There appears to be more than one type of nether dragon in Warcraft Lore.
Nether Dragons (dragonkin)
| Nether Dragons | |
|---|---|
| File:Netherdragonflight.JPG | |
| Major leader(s) | Neltharaku |
| Racial capital | Unknown |
| Homeworld | Outland |
| Language(s) | Draconic |
| Average height | Varies according to specific species and age |
- Domain: Outland, Twisting Nether, Mana
- Breath: Unknown
- Locations:
Nether dragons resembles a normal dragon except they are semi-transparent and have a shark-like jaws in nether drake form. They are fully sentient intelligent beings and speak Draconic like normal dragons. They also share the ability to learn magic and take humanoid forms.
Nether dragons vary from being highly friendly to mortal races (see Netherwing dragonflight) to downright hostile towards all beings. Many inherited the temper of their sire, the dark Aspect Deathwing. Many others, specifically those in the twisted lands of the Netherstorm, have fallen prey to a mysterious corruption. The nether dragons often see themselves as orphans, abandoned on Draenor as it began to shatter, uncared for and unwanted by their father.
Age Groups
- Netherwhelp
- Proto-Nether Drake
- Nether drake
- Nether dragon — A nether dragon is also the "mature dragon" form age group after nether drake within the nether dragons and Netherwing dragonflight.
History
A nether dragon from World of Warcraft.
Near the end of the Second War, the black dragon Deathwing traveled through the Dark Portal to Draenor. Believing the world to be a relatively safe haven for his offspring, he secreted away a cache of black dragon eggs. Following the war, Ner’zhul recklessly opened multiple portals on Draenor, and the magical stress tore the planet apart. The energies released in this catastrophe altered Deathwing’s eggs, resulting in the nether dragons: partially corporeal and partially ethereal dragons who possess the ability to shift between the astral and physical planes. Without Deathwing’s guidance, these otherworldly nether dragons are just now finding their own way among the blasted ruins of Outland.
One faction of nether dragons, named the Netherwing, were attacked by the Dragonmaw orcs of Shadowmoon Valley and many were enslaved by Zuluhed, including the female Karynaku (mate of Neltharaku) who was leader of the brood. Their son Mordenai wanders the Netherwing Fields seeking adventurers to help free his mother and eventually help the Netherwing escape enslavement.
Another brood of nether dragons, found at the Celestial Ridge in Netherstorm, is ruled by the corrupted crazed Veraku. Tyrygosa of the blue dragonflight seeks to defeat Veraku and take control of the brood for their own safety and to study their physiology.
When disguised as humanoid creatures, the Nether dragons prefer to take the form of goblins and elves.
Nether dragons (energy)
A Nether dragon from Shadows & Light.
A Nether dragon from Warcraft III.
In Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, nether dragons, nether drakes, and nether hatchlings poured out of the Dimensional gateways, and were implied to have demonic origins and are shown to have been brought to Outland by Magtheridon, having come from another world or the Twisting Nether through his gates (Gates of the Abyss).
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This article contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.
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TFT's explanation was referenced in the RPG and expanded upon;
- Nether dragons, unrelated to real dragons and composed of pure nether energy, feast upon magic and minds.Template:Cite Nether dragons' original environment is the Twisting Nether and those worlds open to it, such as Outland.Template:Cite The spectral form of this creature vaguely resembles a dragon, with ghostly wings, jaws, and talons. Its shape shifts constantly, however, appearing insubstantial and ephemeral. Vibrant colors shoot through its pale body. Nether dragons are composed of nether energy and are only partially corporeal. Nether dragons are highly resistant to magic. Though nether dragons often resemble true dragons, most scholars believe them to be unrelated. Nether dragons are composed of pure nether energy, and as such are beings of chaos.
- They feed on mana and magic of all kinds and constantly patrol the Twisting Nether and those worlds open to it, such as Outland, for nourishment. Nether dragons are unallied with the Burning Legion or any other faction, and so pose a threat to any they encounter. Though intelligent, nether dragons do not speak. They can communicate telepathically, but rarely choose to do so.
