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{{otheruses|the Elder Dragons|the in-game book|The Elder Dragons|other dragons|Dragon}}
{{spoiler}}
[[File:"Last Shot" concept art.jpg|thumb|Concept art of [[Zhaitan]] by [[Kekai Kotaki]].]]
{{quotation|[[Prosperity's Mystery|"The Nature of Dragons"]] by [[Ogden Stonehealer]]|Or should I say the "Dragons of Nature"? Yes. Dragons have long been thought to be as much a part of [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]] as the sun, moon, land, and seas.

No one, not even the [[Dwarf|dwarves]], know how long they've been here. The [[jotun]] and the [[norn]] both have lingering stories passed down through the generations about the last rise of the dragons.

Most scholars give these tales little credit, unfortunately, as so much time has passed. It was over ten thousand years ago that the dragons last returned to their slumber.

The very existence of these tales, however, indicates that the dragons have awakened at least twice in history.

Ancient documents, found now in the [[Durmand Priory]]'s collection, reveal accounts passed down by other races such as the powerful [[Seer]]s and even the [[Six Human Gods|human gods]] themselves.}}
The [[Elder Dragon]]s are primordial beings who have throughout history awoken and wrought devastation upon the [[Tyria (world)|world of Tyria]], before falling back into slumber. These cycles of awakening, destruction, and hibernation are millennia-long, and are intrinsically tied to the levels of ambient [[magic]] in the world. The latest cycle of awakening was triggered by the [[gww:Abaddon's Gate|death]] of the fallen [[Six Human Gods|god]] [[Abaddon]] in 1075 <small>[[Mouvelian calendar|AE]]</small>,<ref name="Facing the Truth">[[Facing the Truth]]
:'''Kormir:''' Abaddon remained a fallen god, imprisoned for a thousand years, until he rose to threaten Tyria one last time...
:'''Kormir:''' A mortal hero led a mission to stop him, and against all odds, succeeded. But then... [...]
:'''Kormir:''' I was there to contain the damage, but by then it was too late.
:'''Kormir:''' The surge of power upended the balance of magic in Tyria, and stirred Primordus from his slumber—triggering this latest cycle of destruction.</ref> and continues to this day.

The Elder Dragons may be as old as Tyria itself, and are a fundamental part of [[The All|nature's workings]]. Most of what is known about them comes from a single document written by the first [[human]]s to walk Tyria: the [[Tome of the Five True Gods]].<ref name="Hidden Arcana">[[Hidden Arcana]]
:'''Magister Ela Makkay:''' Each dragon has two spheres of influence. For Mordremoth, that's mind and plants. Zhaitan ruled shadow and death. [...]
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The Elder Dragons may be as old as the world itself. They're more than creatures.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' They're part of nature's workings. They rise and fall on a cycle that spans millennia.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' Much of what we know about them comes from a document written by the first humans to walk the face of Tyria: the Scroll of the Five True Gods. [...]
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' Glint foretold the future in the Flameseeker Prophecies over a thousand years ago.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The brotherhood believed that she would one day become an Elder Dragon. She was old and wise, well on her way.</ref>

== List of Elder Dragons ==
=== Assumed status at the beginning of ''[[Guild Wars 2]]'' ===
{| {{STDT|lore}}
! Name
! Domain(s)
! Date of most recent awakening
! Weakness
! Territory
! Minions
! Status
! Attitude
|-
| [[Primordus]] || Fire<ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> and Destruction<ref>[[The Facet of Fire and Destruction]]</ref><ref>[[Roaring Flames]]
:'''Captain Thaddeus Soren:''' Our scouts are reporting increased destroyer activity all around Ebonhawke. I fear it's only a matter of time before the dragon of fire and destruction sets its sights on us. </ref> || 1120 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || Jormag<ref name="Taimi's Pet Project">[[Taimi's Pet Project]]
:'''Taimi:''' Ah. Okay, it runs off the heart of Omadd's Machine.
:'''Taimi:''' That, combined with my spectrum research, aided by my assistant, Spencer...
:'''Taimi:''' Will let me manipulate the Eternal Alchemy to smash Primordus and Jormag's unique signatures together.
:'''Taimi:''' Thus, cancelling them out. I.E. dragons go (death sound).</ref> || [[Depths of Tyria]] || [[Destroyer]]s || Awake || {{red|Hostile}}
|-
|''[[Deep sea dragon|Deep Sea Dragon]]''<!--The name is hidden on purpose as it's a story plot/mystery in the early seasons--> || Water<ref>[[Your Kind of People]]</ref><ref name="Living World Magazine">[[Elder Dragons: Notes from the Field]]</ref> and Life<ref>[[The Facet of Water and Life]]</ref> || Between 1120 and 1165 <small>AE</small> || ''Unknown'' || [[Unending Ocean]] || Unknown || Awake || {{red|Hostile}}<ref name="Living World magazine">[https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/september-04-2019/ Guild Wars 2 Living World: The Icebrood Saga - Issue 01], GuildWars2.com</ref><ref>[[Dragon Bash/Festival content#Ambient dialogue|Dragon Bash ambient dialogue]]
:'''Local (female):''' Well, we did it, I guess. All the Elder Dragons have been...bashed.
:'''Local (male):''' There's one more.
:'''Local (female):''' Maybe.
:'''Local (male):''' There is.
:'''Local (female):''' What's it matter to you?
:'''Local (male):''' Jormag, and the Sons, are gone, and that's a good thing.
:'''Local (male):''' I just believe the stories, and that there is one more dragon...
:'''Local (male):''' More powerful than all the others. Deep beneath the seas. Surrounded by tentacled beasts of terrible ferocity.
:'''Local (male):''' "S."
:'''Local (female):''' Okay, okay, I think you need to go talk to a shaman.
:'''Local (male):''' No, no! I just find it interesting.</ref><ref>[[The Movement of the World]]</ref><ref name="Univers Virtuels interview">[http://web.archive.org/web/20110201185312/http://gw2.univers-virtuels.net/article/2307/Interview-GW2-Univers-Virtuels.html Interview GW2 Univers Virtuels], GW2.univers.virtuels.net (Archived)
:'''UV:''' The Dragon of the Deep is probably the most enigmatic of all. We do not know much about him. What's his name? Is he as hungry for power as the others?
:'''Jeff Grubb:''' The Deep Sea Dragon (DSD) has attracted a lot of attention on the forums primarily because we haven't really referred to it since the "Movement of the World." The existence of the DSD is not well-known to the average Tyrian (for whom the other dragons may be legendary or distant threats). The exact nature of the DSD is as yet unrevealed, and its powers differ from the other dragons as those Elder Dragons differ from each other. But it shares with its kindred a desire to consume, corrupt, and destroy.</ref>
|-
| [[Jormag]] || Ice<ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> and Persuasion<ref name="Living World magazine" /> || 1165 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons">[[The Elder Dragons]]</ref><ref>[[Thyrie Bylund]]
:'''Thyrie Bylund:''' To our knowledge, Jormag was the second Elder Dragon to awaken, rising in 1165 AE. His rising brought with it a massive snowstorm and a legion of minions made of ice and snow.</ref> || Primordus<ref name="Taimi's Pet Project" /> || [[Far Shiverpeaks]] || [[Icebrood]] || Awake || {{red|Hostile}}
|-
| [[Zhaitan]] || Shadow and Death<ref name="Hidden Arcana" /> || 1219 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || Over reliance on specialized minions<ref name="Zhaitan's Weakness">[https://web.archive.org/web/20201112012518/https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/496222/#Comment_496222 Post by Andrew Gray] in "Zhaitan's Weakness", Guild Wars 2 Forums (archived link)
:'''Andrew Gray:''' Cannons. (Hey, I used the correct form of the word this time!)
:'''Andrew Gray:''' I'm kidding, of course. I believe it was cutting him off from his food supply (mouths of Zhaitan) and basically blinding him (eyes of Zhaitan.) Then in his weakened state: Cannons. I think a lot of people forget the campaign in Orr up to the final fight, but IIRC, he's already been "weakened" by the time you fly up to him and shoot him off a building. 
</ref> || [[Ruins of Orr]] || [[Risen]] || Active || {{red|Hostile}}
|-
| [[Kralkatorrik]] || Crystal<ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> and Fury<ref name="Living World magazine" /> || 1320 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || His own blood and resonance with his minions<ref name="The Way Forward" /> || [[Crystal Desert]] || [[Branded]] || Awake || {{red|Hostile}}
|-
| [[Mordremoth]] || Plant and Mind<ref name="Hidden Arcana" /> || N/A || Attacking his mind<ref name="The Way Forward" /> || [[Heart of Maguuma]] || [[Mordrem]] || Dormant || {{red|Hostile}}
|}
* The [[Sons of Svanir]] revere and worship [[Jormag]] but they are not its minions, though many are eventually corrupted into Icebrood.

=== At present ===
{{spoilers|
[[File:Ascended Aurene.jpg|thumb|[[Aurene]] [[Descent|becomes]] an Elder Dragon.]]
{{{!}} {{STDT|lore}}
! Name
! Domain(s)
! Date of most recent awakening
! Place of awakening
! Status
! Attitude
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Aurene]] {{!!}} Crystal and Light<ref name="Living World magazine" /><ref name="Roaring Flames">[[Roaring Flames]]
:'''Jormag through Bangar:''' Oh, Dragon of Crystal and Light—do I intimidate you?</ref> {{!!}} 1329 <small>AE</small>, in [[Dragon Vigil]] (birth)<br>1332 <small>AE</small>, in [[Descent]] (ascension) {{!!}} [[Dragonfall]] {{!!}} Active {{!!}} Friendly
{{!}}}

;Deceased Elder Dragons
{{{!}} {{STDT|lore}}
! Name
! Date of last awakening
! Place of awakening
! Date of death
! Place of death
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Zhaitan]] {{!!}} 1219 <small>AE</small>, in ''[[Sea of Sorrows (book)|Sea of Sorrows]]'' {{!!}} Beneath [[Ruins of Orr]] {{!!}} 1325 <small>AE</small>, in [[Victory or Death]] {{!!}} [[The Elder Dragon's Lair]], [[The Ruined City of Arah]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Mordremoth]] {{!!}} 1327 <small>AE</small>, in [[Scarlet's End]] {{!!}} [[Dragon's Domain]], [[Dragon's Stand]] {{!!}} 1328 <small>AE</small>, in [[Hearts and Minds]] {{!!}} [[Dragon's Domain]], [[Dragon's Stand]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Kralkatorrik]] {{!!}} 1320 <small>AE</small>, in ''[[Edge of Destiny]]'' {{!!}} [[Kralkatorrik's Emergence Zone]], [[Grothmar Valley]] {{!!}} 1332 <small>AE</small>, in [[Descent]] {{!!}} [[Dragonfall]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Jormag]] {{!!}} 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[One Charr, One Dragon, One Champion]] {{!!}} [[Frost Citadel]], [[Drizzlewood Coast]] {{!!}} 1334 <small>AE</small>, in [[Dragonstorm (story)|Dragonstorm]] {{!!}} [[Dragonstorm Arena]], [[Dragonstorm]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Primordus]] {{!!}} 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[Wildfire (story)|Wildfire]] {{!!}} [[Primal Kiln]], [[Draconis Mons]] {{!!}} 1334 <small>AE</small>, in [[Dragonstorm (story)|Dragonstorm]] {{!!}} [[Dragonstorm Arena]], [[Dragonstorm]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Soo-Won]] {{!!}} between 1120 and 1165 <small>AE</small> {{!!}} [[Unending Ocean]] {{!!}} 1335 AE, in [[The Only One]] {{!!}} [[Harvest Complex]], [[Dragon's End]]
{{!}}}
|the [[personal story]], [[Living World]] and all [[expansion]]s|100}}

== Nature and physiology ==
[[File:Dragon 13 concept art (Defeated Dragon).jpg|thumb|'Defeated Dragon' by [[Daniel Dociu]] was an early concept of what the Elder Dragons would look like as a "primordial force".]]
The Elder Dragons are the apex lifeform on [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]], and feed upon its [[magic]] in a cycle of feast and famine. They violently draw the magic of the world into themselves until the world is near depleted, and then as they slumber it slowly bleeds back out into the world from their draconic bodies, causing them to awaken again. As all life is to some extent magic-bearing and the dragons are not picky in their meals or servants, each dragonrise is a dangerous period, resulting in the shattering of civilizations and even extinctions in the past. Only a few other creatures naturally have this ability; these include [[chak]], [[imp]]s, and the [[Six Human Gods|Six Gods]].

