Blasted Lands

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

Blasted Lands
Level: 15-30 Battle Pet Level: 16 - 17
Capital(s)	Okril'lon Hold
Formerly	Nethergarde Keep †
Races	Human  Orc  Ogre  Dwarf  Gnome  Worgen  Night elf  Forsaken  Jungle troll  Blood elf  Goblin  Demon  Lost one  Naga  Murloc
Ruler(s)	Mayor Charlton Connisport Warmatron Okrilla
Former ruler(s)	Gar'mak Bladetwist †
Major settlements	Surwich Bloodwash Cavern
Minor settlements	Shattered Beachhead Shattered Landing Sunveil Excursion Dreadmaul Post
Affiliation	Stormwind, Gilneas, Alliance, Reliquary, Horde, Kirin Tor, Dalaran, Dreadmaul ogres, Bloodwash naga
Former affiliation(s)	Ironmarch, Iron Horde, Shadowsworn, Burning Legion
Location	Southeastern Azeroth
PvP status	Contested territory

“War does not simply visit these lands, it lives here. The violence thrives in the past, present, and future...”

— Zidormi

The Blasted Lands are desolate and barren lands located in the southern part of the Eastern Kingdoms, south of the Swamp of Sorrows and east of Deadwind Pass. Once part of the Black Morass, the swamps were twisted and dried up by the demonic magic that brought the Dark Portal into being, spewing the rampaging orcish Horde into Azeroth. Though the original portal was destroyed by Khadgar in the Second War, it was later rebuilt by the Ner'zhul's Horde, leading to the events of the invasion of Draenor and the destruction of the orcs' homeworld.

The Dark Portal was eventually reopened by the Burning Legion, connecting Azeroth to the shattered world of Outland. When the Iron Horde began its invasion, the gateway led to the alternate Draenor.

History

The Sons of Lothar invading Draenor.

This foul desert was once the southern part of a dark fen of marshlands called the Black Morass; the northern part being 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 kingdom of Stormwind to the northwest. Since the First War, the lands around the former dimensional gateway are burnt and dead, forever warped by the demonic magic that followed its destruction. Lightning strikes are constant, and the inhospitable land is home to groups of especially vicious and powerful creatures.

After the Destruction of the Dark Portal in 6 ADP, Nethergarde Keep was built at the behest of Archmage Khadgar and the Kirin Tor to ensure that there would be no further invasions from Draenor. An uneasy peace followed for two years, until the Horde of Draenor reopened the Dark Portal and besieged Nethergarde Keep. The Alliance of Lordaeron eventually sent the Sons of Lothar, beginning the invasion of Draenor, but even after that, battles still raged for the control of the Azerothian side of the Portal for months, with the two sides repeatedly winning and losing control of it.

When Ner'zhul's ritual began to destroy Draenor, the Sons of Lothar knew they had to destroy the Dark Portal to protect their homeworld, and they would have to do so from Draenor. Using the Skull of Gul'dan, Khadgar and the other magi ignited a massive explosion, which destroyed the dimensional gateway's stone frame and severed the bridge between Hellfire Peninsula and the Blasted Lands. Many of the orcs who had fled their homeworld surrendered immediately to the Alliance were then carted off to the internment camps that had sprung up around Lordaeron.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

The Altar of Storms of the Shadowsworn.

Following the Battle of Mount Hyjal in 21 ADP, Lord Kazzak led the remaining Legion forces in the Tainted Scar, and ordered his most fearsome lieutenant Razelikh the Defiler to secure the land.

By the Year 25 ADP, the nathrezim had united various sects of the Shadow Council, along with the Dreadmaul ogres, to form the Shadowsworn. In exchange for their servitude, Razelikh granted nearly unlimited power to its leaders, namely Lady Sevine, Archmage Allistarj, and Grol the Destroyer. Each of them received a third of an amulet, granting them immortality as long as they remained within the Blasted Lands, however, the price was eternal servitude, tainting their minds to only serve and protect the demon. At some point, Lady Sevine built the Altar of Storms in the region.

With the help of Galvan the Ancient and the demon hunter Loramus, a weapon of power was used by the adventurer to kill each leader of the cult, as well as Razelikh at the Rise of the Defiler.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Please add any available information to this section.

Prior to the invasion of Outland in 26 ADP, the Blasted Lands were the site of a battle between the Argent Dawn, the Alliance and the Horde against the Burning Legion who reopened the Dark Portal.

Wrath of the Lich King

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

The area was also invaded twice by the Scourge in the years leading to the war against the Lich King.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

During the Cataclysm in 28 ADP, the Horde's Okril'lon forces took control over Dreadmaul Hold. In the south of the region, the Gilnean druid Marl Wormthorn tried to return the Blasted Lands to its old splendor, turning much of the Tainted Scar into the Tainted Forest, but because of the demonic powers around the area, the forest and Marl were corrupted. His followers built a small fishing village, Surwich near the edge of the forest. The blood elves of the Reliquary built a small camp not far from the Tainted Forest in search of demonic artifacts hidden in the region.