- A nether dragon uses its greater arcane sight to home in on areas of powerful magic. It usually uses ethereal jaunt to approach invisibly, then unleashes its nether disjunction ability, quickened greater dispel magic, and a flurry of attacks against spellcasters. A nether dragon ignores nonspellcasters unless they inflict significant damage. A nether dragons uses its nether disjunction ability as often as it can, and uses quickened greater dispel magic every round on whichever foe has the most active spell effects. If severely injured, a nether dragon attempts to flee via ethereal jaunt.Template:Cite They are cousins of netherwyrms, although some believe that netherwyrms are full-grown nether dragons.Template:Cite
In a short story in Shadows & Light, the protagonists of the tale had eight nether dragons circling around them, and beyond the nether dragons a full-grown netherwyrm. They killed off half the drakes, but the mother was roaring to call more of her children.Template:Cite
Age Groups
- Nether Hatchling
- Nether dragon (aka Nether drake)Template:Cite
- Netherwyrm - A netherwyrm is also the "mature dragon" form age group after nether dragon.
Connection to the Void?
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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.
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The appearance of TFT's Nether Dragons is reminiscent of members of the Void in WoW: In both cases their bodies appear to be composed of black/purple energy except for their eyes and a bluish/purple glow around their bodies (green in the case of the TFT Nether Dragon creep.) If the TFT style Nether Dragons do still exist in the Warcraft universe, they may somehow be connected to the Void. This would certainly seem to fit with the TFT and RPG description of Void Dragons as beings composed of pure Nether energy.
Nether Dragon (serpent)
The mana serpent uses a model named "Netherdragon". It resembles a transparent, brightly colored serpentine dragon. Although the model for mana serpents appears to have no direct link with the Netherwing, there is concept art of this creature which can be seen in a corner of the map of Outland and also in the first official trailer for the Burning Crusade. As of WotLK this model is used for mana serpents, which might possibly be a larger or more evolved form of the mana wyrm. Any apparent connection to the Nether Dragons seems to have been removed.
Concept art from the Burning Crusade
Model from the Burning Crusade, later used for e.g. Arcane Wyrms
Known members
The names of Nether dragons often end in "-aku" or "-us". Some of them have names related to the Twisting Nether instead.
| Name | Role | Type | Condition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Barthamus | First of the Nether Dragons. Nether drake caretaker and mount keeper. Located in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Dreadwing | Broodmother located in the Singing Ridge of Blade's Edge Mountains. | Dragon | Killable | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Karynaku | Netherwing matriarch. Held prisoner by Zuluhed the Whacked at the Dragonmaw Fortress in Shadowmoon Valley. | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Mordenaku | Netherwing prince and son of Neltharaku and Karynaku. Located in the Netherwing Fields of Shadowmoon Valley. | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Neltharaku | Netherwing patriarch. Flies through the skies above the Netherwing Fields of Shadowmoon Valley. | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Netherspite | A rogue nether dragon, the first of his kind seen on Azeroth. Located inside Karazhan. | Dragon | Killable | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Toranaku | A nether dragon found inside the Netherwing Mines of Shadowmoon Valley. | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Zzeraku | A nether dragon that was brought from Outland to Grim Batol by Sinestra, to create Twilight dragons. Sacrificed himself to destroy Dargonax. | Dragon | Deceased | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Veraku | A corrupted nether dragon who rules the Netherwing at the Celestial Ridge of Netherstorm. | Dragon | Killable | |
| File:IconSmall DragonNether Small.gif Yarzill | A nether dragon working undercover against the Dragonmaw Clan in the guise of a goblin. Found in the Dragonmaw Base Camp in Shadowmoon Valley | Dragon | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Jorus | A cobalt nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Malfas | A purple nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Nazan | Vazruden's mount, found flying above the Ramparts of Hellfire Citadel. | Drake | Killable | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Nethrandamus | Altruis the Sufferer's mount, found northwest of Sunspring Post in Nagrand. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Onyxien | An onyx nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Suraku | An azure nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Voranaku | A violet nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive | |
| File:IconSmall DrakeNether Small.gif Zoya | A veridian nether drake mount, found in the Lower City of Shattrath. | Drake | Alive |
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