Red dragonflight

The red dragonflight is a draconic organization primarily led by the eponymous red dragons to uphold their creed to the world. They are led by Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, whom the titan Eonar charged with protecting life. The red dragonflight wishes to protect all life on Azeroth as their queen does, and does not hesitate to fight anyone who wishes to harm the world, notably the Burning Legion. The flight is made up not only of the red dragons, but also of their mortal followers and dragonkin as well; the majority of whom share scale colors with the flight.
Following the betrayal of Deathwing during the War of the Ancients, they held a deep-seated rivalry with the corrupted black dragonflight, as they found their cruel ways profane against life. For centuries, the red dragonflight slowly recovered from its losses and continued to fulfill its duty of protecting the world. However, during the Second War, Alexstrasza and the majority of her flight were enslaved by the Black Aspect with the Demon Soul, and were reduced to become living weapons for the orcs of the Old Horde against the Alliance of Lordaeron. During the Battle of Grim Batol, the Dragon Queen and her flight were finally freed from slavery by the Alliance, and after taking revenge on their tormentors, they disappeared to recover after years of suffering.
During the war against the Lich King, all the dragonflights founded the Wyrmrest Accord after Malygos's declaration of the Nexus War, and had to eliminate the Aspect of Magic before he doomed Azeroth and all its magic users. Following the Cataclysm, and the return of Deathwing, the red dragonflight once again allied with the other flights and the mortal races of Azeroth to confront the black and twilight dragonflights, and their masters in the shadows. During the final battle, Alexstrasza and the other Dragon Aspects sacrificed 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.
For years, the red dragonflight continued to help the mortal races against the enemies of Azeroth. When the Dragon Isles were uncovered, Alexstrasza and her flight felt its call and returned to their home after ten thousand years. However, a new conflict began against their ancient enemies, the Primalists, and Alexstrasza seeks to regain her powers to protect the flights from the Primal Incarnates.
==Culture==
The red dragonflight, ruled by the Dragonqueen, Alexstrasza, is a noble and honorable group of creatures. They consider themselves the protectors of all life, and in many ways they are. More often than not, they are found protecting sacred areas and items, seeking to keep them from lesser beings who might be hurt by their energies. Their breath is a fearsome stream of fire, and they have been known to swallow enemies whole and slowly digest them over the course of a day. Their most hated enemies are the black dragons ruled by the great, dark leviathan, Deathwing.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, pg. 138
Red dragons have always concerned themselves with maintaining the harmony and prosperity of life, the task entrusted to them by the Creators. They consider themselves the custodians and defenders of life on Azeroth, but they will not hesitate to kill a creature if its actions endanger other lives.The Well of Eternity, pg. 194 Red dragons understand the secrets of life, and in turn, those of death, like none others do and have been granted great power over both. They are capable of rejuvenating and draining life, as well as performing a form of necromancy, though only as a last resort, as they are not fond of doing so.The Sundering, pg. 108 The breath of red dragons burns but also rejuvenates, and whenever a red dragon walks or breathes upon the soil, the earth is renewed. Their domain is the fire that gives both life and death.Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 76 A red dragon would never hurt a soul, unless they tried to hurt them first.Mount Journal entry for Reins of the Red Drake
The red dragonflight is charged with the preservation and nurturing of all dragons, to the point that bringing black dragonflight eggs into their Life Pools revitalized the Ruby Oathstone.A Charge of Care
The reds are utterly loyal to their Aspect, Alexstrasza, who along with her consorts such as Tyranastrasz and Korialstrasz, are treated with great respect by the reds and the other flights. They are friendly to humans, elves, and their other traditional allies, and are typically the only dragons mortals are likely to encounter, with the exception of the druidic allies of the greens. Like all dragons, they take their charges seriously and usually operate in secret, keeping tabs on important beings, organizations, and places, such as Cenarius,The Well of Eternity, pg. 160 Dalaran,Day of the Dragon pg. 152 - 153 and the Scourge.
As the red flight represents the aspect of life, their blood has healing properties.Dangerous Compassion Red dragonkin are sometimes referred to as Crimson, Ruby, or Vermillion.
===Nomenclature===
Members of the red dragonflight most often have names ending in "strasz" for males, or "strasza" for females.
===Membership===
thumb|right|Various members of the Red dragonflight.
The red dragonflight is primarily made up of, as the name implies, red dragonkin. These include the red dragons themselves, but also red-scaled variants of drakonid and dragonspawn.