From the point of view of Tyrians, the Elder Dragons appear to be primordial forces of nature, and are just as unstoppable as a blizzard or earthquake. However, the dragons actually have distinct personalities and goals.<ref>[https://youtu.be/HE1C9t8dHIA?t=2297 Guild Chat Episode 85 - (Spoilers) War Eternal], YouTube.com
:'''Tom Abernathy:''' One of our slow changes to the world over [Living World Season 4] has been that dragons are not crazed wild animals with no rationality. They are actual people. And Aurene is our window into that. That's how the Commander and everybody else knows it because now they know Aurene, they know a dragon the way they never knew one before.</ref> Each Elder Dragon embodies a concept of nature, and has two spheres of influence,<ref name="Hidden Arcana" /> for example Plant and Mind, or Crystal and Fury.<ref name="The Elder Dragons">[[The Elder Dragons]]</ref> These spheres are reflected both in the Elder Dragons' appearance and the appearance of their minions. The breath of the dragons exudes their essence, twisting creatures, landscapes, and all things caught in their exhalation into a mimicry of the dragon's power via what is referred to as [[dragon energy]]. For the undead dragon, [[Zhaitan]], this meant minions and landscapes were images of decay, watery decomposition, undeath, swampy morass, and pestilence.

The Elder Dragons represent a force much larger than their material form would suggest, and the constellations themselves are altered by their awakening.<ref name="Rising Stars">[[Rising Stars]]</ref>

Each Elder Dragon appears to have a unique respective weakness,<ref name="Buried Insight">[[Buried Insight]]
:'''Taimi:''' Based on their extensive research on Primordus, the Rata Novans determined that each Elder Dragon had a weakness.
:'''Taimi:''' A unique respective weakness.</ref><ref name="The Way Forward" /> and each have shown different behaviors and powers. [[Jormag]] and its [[Dragon champion|champions]] have shown mind-affecting powers,<ref>"Chapter: Lair of the Dragonspawn", ''[[Edge of Destiny]]'' by [[J. Robert King]]:
:The Dragonspawn’s elongated head turned toward his foes. Eyes glowed bright blue. The beams splashed across Eir, Garm, Snaff, and Zojja. They shielded their eyes, but the monster was seeping into their minds.</ref> while only Zhaitan could utilize corpses in its corruption.<ref name="Elder Dragons Zhaitan and Mordremoth">[https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/493906/#Comment_493906 Post by Andrew Gray] in "Elder Dragons Zhaitan and Mordremoth", Guild Wars 2 Forums</ref> Similarly, the Elder Dragons have both limitations and preferences for what and how they corrupt. Primordus, while capable of corrupting the living,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170914104904/https://www.guildmag.com/magazine/issue9/interview.htm Interview with Jeff Grubb, Ree Soesbee and Scott McGough], GuildMag.com (archived)</ref><ref>[[Crucible of Eternity (story)]]</ref> will usually corrupt rock and lava into new minions. Zhaitan, though capable of corrupting the living,<ref>[[Corporal Kellach]]</ref><ref>[[Necromancer Rissa]]</ref> will usually corrupt corpses.

{{spoilers|
[[File:The All (texture).png|thumb|Design of [[the All]] depicting the positions of the Elder Dragons within the [[The Map of the All|Antikytheria]] system of [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]].]]
Being so intrinsically tied to Tyria, the death of an Elder Dragon has major consequences to the natural order of the world. Like dormant Elder Dragons, dead Elder Dragons release the magical energy contained in their body back into the world via the [[ley line]]s criss-crossing the globe. In addition to this, their sphere of magic becomes divided among the other Elder Dragons,<ref name="Taimi's Game>[[Taimi's Game]]
:'''Taimi:''' The ones who came from the blighting pods! Mordremoth had its minions, the sylvari, right? But it was able to create more, new ones from the dead! That power came from Zhaitan!
:'''Taimi:''' Killing Zhaitan caused the other dragons to absorb the death spectrum, but we only saw it in Mordremoth because it was active.
:'''Taimi:''' Then we killed Mordremoth, and now Primordus has absorbed some of the death and planty-ness! I think...</ref><ref>[[Researcher Raizza]]</ref> with the closest gaining more power from these fallen Elder Dragons.<ref name="Elixir Cookin">[[Elixir Cookin']]
:'''Taimi:''' If I were a supposing kind of genius—which I am—I'd suppose Primordus must have soaked up more Mordremoth energy.
:'''Taimi:''' Maybe proximity matters, and since Jormag's so far away, it didn't receive as much Mordy juice.</ref> The Elder Dragons who absorb this magic gain some control over the spheres of the fallen Elder Dragons.

After Zhaitan's [[Victory or Death|death]], [[Mordremoth]] gained the ability to use corpses in [[Blighting Tree]]s, while [[Kralkatorrik]] gained the ability to corrupt corpses.<ref name="Elder Dragons Zhaitan and Mordremoth" /><ref name="Taimi's Game" />

With the deaths of both Zhaitan and Mordremoth, their magic spread across the ley lines. [[Primordus]], Jormag, and Kralkatorrik all created minions exhibiting death, shadow, plant, or mind magic. Interestingly, [[Champion Unstable Abomination|one such abomination]] was immune to most normal damage, but could be harmed by [[The Bitter Cold|bursts of plant or death magic]] from the explosive deaths of plant or death-infused [[wikipedia:larva|larvae]] in close proximity. Similarly, larvae infused with Zhaitan's magic were vulnerable to Mordremoth's magic, and vice-versa.

Some time after Mordremoth and Kralkatorrik's demises, Jormag gained the ability to puppeteer corpses to communicate with people, with the victim generally displaying jerky movements as Jormag's voice bleeds through their own.<ref>[[Guild Chat - Episode 95]]</ref> The whispers of the Ice Dragon's champion Drakkar similarly grew louder during this time.<ref>[[A History of Still Waters Speaking: Part Two]]</ref> Primordus, meanwhile, unleashed enhanced minions such as [[Death-Touched Destroyer]]s, [[Rotting Destroyer]]s, and [[Vine-Touched Destroyer]]s although these were only seen after Primordus's relocation to the [[Ring of Fire]].

The recent unexpected elimination of two Elder Dragons from the cycle has created a void and an imbalance in Tyria's cosmic magical mechanism known as [[the All]], causing the collapse of the world's natural systems to begin.<ref name="The Way Forward">[[The Way Forward]]
:'''Josso Essher:''' The most important lesson an Exalted must learn is: though Elder Dragons are unimaginably powerful, they can be killed.
:'''Josso Essher:''' Each has a distinct flaw.
:'''Josso Essher:''' Mordremoth, for example, dominates thought. But its most powerful asset—its mind—is also its greatest liability.
:'''Josso Essher:''' Kralkatorrik's unique strength—its power to crystalize objects—is also its singular weakness.
:'''Josso Essher:''' Its creations share a fundamental resonance that connects them back to the crystal dragon and makes them vulnerable to each other. [...]
:'''Sadizi:''' The millennia-long Elder Dragon cycle is one of feast and famine. Ravenous, they rise. Sated, they sleep.
:'''Sadizi:''' Glint and the Forgotten set out to break this cycle of extremes and to restore true balance.
:'''Sadizi:''' But when two Elder Dragons were unexpectedly eliminated from the cycle at one time, we believe it created a void.
:'''Sadizi:''' A void that caused the system to break down and the collapse to begin.</ref> Based on simulations that [[Taimi]] had run, the death of one more Elder Dragon would irrevocably damage Tyria and send it to destruction, giving credibility to [[Ogden Stonehealer]]'s theory on the Elder Dragons' ties to the All based on research on the [[Tome of the Five True Gods]].<ref name="Elder Druid Protection">Cinematic during [[Elder Druid Protection]]</ref><ref>[[The Map of the All]]</ref><ref>[[Hidden Arcana]]
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' Much of what we know about them comes from a document written by the first humans to walk the face of Tyria: the Scroll of the Five True Gods.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' It is written in an ancient dialect, therefore it is subject to interpretation.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' In it, the gods revealed the names of the Elder Dragons: Mordremoth, Kralkatorrik, Jormag, Zhaitan, and Primordus.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' There is one other name listed, but it is illegible, lost to time. I suspect this is the deep-sea dragon.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The gods expound on how Tyria's health is tied directly to them. This portion is somewhat abstract, however.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' There are varied theories on what it means, but I believe it refers to the natural balance of magic.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' Too much magic, and the world spins out of control. Too little, and it crumbles into darkness.</ref>
|[[Living World Season 3]] and ''[[Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire]]''|100}}

=== Dragonrise ===
{{quotation|Chapter 27: Dragonrise, ''[[Edge of Destiny]]''|Tyria should have known. The signs of the dragonrise were everywhere:

The earthquake that shook Rata Sum.

The tidal wave that carried ships into the streets of Lion’s Arch.

The geysers that erupted in the tundra beyond Hoelbrak.

The pall that hung over the Black Citadel.

Tyria had been wracked by such terrible birth pangs before.

The people should have guessed that a dragon was rising.}}
Dragonrise<ref>Chapter 27: Dragonrise, ''[[Edge of Destiny]]'' by [[J. Robert King]]</ref> is a term used to refer to the cyclic awakenings of the Elder Dragons. Dragonrises occur roughly every 10,000 years, lasting for several centuries before the Elder Dragons fall back into slumber from consuming all of [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]]'s available [[magic]].<ref>[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)#Jotun|The Ruined City of Arah explorable Jotun path]]
:'''Varra Skylark:''' This is an amazing discovery! The jotun's sky-sweeper shows a stellar match with the last time the dragons awoke.
:'''<Character name>:''' When was that last time?
:'''Varra Skylark:''' Around ten thousand years ago. You know what this means? The Elder Dragons may have been responsible for the extinction of the Giganticus Lupicus!</ref> The rises are often accompanied by cataclysmic events as the Elder Dragons' initial activity transforms the very land around them with [[Dragon energy|corruption]].

