Borean Tundra

Borean Tundra
Level: 10-30 Battle Pet Level: 20 - 22
Concept art of the tundra coast
Capital(s)	The Nexus Kaskala Valiance Keep Warsong Hold
Races	Scourge  Tuskarr  Taunka  Naga  Kvaldir Blue dragonflight Mechagnome  Human  Gnome  Orc  Jungle troll  Tauren  Forsaken  Magnataur  Murloc
Ruler(s)	General Arlos   Elder Atuik
Former ruler(s)	Kalecgos   Malygos †   Garrosh Hellscream   Varok Saurfang
Major settlements	Fizzcrank Airstrip Farshire Taunka'le Village Temple City of En'kilah Naxxanar Riplash Ruins Garrosh's Landing
Minor settlements	Unu'pe Beryl Point Amber Ledge D.E.H.T.A. Encampment Transitus Shield Winterfin Village Death's Stand Bor'gorok Outpost Warsong Farms Outpost Wailing Ziggurat Riplash Strand Pal'ea Gammoth Magmoth
Affiliation	Valiance Expedition, Alliance Vanguard, Taunka, Warsong Offensive, Horde Expedition, D.E.H.T.A., Kirin Tor, Blue dragonflight, Kalu'ak, Winterfin tribe, Scourge, Riplash naga, Skadir
Location	Southwestern Northrend
PvP status	Contested territory

The Borean Tundra (pronounced BOHR-ian, not boh-REHH-an) is located in the far southwestern edge of Northrend, and is the home of the tuskarr and blue dragons. The Undead Scourge and the naga also inhabit the region. Important landmarks include the tuskarr capital of Kaskala and the Riplash Ruins. Coldarra is an island just off the western coast. Kaskala is currently under siege and the tuskarr have moved to Unu'pe.

The Borean Tundra contains bases of both the Alliance and the Horde, and does not have an emphasis for a specific faction.^[1] Warsong Hold has a zeppelin tower connecting it to Durotar, and Valiance Keep has a dock connecting it to Stormwind City. This is the first place many travelers of both the Alliance and the Horde see when descending upon Northrend.^[2]

There is also a port between the Tundra and Howling Fjord that uses a giant turtle with a deck on its back as a quick means to travel between the two starting regions of the continent.^[3] There is a murloc town that may be used after some quests for D.E.H.T.A.. The murlocs can actually talk and repair your equipment. They also have quests against an infected camp across the cove.^[4]

History[]

This section is a lore stub.

During the war against the Lich King, the Horde established the settlement of Warsong Hold under the command of the Mag'hari son of Grom, Garrosh Hellscream. The Horde has created a pact with the local and culturally similar tuskarr, who are under siege from naga based at the Riplash Ruins. These naga intend to use their generators to melt the surrounding ice caps, though these plans have been thrown off course by their defeat by the Kvaldir, a clan of Vrykul which are also raiding the tuskarr. Garrosh and his forces have also discovered the enigmatic taunka, an ancient offshoot of the tauren race thought to be lost forever.^[5]

Geography[]

The Borean Tundra is a sprawling, cold place where the wind can about strip the beard off your face. It’s the flattest part of the continent, and like the name suggests, there’s not a tree to be seen, just a low, rolling landscape of red and brown with a bit of lichen green thrown in for variety. Mammoth and woolly rhinoceros herds wander about, looking for enough food to eat. The tundra gives a person the wrong impression of Northrend, though, as it feels like an afterthought in a place so defined by its mountains.^[2]

There are tuskarr stone elders all around the Borean Tundra, ranging in size from shorter than a dwarf to taller than a house. A lot of those statues are by the coast and, according to Brann Bronzebeard, are use to mark their fishing routes while some have been seen inland too.^[6]

The Borean Tundra is wide, flat, and cold. The landscape varies greatly. Hard but farmable soil in the south lead to nourishing steam pools in the middle. Along the west edge, nasty cliffs rise up and then shear off into the Westrift. The north is home to grasslands and an area of steep hills. To the northwest, one can see the high plateau island of Coldarra. The east is snow-covered and the most brutal this area has to offer. A river separates the Borean Tundra from the Dragonblight.

