Red dragonflight

The red dragonflight are dragons that have red scales and breath fire. Their fire can either destroy or bring life. They are led by Alexstrasza the Life-Binder. The titan Eonar charged Alexstrasza with protecting life. The red dragons generally wish to protect all life on Azeroth as their queen does, while battling those who wish to do the world harm. In particular, the Black dragonflight and their Twilight aberrations served as the red dragon's foremost enemies. Despite their mission, some red dragons hold a mistrust, even animosity, towards mortals because of the events of the Second War.

Many red dragons were enslaved during the Second War by the Dragonmaw clan under Nekros Skullcrusher. Alexstrasza's flight aided the Horde and Alliance against the Scourge during the War against the Lich King, while the mortals aided her against the insane Blue dragonflight in the Nexus War. During the events of the Cataclysm, the red dragons spearheaded the assault on the last bastion of Deathwing's flight in the Twilight Highlands storyline.

Types
The red dragonflight includes the red dragons themselves as well as all other red dragonkin such as dragonspawn and drakonids.
 * Red dragon (mature)
 * Red wyrm
 * Red drake
 * Red whelp
 * Red dragonspawn
 * Red drakonid

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.''

The red dragonflight has always concerned itself 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. 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 breath of red dragons burns but also rejuvenates, and whenever a red dragon walks or breathes upon the soil, the earth is renewed. A red dragon would never hurt a soul, unless they tried to hurt them first.

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, Dalaran, and the Scourge. As a result, the red dragonflight's agents are often away, spread throughout Azeroth, and using their powers to disguise themselves as members of the mortal races, such as humans or elves. Often the dragons have mortals, dragonsworn, working on gathering information or doing other related errands.

Red dragonkin are sometimes referred to as Crimson, Ruby or Vermillion. When taking humanoid form, most red dragons prefer to transform into sin'dorei, though human and quel'dorei guises are also common.

As the red flight represents the aspect of life, their blood has healing properties.

Nomenclature
Members of the red dragonflight most often have names ending in "strasz" for males, or "strasza" for females.

History



 * "In decades past - of now ancient wars and conflicts - our kind was driven to the brink of extinction. Much we have endured, . The onslaught of the Burning Legion. The Demon Soul. The Aspects divided. The ascension of Deathwing. The enslavement of our Queen, Alexstrasza, by the Dragonmaw. Through it all, we have been the unshakable will of the dragons - the undaunted force that has fought to represent our waning existence in this world."

Charge of the Dragonflights
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, Alexstrasza. 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.

The time following this came to be known as the age of dragons when the civilization of dragonkind was at its peak.

War of the Ancients
When the night elves inadvertently called the Burning Legion to the world, the Aspect of the Earth, Neltharion, suggested creating a magical artifact to aid in the destruction of the demons. Alexstrasza considered the wise Neltharion as one of her closest advisors, and she gave much of her own essence toward the creation of this object, called the Dragon Soul.

When each dragon had contributed a portion of his or her essence to the artifact, Neltharion deemed it complete. The reds 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 retreated, leaving the blue dragonflight broken in his wake.

Wounded and shocked, Alexstrasza and the other 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 at great cost. Azeroth was sundered.

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, and the reds were no exception. They would never again be seen in the same numbers as before. The age of dragons had passed.

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 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.

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, 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.

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.

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. 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. The Dragonmaw clan searched for weeks for the dragons, finally spoting 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.

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. 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. 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. The Horde quickly learned how to utilize the great leviathans, and they were forced to wreak havoc throughout the lands of the Alliance, committing destructive acts such as setting the forests of Quel'Thalas ablaze, 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

Nexus War
Having awoken from madness, the Aspect of Magic, Malygos, assessed that magic had run amok in the world, and that it had to be reined in, declaring war on all mortal spellcasters. Be began redirecting ley lines to the Nexus, with disastrous consequence, splintering the world's crust and opening up unstable rifts.

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. Once again dragon fought against dragon. Alexstrsza and the other Aspects saw no way to end the senseless violence other than destroying Malygos. The Spellweaver was finally confronted in his realm where he was slain by members of the Accord.

The Nightmare
Alexstrasa provided desperately needed assistance to High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind in her efforts to rescue Malfurion Stormrage during the War Against the Nightmare. Her own consort Korialstrasz fell victim to the Nightmare becoming one of the Unwaking.

Following the conflict's conclusion 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.

In World of Warcraft

 * Belnistrasz was captured by the Scourge inside Razorfen Downs while investigating their presence. He asks any adventurers brave enough to free him to assist him in shutting down the quilboars' operation there.


 * Caelestrasz, thought to have been lost during the War of the Shifting Sands, was recently found to be alive inside Ahn'Qiraj, as a slave of C'Thun, along with Arygos and Merithra. Kandrostrasz came to Ahn'Qiraj after sensing his trapped brethren within, but dares not travel into the temple from fear of falling under the Old God's control.

