Blasted Lands

Template:Cataclysm/Update

For how the Blasted Lands was prior to Cataclysm, see Blasted Lands (original).

The Blasted Lands
Level: 45-55
Population	2,000
Races	Ogre, Dreadmaul (1,100)  Demon (300) Draenei (300)  Human (200)  High elf (100)  Blood elf  Worgen
Government	Primarily tyrannical law within tribes.
Ruler(s)	Grol the Destroyer (Lord of Dreadmaul ogres) Lord Kazzak (Lord of Doomguard demons) Archmage Thas'ranan (Commander of Nethergarde’s mages)
Major settlements	Nethergarde Keep (300) The Tainted Scar (300)
Affiliation	The Burning Legion
Location	South of the Swamp of Sorrows

Serpent's Coil

The Blasted Lands bear that name for a reason: they were twisted by the magic that brought the Dark Portal into being, spewing the rampaging Horde into Azeroth.

This wasted desert of red clay is home to the original Dark Portal. The portal still stands, and leads to Outland — the remains of the orcs' sundered homeworld, Draenor. Nethergarde Keep, a Stormwind fortress of dour mages and paladins, keeps watch over the portal and the demons and ogres that would abuse its power.

Now, the wretched land hosts few inhabitants and no significant settlements. Magic that leaked through the Dark Portal warped the Blasted Lands, leaving an infertile desert landscape. Hardy desert species like Basilisks, Scorpions and Hyenas have since colonized the area. The red rocks of the region do not come by their color naturally. The original tan color was transmuted into the unearthly crimson by searing heat and chaotic energies when the Dark Portal was destroyed.

There is but one usable road in the Blasted Lands, guarded at the north by Nethergarde Keep’s grim mages. They have the unenviable task of watching the Dark Portal, guarding the rest of the continent from the demons in the south and protecting themselves from the ogre tribes that roam the desert. The weather here is dry and hot during the day and bitterly cold at night. Mountains block any moisture that may come from the Swamp of Sorrows to the north, and no rivers grace this land. The eastern coast will occasionally get storms from the sea, but these downpours come so quickly the water merely runs off the packed earth and back into the sea.

The keepers of Nethergarde have an uptight and uncheerful disposition that seems appropriate in light of the danger they face daily. The warriors and mages fight every day with the ogre magi and demons that threaten either to destroy the keep or take over the Dark Portal. This tightly knit community experiences little crime, however. Those found breaking the agreements they take on when accepting a post at the Keep are sent for a time to the Stockade in Stormwind. These mages cannot afford any dissension in the ranks. If you must visit the Blasted Lands, remember that the Nethergarde mages are the only hospitable people in the entire region for Alliance. And they’re not even that hospitable.

Getting there

Alliance

From Duskwood, head east through Deadwind Pass, be sure to stay to the northern edge of the zone where there are no mobs. Once through the pass and into the Swamp of Sorrows, make for the center of the southern border. A pass through the mountains there should take you into the Blasted Lands.

Horde

From Stonard in the Swamp of Sorrows, head southwest. The pass into the Blasted Lands should be very close to the Horde outpost.

All faction capital cities contain a portal to the area outside the Dark Portal. These portals are located near the portal entrances to the city, i.e. where the portals to the city lead. (Portal requires level 58 to use.)

History

The Dark Portal

This foul desert was once a dark fen of marshlands called the Black Morass; a sort of sub-region of the Swamp of Sorrows. This is the area where the orcish Horde first entered Azeroth through the Dark Portal, followed soon by their attack on the human lands to the northwest. The lands around the former Dark Portal are burnt and dead, forever warped by the powers that followed its destruction. Lightning strikes are constant, and the inhospitable land is home to groups of especially vicious and powerful creatures. A sizable remnant of the Burning Legion has taken refuge within the Tainted Scar. It is still watched over by the wizards of Dalaran within the Fortress of Nethergarde, established by the Archmage Khadgar after the second war. The unique and dangerous opportunities presented in such a harsh landscape has also attracted the notice of the Blood Elves and the Horde.

As if the Horde weren’t enough, Dreadmaul ogres also came through the Dark Portal. Unlike the orcs, they remained in the Blasted Lands. Nethergarde’s mages tell that the ogres serve Lord Kazzak. Whoever their master is, he orders them to attack the Alliance’s keep on an uncomfortably regular basis.

The Blasted Lands were once littered with gold mines, and heavily populated with centaur.

