Wowpedia

We have moved to Warcraft Wiki. Click here for information and the new URL.

READ MORE

Wowpedia
Register
(add map)
 
 
Line 1: Line 1:
  +
{{Cataclysm/Update}}
[[image:DreadmistPeak.jpg|thumb|Dreadmist Peak]]
 
  +
{{Infobox zone
'''Dreadmist Peak'''{{coords|48|18|Barrens}} is a mountain northwest of [[The Crossroads]] in [[The Barrens]]. To get there from the Crossroads, head north along the road until you get to a fork. Face northwest and you will see Dreadmist Peak looming before you.
 
  +
|faction=Contested
  +
|name=Thousand Needles
  +
|ss=The Great Lift.jpg
  +
|races={{Race|Centaur}}, [[Galak]] (1,750)<br />{{Race|Tauren}} (1,250)<br />{{Race|Harpy }} (750)<br />{{Race|Gnome}} (500)<br />{{Race|Goblin}} (500)<br />{{Race|Kobold }} (250)
  +
|level=40-45
  +
|loc=South of [[the Barrens]]
  +
|pop= 5,000
  +
|rulers= [[Rau Cliffrunner|Rau Cliffrunner, Overseer of Freewind Post]]<br />[[Arnak Grimtotem]]<br />[[Grenka Bloodscreech]]
  +
|government=Tribal
  +
|major=[[Mirage Raceway]] (1,000)<br />[[Roguefeather Den]] (750)<br />[[Freewind Post]] (800)<br />[[Darkcloud Pinnacle]] (450)
  +
|minor=[[Camp E'thok]] (750)<br />[[Splithoof Crag]] (1,000)
  +
|affiliation=[[Horde]]
  +
|source = [[Lands of Mystery]], 56
  +
}}
   
  +
'''Thousand Needles''' (aka '''The Thousand Needles''')<ref name="WRP 211">''[[Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]'', 211</ref> is a huge dry canyon in Southern Kalimdor, filled with towering mesas. In the east, the canyon opens up to the [[Shimmering Flats]], a vast salt pan that is used by Goblin and Gnomish engineers for their races. Despite being relatively barren, the area has its own harsh beauty, and the sunrise seen from either [[Freewind Post]] or one of the mesas around [[Darkcloud Pinnacle]] can be spectacular. The [[Shimmering Flats]] and [[Mirage Raceway]] are also worth visiting for their surreal, lonely atmosphere.
As you climb to the top of the Peak, the atmosphere becomes red and foggy. At the top is the home of a group of [[Burning Blade]] cultists. They protect the [[Demon Seed]] which is in the [[Dreadmist Den]].
 
   
  +
Although as a [[contested]] territory this area doesn't see anywhere near as much action as some, [[Darkcloud Pinnacle]] is a favorite stealth ganking spot for [[Alliance]] rogues due to the many Horde quests there as well as the relative difficulty of the mobs/remoteness of that location. The [[Alliance]] also tend to attack the [[Great Lift]] and [[Freewind Post]] fairly regularly. In addition, players questing on the [[Shimmering Flats]] near the Tanaris border are advised to look over their shoulder from time to time, as the unwary can occasionally find themselves being stabbed in the back by a passing member of the opposing faction.
Dreadmist Peak is probably a volcano. The slopes of the mountain remind solidified lava flows.
 
