In a quest beginning in Eon’s Fringe, Nozdormu asks us to check up on Alexstrasza. He tells us that something’s been weighing on her, and that lately she’s grown increasingly upset.
Nozdormu believes it’s the conflict with the Primalists, and it’s likely that’s part of it, but really, we have seen Alexstrasza’s doubts grow throughout Dragonflight. As the Queen of the Dragons, she was the one who spearheaded the return to the Dragon Isles in the pursuit of reclaiming the Aspect powers, but instead of a return to former glory, Alexstrasza has come face-to-face with rebellion and regret.
The Story So Far
Dragon society is made up of more than the drakes themselves – the centaur-like Dragonspawn and humanoid Drakonid have long played important roles, often serving as soldiers, shopkeepers, whelptenders, and in many other professions.
Sympathetic Rebels
Not all Dragonkin are happy with their position in Dragon society, and since the Dragonflight’s return to the Dragon Isles, a Dragonkin rebellion has formed. Players first encountered these rebels during side quests in Thaldraszus.
In the Bleeding Hearts storyline, players meet a rebel sympathizer. Though not a rebel themself, they seem to feel quite strongly that the rebellion is justified. In the Misty Vale storyline, players help an ex-rebel, Maldra Flametongue. Though she disagreed with some of the rebellion’s methods, Maldra Flametongue is still sympathetic to its cause, something that she makes clear in the follow-up questline introduced in Patch 10.1, Cause without a Rebel.
Thaldraszus: Notable Side Quests – Bleeding Hearts Thaldraszus: Notable Side Quests – Misty Vale
Alexstrasza and the Rebels
In this storyline, players once again investigate a rebel attack on Valdrakken. From the start, we witness Alexstrasza being confronted with the information that the rebels have some legitimate reasons driving their rebellion – Maldra Flametongue is bold enough to tell her this outright.
Maldra Flametongue says: … so when I saw we were hurting other dragonkin, I knew I was on the wrong side.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: But what drew you to their cause? You do not seem dishonorable.
Maldra Flametongue says: No, it was honor that drew me to the cause. The treatment of dragonkin seemed… dishonorable.
Maldra Flametongue says: We cared for this land for centuries without the dragons, but were reduced to mere servants when you returned.
Maldra Flametongue says: So I joined the rebels because we had been pushed aside, expected to serve as though the dragons had never left.
Alexstrasza goes on to speak with individual rebels. While in some instances her response to their concerns is a little comically out-of-touch,
Rebel Drakonid says: I have my own dreams beyond fighting wars for dragons.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: I had not considered this.
For the most part, she seems genuine in her desire to understand the rebellion’s point of view. By the end of the questline, Alexstrasza promises that the treatment of Dragonkin will change, a move that convinces a former rebel leader, Instigator Belaphon, agree to help spread the message of this promise to the rebels.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: From this day forward, we will invite the dragonkin to join us in our work, not demand or require it. With respect as part of the flights, not mere servants of them.
Maldra Flametongue is shown to appreciate the promise, but she still isn’t ready to fully trust the Dragon Queen until she sees evidence of real change – an attutde Alexstrasza can’t be used to, though she’s fairly gracious about it.
Alexstrasza and the Primalists
Alexstrasza’s willingness to self-examine and question the things she took for granted translates to more than her dealings with the rebels. From the beginning of Dragonflight, when faced with the Primalist Incarnates, she has been willing to admit to fault. A notable example was during the main questline for the Waking Shores, in The Storm-Eater’s Fury cinematic, where Alexstrasza faced Raszageth.
The Storm’s Fury: A Cinematic Analysis
Raszageth confronts Alexstrasza about the Primalist Incarnates’ long imprisonment, and instead of defending herself, Alexstrasza states that she failed – she regrets that she did not find a way to restore peace.
Alexstrasza: Raszageth, enough! We need not fight another war. There is still time to see reason.
Raszageth: Time is precisely what you stole from me. Thousands of years, rotting in that prison.
Alexstrasza: I failed then to restore peace between us. Too many paid for that.
