Red dragonflight

''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.''

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

Culture
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. The reds 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, spreading themselves throughout Azeroth, and using their powers to disguise themselves as members of the mortal races, such as humans or elves. Like all dragons, the reds have the ability to create illusions on themselves and others. Often the dragons have mortals, dragonsworn, working on gathering information or doing other related errands.

All this is done to maintain harmony and the prosperity of life, the task entrusted to them. Due to Alexstrasza's influence, the red dragonflight see themselves as custodians and defenders of life on Azeroth. 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 breaths upon the soil, the earth is renewed.

While red dragons are the protectors of life, and generally friendly to humans, elves, and their other traditional allies, they will not hesitate to kill a creature if its actions endanger other lives.

Adult red dragons most often have names ending in "strasz" for males, or "strasza" for females. When taking humanoid form red dragons most often choose human, high elven, or blood elven forms.

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
At some point prior to the War of the Ancients, Neltharion and his flight, unknown to the others, fell prey to the whisperings of the Old Gods. Neltharion planned to betray the other flights and rule the world as he saw fit. When Azshara and her Highborne called down the demons to Azeroth, the opportunity presented itself. The reds and other flights sought a way to push back the Burning Legion, and Neltharion presented the tool to do just that, The Demon Soul, then known as the Dragon Soul. The weapon required all dragons give up and impart within it a portion of their power. After doing so the red dragonflight joined the others in flight over the battle and the Black Aspect unleashed the Dragon Soul's power with devastating effects on the demonic swarm. He then shocked his fellow aspects and turned the device on the elven defenders. The other flights rushed to stop the mad aspect, but were unable to act against the disk Neltharion held. The power they had placed in it put them at its master's mercy. Malygos and his flight managed to break free and attempted to stop the black leviathan and destroy the Demon Soul, but they failed to do so. Neltharion decimated the blue dragonflight, and banished the reds, greens, and bronze from the battle. Following the betrayal, the surviving red, green, and bronze dragons secluded themselves, hoping to recover from the Dragon Soul's powers. Though the legion was ultimately pushed back, the damage to the draconic race had been done.

After the Sundering
Immediately after the Sundering, 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.

The drawn out war between the black dragonflight and the other flights decimated the species, with all flights losing members, and the reds were no exception. The dragonflights hunted the blacks to the brink of extinction. , but were greatly weakened by their sacrifice to the Demon Soul. Ultimately the blacks were nearly wiped out, though the other flights never truly recovered from those dark times and were never again seen in the same numbers as before. The age of dragons had passed.

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 until recently 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.

The 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. The Alliance responded 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
After the fall of the Horde ending the Second War, the Dragonmaw Clan retained a firm grip on Grim Batol and Alexstrasza. Her rescue only became possible when Nekros believed the Alliance planned on invading. Nekros had Alexstrasza (and the eggs) moved out of the mountain fortress and began to move towards Dun Algaz where he believed the bulk of the Dragonmaw Clan was stationed preparing for war. Little did he know he had been manipulated by Deathwing, who desired Alexstrasza's eggs out in the open so he could 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. Nekros was then shocked when he was assaulted by an army of Mountain Dwarves, and in the ensuing chaos lost the Demon Soul to Rhonin, a mage of Dalaran sent on a mission to rescue the Dragonqueen by none other than the red dragon Korialstrasz in his mortal guise. Once free of the device's power, Alexstrasza killed Nekros out of pure hatred and drive for revenge. The Demon Soul was then undone, and the power that was vested in it returned to the other aspects. Alexstrasza, along with Malygos, Nozdormu, and Ysera, proceeded to attack Deathwing finally punishing him for his treachery and driving him away. Before giving chase Alexstrasza swore an oath of friendship to Rhonin, Vereesa, Falstad, and their respective races.

With Alexstrasza 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.

The Sunwell
Following the Third War, which had ravaged the kingdom of Quel'thalas, 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, whose identity was revealed by Korialstrasz after an incident involving the traitorous Dar'Khan Drathir trying to claim her power as his own.

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.

The Nightmare
Alexstrasa provided desperately needed assistance to the Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage during the War against the Nightmare. Following the conflicts conclusion she, along with her sister Ysera, blessed the new world tree Teldrassil, and presided over the marriage ceremony of the archdruid to Tyrande Whisperwind.

In World of Warcraft
The red dragonflight once had a strong presence at Alexstrasza's old prison, Grim Batol. Their guardianship of the fortress can be seen, with legions of dragonspawn and the the drake-champion Axtroz stationed outside. Further down the mountain the remains of the orcish caravan is teaming with newly hatched red whelps.

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. The dark master of Ahn'Qiraj used the tortured dragons to power his new creations: Moam and the other Obsidian destroyers. 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.

The red dragon agent, Vaelastrasz, is secretly working against his rival, Nefarian, in Blackrock Spire. He assists any adventurers willing to fight against the legions of dragonkin and the Dark Horde, in gaining access to his inner-most lair. Upon breaching Blackwing Lair, Vaelastrasz succumbs to Nefarian's will and asks to be put out of his misery, lest he further serve the lord of Blackrock.

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

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

Wrath of the Lich King
After regaining his sanity, Malygos has declared war upon mortal spellcasters, citing their reckless usage of magic that would inevitably lead to Azeroth's downfall. Charged with the preservation of life, the red dragonflight has condemned the blue's increasingly militaristic methods and vowed to neutralize Malygos at all costs. To this end, they have formed a council with the Kirin Tor, and have begun actively subverting Malygos's campaign in the Borean Tundra.

Many members of the red flight, including Alexstrasza and her prime consort, can be found at Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragonblight. They lead the Wyrmrest Accord, an alliance of the remaining four dragonflights defending the temple against the blue flight. Recently the undead Scourge has laid siege to the surrounding five dragonshrines in an effort to raise terrifying new variations of undead dragons. To arrest these invasions, Alexstrasza has begun recruiting heroes to aid Ceristrasz and Vargastrasz in the Ruby Dragonshrines defense against the Lich King.

Cataclysm
After the fall of the Lich King, the red dragonflight's troubles were not yet over. When a clutch of twilight dragonflight eggs was discovered within the Obsidian Sanctum, Korialstrasz asked the Council of Six to send adventurers to destroy them. The deed was done quickly, and without fanfare or acknowledgment. At first all seemed quiet, but then all communication with the guardians in the Ruby Sanctum ceased. The guards stationed at the portal were slain, and the mystic stones shattered.

The re-emergence of Deathwing has prompted Alexstrasza to take matters into her own hands in the Twilight Highlands.

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.

Eventualy 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.