Violet Hold & Drak'Tharon Keep: Level 76 - Friday, April 29, 2011

Two of the mid-range dungeons in Wrath of the Lich King are the Violet Hold and Drak'Tharon Keep.  While there is a fairly long storyline that brings you into the latter, the buildup for Violet Hold is relatively simple.  You receive notice from Rhonin, the leader of the Kirin'Tor, that there is a jailbreak in progress at the prison in the center of Dalaran.  Malygos has discovered a weakness in the building's roof, and is sending waves of his forces through in an attempt to break through into the city.  You and your party are locked into the prison, and must survive multiple waves of enemies and bosses in order to protect Dalaran. 

There are 18 waves of enemies altogether, and bosses come in during the 6th, 12th and 18th waves.  The first two bosses are randomly drawn from a pool of six, but the final boss is always Cyanigosa, a blue dragon and lieutenant of Malygos.  This dungeon has the added element of a door that you need to protect.  Not only do you need to ensure that you and the rest of the party survive, but if the door is destroyed, you will fail the dungeon.  

Drak'Tharon Keep is located between the two zones of Grizzly Hills and Zul'Drak, and continues the story of Drakuru, which began in Grizzly Hills.  As you remember, Drakuru was a captured troll who persuaded you to help him eradicate certain clans of trolls all around the Grizzly Hills.  His final task for you was to enter Drak'Tharon Keep, fight your way to the top, and use a special incense at a brazier in the keep's summit.  

The Keep has been overrun with Scourge, who are killing the troll inhabitants and raising them up as zombies and ghouls.  The bosses range from an undead troll berserker...

 to a full-blown Lich.

Your path to the summit leads through the raptor pens, where the resident trolls keep their future mounts.  A nasty surprise awaits you, however, as the pens also contain a giant devilsaur. 

The final boss is a skeletal wind serpent, who will occasionally temporarily rob you of your flesh, which render your regular attacks invalid.  

After you defeat the boss, and use the incense at the flame, as ordered, Drakuru appears, not in a vision like before, but in person.  You have freed him from his cage in the Grizzly Hills, and as you might have guessed, you have once again inadvertently aided evil.  He summons a portal, and who should step through but Arthas.  

Drakuru reveals that you have helped him betray his people to serve the Scourge, and as a reward, Arthas grants him a new, powerful undead form.  For your blind assistance, you are spared by Arthas once again, and Drakuru offers you a lofty position if you seek him out in Zul'Drak.  

Grizzly Hills: Level 75 - Thursday, April 28, 2011

Just north of the Howling Fjord are the mountainous Grizzly Hills.  For most Alliance players, your quests here begin at Amberpine Lodge, where you are tasked with gathering food and supplies for the war effort.  

Horde start off in Conquest Hold.  

After the introductory quests, the first the three major chains in the zone begins.  You are sent to provide aid to a small camp within the forest.  

You are tasked with subduing some of the hostile ice trolls that have begun gathering to the south.  You capture one alive, and bring it back to the camp.  Probably against protocol, you talk with him, and he becomes a questgiver named Drakuru, promising to show you the secrets of the mysterious Drak'Tharon Keep, a large Troll fortress that blocks the way to Zul'Drak in the north.  

After a series of quests where you travel around the Grizzly Hills and kill various groups of trolls, Drakuru reveals through a spirit link with you, that you have done well, and tells you that your final task is to enter Drak'Tharon Keep, make your way to the top, and use an item at the fire on top of the dungeon.  

Meanwhile, a questgiver in Amberpine sends you to the nearby village of Silvermoon, hoping to strike an arrangement with the settlers there to provide support, if needed. 

The settlers agree to help, on the condition that you clear all of the mysterious plant known as wolfsbane from the town's borders, which, of course you do and find in no way suspicious.  

Once again, I've been had.

Naturally, since this is the expansion of you unwillingly aiding the enemy, Silverbrook is, in reality, a camp of hostile worgen that you have essentially set free.  You are only narrowly able to escape, after finding out the truth from a caged prisoner in one of their lodges.  

