Deathwing (Warcraft)
Deathwing is a male video game character who features in Warcraft.
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Biography
Neltharion the Earth-Warder was one of the Dragon Aspects and original Dragons that inhabited the world of Azeroth.
In Azeroth's ancient past, the Dragon Aspects were proto-dragons who stood united against a foe who threatened their entire species: the bloodthirsty Father of Dragons, Galakrond. Neltharion was one of the more intelligent of proto-dragons, capable of broken speech unlike most of the other, more animal-like of his kind. During this time Neltharion did not seem to be the good-natured wyrm he would become as an Aspect, taunting the other proto-dragons for fearing Galakrond. When a blue-white proto-dragon named Malygos was attacked by Coros and two other proto-dragons, Neltharion helped to fight them off. He was impressed by Malygos's power, declaring them brothers in blood. Malygos noticed something in the hills nearby, but Neltharion could not see it. As he flew off, the land moved - a ripple no larger than a tall human. Like the other proto-dragons, Neltharion rallied under Talonixa by accepting her as alpha in order to deal with the threat of Galakrond and the not-living, though he did not trust her. During this time Neltharion and Malygos quickly became fast friends with Nozdormu, Alexstrasza, and Ysera. While not agreeing with all of Ysera's beliefs Neltharion was rather stunned at Talonixa's deception of herding the bitten into a cave and then collapsing it on them, which eventually killed all the bitten who had begun to act like Galakrond. Neltharion later found himself as part of Talonixa's proto-dragon army that moved to combat Galakrond. Before the proto-dragon army engaged their enemy in battle Malygos devised a plan in which the army would fly higher in the air where Galakrond could not fly. Quickly informing Talonixa of his plan Malygos was relived that to note that she was considering it. However, hearing his sigh Talonixa took it as a sign of Malygos's satisfaction of her bowing to his wisdom and engaged Malygos in battle. While Nozdormu and Neltharion were quick to help Malygos, Talonixa was helped by her two lieutenants. Despite Nozdormu encouraging a retreat, Neltharion openly called for Malygos to fight Talonixa and became the new alpha an action that enraged Talonixa and brought more of her followers to join her, which caused the trio to flee high into the air.
The growing corruption in Neltharion's heart warped his body, as the angelic dragon began taking a more demonic appearance, similar to how Sargeras changed to a more demonic form after his corruption. Neltharion's body cracked open, revealing his molten heart, and magma and fire flowed off his chest. His eyes became aflame in red, demonstrating the magnitude of his power and the depths of his evil. Thus was Deathwing the Destroyer born, and the Dragon Soul was renamed the Demon Soul. Deathwing returned to his lair in what would later be known as Highmountain. His proximity to the Demon Soul was ripping his body apart, so goblin smiths forged an armor of adamantium steel to serve as a vessel to contain Deathwing's raging powers and keep them in check, which were then placed on his body by the drogbar, whom he had enslaved.[25] Only the adamantium plates bolted to his spine kept the power from destroying his body. The Old Gods had manipulated Deathwing into creating the Demon Soul, but their true intention was that the demons would inform their lord Sargeras of the great power of the weapon used against them. Sargeras would no doubt want the Demon Soul to power the gateway that would let him enter Azeroth. By using the Demon Soul to amplify the gateway, the three Old Gods hoped to escape their prison beneath the planet. However, Malfurion Stormrage used the Emerald Dream to find Deathwing's lair and stole the Demon Soul from the black dragon, who tried to pursue the thief in vain. Illidan and Varo'then captured Malfurion and took the Demon Soul back to Zin-Azshari, to Mannoroth the Destructor, the general of the Legion's armies. It was used to power up the portal that would allow Sargeras to enter Azeroth. Deathwing tried one last time to recover the disk when it was being used by both Sargeras and the Old Gods, and actually succeeded in reaching it. Deathwing was almost destroyed in the attempt, but after he got the Demon Soul, an enormous surge of power made him lose his grip on the disk and sent him spiraling far away from the portal. Shortly afterward, an incarnation of Nozdormu from millennia later prevented the Soul from falling into the Well below and brought it with him back to the future. After the Burning Legion was defeated, and the Demon Soul returned from the future, the Dragon Aspects sealed the artifact with their energies, so that Deathwing should never be able to manipulate the Demon Soul. The artifact was hidden in an undisclosed location by Malfurion at the request of the Dragon Aspects. No longer in possession of the artifact and now unable to use it, Deathwing vowed to destroy most life and to wreak havoc on the planet. With his powers over earth, Neltharion caused volcanoes to rise along with the destruction already caused by the Well of Eternity's implosion, sinking most of Kalimdor below the ocean. He himself chose Deathwing as his title, to better show his contempt and intentions for the lesser creatures around him. After the war, Deathwing retreated to Neltharion's Vault near his lair in the mountainous region, which had recently been renamed Highmountain by the tauren living there in honor of the hero Huln Highmountain. Huln and an uprising of Deathwing's drogbar slaves battled the Earth Warder, and with the Hammer of Khaz'goroth Huln banished Deathwing from the land, sending him to Deepholm. After Deathwing returned to Azeroth, he settled into a deep slumber. He needed time to recover from his wounds caused by the Demon Soul and to regain his strength. During his long slumber, the other dragonflights would hunt his corrupted black dragonflight to the brink of extinction