According to the Elder Dragon [[Jormag]], the dragonrise cycle of feast and famine may not have always existed in such a destructive form but it eventually led to the Elder Dragons consuming entire civilizations on [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]] in their hunger for [[magic]].<ref>[[Voice in the Deep]]
:'''The Whisper of Jormag:''' I understand why you want to silence me, but you must listen. For Tyria's sake.
:'''The Whisper of Jormag:''' For thousands of years, I've watched this broken system consume entire civilizations.
:'''The Whisper of Jormag:''' But it was not always this way. You, Aurene, and I—we can save this world. Preserve it.</ref><ref>[[The Way Forward]]
:'''Sadizi:''' The millennia-long Elder Dragon cycle is one of feast and famine. Ravenous, they rise. Sated, they sleep.
:'''Sadizi:''' Glint and the Forgotten set out to break this cycle of extremes and to restore true balance. [...]
:'''Sadizi:''' We theorize these vacancies must be filled with entities that circulate and share magic rather than hoard it.
:'''Sadizi:''' Only then will the balance of magic truly become stable. Only then will Glint's legacy achieve its ultimate purpose.</ref>

Ancient [[jotun]] stargazers discovered that the Elder Dragon awakenings and births of new stars were linked somehow. This information allowed them to predict the time of the next dragonrise.<ref>[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)#Jotun|The Ruined City of Arah (explorable) Jotun path]]
:'''Varra Skylark:''' They studied the world and the heavens, and inscribed their discoveries on their great monument stones.
:'''Varra Skylark:''' My study of those stones in the Shiverpeaks leads me to believe they knew when the dragons would awaken. [...]
:'''Varra Skylark:''' Yes, yes! This clearly shows some new stars in the firmament. And they line up with the jotun designs!
:'''Varra Skylark:''' The appearance of the Elder Dragons is reflected by the stars themselves. When they awaken, so do these new stars!</ref>

==== Known dragonrises and their effects ====
;Previous dragonrise
{| {{STDT|pve}}
! Dragon
! Effects
|-
| [[Jormag]] || Caused [[the Dragonstorm]] that lasted for several seasons and forced the [[kodan]] to flee to the north seas.<ref>[[Kodan Snowcaller]]</ref><ref name="The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan">[[The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan]]</ref>
|}

==== Current dragonrise ====
;At the beginning of ''[[Guild Wars 2]]''
{| {{STDT|pve}}
! Dragon
! Date of most recent awakening
! Place of awakening
! Effects
|-
| [[Primordus]] || 1120 <small>[[Mouvelian calendar|AE]]</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || Beneath [[gww:Central Transfer Chamber|Central Transfer Chamber]], [[Depths of Tyria]] || Invaded [[Quora Sum]] and other [[asura]]n cities, drove the asura and the [[skritt]] to the surface, and eradicated many subterranean races entirely.<ref>[[That Old College Try]]</ref>
|-
|[[Deep Sea Dragon]] || between 1120 and 1165 <small>AE</small> || Somewhere in the [[Unending Ocean]] || Unknown initial effects. Its advance is speculated to have been the reason why the [[krait]] fled to surface waters, which in turn forced the southern [[quaggan]]s to flee north as the krait captured or killed the royal [[markissios]] family and caused the disappearance of the quaggan goddess [[Mellaggan]].<ref>[[Nanacatl]]</ref><ref>[[Pastkeeper]]</ref><ref>[[The Mostly Harmless Quaggan]]</ref>
|-
| [[Jormag]] || 1165 <small>AE</small><ref>[[Thyrie Bylund]]
:'''Thyrie Bylund:''' To our knowledge, Jormag was the second Elder Dragon to awaken, rising in 1165 AE. His rising brought with it a massive snowstorm and a legion of minions made of ice and snow.</ref><ref name="The Elder Dragons">[[The Elder Dragons]]</ref> || Somewhere in the lands beyond the [[Far Shiverpeaks]] || Created a massive blizzard that lasted for four years and buried the northern passes, killed several norn and forced them to flee south in the [[norn exodus]].<ref>[[Thyrie Bylund]]</ref> Caused the disappearance of four of the [[Spirits of the Wild]]—[[Eagle Spirit|Eagle]], [[Owl (Spirit of the Wild)|Owl]], [[Ox Spirit|Ox]], and [[Wolverine Spirit|Wolverine]].<ref>[[A Spirit of Legend]]</ref><ref>[[Gamal]]</ref> Forced several [[kodan]] to flee south to the [[Shiverpeak Mountains]] and caused the creation of a new inland sea in the Far Shiverpeaks.<ref name="The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan" /> Tore apart [[gww:Gunnar's Hold|Gunnar's Hold]] with a massive glacier.<ref>"Chapter 18: The Calm Before", ''Edge of Destiny'' by J. Robert King:
:"We fought Jormag—gladly we fought it, for norn are made for battle. But never had we fought a beast like this. It was a living blizzard. It and its minions froze us where we fought and buried our lands in snow and ice and tore apart Gunnar's Hold with a massive glacier. It took our lands. It drove us south."</ref>
|-
| [[Zhaitan]] || 1219 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || Beneath the [[Ruins of Orr]] || Caused the [[Rising of Orr]], creating the Great Tsunami that flooded old [[Lion's Arch]] and [[Atholma]] while turning [[Dajkah]] into an archipelago and destroyed [[The Battle Isles|the Battle Isles]].<ref>[[Sea of Sorrows (book)|Sea of Sorrows]]</ref><ref>[[The Movement of the World]]</ref><ref>[[Of Maelstroms]]</ref> Also destroyed the [[Kaineng Ruins|Old Kaineng City]] and turned many [[Cantha]]ns into Risen.<ref>[[Guild Chat - Episode 117]]</ref>
|-
| [[Kralkatorrik]] || 1320 <small>AE</small><ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> || [[Kralkatorrik's Emergence Zone]], [[Grothmar Valley]] || Created the [[Dragonbrand]] with his breath, [[Dragon energy|corrupted]] several beings in [[Ascalon]] and sent them to assault [[Stronghold of Ebonhawke|Ebonhawke]] in the [[Ogre Revolt]], killed [[Glint]] and [[Snaff]] during a battle in the [[Desert Highlands]].<ref>[[Edge of Destiny]]</ref>
|-
|}

;At present
{{spoilers|
{{{!}} {{STDT|pve}}
! Dragon
! Date of most recent awakening
! Place of awakening
! Effects
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Mordremoth]] {{!!}} 1327 <small>AE</small>, in [[Scarlet's End]] {{!!}} [[Dragon's Domain]], [[Dragon's Stand]] {{!!}} Used its herald [[Scarlet Briar]] to decimate [[Lion's Arch]] in the [[Battle for Lion's Arch]], spread vines to tear through the landscape of the [[Heart of Maguuma]] and [[Tyria|Central Tyria]] in search of magical artifacts, created several [[Blighting Tree]]s to mass produce minions, attacked several [[waypoint]]s, gravely injured the [[Pale Tree]],<ref>[[The World Summit]]</ref> decimated the [[Pact]] fleet and mass turned [[sylvari]] into the [[Mordrem Guard]].<ref>[[Torn from the Sky]]</ref>
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Aurene]] {{!!}} Ascended in 1332 <small>AE</small>, in [[Descent]] {{!!}} [[Dragonfall]] {{!!}} Began eradicating the [[Branded]] throughout [[Ascalon]] and [[Elona]], and purified [[Kralkatorrik]]'s [[Dragonbrand]].
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Jormag]] {{!!}} Dormant between 1330 and 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[Heart of the Volcano (story)|Heart of the Volcano]]<br>Awake since 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[One Charr, One Dragon, One Champion]] {{!!}} [[Frost Citadel]], [[Drizzlewood Coast]] {{!!}} Manipulated [[Bangar Ruinbringer]] to cause the [[charr]] civil war between the [[United Legions]] and the [[Dominion]] which led to several charr being [[Dragon energy|corrupted]] into the [[Frost Legion]].
{{!}}-
{{!}} [[Primordus]] {{!!}} Dormant between 1330 and 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[Heart of the Volcano (story)|Heart of the Volcano]]<br>Awake since 1333 <small>AE</small>, in [[Wildfire (story)|Wildfire]] {{!!}} [[Primal Kiln]], [[Draconis Mons]] {{!!}} Unknown
{{!}}}
|the [[personal story]], [[Living World]] and all [[expansion]]s|100}}

=== Dragon minions ===
While awake, the Elder Dragons exude unique [[Dragon energy|draconic energies]], which have a corruptive effect on the [[magic]] near them. These energies twist landscapes and turn living creatures into minions that also consume magic and act on the dragons' behalf. The Elder Dragons themselves rarely directly intervene with Tyrians, preferring to send their minions to do the work for them. Dragon minions that have absorbed more magic are observed to be more powerful,<ref name="Test Subject">[[Test Subject]]
:'''Scholar Krasso:''' Sorry, Professor. I should have anticipated that such a high dose of concentrated magic would only strengthen the minion.
:'''Scholar Krasso:''' This test proved that we are all imperiled, particularly those of us possessing large magical stockpiles.
:'''Professor Gorr:''' Unquestionably. On the bright side, this is the breakthrough I've been looking for: proof positive that my theory is valid.
:'''Professor Gorr:''' These readings are conclusive: the more magic we gave it, the more was absorbed. The Arcane Council can't possibly deny the correlation.</ref> leading to speculation that as more powerful minions hold a larger quantity of magic, they may also hold more of the Elder Dragons' will, and that creatures infused with more energy by Elder Dragons act with more self-will.<ref name="Magic Sucks">[[Magic Sucks]]
:'''Trahearne:''' These seem to be more powerful. They also hold a larger quantity of magic. More of Zhaitan's will, perhaps? [...]
:'''Trahearne:''' Indeed, these creatures are acting with more self-will! Zhaitan's infused them with tremendous energy. See how the weapon affects them!</ref>

As shown by [[Inquest]] tests with [[Kudu's Monster]], [[Subject Alpha]] in the [[Crucible of Eternity (explorable)|Crucible of Eternity]], and [[Simulacrum of Subject Beta|Subject Beta]] in the [[Specimen Chamber]], dragon minions are not immune to other Elder Dragons' corruption although the crosscorruption phenomenon has not been observed among dragon minions in the wild so far for unknown reasons. In the case of the rogue Subject Alpha, the crosscorruption from multiple Elder Dragons gave it the ability to force rival dragon minions to work under it as a single army without the minions turning on each other while it was unknown which dragon Alpha ultimately was loyal to. Further Inquest tests with [[Risen]] in [[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)#Mursaat|Arah]] have shown that dragon minions can be controlled by another party via dominating devices.<ref>See e.g. [[Elite Dominated Deadeye]].</ref>

The most powerful dragon minions are known as "[[dragon champion|champion]]s", or lieutenants.<ref>[[Arcanist Fenn]]</ref> The will of the dragons is realized by these champions, who maintain their territories and command their lesser minions. Champions are also known as "heralds" in the context of preparing for the awakening of their respective masters by gathering magic.<ref>[[That Old College Try]]</ref> This has been observed in the case of [[gww:the Great Destroyer|the Great Destroyer]] for Primordus, and [[Drakkar]] for Jormag.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904060427/http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/11394-guru-the-ultimate-pax-east-thread/page__st__420#entry615323 Post by Stéphane Lo Presti], GuildWars2Guru.com (Archived)</ref>

