Sign inDustwallow Marsh
Dustwallow Marsh is a swampy coastal zone in southeastern Kalimdor, east of The Barrens, with quests for characters of roughly level 35 to 45. It holds Theramore Isle, the island fortress of Jaina Proudmoore, and the Wyrmbog, home of the black dragon Onyxia. For many players it is the first stop of the Onyxia attunement chains and the place where the Alliance and Horde storylines of the Third War aftermath come together.
Geography
The zone is a wide bowl of mud, reeds and black water. The western edge is dry scrub that blends into the Barrens; the rest grows wetter and darker toward the coast. Theramore Isle sits just off the eastern shore, and Alcaz Island lies further out in the bay.
The northern road leads past the burned Shady Rest Inn to the Barrens. The northwestern marsh holds Brackenwall Village, the Horde outpost, built among the swamp trees. Further south are the Stonemaul ruins, once an ogre settlement, and the Wyrmbog, a scorched valley of black dragonspawn that ends at the entrance to Onyxia's Lair. Smaller landmarks include Witch Hill and its haunted farmhouse and the Dreadmurk Shore.
History
Theramore was founded after the Third War by Jaina Proudmoore, who led human survivors of Lordaeron across the sea to Kalimdor. Under her, the city kept an uneasy peace with Thrall's new Horde in Durotar. That peace broke when Jaina's father, Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, arrived with a fleet and attacked the orcs. In the Warcraft III expansion, Thrall and Rexxar stormed Theramore with Jaina's tacit consent, and Daelin was killed. In World of Warcraft, his loyalists still haunt the marsh: the quest Daelin's Men tracks a band of his men who deserted rather than accept Jaina's truce.
The Wyrmbog is Onyxia's domain. In Stormwind she poses as Lady Katrana Prestor, while her brood and her black dragonflight servants guard her lair here. Her presence shapes much of the zone's quest content.
Quests and notable NPCs
Alliance
Theramore is a large, well-guarded hub. Captain Garran Vimes gives the investigation into the burning of the Shady Rest Inn, beginning with Suspicious Hoofprints and continuing with the hunt for the traitor Paval Reethe through Lieutenant Paval Reethe and Lieutenant Paval Reethe. Morgan Stern runs the cooking pair Mudrock Soup and Bugs and ... and Bugs, and also receives the escort Stinky's Escape, where players lead the goblin "Stinky" Ignatz through the marsh. Jaina herself stands in the tower at the island's heart as a level 63 boss. With Archmage Tervosh, her court mage, she is part of The Missing Diplomat, a chain about a Stormwind envoy who vanished on his way to Theramore, and she receives Vimes's Report at the end of the Shady Rest investigation.
Horde
Brackenwall Village has a smaller set of quests. Nazeer Bloodpike sends players after spies in Theramore Spies, and Krog receives the Horde side of the Shady Rest investigation in Suspicious Hoofprints and Lieutenant Paval Reethe. The most memorable Horde chain belongs to the ogres. Tharg sends players against the black dragonflight in Army of the Black Dragon, Draz'Zilb asks for brood samples in Identifying the Brood, and the series ends with players destroying Onyxia's eggs in The Brood of Onyxia. Finally, Overlord Mok'Morokk proves to be a coward, and players fight him in Challenge Overlord Mok'Morokk so the ogres of Brackenwall can choose a new leader.
Neutral and world quests
The Shady Rest Inn ruins and Witch Hill are shared ground for both factions. Tabetha, a mage living alone in the southern marsh, gives class quest chains: mages earn a wand through Mage's Wand, and warlocks cleanse the Orb of Orahil in Cleansing of the Orb of Orahil. Tauren players can hunt the alligator Deadmire for Deadmire, a quest given in Thunder Bluff.
Onyxia's Lair
Onyxia's Lair is a 40-player raid at the southern end of the Wyrmbog. To enter, players must carry the [Drakefire Amulet], which each faction earns through a long attunement chain.
- Alliance players follow the story of Marshal Reginald Windsor, who uncovers Lady Prestor's true identity, through the Burning Steppes, Blackrock Depths, Blackrock Spire and Stormwind.
- Horde players work with Myranda the Hag in the Burning Steppes, who gives them an [Amulet of Draconic Subversion]. Wearing it, they enter the Wyrmbog and speak with the dragon Emberstrife in Emberstrife. The ruse falls apart in Ascension..., which sends players to Rexxar in Desolace.
Inside, Onyxia drops the Head of Onyxia, which starts a quest that rewards a choice of ring, amulet or trinket and, when the head is hung in the faction capital, grants a buff to everyone nearby.
Getting there
From the Barrens, the road east from the Crossroads area leads into the marsh near the Shady Rest Inn. Alliance players from the Eastern Kingdoms take the boat from Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands, which docks at Theramore. Theramore has a gryphon master; Brackenwall has a wind rider master.
Sources
Categories: Zones
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