Western Plaguelands

The Western Plaguelands are the plague-blighted farmlands of central Lordaeron, where the Scourge first spread among the living. The zone covers levels 51 to 58. Its ruined town of Andorhal was where the plague began, and its lakeside island of Caer Darrow holds Scholomance, the school where the Scourge trains its necromancers.

Geography

The zone sits between Tirisfal Glades to the west and the Eastern Plaguelands to the east, with the Alterac Mountains to the south. Once the breadbasket of Lordaeron, it is now a patchwork of dead farms, dead forest and Scourge camps.

• Chillwind Camp, in the south, is the Alliance base, with the Argent Dawn's officers nearby.
• The Bulwark, on the western border with Tirisfal, is the Forsaken barricade against the Scourge.
• The Ruins of Andorhal, in the south, were once a major town and are now held by the Scourge.
• Caer Darrow, an island in Darrowmere Lake in the south-east, is home to Scholomance.
• Hearthglen, in the north, is a walled town held by the Scarlet Crusade.
• Felstone Field, Dalson's Tears, the Writhing Haunt and Gahrron's Withering are farms where the Scourge brews plague in great cauldrons.
• Sorrow Hill, a graveyard near Andorhal, holds Uther's Tomb, the resting place of Uther the Lightbringer.

History

Before the Third War, the necromancer Kel'Thuzad founded the Cult of the Damned and began spreading a plague through grain shipped from Andorhal's granaries. People who ate the tainted grain died and rose as undead. Prince Arthas Menethil tracked the plague to Andorhal and killed Kel'Thuzad there, but the plague had already spread across the kingdom.

Caer Darrow belonged to the noble Barov family, who sold their estate to the Cult in exchange for a promise of eternal life. Their castle became Scholomance. The surviving Barov heirs, Alexi Barov and Weldon Barov, now each fight for the family's lost lands from opposite sides.

Uther the Lightbringer, leader of the Knights of the Silver Hand, was killed by Arthas during the war. His tomb on Sorrow Hill is one of the few places in the zone the Scourge leaves alone.

Quests and notable NPCs

The Western Plaguelands have around 90 quests in our database. Most are shared between the two faction camps, which run parallel chains against the Scourge.

The cauldrons

At Chillwind Camp, Commander Ashlam Valorfist sends players to the plague cauldrons in The Scourge Cauldrons. The Bulwark's High Executor Derrington offers the same campaign to the Horde (The Scourge Cauldrons). At each farm, players kill the Cauldron Lord, take its key and sample the brew (Target: Felstone Field and its follow-ups), finishing at Gahrron's Withering in Mission Accomplished!.

Andorhal

• Both camps send players to mark the towers of Andorhal (All Along the Watchtowers, All Along the Watchtowers).
• Araj the Summoner, the lich who rules Andorhal, is the target of Alas, Andorhal and Araj's Scarab.
• Chromie, a bronze dragon in the form of a gnome girl, waits in the ruins. Her quests (A Matter of Time, The Annals of Darrowshire) lead to the Battle of Darrowshire in the Eastern Plaguelands.

Scholomance

The key to Scholomance comes from a chain starting with Skeletal Fragments and Mold Rhymes With.... In the two versions of The Last Barov, Alexi sends Horde players to kill Weldon (The Last Barov) and Weldon sends Alliance players to kill Alexi (The Last Barov).

The Fordrings

Tirion Fordring sends players to Myranda the Hag at Uther's Tomb with Find Myranda. Disguised as a Crusader, the player carries a message to Tirion's son, Highlord Taelan Fordring, in Hearthglen (Scarlet Subterfuge). The escort that follows, In Dreams, ends in a tragedy that is one of the best-known stories in Classic.

Others

• Janice Felstone, a ghost at Felstone Field, wants a lost package delivered in Better Late Than Never.
• Flint Shadowmore of SI:7 sends Alliance players to look for missing agents in the Eastern Plaguelands (The Eastern Plagues).
• Argent Officer Pureheart at Chillwind Camp trades Scourgestones for Argent Dawn reputation (Argent Dawn Commission).

Dungeons

Scholomance (Scholomance) is a level 58 to 60 dungeon on Caer Darrow, ruled by the headmaster Darkmaster Gandling. Players need the Skeleton Key to enter. Its bosses drop parts of the Dungeon Set 1 armor sets, and the dungeon is the source of several class and reputation quests.

Getting there

Alliance players fly to Chillwind Camp or travel north from the Hillsbrad Foothills. Horde players ride east from the Undercity past the Bulwark. The road east leads into the Eastern Plaguelands.

Sources

• Western Plaguelands, Warcraft Wiki
• Andorhal, Warcraft Wiki
• Scholomance, Warcraft Wiki