of Hrydshal.

The vrykul of Stormheim were deeply affected by the arrival of the Burning Legion during its third invasion of Azeroth. Led by their new leader, the God-King Skovald, the vrykul allied with the demons, the Drekirjar being no exception. Many of the Tideskorn accepted the fel gift and became Felskorn.

The new allegiance of the Drekirjar did not bode well for their relationship with the storm dragons. The vrykul broke their ancient pact with the Thorignir and chose instead to begin enslaving the dragons. They would launch an all-out assault on Thorim's Peak and the Stormwing Rookery along with their demon allies, with the goal of corrupting the storm drake young for the Burning Legion and seizing the dragons' power. The Thorignir put up a fierce defense of their home, delaying but not stopping the total conquest of the mountain.[16]

On the verge of defeat, the Thorignir would ultimately find allies in the form of outsiders in the Alliance and Horde who sought the  [Aegis of Aggramar]. These champions infiltrated the Drekirjar base in Hrydshal and caused great damage to the town's defenses. They also proceeded to the summit of Thorim's Peak, where they aided the Thorignir in fighting Skovald and the Drekirjar.

As the battle continued, the storm dragons and their allies were able to free the Thorignir broodmother Thrymjaris before she fell to corruption.[17] Following this, numerous other drakes who were captured by the Drekirjar were also freed just in time.[18] The Thorignir then prepared themselves at the mountain's peak for a devastating assault on the Drekirjar's city.

Vethir and his allies spearheaded the attack; together, they descended on Hrydshal and bathed the town in lightning, which saw hundreds of Drekirjar fall.[19] Despite the significant setback, the vrykul would continue to try and enslave more dragons,[20] and the Thoriginir would respond by launching more attacks on Hrydshal.

Dragonflight

Dragonflight This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

Upon the awakening of the Dragon Isles, some storm dragons heard its call and set off for the isles, settling in Stormshroud Peak in Thaldraszus.

To aid in the defense of Amirdrassil, the Primal Incarnate Vyranoth, alongside Wrathion and an adventurer, set out for Stormheim to recruit the Thorignir. Meeting with Thrymjaris, she informed the trio that they had heard the call of the isles, but could not answer, being honor-bound by their oath to Odyn. She described the storm dragons who broke ties and left for the isles as "less honorable", while she and the Thorignir choose to honor their pledge and follow Odyn's judgment.[21]

Vyranoth, a fierce dragon advocate, saw Odyn as an interloper and was enraged by the dragons' subservience to him.[21] The trio headed to the Halls of Valor, where they fought the Valarjar, but as they battled, Vyranoth convinced many storm dragons to stand aside on the way to Odyn, and Eyir herself as well.[22] Confronting Odyn, she lambasted and then froze the keeper in place, giving her time to convince the Thorignir to look past their 'oath' to Odyn and join the Valdrakken Accord on the Dragon Isles. They ultimately united with the nether dragons and a number of proto-dragons under the leadership of Vyranoth after she became the Aspect of Storms.

Description

Vethir, a storm dragon.
Eggs of the storm drakes.

The storm dragons are associated with thunder and lightning. They are as intelligent as the other, more well-known dragons encountered so far. Most, if not all, storm dragons appear to be capable of speech.[23] Storm dragons normally live in colonies.[4] Storm dragon whelplings hunger for the flesh of animals, but the young ones cannot stomach it raw. Cooking the meat with lightning allows the whelps to consume it.[24]

There are several identified broods of storm dragons within Stormheim:

Notable

Types

As a companion pet

As a mount

 [Valarjar Stormwing]

Arena mounts

Notes and trivia

  • Their drake and dragon form use the same model; with the drakes usually just smaller. In artwork of Hearthstone; the drakes are depicted as looking identical to elemental storm dragons, though no concrete relation between them in game has been made yet.
  • Fighting storm dragons with a metal hammer has its risks.[25]
  • The lightning breath of a storm drake can create dragon glass crystals.[26]
  • It is unknown if they have any actual connection to the "storm" type of elemental dragons.
  • Green storm drakes can be observed flying among the mountains on the planet Elunaria.
  • Daeris, Halgir, Skalfir, and Slepnar didn't make it past Legion beta.
  • At BlizzCon 2015, the storm dragons were described as "a fledgling new dragonflight".[1] This idea that they were a new dragon type was abandoned rather quickly, as the storm dragons are said to have existed since ancient times. Their status as a dragonflight is later re-affirmed during the Dragonflight expansion; where they are recruited into the Valdrakken Accord by Vyranoth.

Gallery

  • Purple coloration

    Purple coloration

  • Blue whelp

    Blue whelp

  • Green coloration

    Green coloration

  • White whelp

    White whelp

  • Undead storm drake

    Undead storm drake

Art

References

 
  1. ^ a b c Blizzcon 2015 - World of Warcraft Legion - World and Content Overview. YouTube (2016-02-24). Retrieved on 2018-08-03.​ “And now, we're also gonna introduce you to a fledgling new dragonflight known as the storm dragons, and the storm dragons make their lairs and their homes within the mountain peaks of both Stormheim and Suramar.”
  2. ^ Campaign Working With the Wardens: Fathnyr
  3. ^ A [10-45] Lightning Rod
  4. ^ a b Generic The Lone Dragon
  5. ^ a b N [45REWQ] Culling the Storm
  6. ^  [Stormslayer Champion Belt]
  7. ^  [Jorundall Salvage]
  8. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 46
  9. ^ Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 155
  10. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 47
  11. ^ B [10-45] Will of the Thorignir
  12. ^ N [10-45] Where Dragons Rule
  13. ^ Hymdall boss fight
  14. ^ Nithogg#Adventure Guide
  15. ^ Hakkap One-leg (object)
  16. ^ N [10-45] Where Dragons Rule
  17. ^ N [10-45] Heart of a Dragon
  18. ^ N [10-45] Wings of Liberty
  19. ^ N [10-45] Cry Thunder!
  20. ^ N [45WQ] Cry More Thunder!
  21. ^ a b N [70] The Thorignir
  22. ^ N [70] Dragon Keeping
  23. ^ N [10-45] Wings of Liberty
  24. ^ N [45WQ] Electrosnack
  25. ^  [Lightning-Struck Hammer]
  26. ^  [Dragon Glass]
Primary dragon types
Other dragon types
Thorignir
Leaders
Characters
Broods
Types
Dragonflights
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