The View Through The Branches

The Isle of Darrow, located on Darrowmere Lake in the Western Plaguelands, is home to the ruined keep of Caer Darrow.

The keep is understood to actually be the oldest human settlement still standing, despite it’s defenders abandoning it during the Third War.

Ancient History

Long before there was any settlements here, the Isle of Darrow was home to a massive runestone known as the Runestone of Caer Darrow. The runestone used to serve as a massive monolith, sacred to the high elves of Quel’thelas. It is said to have been erected by elven druids, although it may also have been erected as a distraction for the Burning Legion to block the arcane magics being done by the elves.

The isle itself has also been the location of a human settlement for many many years, as far back as the human empire of Arathor.

The Second War

The island was invaded by the Horde during the Second War. The fortress was sacked and the runestone stolen. The stone was shattered, and the pieces used to forge arcane altars used to imbue Gul’dan’s ogre minions with magic.

Following the second war, the Barov family restored the fortress and took ownership of the land. They owned Caer Darrow, Brill, Tarren Mill and Southshore. However they were unhappy despite these massive swathes of land and made a deal with the then human wizard Kel’Thuzad. Kel’Thuzad was leader of the Cult of the Damned. The once magnificent homestead of the family became Scholomance – the school of Necromancy. Spirits of Caer Darrow continue to inhabit the area, crying out for someone to right the wrongs committed by the Barovs.

The destruction

The inhabitants of the stronghold remained after the fall of Lordaeron, clinging on to life in Caer Darrow. However, when the Scourge invaded Andorhal, a large force came for the humans. They were aided from within by the students of the school, and destroyed the town, wiping out all inhabitants.

Now, nothing living remains. Only the most simple of lifeforms and the odd fish can be found in the murky waters. Every year or so, new students can be seen skulking up to the building, and graduates departing. Those with the blessing of the manor’s former servants can see the many souls of the townspeople, who relive the happiest day of the town over and over – the visit of Uther the Lightbringer.

The greatest fortress of the Scourge and the last stronghold of the Lich King. Icecrown Citadel was built around the Frozen Throne – the structure that held the soul of Ner’zhul before he combined with Arthas Menethil to become the current incarnation of the Lich King.

The Citadel is constructed primarily from saronite, and is inhabited by some of the Lich King’s strongest minions.

Icecrown became famous when Kil’jaeden threw Ner’zhul back into the realm, with his prison landing in Icecrown. It was here he remained until he brought Arthas back to him. The massive explosion created by their merging caused a huge rift in the Icecrown glacier.

It left a huge throne in its place, where the Lich King sits. The citadel is buried half inside the remaining glacier and half out, inhabited by Scourge and all manners of undead, from massive bone constructs, San’layn and death knights.

The Pools of Vision are the base of forsaken operations in Thunderbluff. It is speculated that these misty pools will allow particular visitors visions and channel messages and energies to the dead.

It is here that the forsaken gather together to collect and analyse arcane magics and objects, as well as classically embarking on alchemical procedures.

The tauren only begrudgingly put up with the Forsaken – they as a race value life above all else so dislike and distrust the forsaken as a race.

Visitors to Thunderbluff will notice that this is the only place you will see Forsaken in the area. Their exclusion to this place in particular really does indicate the distrust held by the peaceful Tauren of the undead.

The Bronze Dragonshrine is the resting place within Dragonblight of the Bronze Dragonflight. The area is, like the other shrines of Dragonblight, coming under fire from nefarious forces – in this case the Infinite Dragonflight.

The Bronze Dragonflight

Long ago, the stoic Bronze Dragonflight were warded with the safekeeping and guarding of Azeroth’s timelines and control over time itself. The dragons act as guardians of time, protecting important events and section of time from interlopers. They spend a large amount of time traversing the pathways of time within the Caverns of Time, however when not there they seem to prefer desert locations such as Tanaris and the Barrens.

The culture of the bronze is in some ways similar to that of the blue dragonflight. They are known for their cunning, however the traits they value most are wisdom and patience. Nozdormu is the patron Aspect of Time, and has been described as patience incarnate.

Bronze dragons exist in order to keep the passage of time flowing correctly. They are incredibly sensitive to the flow of time, especially Nozdormu and his consort, Soridormi. From within their home in the Caverns of Time, it is not unusual to see the dragons and dragonkins disguising themselves as mortals and entering the time streams in order to fix and repair any mishaps.