One of the Elder Dragons, Kralkatorrik, had at least one [[scion]], [[Glint]]. This scion was also made a champion of Kralkatorrik, enslaved to his will, but was freed from his influence by [[Forgotten]] magic. She remained in crystalline form, but regained her free will and identity,<ref name="Warden Illyra">[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)#Forgotten|The Ruined City of Arah (explorable) Forgotten path]]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' The Forgotten discovered a great spell that granted Glint a will free from control by the Elder Dragon. She then concealed many of the elder races from the dragons. [...]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' This artifact once belonged to the Forgotten. The golden seal matches those from the Crystal Desert.
:'''Warden Illyra:''' More importantly, it has remained uncorrupted either by Orr's long immersion or by Zhaitan.
:'''Warden Illyra:''' This is important. It means that some sort of protection is possible! [...]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' I have learned that the last time the Elder Dragons came, the Forgotten worked with Glint, who hid the old races from the dragons' power. [...]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' Yes. Yes! Look at these runes. The Forgotten were able to remove Kralkatorrik's control over Glint.
:'''Warden Illyra:''' Glint remained in crystalline form, but she regained her free will and identity. [...]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' This is the altar. It was here, before the human gods came, that Glint was freed of the Elder Dragons.</ref> but not her memories, and eventually turned against Kralkatorrik. Glaust (better known as Glint) was an oracle who could hear the thoughts of others and [[prophecy|predict the future]] with some limitations.<ref>"Chapter 26: Seeking the Sanctum", ''Edge of Destiny'' by J. Robert King:
:The dragon's great eyes went gray. "I can hear the thoughts of creatures. I am an oracle. I heard their plots against my master, stopped them before they reached him, killed them in their tracks. But I also felt their agony, their loss. It grieved me."</ref><ref name="Crystalline Memories">[[Crystalline Memories]]
:'''Glint:''' I remember only fragments from the days before the Forgotten performed their ritual on me. [...]
:'''Glint:''' When my mind is drawn to the suffering of Tyria's people...the inescapable doom they face...
:'''Glint:''' I feel a sickness in my heart. The first stirrings of compassion.
:'''Glint:''' I turn their plight over and over in my mind. The Elder Dragons. The world consumed.
:'''Glint:''' I can abide these visions no longer. There must be something I can do.
:'''Lady Kasmeer Meade:''' So this is when Glint decided to help the mortal races.
:'''<Character name>:''' We were fortunate. Could have just as easily gone the other way. [...]
:'''Glint:''' Prophecy is not always a gift. Often I see things I wish I hadn't. But when the vision is clouded, I am most uneasy.</ref> The [[dwarf|dwarven]] [[Brotherhood of the Dragon]] believed that she was well on her way to becoming an Elder Dragon herself,<ref name="Hidden Arcana" /> indicating that the primary distinctions between Elder Dragons and lesser [[dragon]]s are the amount of magical energy that they possess and the amount of time that they have lived.

{{spoilers|When an Elder Dragon dies, its corrupted minions become Unchained. Lesser minions' effectiveness is reduced, but dragon champions are able to enhance nearby minions' intelligence to work more effectively. More intelligent champions such as kingpins are able to acknowledge their dragon master's demise but are willing to continue fighting and carrying out the dragon's vision regardless.<ref name="Unchained Kingpin">[[Defeat the unchained kingpin]]</ref><ref>[[Kill the undead that have escaped into the camp]]</ref>

Upon the release of magic from an Elder Dragon's death, more powerful champions can absorb the magic and undergo an evolution to potentially take their fallen master's place as an Elder Dragon as was suggested to happen with [[Tequatl the Sunless]] following Zhaitan's demise.<ref>[https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/lore-interview-with-ree-soesbee/ Lore Interview with Ree Soesbee, March 24, 2016]
:'''Ree Soesbee:''' When an Elder Dragon dies, its magic isn't just snuffed out. It doesn't vanish. The creature itself is dead, but the magic that it put into the world through its creations is still there. Tequatl's evolution is an aftereffect of the death of Zhaitan. The magic used to create Tequatl is no longer being controlled by Zhaitan, but it still exists within Tequatl. Therefore, like many uncontrolled magics, it is experiencing an evolution and it is shaping itself.</ref>|[[Living World Season 3]]|100}}

=== Protection from dragon corruption ===
{{section-stub|lore|Expand with more examples}}
It is possible to protect oneself from the [[Dragon energy|corruption]] of draconic energies or restore free will to a dragon minion via a purification ritual at specific and rare [[magic]]al sites around the [[Tyria (world)|world]] although such spells require significant resources to cast and are thus not universally available.<ref>[https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/lore/lore/New-lore-interview-to-Anet-lore-team Comments by Angel McCoy, Bobby Stein, and Scott McGough] in "New lore interview to Anet lore team", Old Guild Wars 2 Forums (Archived)</ref> For example, the [[Forgotten]] cleansed [[Glint]] during the last dragonrise cycle, and [[Warden Illyra]] did the same to the [[Risen]] chicken [[Twitchy]] by recreating the ritual at [[the Altar of Glaust]] in 1325 <small>[[Mouvelian calendar|AE]]</small>.<ref name="Warden Illyra" /> The [[Pale Tree]] is also suggested to have been purified in the past although who performed the ritual on her and potentially other seeds found by [[Ronan]] remains unknown.<ref>"Chapter 7: Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns", ''[[The Complete Art of Guild Wars: ArenaNet 20th Anniversary Edition]]'' by [[Indigo Boock]]:
:She [Pale Tree] was purified, somehow, and is remarkably benevolent.</ref> As shown with Glint and Twitchy, purified minions retain their physical corruption even though their minds are freed. However, free will still allows the cleansed minion to continue serving the Elder Dragon if they so choose as Glint served [[Kralkatorrik]] for some time after being freed until she finally defected to the side of mortals.<ref name="Crystalline Memories" /> The freed minion can also opt to carry out the Elder Dragon's will even if the dragon is dead and the minion has become aware of their master's demise.<ref name="Unchained Kingpin" />

Certain artifacts, such as the [[Blue Orb|krait orb]] and the [[Metal Forest|golden orb]] in [[the Wealdwood]], provide protection against [[Zhaitan]]'s corruption.

[[Ascalonian ghost]]s, spectral [[Mist Wardens]], the [[Exalted]], and [[golem]]s apparently cannot be corrupted.<ref>[[Exalted Bastion]]</ref><ref>[[Engage Kralkatorrik#Dialogue|Engage Kralkatorrik]]</ref> Because the sylvari are protected by the Pale Tree and the [[Dream of Dreams]], they are immune to corruption by Elder Dragons, a fact which was taken advantage of by the [[Pact]] by forming all-sylvari units such as the [[Pale Reavers]] during the campaign against Zhaitan.<ref>[[Marching Orders]]
:'''<Character name>:''' Pale Reavers is an interesting name. I notice you're all sylvari.
:'''Tegwen:''' Because sylvari are immune to the curse of undeath, we've been given this dangerous mission. If we fail, we won't rise again. [...]
:'''<Character name>:''' I'd like to know more about the Pale Reavers first.
:'''Tegwen:''' Marshal Trahearne himself had the initial idea. Once he realized that Zhaitan can't raise sylvari, he formed this squad to exploit that weakness.
:'''<Character name>:''' Why doesn't Zhaitan's magic work on sylvari?
:'''Tegwen:''' Unknown at present, but the Pact's top minds are working on it. If you ask me, we're just too new to Tyria. The Elder Dragons haven't figured us out yet.</ref><ref>[[Rallying Call]]
:'''Avatar of the Tree:''' Well, my child, the one thing you must never forget is that I stand between you and the greatest darkness you'll ever know. A vast darkness intent on consuming all that we hold dear.
:'''<Character name>:''' (if sylvari) What do you mean, Mother?
:'''Avatar of the Tree:''' There are those who reject my protection. It leaves them vulnerable in ways they cannot imagine, in ways they never were before. I shield you as best I can and will for as long as I can.
:'''<Character name>:''' You're talking about dragon corruption. We've been immune to it.
:'''Avatar of the Tree:''' Yes. In the past, my children have been immune. But Mordremoth's corruption is powerful, and just as Zhaitan created the undead from so many creatures, so Mordremoth's corruption can change you.
:'''<Character name>:''' Scarlet?
:'''Avatar of the Tree:''' I believe she opened herself to it when she let down the wall of her mind. Mordremoth's corruption seeps in through the cracks in our willpower. Do not follow in her footsteps.
</ref><ref>[[Hidden Arcana]]
:'''<Character name>:''' Sylvari were invulnerable to corruption. But not with Mordremoth. Why?
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' (if sylvari) You refer to Scarlet and Aerin. Similar symptoms. Yes.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' I'm no expert on your kind. But your people's concept of nightmare and Dream is simple.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' Too black and white, too unsophisticated to explain the changes affecting some of you.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The Pale Tree is said to protect you from the corruption of the other dragons. They both rejected her, no?
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' It makes sense that sylvari would be vulnerable to Mordremoth, a plant-based being like yourselves.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' This is a question you should ask your Pale Tree.
</ref><ref>[https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/points-of-interest-episode-18-summary/ Points of Interest Episode 18 summary], GuildWars2.com</ref><ref>While the common misconception is that sylvari are immune to dragon corruption due to being minions of Mordremoth themselves, the existence of cross-corrupted dragon minions such as [[Kudu's Monster]], [[Subject Alpha]] and the [[Simulacrum of Subject Beta]] shows that dragon minions can be corrupted by other dragons' energies.</ref> Any attempt to corrupt a sylvari results in the affected sylvari dying instead; however, there are ways to circumvent this protection if the affected sylvari willingly opens themselves to a dragon's corruption to become a [[Dragon champion#Bonded champions|bonded minion]] rather than being forced to undergo the process.<ref>[[The Crystal Blooms]]
:'''Caithe:''' It's all right. Speak through me. [...]
:'''Caithe:''' Oh, I'm me. We were right—she DOES need both of us. Now I know what my role is. And it's...humbling.
:'''Taimi:''' I thought dragon minions couldn't be corrupted by other dragons! Is it 'cause her egg absorbed Mordremoth's magic? How—
:'''Caithe:''' Taimi, it's all right. She asked, and I accepted. This isn't corruption—it's connection.</ref>

Divine magic, and artifacts or beings enchanted by it, are able to ward off dragon minions such as via the use of the Forgotten's [[Divine Fire]],<ref>[[The Mystery Cave]]
:'''Marjory Delaqua:''' The torch is burning with divine fire, Kas. Like what the gods imbued the Ascended with. Ogden thinks it will interfere with the Forgotten magic and allow us to entrance. [...]
:'''Marjory Delaqua:''' Strange... As soon as you completed the ritual with the Divine Fire, the Mordrem got spooked and ran off. Almost like—
:'''<Character name>:''' Like it was warding them off?
:'''Marjory Delaqua:''' Perhaps. Come on, we should probably hurry in case they return.</ref> some artifacts found in [[The Ruined City of Arah|Arah]],<ref name="Warden Illyra" /> or the ritual the Exalted perform to shield [[Tarir, the Forgotten City]] from dragon minions. The Elder Dragons were originally unable to corrupt the [[djinn]], considering the djinn's ability to deflect forms of corruption like the [[Brandstorm]] by using the fallen god [[Abaddon]]'s remnant magic.<ref>[[Shatter the Brandstone before it explodes]]</ref><ref>[[Kodonur Temple#Ambient dialogue|Kodonur Temple ambient dialogue]]</ref><ref>Dialogue with [[Ziya the Radiant]] in [[Sun's Refuge]]
:'''Ziya the Radiant:''' We djinn can shield ourselves from the Brand. It's not perfect—I still don't understand what happened to Vemyen—but I want to give others that power as well.
:'''<Character name>:''' Can I help?
:'''Ziya the Radiant:''' I believe the key lies in corrupted sand, and I'll need your help to gather it. Djinn have turned these sands to their own purposes before—creating jackals, for example.
:'''<Character name>:''' How do I find this sand for you?
:'''Ziya the Radiant:''' Here's a compass. Well it looks like a compass, but the needle will point you to any sand corrupted by Abaddon's magic. Abaddon's reach was vast—you'll find these sands all over Elona.</ref> However, if an Elder Dragon consumes the divine magic of a god or a former god, they are able to circumvent protection drawn from divine magic as seen when Kralkatorrik was able to corrupt [[Vemyen]] and [[Veteran Branded Djinn|other djinn]] after consuming much of the former god [[Balthazar]]'s divine magic.