Mortals also serve as part of the Red dragonflight, such as the high elf Garek who was a servant to the red dragon, Korialstrasz. Dahlia Suntouch, a high elf, served as the tender of the Ruby Dragonshrine in Dragonblight until her death and resurrection as an undead by the Scourge.
===Guises===
When taking humanoid form, most red dragons prefer to transform into sin'dorei,Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, pg. 73 though human, dwarf and quel'dorei guises are also common.
==History==
===Charge of the Dragonflights===
According to legends, before the titans departed Azeroth, they charged the greatest species of the world with the task of watching over it. In that age, there were many dragonflights, yet five flights, one of which was the red, held dominion over their brethren and were chosen to shepherd the budding world. The greatest members of the Pantheon imbued a portion of their power upon each of the flights' leaders. Eonar, the titan patron of all life, gave a portion of her power to the red leviathan. Ever after, Alexstrasza would be known as the Life-Binder, and she would work to safeguard all living creatures within the world. Due to her supreme wisdom and limitless compassion for all living things, Alexstrasza was crowned the Dragonqueen and given dominion over her kind.Charge of the Dragonflights
In truth, in Azeroth's ancient past, the Dragon Aspects proto-dragons stood united against a foe who threatened their entire species: the bloodthirsty Father of Dragons, Galakrond. Alexstrasza was one of the more intelligent of proto-dragons, capable of broken speech unlike most of the other, more animal-like of his kind. Alongside Neltharion, Ysera, Nozdormu, Malygos and the Keeper Tyr, Alexstrasza faced Galakrond and the not-living. After killing Galakrond, Alexstrasza and the others were approached by the other Keepers, and Tyr suggested empowering the proto-dragons to make them defenders of Azeroth, as they proved they were able to stand for the planet. Only Odyn disagreed, and forbid the other Keepers to proceed with that idea, but they decided to go against him. They reached out to the Pantheon and each of the titans blessed the proto-dragons with a portion of their vast power, channeled through the Keepers. They became majestic beings called dragons, and among them, Alexstrasza became the Aspect of Life and the Queen of the dragons while her red dragonflight was charged with the task of watching over all life on Azeroth, lest any force should threaten its perfect tranquility. One of their first acts was to encourage the rumor that the titans created them from Galakrond, to prevent the truth about Galakrond from leaking to ensure no one would follow in the behemoth's footsteps.Dawn of the Aspects
The time following this came to be known as the age of dragons when the civilization of dragonkind was at its peak.The Well of Eternity, pg. 193
===War of the Ancients===
Prior to the War of the Ancients, the red dragonflight resided in a series of large caverns deep inside towering mountains, with hundreds of great gaps in every cliff leading to their realm. The caverns were large enough even for a leviathan like Tyranastrasz to fly through. Alexstrasza's chambers were filled with plants and flowers that should have not been able to grow there, such as roses and orchids.The Well of Eternity, chapter 13 Most of the peaks were high enough to be above the clouds and to have a permanent snow cap.The Well of Eternity, chapter 16 The Grotto of Shadow Rose was part of the lair.
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 demons. On the battlefield, Neltharion led the dragon forces, consuming the demons under their fiery breaths, but their strength was not enough. As the other Aspects began to despair, the Black Aspect suggested creating a magical artifact to aid in the destruction of the Legion.Legacies Chapter Two The Dragon Queen and the other Aspects had nothing but the utmost respect for wise Neltharion, and they accepted without hesitation his plan to give much of their own essence toward the creation of this object, which was called the Dragon Soul. Neltharion and his flight, however, had secretly refrained from imparting any of their own power. During the time of the Dragon Soul'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.The Demon Soul, chapter 12 This barrier was guarded from the inside by dragons from all flights.The Demon Soul, chapter 16
When each dragon had contributed a portion of his or her essence to the artifact, Neltharion deemed it complete. The blacks joined the other dragons in flight over the battle and the Black Aspect brought the Dragon Soul to bear against the Legion, with devastating effects on the demonic swarm — but only for a precious few moments. He then shocked his fellow aspects and turned the artifact against the terrified night elves as well, and finally his own brethren. The shocked dragons were helpless to resist the power of the Dragon Soul, for it contained a fraction of the essence of each — with the exception of Neltharion himself. All the dragonflights, save Neltharion's own, were paralyzed in midair until the timely intervention of Korialstrasz, a mate of the red dragonqueen, who had been absent from the initial use of the artifact. While Korialstrasz was no match for the Aspect of Earth, he did manage to interrupt Neltharion's concentration for a moment, freeing the other dragons from their paralysis and allowing them to act. Malygos, infuriated at the betrayal by his ally, struck first, but at a great price. As the blue dragonflight flew into formation to attack Neltharion, the mighty black wyrm unleashed the full fury of the Dragon Soul against them, and the power instantly slew nearly every one of them. As the other dragons turned to act, Neltharion then scattered the hundreds of other assembled dragons before retreating from the field of battle, taking the Dragon Soul with him.The Demon Soul, chapter 21 Thus Neltharion became Deathwing the Destroyer, the Dragon Soul was renamed the "Demon Soul", and the Dragon Wars begun.