They are relatively solitary creatures, however have been known to live in mortal communities for long periods of time, watching over communities without revealing their true identities. This allows them to watch over races and time periods, keeping an eye on progression and how things change and affect time and timelines. Sometimes they have been known to get involved. Some dragonsworn (those who devote their lives to serving the dragons), such as Baristolth of the Shifting Sands (bound to Anachronos), Jonathan the Revelator, Ralo’shan the Eternal Watcher and Xarantaur are all watchers of the Bronze.

History

It was during the time of the Charge of the Dragonflights – when the bronze dragons ruled over all other dragonflights – that the titans bestowed power and responsibility to the bronze to look after and guide the new world they had created. The members of the Pantheon bestowed a different portion of their own powers to the leaders of the dragonflights. Aman’thul, high leader of the Pantheon, gifted upon Nozdormu responsibility for time itself. The ever patient dragon became known as the Timeless One.

This became known as the Age of the Dragons, where they coexisted peacefully with all other dragonflights. However this time came to an end. Sometime before the War of the Ancients, the black dragonflight were driven mad due to the whisperings of the Old Gods. Neltharions production of the Dragon Soul (a tale too long for this entry), caused massive destruction of the Dragonflights and decimation of the blues almost completely. The remaining dragons hid from the world, in an effort to regain their power.

After the Sundering, Alexstraza, Ysera and Nozdormu hid the Dragon Soul deep within the earth, unreachable by all. It was then that they gifted upon the night elves the great world tree – giving the Kaldorei immortality. A period of deep unrest followed, as the black dragonflight continued to battle on against the bronze, and the black were almost completely defeated. The age of dragons had passed

War of the Shifting Sands

The world holding Azeroth was growing. The night elves cried out for assistance from the Bronze Dragonflight in defeating a massive enemy – the Qiraji. Whilst originally they refused to assist, when the bug people attacked the Caverns of Time they were moved in to action.

Unfortunately, the combined forces of the Bronze flight and the Kaldorei was not enough to push back the qiraji. Anachronos – heir to Nozdormu – called for assistance from the other flights and between them all they pushed back the qiraji until they reached the scarab wall.

There were very few casualties on the side of the dragons, however the great bronze dragon wyrm, Grakkarond, was lost. After the battle the Scepter of the Shifting Sands was entrusted to the other flights, and one shard to himself.

Grim Batol

During the second war Alezstraza, queen of the dragons, was captured by the ocrish horde. Nozdormu was well aware of this, however was more than willing to simply let events unfold. It wasn’t until Korialstrasz invoked a powerful spell to transport himself to the timeless one’s lair that Nozdormu acted. Displeased to have been disturbed, Nozdormu refused to help and erased the visit from time altogether.

Ysera eventually managed to convince Malygos and Nozdormu to act, and in the final battle the Dragon Soul was totally destroyed. The dragonflights regained the power they had lost to the soul.

Return

The bronze dragonflight reemerged from hiding. They had regained their power lost to the dragon soul and began to openly watch over the mortal realms once more, frequently being seen flying over Tanaris and the Barrens.

Since then…

The bronze flight took little part in the Third War and the defeat of Archimonde, however once the mortal races had teamed together and defeated the legion, members of all four flights watched over the summit.

As time stands now, the bronze dragonflight are housed within the Caverns of Time, but some of their members are resident elsewhere, in Northrend at the Wyrmest Temple and scattered elsewhere. They aim to protect the Bronze Dragonshrine and keep time safe.

I think there’s a fair chance I’ve discussed the portal clearings in the past (but at the moment, with a project that is the make or break of my career, slightly shoddy home internet and a trial in one of the top ten guilds on my server going on, I ain’t got time to hunt through archives – I barely have time to blog, hence the weekly updates rather than daily), but the Portal Clearing in Zangarmarsh is actually the only one signposted as such.

These portal clearings in Outland are dimensional gateways used by pitlords such as Magtheridon to bring demons from the Twisting Nether back into his control.

Illidan shut down the portal to stop the flow of demons and the immense pressure they were putting on the planet, leaving the portal inactive.

This is also the location of the sleeping Xeleth. Xeleth only wakes when a silver tipped spear is planted in the exact point of his resting place. Previously, when Zangarmarsh was not home to either the Feralfen or the Draenei, the primitive swamp beasts that lived there worshipped him. He sank into a deep slumber when Draenor was nearly destroyed, and he awakens when the spear is planted because he wears a silver scar from such a weapon, impaled in him by the demon hunter Altruis the Sufferer.

The Befouled Terrace within Ahn’Kahet overlooks the desecrated altar and fallen temple of the underground city.

This is the location of Prince Taldaran until you briefly defeat him and he becomes part of the Blood Prince Council.

Prince Taldaram is a darkfallen.

