Felwood



Felwood is a contested zone located in Northern Kalimdor, north of Ashenvale, east of Darkshore, and west of Mount Hyjal and Winterspring. It is a corrupted forest filled with tainted creatures of the woods, demonic satyr and infernals, and rotting treants and ancients.

Once a serene forest that was corrupted by the dreadlord Tichondrius and the Skull of Gul'dan during the Third War, the forest's healing has been very slow over the years. The Emerald Circle, a sub-section of the Cenarion Circle druids, have been working to heal the land and defeat the remaining evils that corrupt it, specifically the remaining Shadow Council forces led by Lord Banehollow. It is also home to one of the two tribes of pure furbolgs left in the world — the Timbermaw tribe, and there are no dungeons or battlegrounds of any kind in this area.

Before its corruption, it was a part of northern Ashenvale.

Third War
As the Burning Legion continued it's advance toward Mount Hyjal, Lord Archimonde commanded the corruption of the surrounding forest to weaken the defenses of the protecting night elves. The dreadlord Tichondrius used a powerful warlock artifact called the Skull of Gul'dan to desecrate the surrounding forests, resulting in mutated wildlife, corrupted ancients and a polluted environment, creating Felwood.

The recently freed Illidan Stormrage, was told by Arthas Menethil that he could use the skull to not only halt the advancing corruption, but increase his own power as well. His desire for magic driving him, Illidan braved the dangers of Felwood and took the skull, stopping the corruption from spreading. Illidan then defeated Tichondrius, but was banished by his brother Malfurion for using demonic power.

World of Warcraft
The Timbermaw tribe started out hostile and required quite a bit of grinding on the local corrupted Furbolgs to become friendly. Bloodvenom Post served as the only Horde settlement in the zone, and Talonbranch Glade was the same for the Alliance.

Cataclysm


Although no large villages or major cities exist, Felwood is populated by many Emerald Circle outposts, showing their increased presence and success. The furbolgs and satyrs of Felwood have small encampments, and the Alliance, the Horde, and the druids of the Cenarion Circle have set up an outpost, an encampment, and a homestead in order to try to cure the woods and provide travel through the area. Notably, the druids have cleansed a patch of northern Felwood that is now called Whisperwind Grove, even containing an uncorrupted moonwell. The demon Xaravan seeks to undermine the circle's efforts from within. Talonbranch Glade expanded considerably, being reinforced by Alliance worgen. The Horde goblins in Irontree Clearing have come into conflict with the elves and worgen, serving as the only Horde outpost in Felwood. Meanwhile, the volatile experiments on Felwood's oozes by Winna Hazzard has resulted in the catastrophic loss of Bloodvenom Post and it's people. Altsoba Ragetotem was the only survivor. Lastly, the demon hunter Feronas Sindweller, former student of Illidan, seeks to continue his master's work and slay the remaining demons of Felwood.

Getting there

 * Alliance: From Astranaar in Ashenvale, head east to the point where the road branches to the north. Take the north fork into Felwood. Along the road, the Cenarion Circle have set up a camp with a flight path available.
 * Horde: From Splintertree Post in Ashenvale, head west to the point where the road branches to the north. Take the north fork into Felwood. Along the road, the Cenarion Circle have set up a camp with a flight path available.

Alternatively, druids of both factions, or players who were teleported to Moonglade during the Lunar Festival, can enter Felwood from Moonglade through the Timbermaw Hold tunnel. The furbolgs in the tunnel are initially unfriendly and do not attack.

Maps and subregions


Topographic map of Felwood

Flight paths from Emerald Sanctuary

 * Grove of the Ancients, Darkshore
 * Blackfathom Camp, Ashenvale
 * Zoram'gar Outpost, Ashenvale,
 * Hellscream's Watch, Ashenvale
 * Astranaar, Ashenvale
 * Splintertree Post, Ashenvale,
 * Forest Song, Ashenvale
 * Wildheart Point, Felwood,
 * Whisperwind Grove, Felwood,
 * Talonbranch Glade, Felwood

Flight paths from Wildheart Point

 * Grove of the Ancients, Darkshore
 * Emerald Sanctuary, Felwood,
 * Whisperwind Grove, Felwood,

Flight paths from Whisperwind Grove

 * Emerald Sanctuary, Felwood,
 * Wildheart Point, Felwood,
 * Talonbranch Glade, Felwood
 * Irontree Clearing, Felwood,



Flight paths from Talonbranch Glade

 * Lor'danel, Darkshore
 * Grove of the Ancients, Darkshore
 * Emerald Sanctuary, Felwood
 * Whisperwind Grove, Felwood
 * Moonglade
 * Everlook, Winterspring

