World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 (9 page)

In time, Galakrond came to dominate the most sought-after hunting grounds in northern Kalimdor. Compelled by an insatiable hunger, he devoured everything in sight. His body swelled to an even greater size. Yet nothing could ever sate his cravings.

So terrible was his hunger that Galakrond began feasting on other proto-dragons, even the corpses of the dead. Devouring fallen proto-dragons eventually warped Galakrond’s mind and body with a necrotic affliction. Misshapen limbs and dozens of eyes sprouted across his gargantuan form. Death energies wafted off of Galakrond’s jagged hide, reanimating dead matter. These necrotic powers were infused in Galakrond’s victims, and they rose from the dead as mindless abominations.

The ranks of Galakrond’s wretched minions expanded. Soon, he and his ruined followers terrorized the skies over Kalimdor. The other proto-dragons, fractured by long-standing rivalries, failed to unite against this new threat.

Tyr, the mightiest of the keepers, was the first of his kind to notice the danger posed by Galakrond. He warned his fellow keepers of what he had seen, but he could not motivate them
to act. Though the keepers had once sworn to protect the world, the war with the
Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth had sapped their collective strength and willpower. They had become indifferent to the world at large, focused solely on maintaining their vaults and arcane machineries.

But Tyr was not deterred by his siblings’ apathy. His drive to seek justice and order in the world pushed him forward. Tyr knew that if Galakrond remained unchecked, he would devour all nature, spreading his affliction to the far corners of Azeroth. Thus the keeper sought a means to destroy the giant proto-dragon and his minions.

Tyr found his answer with five of the greatest and most intelligent proto-dragons in existence:
Alexstrasza,
Neltharion,
Malygos,
Ysera, and
Nozdormu. Nearly all of these creatures hailed from different strains, and each of them displayed unique powers. Even the two sisters Alexstrasza and Ysera commanded distinct abilities. The tenacious and kindhearted Alexstrasza could summon gouts of fire from her maw. The mighty Neltharion possessed incredible strength, and his piercing roar could shatter bone and rock alike. The cunning Malygos could breathe frost, encasing his foes in solid ice. The wise Nozdormu could assail his enemies with blinding storms of coarse sand. The elusive Ysera’s breath could debilitate her enemies, sapping their willpower and throwing them into a deep trance.

Tyr beseeched the five proto-dragons for aid in thwarting Galakrond. The creatures were initially suspicious of the strange being who had approached them, but they soon vowed to fight by his side. Despite their differences, the five proto-dragons showed a surprising willingness to work as one.

Under Tyr’s guidance, Alexstrasza and her companions warred with Galakrond and his fetid minions. Their battles raged over the snowy peaks and rocky spires of northern Kalimdor. Initially, Galakrond’s jagged hide warded off the attacks of the five proto-dragons. Though disheartened by their enemy’s resilience, Alexstrasza and her allies soon found his weaknesses. They assaulted Galakrond’s many eyes and his soft, vulnerable gullet. By using their powers in harmony and trusting in one another, the five proto-dragons vanquished their gargantuan foe. Galakrond’s lifeless husk plummeted to the ground, smashing into the frozen tundra of what would become known as the Dragonblight.

The five proto-dragons had won despite all odds, but they had only done so by working together. It was a lesson they would not soon forget. Alexstrasza and the others would carry on this ideal of unity and cooperation for ages to come.

T
YR AND THE
S
ILVER
H
AND

Tyr fought alongside the proto-dragons, but Galakrond proved too powerful even for the keeper of justice. In one particular battle, the monstrous creature bit off Tyr’s iron hand, suffusing him with necrotic energy. Although Tyr survived, his wound would never truly heal. Many years later, Tyr would replace his lost hand with one forged of pure silver. This silver hand would come to symbolize his belief that only through personal sacrifice could one achieve lasting justice
.

MAP OF AZEROTH AFTER THE FALL OF THE BLACK EMPIRE

W
hile
Tyr and the
proto-dragons were battling
Galakrond, the other keepers finally emerged from their stupor. Too late, they realized the threat that the corrupted monstrosity posed. They were heartened by the resolve of Tyr’s winged allies and ashamed of their own apathy. Tyr, however, never chastised the other keepers. Instead he convinced them to imbue the five proto-dragons with powers so that they could safeguard the lands of Azeroth.

