Aethrak

▶️ Not so fast!
This article contains spoilers!
This article contains spoilers about **Dota: Dragon's Blood**

▶️ By the forge of creation.
This section is under construction. It may still lack crucial information or contain unvalidated statements.

You can help by coordinating with the authors and offer your help.

▶️ I don't feel right about this…
This article contains lore that's exclusive to Dota: Dragon's Blood and may not be canon with the main continuity

**Aethrak** is the Air Eldwurm in the animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

## Physiology

Aethrak and the air dragons can manipulate the element of wind, which is one-thirds of the power that composes a storm. While flying, they can propel themselves through the air with blasts of wind to increase their already impressive speed. They also generate gusts of wind that usually signal their presence when they fly through enclosed areas, such as a cave.

A distinct feature of Aethrak and his fellow air dragons are their eaglelike body parts. They have five sharp talons at the ends of their feet, wide wings that fold when diving (which helps lessen aerodynamic drag), and streamlined spikes around their body that help them fly through the air at high speeds. The wyrmlings seem to have spikes on their snouts that resemble beaks, but it starts to disappear when they grow into older eldwurms.

## Behavior

All air dragons are deadly carnivores. While hunting, they fly at altitudes high enough to reach the clouds while still being able to see their prey from long distances. They hunt their prey by movement, meaning that they are more likely to pursue prey that shows any signs of movement rather than those that stay still.

Once they catch sight of a potential meal, they begin their descent by diving headfirst and folding their wings. In the moment that their prey are within the grasp of their talons, they will unfold their wings and reach out their talons to carry the unlucky victim away for consumption. Even if they fail to secure their prey in this manner, they are quite persistent hunters. They will continue pursuing them while flying in low altitudes (even inside dense forests) to make sure that they can capture them again.

## Lifespan

Like all Eldwurms, Aethrak is immortal in a sense that he can reincarnate as long as there is a suitable host body for his soul to take up residence. Upon death, he finds the next oldest dragon of his type (which is the air dragons in his case) before filling their soulless body with his own soul. The vessels he possesses are not immortal themselves, so they all die naturally like any living creature, but it is said that they have long lifespans and grow stronger in both physical strength and their respective elemental powers as they mature and age rather than wither into weaker dragons.

## Trivia

* Aethrak's name comes from the word "aether". Aether means "air" or "atmosphere" in Latin. As such, aether is the atmosphere or air above the soil, as well as other similar meanings referring to the upper atmosphere that is less tangible, or the divine air that the Greek gods breathe in their heavenly domain.

## References

1. ↑ Tweet by @ashmasterzero "Added to the Thunder on #DOTADragonsBlood were Freddy Krueger, @RobertBEnglund as Aethrak the Air Eldwurm. He was joined by @TheRealElvira, Cassandra Peterson as Lirrak the Water Eldwurm and Crypt Keeper @JohnKassir as Vahdrak the Chaos Eldwurm (who demands a spin-off talk show)."
2. ↑ DOTA: Dragon's Blood, Episode 5: The Fire Sermon "Indrak: Yet not reborn. We do not die as you do. Everything that we are passes into a new body."
3. ↑ Tweet by @ashmasterzero "They find the next oldest dragon of that type and take up residence. It happens immediately, although I imagine the consciousness may be capable of waiting or choosing a different host. Once it’s in there, though, it’s in there."