Raszageth: Spare me your sanctimony! You forced the titans’ edicts upon us all. You betrayed the world that gave us life, and when we dared resist, you cast us out! Never again! Your false reign must end!
Raszageth is too angry to accept Alexstrasza’s words, but this show of regret is repeated again in 10.1.5.
Alexstrasza and Vyranoth
Bringing us back to Nozdormu’s request. By this time, Alexstrasza has left Valdrakken, saying she needed a quiet place to think. We find her in the Waking Shores, where she seems quite shaken. When we ask her what happened, the cutscene of the conversation between her and Vyranoth plays.
Before she even sees her, Alexstrasza knows – from the drop in temperature, from her own breath turning to ice – that Vyranoth has arrived. She turns to greet her, stating that she knew Vyranoth would come – suggesting that it was Alexstrasza who invited Vyranoth to meet her here.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: <Sighs>
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: I knew you would come.
Vyranoth says: After you forced us into slumber in that Titan prison, you came to me.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: You heard me…
The fact that the Primalist Incarnates were aware the entire time they were imprisoned is one that’s been brought up before – it doesn’t seem the Aspects knew that their prisoners could still hear everything, were still awake, for thousands of years. The horror of the experience has hardened the Primalist Incarnates, Raszageth spoke of the feeling of rotting away for thousands of years.
Best Friends
While they’re enemies now, Alexstrasza and Vyranoth were once extremely close, dearest friends, according to Alexstrasza.
Vyranoth says: Every word. You said…
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: “It doesn’t feel like a victory… not without you.”
Vyranoth says: How could you say that? After everything–
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: You were my dearest friend!
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: And losing you to this conflict broke my heart.
The relationship between Alexstrasza and Vyranoth is something we can expect to explore further in War of the Scaleborn, the upcoming World of Warcraft novel about the war between the Aspects and the Primalist Incarnates. According to the novel’s description on Amazon, Alexstrasza and Vyranoth once tried, together, to preserve peace between the two factions. Needless to say, they failed, but while Alexstrasza has since enjoyed the position of Queen of the Dragons, Vyranoth has endured a tortured existence within her prison.
When the world was young, all life shook before the might of Galakrond, a massive primal dragon whose hunger could not be sated. Five primal dragons rose valiantly beside the titan-forged Keeper Tyr to combat this threat. Though the fight was desperate, Galakrond fell by their teeth and talons, and they were chosen to become protectors of Azeroth. The titans gifted Nozdormu, Ysera, Alexstrasza, Malygos, and Neltharion with order magic, transforming them into the Aspects, powerful dragons with command of time, nature, life, magic, even the earth itself. Other primal dragons followed them on their path, and, imbued with the titans’ power, the dragonflights rose to shape the world and serve the Aspects.
That is the tale the dragonflights have always told . . . but it is not the whole story.
For while the Dragonqueen and her flights set to reshaping Azeroth, not all of dragonkind sees Order magic as a gift. Spurning the titans’ interference, a group of rebel primal dragons drink deep from the elemental powers of the planet and are reborn as the Incarnates. Led by Iridikron, the Incarnates believe that dragonkind should be subservient to no one. They foment a rebellion against the Aspects, what they are and all they stand for.
Despite the efforts of Alexstrasza and her primal friend, Vyranoth, to preserve peace, both sides slip closer to violence, as dragons are forced to choose a side or be swept up in the growing conflict. With battle lines and allegiances drawn, the war among dragonkind shakes the foundation of the world. Both sides realize they will have to make sacrifices to secure the future of their kind, sacrifices that will cascade through the ages.
The Titans’ Forced Will
Throughout Dragonflight, the theme of free will has played an important role – with the Dracthyr especially illustrating the importance of free will. Neltharion was wrong to try impose his will on them, no matter how he justified it to himself. However, we have also learned that the Titan Keepers once imposed the Titans’ will on the Primalist-aligned proto-dragons – not just them, but on their whelps, still developing within their eggs – using waters infused with Order magic.