Ten thousand years later, the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor was opened by Medivh and Gul'dan. The incredible amount of magic roused Deathwing from his slumber. He watched with fascination as Stormwind and the Horde fought, and he became convinced that the orcs would be the means to restore his flight to its full glory. However, he knew the other Dragon Aspects and the mortal races would oppose him if he came out of hiding. If the Horde could break Azeroth's kingdoms, Deathwing could devote his full attention to fending off the Aspects. During the First War, Deathwing's Old God masters urged him to take small steps to aid the orcs. He did nothing drastic, for fear of attracting the Aspects' attention, yet the Old Gods saw Deathwing's intervention as a way to engulf the world in chaos. The first thing Deathwing did was take the guise of a noble human from Stormwind and travel to Lordaeron. He charmed the aristocracy, and when stories of the Horde invasion finally reached Lordaeron, Deathwing openly scoffed at them. He told Lordaeron's nobles that the tales were fabrications meant to hide growing problems with rebels in Stormwind, and his lies were much more convincing than Stormwind's desperate pleas for help. To win over those who stubbornly believed the reports, Deathwing subtly influenced the minds of Lordaeron's nobles with his magic, preventing them from taking any action against the Horde. Deathwing did not only involve himself with human affairs, either. Once he was certain Lordaeron would not send aid to Stormwind, Deathwing moved south. He took the form of a Blackrock orc and lived among the orcs for months, examining their society from the inside. He had easily sensed the hidden power driving the Horde's actions, and before long Deathwing maneuvered himself into the good graces of several individuals. Gul'dan believed Deathwing's orc disguise to be a loyal follower, Blackhand believed him a proud Blackrock orc, and Orgrim Doomhammer believed he was a stalwart ally. When Blackhand fell to Orgrim, Deathwing did not see it as an issue. As a servant of the Old Gods, he saw the shattering of the Burning Legion's hold on the orcs as a good thing that only served to make them more vulnerable to his own masters.
However, the Horde had been weakened by the First War, and if the rest of the human kingdoms were to unite, the orcs would not have the means to destroy them. Even if they could, they would awaken too many enemies in the meantime - if the Dragon Aspects learned about the Horde, the orcs would stand no chance. However, Deathwing's Dragon Soul was still out there, having been hidden after the War of the Ancients. It contained the power of all the Aspects except Deathwing, and so could be used against them for destruction or control. And although the weapon had been enchanted after the war so that no dragon could wield it, orcs could. Deathwing granted visions to Zuluhed the Whacked, chieftain of the Dragonmaw clan. He was bombarded with vivid dreams of his clan taming and riding dragons. His clan had once ridden rylaks on Draenor, and to once again soar in the sky was an idea that could not be resisted. Once the hook had been set, Deathwing coaxed Zuluhed to the Redridge Mountains. The Dragon Soul was hidden deep beneath the mountains, protected by wards and the red dragon Orastrasz, untouched for ten thousand years. Dozens of Dragonmaw orcs died against Orastrasz, unfamiliar as they were with dragons, but they succeeded. Zuluhed ordered his clan's greatest warlock, Nekros Skullcrusher, to retrieve the Dragon Soul. Sensing the dark power within, Nekros renamed it the Demon Soul. Far from the Redridge Mountains, Alexstrasza sensed the wards breaking and grew concerned when she heard no word from Orastrasz. She and several of her red dragons hurried south, though she believed that some mortal had found the disc and Orastrasz was currently hunting for it and that it would be easy to help him retrieve. In truth, they were heading right into Deathwing's trap.
Overview
Personality and attributes
While Deathwing was once a benevolent entity, the whispers of the Old Gods have corrupted him into a being driven by hatred. He harbors a hatred for all mortal races and wishes to see them dead. He's also been driven utterly insane by the whispers plaguing him, especially when in possession of the Demon Soul. Deathwing was so attached to it that, even when warned by the goblin alchemists who made his first armor that the Demon Soul's energies would kill him if he kept it with him too long, he only agreed to part with it temporarily after being reminded that it would likely be stolen from him if he were to die.
Powers and abilities
Neltharion was originally born a member of the proto-dragons of Azeroth. As such, he had all the natural traits of the species being large winged dragonic beings. Unlike many of his kind though, he had a degree of greater intelligence and was capable of broken speech.
He made his home in the Highmountains in a large cavern that came to be known as Neltharion's Vault.
It was noted that the Neferset tribe of Tol'vir pledged loyalty to Deathwing.
Notes
- Deathwing was created by Blizzard where he made his first appearance in Warcraft 2: Reign of Chaos.
In other media
Video games
Appearances
- Warcraft 2: Reign of Chaos:
- World of Warcraft:
External Links
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