The conflict between the Alliance and Horde raged in the northern part of the region for a time, focused mainly on the Nethergarde Keep's supply base located between Dreadmaul Hold and the keep. The Burning Legion forces were later thrown into disarray after the defeat of Razelikh the Defiler at the hands of Loramus Thalipedes and the adventurer who accompanied him.

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.

The Dark Portal since the invasion of the Iron Horde.

In Year 31 ADP, the Ironmarch traveled through the Dark Portal to invade Azeroth, acting as an expeditionary force of the Iron Horde from alternate Draenor. During the Iron Horde Incursion in the Blasted Lands, they took control of Nethergarde Keep and Dreadmaul Hold, and allied themselves with both the Dreadmaul tribe and the nefarious alchemist Kyrak. One of their objectives was to establish their presence within Blackrock Spire to use a weapon of mass destruction, capable of destroying large portions of Eastern Kingdoms, including Stormwind City.

In time, the Alliance and Horde forces launched a naval attack on the Blasted Lands, quickly retaking the shores from the Ironmarch forces and pushing closer and closer to the Dark Portal.

Getting there

• Walk, ride, or fly south from the Swamp of Sorrows, which is east of Deadwind Pass and Duskwood.
• Level 90 players can teleport from their faction capitals to a phased version of the zone, which is part of the Warlords of Draenor intro experience.

Geography

The Blasted Lands are a barren, desolate region scarred by the presence of the Dark Portal, which connect Azeroth to Outland (formerly Draenor). The land's soil and rocks were warped by chaotic energies, turning the terrain into a crimson wasteland. Few creatures inhabit the area beyond hardy desert species such as the basilisks, scorpions, and hyenas. The wretched land hosts few inhabitants and some important small settlements such as Nethergarde Keep, Dreadmaul Hold and Surwich. The only significant vegetation lies within the Tainted Forest in the southwest—once a refuge of life, but it was corrupted by the demons of the Tainted Scar.

There are no instanced dungeons or battlegrounds in this zone.

Maps and subregions

Map of the Blasted Lands post-Iron Horde Incursion.

Map of the Blasted Lands pre-Iron Horde Incursion.

Altar of Storms The Dark Portal Dreadmaul Furnace Dreadmaul Hold/Okril'lon Hold Dreadmaul Post The Forbidding Sea Garrison Armory Nethergarde Mines Nethergarde Supply Camps/The Forge Grounds Nethergarde Keep The Red Reaches Bloodwash Cavern Bloodwash Fighting Pits Bloodwash Shrine Rockpool Village Rise of the Defiler Serpent's Coil Shattershore Shattered Beachhead The Shattered Front Shattered Landing Sunveil Excursion The Tainted Forest Maldraz Surwich The Tainted Scar

Note: Some of the subzones in the Blasted Lands were changed during the pre-patch for Warlords of Draenor. For players wishing to see the Blasted Lands as it was after Cataclysm but before the WoD pre-patch, you can visit an NPC called Zidormi next to the road at the border between the Blasted Lands and the Swamp of Sorrows.

• 

  Map of the Blasted Lands prior to patch 4.0.3.

Travel hubs

Nethergarde Keep, the Alliance fortres.

Flight paths from Nethergarde Keep

• Stormwind, Elwynn Forest
• Darkshire, Duskwood
• Morgan's Vigil, Burning Steppes
• Marshtide Watch, Swamp of Sorrows
• Surwich, Blasted Lands

Dreadmaul Hold, the Horde stronghold.

Flight paths from Dreadmaul Hold

• Stonard, Swamp of Sorrows
• Sunveil Excursion, Blasted Lands

Flight paths from Sunveil Excursion

• Booty Bay, Cape of Stranglethorn
• Dreadmaul Hold, Blasted Lands

Flight paths from Surwich

• Booty Bay, Cape of Stranglethorn
• Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands

Adjacent regions

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Swamp of Sorrows		40 - 60	North	By foot or flight path.
Hellfire Peninsula		58 - 80	Center	Through the Dark Portal.

Quest and travel hubs

Place Name	Faction	# of Quests	Flight Path	Notable Character
Dreadmaul Hold		??	Yes	??
Nethergarde Keep		??	Yes	??
Sunveil Excursion		??	Yes	??
Surwich		??	Yes	??

Notable characters

Main article: Blasted Lands NPCs

Quests

Main article: Blasted Lands storyline

Main article: Warlords of Draenor intro experience

Resources

The corrupted Tainted Forest.

