Second War #8: The dragons of the Horde

July 29, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Second War" series — Second War #8. The story of Warcraft II, from the exodus of Stormwind to the destruction of the Dark Portal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

The Horde's most feared weapon in the Second War was the red dragons. They did not fight by choice. The Dragonmaw clan, through Nekros Skullcrusher, captured the queen of dragons, Alexstrasza, using an ancient artifact called the Demon Soul. With her imprisoned in Grim Batol, the entire red dragonflight was forced to serve the Horde. Behind it all was someone no one could see: Deathwing.

The Demon Soul

The Demon Soul was a golden disc created by Neltharion, the Earth-Warder, before he became Deathwing. It had the power to dominate dragons, and it was because of it that the Aspects lost part of their power in the War of the Ancients.

Nekros and the Dragonmaw clan

The Dragonmaw clan was led by Zuluhed, and the main executor of the plan was Nekros Skullcrusher. Guided by Deathwing, who preferred to stay in the shadows, Nekros obtained the Demon Soul and used it against Alexstrasza.

The queen of dragons was subdued and taken to Grim Batol, an old dwarven fortress in the Wetlands.

The enslaved red dragonflight

With Alexstrasza imprisoned, the orcs took control of the red dragonflight. The whelps she laid were raised for war, and the adult dragons were forced to fight. For the dragons, the protector of life became a prisoner, and her children became weapons.

That was exactly what Deathwing wanted: to weaken the red dragonflight, his greatest rival, without raising suspicion.

What comes next

The Alliance did not yet know the Horde had dragons. It will find out the worst way, at sea, in episode 11. And Alexstrasza's liberation only happens after the war, on the Day of the Dragon.

What this changes in the story

The capture of Alexstrasza is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the dragons. The Aspect of Life, protector of all living things, spent years imprisoned, watching her own children become weapons of war. Her liberation only happens after the war, in the event the books call the Day of the Dragon.

The episode also shows Deathwing's method. Instead of fighting the other flights openly, he uses mortals. First the Dragonmaw clan, then Ner'zhul's Horde, then the court of Lordaeron, disguised as Lord Prestor. It is the same pattern that repeats all the way to Cataclysm.

Grim Batol stays important in the expansions: in Cataclysm, the fortress becomes a dungeon ruled by the Twilight's Hammer and the black dragons.

Episode timeline

Deathwing guides the Dragonmaw clan from the shadows.
Nekros obtains the Demon Soul.
Alexstrasza is subdued by the artifact.
The queen is taken to Grim Batol.
The red dragonflight is forced to serve the Horde.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Alexstrasza | The Aspect of Life, queen of the red dragonflight, imprisoned in Grim Batol. | | Nekros Skullcrusher | The Dragonmaw orc who used the Demon Soul. | | Zuluhed | The chieftain of the Dragonmaw clan. | | Deathwing | Formerly Neltharion, who guided the orcs from the shadows. | | Demon Soul | The disc created by Neltharion to dominate dragons. | | Grim Batol | The fortress in the Wetlands where Alexstrasza was held. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Wetlands: Grim Batol is in the region, and Dragonmaw orcs are still there in Classic.
Wyrmrest Temple, in Dragonblight: a free Alexstrasza leads the dragonflights in WotLK.
Obsidian Sanctum and Ruby Sanctum: the raids of the black and red dragons in Dragonblight.