   
  +
== History ==
==Characters and Items of Interest==
 
  +
Before the great Sundering, the region of Thousand Needles was a river canyon, the spires of sandstone shaped from years of rushing water. Water flowed to the sea from a large lake to the east, fed by an underground tributary. Then came the demons and the destruction that threw the entire world into upheaval. The canyon was thrust above the water table; the eastern lake dried into a vast salt flat and Thousand Needles became a sandy gorge. Thousand Needles rises south of [[Dustwallow Marsh]] and serves as a channel to [[Desolace]] to the west or the [[Tanaris]] Desert to the South.<ref name="WRP 211" /> It also connects to [[Feralas]]. The long canyon stands as a natural divide between central and southern [[Kalimdor]]. The realm gets its name from the dozens of giant, cylindrical columns of sandstone that rise from the bottom of the canyon like a forest. Bridges have been constructed atop many of the spires, connecting pathways across the canyon from one side of the surrounding mountains to the other. To the east of Thousand Needles, the canyon opens into a large, dry lakebed. This dried-out salt flat is actually below sea level. At its center stands an alkaline lake with ten times the salt of any ocean. The sere region is so hot, dry and salty that few creatures venture here. Lizards, scorpions, vultures, and birds of prey are not uncommon and neither are centaur war bands. A contingent of goblins mines for oil in the [[Scorched Basin]]. The spire bridges allow travelers to traverse the canyon without running into the barbaric centaur who patrol the canyon floor. The bridges are not entirely safe, however, as birds of prey will attack the unwary. Larger birds have even sabotaged the bridges from time to time. There is very little of interest in this land, unless someone has a passion for salt or sandstone... or oil.<ref name="WRP 211" />
*An undead mage named [[Sarilus Foulborne]] sits atop the Peak. He uses his powers to control [[Befouled Water Elemental]]s in [[Ashenvale]]. Alliance characters confront him in the quest {{quest|Mage Summoner|Mage Summoner}}.
 
*[[Rathorian]], the leader of this group of Burning Blade cultists, is sometimes inside the Dreadmist Den. If so, Horde characters wishing to complete the quest {{quest|The Demon Seed|The Demon Seed}} have to defeat him first.
 
*[[Tauren]] [[druid]]s need to get a sample of water from the peak that is believed to poison the gazelles of the Barrens.
 
   
  +
[[File:Shimmering Flats.jpg|thumb|The Shimmering Flats]]
==Quests==
 
  +
The barren canyons of Thousand Needles have traditionally been the territory of several [[Tauren]] tribes. The Tauren were forced to live precariously on the tips of the high mesas in order to avoid the large tribes of [[Centaur]] that almost wiped them out. Now, with the help of the [[Horde]], the Tauren are fighting back against their enemies, including the fanatical [[Grimtotem]] Tribe. The [[Shimmering Flats]] to the southeast are also the home of the world famous Mirage Racetrack, where [[gnome]]s and [[goblin]]s race their respective rocket cars in order to permanently settle the question of which race has better engineering.
{{questlong|Alliance|25|Mage Summoner}}
 
   
  +
It is suspected that ages ago Thousand Needles was once a small inland sea, or perhaps even an inlet of the Great Sea. This explains the salt flat as well as why there are so many "needle"-like mesas (once possibly islands). The cause for the sea's evaporation could be attributed to the sundering, which tore the ancient Kalimdor cleanly in two. A catastrophe such as this could easily have caused climate change.
Slay [[Sarilus Foulborne]] and bring his head to Sentinel Velene Starstrike in [[Silverwind Refuge]], [[Ashenvale]].
 
   
  +
Another theory states that a river with its source in [[Feralas]], possibly [[Wildwind Lake]], flowed into the area that would become Thousand Needles. The river cut through the earth, carving the canyon and shaping the dramatic pinnacles that became the Thousand Needles. It was a verdant, forested land. The river emptied into a large inland sea in the east. When the [[Great Sundering]] occurred, the course of the river was altered and ceased to flow through what would become Thousand Needles. The forests died and the fertile soil became orange dust. The inland sea, without its source of water, evaporated, leaving behind a vast salt flat.
==Creatures==
 
*[[Burning Blade Bruiser]]
 
*[[Burning Blade Acolyte]]
 
*[[Burning Blade Crusher]]
 
*[[Burning Blade Toxicologist]]
 
   
  +
It has also been thought by [[Falfindel Waywarder]] of [[Thalanaar]] that dark magic of some kind blighted the land.
{{Barrens}}
 
  +
[[Category:Shadow Council]]
 