• Herbs
  •  [Black Lotus]
  •  [Dreamfoil]
  •  [Golden Sansam]
  •  [Gromsblood] (One of the few regions where you can gather it)
  •  [Mountain Silversage]
• Leather
  •  [Warbear Leather]
  •  [Thick Leather]
  •  [Rugged Leather]
• Ore
  • Truesilver Deposit
  • Small Thorium Vein
  • Rich Thorium Vein

Dig sites

Blasted Lands has two dig sites:

1. Dreadmaul Post; contains Fossil Archaeology Fragments.
2. The Red Reaches; contains Fossil Archaeology Fragments.

Wild creatures

• Basilisks
• Bats
• Bears
• Boars
  • Felboars
• Crabs
• Fel beast (one)
• Doomguards
• Dreadlords
• Man'ari eredar (one)
• Felhounds
• Felguards
• Observer (one)
• Fungal giants
• Ghosts
• Hyenas
• Infernals
• Scorpid (one)
• Shivarra (one)
• Bone spiders
• Corrupted treants
• Vultures

In Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

According to the name, description, and tileset of a PvP map, there is a part of the Barrens that is also called "Blasted Lands", maybe by relation with thunder lizards, similarly to Thunder Ridge area.

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

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. Now, the wretched land hosts few inhabitants and no significant settlements. There is but one usable road in the Blasted Lands, guarded at the north by the Alliance stronghold of Nethergarde Keep and its 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.

History

This foul desert was once a fen of marshlands called the Black Morass, similar to the Swamp of Sorrows. When Medivh built the Dark Portal to connect Azeroth to the orcish homeworld of Draenor, the orcs poured through and began the first of the great wars. The orcs' arcane magic was so strong it consumed the swampland and left dry red clay. When the Alliance destroyed the Dark Portal, the spread of the taint stopped, but the Blasted Lands still cannot heal themselves.

As if the Horde was not enough at that time, Dreadmaul ogres also came through the Dark Portal. Unlike the orcs, they remained in the Blasted Lands. The mages of Nethergarde believe the ogres serve the demon Lord Kazzak. Whoever their master is, he orders them to attack the Alliance's keep on an uncomfortably regular basis.

At some point, the Dark Portal was rebuilt, and it yet resonates with an evil thrum. Now it connects to the remains of Draenor, the shattered world of Outland.

One day the whole of Nethergarde Keep was struck by a mysterious illness, and the Dreadmaul ogres took the opportunity to attack. With sickness inside and a siege outside, the mages and warriors send messengers to retrieve anyone capable of wielding a sword or healing sickness.

Geography

Magic that leaked through the Dark Portal warped the Blasted Lands, leaving an infertile desert landscape. This region does not welcome life of any form. 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 that the water merely runs off the packed earth and back into the sea.

The Blasted Lands have the Alliance powers guarding the north, the demon infestation in the south, and ogre tribes in the middle.

Notes and trivia

• During the Second War, starting from Blackrock Mountain, it took Turalyon's Alliance armies a week to reach the borders of the Swamp of Sorrows, then another week to reach the Black Morass, and then another few days to finally reach the Dark Portal.
• During the Iron Horde invasion, places like Altar of Storms, The Tainted Scar, The Tainted Forest, Surwich, and Sunveil Excursion were completely empty. It is most likely developers' oversight or perhaps done on purpose, because the entire zone is phased, and none of the quests take place in these regions.
• Level 90+ players can talk to Zidormi in order to switch between the normal and phased version of the zone.
• 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.
• There are no mailboxes for Horde players in this zone, while the Alliance has two.
• Interestingly, the Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual originally implied that the Dark Portal was making the land more sick and swamp-like instead of making it burnt and dead.
• The Blasted Lands were inspired from Greater Sudbury, Ontario, a mining town whose soil was made nickel-rich by a meteor strike long ago, notably its desolate surroundings and its blackened rocks that had been discolored by acid rain.
• The "Blasted Lands" name was initially used in a 1999 concept map for a region in Northrend, due southwest of Icecrown.

Gallery

• 

  In the Warcraft II mission "Once More Unto the Breach"
• 

  In the Warcraft II mission "The Dark Portal"
• 

  Rise of the Defiler
• 

  Nethergarde Mines
• 

  Background for the Burning Crusade cinematic
• 

  As seen through the Dark Portal in the TBC login screen

Patch changes

• Patch 7.3.5 (2018-01-16): Level scaling implemented, previous zone level: 54 - 60.
  
• Patch 6.0.3 (2014-10-28): The Iron Horde invasion has ended.

  Accessing the event is still available, but the  [Iron Starlette] pet and  [The Iron Invasion] achievement are no longer available to players who missed the event.
  

• Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): The Iron Horde invasion has begun. New quests have been added for level 90 players.

  Zone phases for 90+ characters. Characters under 90 will continue seeing the zone before the invasion started.
  

• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Added.
  

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB
• Wago