The black dragonflight's actions left their former allies wounded and shocked, and Alexstrasza and the noble dragons were forced to abandon their mortal allies. The dragonflights secluded themselves, hoping to recover from the Dragon Soul's powers, but the damage to the draconic race had been done. The Kaldorei and their allies just barely managed to defeat the Legion, but Azeroth was sundered.The War of the Ancients
===Aftermath of the Sundering===
Deathwing's betrayal was so destructive that the five dragonflights never truly recovered. If that had not been enough, the ensuing war between the dragonflights decimated the species, most of all the blacks, and the reds were no exception. Some dragons call this time period the Dragon Wars, though others including mortals may know it by other names. Even though it was everyone against the black flight, easily outnumbering them, it was incredibly emotionally hard for the dragons because they had to fight their friends and loved ones, people they had known and grown up with.Stay a While The black dragonflight was hunted down and nearly annihilated, all but slain because of Deathwing's mad plots.The Well of Eternity, pg. 245
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.The Sundering, pg. 346 - 347 The trio later visited the Night Elven survivors to present the devastated race a gift. Alexstrasza produced a single enchanted acorn, taken from the Mother Tree G'Hanir, and placed it within the new Well of Eternity atop Mount Hyjal. The acorn, activated by the potent, magical waters, sprung to life as a colossal tree whose mighty roots grew from the well's waters, and its verdant canopy seemed to scrape the roof of the sky. The tree also received blessings from Ysera and Nozdormu. It would safeguard the new Well of Eternity from discovery and come to be known as Nordrassil, the World Tree.The World Tree and the Emerald Dream
===War of the Shifting Sands===
A thousand years before modern times, the red dragons lent their aid to the night elves and the bronze dragonflight during the War of the Shifting Sands. Led by Caelestrasz, a child of Alexstrasza, the reds fought the Silithid and their Qiraji masters furiously and ultimately helped push them back to their city where they were sealed away from the world. The dragons suffered few casualties but the progeny of Alexstrasza, Caelestrasz, was believed lost, having charged deep into Ahn'Qiraj during the final push. After the war, a shard of the Scepter of the Shifting Sands was entrusted to the red wyrm Vaelastrasz by Anachronos the bronze.The War of the Shifting Sands
Unbeknownst to his flight, Caelestrasz, along with Arygos and Merithra, was not dead, simply captured. The dark master of Ahn'Qiraj used the tortured dragons to power his new creations: Moam and the other Obsidian destroyers.Monsters of Ahn'Qiraj#Moam
===Second War===
During the Second War, Deathwing finally found a way to conquer his greatest rivals. While he couldn't wield the Demon Soul himself it could be placed in the hands of one that would further his agenda.Day of the Dragon, pg. 359 - 360 The orc shaman Zuluhed received visions of a powerful artifact deep within the earth and with Doomhammer's permission took his clan to search for their source. Zuluhed took the Demon Soul for the Horde, but while he sensed the disk had the power to raise mountains and evaporate oceans, it was unresponsive to his shamanistic powers. The device was passed down to his lieutenant: the warlock Nekros Skullcrusher, whose magic the disk eagerly reciprocated.Day of the Dragon, pg. 53 The Dragonmaw clan searched for weeks for the dragons, finally spotting a lone wounded red male. They followed the dragon back to the red flight's lair, a high mountain peak, where they came upon the Dragonqueen herself, roosting with three consorts. The Aspect immediately incinerated four orc warriors before Nekros invoked the dark powers of the disk and subdued her. The Demon Soul was used to enslave Alexstrasza and a large portion of her flight.Tides of Darkness, pg. 137-138
