“In the heart of this primordial frontier
lies the ancestral home of the furbolgs, Grizzlemaw. Although plagued by
trappers and the deforestation efforts of the goblin Venture Company, the furbolgs'
most imminent threat comes from the north, where undead Drakkari ice trolls
have begun pouring from their stronghold of Drak'Tharon Keep.”
— The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of
the Lich King, pg. 94
The Grizzly Hills, located in southeastern
Northrend, is a forested area, surrounded by the Howling Fjord to the south,
the Dragonblight to the west and Zul'Drak to the north. It is the homeland of
the Grizzlemaw furbolgs. Many furbolgs live in this region, most in the large
settlement of Grizzlemaw. Both the dwarven settlement of Thor Modan and the Ice
troll fortress of Drak'Tharon Keep, now occupied by the Scourge, can be found
in the north. The main faction bases are Amberpine Lodge for the Alliance and
Conquest Hold for the Horde.
The Venture Co. is also found here,
deforesting the land which is a large-scale operation throughout the region.
Arugal has also been resurrected and now leads his worgen army in the Grizzly
Hills from Bloodmoon Isle. Some furbolgs have also been affected by the corruption
of an Old God, being driven to insanity.
Magical nuts called amberseeds can be
harvested here.
History
For generations, the tribal furbolgs have
worshiped a colossal prehistoric bear that roams the surrounding wilderness.
Geography
The Grizzly Hills are located in the
eastern reaches of Northrend. To the north is the ice troll region of Zul'Drak.
South lies the peninsula of Howling Fjord and west is the Dragonblight.
Notable
characters
The Grizzly Hills is home to several
characters of note. At the Westfall Brigade Encampment, Gryan Stoutmantle leads
the Westfall Brigade in the fight against the Horde and surrounding enemies.
The Horde is led by Conqueror Krenna at Conquest Hold and Tormak the Scarred,
chieftain of the local taunka tribe, at Camp Oneqwah. Other notable characters
include the captive ice troll Drakuru, the famous adventurer Harrison Jones,
the hunter of worgen Sasha and her mysterious archenemy Shade of Arugal, and
the furbolg deity Ursoc, horribly twisted by his tainted rebirth.
PvP
There are a number of daily quests in the
Grizzly Hills that focus on PvP combat and a general conflict between the
Alliance and Horde to control Venture Bay, Blackriver Logging Camp, and Blue
Sky Logging Grounds. Daily quests include tasks to recover parts and assist
NPCs, as well as killing opposition NPCs and players. Players from both
factions can speak to NPCs at Blue Sky Logging Grounds to ride a log downstream
to the bay where additional quests can be found.
Venture Bay can be captured by either
faction, which spawns defenders and permits access to the bay's vendors.
Quests
There are several quest chains in the
Grizzly Hills. The Alliance starts out at Amberpine Lodge and are first tasked
with taking care of the wildlife and restocking supplies. Players are then
ordered to strike up an alliance with the local hunters and trappers based out
of Silverbrook, who have a dark secret. Having figured out the situation,
players are then sent to figure out what went wrong with Vordrassil, the failed
World Tree, and other problems at Westfall Brigade Encampment.
Both sides find their way to Granite
Springs to deal with the Scourge-infested trolls in the area in quest chains
that send players to Drak'Tharon Keep and to the far eastern side of the
Grizzly Hills at Drakil'jin Ruins and Squatter's Camp.
Wild
creatures
Grizzly bears
Saber worgs
Mountain giants
Stone giants
Rams
Wind serpents
Horses
Shoveltusks
Threshadons
Stags
Furbolgs
Polar furbolgs
Eagles
Moths
Serpents (one)
Ice trolls
Oozelings
Bog beasts
Iron dwarves
Undead humans
Rare elite NPCs associated with the
Northern Exposure achievement:
Grocklar
Seething Hate
Syreian the Bonecarver
Other notable creatures:
Arcturis
In
the RPG
Grizzly Hills can remind you of other
forests during wintertime, except that winter here is year-round. The trees are
tall and thick, the pine needles and crisp, clean air produce a pleasant scent,
the snow leaves the ground clean and fresh, and the hills themselves are high
enough for decent elevation but low enough and gradual enough to be easily
climbed. It's one of the nicest regions in Northrend.
The dwarves at Thor Modan aren't the only
residents. Furbolgs dominate the region, and they make fine neighbors when
they're not attacking. The Scourge has a presence here as well, but not strong
enough to do much more than block the northwest corner. Wild animals roam the
hills, providing plenty of meat and fur and entertainment. It's not an easy
land by any stretch, but it's handsome and fierce and full of life.
As the human town of Valgarde grew in
Howling Fjord to the south, its residents forced the Drakkari and the furbolgs
back into the Grizzly Hills and beyond, making the region safe enough for
farmers to till the land.
History
The furbolgs claim they were the first
people in these hills. So do the Drakkari, though they're concentrated to the
north in Zul'Drak. But actually they're both wrong. Dwarves were here first. At
least that's what Hardigan Ironjaw, of the Thor Modan expedition, tells. He
says the Titans placed dwarves here, after they'd created them. It was an
experiment to see if they could survive on their own. They not only survived
but flourished, spreading southward and into what would later become Kalimdor
and the other continents.