Removed

 * The high elf Garek, mortal servant of the red dragon Korialstrasz, was spotted in the Badlands, monitoring the black dragonflight, and searching for assistance in slaying the twin black drakes, Blacklash and Hematus.


 * The red dragonflight once 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. Further down the mountain, the remains of the orcish caravan teamed with newly hatched red whelps.


 * The red dragon agent, Vaelastrasz, was secretly working against his rival, Nefarian, in Blackrock Spire. He assisted adventurers willing to fight against the legions of the Dark Horde and their black dragonflight allies, in gaining access to his inner-most lair. 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, lest he further serve the lord of Blackrock, and to retrieve his shard so that the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj could be opened.

Wrath of the Lich King

 * With the Nexus War in full swing, the red dragonflight have set up shop at Amber Ledge in the Borean Tundra, where they work with the Kirin Tor to repell Malygos's forces. The red dragon Surristrasz allows the mages to ride his drakes into battle. From there the red flight sends adventurers to the Transitus Shield, a hidden camp deep inside the blue's ancient home of Coldarra. The red dragon Keristrasza is captured by Malygos and taken into the Nexus to serve as his consort. Another red dragon taken prisoner is Belgaristrasz, found in the Oculus.


 * Many members of the red flight, led by Alexstrasza and her prime consort Korialstraz, can be found at Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragonblight as members of the Wyrmrest Accord, an alliance of the remaining dragonflights, defending the temple from the blue dragonflight's siege. In addition, the Scourge has laid siege to the surrounding dragonshrines in an effort to raise new variations of undead dragons. The red flight actively recruits heroes to aid Ceristrasz and Vargastrasz in arresting these invasions at the Ruby Dragonshrine.


 * Korialstrasz discovered a clutch of twilight dragonflight eggs was discovered within the Obsidian Sanctum. The Red asked the Council of Six to send adventurers to destroy them quickly, without fanfare or acknowledgment. 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 the fully grown twilight dragon Halion invaded the red sanctum killing all red dragonkin inside with the exception of Sanctum Guardian Xerestrasza.

Cataclysm

 * Koristrasza has traveled to Razorfen Downs to investigate why the Scourge's activity there continues in spite of the Lich King's defeat.


 * Acridostrasz, in the mortal guise Acride, has replaced Vaelen in the red flight's infiltration of the Dark Horde. He can be found at Slither Rock in the Burning Steppes and later again inside Blackrock Spire.


 * Full-out warfare has erupted in the Twilight Highlands between the red dragonflight and the various servants of Deathwing The red dragons at the wonderous Vermillion Redoubt have come under attack by Twilight drakes. Velastrasza has set up a forward base just outside the Obsidian Forest where Tederastrasz and numerous red drakes can be found attacking the black dragonkin roosting there, while the dragonspawn Baleflame asks for assistance in slaying the broodmother Obsidia deep within her lair. The powerful red dragon Lirastrasza has launched her own aggressive campaign against the Twilight's Hammer outside the Bastion of Twilight. Even the mighty Aspects themselves, Deathwing and Alexstrasza, become engaged in the battle over Grim Batol.

Legion

 * The Deathlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade travels to the regrown Ruby Sanctum to obtain information on a great dragon skeleton north of Icecrown. The Lich King gives the Deathlord the option of either sparing some dragons within or slaying them all. However, the dragons are aggressive to the Deathlord regardless. The whelps that resided within the regrown Sanctum were the very last red whelps there would ever be.

Battle for Azeroth

 * 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.

Culture
Many members of the red flight still remain distrustful towards mortals, especially the orcs, citing they have brought only danger and death to the world. For the most part, it was the representatives of the flight near Grim Batol who acted strangely hostile to any outsiders.

History
Prior to the War of the Ancients the red dragons were numerous and co-existed peacefully with the other dragonflights, working together to safeguard their world. But this age would not last forever.

During the Second War, the reds who had avoided capture by the orcs were initially bewildered to find their queen had gone missing. The flight scattered to search for her, becoming easy prey for the vicious Deathwing and his black dragonflight. Isolated, leaderless, and confused, the reds fought back as best they could. When the blacks had been sufficiently pushed back the reds resumed their search and found the orcs were responsible for Alexstrasza and the rest of the flight's disappearance and were using her offspring as pawns in the Second War.

Eventually, all but a few members of the red dragonflight were freed from the Dragonmaw Clan's control.

Guardians were placed outside Grim Batol under the leadership  of the wyrm  Garshilan, assisted  by the eager young dragon  Acridistrasz, the dragonspawn flametongue captain Baleflame, and legions of red dragonspawn eager  to guard the remnants of the red dragonflight. Explorer Brann Bronzebeard managed to speak with Acridistrasz and was told the reds were "guarding a secret that living creatures are not meant to know."

Following the Battle of Mount Hyjal, red dragons were stationed at Hyjal Summit, where they, along with the blues, greens, and bronzes, guarded the World Tree from another attack by the remnants of the Burning Legion in Darkwhisper Gorge. In addition red and green dragons were sent to Sunwell Grove to investigate and safeguard the remains of the Sunwell.