{{spoilers|Deep connection with multiple [[Spirits of the Wild]] can also offer protection from dragon corruption even if the protected being opens themselves to dragon corruption. If the being bonds with the Spirits by taking their essences into themself as a harness, they can retain most of their original physical form when corrupted and resist the mental enslavement of an Elder Dragon to a degree albeit with great difficulty.<ref>[[Wildfire (story)|Wildfire]]
:'''Story journal:''' I witnessed Braham's transformation with my own eyes; he conferred with Raven, Bear, Wolf, and Snow Leopard, who instructed him to make his way into the heart of the volcano. Had he not been protected with their magic, he would have burst into flames instantly. They placed their trust and confidence in the young norn, who was now ready to truly become the Norn of Prophecy as had been foretold. It would take their combined strength to not only keep him shielded from physical harm, but also protect him from the mental assault that only an Elder Dragon could mount against a mortal. [...]
:With that, Braham offered himself as the fire dragon's new champion. One of intellect, fortitude, and ferocity. It would take all of his will—and that of the Spirits—to retain even a shred of his self such that he could complete his mission, even if it meant his untimely death.</ref> However, this protection is not permanent as prolonged exposure to dragon corruption and the Elder Dragon's hive mind will ultimately turn even a Spirits-shielded being into a true dragon minion who loses their former individuality.<ref>[[Dragonstorm (story)|Dragonstorm]]
:'''<Character name>:''' I watched him struggle with the fire. With himself. He got control, but...
:'''Aurene:''' The longer Braham is connected to Primordus, the more integrated they become... Until there's nothing left.</ref><ref>[[Champion's End]]
:'''Braham:''' I'm good, Commander. I know I did what I had to do. Just need a second to remember... myself.
:'''<Character name>:''' Are the Spirits of the Wild still with you?
:'''Braham:''' They kept me from falling off the edge. Wasn't easy. They're gonna need time to recover.</ref>

Cutting a bonded champion off from the magic of their Elder Dragon master and defeating the Elder Dragon afterwards appears to revert the physical effects of dragon corruption and restore the affected champion back to their former self. It is presently unknown if something similar happens to non-bonded dragon champions and lesser minions as well. A being protected by Spirits of the Wild appears to fully return to normal with no signs of lingering physical corruption,<ref>After [[Primordus]]'s death in [[Dragonstorm]], [[Braham Eirsson]], who had been bonded with the four Great Spirits of the Wild, returned to normal in [[Champion's End]] with no signs of dragon corruption visible anywhere on his body.</ref> while other cut off, bonded beings without Spirits' protection are severely weakened and retain some minor changes to their bodies as dragon corruption violently leaves their bodies.<ref>Although [[Ryland Steelcatcher]] lost much of his icy dragon corruption after [[Jormag]]'s death in Dragonstorm, his fur had permanently changed color in Champion's End.</ref><ref>[[Leivas]]</ref>
|[[The Icebrood Saga]]|100}}

== History ==
=== Pre-awakening ===
{{section-stub|lore|reason=There must be more information about the previous dragonrise than this out there.}}
[[File:Heart of the Volcano (story) loading screen.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Primordus]].]]
The fact that the last rise of the Elder Dragons is considered pre-history can be attributed to the dragons themselves—few records exist of the last cycle of awakening (believed by the [[Durmand Priory]] to be over 11,000 years ago, to coincide with the disappearance of the ''[[Great Giant|giganticus lupicus]]''), and most of what is known comes from [[dwarf|dwarven]] legends and [[jotun]] [[wikipedia:Stele|stelae]].

The [[Tome of the Rubicon]] speaks of the dwarves fighting the dragon's champions. Tyrians have since learned of other races fighting the dragons long ago—[[mursaat]], jotun, [[Forgotten]], and [[Seer]]s. The mursaat used their own magic to [[Mursaat Lore Tablet|flee the world of Tyria]], while Kralkatorrik's [[Dragon champion|champion]] [[Glint]] betrayed her master and hid the remaining races some time after being freed from Kralkatorrik's control via a Forgotten ritual.<ref name="Arah">[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)]]
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The Tome of the Rubicon speaks of the dwarves fighting the dragon's champions. [...]
:'''Warden Illyra:''' The Forgotten discovered a great spell that granted Glint a will free from control by the Elder Dragon. She then concealed many of the elder races from the dragons.</ref>

The [[elder race]]s, who were active during the previous dragonrise that occurred circa 10,000 years before the [[gww:Exodus of the Gods|Exodus of the Gods]], remained unaware of how many times the Elder Dragons had actually risen in the history of [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]]. The [[charr]],<ref>[[Myths and Legends of Ancient Ascalon]]</ref> [[Dwarf|dwarves]],<ref>[[gww:Unspeakable, Unknowable|Unspeakable, Unknowable]]
:'''High Priest Alkar:''' The Stone Summit are dangerously close to uncovering the Tome of the Rubicon. Inside is the true name of the Great Destroyer, the bane of the living and nemesis of the Great Dwarf himself. If the seals that bind that book are dispelled and the true name spoken... well, let's just say there is no worse thing that could happen in this world. [...]
:'''High Priest Alkar:''' Long ago, the Great Dwarf took from his greatest foe the one thing that give him his power...he took from him his name, sealing it away until the time of their final battle.
:'''High Priest Alkar:''' To ensure the name was unspeakable to all but the Great Dwarf, the name was sealed within the Rubicon. There are few left with the knowledge and power to open the Tome.
:'''High Priest Alkar:''' If the true name of either is spoken aloud, it would mean the end of the world as we know it. We must not allow that which is unknown to again become known. Not now. [...]
:'''High Priest Alkar:''' If that Hierophant reads the Great Destroyer's true name, he will summon upon this world the most malignant creature ever seen by mortal eyes.</ref><ref>[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)]]
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' This isn't the first time the dragons have risen.
:'''Ogden Stonehealer:''' The Tome of the Rubicon speaks of the dwarves fighting the dragon's champions.</ref> jotun,<ref name="Scholar Caterin">[[Scholar Caterin]]</ref><ref name="Prosperity's Mystery">[[Prosperity's Mystery]]
:"The Nature of Dragons" by Ogden Stonehealer.
:Or, should I say the "Dragons of Nature"? Yes. Dragons have long been thought to be as much a part of Tyria as the sun, moon, land, and seas.
:No one, not even the dwarves, know how long they've been here. The jotun and the norn both have lingering stories passed down through the generations about the last rise of the dragons.
:Most scholars give these tales little credit, unfortunately, as so much time has passed. It was over ten thousand years ago that the dragons last returned to their slumber.
:The very existence of these tales, however, indicates that the dragons have awakened at least twice in history.
:Ancient documents, found now in the Durmand Priory's collection, reveal accounts passed down by other races such as the powerful Seers and even the human gods themselves.</ref> [[kodan]],<ref>[[Enduring Icicle]]</ref> [[norn]]<ref name="Prosperity's Mystery" /> and [[tengu]]<ref>[[Genzhou Talonrend]]</ref> are known to have lingering stories passed down through the generations about the last rise of the dragons, with jotun stelae mentioning a "sextet of swallowers".<ref name="Scholar Caterin" /> According to scholars, the very existence of these tales indicates that the Elder Dragons have awakened at least twice in history. Ancient documents, presently found in the [[Durmand Priory]]'s collection, reveal accounts passed down by other races such as the powerful [[Seer]]s and even the [[Six Human Gods]] themselves.<ref name="Prosperity's Mystery" /><ref>[[Tome of the Five True Gods]]</ref>

Little physical or written evidence remains of the civilizations and races which existed in prior dragonrises, showing the totality of the destruction wrought by the Elder Dragons. The now extinct [[Great Giant]]s were some of the many victims of the Elder Dragons' reign.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170914104904/https://www.guildmag.com/magazine/issue9/interview.htm GuildMag Issue 9: A New Dawn - Lore Interview with Jeff Grubb, Ree Soesbee and Scott McGough], GuildMag.com (archived)</ref> The oldest known and identified structures and artifacts from the previous dragonrise belong to the elder races of the dwarves, Forgotten, jotun, [[mursaat]] and [[Seer]]s; the origins of other old structures such as the [[Eye of the North]] and the [[Altrumm Mines]] of [[the Echovald Forest]] or relics from locations such as the [[gww:The Aurios Mines (outpost)|Aurios Mines]] within [[the Jade Sea]], and whether they date back to the prior dragonrise, remain presently unknown.

The five elder races formed the first known multiracial alliance to fight back against the Elder Dragons during the previous dragonrise. The Forgotten and the mursaat assaulted the Elder Dragon [[Zhaitan]] but failed to slay it. The mursaat blamed the lack of involvement from the dwarves, jotun and Seers in the assault as the reason for the failure, and it eventually led to the alliance dissolving.<ref>[[Mursaat Lore Tablet]]</ref> With the help of unknown "divine resources", the Seers were able to gather the unspoiled magic in the world and lock it within a great artifact known as the first [[Bloodstone]], eventually speeding up the Elder Dragons' fall into slumber.<ref>[[A Study in Gold]]</ref><ref name="Arah Seer Path">[[The Ruined City of Arah (explorable)#Seer|The Ruined City of Arah (explorable) Seer path]]
:'''Randall Greyston:''' The Seers were a magical race, once close allies to the mursaat.
:'''Randall Greyston:''' When the Elder Dragons first awoke, they gathered the unspoiled magic in the world and locked it within a great artifact—the first bloodstone.</ref>

Dragons of all shapes, sizes, and origin called [[Cantha]] home for thousands of years, since long before the tribes of old joined to form the [[human]] empire that took them as its symbol.<ref>[ftp://ftp.guildwars.com/downloads/gwf-manual.pdf The Guild Wars Factions Manuscripts]</ref> [[Historian Angelina]], who was apparently one of the first scholars to conclude that the awakening of the Elder Dragons was cyclic, referred to a time known as "early pre-imperial era." In the [[Canthan calendar]], the early pre-imperial era corresponds to around 10,000 <small>[[Mouvelian calendar|BE]]</small>, a period which was not long after theorized by [[Varra Skylark]] to be the time of the last dragonrise.

