Deathwing the Destroyer
Gender: Male
Race: Black Dragon Aspect
Affiliation: Black Dragonflight
Occupation: Guardian of Azeroth's physical shape, insane enemy of non-draconic life
Status: Alive
Relatives: Nefarian (son), Onyxia (daughter), Neltharaku(son, presumed), Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Malygos (fellow Aspects)
History:
Neltharion originally was the mighty black wyrm chosen by Khaz'goroth and given dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world. He was empowered by the Titans as one of the five Dragon Aspects.
In peaceful times, Neltharion's wisdom and power were renowned, he was known as Neltharion the Earth-Warder, a great protector of the land. Then came the madness that destroyed Neltharion's mind, caused by some unknown crisis in the distant past, which changed him and his kind forever.
The ultimate cause of this fall is unknown; some scholars say a favored child died before his eyes, others claim that a powerful relic twisted his mind and soul. It is also rumored that he was able to find the prison of the Old Gods. The inner-voices of the three Old gods convinced him that he could have power beyond his imagination if he served them. The voices made him paranoid of even his black dragonflight.
Whatever the cause, Neltharion ceased to exist, taking up a new name and a bitter purpose. He became Deathwing and his subjects were placed beneath the iron rule of a tyrant. Upon his irrevocable shift to evil, he turned against his destiny and began to design in causing suffering wherever he could. Although originally bearing another name, he himself had long ago chosen Deathwing as his title, to better show his contempt and intentions for the lesser creatures around him
Neltharion has control over the land, and its fathoms, including lava. His main attack, and that of his dragonflight's, is to use his breath as a cannon of lava. He can live within volcanoes and high temperature areas. Neltharion wanted a world where only he and his dragonflight and some servants that yield to him could exist — a world where all the other dragonflights no longer existed, and where Ysera and Alexstrasza would be his petty slaves for mating.
The Old Gods convinced Neltharion to create the Dragon Soul. With the help of goblins, Neltharion created a simple golden disc made of Neltharion's blood and forged in the goblin's cauldrons and anvils deep beneath the earth.
Empowered by Neltharion's magic, the simple golden disc was shielded magically so that the other Dragon Aspects couldn't see within the disc. There was an evil within the disc, some taint of the Old Gods. It is unknown as to what content of the Old Gods the disc had. Neltharion captured a demon of the Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients and placed the Dragon Soul on its forehead. The demon was consumed, leaving just his ashes and skull. Neltharion removed the disc from the remains of the demon's skull.
Back in the den of the Dragon Aspects, Neltharion convinced Malygos to help him with the other Dragon Aspects. All of them agreed to give a portion of their powers to the Dragon Soul, including all dragons of their dragonflights. Neltharion proposed that the Dragon Soul disc could be a weapon of great power to destroy the demons of the Burning Legion.
Neltharion, the Dragon Aspects and their dragonflights flew toward Zin-Azshari where the Night Elves held the demons at bay. The Ancients had not come. Seeing the sky full of dragons, the Night Elves thought they were now going to win the war. Heralded by the black dragon Neltharion, the dragons awaited his first attack. Neltharion grabbed the Dragon Soul and by channeling his destructive power through it decimated most of the demons with one swing of radiant magic. The Dragon Aspects watched in horror as Neltharion also killed hundreds of Night Elves and other allies along with the demons.
Neltharion revealed the depths of his betrayal at last. He was the only one who did not give of his powers to the Dragon Soul. Now with the disc at his command he wanted all races and the demons to see his power and to bow to him. The Dragon Aspects attacked Neltharion in an attempt to take the Dragon Soul from him and to reason with him in hopes of determining the cause of his perfidy.
Malygos' Blue Dragonflight surrounded Neltharion, but with a swing of the Dragon Soul most of the blue dragons perished. The next swing of the Demon Soul paralyzed all dragonflights and the Dragon Aspects in mid-air, rendering them unable to move or speak. Only Alexstrasza was allowed by Neltharion to speak when he wished.
The growing corruption in Neltharion's heart warped his body, as the angelic dragon began taking a more demonic appearance similar to how Sargeras changed to a more demonic form after his corruption. Neltharion's body cracked open, revealing his molten heart, and magma and fire flowed off his chest. His eyes became aflame in red, demonstrating the magnitude of his power and the depths of his evil. Thus was Deathwing the Destroyer born, and the Dragon Soul was renamed: the Demon Soul.