While Tyr might have been well-intentioned, the Primalists have been clear that they viewed this action as despicable. And we learn that Alexstrasza once personally promised Vyranoth that no one would ever use force to impose the Titans’ will.
Vyranoth says: You promised me you would not force the Titans’ will upon us.
Vyranoth says: But the eggs, Alexstrasza.
Vyranoth says: You did nothing while your masters warped our children still in the shell!
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: That abhorrent act should never have happened.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: And I regret my part in it every day.
Naturally, Vyranoth feels betrayed, but what’s particularly interesting is the strength of Alexstrasza’s language when she, too, condemns the action in the strongest of terms. She calls it an abomination, her expression nearly as angry as Vyranoth’s own.
Questioning Tyr
Interestingly, the Keeper responsible for this “abomination” was Keeper Tyr, who highlights it as an achievement in his Progress Report: Uldorus.
By ingesting the water (or causing their eggs to absorb its effects), it should be possible to keep even the most willful dragons aligned with the titans’ philosophies.
Tyr is the Keeper who first approached the Aspects, who convinced them to fight against Galakrond and advocated for them to gain their powers. He is considered a dear friend by all the Aspects, including Alexstrasza, and someone they trusted with their very existence. It’s unprecedented to see Alexstrasza question him this way – to actually condemn his actions.
Does Alexstrasza know Tyr was the Keeper who was responsible? More and more, we wonder just how much Tyr hid from the Aspects. The Dragonscale Expedition Renown questline, Opening the Door, suggests Tyr was experimenting on the Proto-Drakes long before he approached them. What else don’t the Aspects know about their beloved Keeper friend?
A question that we may have an answer to soon. According to Dragonflight’s latest roadmap, Patch 10.1.7 will introduce the questline where we finally reforge Tyr, a story that began with the Valdrakken Accord renown questline The Silver Purpose.
Vyranoth says: Your lies have grown sweeter.
Vyranoth says: Honey to hear.
Vyranoth says: and poison to taste.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: Vyranoth… you have always fought for the good of dragonkind.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: But lridikron does not.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: Vengeance is all he craves.
Vyranoth says: Still so naive. Alexstrasza.
Vyranoth says: Believing that the world we once shared still exists.
Vyranoth says: It is gone.
Vyranoth says: And so, yes. All that remains…
Vyranoth says: is vengeance.
Vyranoth makes it clear she does not believe Alexstrasza feels genuine regret, calling her naive. But while that may have once been true, Alexstrasza is learning. She may have been naive to believe that all Dragonkin served the Dragonflights willingly, but she has since learned and accepted that those who joined the rebellion had good reason to rebel. She may have been naive to believe imprisoning the Primalist Incarnates was the best way to win the war, but she has since come face to face with the fact that – not only was her side sometimes wrong, her side has been involved in abominations.
Confronting the Titans
Raszageth’s mistake was to underestimate her opponents, and it seems that, in a way Vyranoth is making the same mistake now. Alexstrasza is no longer naive. She is questioning the things that she’s believed for years, taking account for her actions, accepting her failures. She is questioning her own, even her strongest allies – and she contacted Vyranoth to warn her to do the same – to question Iridikron now.
As for Iridikron himself, now that he has Galakrond’s essence, he has sworn to attract the attention of the Titans, until they come to Azeroth themselves. Alexstrasza has spent a great deal of Dragonflight questioning her worldview – a worldview based on the Titans.
In a recent Tyr-focussed questline from 10.1, players witness a cutscene in which Zakajz the Corruptor taunts Keeper Tyr before his death, predicting that every Dragon Aspect would become corrupted, turning on the Titans, even Alexstrasza. Most of the predictions ring true – We know the fate of Neltharion, Malygos, and Ysera, and we know that Nozdormu is destined to become Murozond – but the one Aspect who there has never been any doubt about, the one Aspect who has remained loyal and steadfast to the Titans’ worldview – is Alexstrasza.
Will Alexstrasza also turn on Keeper Tyr and the Titans one day, or was that just another Old God trick? More and more, we’re beginning to wonder.