Maps and subregions[]

The Abandoned Reach Amber Ledge Beryl Point Blistering Pool Bloodspore Plains Bor'gorok Outpost The Borean Wall Charred Rise Coast of Echoes Coldrock Quarry D.E.H.T.A. Encampment Death's Stand The Dens of Dying Den of Dying Echo Cove Farshire Farshire Lighthouse Farshire Mine Festering Pools Fizzcrank Airstrip The Flood Plains Frozen Reach The Frozen Sea Gammoth Garrosh's Landing Warsong Jetty The Geyser Fields Fizzcrank Pumping Station Mid Point Station North Point Station South Point Station West Point Station Glimmer Bay Kaskala Kaw's Roost Lake Kum'uya Magmoth Nasam's Talon Naxxanar Njord's Breath Bay Pal'ea Plains of Nasam Riplash Ruins Riplash Strand Shrine of Scales Ruins of Eldra'nath Sands of Nasam Scalding Pools Steam Springs Steeljaw's Caravan Talramas Taunka'le Village Temple City of En'kilah Spire of Blood Spire of Decay Spire of Pain Transborea Unu'pe Valiance Keep The Stormbreaker The Wailing Ziggurat Warsong Farms Outpost Torp's Farm Warsong Granary Warsong Slaughterhouse Warsong Hold Mightstone Quarry The Westrift Winterfin Retreat

Coldarra The Nexus Saragosa's Landing Transitus Shield Winterfin Village Winterfin Caverns

Undisplayed locations Bor's Anvil Bor's Hammer The Kur Drakkar The Serpent's Maw

Removed locations Coast of Idols Farshire Fields Krom's Landing Magnamoth Caverns The Transitus Stair

Warcraft RPG Frostbridge Sholazar Basin

Instances[]

Instance Name	Level Range	Group Size	Approximate Run Time
The Nexus	71-73	5	45 min - 1 hour
The Oculus	80	5	45 min - 1 hour
Eye of Eternity	80	10-25	10 min

Travel hubs[]

Flight paths from Fizzcrank Airstrip

Flight paths and boats from Valiance Keep

Flight paths from Bor'gorok Outpost

Flight paths from Taunka'le Village

Flight paths and zeppelins from Warsong Hold

Flight paths from Amber Ledge

Flight paths from Transitus Shield

Flight paths and boats from Unu'pe

Adjacent regions[]

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Dragonblight		61 - 80	East	By foot, by boat from Unu'pe, or by flight path
Sholazar Basin		66 - 80	North	By foot, or by flight path
Wintergrasp		67 - 80 PvP	Northeast	By flying mount only
Stormwind City			Far to the southeast across the ocean	By boat from Valiance Keep to Stormwind Harbor
Orgrimmar			To the west across the ocean	By zeppelin from Warsong Hold to a tower in Orgrimmar

Notable characters[]

See also: Borean Tundra NPCs

Horde[]

Alliance[]

Quests[]

Main article: Borean Tundra quests

The major questlines explore a variety of conflicts across the zone. The native tuskarr and taunka are being uprooted from their villages by the Kvaldir. Multiple sinkholes are disgorging crypt fiends around the recently established fortifications of Warsong Hold and Valiance Keep. Territorial aggression is being observed in the Magmothran magnataur. The Fizzcrank gnomes have awakened a flesh-hating terror, fused from abandoned Titan technology.

In the course of battling these threats, Warcraft's player heroes will also uncover a handful of political plots. The first sparks of the wolvar/Oracle conflict are evident as these groups also have their opponents in the Winterfin tribe of murlocs. An organization known as the Druids for the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Animals are conscripting everyone they can, to bring Nesingwary's poachers to justice. The wizards of Dalaran are investigating the kidnapping of magical talent from the areas surrounding the Amber Ledge.

Finally, after these many trials, the player will come to confront the subversive figure known as Prince Valanar, atop the floating necropolis of Naxxanar.

Resources[]

Wild creatures[]

Rare Elite NPCs associated with the  Northern Exposure achievement.

In the RPG[]

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

The Borean Tundra is the longest region in Northrend, running from its southwestern tip up to Lake Wintergrasp. It has a lot of snow and the ground here is more dirt than rock. Small trees and scrub dot the landscape, but everything is still frozen solid. Somehow the tundra avoids most of Northrend's problems. The Scourge rarely comes here, the Drakkari are only a minor nuisance, and even the ice storms are less severe. Perhaps the Borean Tundra owes its fortune to its isolation.^[7]

Despite its empty landscape, the Tundra provides opportunities for adventure. It has ruins to explore, a city to approach, hunters to avoid, and a strangely warm basin to examine.^[8] Although most of the tundra is empty ice it has several Drakkari camps but none big enough to have names. Nerubians wander about as well, though it seems only small packs of them. Same with the Scourge.^[9]

History[]

Judging by the ruins in the region, nerubians were the first to inhabit it. Some think the Borean Tundra is just a part of Azjol-Nerub that got thrust up from underground unless it was an experiment to see if they could be comfortable living above ground. If the later is the case it must have failed, since it is a ruin. The tuskarr were next and Kaskala's oldest village is at least several centuries old while the rest grew up around it as family members split off to start their own smaller families. The Drakkari are more recent additions to this area and have no fixed settlement. The Scourge rarely appears, and its agents never stay longer than it takes to patrol and look for potential dangers or new recruits.