  +
Upon [[Deathwing|Deathwing's]] return, [[the Shattering]] once again flooded this zone, turning the [[Shimmering Flats]] into a lake called the [[Shimmering Deep]]. Wreckage of the speedway can be found scattered throughout the area. The [[Fizzle Brassbolts]] and [[Pozzik]], a [[gnome]] and a [[Bilgewater Cartel]] [[goblin]] respectively, built "[[Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge]]" in the middle of the [[Shimmering Deep]]. Although they did work together to create this mishmash island, the passive hostility between the [[Horde]] and the [[Alliance]] at the Speedbarge causes frequent bar fights.
[[Category:Orc territories]]
 
  +
[[Category:Mountains]]
 
  +
== Getting there ==
  +
[[File:The Rustmaul Dig Site.jpg|thumb|The Rustmaul Dig Site]]
  +
  +
;{{Alliance Icon Small}}Alliance:Alliance characters will first reach Thousand Needles from the north. The traveler can either take a boat to [[Theramore Isle]] in [[Dustwallow Marsh]] or flying to [[Mudsprocket]], run west to the [[Barrens]], then south to the [[Great Lift]] (avoiding its Horde guards) and into Thousand Needles; or head south from [[Ratchet]] in the [[Barrens]] (Ratchet can be reached either by boat from [[Booty Bay]] or by running south from [[Ashenvale]]). The route from Theramore or Mudsprocket is faster but much more dangerous, as [[Dustwallow Marsh]] is a 35-45 level zone.
  +
;{{Horde Icon Small}}Horde:From [[Camp Taurajo]] in the [[Barrens]], head south along the road to the [[Great Lift]] and down into Thousand Needles.
  +
  +
== Geography ==
  +
Thousand Needles contains no dungeons, raid dungeons, micro dungeons, or battlegrounds.
  +
  +
=== Maps and subregions===
  +
{{Zone Map|zone=Thousand Needles|notes=
  +
{{Zone Map Note|44|50|Taxi|Freewind Post flight path}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|46|50|POI10|Freewind Post}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|19|22|POI31|Camp E-thok}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|34|39|POI31|Darkcloud Pinnacle}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|32|22|POI13|The Great Lift and graveyard}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|11|37|POI16|Highperch}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|68|65|POI35|Ironstone Camp}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|80|76|POI5|Mirage Raceway}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|28|53|POI31|Roguefeather Den}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|70|86|POI16|Rustmaul Dig Site}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|28|48|POI16|The Screeching Canyon}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|41|39|POI31|Splithoof Crag}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|44|38|POI31|Splithoof Hold}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|77|87|POI16|Tahonda Ruins}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|53|41|POI35|The Weathered Nook}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|79|64|POI16|Weazel's Crater}}
  +
{{Zone Map Note|22|32|POI35|Whitereach Post}}
  +
}}{{clear|both}}
  +
{| class="darktable"
  +
|-
  +
|[[Camp E'thok]] • [[Darkcloud Pinnacle]] • [[Freewind Post]] • [[Great Lift|The Great Lift]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Highperch]] • [[Ironstone Camp]] • [[Mirage Raceway]] • [[Roguefeather Den]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Rustmaul Dig Site]] • [[Screeching Canyon|The Screeching Canyon]] • [[Shimmering Flats|The Shimmering Flats]] • [[Splithoof Crag]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Splithoof Hold]] • [[Tahonda Ruins]] • [[Weathered Nook|The Weathered Nook]] • [[Weazel's Crater]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Whitereach Post]] • [[Windbreak Canyon]]
  +
|}
  +
{{clear|left}}
  +
*[http://wow.gamepressure.com/map.asp?ID=33 Topographic map of Thousand Needles]
  +
  +
=== Travel hubs ===
  +
[[File:Freewind Post.jpg|thumb|Freewind Post]]
  +
  +
There is only one flight path in Thousand Needles, and that is Horde-aligned [[Freewind Post]]. However, Alliance travelers can use the nearby [[Thalanaar]] flight path to the west, and the flight path in neutral [[Gadgetzan]] to the south to navigate the zone.
  +
  +
==== {{Horde Icon Small}} [[Flight path]]s from [[Freewind Post]]====
  +
* [[Thunder Bluff]]
  +
* [[The Crossroads]], [[The Barrens]]
  +
* [[Camp Taurajo]], [[The Barrens]]
  +
* [[Camp Mojache]], [[Feralas]]
  +
* [[Gadgetzan]], [[Tanaris]]
  +
  +
=== Adjacent regions ===
  +
{| class="darktable"
  +
|-
  +
! Zone Name !! Faction !! Level Range !! Direction !! Access
  +
|-
  +
| [[The Barrens]] || {{Horde Icon Small}}
  +
| 10-28 || North
  +
| By elevator or Horde flightpaths from Freewind Post to Camp Taurajo or the Crossroads
  +
|-
  +
| [[Feralas]]
  +
| {{Horde Icon Small}} {{Alliance Icon Small}}
  +
| 40-50 || West
  +
| By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Camp Mojache
  +
|-
  +
| [[Tanaris]]
  +
| {{Horde Icon Small}} {{Alliance Icon Small}}
  +
| 40-50 || Southeast
  +
| By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Gadgetzan
  +
|}
  +
  +
== Notable characters ==
  +
[[File:Mirage Raceway.jpg|thumb|Mirage Raceway]]
  +
  +
{{main|Thousand Needles NPCs}}
  +
  +
The Thousand Needles are home to several characters of note. At Freewind Post, [[Cliffwatcher Longhorn]] seeks aid in the battle against the evil Grimtotem Clan. At the Weathered Nook, [[Dorn Plainstalker]] attempts to teach members of the Horde about Faith, Endurance, and Strength. And at the Mirage Raceway, [[Kravel Koalbeard]] sends bold adventurers around the world in search items that will give him personal gain in his bets at the gnome and goblin races.
  +
 