As the dragons slept, the surviving races re-emerged, built civilisations, warred, and in some cases, died out. New civilisations also emerged, including the human nations. [[Six Human Gods]] first stepped out into the world at [[the Artesian Waters]], drawn to that site by the amount of ambient magic there.<ref>[[Cathedral of Silence (story)|Cathedral of Silence]]
:'''The Seventh Reaper:''' So shall it be. You seek the heart of Orr? Then you must go to the very beginning. The rock where the gods first set foot upon this world.
:'''The Seventh Reaper:''' There is an artesian well hidden in the mountains behind the temple of Melandru. There, you will find the place where Orr began.</ref> They built [[The Ruined City of Arah|Arah, City of the Gods]] there, not realizing that Zhaitan slept deep below. Similarly, the [[asura]] built their [[gww:Central Transfer Chamber|Central Transfer Chamber]] near Primordus, believing his sleeping form to be a magical statue and using the magic radiated by the Elder Dragon to power their [[asura gate]] network.<ref>[[gww:The Final Vision|The Final Vision]]
:'''Vekk:''' I've been to the Central Transfer Chamber. That cavern is adjacent to it. The big statue practically bleeds magic. It's why we built the chamber there in the first place.</ref>

In 1072 <small>AE</small>, the human [[Ronan]] discovered a cavern guarded by terrible plant creatures (possibly [[Mordrem]]) containing strange seed-pods.<ref>[[Dream and Nightmare]]</ref><ref name="The Movement of the World">[[The Movement of the World]]</ref> These seeds were destined to grow into [[Blighting Tree]]s, minion factories for [[Mordremoth]]. The seed taken by Ronan, however, eventually became the [[Pale Tree]] who was guided by the tenets of [[Ventari's Tablet]]. At least one other tree (which birthed [[Malyck]]) is out there, and the sylvari that came from that were also non-hostile (at least as of 1325 <small>AE</small>, two years before Mordremoth's last awakening).

At some point before 1078 <small>AE</small>, [[Vlast]], first of Glint's [[scion]]s, was born. He was intended to play a large role in Glint's legacy, her plan to preserve Tyria's magical balance by replacing Elder Dragons with equally powerful but less predatory entities in the cosmic Antikytheria mechanism of [[the All]].<ref>[[The Legacy]]</ref><ref>[[The Way Forward]]
:'''Sadizi:''' The millennia-long Elder Dragon cycle is one of feast and famine. Ravenous, they rise. Sated, they sleep.
:'''Sadizi:''' Glint and the Forgotten set out to break this cycle of extremes and to restore true balance.
:'''Sadizi:''' But when two Elder Dragons were unexpectedly eliminated from the cycle at one time, we believe it created a void.
:'''Sadizi:''' A void that caused the system to break down and the collapse to begin.
:'''Sadizi:''' The hope was that Glint's legacy would stabilize the cycle.
:'''Sadizi:''' We theorize these vacancies must be filled with entities that circulate and share magic rather than hoard it.
:'''Sadizi:''' Only then will the balance of magic truly become stable. Only then will Glint's legacy achieve its ultimate purpose.</ref> Destroyers came for Vlast during Primordus's first rise, but the scion was [[gww:Glint's Challenge|protected]] by the [[Brotherhood of the Dragon]] inside a fortress, which legends claimed was only a tiny shard of sand within the massive [[Crystal Desert]].<ref>[[gww:Consular Brand Oakencask|Consular Brand Oakencask]]</ref> Vlast was raised in the city of [[Kesho]] by the Forgotten and their [[Exalted]] servants, but he was never able to bond with the mortal races of the world as his mother had done due to his isolated upbringing.

=== Current dragonrise ===
[[File:The Ruined City of Arah (story) loading screen.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Zhaitan]].]]
The [[gww:Abaddon's Gate|death]] of the god [[Abaddon]] and consequent surge of magic in 1075 <small>AE</small> triggered the latest cycle of destruction.<ref name="Facing the Truth" /> In 1078 <small>AE</small>, the first of the Elder Dragons to awaken, [[Primordus]], began to stir. His herald, the [[gww:the Great Destroyer|Great Destroyer]], and its [[Destroyer]] army swarmed the [[Depths of Tyria]], driving the [[asura]] to the surface and destroying multiple underground civilizations. The asura refugees united with the dwarves, as well as the norn and [[Ebon Vanguard]], to strike at the heart of the destroyer army, defeating the Great Destroyer and delaying the awakening of Primordus until 1120 <small>AE</small>. This victory came with a cost—the dwarven race were forced to undergo the [[gww:Rite of the Great Dwarf|Rite of the Great Dwarf]] in order to suppress the Destroyer forces. To this day, the [[Transformation of the Dwarves|transformed]] dwarves fight them in the depths so that the surface may be spared, although in recent years small groups of Destroyers have made it to the surface world. It was this year that [[Svanir]] was [[gww:Jora's Curse|corrupted]] by Jormag's herald [[Drakkar]], a dormant dragon champion frozen in [[Drakkar Lake]].

Although the exact year is unknown, it appears very likely that sometime between 1120 and 1165 <small>AE</small>, The [[Deep Sea Dragon]] woke up. However, it wasn't until approximately 1275 <small>AE</small> that Tyrians felt the first influence from the deep sea dragon. This came in the form of the [[krait]] being forced out of their home, the Unending Ocean's deepest trenches, and in turn forcing the southern [[quaggan]]s out of their own homes in the ocean depths—both races arriving on the shores of Tyria as refugees.<ref>[[Nanacatl]]</ref><ref>[[Pastkeeper]]</ref><ref>[[The Mostly Harmless Quaggan]]</ref> The deep sea dragon is said to be able to twist the waters around it into tentacled horrors,<ref name="The Movement of the World" /> and is implied to have forced out the [[karka]] and be assaulting the [[largos]] homeland currently as well.<ref>[[Master Sdias]]</ref><ref>[https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/lore/No-Risen-Karkas/first#post1156321 Post by Matthew Medina] in "No Risen Karkas", Old Guild Wars 2 Forums (Archived)</ref>

In 1165 <small>AE</small>, Jormag rose from the northern reaches of the [[Far Shiverpeaks]], where it toppled [[kodan]] [[sanctuary (city)|sanctuaries]] and shattered the mountains, creating inland seas that the kodan and [[quaggan]] of the north took refuge in.<ref>[[Absolute Patience]]</ref><ref>[[The Wisdom and Power of the Kodan]]</ref> The [[norn]] of the [[Far Shiverpeaks]] thought to challenge the Ice Dragon and its [[icebrood]] minions, but they were outmatched and forced south, guided by the [[Spirits of the Wild]] although [[Asgeir Dragonrender]] was able to rend one of Jormag's teeth with help from the [[Spirits of the Wild]] and the magic of an ancient [[jotun scroll]] and take it with him as a trophy.

In 1219 <small>AE</small>, Zhaitan's awakening caused the sunken nation of Orr to [[Rising of Orr|rise from the ocean]], flooding the coastlines of Tyria and drowning thousands. Zhaitan conscripted those killed into its [[Risen]] army alongside the ancient dead of Orr, creating a fleet spanning the [[Strait of Malchor]], and blocking access to and from Cantha while also invading north towards [[Kryta]] and southeast towards the [[Elona|Elonian]] border.<ref name="The Movement of the World" />

In 1320 <small>AE</small>, Kralkatorrik [[Edge of Destiny|rose]] from the [[Blood Legion Homelands]], flying south over [[Ascalon]] and corrupting everything in his path with his breath, forming the [[Dragonbrand]]. The [[Vigil]] was formed in response following [[Almorra's Massacre]]. Kralkatorrik landed in the [[Crystal Desert]], where he sought Glint for her betrayal. He fought her and [[Destiny's Edge]] there, a battle in which he was injured but ultimately victorious as Glint and Destiny's Edge member [[Snaff]] were slain.

=== [[Personal story]] ===
In 1325 <small>AE</small>, Zhaitan launched an [[The Battle of Claw Island|attack]] on [[Claw Island]] and prepared to strike on [[Lion's Arch]]. In desperation, the Vigil, the [[Order of Whispers]], and the [[Durmand Priory]] pooled their resources to form a [[Pact]] led by [[Pact Marshal|Marshal]] [[Trahearne]], and the combined magic and technology of the [[charr]], humans, norn, asura and newly-awakened [[sylvari]] was enough to push into Orr and [[Victory or Death|defeat]] Zhaitan itself, above the skies of [[The Ruined City of Arah|Arah]]. This marked the first known time an Elder Dragon had been defeated, and proved that they could be killed. Zhaitan's death magic was absorbed by the remaining dragons, giving them the ability to utilize corpses with their corruption.<ref name="Elder Dragons Zhaitan and Mordremoth" /><ref name="Taimi's Game" /><ref name="PoF AmA">[https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/74qjlh/path_of_fire_devs_here_ask_us_anything/do0eep4/ Comment by Chelsey Shuder], Reddit.com</ref>

=== [[Living World Season 1]] ===
[[File:Hearts and Minds loading screen.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Mordremoth]].]]
In 1327 <small>AE</small>, Mordremoth stirred when [[Scarlet Briar]] drilled into the [[ley line]] network with her airship, ''[[Wreckage of the Breachmaker|The Breachmaker]]'', underneath Lion's Arch. The [[Scarlet's End|disrupting of the ley line]] led to a magical chain reaction, causing the Elder Dragon to awaken with a roar deep within the [[Heart of Maguuma]].

=== [[Living World Season 2]] ===
Some months later, the Pact began focusing its resources to west in an attempt to put down Mordremoth before it could truly rise. However, the effort resulted in failure when the Pact [[airship]] fleet was [[The Mystery Cave|destroyed]] by Mordrem vines surging from the jungle as well as by the sylvari saboteurs who had been taken over by their original master's influence.

=== [[Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns|Heart of Thorns]] ===
Mordremoth was ultimately [[Hearts and Minds|killed]] by the nascent [[Dragon's Watch]] guild in 1328 <small>AE</small>, although to fully destroy it it was necessary to kill Marshal Trahearne, who had become part of the dragon. Mordremoth's magic surged out across the world, and some of it was absorbed by [[Glint's Egg]] in the nearby [[Exalted]] city of [[Tarir, the Forgotten City|Tarir]]. Trahearne was succeeded as Pact Marshal by [[Logan Thackeray]], formerly of Destiny's Edge, two years later.