From capture to escape, an eight year span, Alexstrasza was forced to create more dragons to service the Horde in the war, and she cried for the deaths of her children and the deaths they caused.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, pg. 66 Two of her consorts did not survive long, one perishing while trying to escape over the sea and the other dying of injuries inflicted by Deathwing, while her fourth and youngest avoided capture altogether. This left Alexstrasza with only her prime consort, Tyranastrasz, to produce dragons with for the orcs.Day of the Dragon, 58 She often tried to defy Nekros, but the act of breaking one or more eggs in her presence assured her good behavior. The red dragonflight, once one of the strongest and proudest flights of dragons ever seen, were reduced to being the Horde's war dogs.Day of the Dragon, 57 The Horde quickly learned how to utilize the great leviathans, and they were forced to wreak havoc throughout the lands of the Alliance,Day of the Dragon, 4 committing destructive acts such as setting the forests of Quel'Thalas ablaze,Tides of Darkness, pg. 224-232 and the complete destruction of the third fleet of Kul Tiras. Those red dragons who were becoming too powerful to be properly controlled were slain on the spot by the Dragonmaw orcs.Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Orc Buildings, Dragon Roost The Alliance responded to the dragons with dwarven gryphon riders, the two often meeting in the dogfights over Lordaeron and Khaz Modan. Throughout most of the Second War, and even a few years after its end, the settlements of the Alliance lived in constant fear of coming under attack by red dragons.
Outraged, many of the red dragons who had avoided capture wanted to make war against all the lesser races but her youngest consort, Korialstrasz, disguised as the mage Krasus of the Kirin Tor, sought a way to free his mate.Day of the Dragon, pg. 39 - 42
===Battle of Grim Batol===
Despite the Horde's defeat at the end of the Second War, the Dragonmaw Clan retained a firm grip on Grim Batol and Alexstrasza. Korialstrasz approached the other Aspects for assistance, but was continually rebuffed time after time. Using his guise of Krasus, a member of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, he set a plan into motion. He sent his apprentice Rhonin on a secret mission to Grim Batol.
When Nekros believed the Alliance planned on invading, he had Alexstrasza and her eggs moved out of the mountain fortress and began a march towards Dun Algaz where he believed the bulk of the Dragonmaw Clan was stationed. Little did he know he had been manipulated by Deathwing, who desired Alexstrasza's eggs out in the open to steal them more easily. When Deathwing appeared Nekros sent Tyranastrasz to face him, but the old red did not last long against the dark aspect. Deathwing began stealing Alexstrasza's eggs only to be stalled by the sudden arrival of the other Aspects, who proceeded to battle Deathwing in the sky near Grim Batol. Korialstrasz's human apprentice, Rhonin, defeated Nekros and used one of Deathwing's scales to destroy the Demon Soul. The destruction of the artifact released the ancient power that had been sealed inside for millennia, making the Aspects whole once more and allowing them to overpower Deathwing and force his retreat. This final battle was known as the Battle of Grim Batol.Day of the Dragon, chapter "19-21": pg. 321-68
Alexstrasza swore an oath of friendship to Rhonin, Vereesa, Falstad, and their respective races. With their queen returned to them, the remaining members of the red dragonflight came out of hiding and reassumed their ancient charge of defending the wild things of the world. One of their first actions was to station guardians outside their queen's former prison.The Test of Skulls, Axtroz
===Third War===
Like the other dragonflights, the red dragonflight did not play any significant role in the events of the Third War. Many red dragons however, still remained slaves of the Blackrock clan in the Alterac Mountains. These members of the red flight were used by the orcs to vainly fight against the Scourge, led by Arthas Menethil and Kel'thuzad, who were seeking control of the clan's functional Demon Gate. The Horde Warchief Thrall also came across a red dragon being attacked by harpies in the depths of the Stonetalon Mountains. The dragon had in his possession the Heart of Aszune, needed by the Warchief to access the lair of the Oracle.
