Deadwind Pass is a contested zone located
in central Eastern Kingdoms, joining the southeastern reaches of the Kingdom of
Stormwind (via Duskwood) from the east to the Swamp of Sorrows (and, eventually,
the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands) from the west. It was, a score of years
ago, considered a part of the Redridge Mountains.
The Ivory Tower of Karazhan, once the dark
wizard Medivh’s seat of power, stands in the center of this jagged region and
leaks evil magic into the land. The trees are petrified and leafless, and a
terrible wind keens through the canyon. Ogres, demons, undead and a few human
gypsies roam the interior. Deadwind Pass connects Duskwood and the Swamp of
Sorrows, and travelers are advised to move quickly — whispers tell that a new
force has claimed the Ivory Tower, and that the ogres and demons are under its
sway.
History
Deadwind Pass is another region of the
continent of Azeroth dominated by evil magic. It sits in the very middle of
Azeroth and connects Duskwood and the Swamp of Sorrows. The Ivory Spire of
Karazhan, once the seat of Medivh, still stands. It leaks corrupting magic,
destroying the region’s flora. A foul wind constantly blows across the
decimated canyon, giving it the name Deadwind. Although Deadwind does have a
handful of inhabitants, few run across them.
The fates of many people in Azeroth and the
surrounding continents were forged here. Medivh made his home here and planned
the Dark Portal's creation and opening. His evil is felt in this region more
strongly than anywhere else, the land corrupted with the foul taint of his
magic. Currently, the pass has little significance. People move through
quickly, wishing to avoid ogres, undead and demons. It is rumored that the
attacking monsters do not kill those they capture, but take them back to the
tower.
The tower's builders have been lost to
time, but surely they were great and terrible people to have built such a
foreboding and yet magnificent structure. Medivh was sought out and killed
during the First War, and the tower has since been apparently abandoned, though
unknown dangers yet lurk within.
It is unclear who murdered all the
villagers in the southern part of the chasm. It may have been Medivh or some
force he summoned. Another theory states that it was the Black Riders, who have
a hunger for death and seek to obtain the dangerous Scythe of Elune for their
own purposes.
This area might have been Borderlands from
WC1.
Geography
This land is dead. The remaining trees are
leafless and petrified, leeched of life by the tower's foul magic. The wind
smells foul and dead, and the lightning storms are of concern to travelers
carrying metal weapons. Undead and demons move over the land, refusing to allow
it any chance of healing itself. In clear view of the road, scarecrow-like
totems hang from the trees, a warning to remain on the path. The weather is in
one of two states: threatening to storm or stormy. The main pass is through the
middle of the region, and one must travel to the south to reach the cursed
Ivory Tower of Karazhan. Few people wish to travel there, and few ever return.
The few who have returned never reached the tower; attacking ogres forced them
back before they came within sight of it. Besides the ogres, travelers must
watch for harpies in the canyons.
Although Deadwind does have a handful of
inhabitants, few are likely to run across them if they are just passing
through. The Deadwind ogres comprise most of the population. The ogres are
dedicated to cleansing the region of all interlopers, lead by a
"master". These ogres dress in foul rags and carry crude, rough
weapons. They are the biggest, most obvious threat to travelers and why most
caravans and groups go heavily guarded.
The humans of the region are travelers,
carrying their homes on their backs and trying to stay one step ahead of the
ogres, demons and undead that haunt them. They do not recognize the Alliance or
even ask its aid. They simply move from place to place, fighting for their
lives, stolidly proclaiming Deadwind Pass as their home.
This region is barren and devoid of any
useful resources - herbs do not grow here, and there are no precious metals to
be found. The only wildlife to speak of are carrion birds.
The raid dungeon Karazhan can be found in
this zone. Other than that, there are no dungeons of any kind and no
battlegrounds here. In addition, there are no travel hubs - players will have
to rely on the nearby towns of Darkshire (Alliance) and Stonard (Horde) to
access this zone.
In the northern part of the region is an
abandoned camp that is labeled "Ariden's Camp". Currently, there are
no NPCs in World of Warcraft named "Ariden", and this name is not
listed in any records of lore.
If merely passing through, the only mobs
travelers usually come across are vultures and wisp-like sprites, all of which
are aggressive and will attack on sight. As one goes further south, though, one
will come across a tribe of Deadwind Ogres living around the bend in the road
leading to Karazhan. They live both along the roadside and within the nearby
caves. In addition to the ogres and vultures, many undead aggressive spirits
haunt the remains of the town at the base of Karazhan, far south down the road.
Their presence also extends deep underground. There are open cellar entrances
in two of the ruined houses which will lead to catacombs and caverns filled
with these ghosts.
Of course, there is the tower of Karazhan
itself, which dominates the southern area of the pass. Karazhan is a level 70
10-man instance in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.
Deadwind Pass is also known to be the
origin point of a mysterious regime known as the Dark Riders, who have been
sighted in Duskwood when they slaughtered a family of farmers in search of the
Scythe of Elune.
As of the 2.0 patch the undead surrounding
the tower are level 67-70. Players of much lower level should be careful to
avoid running in, as the ghosts have a large aggro radius and would be very
hard, if not impossible, to kill. Thankfully, they should not prove much of a
threat for the level 70 adventurers who come here to brave the dangers of
Karazhan.
The Redridge Range stretches from the zone
of the Redridge Mountains to the zone of Deadwind Pass.
Notable
Characters
Archmage Alturus, Archmage Leryda, and
Apprentice Darius are the only friendly characters that have dared to brave the
pass. They have come on behalf of Dalaran to investigate the disturbances
coming from Karazhan and are enlisting adventurers to delve deep into the
tower's mysteries.
In
Cataclysm
It is unknown what changes the Cataclysm
has wrought upon Deadwind Pass. For a time during beta, the Eastern Kingdoms
world map did not show a border between Duskwood and Deadwind Pass.[citation
needed] This was corrected in build 12942.
There are currently a group of high-level
spiders in the trees above the road on the entrance from Duskwood which drop
behind travelers and attack.
Wild
creatures
Ghosts
Ogres
Shades
Vultures
Wisps
Wraiths
Major settlements: Deadwind Ogre Mounds
(700)
Affiliation: Independent
Location: East of Duskwood
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