Vaelastrasz

Vaelastrasz is a red dragon, a son of Alexstrasza, who swore to hunt down Nefarian and the black dragonflight. In human form as Vaelan he helps players break into Upper Blackrock Spire, but when he follows Nefarian into Blackwing Lair he is captured and corrupted. As Vaelastrasz the Corrupt he becomes the raid's second boss, a fight so punishing in 2005 that players nicknamed him "Vaelastrasz the Guildbreaker".

Biography

After the War of the Shifting Sands, the Scepter of the Shifting Sands that sealed Ahn'Qiraj was shattered, and its pieces were handed to the dragonflights for safekeeping. Vaelastrasz received the red flight's shard and guarded it for nearly a thousand years.

In World of Warcraft's time he takes up the fight against Nefarian, whom he sees as a danger to the whole world. Disguised first as a Scarshield Infiltrator and then as a man named Vaelan, he slips into Blackrock Mountain and recruits adventurers to help him reach Nefarian.

In World of Warcraft

Vaelan and the Seal of Ascension

In Classic, the door to Upper Blackrock Spire is locked, and a player in the group must carry the [Seal of Ascension] to open it. Players who loot an [Unadorned Seal of Ascension] in Lower Blackrock Spire find Vaelan on a ledge above Hordemar City. His two quests, both named Seal of Ascension and Seal of Ascension, have the player:

1. Fill the seal's three sockets with gemstones taken from the leaders of Lower Blackrock Spire: Highlord Omokk, War Master Voone and Overlord Wyrmthalak, the master of the lower citadel.
2. Have the seal forged in dragonfire. Since Wyrmthalak would never cooperate, Vaelan sends the player to the Wyrmbog in Dustwallow Marsh to break the will of the old black drake Emberstrife and make him breathe on the seal.

Vaelan then adds his own protective spell, and the seal is complete.

Inside Upper Blackrock Spire, he helps once more. When the group fights Warchief Rend Blackhand, a player can use the seal to summon a projection of Vaelastrasz the Red, who fights alongside the party against Rend while trading words with Lord Victor Nefarius.

Vaelastrasz the Corrupt

When the raid enters Blackwing Lair and defeats Razorgore the Untamed, they find Nefarius, in human form, bending Vaelastrasz to his will. Nefarius leaves, and Vaelastrasz the Corrupt, fighting the corruption, gives the raid what help he can before turning on them.

The encounter is built around two buffs:

• Essence of the Red: at the start, Vaelastrasz gives every player effectively unlimited mana, rage and energy. The fight is a pure damage race.
• Burning Adrenaline: every so often Vaelastrasz puts this on a random mana user, and periodically on his current tank. It greatly increases their damage and attack speed but deals rising damage, and when it expires the player dies in an explosion that hurts those nearby. Tanks therefore rotate as each one dies.

He starts the fight at only 30% health, but he hits extremely hard and his Flame Breath and Fire Nova punish anyone out of position. Raids needed several tanks, strong healing and every damage dealer at full output. Vaelastrasz pleads with the raid as the fight goes on, alternating between threats and apologies and calling for his mother.

Loot

Vaelastrasz drops the Tier 2 belts, such as [Waistband of Wrath] and [Belt of Transcendence], along with [Mind Quickening Gem], [Rune of Metamorphosis], [Helm of Endless Rage], [Pendant of the Fallen Dragon], [Red Dragonscale Protector] and [Dragonfang Blade].

Nefarian took Vaelastrasz's shard of the scepter for himself. Players working on the scepter quest chain recover the [[forever:item:21138]] from Nefarian's body.

Later history

Vaelastrasz dies in Blackwing Lair, apologizing with his last words. In later expansions, the red dragon Acridostrasz takes up his role as the leader of the red flight's fight against Nefarian. He also appears as a boss in Hearthstone's Blackrock Mountain adventure.

Trivia

• His name is spelled with "ae" in his human guise, Vaelan, while his brother Caelestrasz uses Calen in night elf form.
• Many guilds that cleared Razorgore spent weeks stuck on Vaelastrasz, which earned him the Guildbreaker nickname.

Sources

• Vaelastrasz (Warcraft Wiki)
• Vaelastrasz the Corrupt (tactics) (Warcraft Wiki)
• Seal of Ascension (Warcraft Wiki)