=== [[Living World Season 3]] ===
In 1329 <small>AE</small>, Glint's egg hatched into her second scion [[Aurene]], who chose the [[Pact Commander]] (also the leader of Dragon's Watch) as her champion. Around this time, Primordus and Jormag became active, with their minions exhibiting signs of having absorbed death and plant magic. These signs were more prevalent in Primordus's minions than in Jormag's, leading to speculation that proximity to the released magic may have played a role.<ref name="Elixir Cookin" />

The [[progeny]] [[Taimi]] built a [[Taimi's Machine|machine]] to access the [[the All]] and turn Jormag and Primordus's energies against one another, killing both. She soon discovered that doing so would have potentially catastrophic consequences,<ref name="Elder Druid Protection" /> but the machine was [[Taimi's Pet Project|stolen]] by the former god [[Balthazar]], who traveled to the [[Ring of Fire]] (where Primordus had recently relocated) and attempted to use the machine to kill both Primordus and Jormag and steal their magic. Meanwhile, in the Far Shiverpeaks, [[Braham|Braham Eirsson]] and his norn companions (calling themselves [[Destiny's Edge (norn)|Destiny's Edge]]), had hunted down Jormag and had it surrounded.<ref name="The Flow of Magic">[[The Flow of Magic]]
:'''Taimi:''' You won't believe what just happened, Commander. Guess. No, never mind, can't wait. Braham sent me a letter.
:'''Taimi:''' Would you like me to read it? Of course you would. He says, "Taimi. What did the commander do to Jormag?"
:'''Taimi:''' "Destiny's Edge—my guild—had it surrounded, and then... Suddenly, an anguished roar, and it returned to the ice." [...]
:'''Taimi:''' But since Jormag's all snoozy, he doesn't have a chance of killing it now, does he?</ref>

Although Balthazar was stopped and [[Heart of the Volcano (story)|the machine destroyed]], the Elder Dragons were wounded and Balthazar managed to absorb a significant portion of their magic before disappearing. The Elder Dragons' energy subsided to pre-awakening levels, and they went dormant although their minions remained active around the world.<ref name="The Flow of Magic" /><ref>[[Heart of the Volcano (story)|Heart of the Volcano]]
:'''Scanner:''' Elder—Dragon—spectrum: Primordus, energy—subsiding—to—pre-awakening—level.
:'''Taimi:''' Night, night, sweet dragon! Guessing the same thing happened to Jormag too.</ref>

=== [[Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire|Path of Fire]] ===
[[File:Kralkatorrik concept art 04.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Kralkatorrik]].]]

When the [[Pact Commander]], [[Canach]], [[Kasmeer Meade]], and [[Rytlock Brimstone]] met with Kormir, the goddess recounted the events leading to Abaddon's defeat and her own ascension, illustrating her point with memories of the battle against Abaddon to explain the dangers of gods interfering in Tyrian matters. Kormir explained that the release of magic from Abaddon's demise had caused the Elder Dragon Primordus to stir and thus had begun the current cycle of Elder Dragon awakenings in Tyria.<ref>[[Facing the Truth]]
:'''Kormir:''' When the gods finally struck down Abaddon, his fall warped and ravaged these lands, creating the Desolation.
:'''Kormir:''' Abaddon remained a fallen god, imprisoned for a thousand years, until he rose to threaten Tyria one last time...
:'''Kormir:''' A mortal hero led a mission to stop him, and against all odds, succeeded. But then... [...]
:'''Kormir:''' I was there to contain the damage, but by then it was too late.
:'''Kormir:''' The surge of power upended the balance of magic in Tyria, and stirred Primordus from his slumber—triggering this latest cycle of destruction.</ref>

Kralkatorrik, who had become active after absorbing a portion of the magic released by Mordremoth's demise, moved southeast from [[Prophet's Fall]] in the [[Desert Highlands]] to the [[Domain of Vabbi]] in 1328 <small>AE</small>.<ref>[[Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire—Road to the Desert]]</ref> By 1330 <small>AE</small> the Crystal Dragon was pursued by Balthazar and his [[Forged]] army, who [[The Sacrifice|killed]] Vlast as part of their campaign against Kralkatorrik.

The Elder Dragon was [[Beast of War|brought close to death]] by Balthazar's [[Warbeast (Forged)|Forged Warbeast]], which used a captured Aurene to exploit Kralkatorrik's weakness. Balthazar was [[To Kill a God|killed]] by Aurene and the Pact Commander, however, and his magic was absorbed by Kralkatorrik and Aurene who both flew off. As Kralkatorrik flew south,<ref name="PoF AmA" /> the color of his crystals had changed and he brought a dead [[devourer]] back to life to brand it, indicating that he had acquired new powers from absorbing the magic of the other Elder Dragons. Aurene, too, grew significantly after absorbing the magic.

=== [[Living World Season 4]] ===
Kralkatorrik began experimenting on his new powers, sending [[Brandstorm]]s throughout the Crystal Desert region, and believed to roost on mountains west of the [[Domain of Kourna]], but it was soon revealed that the Crystal Dragon had abandoned Tyria by traveling into [[the Mists]] with the magic gained from Balthazar and began feeding on the entire multiverse.

Together with the [[Pact]], [[Olmakhan]], the [[Order of the Sunspears]], [[Zephyrites]] and their other allies, the [[Dragon's Watch]] guild succeeded in tracking and luring Kralkatorrik out of the Mists to trap the Elder Dragon underneath [[Thunderhead Peaks]] in 1332 <small>AE</small>. The [[The Crystal Dragon|battle]] ended disastrously; Aurene and many other combatants were killed and the guild's morale was shattered until Aurene was [[The End|brought back to life]] by means of magic from the [[Undead#Liches|lich]] [[Palawa Joko]] whom she had [[Be My Guest|devoured]] in [[Gandara, the Moon Fortress|Gandara]]. Coming to understanding the meaning of Aurene's visions and [[Prophecy|prophecies]] of both Glint and Kralkatorrik, the guild renewed their efforts to track and trap Kralkatorrik one more time.

After a dragonflight through the Mists, Aurene and her champion destroyed Kralkatorrik's wing and brought him back to Tyria once more, preventing Tyrian magic in his possession from dissolving into the Mists and partially burying the Elder Dragon into [[Unending Ocean]] under chunks of isles torn from the god realms of [[Melandru]]'s [[Melandru's Lost Domain|lost domain]], [[Grenth]]'s [[Underworld]], and Balthazar's [[Fissure of Woe]]. Kralkatorrik's life finally came to an end after Aurene and her champion traversed into the Elder Dragon's maw, released the excess magic within and destroyed Kralkatorrik's tormented heart with a true [[Dragonsblood Spear]]. In the presence of his grandchild, Kralkatorrik accepted the death he had once prophesied and welcomed respite from the haunting magical torment, while Aurene [[Descent|emerged]] as a fully fledged Elder Dragon.

=== [[The Icebrood Saga]] ===
[[File:Jormag versus Primordus (Dragonstorm).jpg|thumb|400px|[[Jormag]] dominates [[Primordus]] during their [[Dragonstorm|battle]] at [[Anvil Rock]].]]
{{section-stub|lore|Add missing information.}}

Around 1333 AE, [[Jormag]] begins to put their plan into action. It is not know how much of an influence Jormag has over the following events leading to [[Dragonstorm]], but as they are the Elder Dragon of Ice and Persuasion it can be assumed that they manipulated events long before any other actors in the tale realised what was happening. It is also unclear what outcome Jormag truly desires, but most likely it is the destruction of their twin [[Primordus]], whom they seem to hold a great deal of resentment for.

After a period of calm, Blood Legion centurion [[Ryland Steelcatcher]] steals from [[Braham]] the bow ostensibly destined to kill Jormag, plotting with [[Bangar Ruinbringer]] to use it to control Jormag as a weapon for the Charr. Bangar reveals to Ryland that he intends to become Jormag’s champion, as well as his plans to create a multi-continental Charr empire separate from the [[High Legions]].

This essentially prompts a civil war between Bangar’s [[Dominion]] and The High Legions. During this war it is revealed that some of Bangar’s Dominion forces have been corrupted, or empowered in some way, by Jormag and refer to themselves as the Frost Legion. Within the base of the Frost Legion, aptly named the Frost Citadel, Bangar attemps to empower himself with trapped Great [[Spirits of the Wild]] in order to control Jormag. This ritual is broken by the Commander, and the opportunistic Ryland seals Bangar in a magical shield. In the aftermath Jormag transforms Bangar into their Voice after which Ryland offers to become Jormag’s Champion, an offer which Jormag readily accepts and together they recede into the Mists.

After Bangar’s capture the civil war is more or less won and Primordus' minions have begun to erupt all over Tyria in higher numbers than ever seen before. [[Great Destroyer]]s begin to appear, similar to the one who functionally chased the Asura from their homes and forced the Dwarves to remain underground, protecting the surface dwellers by using the rite of the great dwarf. The more Primordus’ minions destroy, the stronger Primordus gets.

Jormag uses Primordus’ attacks to justify sending Ryland to seek help from the rest of Tyria in a tenuous alliance with him and the [[Frost Legion]]. Ryland betrays this trust by converting innocent civilians into Frozen, whom he plans to rule alongside Jormag when they eventually defrost after destroying the rest of Tyria.
Knowing the twinned Dragons are weak to the effect of one another, and feeling some form of personal responsibility for Ryland’s ascension to power, Braham uses the help of the Spirits of the Wild to become Primordus’ Champion in order to combat Ryland.

Both Champions are seen roaming through Tyria, wreaking havoc and destruction. In doing this they are absorbing the world’s magic for their patron.

As is mentioned frequently by multiple characters across this saga, the two dragons are twinned. As one rises in power, so does the other, and vice versa. Our heroes are therefore torn on how to defeat them, as killing them one at a time is likely impossible as is killing them simultaneously. Perhaps our heroes need to find a way to force the dragons to destroy one another.
This battle between Tyria and Primordus and Jormag comes to a head, when in 1334 AE Dragon’s Watch, Aurene, the Commander, and all their allied and united forces lie in wait at a ley-line nexus at [[Anvil Rock]]. The Tyrian forces clear the destroyer minions there and install prismatic crystals which Aurene can use to channel magical energy from different sources. As this spot has an abundance of magical energy, it eventually draws in Ryland. Seeing it clear of Primordus’ minions, Ryland summons an army of Frost and Frozen to absorb the magic at the nexus. Braham also appears, presumably drawn by the same bait, and their fight against one another begins in earnest. 

This clash of Champions brings both Elder Dragons to the field, who give in to their aeons long feud and join in the fight. Jormag is no longer unable to hold back their vitriol and disdain for their brother, seemingly determined to end Primordus once and for all. As the Elder Dragon of Destruction, it is unclear whether or not Primordus returns the feelings of hatred or is simply as destructive as ever. Regardless of their feelings, both Elder Dragons strive to protect their respective Champion from Tyria’s army, healing them when they are defeated and attacking their assailants with powerful ice and fire attacks. 

Using this battle as a distraction, and the magic accumulated in her prismatic crystals, Aurene severs the magical links between the Dragons and their Champions. Caught up in the fury of battle, Primordus and Jormag leap at one another, fire and ice fizzing out gouts of steam such that the battlefield becomes obscured. When the mist clears, both dragons have been destroyed, having killed their counterpart.

