Proto-dragon

Proto-dragons
Area(s)	Northrend
Homeworld	Azeroth
Average height	Varies by species and age
Affiliation	Independent, Vrykul, Dragonmaw clan, Primalists

For Howling Fjord and Ember Clutch mobs, see Proto-Drake.

The future Dragon Aspects fighting Galakrond

Proto-dragons (also spelled proto dragons or protodragons) or proto-drakes are the feral, long-forgotten forebears of the dragon species. The vrykul frequently use them as mounts. Under the reign of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, the Dragonmaw orcs began subjugating them as well.

History

This section contains information that is out-of-date. Reason: Needs more info about how some proto-dragons became the Aspects after killing Galakrond

A proto-dragon skull, with no visible eye sockets

The proto-dragons descend from elementals who avoided being imprisoned in the Elemental Plane and instead remained on Azeroth, where some of them gradually transformed into creatures of flesh and blood.^[1] More specifically, Brann Bronzebeard recently uncovered evidence, corroborated by reports from adventurers in Deepholm, that proto-dragons may have origins in elemental drakes such as stone and storm drakes. The inhabitants of Deepholm, the Skywall, the Firelands, and the Abyssal Maw are less than talkative on these matters, however, and most of them were not around when the elemental prisons were created.^[2]

The proto-dragons are thus early version of dragons before they evolved into the sapient, beautiful majestic creatures they are known as today.^[3]

Galakrond, a massive proto-dragon,^[4] is known as the "progenitor of dragonkind" and long ago resorted to cannibalism. This act of consuming other proto-dragons gave Galakrond unbelievable strength and increased his size, but horribly mutated his body as well. His breath reanimated the dead proto-dragons around him into a form of undeath. It is said that from Galakrond the titans created the Aspects,^[5] but this is a rumor the Aspects actively encouraged so as to keep the truth about Galakrond a secret from the dragonflights.^[6]

Some proto-dragons (the Primalists) refused the call of the titans and stayed on the Dragon Isles. Followers of Galakrond, they believed that everyone should be subservient to dragonkind because of their power.^[7]

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Garrosh brought some proto-drakes from Northrend to invade Ashenvale.^[8]

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

With the end of the black dragonflight, the Dragonmaw clan later began subverting proto-drakes for the needs of the True Horde.^[9]

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.

Zaela and her Dragonmaw continued to use proto-drakes and they brought Ragewing the Untamed to Blackrock Spire from the Twilight Highlands.

Druids feared that the proto-drake populations were plummeting. Thus, troops were sent to recover proto-drake eggs from Warlord Zaela's army in Upper Blackrock Spire.^[10]

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

The proto-dragons that remained in the Dragon Isles are now the Primalists and oppose the titan-blessed dragonflights.

Description

Proto-drakes are generally bestial and display none of the great intelligence and wisdom of true dragons,^[11] though several ancient proto-dragons including those that would later become the Dragon Aspects proved otherwise when they fought alongside Tyr against Galakrond. Kalecgos noted in his visions of the past that this was extremely odd.^[12]

Proto-dragon whelps grow at an incredible rate and can devour nearly twice their weight in raw meat per day.^[13] Some proto-dragons have a wide array of strengths and abilities, with examples including incredible fortitude, massive size or the ability to unknowingly tap into latent elemental energies in order to breathe fire or frost at their enemies.^[14]

The vrykul frequently use proto-dragons as flying mounts in the Howling Fjord and other parts of Northrend, and could be seen doing so in their constant siege of Valgarde. Wild proto-drakes can be seen in areas such as Storm Peaks and Sholazar Basin. Bronze proto-drakes were used as mounts by the Argent Crusade in Icecrown after they were discovered in the Bronze Dragonshrine by the bronze dragonflight. The Time-Lost Proto Drake is famous for being extremely hard to catch.

Black proto-drakes were bred specifically to honor those heroes who showed exceptional resilience and fortitude facing the dangers in Northrend,^[15] and the plagued proto-drakes to honor those who showed significant courage and persistence.^[16]

Types and flights

Red proto-dragons: Appear most abundant throughout Northrend.
Blue proto-dragons: Mostly only found in the Storm Peaks.
Green proto-dragons: One can be acquired through the Oracles. Their whelps can be found in Sholazar.^[17]
Bronze proto-dragons: Native to the Bronze Dragonshrine. Have been seen in Icecrown working alongside their dragon brethren, some serve the Jotunheim vrykul. Two Time-Lost proto drakes were found, one in Northrend and the other in the Time-Lost Glade in northeastern Nagrand.
Black proto-dragons: Broodmother Slivina is found in Sholazar Basin. Dragonmaw Proto-Drakes are used during the Siege of Orgrimmar. Ragewing Whelps and Ragewing the Untamed can be found in Upper Blackrock Spire, ridden by the Dragonmaw clan.
Plagued proto-dragons: Can be found in the Storm Peaks and Icecrown.
Violet proto-dragons: Can only be acquired through achievements. A small terrified one was found by Alexstrasza and Ysera in the past.
Ironbound proto-dragons: Covered in metal plates crafted and fused onto their skin originally by Ignis the Furnace Master. Due to the metal covering nearly every part of the proto-dragon, it is hard to distinguish from which flight they could be from by simply looking at them.

