Northern Barrens

Northern Barrens
Level 10-20
Far Watch Post
Races	Goblin  Orc  Tauren  Troll  Quilboar  Night elf  Murloc  Harpy
Government	Tribal chiefdom
Rulers	Garrosh Hellscream
Major settlements	The Crossroads Ratchet
Minor settlements	Mor'shan Rampart Nozzlepot's Outpost
Location	Central Kalimdor

Northern Barrens is a generic term for all the lands on the northern part of the Great Divide. It serves as a proving ground for young Horde warriors, ready to seek glory in the name of their people.

History

The Northern Barrens was once a thriving forest under the protection of the night elves and their kind. Several kaldorei settlements dotted the land, and there was no ocean for miles. Then came the Burning Legion and the Great Sundering, which shook ancient Kalimdor to the bedrock. This forested landscape transformed into a scorched plain and is battered now each day by the sun's rays. The Barrens is a sprawling and arid savanna that stretches between the Stonetalon Mountains to the west and Durotar to the east.

The majority of the region consists of vast plains. Mountains to the west hold in heated air, creating the swirling winds that rage across the plains. These windstorms stir up dust devils and tear apart anything larger than the small, tenacious scrub trees. Water is more valuable than gold in the Barrens, and the locations of hidden watering holes are the residents' most closely held secrets. Dry riverbeds and a never-ending spider web of canyons make any journey across the Barrens a dangerous and winding trek. The few brave adventurers willing to scrape out a life on the arid plains inevitably run afoul of centaur warbands or quilboar raiding parties. Despite its often uninviting terrain and hostile inhabitants, the Northern Barrens receive a good deal of interest from Alliance and Horde alike, as well as races native to Kalimdor. Trade routes crisscross the landscape leading to and from more inviting regions.

When Thrall became the Warchief, it saw civilization anew. The Horde built new settlements among the dry grasses and arid hills, and placed the Barrens solidly into the heart of Horde territory. The Horde has set up numerous outposts in this barren land, the largest being the Crossroads at the intersection of two major roads. The Barrens are also dotted with numerous farms populated by orcs and their families, and guard towers manned by orcish and tauren guards.

Geography

This section concerns content exclusive to Cataclysm.

The Northern Barrens is the northern half of what used to be the Barrens. Changes to the original areas of the Barrens are listed below.

Areas affected:

• Boulder Lode Mine – west of here is a new Horde outpost, Nozzlepot's Outpost, complete with flight path

• The Crossroads – south of here some Sunscale Lashtail have created a large nest in the newly divided hills

• The Dry Hills – due south of here is the Great Divide, which separates Northern Barrens from Southern Barrens; also seem to be a new Horde dwelling near the divide. There is also a small, uninhabited Tauren camp, filled with totems high in the mountains to the north.

• Far Watch Post – south of here near the banks of the Southfury River is a deep Razormane cave; the Razormane have unsuccessfully attacked the Horde buildings nearby and set fire to one of them

• Fray Island – now has a dock and pirate boat

• Grol'dom Farm – slightly expanded, under attack by the Quilboar

• 'Humar the Pridelord' Tree – an uninhabited camp has been set up here for those wanting to wait and tame Humar

• Lushwater Oasis – bisected by Great Divide

• The Merchant Coast – the Alliance have taken this area, added a dock and boat (players can't use it), tower and small enclosure; Horde have the hills above closer to Northwatch (though this is technically included as part of the Southern Barrens now)

• Mor'shan Rampart – under attack by the Alliance

• Southfury River – one the southern bank of the river is a Ratchet NPC and a Riverboat with small dock

• The Stagnant Oasis – in the hills SE of here there is a path leading up to a new Horde NPC, Jerrik Highmountain at what appears to be a stone, Tauren-created circle

Maps and subregions

Northern Barrens Map

Travel hubs

Crossroads

Mor'shan Rampart

Nozzlepot's Outpost

Ratchet

Adjacent regions

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Ashenvale		20-25	North	On foot or by flight path from Crossroads to Splintertree Post or Zoram'gar Outpost
Durotar		1-12	East	On foot across the Southfury River, or by flight path from Crossroads or Ratchet to Orgrimmar
Southern Barrens		30-35	South	On foot or by flight path from Crossroads to Desolation Hold or Ratchet to Desolation Hold, Fort Triumph, or Northwatch Hold

Notable characters

Please add any available information to this section.

Quests

1. •  [12] Preserving the Barrens
   •  [12] Conscript of the Horde
   •  [10] Warchief's Command: Northern Barrens!
2.  [12] In Defense of Far Watch
   • Side quest:  [11] Through Fire and Flames
   •  [12] The Far Watch Offensive
   •  [12] Plainstrider Menace (Side quest, not necessarily part of the chain)
   •  [12] Supplies for the Crossroads
3.  [12] Crossroads Caravan Pickup

Resources

• Herbalism
  •  [Earthroot]
  •  [Peacebloom]
  •  [Silverleaf]
  •  [Mageroyal]
  •  [Briarthorn]
• Leather
  •  [Ruined Leather Scraps]
  •  [Light Leather]
  •  [Medium Leather]
• Mining
  •  [Silver Ore]
  •  [Tin Ore]
  •  [Copper Ore]

Patch changes

• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Result of splitting The Barrens. While the Southern Barrens became a Contested zone, the Northern Barrens remains Horde territory.
  

External links

• Wowhead