== Quests ==
  +
{{main|Thousand Needles quests}}
  +
  +
:''See also: [[Thousand Needles questing guide]]''
  +
  +
Horde quests in Thousand Needles begin around level 25 and go through level 35. Neutral quests at the [[Shimmering Flats]] begin around level 30 and continue to level 35. Some of the neutral quests that send players out of the zone continue all the way up to level 45. Notable quest chains include {{questchain|Goblin Sponsorship}} and {{questchain|Errands for Kravel}}, both neutral and available at the [[Mirage Raceway]].
  +
  +
== Cataclysm ==
  +
{{Cata-section}}
  +
[[File:Thousand_Needles_Cataclysm_Trailer.jpg|thumb]]
  +
[[File:WorldMap-Thousandneedles-cata.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Map of Thousand Needles in ''Cataclysm'']]
  +
In [[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm]], Thousand Needles will be completely flooded <ref>http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677768276&postId=206752777720&sid=1#9</ref> and retuned as level 40-45 zone.<ref>http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/august/cataclysmpreviewpanel_046.jpg</ref>
  +
  +
[[Razorfen Downs]], currently located in the southern part of the [[Barrens]], will be located in Thousand Needles in ''Cataclysm'' ([[Razorfen Kraul]] is still in the [[Southern Barrens]]).
  +
  +
In the lake that was formerly the [[Shimmering Flats]], a massive "[[Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge|speedbarge]]" floats over the flooded ruins of the [[Mirage Raceway]].
  +
  +
Areas affected<ref>[http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=19377467311&sid=1 Frejya’s (MVP) Cataclysm Compilation]</ref>:
  +
  +
* [[Camp E'thok]] – submerged; NW of here is a [[Horde]] encampment called [[Westreach Summit]]
  +
* [[Darkcloud Pinnacle]] – slightly NE of the Pinnacle a path has collapsed in the high hills, allowing access to [[Razorfen Downs]]
  +
* [[Freewind Post]] – apparently taken by the [[Grimtotem]]; at the base of the Post is a very small camp of both Horde ([[Tauren]]) and [[Alliance]] ([[Night Elf]]) NPCs, who seem to be working in conjunction to drive away the Grimtotem
  +
* [[The Great Lift]] - destroyed
  +
* [[Highperch]] – slightly flooded; [[Heartrazor]] is bound by a band of [[Twilight Subduer]]s; the shelf above this is called [[Twilight Aerie]], whose skies are patrolled by hostile [[Aerie Ace]]s
  +
* [[Mirage Raceway]] – underwater; now a giant boat sits in the flooded area with a neutral quest hub with flight path, [[Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge]]; SE of here along the high ledge is [[Tirth's Haunt]], where [[Magus Tirth]] is now [[Mad Magus Tirth]] and is constantly attacking [["Plucky" Johnson]], who is the new vendor of the [[Ancona Chicken]]
  +
* [[Rustmaul Dig Site]] – now known as the [[Rustmaul Dive Site]]
  +
* [[The Screeching Canyon]] – submerged; in the hills above there is a large [[Twilight Cult]] encampment called the [[Twilight Bulwark]]
  +
* [[Weazel's Crater]] – now submerged; the hills east of here have collapsed and opened to the sea; on the high ledge to the south of the opening is a [[Southsea Pirate]] area known as [[Southsea Holdfast]]; to the slight north of here on the opposing high ledge is [[Splithoof Heights]] where the [[Galak]] have moved – it appears they are neutral at first; to the NW of the former crater is a path high in the hills that leads to [[Dustwallow Marsh]] with a platform overlooking Thousand Needles