Only Keeper
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. Odyn saw
Alexstrasza and her ilk as primitive life-forms. Only the mighty
titan-forged could be trusted to protect the world. Odyn argued that as
Prime Designate, he had the final decision on how to proceed.

Yet Tyr and the other keepers disagreed. Through bravery and self-sacrifice, the proto-dragons had earned the right to act as Azeroth’s guardians. Despite Odyn’s continued protests, the other keepers moved forward with their plans.

After the proto-dragons defeated Galakrond, the keepers journeyed to the frozen tundra where the final battle had taken place. Even
Ra traveled from the distant south to take part in the great ceremony that was to come. Acting as conduits of their creators’ powers, the gathered keepers bestowed the blessings of the
Pantheon upon each proto-dragon.

Highkeeper Ra channeled the powers of his creator,
Aman’Thul, into the proto-dragon
Nozdormu. Of all of Aman’Thul’s myriad powers, Nozdormu was blessed with a mastery of time itself. Henceforth, Nozdormu became known as the Timeless One, and he held dominion over the interweaving pathways of fate and destiny.

The nurturing and ever-merciful
Freya called upon her creator,
Eonar, to empower the proto-dragon Alexstrasza. Known thereafter as the Life-Binder, Alexstrasza would devote everything she was to the stewardship of the living world. Having proved her courage and compassion in the battles against Galakrond, she was crowned the Dragonqueen and given command over her kind.

Freya also beseeched Eonar to bless Alexstrasza’s younger sister, the proto-dragon
Ysera, with nature’s influence. Ysera was charged with keeping watch over the flowering wilds of Azeroth from within the
Emerald Dream. Bound to this ethereal realm, she descended into an endless trance and became known thereafter as the Dreamer.

Keeper
Loken called on his creator,
Norgannon, to endow the proto-dragon
Malygos with incredible arcane powers. Henceforth, Malygos would be known as the Spell-Weaver. The limitless realms of magic and hidden arcana would be his to share, explore, and protect.

Lastly, Keeper
Archaedas asked his creator,
Khaz’goroth, to bestow some of his vast power upon the indomitable proto-dragon
Neltharion. Known afterward as the Earth-Warder, Neltharion was given charge over the mountains and deep caverns of the earth. He embodied the strength of the world and served, for many long ages, as Alexstrasza’s greatest friend and confidant.

Bristling with the Pantheon’s energies, the five proto-dragons transformed into immense and graceful creatures. Nozdormu’s hide took on a bronze hue like a sea of shimmering golden sand. Alexstrasza’s scales turned a deep and vivid shade of red. Ysera’s lithe form became a vibrant green to reflect her new connection with nature. Malygos turned an icy blue color, and his very scales radiated potent arcane energies. Neltharion’s rough hide became an earthy black.

From that day forward, these five extraordinary beings would become known as the
Dragon Aspects.

The keepers also sought to create a new species to help the Dragon Aspects protect the world. These beings would serve the Aspects as consorts and allies. To this end, the keepers magically altered hundreds of proto-dragon eggs. From them would emerge creatures born in the image of the Aspects. This new race, known as dragons, would form five distinct flights: bronze, red, green, blue, and black.

Though each of these flights would serve a different Dragon Aspect, they would all be bound by their duty to protect Azeroth. To strengthen this bond, the keepers forged a grand tower in northern Kalimdor called
Wyrmrest Temple. It would serve as the heart of the dragons’ culture, a sanctuary where they could gather and discuss their activities. But above all, Wyrmrest would stand as a symbol of their unity.

The keepers, satisfied with their work, disappeared back inside their lairs, leaving the Aspects to watch over the living creatures of Azeroth.

A
s the other keepers were conducting their ceremony to empower the Dragon Aspects, Odyn brooded within the halls of
Ulduar. He was furious that his allies had acted against his wishes—the wishes of the
Prime Designate
. More than that, Odyn believed with all his heart that the Dragon Aspects would fail in their charge to safeguard the world.