===The Sunwell===
Following the Third War, which had ravaged the kingdom of Quel'Thalas and cost the high elves their fabled Sunwell, Korialstrasz took it upon himself to gather the remaining energy of the well and transform it into a living avatar in the form of Anveena Teague. When the traitorous Dar'Khan Drathir tried to claim her power as his own, Korialstrasz intervened, only to be subjected to Dar'Khan's mind control. The blue dragon Tyrygosa engaged Korialstrasz in battle while Kalecgos and his allies managed to defeat the traitorous elf, free Korialstrasz, and safeguard the energy of the Sunwell.Ghostlands, chapter 6
===World of Warcraft===
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 from this and her traumatic ordeal under the Dragonmaw, Alexstrasza and her flight sequestered themselves away to heal, both physically and emotionally. As such, even as her consorts and children continued to have their impact on Azeroth, Alexstrasza's whereabouts were unknown to most, though Tyrande Whisperwind seemed to know where she resided at the time.Unfinished Business In the aftermath of the Third War, the new Archdruid Fandral Staghelm asked her to bless the new World Tree Teldrassil, but the Dragonqueen refused.Crown of the Earth (5)
In the Eastern Kingdoms, the red dragonflight had a strong presence at Alexstrasza's old prison, Grim Batol. Their guardianship of the fortress could be seen, with legions of dragonspawn and the drake-champion Axtroz stationed outside at the Dragonmaw Gates. Further down the mountain, the remains of the orcish caravan teamed with newly hatched red whelps. They were later targeted by a Horde adventurer sent by the black drake Emberstrife.The Test of Skulls, Axtroz
In the Blackrock Spire, the red dragon Vaelastrasz was secretly working against Nefarian. He assisted adventurers to fight against the Dark Horde and their black dragonflight allies.Seal of Ascension (quest)Seal of Ascension (2) Upon breaching Blackwing Lair, Vaelastrasz succumbed to Nefarian's sorcery and the :Red Scepter Shard was taken from him. Vaelastrasz asked his allies to put him out of his misery and to retrieve his shard, so that the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj could be opened.Vaelastrasz the Corrupt
In Kalimdor, Belnistrasz was captured by the Scourge inside Razorfen Downs while investigating their presence. After being rescued, he asked the adventurers to assist him in shutting down the quilboars' operation there.Scourge of the Downs In the Badlands, the high elf Garek, mortal servant of the red dragon Korialstrasz,Tremors of the Earth spied on the black dragonflight and searched for assistance in slaying the twin black drakes, Blacklash and Hematus.Tremors of the Earth (2)
In the beginning of the Ahn'Qiraj War, the son of Alexstrasza, Caelestrasz, thought to have been lost during the War of the Shifting Sands, was found to be alive inside Ahn'Qiraj, along with the dragons Arygos and Merithra as slaves of C'Thun. The red dragon Kandrostrasz came to Ahn'Qiraj after sensing his trapped brethren within, but he did not dare to enter the temple from fear of falling under the Old God's control.Mortal Champions During the conflict, Alliance and Horde heroes managed to liberate Caelestrasz,C'Thun's Legacy and after they killed C'Thun, were sent by the red dragon to give the :Eye of C'Thun to Anachronos in the Caverns of Time.The Savior of Kalimdor
===Second Battle of Grim Batol===
Over a decade after Deathwing's defeat at the Battle of Grim Batol, the red dragonkin forces stationed outside the cursed fortress since the release of their queen, started falling ill, some even dying. A few went mad and had to be put down by their brothers and sisters. The red flight finally did as many others had done before them and abandoned the dark fortress of Grim Batol,Night of the Dragon, pg. 10 unaware of the black dragon Sinestra deep within. Korialstrasz sensed something happening deep within the mountain and returned to Grim Batol to find the black consort in the midst of creating the twilight dragonflight. Ultimately, thanks to Korialstrasz's allies, the sacrifice of the nether dragon Zzeraku, and the anger felt by Dargonax towards his "mother", Sinestra and her creation were defeated. The mountain was once again abandoned, unaware to anyone that Deathwing lurked still deeper within.Night of the Dragon, pg, 319
===Wrath of the Lich King===
During the war against the Lich King, many members of the red dragonflight, led by Alexstrasza and her prime consort Korialstrasz, could be found at Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragonblight. They had to face the Scourge who began to besiege the surrounding dragonshrines in an effort to raise new variations of undead dragons. Consequently, the red flight actively recruited heroes to aid Ceristrasz and Vargastrasz in arresting these invasions at the Ruby Dragonshrine.