  +
* [[Windbreak Canyon]] – submerged; south of here is another Twilight establishment, [[Twilight Withering]]
  +
* Due to the extensive flooding of the zone, many areas are now underwater. In addition to the above mentioned, other areas include: [[Whitereach Post]], [[Splithoof Crag]], [[Splithoof Hold]], [[The Weathered Nook]], [[Ironstone Camp]], and the entirety of [[The Shimmering Flats]].
  +
* New tamable creatures: Saltspray Gulls, Brilliant Clayscrapers (colorful, macaw-like bird), and Monstrous Macaws
  +
  +
<gallery>
  +
File:ThousandNeedles 070910 013926 - Great Lift - Kirkburn 12319.jpg|The Great Lift (destroyed)
  +
File:ThousandNeedles 070910 013952 - Kirkburn 12319.jpg|A Twilight Cult camp
  +
File:ThousandNeedles 070910 014138 - Speedbarge -Kirkburn 12319.jpg|Fizzle & Pozzik’s Speedbarge
  +
File:ThousandNeedles 070910 014203 - Speedbarge - Kirkburn 12319.jpg|Fizzle & Pozzik’s Speedbarge
  +
File:ThousandNeedles 070910 014317 - Water effects - Kirkburn 12319.jpg|The water
  +
File:Tanaris 071010 014143 - Kirkburn 12319.jpg|New sea entrance to Thousand Needles
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
==Videos==
  +
<youtube>9uo6oPBstR4</youtube>
  +
<youtube>WX83AsXzPRk</youtube>
  +
<youtube>LQK1i148QKQ</youtube>
  +
<youtube>4uN0C4AtUQ4</youtube>
  +
  +
== Resources ==
  +
* [[Herb]]s
  +
** {{item|icon=|Bruiseweed}}
  +
** {{item|icon=|Wild Steelbloom}}
  +
** {{item|icon=|Kingsblood}}
  +
* [[Ore]]
  +
** [[Copper Vein]]
  +
** [[Tin Vein]]
  +
** [[Silver Vein]]
  +
** [[Iron Deposit]]
  +
** [[Gold Vein]]
  +
** [[Ooze Covered Gold Vein]]
  +
** [[Mithril Deposit]]
  +
** [[Ooze Covered Mithril Deposit]]
  +
** [[Truesilver Deposit]]
  +
  +
== Wild creatures ==
  +
:{{main|:Category:Thousand Needles mobs}}
  +
  +
[[File:Highperch.jpg|thumb|Highperch]]
  +
  +
* [[Air elemental]]s
  +
* [[Basilisk]]s
  +
* [[Carrion bird]]s
  +
* [[Centaur]]s
  +
* [[Cougar]]s
  +
* [[Dog]]s
  +
* [[Earth elemental]]s
  +
* [[Harpies]]
  +
* [[Hyena]]s
  +
* [[Kobold]]s
  +
* [[Scorpid]]s
  +
* [[Silithid]]s
  +
* [[Turtle]]s
  +
* [[Water elemental]]s
  +
* [[Wind Serpent]]s
  +
* [[Wyvern]]s
  +
  +
==Notes==
  +
*You can't race on the Mirage Raceway.
  +
*[[Shimmering Flats]] mobs have an oddly high rate of dropping blue BoE (lvl 20-27) gear, though this rate seems to only go as high as .5%.
  +
*Standing on what is now Thousand Needles lakefloor just before the flood, would get the player moved to the nearest graveyard.
  +
  +
==Gallery==
  +
<gallery>
  +
File:Thousand Needles fork.jpg|A fork in the road
  +
File:Thousand Needles - Shimmering Flats border.jpg|The border to Shimmering Flats
  +
File:Thousand Needles - Feralas border.jpg|The border to Feralas
  +
File:Thousand Needles burnt hut.jpg|A burnt hut in the middle of nowhere
  +
File:Thousand Needles gravesite.jpg|The large graveyard near Shimmering Flats
  +
File:Thousand Needles - Destroyed Caravan.jpg|A destroyed caravan
  +
File:Thousand Needles windserpents.jpg|
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
==References==
  +
{{reflist}}
  +
  +
== External links ==
  +
{{elinks-zone|400}}
  +
  +
{{Thousand Needles}}
  +
{{Kalimdor}}
  +
  +
  +
[[fr:Mille Pointes]]
 
