Dustwallow Marsh

Dustwallow Marsh (or Dustwallow Swamp) is a vast and ancient swamp in the eastern reaches of Central Kalimdor. Although there is little activity in the area, the Alliance and the Horde have recently expanded their influence in the region. The Alliance city-state of Theramore was located on a small island east off shore but was eventually destroyed by a mana bomb ordered by the then-Warchief Garrosh Hellscream. The Horde major stronghold in the area is Brackenwall Village, the new home of the ogre Stonemaul clan.

Third War
Dustwallow Marsh had long been home only to wild beasts, but all this changed in the Third War, when Jaina Proudmoore led her people here to settle down after the battle with Archimonde at Mount Hyjal. Founding the city-state of Theramore, Jaina's people rapidly extended into the swamp, building fortified scout towers at important points along the road to the Barrens.

The area was home to the centaur and wildkin who raided orc members. Bloodbeak the Berserker destroyed an orc village here.

After Daelin Proudmoore attacked the Echo Isles, Vol'jin relocated his tribe to the marsh. His base served as a base of operations for Rexxar, Rokhan, and Chen Stormstout. The mok'nathal recruited the ogres of Stonemaul clan that lived here into the Horde when he killed their tyrannical leader Kor'gall. Dustwallow Marsh saw a great skirmish between the Horde and Kul Tirans led by Admiral Proudmoore, eventually leading to Daelin's death and the permanent breakup of the tentative peace between the Alliance and the Horde.

World of Warcraft
Perhaps it is because of extreme terrain conditions that neither the Horde nor the Alliance has succeeded in establishing an extensive presence in the area. Though it is shown that several orc families live here. Located on the rocky tip of the peninsula on the eastern shore, the citadel of Theramore Isle is the home of Jaina Proudmoore and a great bastion of the Alliance. The gleaming walls of this bastion, however, often serve to contain the Alliance, and its presence does not extend far beyond them, despite a number of scattered checkpoints and towers that dot the road leading to the Barrens. Theramore's military has recently been dwindling, partly due to the ever-increasing number of desertions, though why so many people have chosen to forsake their place with the Theramore garrison remains a mystery.

Despite bordering on Horde-controlled territory, tauren and orcish presence in Dustwallow Marsh is equally marginal and is largely confined to Brackenwall Village to the northwest. Founded by the Stonemaul ogres and ruled by the iron fist of their leader, Overlord Mok'Morokk, Brackenwall Village is the only vestige of the Horde in the area. As the Stonemaul ogres do not generally seem to take much interest in the outside world, much of the area between the bastion of Theramore Isle and the Horde settlement remains wild and untamed, with even the road leading to the Barrens rapidly falling into disrepair.

Though neither faction controls a significant portion of Dustwallow Marsh, covert skirmishes between the Alliance and Horde became common, in spite of the official truce that was maintained in the region. There have been reports of Brackenwall Village taking military action against the covert Theramore infiltrators, who have been spotted to the east of the village. Other sources indicate that a number of Horde spies have been murdered or simply disappeared while attempting to infiltrate Theramore. Clandestine activities on both sides continue to this day and are more likely to escalate into a full-fledged covert conflict than cease completely.

In the south of the marsh, the black dragonflight has established a presence. Consequently, these regions of the swamp have come to be known as the Dragonmurk and the Wyrmbog. Until recently, the Stonemaul ogres lived in Stonemaul Village in this region in relative peace. The Mok'Nathal Rexxar assumed leadership of their tribe some time ago and forged an alliance between the Stonemaul and the Horde, although later it seems he stepped down as a leader. Not long after, the Black Dragonspawn attacked the village in a terrible rout and the surviving Stonemaul ogres were forced to retreat to Brackenwall but the ogres have sworn revenge on the usurpers. It is said that this wilderness is also home to Onyxia, a great black dragon and the daughter of Deathwing, and even some adventurers ventured into her lair and lived to tell the tale.

The Burning Crusade
The goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel created the town of Mudsprocket in the southwest of Dustwallow Marsh. At the same time, the Grimtotem tribe expanded their influence in the region by settling in the northern reaches founding Blackhoof Village.

Cataclysm
Dustwallow Marsh was almost entirely untouched by the Shattering. The only changes of note were a new road from Theramore directly to the Southern Barrens and a new mountain pass from Mudsprocket to Thousand Needles.

Mists of Pandaria
The relative quiet didn't last long though. After Deathwing's fall, Theramore was attacked and destroyed by a mana bomb detonated under the orders of Garrosh Hellscream, then-Warchief of the Horde.

Once Garrosh Hellscream was defeated and captured in the Siege of Orgrimmar, King Varian Wrynn stated that he wanted to set up a garrison close to Theramore.

Battle for Azeroth
During the Fourth War, the Ruins of Theramore saw some activity in the form of scouting missions as well as being a place of meetings.

Prior to the battle at the Gates of Orgrimmar, a Horde army loyal to Varok Saurfang made a camp at the site of a watch tower. There, leaders of the Horde gathered and met with King Anduin. Together, they marched at Durotar.

