Fizzcrank Airstrip
 Fizzcrank Airstrip | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Airstrip |
| Leader(s) |
 Fizzcrank Fullthrottle |
| Race(s) |
 Gnome |
| Affiliation(s) | Kingdom of Gnomeregan, Alliance air force, Alliance Vanguard, Valiance Expedition |
| Location | Northern Borean Tundra[57, 18] |
| Status | Active |
| Characteristics | |
| Facilities |
 Bank Auctions |
| Travel |
 Flight Master(s) Mass-transit Portal(s) |
Fizzcrank Airstrip is a gnome base in northern Borean Tundra, which overlooks the Geyser Fields. The airstrip rings with the sounds of hammer on anvil morning through night, though half the time one can barely hear them over the gnomish flying machines taking off.[1] A hydrothermal system underlies the area around the airstrip, which connects it to the geyser fields to the southeast, where the gnomes built the Fizzcrank Pumping Station, an oil platform used to make fuel for their flying machines,[2] until the mechagnomes took control of it. Several gnomish bombers and flying machines are stationed there.
History
Wrath of the Lich King
At the beginning of the war against the Lich King in 27 ADP, Fizzcrank Fullthrottle himself designed and oversaw the building of the airstrip when the Alliance forces under General Arlos arrived in the Borean Tundra. The gnome engineers thought it was an ideal location to launch recon flights, and it was also near the crashed necropolis of Talramas, so they could scrounge interesting mechanical parts from it.[1]
One day, while a crew was siphoning oil off the pump station in the geyser fields, they found a bunch of strange mechanical parts stuck in their pipelines. Since no gnome can turn down a puzzle, they figured out that all those parts belonged together, and they rebuilt them into a robot that looked like a giant gnome. It turned on, called itself Gearmaster Mechazod, and claimed to have been built by the titans. He then informed all the gnomes that they were flawed beings, mechagnomes who had been tainted by the Curse of Flesh, and then kidnaped any gnomes he could find in order to convert them into cyborg monstrosities.[3] After Airman Skyhopper gathered help from Valiance Keep,[4] Jinky Wingnut and the Alliance adventurers managed to "re-curse" several Fizzcrank Mechagnomes back to flesh being with the Re-Cursive Transmatter Injection.[5] Fizzcrank still lost many of his people before Gearmaster Mechazod was stopped by the heroes.[6][7]
At some point, Bonker Togglevolt was sent to parlay with the snobolds in Magmoth, but their main shaman, Kaganishu, decided instead that he'd make a tasty snack for Magmothregar. He was eventually escorted to the airstrip, where Fullthrottle had simply forgotten that Bonker was there and therefore had not sent help.[8] The snobolds were also stealing supplies from Crafty Wobblesprocket.[9]
Among their crews, the fastest recon squadron was led by Iggy "Tailspin" Cogtoggle to gather information about the nerubian infestation in Geyser Fields. However, an accident caused the death of most of the pilots, as well as the loss of the recorded intel, leaving Tailspin as the sole survivor of the operation.[10] An adventurer eventually recovered the microfilm and brought it back to Fizzcrank.[11]
The airstrip stayed active even after the Lich King was defeated due to its strategic location.[7]
Battle for Azeroth
During the Fourth War in 33 ADP, the airstrip sent a distress signal to New Tinkertown after it had been attacked, which prompted Captain Tread Sparknozzle to send the G.E.A.R. task force for investigation.[12][7] Upon arriving, the gnomish rangers found the airstrip under attack from an army of Ironbound troggs that had emerged from the north. Across the airstrip and the neighboring Geyser Fields, the Fizzcrank Airmen and Anti-Scourge Cannons were found busy fighting off attacking Ironbound Troggs.[13] The Commander and the G.E.A.R. eventually cleared out the invaders with their bombers.[14]
A communication device carried their leader, Krugg the Smart, later revealed that the troggs were under the command of the leper gnome Telzo Sparkspanner, a former assistant of Sicco Thermaplugg,[15] who planned to use his trogg army to decimate all of gnomanity from Ulduar in the Storm Peaks.[16]
Exploring Azeroth
After the war against the Jailer in 36 ADP, the Bronzebeard brothers visited the airstrip and its people.[7]
Travel connections
Flight
NPCs
-
Goods and services
-
"Charlie" Northtop <Innkeeper> - Chief Engineer Galpen Rolltie <Engineering Supplies>
- Kara Thricestar <Air Traffic Controller>
- Mistie Flitterdawn <Reagents and Poisons>
- Toby "Mother Goose" Ironbolt <Stable Maste>
- Willis Wobblewheel <Blacksmith>
Additional characters
-
Quest givers
Guards
Trivia
- Before the airstrip was added, Toshley's Station was the only Alliance town to be run only by gnomes.
- The airstrip is of particular interest to engineers. Most of its missions sent adventurers to the Geyser Fields, where they can suck up gas clouds with their
[Zapthrottle Mote Extractor], and the mechanicals in that area can be dismantled when defeated in a manner similar to skinning, sometimes yielding engineering components or even, rarely, 
[Schematic: Jeeves]. - There is a US server called Fizzcrank.
Patch changes
- Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Added.
References
- ^ a b Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 102
- ^ Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 101
- ^ [10-30] The Mechagnomes
- ^ [10-30] Distress Call
- ^ [10-30] Re-Cursive
- ^ [10-30] The Gearmaster
- ^ a b c d Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, pg. 103
- ^ [10-30] Get Me Outa Here!
- ^ [10-30] Dirty, Stinkin' Snobolds!
- ^ [10-30] Finding Pilot Tailspin
- ^ [10-30] Give Fizzcrank the News
- ^
[50-80] A Tundra Conundrum
- ^ [50-80] Now With More Mechanical Fowl
- ^ [50-80] Smarter Than Your Average Trogg
- ^ [50-80] The Gnome Behind the Trogg
- ^ [50-80] A Signal in Storm Peaks