[[Category:Kalimdor]]
  +
[[Category:Thousand Needles| ]]
 
[[Category:Valleys]]
 
[[Category:Deserts]]

Revision as of 23:37, 27 November 2010

Template:Cataclysm/Update

NeutralThousand Needles
Level: 40-45
The Great Lift
Population 5,000
Races CentaurCentaur Centaur, Galak (1,750)
TaurenTauren Tauren (1,250)
Harpy Harpy (750)
GnomeGnome Gnome (500)
GoblinGoblin Goblin (500)
Kobold Kobold (250)
Government Tribal
Ruler(s) Rau Cliffrunner, Overseer of Freewind Post
Arnak Grimtotem
Grenka Bloodscreech
Major settlements Mirage Raceway (1,000)
Roguefeather Den (750)
Freewind Post (800)
Darkcloud Pinnacle (450)
Minor settlements Camp E'thok (750)
Splithoof Crag (1,000)
Affiliation Horde
Location South of the Barrens

Thousand Needles (aka The Thousand Needles)[1] is a huge dry canyon in Southern Kalimdor, filled with towering mesas. In the east, the canyon opens up to the Shimmering Flats, a vast salt pan that is used by Goblin and Gnomish engineers for their races. Despite being relatively barren, the area has its own harsh beauty, and the sunrise seen from either Freewind Post or one of the mesas around Darkcloud Pinnacle can be spectacular. The Shimmering Flats and Mirage Raceway are also worth visiting for their surreal, lonely atmosphere.

Although as a contested territory this area doesn't see anywhere near as much action as some, Darkcloud Pinnacle is a favorite stealth ganking spot for Alliance rogues due to the many Horde quests there as well as the relative difficulty of the mobs/remoteness of that location. The Alliance also tend to attack the Great Lift and Freewind Post fairly regularly. In addition, players questing on the Shimmering Flats near the Tanaris border are advised to look over their shoulder from time to time, as the unwary can occasionally find themselves being stabbed in the back by a passing member of the opposing faction.