Geography
Dustwallow Marsh is a vast and ancient swamp in Central Kalimdor that is home to many old and wonderful beasts. Navigation is often extremely difficult and many adventurers have lost their way in this great jungle, where trees obscure the sunlight and raptors, spiders and crocolisks lie in wait, hunting those brave enough to venture close to their lairs.

A hot, fetid swampland, Dustwallow Marsh is fed by underground springs that keep it eternally wet and muddy. Mosquitoes buzz in the air. Trees dip fronds into the waters. The climate is home to a variety of predators, including crocolisks and murlocs. Black dragons dwell in the southern end of the swamp in such profusion that the area garners the name "Wyrmbog". Dustwallow Marsh abuts the ocean on its east side, and the mixing of the waters makes a wide swath brackish. Off the coast there are some islands like Alcaz Island or a rocky island on which was perched the Alliance stronghold-city of Theramore until it was destroyed by Garrosh Hellscream.

Near the low hills that form the western edge of the Marsh separating it from the Barrens, the Stonemaul ogres have opened their Brackenwall Village to the races of the Horde. Brackenwall serves as an essential foothold for the Horde in the marshlands.

Maps and subregions


Topographic map of Dustwallow Marsh

Instances

 * Micro dungeon
 * Alcaz Island - This island lies off the coast of the marsh and is patrolled by dangerous monsters (level 57-62 elite). It is inhabited mostly by naga, though hydras can be found in the water around the island. Under the surface of the island is a heavily guarded prison, where the missing king of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn was kept after his abduction by the Defias.

Travel hubs

 * Theramore Isle
 * Brackenwall Village
 * Mudsprocket

Notable characters
Dustwallow Marsh is home to several characters of note. At Brackenwall Village, Overlord Mok'Morokk seeks aid in the battle against the black dragonflight. In her cottage in the Quagmire, Tabetha recruits the arcanely inclined in an attempt to cleanse the taint that has affected a mystical orb. In his lair, Emberstrife unwittingly helps disguised agents of the Horde in entering his queen's lair, and at Theramore Isle, Lady Jaina Proudmoore sends bold adventurers into the swamp in search of a missing diplomat. Nat Pagle also resides at Nat's Landing, where adventurers from around the world come to hear of his fishing adventures and from where he offers guidance to those who have significantly advanced the patient art.

Quests


Adventures aid their respective factions by dealing with spies, investigating the Shady Rest Inn and dealing with the culprits, and striking out against the Black dragonflight.

Resources

 * Herbs
 * Stranglekelp
 * Kingsblood
 * Liferoot
 * Fadeleaf
 * Goldthorn
 * Khadgar's Whisker
 * Leather
 * Thick Murloc Scale (Drops off level 30-35 murlocs)
 * Turtle Scale (Skinning level 38-53 turtles)
 * Ore
 * Silver Ore
 * Iron Ore
 * Gold Ore
 * Mithril Ore
 * Truesilver Ore

Wild creatures

 * Bog beasts
 * Crocolisks
 * Frogs
 * Giant spiders
 * Hydra
 * Oozes
 * Raptors
 * Sharks
 * Spirit wolves
 * Snakes
 * Threshadons
 * Turtles
 * Ghosts
 * Zombies
 * Wind serpents
 * Worms
 * Worms

The Burning Crusade
In patch 2.3.0, the whole zone of Dustwallow Marsh was improved to make it more quest-friendly and a less lonely place to be in.

Changes included:
 * A new neutral town, Mudsprocket, led by Steamwheedle Cartel goblins. A quest hub with a flight master, an inn and a graveyard.
 * The area where Tabetha resides is now called Tabetha's Farm and has a pebble road leading to it (was in the middle of the marsh earlier). This area now also has a graveyard.
 * The Grimtotem tribe has expanded and set up a base in northern Dustwallow by the name of Blackhoof Village and one just north of Tabetha's Farm named Direhorn Post.
 * Many new quests - see Dustwallow Marsh quests.

Cataclysm
Dustwallow Marsh was made a 35 - 40 zone in Cataclysm. With the escalating warfare in the Southern Barrens, a highway was constructed through the marsh from Theramore Isle to the Barrens.

Areas affected:


 * Mudsprocket – Two new quest givers added for the Horde and the Alliance; path leads from Mudsprocket through the Wyrmbog and into the Thousand Needles.
 * Theramore Isle – A new highway runs from Theramore across Dustwallow Bay and directly west to the Southern Barrens.

Mists of Pandaria
Shortly prior to Mists of Pandaria, Theramore Isle was destroyed by the Horde.

After completing the Theramore's Fall scenario, Theramore is phased replaced with a crater, making all quests in it unavailable. Players can ask Zidormi near the bridge to switch phases, restoring Theramore and allowing questing.