Geography

This desolate and barren land has very little in the way of flora and fauna, barring the demons which now wander the plains. The region is particularly notable because the Dark Portal leading into Outland can be found here.

There are no instanced dungeons or battlegrounds in this zone, though several micro dungeons can be found here.

Maps and subregions

Blasted Lands Map

• Topographic map of Blasted Lands

Elite areas

• The Tainted Scar

Travel hubs

Nethergarde Keep

File:BLWorgenTown.jpg

Surwich

Nethergarde Keep

Surwich

Dreadmaul Hold

Sunveil Excursion

Regions Adjacent to Blasted Lands

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Swamp of Sorrows		35-45	North	By foot only
Hellfire Peninsula		58-63	South	Through the Dark Portal

Notable characters

The Tainted Scar

File:BLCataLandscape.jpg

Main article: Blasted Lands NPCs

Quests

Rise of the Defiler

Main article: Blasted Lands quests

There are three main quest "chains" in the Blasted Lands: The potions quests, the Kum'isha quests, and the You Are Rakh'likh, Demon quest chain.

Kum'isha quests

These quests are obtained from Kum'Isha The Collector, level 60 in the Middle of Blasted Lands. He has two quests, one that requires you to find a random Green Item called  [Imperfect Draenethyst Fragment] and one that requires you to find a random Blue Item called  [Flawless Draenethyst Sphere], which is even rarer, and has about 0.2% chance to drop. Any mob in the Blasted Lands can drop both of these items, but the best source for the sphere is Teremus The Devourer, a dragon that can be 5 manned. It drops it 75% chance and usually about 2-3 spheres. Each of these spheres give a Level 40-50 Superior/Rare Item, or if you are very lucky, an Epic Item. The Imperfect Fragments only give random Level 40-50 Uncommon Items.

Resources

Garrison Armory

• Herbs
  •  [Firebloom]
  •  [Sungrass]
  •  [Gromsblood] (One of the few regions where you can gather it)
• Leather
  •  [Scorpid Scale] (Skinning level 40-50 scorpids)
• Ore
  • Iron Deposit
  •  [Gold Ore]
  • Mithril Deposit
  • Truesilver Deposit
  • Small Thorium Vein

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

This is one of the zones Blizzard is most excited about. The level range of the zone will be 54+, and the newly exposed coastline to the east allows for a brand new play zone.

In addition to these, the Tainted Scar (sub-zone in the south-western parts of the Blasted Lands, currently populated by elite demons) is now a large worgen area. Instead of being a "scar", it is a forest, dark, misty, and gloomy, with exposure to the ocean.

The worgen in the fishing village of Surwich are allied with the Alliance.

Areas affected :

• Dreadmaul Hold – appears to be expanded and taken by the Horde
• Nethergarde Keep – southern wall has been opened with a path leading to the beach where a lot of Gilnean ghosts wander near their shattered ships
• Nethergarde Mines (Garrison Armory) – taken over by the Horde
• The Tainted Scar – completely revamped playable area, very moody and foggy (Daio is still here); Worgen-themed town with flight master to the very south
• Other – SE of the Dark Portal is a new area uncovered by the lowering of the tides, the Red Reaches, ruled by murloc-enslaving naga; constant fighting between Horde and Alliance mobs between Keep and Mines
• New Hunter Pets – Bonepicker Feeder (Carrion, Green), Felscale Crawler (crab)

Wild creatures

Dreadmaul Hold

• Basilisks
• Black dragons
• Doomguards
• Dreadlords
• Ghosts
• Felbeasts
• Fel Boars
• Felguards
• Fel Orcs
• Hyenas
• Lost Ones
• Ogres
• Scorpids
• Vultures

Notes

• Those with the Burning Crusade and at least level 57 are able to use the now reopened Dark Portal to reach Hellfire Peninsula in Outland, although it is recommended to wait until level 58 as quests are very limited at 57. The Dark Portal, like Shattrath City, is a sanctuary and therefore combat there is prohibited, even between PvP flagged players.
• The occasional lightning that strikes the ground near the Dark Portal cannot hurt you in any way.
• The Blasted Lands are a good place to farm money and equipment. There are numerous silver elites wandering the lands, and there is a Draenei quest giver who gives you a pack of clothing every time you find a certain crystal.

Lore

This article contains lore taken from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the manuals, and/or official bonus maps.

These barrens are littered with gold mines and populated by centaurs. The tileset is called "Barrens".

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB