Dragonblight: Wyrmrest and Angrathar in WotLK

October 9, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

The story of Dragonblight is the story of Northrend's dragon graveyard: old dragons travel there to die, and in the middle of the bones stands Wyrmrest Temple, home of the alliance of dragonflights that faces Malygos. In WotLK, the zone is also the center of the war against the Lich King, with Naxxramas floating in the sky and Angrathar, the Wrathgate, guarding the way into Icecrown.

This is the third stop on the Northrend trail, after Howling Fjord.

Why is Dragonblight the dragon graveyard?

Dragons near the end of their lives travel to this valley by instinct to die. That is why the ground is covered in giant bones. It is also where Galakrond fell, at Galakrond's Rest, in the Dragon Wastes.

The Scourge used many of these skeletons to create frost wyrms, the Lich King's undead dragons. That is why the dragonshrines, the sanctuaries of each flight, are under constant attack.

Wyrmrest Temple and the Wyrmrest Accord

Wyrmrest Temple is an ancient temple, built by the titans, in southern Dragonblight. It was made so the dragonflights would have a place to meet and to keep watch over Azeroth. Legends say the five Aspects received the titans' blessing there. The wiki itself notes that this actually happened at Galakrond's Rest.

What is the Wyrmrest Accord?

In WotLK, Alexstrasza creates the Wyrmrest Accord to face the blue dragonflight in the Nexus War. Malygos, the Aspect of Magic, was at war with mortal spellcasters. A delegation from the flights was met with hostility at the Nexus, and the answer was unity.

The Accord brings together four flights: red, bronze, green and blue (the blues who did not follow Malygos). The black dragonflight also shows up as a member at the time. According to the lines of Nalice, the black ambassador, the one who asked for this union was Korialstrasz.

If you want to know whether the reputation is worth farming, see Wyrmrest Accord at fresh 80.

Who's who at Wyrmrest Temple

| NPC | Role in WotLK | | --- | --- | | Alexstrasza | Dragon Queen, leader of the Accord | | Korialstrasz (Krasus) | Alexstrasza's consort | | Lord Devrestrasz | Commander of the temple's defenses | | Kalecgos | Blue ambassador | | Chromie | Bronze ambassador | | Lord Itharius | Green ambassador | | Nalice | Black ambassador | | Cielstrasza | Accord quartermaster, at the top |

Korialstrasz is the same Krasus of the Kirin Tor, a member of the Council of Six. He is the one who sent Rhonin to free Alexstrasza at Grim Batol, as told in Between the Wars #2: the Day of the Dragon. In WotLK, after the key to the Focusing Iris drops in Naxxramas, Krasus is the one who sends adventurers against Malygos.

To learn more about the queen, read Alexstrasza, the Dragon Queen.

Blues against reds: the Nexus War in Dragonblight

Malygos redirected Azeroth's ley lines to the Azure Dragonshrine, south of Wyrmrest. The wiki describes the shrine as a "great fissure in the ground" that releases magic into the air, with a surge needle floating above it. This gave power to the blue dragons and did serious damage to reality.

The blues also placed machines over other ley line points, such as Moonrest Gardens. With so much magic to spare, the blue dragonflight attacks Wyrmrest Temple itself. The daily "Defending Wyrmrest Temple", from Lord Devrestrasz, has you mount a Wyrmrest Defender, kill blue dragons and drakes and destabilize the Azure Dragonshrine.

The end of this war is in Malygos and the Nexus War.

Galakrond: the bones the Scourge wanted to raise

Galakrond was a gigantic proto-dragon, called the "progenitor of the dragon race". In WotLK, the game shows his skeleton at Galakrond's Rest and a clear threat: the Scourge wants to raise him as undead.

The Lich King put Grand Necrolord Antiok in charge of this. He stands on top of the Wicked Coil, riding the rebuilt storm giant Thiassi. The text of the quest "Galakrond and the Scourge" says Antiok "commands the undead armies to dig up the massive bones of Galakrond day and night". If he succeeds, all the heroes' effort "will have been in vain". Adventurers kill Antiok and put an end to the rituals.

Careful with later lore

Much of what people say about Galakrond today came after WotLK. Starting with Cataclysm, the lore says he devoured other proto-dragons and that five proto-dragons, the future Aspects, joined forces against him. In Dragonflight, his body appears in Dawn of the Infinite. On the 3.3.5a server, Galakrond is just the giant ancestor whose bones the Scourge wants to use.

Naxxramas floating over the zone

In the lore, the Alliance's Wintergarde Keep was a thorn in the Lich King's side. So he brought Naxxramas from Stratholme to the skies of Dragonblight. It floats over the Carrion Fields, near Wintergarde Keep and Venomspite. From there, Kel'Thuzad commands the undead against the Horde and the Alliance.

Bringing the necropolis so close to the front was a mistake. Adventurers invade it and, because of that, both factions gain fixed bases in the zone to attack Icecrown Citadel.

In the game, the raid left the Eastern Plaguelands in patch 3.0.2 and became an entry raid for 10 and 25 players. The guide is in Naxxramas for beginners.