In Warcraft III


In Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Dustwallow Marsh was the main map of the Old Hatreds mission of the Founding of Durotar campaign. It is there that the Darkspear tribe trolls resettled after the Echo Isles were attacked by the Kul Tiran navy. Besides the Darkspear village, it featured some orcish and troll outposts, such as Mathogg's village. The zone had a human Coastal Base nearby, close to Theramore Isle and Tidefury Cove. Mulgore could also be accessed through a zeppelin ride, the Stonemaul clan ogres had a village and an arena south, and there was a dimensional gateway to the Outland Arena.

Dustwallow Marsh then had some wildlife which didn't appear later in World of Warcraft:
 * Air elementals
 * Arachnathid
 * Earth elementals
 * s (mostly within the Magistrates Temple and around the portal to the Outland Arena)
 * Golems
 * Jungle stalkers
 * s
 * Mur'gul (Den of the Lost only)
 * (mostly within the Coastal Base area)
 * Revenants (and the Eldritch Deathlord)
 * Salamanders (Tomb of the Ancients only)
 * Sasquatch
 * Spider crabs
 * Thunder lizards
 * Water elementals
 * (Den of the Lost only)
 * Spider crabs
 * Thunder lizards
 * Water elementals
 * (Den of the Lost only)

It also had the following dungeons: Tomb of the Ancients, Magistrates Temple, Den of the Lost, and some uninstanced monster areas such as a centaur fort, an hydromancer's island, a Kul Tiran outpost led by Captain Thornby, a kobold gold mine and a bronze dragon's lair.

The unnamed Stonemaul village was its own sub-map. The tribe's ogre magi and priests lived in the upper part of the settlement and maintained their own Magic Shop. The village was also home to a grand ogre arena and a Gauntlet valley filled with powerful monsters, including a large quilboar community led by a giant Razormane Chieftain, jungle stalkers and sasquatch living together, as well as giant thunder lizards and wildkin.

It is to be noted that, while the loading screen identified the main map of Old Hatreds as Dustwallow Marsh, the zeppelin coming back here from Mulgore identified the area as the Barrens while the zeppelin going to the Stonemaul village designated this new area as simply "Dustwallow".


 * Dustwallow Marsh

History
Dustwallow Marsh was once a high plain filled with herd animals that thrived on the tall grasses. Then came the great Sundering, and the plain was smashed down into a sundered valley. The water table bled up into the ruined landscape, creating the great marsh that exists today.

Geography
Dustwallow is a temperate to hot watery swamp. Dustwallow Marsh is located southeast of the Barrens and north of Thousand Needles. The swamp curls to the east, forming a bay around the island of Theramore. Dustwallow is a flood plain fed by underground springs and surrounded by the dry savannas of the Barrens. The marsh is eternally wet, muddy, and hot, unfit for proper settlements and a haven for creatures that crave the wetness and humidity. Narrow banks of slippery mud separate endless stagnant pools and algae-choked channels, making Dustwallow a traveler’s nightmare. The roads that cross the fen are muddy and treacherous, and the surrounding swamp is even more dangerous to traverse. Those who mistake the thick, wandering bogs of the marsh for solid land may fall through, only to have the floating plants close above and trap them in the brackish water. Dustwallow teems with predators that lurk just beneath the surface of every pool and skulk behind every bush. In the east, the turbid water of the marsh mixes with salt water from the sea. The rocky form of Theramore Isle lies just beyond in the bay.

The marsh is the best way to approach Theramore by land, as jagged rocks outside the bay make sailing directly from the goblin city of Ratchet difficult. The marsh’s southern expanse grows rockier as it approaches Thousand Needles. The pools are larger and far deeper, with half-submerged rocky outcrops. Many of these rock clusters have openings that lead into cave systems. The caves are often surprisingly dry and serve as lairs for a variety of beasts. Some conjecture exists whether the caves are interconnected with the underground river that keeps the swamp submerged or if they might even extend out to the sea.

Inhabitants
The hundreds of shallow pools that comprise the marsh hold creatures ranging from massive plant eating kodo beasts to ambushing packs of raptors to territorial water-loving murlocs. The saltwater swamp of east Dustwallow is a popular breeding area for the murloc packs. Indeed, the waters teem with aquatic creatures of all sorts. Humans and murlocs drag nets down the channels to harvest gigantic mudfish, but also pull in everything from alligators to eels. Poisonous snakes hang from the trees, and some of the larger specimens are known to drag the unwary up into the branches. Of course, these dangers are nothing compared to those of Dustwallow’s southern region. The rocky outcroppings common to this area are ideal lairs for black dragons, and those creatures are so common in the area that it has earned the name "Wyrmbog".

Speculation
In The Frozen Throne, the distinctions between Dustwallow Marsh, the Barrens and Durotar are blurry. Even though the level Old Hatreds is said to take place in Dustwallow, it includes a land path to Orgrimmar (although Rexxar travels to Vol'jin's camp on a zeppelin from Orgrimmar to the Barrens at first). Regional borders and the locations of settlements were evidently changed around with the release of World of Warcraft. As such, many of Dustwallow's locations such as the Darkspear camp and its denizens may have been retconned to be somewhere else. Alternatively, the camp may have been abandoned and or destroyed.