This article is part of a directory: WoW Dragonflight: Guides - Talents, Rotation, Stat Priorities, Tier Lists, Professions, & More
Table of contents

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is finally here, and it brings with it a whole new set of zones filled with brand-new stories for players to explore. This expansion is heavily focused on the return of the Dragonflights after they stepped into the shadows at the end of Cataclysm, and each zone of the Dragon Isles is seeping with brand-new lore for these powerful factions. There is a lot of new information being thrown at the player throughout the leveling process, and it seems to be changing World of Warcraft forever.

The first zone that World of Warcraft players will experience on the Dragon Isles is the Waking Shores, and it features a pretty interesting story that follows the remains of the Black Dragonflight and the powerful Red Dragonflight. Players must work alongside these flights to combat their ancient enemies and reclaim their ancestral homelands to ensure their future. The story sees the player interact with all sorts of prominent lore characters like Alexstrasza and Wrathion, and it helps set the stage for what is to come in this turbulent expansion.

RELATED: World of Warcraft Dragonflight: The Dracthyr's Forbidden Reach Story Explained

The Dragon Isles Await

wow dl koranos dragon isles

The Waking Shores storyline begins with the player and the Dragonscale Expedition arriving at the Dragon Isles by either boat or airship depending upon if the player is Horde or Alliance. Once the Expedition lands, they are quickly overwhelmed by proto-dragons and rampaging elemental energies. The player has to combat these forces and help get the Expedition to the safety of the ruins of the Wingrest Embassy.

Once they are able to guide the Expedition to these ruins, they meet Wrathion and a new red dragon named Majordomo Selistra. Players have come to know the black dragon Wrathion throughout the years, and in Dragonflight, he is hoping to finally claim the title of Black Dragon Aspect. Majordomo Selistra is a brand-new character, and she adopts a Vulpera visage form which makes her instantly stand out. Both of these characters have been dealing with the foes that the Expedition faced off against, and they both hope that the mortals are able to assist them in securing a future for their flights.

Dragons in Distress

Wrathion WoW

The second chapter of the Waking Shores storyline sees the player work closely with Wrathion to stop an ancient threat from causing havoc. They have to beat back a race of elemental half-giants known as the Djaradin who seek to utilize the ancient home of the black Dragonflight the Obsidian Citadel for their dastardly plans. The player also has to help get drakonid refugees that are fleeing the Djaradin to the safety of the Life Pools. It is during this that the players are introduced to an even greater foe known as the Primalists who seek to destroy the Dragonflights and bend the Red Dragonflight's eggs to their will.

RELATED: World of Warcraft: The State of the Alliance Going into Dragonflight

In Defense of Life

wow df pedro pascal lana condor david harbour promotion

The third chapter of the Waking Shores storyline serves as a way to introduce players to the brand-new dragonriding feature. Players meet Alexstrasza the Life-Binder at the Ruby Lifeshrine, and she teaches them all they need to know about dragon eggs. They are then gifted their own proto-dragon that they can customize to their liking, and they are taught how to soar through the skies. They must speed through rings amd keep up momentum so that they can soar for long periods of time.

The Life Pools are soon attacked by the leader of the Primalists, the proto-dragon Raszageth, whom Dracthyr players met during the Forbidden Reach intro questline. The player and the dragons have to defend the Life Pools from this onslaught and prevent the dragon eggs from falling into the wrong hands. They are able to defend against this attack and push Raszageth back, but not before she gets a few good hits in on Alexstrasza.

Wrathion's Gambit

wow df all cutscenes

The fourth chapter of the Waking Shores storyline follows Wrathion's quest to reclaim the Black Dragonflight's ancestral home of the Obsidian Citadel. The Djaradin have fortified it and the player must do their best to break through their forces. As the player and Wrathion prepare to charge, they are interrupted by the surprise appearance of Deathwing's son Sabellian and his army of black dragons from Outland. Together, they are able to break through the Djaradin forces and the player assists in repairing the Obsidian Oathstone which will help restore the black Dragonflight's power. However, Wrathion and Sabellian both wish to become the leader of the new Black Dragonflight and neither is willing to let the other take charge.

Waking Hope

Sabellian WoW

The final chapter of the Waking Shores story sees Wrathion and Sabellian vying for the title of Black Dragon Aspect. The player must listen to the followers of both claimants to learn which one is better suited for the job, but the final decision has to wait as the first black dragon eggs in a long time need to be escorted to the Life Pools. Sabellian devises a plan that sees Wrathion and him take on their visage forms to drive an inconspicuous cart to the Life Pools.

Wrathion and Sabellian argue the entire way, and the cart is attacked by many Primalist forces before ultimately getting destroyed by a proto-drake. Wrathion quickly goes to grab Alexstrasza to accuse Sabellian of being responsible for the destruction of the eggs, but Sabellian reveals to both that the cart they were driving was simply a diversion and that the eggs had arrived at the Life Pools safely. The eggs are deposited into the correct pool, and for the first time in a long time, every single Dragonflight seems to have a future.

The main Waking Shores storyline ends there, and players are then directed to Ohn'ahran Plains for the second Dragonflight storyline which involves the Green Dragonflight. However, there are still boatloads of side quests that players can complete throughout the Waking Shores if they do not want to leave that help further build out this brand-new zone. Players will also return to this zone frequently once they hit max level as the fight against the Primalists and the bickering between Wrathion and Sabellian has only just begun.

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is available now on PC.

MORE: World of Warcraft: The State of the Horde Going into Dragonflight