Ancient types

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

Blue-green proto-dragons: Coros and three others, rivals of the prehistoric Malygos.
Blue-white proto-dragons: Malygos and those related to him, such as Tarys.
Orange proto-dragons: Alexstrasza and her brother Dralad.
Yellow proto-dragons: Ysera, Alexstrasza's younger sister, is a "yellowish" color despite being related to an orange.
Charcoal grey proto-dragons: Neltharion and an animal-like one that attacked Malygos and Alexstrasza.
Dust-brown proto-dragons: One is seen hunting, catching two animals at once. Malygos admires his cunning and timing. Nozdormu is this color as well, possibly the same one seen hunting.
Silver proto-dragons: Seen devoured by Galakrond and one joins in Talonixa's attack on Galakrond, breathing what appeared to be liquid metal.
Gold proto-dragons: Talonixa and her mate Zorix. Their breath is a powerful blast of lightning.
Copper proto-dragons: One is scarred by Talonixa's followers.
Silver-green proto-dragons: One was seen attacking Neltharion and Nozdormu after being bitten by an Undead.
Not-living: Shriveled undead husks, nothing but skin and bone, appear mysteriously in the northern reaches of Ancient Kalimdor. They are the regurgitated victims of Galakrond.

Notable proto-dragons

Name	Role	Status	Location
Galakrond	Largest known proto-dragon, rumored progenitor of dragonkind	Deceased	Galakrond's Rest, Dragonblight
Broodmother Slivina	Broodmother of the Savage Thicket, quarry of Hemet Nesingwary	Killable	Savage Thicket, Sholazar Basin
Veranus	Broodmother of the Storm Peaks, former mount of Thorim	Killable	Broodmother's Nest, Storm Peaks
Razorscale	Corrupted version of Veranus	Killable	Razorscale's Aerie, Ulduar
Galakras	Direct descendant of Galakrond, mount of Warlord Zaela	Killable	Dranosh'ar Landing, Siege of Orgrimmar
Flamebringer	Favored mount of Thane Torvald Eriksson, used against him by adventurers	Alive	Voldrune, Grizzly Hills
Glory	Bronze drake in service of the Argent Crusade	Alive	Argent Vanguard, Icecrown
Grauf	Mount of Skadi the Ruthless	Killable	Eagle's Eye, Utgarde Pinnacle
Safirdrang	Mount of Overthane Balargarde	Killable	Balargarde Fortress, Icecrown
Zeptek the Destroyer	Mount of Warlord Tartek	Killable	Spearborn Encampment, Sholazar Basin
Time-Lost Proto-Drake	Extremely elusive proto-drake, source of the [Reins of the Time-Lost Proto-Drake]	Killable	Storm Peaks
Ragewing the Untamed	Proto-drake raised by the Dragonmaw clan, has formed a strong bond with Warlord Zaela	Killable	Hall of Blackhand, Upper Blackrock Spire

As a flying mount

Main article: Proto-drake mounts

In World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, several proto-drake mounts are available as rewards for various achievements, as well as a few that drop from mobs and bosses:

Mount type	Speed increase	Availability
[Reins of the Time-Lost Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Drops from the rare mob Time-Lost Proto Drake.
[Reins of the Blue Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Rare drop from Skadi the Ruthless.
[Reins of the Green Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Low chance to hatch from [Mysterious Egg], purchasable at Revered reputation from The Oracles once every 3 days.
[Reins of the Red Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Reward for completing Glory of the Hero.
[Reins of the Violet Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 310% in air	Reward for completing What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been.
[Reins of the Ironbound Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Reward for completing Glory of the Ulduar Raider (25 player).
[Reins of the Rusted Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 280% in air	Reward for completing Glory of the Ulduar Raider (10 player).
[Reins of Galakras]	100% on land, 280% in air	Reward for completing Glory of the Orgrimmar Raider.
[Reins of the Black Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 310% in air	Was rewarded from Glory of the Raider (25 player). No longer obtainable.
[Reins of the Plagued Proto-Drake]	100% on land, 310% in air	Was rewarded from Glory of the Raider (10 player). Only obtainable through the Black Market Auction House as of Mists of Pandaria.

Notes and trivia

While not immediately obvious, proto-dragons do have tiny front arms beside their wings.
Before it gives [10-30] Root Causes, the Ember Clutch Ancient reveals that Ember Clutch was the ancient breeding ground of the proto-dragon "broodmother" before the vrykul perverted it. Whether it referred to Broodmother Slivina, Veranus, or another is unknown.
The [Battlelord's Bloodthirsty War Wyrm] resembles a proto-dragon.
In an early beta of Wrath of the Lich King, proto-dragons used placeholder models that looked like pale white drakes, a model that was later used for the [Reins of the Albino Drake] mount.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Dinosaurs resemble proto-dragons, meaning that they may be related.
Proto-nether drakes are basilisk-like creatures that resemble proto-drakes but seem to be presented as a stage in the nether dragon life cycle.^[18]

Gallery

A proto-dragon in Sholazar Basin.
A Violet Proto-Drake in the TCG.
Art of the dragon pens in Utgarde Keep.

References

[1] World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 40

[2] Ask CDev Answers - Round 2

[3] ttp://us.blizzard.com/blizzcast/archive/episode3.xml

[4] Legends Volume 3: Fiend, pg. 19

[5] [15-30] Audience With The Dragon Queen / [15-30] Audience With The Dragon Queen

[6] Dawn of the Aspects, part 5

[7] AusGamers - World of Warcraft: Dragonflight - The Big Interview

[8] Wolfheart

[9] Secrets of Ragefire

[10] Egg Them On!

[11] [Proto-Drake Skeleton]

[12] Dawn of the Aspects Part 1

[13] [Proto-Drake Whelp]

[14] World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 42 - 43

[15] [Reins of the Black Proto-Drake]

[16] [Reins of the Plagued Proto-Drake]

[17] Emerald Proto-Whelp

[18] [20-30] What Came First, the Drake or the Egg?

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