The Drakkari wander the Tundra in small hunting parties based out of isolated camps. Not long ago a Drakkari warrior named Han'jin allied his camp with three others and they are currently building a more permanent base while inviting other camps to join them. If he keeps the hunters united, Han'jin will become the ruler of a small town, and the Drakkari will become a major threat to the tuskarr and anyone else roaming the Borean Tundra.^[8]

People and culture[]

Tuskarr are the dominant presence in the Borean Tundra although since they keep near their villages, you can go days without seeing another living creature. They are good neighbors and mostly care about fishing, whaling and protecting their villages. Some have seen tuskarr fending off hungry Drakkari, and even fighting a few wayward nerubians, so they are formidable foes; but no one has ever seen them attack anyone without good reason.

Drakkari wander the tundra, but not in any significant numbers, though if all of them got together in one place they would be a problem. Luckily most are content to roam alone or in small packs. They have seen several camps throughout the region. It seems they wandered over from Zul'Drak, through the Dragonblight, and came to the Tundra to hunt. They harass the tuskarr from time to time, but every time the tuskarr gather their forces they send the Drakkari away. An individual Drakkari is probably tougher than a tuskarr, but the tundra has a lot more of the walrus-men.

The Borean Tundra has naga as well, though only near the southern end, in the Riplash Ruins. Sometimes you can see blue dragons who come from the nearby Coldarra, where they live, and fly overhead from time to time. Breathtaking creatures, and surprisingly cordial. There are a few Scourge creatures, but mostly lone scouts straggling over from the lake area.

The Tundra is not an important part of Northrend, at least according to both humans and the Scourge, since it is too isolated and too barren to be desirable and has too much shoreline to be defensible. Tuskarr like it because of that expansive shore, and the Riplash Ruins give the naga a perfect view of anyone approaching across the ocean from the south. Drakkari hunt here because they can and because the tundra provides little cover for wildlife. Most others stay well away, preferring the forested areas to the east.^[7]

Geography[]

The Borean Tundra is wide, flat and cold. A solid sheet of ice covers it, and beneath that is soil frozen rock-hard. Along the western edge the ice rises up into some nasty cliffs, which then shear off into the Westrift. To the north the ice smooths out into one glittering sheet that is glass-slick and leads right to Lake Wintergrasp. The northwest corner, up by the Sholazar Basin, has no ice and only a little snow — a few hardy souls have even set up farms there. The east is also gentler, still snow-covered but less treacherous where it leads down to the ocean.^[7][9]

At its north edge the tundra runs into Lake Wintergrasp, a vast frozen lake that effectively shields it from the Dragonblight and Icecrown Glacier. The only way to reach these areas overland is across the mountains bordering the Dragonblight or through the Sholazar Basin, neither of which are easy for even a seasoned traveler. An army would be suicidal to attempt either.

Not many plants can survive up here. Without any cover the wind is fierce enough to tear flesh, and you can barely hear yourself when you shout. A few trees manage to hang on, evergreens, but the small twisted kind rather than the tall proud ones out east. There some animals roaming the region, mostly wolves, rabbits and foxes or even bears. Most of the life is in the water, though. The tuskarr can point out every kind of whale imaginable and they hunt all of them. They also know about at least twenty different types of fish in the area. If you are handy with a spear and a net you can feed yourself pretty easily along the shore.^[9]

Notes[]

• Boreios (βορέας) in Greek means "northern".
• The name of the zone is confusing because on Earth tundra vegetation is found to the north of boreal climate, not overlapping.
• The zone was difficult to design, as it has disparate colors blending with each other (e.g. red and yellow).^[10]

Gallery[]

• 

• 

  Concept art of Coldarra and the Nexus. Art by Justin Kunz.

• 

  Concept art of steam vents in the Borean Tundra.

• 

  The river that borders the Dragonblight and the Borean Tundra.

Patch changes[]

• Patch 7.3.5 (2018-01-16): Level scaling implemented, previous zone level: 68 - 72.
  

References[]

External links[]

• Wowhead
• WoWDB

MMO-Champion Borean Tundra highlighted on Northrend map

Youtube WoW - Wrath of the Lich King - Borean Tundra Zone