Welcome back to the site! How was your Thanksgiving? Did you have a good time? You’re wearing a super nice shirt. Yeah, but our shirt is cooler. You had turkey, you say? Well, we were stuck fighting the Iron Horde so our dinner consisted of dried turkey jerky and a can of beans. Yeah, our Thanksgiving was horrible. Thanks for asking.
Anyway, today we’re covering a couple of zones from Warlords of Draneor. We’re not going to be covering all the zones since there are eight of them. We don’t want to spoil the newest expansion of World of Warcraft. These are just peeks at how fun the expansion is and how Blizzard has managed to go more in depth. In a future article we may venture into the other zones, but for now we’re just going to be sticking with three out of the eight.
Frostfire Ridge
“Across snow-covered wastes and beneath towering volcanoes, heroes of the Frostwolf clan and the Horde unite to repel invaders from their homeland.” – Warlords of Draenor: Journey into Draenor
On wowwiki.com this is the first thing you see when you look up information for Frostfire Ridge. And how fitting it is. When you first come to Frostfire Ridge, guided by Thrall former Warchief of the Horde, you’re greeted by Durotan. Durotan is the leader of the Frostwolves and father of Thrall.
Durotan has chosen to take a stance against the Iron Horde. He refuses to join them and his stance has put him in a vulnerable position. There’s a brief quest line to claim Frostfire Ridge as a stance against the Iron Horde. Once you do so Durotan is seen sitting on the throne with Thrall at his side. Once the foothold is secured you’re free to explore the rest of Frostfire Ridge.
Frostfire Ridge is probably one of the most beautiful zones out of the eight, at least in the author’s opinion. When you’re first introduced to the zone it’s hard not to just stand in awe of it. Get on a mount and just ride across the endless snow wastes of Frostfire Ridge. As you do you’ll come across many hidden secrets as you explore. Either it’s in the form of a rare monster or an weapon disguised as a rib bone, it helps to set the mood for the rest of the expansion.
With the introduction of the new wolf models too, this helps to bring this zone to life. The Frost wolf models themselves are much smoother. Instead of just harsh lines for faces and fangs the models now have a far more feral look about them. If you’re a hunter, taming one of these wolves is strongly recommended. Along with the rolling hills of snow are broken by frozen lakes. Active volcanoes mark their territory by spewing forth thick, black smoke. Blizzard did a good job of making the land feel cold, merciless, but also a serene beauty as you ride across what you first think is a frozen wasteland. Pockets of life will hop out in the form of a rylak flying above your head or an ogre charging down the side of a hill to attack you.
Spires of Arrak
The Spires of Arrak is where the wingless outcasts of the Arakkoa reside. You’ll also find uncorrupted Arakkoa frequently wandering about or making their homes here. Spires of Arrak consists of swamp, trees towering above the landscape, and rocky spires that only a flying mount would be able to get over.
Arrak is possibly the exact opposite of Frostfire Ridge. Where in Frostfire Ridge you can ride for miles upon miles across the snow, Arrak is teeming with life. Venture into the swamp and suddenly a mist will descend upon you. The mist is thick too. If you’re in party and your party members venture only a few yards away from you, they become nothing more than a shadowy figure. This only adds to the creepy atmosphere if a bat should swoop above your head for an attack. The author of this article actually came across a bat attacking one of the mounts at a flight point. So be careful if you’re questing in this area.
Arrak also does a good job of encouraging exploration. Since the mist is so thick it’s hard to see what’s going on around you while questing. If you’re running from Point A to Point B, you may come across an empty hut or a surprise quest that requires your help. In other cases you may find a mysterious cave and choose to venture down into it.
In Arrak Blizzard has also chosen to go more in depth about the flightless outcasts of the Arakkoa. You soon learn it’s called the curse of Seth, and are recruited to help stop control of the Arakkoa god. While from the outside the Spires of Arak appear beautiful, it holds sinister secrets for those who venture into its depths.
Talador
Have you ever wondered what Shattrath City looked like before it was floating in the sky? Well, Talador finally gives you that chance. Talador is strongly a draenei occupied zone, so you will see a lot of them walking about. A good thing is that Shattrath City is huge. Not only do you get to see the parts where Terokkar Forest will be in the future, but the city itself stretches all the way to edge of the Zangar Sea.
Talador is at the heart of the land of Draneor. It strongly resembles the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. While the zone itself is beautiful with its soft, earthy tones and trees blooming with flowers the real tragedy doesn’t hit you until you venture into some of the cities. During one quest line a player comes across a draenei father and daughter who have been run out of the city. The father begs you in the quest to venture into the city to retrieve his life’s work and his daughter’s doll. When you venture into what was once clearly a beautiful settlement is now nothing more than smoking which is now overrun by Arakkoa.
Talador is a bit more peaceful than the other zones. Since it populated by the draenei people it provides a window to into their daily life. From the trade hub going on in Shattrath City to the massive mausoleum of Auchindoun, the player gets a strong feel for the draenei people. It’s a truly vibrant environment to quest through when playing this expansion.
Well, this is the last installment in our mini-series of articles. We hoped you enjoyed our Warlord of Draneor game review. We certainly enjoyed writing about it. So, happy questing those of the Horde and Alliance.
Down with the Iron Horde!