Having awoken from madness, the Aspect of Magic, Malygos, assessed that magic had run amok on Azeroth and that it had to be reined in, declaring the Nexus War on all mortal spellcasters. He then began redirecting ley lines to the Nexus, with disastrous consequences, splintering the world's crust and opening up unstable rifts.Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Features/The Nexus The blue's increasingly militaristic methods were condemned by the red dragonflight, who vowed to neutralize Malygos at all costs. To this end, they formed a council with the Kirin Tor, and the two groups began actively subverting Malygos's devastating campaign. When the blues dared attack Wyrmrest Temple, the reds called upon the remaining dragonflights for assistance, creating the Wyrmrest Accord.Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Features/Zones#Dragonblight
With the Nexus War in full swing, the red dragonflight set up at Amber Ledge in the Borean Tundra, where they worked with the Kirin Tor to repel Malygos's forces. The red dragon Surristrasz even allowed the mages to ride his drakes into battle. From there the red flight sent adventurers to the Transitus Shield, a hidden camp deep inside the blue's ancient home of Coldarra.Traversing the Rift On the island, the red dragon Keristrasza was incarcerated within one of the blue dragonflight's augmented arcane prisons, as she refused to bow before the Aspect of Magic.Keristrasza (quest) After being released, she aided her rescuers by luring Malygos's consort, Saragosa, to her death.Saragosa's End However, she was later captured by Malygos and taken into the Nexus to serve as his unwilling consort, driving her into madness through torture and the use of magical runes.Keristrasza (tactics) Another red dragon named Belgaristrasz was also taken prisoner in the Oculus,The Struggle Persists he was later freed by the heroes and helped them to kill the agents of Malygos in the Nexus.A Unified FrontA Wing and a Prayer
At the end of the conflict, Alexstrasza and the other Aspects saw no way to end the senseless violence other than destroying Malygos. In the Eye of Eternity, the Spellweaver was finally confronted in his realm where he was slain by the heroes and members of the Accord.Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, pg. 19
At some point, Korialstrasz discovered a clutch of twilight dragonflight eggs within the Obsidian Sanctum. The Red dragonflight asked the Council of Six to send adventurers to destroy them quickly. Not long after, all communication with the guardians in the Ruby Sanctum ceased. The guards stationed at the portal were slain, and the mystic stones shattered. A black dragonflight war party, led by twilight dragon Halion invaded the red sanctum killing all red dragonkin inside, except Sanctum Guardian Xerestrasza.Underdev/Patch 3.3.5: The Ruby Sanctum Consequently, heroes were sent by Xerestrasza to kill Halion and the invaders.The Twilight Destroyer
At the end of the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate, while the New Plague of Grand Apothecary Putress spread on the battlefield, a party of red dragons left Wyrmrest Temple, heading towards Angrathar the Wrathgate. Upon arriving, the dragons breathed flames over the battlefield itself, cleansing it of the deadly plague, and destroyed the remaining catapults and forces loyal to Putress nearby.Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 145 After completing their mission, they once again departed and returned to the temple some distance away.
===The Nightmare===
During the War Against the Nightmare, Alexstrasa provided desperately needed assistance to High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind in her efforts to rescue Malfurion Stormrage from the Nightmare Lord, as even her own consort Korialstrasz fell victim to the Emerald Nightmare, becoming one of the Unwaking.
After their victory against the Nightmare, Alexstrasza, along with her sister Ysera, presided over Malfurion and Tyrande's marriage ceremony. Immediately after, the two Aspects blessed the new world tree Teldrassil as they had done to Nordrassil ten thousand years before, a blessing which protected Teldrassil to its final day.@Loreology, Twitter, July 28, 2014. Archive lore tweets from loreology.
===Cataclysm===
Following the Cataclysm, and the return of Deathwing, the red dragonflight once again allied with the other flights and the mortal races of Azeroth to confront the black and twilight dragonflights, the Twilight's Hammer, and their Old Gods masters in the shadows.
In the Twilight Highlands, full-out warfare has erupted in the Twilight Highlands between the black dragonflight and the red dragonflight. The Red dragonkin roosted at the wonderous Vermillion Redoubt have come under attack by Twilight drakes. The Black dragonkin roosted at the Obsidian Forest were constantly under attack by the red flight led by Velastrasza and Tederastrasz.A Fitting EndBlackout (Twilight Highlands) The broodmother Obsidia, one of the last mature and breeding black dragons, was targeted by the dragonspawn Baleflame who sent adventurers to slay her within her lair.Last of Her Kind Even the mighty Aspects themselves, Deathwing and Alexstrasza, become engaged in the battle over Grim Batol, as the Dragon Queen decided that the black dragonflight could not be saved and should be totally destroyed.Enter the Dragon QueenBattle of Life and Death
Outside the Bastion of Twilight, the red dragon Lirastrasza launched her own aggressive campaign against the Twilight's Hammer,Coup de Grace (quest) while inside, the son of Alexstrasza Caelestrasz, sacrificed himself during the battle against Sinestra, giving the adventurers enough strength to finally vanquish the last consort of Deathwing.