=== [[Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons|End of Dragons]] ===
[[File:End of Dragons concept art 08.jpg|thumb|400px|[[Soo-Won]] at the [[Harvest Temple (point of interest)|Harvest Temple]].]]
{{section-stub|lore|Add missing information.}}

When the [[Commander]] and [[Aurene]] find themselves in [[Cantha]] pursuing the [[Aetherblades]], they come into contact with the Deep Sea Dragon whose name is revealed to be [[Soo-Won]]. It seems that Aurene had been in contact with the elder dragon before although not aware of who she was. 
Soo-Won is not hostile as the other elder dragons and is seen as Cantha's protector. At 1219 AE and the rise of Zhaitan, Soo-Won helped protect Cantha from the effects of rise and made a pact with Kuunavang to work to protect Cantha, although they were rarely seen after that event. 

Later when [[Joon]], sister to the [[Empress Ihn]], allows the commander to see the [[Yong Reactor]], it is revealed that this is where Soo-Won resides after a mutually beneficial agreement with Joon. Soo-Won is the Mother of the Elder Dragons, the one [[Kralkatorrik]] referred to just before his demise.
Soo-Won created the other elder dragons to filter the [[magic]] of [[Tyria (world)|Tyria]]. The Elder Dragons' influence was what allowed for mortal life to exist. But also apparently the process drove the Elder Dragons' hunger for more magic (that even together they could not avoid its corrupting influence completely) that causes the destruction of the mortal civilizations on each cycle. The facility was made to take the excess magic from Soo-Won, presumably allowing her to resist the corrupting influence of the absorbed magic. That excess magic was then used to power Cantha as part of the mutually beneficial deal. The death of the other Elder Dragons allowed their magic to flow back to Tyria and from there back to Soo-Won. Unable the filter the magic alone, part of the corrupted magic started seeping in the [[Dragonjade]] that caused the recent technical issues all over Cantha.
Soo-Won wants Aurene to take her place as the last Elder Dragon. Soo-Won predicts her nature as the prismatic Dragon allows her to filter the magic fully by herself.    
At the end of the conversation, [[Ankka]] uses the magic extractor that she used to absorb Aurene's magic, to shoot the energy to Soo-Won, in her quest to accelerate the end of the cycle. The excess magic drives Soo-Won crazy and she escapes the facility.

Soo-Won, presumably in a half conscious state, finds refuge in the [[Jade Sea]], takes over the area around the [[Harvest Temple (point of interest)|Harvest Temple]] and erects a barrier to protect the world from the Void, the form that the excess and corrupted magic takes within her. A united force lead by the commander and his allies break the barrier and use force to temporarily subdue Soo-Won. At the end of the battle, Soo-Won back to her senses, converses with Aurene revealing more about the nature of the Elder Dragons. Soo-Won was alive even before the formation of the mortal world. At the beginning the magic of the world was in a primordial state of complete entropy, The [[Void]]. Soo-Won created the other Elder Dragons as tools to help her filter this chaotic magic into something less entropic that would allow the world of Tyria to form. They were initially created as mindless forces of nature but later became self aware and Soo-Won accepted them as her children. Although they had a brief happy existence as a family at some point the other Elder Dragons changed and eventually went their separate ways. From that point on the Dragon Cycle was formed. The Elder Dragons would filter magic to not allow it to go back to the form of the Void that was incompatible with mortal life, but in the process follow their hunger blindly destroying whole mortal civilizations at the end of every cycle (although Soo-Won's behavior in this cycle is left somewhat unclear).  The Commander and Aurene then call Soo-Won back on the harvest temple and extract the Void from her. The Extracted [[The Dragonvoid|Void manifests]] into a separate being attacking the commander and bringing the extractors that could stop it off line. This allows it to go global trying to bring the whole world back to its chaotic state. Aurene then shares her power with the commander and that allows them to bring the extractors back online. In the process the commander has to fight against the aspects of all elder dragons as their magic is now part of the Void. In the end the Void is defeated. Soo-Won dies and Aurene absorbs the last of her energy. That way Aurene takes her place and the sole Elder Dragon, presumably able to filter the world's magic and resist the Void in a much more stable way, leading to a new cycle. A cycle that no longer relies on the destruction the old one required to sustain itself. Although how exactly this new cycle will actually evolve, none is certain.

After a few months of resting, Aurene calls the commander to her cave in Seitung Province. She describes the magic filtering as taxing and that she would like to see the commander as it has been a long time not seeing each other. 
She has also called Caithe to be presrnt. She explains that she's leaving to take her place as the conduit for the magical balance of Tyria. That she had to learn how to filter magic on her own without Soo-Won. That it was hard but gets easier with time. Her body needs to rest from the intensity of the burden. Theorizing this is not dissimilar on how the other elder dragons fell to sleep when they finished absorbing magic, for how long she will be gone she is not certain. 
It's a day Caithe, the commander, and Aurene all knew would come, but that doesn't make the parting any easier. It still feels like a farewell. Aurene tells the commander to protect the world while she's gone. While she doesn't know how long she will rest, she's hopeful that she will see the commander again. And, thus, the last Elder Dragon of Tyria is out of reach of Tyrians, at least until the time she decides to awake and come back to the world.    

== Gallery ==
;Screenshots of the old dragon generation
<gallery>
File:Zhaitan.jpg|[[Zhaitan]].
File:Mouth of Mordremoth.jpg|[[Mordremoth]].
File:Primordus.jpg|[[Primordus]].
File:Kralkatorrik.jpg|[[Kralkatorrik]].
File:Jormag.jpg|[[Jormag]].
File:Soo-Won.jpg|[[Soo-Won]].
</gallery>

;Screenshots of the new dragon generation
{{spoilers|
<gallery>
File:Elder Dragon Aurene.jpg|[[Aurene]].
</gallery>|''[[Living World Season 4]] and [[The Icebrood Saga]]''}}

;Concept art
<gallery>
File:Dragon 13 concept art (Defeated Dragon).jpg|"Defeated Dragon" by [[Daniel Dociu]].
File:Dragon 07 concept art (Rock Dragon).jpg|"Rock Dragon" by [[Kekai Kotaki]].
File:Dragon 08 concept art.jpg|Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.
File:Dragon 10 concept art.jpg
File:"Spirit of the Wild" concept art.jpg|"Spirit of the Wild" by [[Ruan Jia]].
File:"Stormy Horizon" concept art.jpg|"Stormy Horizon" by Daniel Dociu.
</gallery>

;Size comparisons
<gallery widths="220px">
File:Elder Dragons size comparison.png|Size comparison of Elder Dragon and dragon champion models as of [[War Eternal]]. From left to right: Primordus (head), Kralkatorrik, Zhaitan (incomplete model), Zhaitan, Mordremoth, The Shatterer, Claw of Jormag, Tequatl, Shadow of the Dragon, Vlast, young Aurene.
File:Kralkatorrik size comparison.jpg|Size comparison of Kralkatorrik's four models (from left to right: [[Beast of War]], [[The Crystal Dragon]], [[Dragonfall]] (edited head/wing), and [[The End]]).
File:Zhaitan size comparison.jpg|Size comparison of Zhaitan to dragon lieutenants, [[The Glory of Tyria]], and Zhaitan's original incomplete model.
File:Primordus size comparison.jpg|Size comparison of Primordus (Icebrood Saga model), Jormag, and Aurene.
</gallery>

;Other
{{spoilers|
<gallery>
File:Primordus vs Jormag.gif|Animation of the battle between Primordus and Jormag (open to play).
</gallery>|''[[The Icebrood Saga]]''}}

== Notes ==
* Elder Dragons do not have [[Gender and sexuality in Tyria|genders]] as Tyrians comprehend.<ref>[http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/showpost.php?p=234893&postcount=110 Post on GuildWars2Guru.com]</ref> However, some dragons are associated with certain genders:
** Glint refers to [[Kralkatorrik]] as both he and it,<ref>[[Crystalline Memories]]
:'''Glint:''' I sense Kralkatorrik stirring in its sleep. Could it know what I'm planning? What you're meant for?</ref><ref>[[Scion & Champion]]
:'''Glint:''' With you, Champion, I share my true legacy—and Kralkatorrik's greatest secret.
:'''Glint:''' He foresaw the possibility of a world at peace. A world without strife between dragons and mortals. A world without him.</ref> while [[Aurene]] uses male pronouns for him.<ref>[[The End]]
:'''Aurene:''' No time to. Kralk...atorrik. S-stop him! [...]
:'''Aurene:''' Grandfather. Look at me.</ref><ref>[[Descent]]
:'''Aurene:''' My grandfather's prophecy is fulfilled. My mother's legacy is complete.</ref> However, Kralkatorrik never uses male pronouns himself.
** [[Jormag]] uses male pronouns for [[Primordus]].<ref>[[Primordus Rising]]
:'''Jormag through Bangar:''' My brother is incapable of subtlety. He stirs. And when he awakens, it will not be with the same grace as I.</ref>
** Many [[norn]], especially the [[Sons of Svanir]], consider Jormag to be male,<ref>[[Fight the ice dragon's corruption]]</ref><ref>[[Blane the Insane]]</ref> and books in the [[Durmand Priory]] replicate this approach.<ref name="The Elder Dragons" /> However, Jormag themself is non-binary and does not care what gender they are viewed as.<ref>[https://twitter.com/tomabernathy/status/1176063546855055360 Tweet by Tom Abernathy], Twitter.com</ref>
* [[Aurene]] initially only had one known domain, Light, whereas all the older Elder Dragons had two. In [[Roaring Flames]], her domains were confirmed as Crystal and Light.<ref name="Roaring Flames" />

== Trivia ==
* Elder Dragons were not always the main antagonists of ''[[Guild Wars 2]]''. According to ''[[The Making of Guild Wars 2]]'' book, original drafts for story included [[demon]]s and angelic beings descending to the world to judge it.
* In the vision of [[the All]] seen during [[The Machine]], the colored orbs 'activate' in an order that corresponds to the known awakenings of [[Primordus]], [[Jormag]], [[Zhaitan]], [[Kralkatorrik]] and [[Mordremoth]], with [[Soo-Won]]'s orb activating second. Additionally, within the [[City of Hope]] story instance in ''[[Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns|Heart of Thorns]]'', the trial of strength requires fighting dragon minions in the same order; though there is no minion of [[Soo-Won]] encountered, salt water spouts begin forming between fighting a [[destroyer]] and an [[icebrood]]. These two situations suggest that the deep sea dragon awoke after Primordus but before Jormag.
* Other [[Dragon|draconic]] creatures, such as [[drake]]s, [[hydra]]s, [[wyvern]]s, and [[Cantha]]n [[saltspray dragon]]s have been observed throughout the world. What relation they have to the Elder Dragons and their [[scion]]s (if any) is unknown, but they certainly do not share their power. The only exception is [[Kuunavang]] the [[Cantha]]n [[saltspray dragon]] who became a [[Soo-Won]]‘s champion.
* Although the [[Tyria (world)|world of Tyria]] is quite large, for unknown reasons the Elder Dragons are only ever observed to be active in one small corner of it.

== See also ==
{{gww}}
* [[Bestiary]]
* [[Dragon champion]]
* [[Dragon energy]]
* [[The All]]
* [[Elder Dragons: Notes from the Field]]
{{dragon nav}}

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Elder Dragons|*]]
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