Onyxia

Onyxia is a black dragon, the daughter of Deathwing and sister of Nefarian. In World of Warcraft she leads a double life: in her lair in Dustwallow Marsh she is a 40-player raid boss, and in Stormwind City she stands at the side of the throne as Lady Katrana Prestor, a noblewoman who quietly steers the kingdom's politics. The long quest chains that expose her and grant access to her lair are among the most memorable stories in Classic.

Biography

Like her brother, Onyxia was raised to carry out her father's plans after Deathwing vanished at the end of the Second War. While Nefarian took Blackrock Spire, Onyxia went to work on the Alliance from the inside. Taking human form as Lady Katrana Prestor, she won a place in the court of Stormwind and became the most trusted adviser of the regent, Bolvar Fordragon, while the boy-king Anduin Wrynn sat on the throne in his missing father's place.

The name is no accident: during the Second War Deathwing himself had posed as Lord Daval Prestor, a nobleman in Alterac.

From that position she blocked help for the frontier, waved away reports of the black dragonflight, and protected nobles who had ties to the Defias Brotherhood. Her true lair is a cave in the Wyrmbog, at the southern end of Dustwallow Marsh, where her brood also troubles the ogres of Stonemaul (The Brood of Onyxia).

In World of Warcraft

Lady Katrana Prestor

Lady Katrana Prestor stands beside Highlord Bolvar Fordragon in Stormwind Keep throughout Classic. Many Alliance quests end with her, including An Audience with the King, the close of the Defias investigation, where she brushes off the player's report. Players who look closely notice that she is never as concerned as she should be.

The attunement chains

Entering Onyxia's Lair requires the [Drakefire Amulet]. Both factions earn it through long chains that tour most of the level 50-60 content.

The Alliance chain begins with Dragonkin Menace from Magistrate Solomon in Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains. Bolvar takes Solomon's warnings seriously in The True Masters, but Lady Prestor dismisses them. The player is sent to the Burning Steppes, learns that Marshal Windsor has been captured, and frees him from Blackrock Depths in Jail Break!. In Stormwind Rendezvous Windsor meets the player at the gates of Stormwind, and in The Great Masquerade he marches into the keep with the player's group behind him and unmasks Prestor. She reveals herself, kills Windsor, and escapes. Bolvar then sends the player to Haleh in Winterspring (The Dragon's Eye), who repairs the amulet once the player brings back the blood of General Drakkisath from Upper Blackrock Spire (Drakefire Amulet).

The Horde chain starts with Warlord's Command in the Badlands and the hunt for Rend Blackhand (For The Horde!). Rexxar then sends the player to Myranda the Hag (The Testament of Rexxar), who gives them a disguise to infiltrate the black dragonflight. After breaking the drake Emberstrife and passing the Test of Skulls, the player kills General Drakkisath for Blood of the Black Dragon Champion and receives the amulet.

The fight

Onyxia is fought in three phases:

1. On the ground until 65% health. She cleaves the front, sweeps her tail behind her, and uses Wing Buffet. Raids keep her turned toward the wall.
2. In the air. She lifts off, fires fireballs at random players, and sometimes uses Deep Breath, a stream of fire across the room that kills nearly anyone it touches. Onyxian whelps pour out of the side caves.
3. Back on the ground at 40%. She uses Bellowing Roar, an area fear, while lava erupts from cracks in the floor. Most wipes happen here, which is why warriors kept a fear-breaking stance ready and dwarf priests were prized for Fear Ward.

Loot and rewards

Onyxia always drops the [Head of Onyxia] (Alliance) or [Head of Onyxia] (Horde). Turning it in with Victory for the Alliance or Victory for the Horde mounts the head over the city gate and gives everyone nearby a two-hour damage buff, the Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer. The quest reward is one of three items, including the [Onyxia Tooth Pendant] and [Onyxia Blood Talisman].

Her loot table includes the Tier 2 helms ([Helm of Wrath], [Halo of Transcendence] and the rest), [Ring of Binding], [Eskhandar's Collar], [Sapphiron Drape], [Ancient Cornerstone Grimoire], [Vis'kag the Bloodletter] and [Deathbringer]. She also drops [Mature Black Dragon Sinew], used by hunters in the quest for Rhok'delar, and skinners can take a [Scale of Onyxia] from her body, the material for the [Onyxia Scale Cloak] that raids need against Nefarian's breath in Blackwing Lair. Warriors and others forging Quel'Serrar must lay the sword in front of Onyxia while she breathes on it (The Forging of Quel'Serrar).

Later history

In the World of Warcraft comic series, Varian Wrynn returns to Stormwind and exposes Lady Prestor, and Onyxia is killed. Players met her again in Cataclysm, raised as an undead dragon by her brother in Blackwing Descent.

For the game's fifth anniversary in patch 3.2.2 (2009), Onyxia's Lair was rebuilt as a level 80 raid with the Onyxian Drake mount as a rare drop. She has also appeared in Hearthstone, including as a raid boss card in the Onyxia's Lair mini-set. In World of Warcraft Classic (2019) she was available from day one alongside the Molten Core.

Trivia

• A voice recording of a guild wiping on Onyxia, with the raid leader shouting about "many whelps", became one of the earliest viral recordings of the game.
• Onyxia's Lair resets every five days in Classic, while most other raids reset weekly, so guilds could kill her more often than other bosses.

Sources

• Onyxia (Warcraft Wiki)
• Onyxia's Lair (Warcraft Wiki)
• Onyxia's Lair attunement (Warcraft Wiki)