You investigate further, and found out that Arugal, who was the ruler of Shadowfang Keep prior to Cataclysm, and the dark wizard responsible for summoning the worgen to Azeroth, has been resurrected and is located in a keep off the coast of the Grizzly Hills, churning out more evil worgen to do his bidding.  You head out there, and take care of him.  

Another quest chain has you dealing with hostile Iron Dwarves, who have begun to pour into the Grizzly Hills and as far south as the Howling Fjord from the Storm Peaks, which lie to the north.  

You are able to cripple their efforts to restore their ancient stronghold of Thor Modan, and later, turn your attention to their mountaintop base of Dun Argol.  Here, they are building a massive army of iron golems, which they plan to use in their effort to defend their master, a giant titan named Loken, in his kingdom of Ulduar.  

Finally, you explore the roots of a failed attempt at a World Tree, planted by druids hundreds of years ago.  There is some kind of corruption deep in the roots which made it unable to grow, and is driving the furbolg inhabitants of the tree insane.  

Azjol-Nerub: Level 74 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Deep under Dragonblight, is the Nerubian kingdom of Azjol-Nerub.  The nerubians are a race of spider-like nightmare fuel that dwell underground.  

They are technially neutral, but a large contingent of Nerubians found themselves allied with Arthas when one of their rulers, Anub'arak, who was biased, since he was technically an undead, having been killed and raised by the spirit of the Lich King in the years prior to Arthas' reign of terror, offered Arthas aid on his road to Icecrown.  He took the prince underground through Azjol-Nerub, in an effort to get around the combined forces of Kael'Thas and Illidan, and saved his life on several occasions, by guiding him through the treacherous terrain.  In WoW, you enter the two dungeon instances that make up Azjol-Nerub through a large sinkhole in Dragonblight.  

The shorter, and easier instance, is Azjol-Nerub.  

It's a relatively short instance, and a party can usually get through it in about 15-20 minutes.  You pass through the Gilded Gate, guarded by one of Anub'arak's lieutenants....

and find yourself in Hadronox's Lair, where you do battle with a fierce giant spider.  

After a quick plunge into a seemingly bottomless pit...

you splash down into the Passage of Lost Fiends, where you eventually come face-to-face with Anub'arak himself.  

The other instance is Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom.  

This instance is much more sprawling than Azjol-Nerub, and features more trash and bosses.  

 An underground swamp area brings some funky fungi to take care of....

on your way to the massive temple where the final boss, the Herald Volazj an agent of the evil Old Gods, like C'thun, who are spreading their dark influence through the world, waits.  

Dalaran: Level 73 - Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Floating high in the sky over the Crystalsong Forest in the center of Northrend is the magical city of Dalaran.  

This city was originally located in the Alterac Mountains, relatively close to Arthas Menethil's homeland of Lordaeron.  It is the home of the powerful mages of the Kirin'Tor.  When Arthas began his descent into madness, this was one of the cities that he laid siege to.  After its destruction, the Kirin'Tor placed a giant bubble around it for protection, and began the long process of rebuilding, which lasted for all of the original WoW and Burning Crusade time periods.  

When it was decided that it was time to take Arthas out, the barrier was removed, and the rebuilt city was transported to its current position in Northrend, to serve as a forward base for anybody who was taking the fight to Arthas.  

Like Shattrath in the Burning Crusade, Dalaran served as the home base for characters of both factions, when they weren't questing, doing dungeons or raiding.  This city is designated as a sanctuary, so there is no combat permitted within its boundaries, but there are clearly specified Horde and Alliance-only areas, and players not of the corresponding faction will be transported out if they try to access them.   

In the center of the city is the Violet Citadel, where Rhonin, the leader of the Kirin'Tor and his advisors convene.  You can hop a portal to Tanaris' Caverns of Time from here, and it is also the place to be as you turn in the last quest in a chain that was implemented late in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, that has you reforge a broken epic sword.  

The Violet Hold is a prison for some of the most dangerous enemies of the Kirin'Tor, and serves as a mid-70's dungeon, with players attempting to stop a jailbreak.  

Meanwhile, the sewers of Dalaran are a haven for the less savory characters.  There is a market for rogues, and even an underground arena, where players can duel, and participate in matches.  

Also of note in the sewers is this Level 80 rat, and his four baby turtles.