Flight paths from Irontree Clearing

 * Whisperwind Grove, Felwood,
 * Moonglade,
 * Everlook, Winterspring,

Notable characters
Felwood is home to several characters of note. Outside Bloodvenom Post, Altsoba Ragetotem and the dryad Kelnir Leafsong seek to reclaim the outpost and defeat the mad scientist Winna Hazzard. At the Emerald Sanctuary, Greta Mosshoof attempts to cleanse the taint that has affected Felwood by fighting back the evil satyr. Darla Drilldozer leads the Horde goblins in Irontree Clearing in their quest for resources, while Denmother Ulrica leads the attacks on them, believing they are undermining the work of the druids. On the side of the demonic forces, Xavathras leads the satyr from Jadefire Run. Deep in Shadow Hold, Lord Banehollow, the lord of the Shadow Council, awaits bold adventurers who dare venture into his lair to face him.

Quests
Felwood is populated by many Emerald Circle outposts, showing their increased presence and success. The Furbolgs and satyrs of Felwood have small encampments, and the Alliance, the Horde, and the druids of the Cenarion Circle have set up an outpost, an encampment, and a homestead in order to try to cure the woods and provide travel through the area. Notably, the druids have cleansed a patch of northern Felwood that is now called Whisperwind Grove, even containing an uncorrupted moonwell. The demon Xaravan seeks to undermine the circle's efforts from within. Talonbranch Glade expanded considerably, being reinforced by Alliance Worgen. The Horde goblins in Irontree Clearing have come into conflict with the elves and worgen, serving as the only Horde outpost in Felwood. Meanwhile, the volatile experiments on Felwood's oozes by Winna Hazzard has resulted in the catastrophic loss of Bloodvenom Post and it's people, with Altsoba Ragetotem as the only survivor. Lastly, the demon hunter Feronas Sindweller, former student of Illidan, seeks to continue his master's work and slay the remaining demons of Felwood.

Resources

 * Herbs
 * Arthas' Tears (One of the few regions where you can gather it)
 * Dreamfoil
 * Gromsblood (One of the few regions where you can gather it)
 * Golden Sansam
 * Purple Lotus (One of the few regions where you can gather it)
 * Leather
 * Heavy Leather
 * Thick Leather
 * Rugged Leather
 * Ore
 * Gold Vein
 * Mithril Deposit
 * Truesilver Deposit
 * Small Thorium Vein

Dig sites
Felwood has four dig sites:
 * 1) Irontree Woods; contains Night Elf Archaeology Fragments.
 * 2) Jaedenar; contains Night Elf Archaeology Fragments.
 * 3) Ruins of Constellas; contains Night Elf Archaeology Fragments.
 * 4) Morlos'Aran; contains Night Elf Archaeology Fragments.

Wild creatures

 * Ancients
 * Corrupted ancients
 * Corrupted treants
 * Bats
 * Bears
 * Beetles
 * Deer
 * Demons
 * s
 * Felbeasts
 * Imps
 * Infernals
 * Fire elementals
 * Giant spiders
 * Lashers
 * Moths
 * Mutant murlocs
 * Oozes
 * Owls
 * Rats
 * Roaches
 * Squirrels
 * Vultures
 * Skeletons
 * Wisps
 * Wasps
 * Water elementals
 * Wolves
 * Wisps
 * Wasps
 * Water elementals
 * Wolves

Cataclysm
In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Felwood underwent some notable changes. Bloodvenom Post was seemingly reinforced with new, Orcish architecture but infested by slime spirits, thus resulting in its loss as a Horde hub. The Horde now have a Goblin base directly west of Timbermaw Hold in the very northernmost part of Felwood. The Emerald Circle established a new settlement around Irontree Woods. In addition, Talonbranch Glade became a smaller Worgen settlement. The zone was retuned to a 45-50 bracket.

Areas affected :