In the Burning Steppes, Acridostrasz replaced Vaelastrasz in the red flight's infiltration of the Dark Horde, in order to save the Dragon whelps captured for the experiments of Nefarian in the Blackrock Spire.A Deal With a Dragon In return for their help, Acridostrasz aided the Alliance and Horde forces in stopping the black dragonflight and the Blackrock orcs from invading Redridge Mountains.Trolls, Ogres, and Orcs, Oh My!
In Kalimdor, the red dragon Koristrasza traveled to the Razorfen Downs to investigate why the Scourge's activity there continued in spite of the Lich King's defeat.Looming Threat With the help of adventurers, she managed to defeat the undead leader Amnennar the Coldbringer and began to purge the Razorfen Downs with her flames.The Coldbringer
At some point, the ambitious red dragon Rheastrasza traveled to the Badlands to research a way to purify the black dragonflight. She captured the black dragon Nyxondra, and forced her to lay eggs for the experiments, in hopes of laying an uncorrupted black dragon egg.Third Sample: Implanted Eggs Eventually, Rheastrasza and Dr. Hieronymus Blam succeeded in creating a purified black dragon egg but she was killed by Deathwing soon after, who was after the egg.Rheastrasza's Gift However, the purified egg was hidden under the care of Corastrasza in Vermillion Redoubt.The Egg Lives OnA Hidden Message Six months later, the egg was stolen by the assassins of Ravenholdt. Consequently, the red dragonflight sent the red drake Mostrasz and a rogue adventurer to find it. The trail led them to Ravenholdt Manor,To Ravenholdt where it was revealed that Wrathion has hatched.To Catch a Thief As the only pure member of his dragonflight, Wrathion decided that it was his mission to make sure that all his corrupted brothers and sisters must be destroyed. He introduced himself to Mostrasz as his former prisoner, and ordered him to serve as a messenger to his flight, announcing that he was free from his father's corruption, that he intended to remain free, and that this warning was the first and the last.Our Man in Gilneas
Some time after the Cataclysm, the red dragons convened upon Wyrmrest Temple to have their first meeting since the death of Malygos. Not particularly liked by many of the blues, Korialstrasz chose to stay behind to watch his newest clutch of eggs in the Ruby Sanctum. However, he discovered Twilight Hammer's cultists casting dark spells on the eggs, and after confronting them, saw that they had mutated the hatchlings into deformed chromatic dragons. When he touched a mutated egg, the infection passed on to him, and he learned that every flight's eggs, in each sanctum, were infected. In his last moments, Korialstrasz summoned every ounce of his power and exploded, utterly obliterating the sanctums with the thousands of corrupted eggs. While his death and apparent betrayal were a shock to the other dragonflights, Alexstrasza suffered the most. In sadness bordering on madness, she shattered the Wyrmrest Accord and fled to Desolace, waiting for death. Later, Thrall had a vision where he saw the truth behind Korialstrasz's actions, and brought the news to Alexstrasza, who rejoined the fight against Chromatus with renewed purpose to not let her love's sacrifice be in vain.Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
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 remaining 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 lost their immortality in the process and condemned 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.