The Horde and Alliance bases

Agmar's Hammer (Horde)

This is the main Horde base, in the west of the zone, commanded by Overlord Agmar of the Kor'kron. The fortress was built at the doorstep of Icemist Village, the taunka capital.

The Anub'ar came out of a rift from Azjol-Nerub and razed the village. Roanauk Icemist, High Chieftain of the taunka, was trapped in the ruins. The Horde and his son, Banthok, free him. At Agmar's Hammer, Roanauk takes the Blood Oath of the Horde and officially brings the taunka into the Horde.

Wintergarde Keep (Alliance)

It is in the east, garrisoned by the Valiance Expedition and the 7th Legion, under the command of High Commander Halford Wyrmbane. It is the base that suffers most from Naxxramas: the Scourge took the lower part of the fortress, the crypt and the mine.

Stars' Rest and Fordragon Hold (Alliance)

Stars' Rest is a night elf outpost in the west, inside Highborne ruins, commanded by Commander Saia Azuresteel.

Fordragon Hold is Bolvar Fordragon's camp near Angrathar.

Venomspite and Kor'kron Vanguard (Horde)

Venomspite is the Forsaken town in the east, led by High Executor Wroth. The Kor'kron Vanguard is Saurfang's base near the Wrathgate.

Moa'ki Harbor and the neutrals

Moa'ki Harbor is the port of the Kalu'ak tuskarr in the south of the zone. It is the largest tuskarr settlement left after they lost their capital, Kaskala, to the kvaldir. The leader is Elder Ko'nani.

The turtle boats link Moa'ki to Kamagua (Howling Fjord) and to Unu'pe (Borean Tundra).

Azjol-Nerub and Ahn'kahet: the nerubians under the ice

In the middle west of the zone is the entrance to Azjol-Nerub, the ancient spider empire, now in the hands of Scourge nerubians. The kingdom has two parts. Azjol-Nerub is the Upper Kingdom. Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom is the inner kingdom, the "heart of the ancient nerubian empire", entered through the Pit of Narjun. There, Scourge nerubians share space with Yogg-Saron's Faceless Ones.

Arthas had already crossed this kingdom with Anub'arak in The Frozen Throne. See The Frozen Throne #5 and the guide Azjol-Nerub and Ahn'kahet.

Obsidian Dragonshrine and the twilight dragons

The Obsidian Dragonshrine is the black dragonflight's shrine, at the base of a volcano in the northwest of the zone (coordinates 38, 31). In WotLK, Nalice sends adventurers to help Serinar drive the Scourge out of it.

But the bigger black danger lies beneath Wyrmrest. The Obsidian Sanctum is the black dragonflight's part of the Chamber of the Aspects. The entrance is a crack in the ice along the Path of the Titans.

Deathwing's agents created the twilight dragons through experiments on other flights. A new clutch of eggs appeared in the sanctum, and Korialstrasz asks the heroes to destroy it.

The boss is Sartharion the Onyx Guardian, one of the "twisted children of Deathwing". His lieutenants are Tenebron, Shadron and Vesperon. There is a guide in Obsidian Sanctum for beginners.

Angrathar the Wrathgate: the door to Icecrown

In the northwest stands Angrathar the Wrathgate, a saronite wall that seals the entrance to Icecrown.

In front of it are two bases. The Alliance is at Fordragon Hold, with Highlord Bolvar Fordragon. The Horde is at the Kor'kron Vanguard, with Warlord Dranosh Saurfang. Both want to break the Scourge's defenses and enter Icecrown Citadel.

What happens there has its own post: Wrathgate: the story of the battle of Angrathar.

Where to see it in WotLK

Wyrmrest Temple: Alexstrasza, Korialstrasz and the ambassadors. The chain "Audience With The Dragon Queen", "Galakrond and the Scourge" and "On Ruby Wings" tells the story of Antiok's threat.
Daily "Defending Wyrmrest Temple": with Lord Devrestrasz, against the blue dragonflight.
Wintergarde Keep (78, 46): the chain starts with "Naxxramas and the Fall of Wintergarde".
Agmar's Hammer (36, 47): Roanauk's story goes through "Strength of Icemist", "Return of the High Chief" and "Blood Oath of the Horde".
Stars' Rest (29, 55): quests like "The Liquid Fire of Elune".
Moa'ki Harbor (49, 74): boats to Kamagua and Unu'pe.
Venomspite (76, 61): the Forsaken base in the east.
Dungeons and raids: Azjol-Nerub, Ahn'kahet, Naxxramas and Obsidian Sanctum.

If you are leveling right now, also see the best zones to rush levels and the WotLK quest chains worth reading.

Why does Dragonblight have so many dragon bones?

Because dragons at the end of their lives go there to die. Galakrond's remains are also there.

Who leads the Wyrmrest Accord in WotLK?

Alexstrasza, the Dragon Queen, uniting the flights against Malygos.

Are Krasus and Korialstrasz the same person?

Yes. Krasus is the human form of Korialstrasz, Alexstrasza's consort.

Why is Naxxramas in Dragonblight and not in the Eastern Plaguelands?

The Lich King brought it from Stratholme to attack Wintergarde Keep.

Where is the Wrathgate?

In northwest Dragonblight, on the border with Icecrown.