 * Bloodvenom Post – expanded and heavily fortified, but no longer Horde-controlled due to slime experiments gone wrong; new Horde base is Irontree Clearing, far to the north
 * Deadwood Village – slightly expanded and fortified
 * Emerald Sanctuary – remodeling of buildings, added new one; Grazle relocated here
 * Felpaw Village – proper entrance now, with more Furbolg within, has a few more buildings
 * Irontree Woods – full of Goblin equipment; Goblin-themed Horde town to the northeast with flight master
 * Jadefire Run – noticeable entry and exit, has demonic architecture now; appears to be no longer populated by demons; rather, contains a large amount of Whisperwind Healers (who may be demons in disguise)
 * Ruins of Constellas – section of regrowth within that is home to Eridan Bluewind and Arcanist Delaris, a Highborne; nearby is Shadowlurk Ridge, populated by a large mass of Jadefire Imps; the demons in the northeast area of the ruins are under attack by the druidic Emerald Bearkin and the path to Xavathras is blocked by a large wall of fire
 * Shatter Scar Vale – Niby the Almighty is gone
 * Talonbranch Glade – converted to a Gilnean-themed camp
 * Timbermaw Hold – a new Timbermaw-style entrance
 * Whisperwind Grove - a druidic town adjacent to Irontree Woods and south of Jadefire Run; neutral, it has an inn, flight master, mailbox, and stable master
 * Wildheart Point - a new Cenarion Circle hub located east of Jaedenar; has a flight path, inn, and mailbox
 * Winna's Kitten is now tamable and all grown up

History
Felwood Forest  was destroyed by the Burning Legion in the War of the Ancients.

It was a lush and vibrant land of woods and meadows, tended by the kaldorei and protected by Cenarius. Bubbling streams ran through quiet, grassy meadows, and the summer sun was tempered by the whispering breeze and the cooling rain. The leafy corridors of the forest rang out with the music of songbirds. It was as close to a paradise as the world has ever known. Then the Burning Legion befouled the land. Any trees and creatures that escaped the outright destruction became forever cursed in the demons' rampage. Having felt the cursed touch of the Burning Legion, Felwood is an eerie, dark, and haunted region of scattered gloomy woodlands and tainted vales, all of it teeming with evil. The meadows of Felwood retain the sickly, charred look they took on when the demons cursed the land during the third war. Nothing grows there. The mighty ancients that once guarded the land now roam blindly, their limbs twisted and their bark hides bleeding fel poisons. The once tranquil rivers and streams now boil with poison and noxious gases.

Felwood is a dismal and dangerous land to all who enter. Most cross into Felwood only out of necessity, for it lies directly along the road to Hyjal Summit. Armed travelers are usually safe if they pass along the main road by day, but they have no guarantee of safety if they leave the trail or if they venture into Felwood after nightfall. The night elves feel constant shame that they failed to protect this noble land. All their efforts to restore health to the woods and meadows through divine magic have failed. Despite the lingering curse of 10,000 years, the night elves refuse to cease their efforts to lift it. Some think that the key to healing the blighted land lies with, brother to the night elf hero Malfurion Stormrage. Illidan was known to have consumed the Skull of Gul'dan, which also blighted the forest. Only powerful divine magic can likely save the land, however.

Geography
Felwood has no villages or people of its own. It is home to no cities to speak of; the night elves fled the area thousands of years ago, and no one had found the ambition to settle in the cursed forest since. The land is a cursed relic, a danger to all within its bounds. Even creatures united in evil are not safe from the depredations of one another. Explosions and flashes of arcane brilliance erupt throughout Felwood as druids clash with the warlocks. Felwood is home to many beasts, with bears and wolves the most numerous. As herbivores refuse to eat the cursed vegetation, the carnivores have turned to feeding on each other. As the new beasts immigrate from Ashenvale, only the toughest survive for longer feeding on others. At the end, the overall numbers stays more or less constant. Combined with the great curse, this development has created in each creature a brutal rage, one that causes the beasts turn on one another and any who dare to enter their territory. Cursed furbolgs roam the forest, looking for an end to their torment. They are hardy enough to survive drinking the cursed waters of Bloodvenom Falls, but the water only increases their madness.

Cursed ancients lurk near night elf ruins and will attack anyone they see. They are stronger than their healthy counterparts, empowered by evil. The ancients hold a special grudge against the night elves who abandoned them and will unleash special savagery upon anyone remotely resembling an elf. Satyrs dwell by tainted moon wells, their dark magics twisting Felwood’s curse ever deeper into the land. Rumors circulate that the shadowy satyrs work as scouts and assassins for the Shadow Council in Jaedenar. The undead Scourge and what demons survived the Third War have also made a home in Felwood. These recent arrivals have stirred the other residents into turmoil, making the region even more violent than before. Druids of the wild make forays into Felwood with the aid of elven rangers, hunting down the greatest evil they can find and attempting healing magic upon the land. High elves and paladin warriors have likewise come to Felwood to cleanse it of undead and root out the reclusive Shadow Council.

Notes and trivia

 * Ironwood trees are located here.
 * In Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Felwood started appearing on the Ashenvale loading screens only with the The Druids Arise mission, as before that the area wasn't yet corrupted by the Burning Legion.
 * Felwood is also a melee tileset in Warcraft III.