Sparkly vampires, woot? (or, who are the Darkfallen?)

I have to say, I love Lana’thels model, and that of the Princes, but knew nothing of their history. It’s actually pretty interesting!

The darkfallen are a relatively unusual type of undead blood elf in service of the Scourge. They are a recent addition to Arthas’ Scourge Army, recruited on his second visit to the Frozen Wastes of Northrend.

They are part of the San’layn, and are led by Blood Queen Lana’thel. The two most populated places are the Temple City of En’kilah in Borean Tundra and the Crimson Halls of Icecrown Citadel.

History of the Darkfallen

As we all know, after the Third War the blood elves were cut off from their source of magic – the Sunwell.

Desperate for assistance for his magic-addicted brethren, Kael’thas Sunstrider pledged allegiance to Illidan, who granted them a new source of magic. Together with Illidan, the elves made their way to Northrend, in order to defeat the Lich King together, in revenge for the carnage Arthas had brought down on the high elves.

They were easily defeated, however, and the most powerful of those that had been killed were raised again – as the San’layn. Most of the surviving elves returned with Kael’thas to old-Azeroth, however some remained, scattered across the continent. Arthas took it upon himself to hunt down every last one of the elves. One of these surviving blood elves was Lana’thel.

Lana’thel fought against Arthas, wielding the draconic blade of Quel’delar. However despite her own resilience and the blade, she was no match for Frostmourne. She was overwhelmed, and Arthas chose her to serve him as leader of the San’layn.

How do you spot one then?

Colour them in. San’layn retain much of their blood elf form – long hair, pointy ears, refined features. However, what with them being undead and all, everythings greyed out – dying skin, grey hair, hollow eyes.

Some of the Darkfallen have developed horns, or clawed hands and bat like ears. They have been described as vampirics, as the schools of magic within which they work circle around the consumption of flesh, blood and the souls of their victims in order to increase power.

Darkfallen or San’layn?

San’layn is the name of the racial faction that the Darkfallen are part of within the Scourge, and it is them that command a lot of the Scourge operations across Azeroth.

The most powerful San’layn is Lana’thel, with her Blood Prince Council below her. The other blood princes are the third tier of their micro society.

Other San’layn names you may recognise include Prince Taldaram, Prince Keleseth, Prince Valanaar, who are the Blood Prince Council.

Now, one is not au fait with such areas, but The Filthy Animal is the Horde Inn, located within the Sunreaver’s Sanctuary in Dalaran.

Within the ‘Animal, you will find a mixture of…colourful characters, such as Uda the Beast, mag’har inn keeper, Nargut and Rhukah, her ‘pet’ worgs, a mixture of unusually colourful troll barmaids, and a male troll named Kyunghee who is known to throw his axes at anyone who disturbs his quiet drinking time.

Slightly southeast of the dark, depressing Darkshire of Duskwood, travellers will find the Tranquil Gardens Cemetery.

The gardens have, however, become overrun with the undead, making passing through them or even visiting to mourn impossible. Just north of the area you will find the banshee, Blind Mary.

Blind Mary was once a very beautiful women, one of the true lookers of the human race. She was brutally murdered by the undead, however. She is so consumed by depression and deep seated anger over her death and the death of her looks, she is kept in a wraith like state.

As she died to the Scourge, she ripped out her own eyes with her bare hands, in effort to not see what she had become.

It’s that time of the week again, where I spend an hour or two catching us all up on the 7 hottest places to stop by this week in the pre-Cataclysm Azeroth!

Thunderfall, located in the freezing Storm Peaks of Northrend, is just above the Frostfield Lake. Thunderfall is eerily full of the frozen bodies of dwarves and ice giants, pitted against each other in battle. Many of the dwarves look to be frozen in time, not just dead, as they are stuck in whatever mid air positions they were in when Thorim, king of the temper tantrum, tossed Krolmir, Hammer of Storms whilst in a mad rage.

King Jokkum of the Sons of Hodir says that his father, as his last act, placed a rune on the hammer, to keep it safe from the wrong hands.

Thorim’s rage was inspired by his brother, Loken, killing his beloved, Sif.

There are many, many crypts within the World of Warcraft and Azeroth.

Within the Badlands, South-East of Hammertoe’s Digsite, is an unmarked, naturally made path up to a crypt buried in the mountains.

Within this crypt is a great stone chair, upon which is seated an armored skeleton holding a great sword.

For trivia buffs, this is a reference to a Conan story, where Conan finds a crypt and takes a rusty sword from the hand of a dead king.

This is actually one of those places I didn’t know existed so I might try and get round to taking some screenshots if I remember to visit!