Hardigan thinks he can find evidence of
their ancestors here in the hills, and uncover truths about their race's early
culture. The Explorers' Guild thought it likely enough to send him here, at any
rate. Brann Bronzebeard believes dwarves did start in the north, since the
Titans were there, but he's not sure they ever settled up there. Regardless,
all this was well before any surviving history. Furbolgs don't keep careful
records beyond births, deaths, marriages, blood feuds and hunting tallies. The
Drakkari wouldn't have cared about dwarves even if they'd seen them, unless it
was how they tasted on a spit. So no one really knows what went on here back
then.
Other stories say that the Drakkari built
Drak'Tharon Keep before the furbolgs built Grizzlemaw. Supposedly, the Frost
Paws gathered the tribes together in part to fend off the new Drakkari threat.
Both races were here and hated each other — the furbolgs had the numbers but
with their new keep, the Drakkari were more organized, and the trolls were
always more unified than the furbolgs. The existence of Grizzlemaw affected the
balance, and the furbolgs' victory over the Drakkari in a series of skirmishes
may have led to the keep's eventual loss of Drak'Tharon to the Scourge. You
definitely want to stay alert in the Grizzly Hills. Furbolgs don't attack
unless you trespass on their lands, or threaten their kin, or steal their prey,
or look like you could pose a threat later. Drakkari attack on sight, and so do
Scourge forces. The dwarves just want to know what you've seen.
A dwarven prospector finally uncovered what
the Thor Modan expedition was seeking — an ancient relic clearly made by
dwarves. The relic is an enormous and heavy statue of iron. The problem is, he
found the statue in a cave between Grizzlemaw and Drak'Tharon Keep. The heroes
will have to find and retrieve the relic without getting caught by the Scourge
or the furbolgs, all the while avoiding the wild beasts in the area.
People
and culture
This region is the furbolg homeland, and
they outnumber every other race here combined. If you've never seen these
massive bear-men, that's exactly what they are: enormous creatures with a
bear's build and fur and basic features, but a man's hands and, to a limited
extent, mind. That's a dangerous combination, and they're powerful in a fight.
Fortunately they're not aggressive beyond their own territory. The dwarves at
Thor Modan have run-ins with furbolgs on a regular basis, since furbolgs feel
dwarf kinsmen are trespassers and grave-robbers. Furbolgs are surprisingly
friendly to travelers, though, and can greet your warmly once you assure them
you lay no claim to anything in the hills. Although rumors say they're less
approving of large groups, and particularly wary of strange races, but no one
can't blame them for their caution
The furbolgs have a city here, Grizzlemaw,
but it holds less than half their number. The rest are gathered in clans and
scattered throughout the region. Each clan has its own totem, and when you see
one you know you've entered Snowspring territory or Winterpaw land or Snow
Flurry hunting grounds or any of the others. It's best to declare yourself
openly once you see the totem, since a furbolg may be watching and won't
appreciate your trying to sneak past.
The dwarves in Thor Modan were thrilled to
see Brann Bronzebeard, and were eager for news of their home. It seems they
don't get that many travelers up there, particularly other dwarves. They're not
there for socializing, though, and remain focused on their excavations. They
have not yet discovered anything of note, but they're still hopeful.
The Scourge forces at Drak'Tharon Keep are
typical: nasty, violent and focused. They hold the passes between Zul'Drak, the
Dragonblight, and the rest of the Grizzly Hills, so that more Scourge forces
can reach the east or return to Icecrown Glacier.
Geography
The Grizzly Hills are as hilly as the name
suggests. Along the northern edges the land gains height and depth, approaching
the level of small mountain ranges, while it flattens out a little in the
south. Thick forest covers the land from end to end, broken only by small
clearings or the space alongside one of the many streams and small rivers. Snow
is everywhere but the region has little ice — the wind whistles overhead but
the trees block it from entering down below, and the hills seem almost warm
after the Dragonblight and the Borean Tundra. It's still dangerous, with
treacherous slopes and hidden caves and partially frozen rivers, but better
than most of the other regions.
All manner of wild animals live here
because the hills are full of life. Wolves, bears, foxes, rabbits and some
small deer are the most common, though there are others as well. Mice and other
rodents hide from the snowy owls and other raptors in the trees, but mercifully
snakes and spiders aren't present here, as they wouldn't be happy with the
temperature. Wendigo and Sasquatch prowl the hills, so it's best not to go out
alone. The Drakkari live just north in Zul'Drak and sometimes their hunters
drift down to the hills as well, in search of prey.
The Grizzly Hills have three major
settlements, each controlled by a different race. It's strange that all three
can coexist here, and even stranger that they're all along the north edge. The
southern hills have other furbolg tribes and the random trapper or traveler,
but nothing larger than a small village.
The Grizzly Hills surround Zul'Drak on both
sides and reach all the way up to Crystalsong Forest and the Storm Peaks,
making it possible to travel between the northern and southern regions of
Northrend without crossing the dangerous Drakkari territory.
Speculation
The humans living and working at
Silverbrook and Hollowstone Mine have Russian-sounding names, indicating a
unique culture. As such, the humans of the Grizzly Hills are presumably from
the same group of humans that lived in Northrend prior to the arrival of the
Lich King.
Amberpine Lodge has been maintained by the
Alliance "for a while", implying it was already held by the Alliance
before the war against the Lich King.
Flight