Following the death of the Black Aspect, the red dragonflight attacked Ravenholdt Manor to kill Wrathion, but the latter managed to survive and killed Mostrasz himself. After the battle, the Black Prince announced that he would never be controlled, and that the red dragonflight had no idea what they unleashed when they had experimented on his egg.Patricide
===Warlords of Draenor===
During the war in Draenor, Koristrasza entered once again in the Razorfen Downs, as Death Speaker Blackthorn a ritual to bring back Amnennar the Coldbringer from the dead.Blackthorn's Lieutenants As her previous attempt was not fully completed, she accompanied the adventurers and aided them personally to kill Blackthorn and Amnennar. After the battle, she took the lich's phylactery to the red dragonflight in order to find a way for its destruction.The Ritual (Razorfen Downs)
===Legion===
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Deathlord of the Ebon Blade was sent by the Lich King to the regrownJeremy Feasel on Twitter: "As Senegos mentined, the whelps in the regrown Ruby Sanctum are the last red whelps ever. Will you slay them for 0 achievement points?" Ruby Sanctum to obtain information on a great dragon skeleton north of Icecrown. Bolvar gave the Deathlord the choice of either sparing some dragons within or slaying them all. No matter their choice, the red dragons were aggressive to the Deathlord regardless.Draconic Secrets The whelps that resided within the regrown Sanctum were the very last red whelps there would ever be.Jeremy Feasel official post
===Battle for Azeroth===
During the Fourth War, Alexstrasza tasked Zallestrasza with ensuring that the bones of the dragon Vadekius, who died in Drustvar many centuries ago, could not be risen. The reds did not wish for a repeat of the horrible events at the Ruby Sanctum with the Ebon Blade. The death knight Danir Emberlight attempted to raise Vadekius to be his mount, but he was fought off by an adventurer aiding Zallestrasza.Life Preserver
Following the liberation of N'Zoth, Vexiona led an army of Twilight dragonspawn and drakes to the Vermillion Redoubt, trying to corrupt or entice red dragons to join her cause.In the Shadow of Crimson Wings
===Dragonflight===
When the Dragon Isles were uncovered, Alexstrasza and her flight felt the call to home and returned to the isles after ten thousand years.2022-04-20, WORLD OF WARCRAFT: DRAGONFLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE WILEY AND TINA WANG. Blizzplanet, retrieved on 2022-04-22 In the face of Raszageth's awakening and the possibility of the other Primal Incarnates being unleashed, Alexstrasza declared that they must reclaim their Aspect powers, and that their dragonflights must be made anew.A Tempest Unleashed
The Dragon Queen sent Majordomo Selistra to serve as her emissary to the arriving Horde and Alliance adventurers to the isles, with instructions to escort them to her at the Life Pools.The Djaradin Have Awoken However, the Life Pools came under attack by Raszageth and her Primalists, and Alexstrasza ordered her flight to protect the eggs, before she flew off to personally confront Raszageth.Who Brought the Ruckus? As they clashed, she pleaded with Raszageth to see reason, to stop the fighting so they could have peace. However, Raszageth refused, pushed the blame for the war solely on the Aspects' shoulders, and wounded Alexstrasza, who found herself saved by Wrathion. An amused Raszageth decided to leave the pair, as she wanted Alexstrasza to watch as everything she cared for was destroyed before killing her.The Storm-Eater's Fury - Raszageth Confronts Alexstrasza | Dragonflight In-game Cinematic [SPOILERS]
After being informed of the safety of the eggs by Selistra, Alexstrasza offered her gratitude to Wrathion, who was quick to recruit her flight's aid in claiming the Obsidian Citadel from the djaradin. But she refused and explained that her flight had to remain at the Life Pools to safeguard their future. The Black Prince questioned if it was the dragon's future or her flight that she sought to safeguard, and subsequently departed, determined to claim the citadel with only the aid of his Blacktalon.Exeunt, Triumphant Concerned for Wrathion, she enlisted adventurers to aid him in her stead, while she focused on protecting the new generation of dragonkind.Wrathion Awaits
==Notable members==
Name	Type 	Role 	Status	Location
 	Aspect 	Aspect of the red dragonflight, Aspect of Life, Queen of all dragons and leader of the Wyrmrest Accord and the Valdrakken Accord.	 	Various Locations
 	Dragon 	Last prime consort of Alexstrasza, member of the Council of Six as Krasus, sacrificed himself to halt the Twilight's Hammer. 	 	Various Locations
 	Dragon 	Commander of Wyrmrest Temple's defenses, led the retaking of the temple during its siege. 	 	Wyrmrest Temple, Dragonblight
 	Dragonspawn	Leader of the red dragonspawn forces at Vermillion Redoubt, in the Twilight Highlands. 	 	Vermillion Redoubt, Twilight Highlands
 	Dragon 	Red dragon who helped kill Saragosa, but was later captured and forced by Malygos to become his new consort. 	 	Axis of Alignment, The Nexus
 	Drake 	Majordomo of Alexstrasza on the Dragon Isles. 	 	Waking Shores, Dragon Isles
 	Dragon 	Majordomo to the ruling council of the Wyrmrest Accord and right hand of Alexstrasza. 	 	Wyrmrest Temple, Dragonblight
==Notes==
*The goals of the red dragonflight are differentiated from the green dragonflight, another flight sworn to the defense of life, by their creed. The red dragons seek to protect mortal life and the preservation and cultivation of the lives of others; while the greens are more focused on the preservation of natural life and the cycles therein.
==References==
==External links==
 
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