The history of the ancient blades of Quel'Serrar is guarded by the Shen'dralar, former Highborne of Azshara's court -- and it's just as old, if not older, than any night elf currently alive. No one knows the exact date that the blade was born into existence, but speaking to Lorekeeper Lydros will reveal the story of the blade which begins ages past, before the War of the Ancients. The blade wasn't just any blade; it was a gift from the dragons, who usually kept to themselves in those days.
As a blade of legend, Quel'Serrar was forged in a special ceremony with the "children of the Aspects" -- not the Aspects themselves, but the dragons of their various flights. It was rare to see a Quel'Serrar forged, for not only would a dragon have to heat and mold the metal of the blade with their breath, they would also have to temper the blade with their blood ... and it was highly unlikely a dragon would care to do such a thing.
Over the course of thousands of years, only a handful of these blades were created for the kal'dorei, each unique in appearance and power. According to Lorekeeper Lydros, each blade would take on the appearance of their creator, which may mean that the blade's appearance changed depending on which flight happened to create it. But Lorekeeper Lydros didn't just keep the story of the blade; he also kept a remnant of Quel'Serrar, hidden safely within the inner sanctum of Dire Maul.
And if he judged a player worthy, he would hand over that remnant for examination. Unfortunately, a remnant was all it was --
A Dull and Flat Elven Blade. Though it had been created with the finest of metals, it was missing the components of the ceremony to turn it into a proper Quel'Serrar -- a dragon's breath to heat it and a dragon's blood to temper it. But if a player wished to obtain the blade, there was a way to properly forge it ... though it required a trip to the lair of a particularly nasty dragon named Onyxia.
If the noble warrior or paladin were brave enough to face Onyxia in her lair, they could place the
Unfired Ancient Blade in front of Onyxia, in the path of her flaming breath. And once Onyxia was defeated, the
Heated Ancient Blade had to be thrust into her heart, tempering the blade with her blood. This had to be done quickly, however -- waiting too long would ruin the blade. Once completed, returning to Lorekeeper Lydros with the
Treated Ancient Blade would allow him to complete the ceremony and hand over
Quel'Serrar in all its shining glory.
Quel'Serrar is one of the few weapons in the world that actually have multiple copies according to lore. Even though Lorekeeper Lydros claimed only a handful were created, it's possible he has plenty of those Dull and Flat Elven Blades lying around. It's simply a matter of finding a dragon to assist in creating the blade. But far more curious than Lorekeeper Lydros' blades are his tales of a more powerful Quel'Serrar than the one the player creates.
Before Neltharion began his mad descent into the creature now known as Deathwing, the five Aspects themselves came together to create a far more powerful blade. This blade, tempered with the powers of the Aspects of all five flights, was known as the Prismatic Blade of Quel'Serrar. It may be that this was intended to be a legendary weapon that never came to pass ... or it may be that this was simply the errant babbling of a Lorekeeper who wasn't clear on his facts.
Regardless, those that were successful in their attempt to gain a Quel'Serrar are a proud group who defeated a dragon when she was at her most powerful. When Onyxia received her level 80 update in
Wrath of the Lich King, the path to obtain a Quel'Serrar was wiped from
WoW. Unfortunately, the only way to obtain a Quel'Serrar nowadays is to loot one from Onyxia's corpse, a far less prestigious accomplishment.
There are still those who wield the original blade, but their numbers are far fewer than those who wield the
Gleaming or
Burnished versions you can obtain today. And for those warriors and paladins who wield the original, they look back on those days as a fond memory, when might and bravery won them a treasure beyond compare, started by stumbling upon a
battered and dusty book.
For more reading, take a look at Know Your Lore's history of the Shen'dralar and the dragonflights.