History

Before the great Sundering, the region of Thousand Needles was a river canyon, the spires of sandstone shaped from years of rushing water. Water flowed to the sea from a large lake to the east, fed by an underground tributary. Then came the demons and the destruction that threw the entire world into upheaval. The canyon was thrust above the water table; the eastern lake dried into a vast salt flat and Thousand Needles became a sandy gorge. Thousand Needles rises south of Dustwallow Marsh and serves as a channel to Desolace to the west or the Tanaris Desert to the South.[1] It also connects to Feralas. The long canyon stands as a natural divide between central and southern Kalimdor. The realm gets its name from the dozens of giant, cylindrical columns of sandstone that rise from the bottom of the canyon like a forest. Bridges have been constructed atop many of the spires, connecting pathways across the canyon from one side of the surrounding mountains to the other. To the east of Thousand Needles, the canyon opens into a large, dry lakebed. This dried-out salt flat is actually below sea level. At its center stands an alkaline lake with ten times the salt of any ocean. The sere region is so hot, dry and salty that few creatures venture here. Lizards, scorpions, vultures, and birds of prey are not uncommon and neither are centaur war bands. A contingent of goblins mines for oil in the Scorched Basin. The spire bridges allow travelers to traverse the canyon without running into the barbaric centaur who patrol the canyon floor. The bridges are not entirely safe, however, as birds of prey will attack the unwary. Larger birds have even sabotaged the bridges from time to time. There is very little of interest in this land, unless someone has a passion for salt or sandstone... or oil.[1]

Shimmering Flats

The Shimmering Flats

The barren canyons of Thousand Needles have traditionally been the territory of several Tauren tribes. The Tauren were forced to live precariously on the tips of the high mesas in order to avoid the large tribes of Centaur that almost wiped them out. Now, with the help of the Horde, the Tauren are fighting back against their enemies, including the fanatical Grimtotem Tribe. The Shimmering Flats to the southeast are also the home of the world famous Mirage Racetrack, where gnomes and goblins race their respective rocket cars in order to permanently settle the question of which race has better engineering.

It is suspected that ages ago Thousand Needles was once a small inland sea, or perhaps even an inlet of the Great Sea. This explains the salt flat as well as why there are so many "needle"-like mesas (once possibly islands). The cause for the sea's evaporation could be attributed to the sundering, which tore the ancient Kalimdor cleanly in two. A catastrophe such as this could easily have caused climate change.

Another theory states that a river with its source in Feralas, possibly Wildwind Lake, flowed into the area that would become Thousand Needles. The river cut through the earth, carving the canyon and shaping the dramatic pinnacles that became the Thousand Needles. It was a verdant, forested land. The river emptied into a large inland sea in the east. When the Great Sundering occurred, the course of the river was altered and ceased to flow through what would become Thousand Needles. The forests died and the fertile soil became orange dust. The inland sea, without its source of water, evaporated, leaving behind a vast salt flat.

It has also been thought by Falfindel Waywarder of Thalanaar that dark magic of some kind blighted the land.

Upon Deathwing's return, the Shattering once again flooded this zone, turning the Shimmering Flats into a lake called the Shimmering Deep. Wreckage of the speedway can be found scattered throughout the area. The Fizzle Brassbolts and Pozzik, a gnome and a Bilgewater Cartel goblin respectively, built "Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge" in the middle of the Shimmering Deep. Although they did work together to create this mishmash island, the passive hostility between the Horde and the Alliance at the Speedbarge causes frequent bar fights.

Getting there

The Rustmaul Dig Site

The Rustmaul Dig Site

AllianceAlliance
Alliance characters will first reach Thousand Needles from the north. The traveler can either take a boat to Theramore Isle in Dustwallow Marsh or flying to Mudsprocket, run west to the Barrens, then south to the Great Lift (avoiding its Horde guards) and into Thousand Needles; or head south from Ratchet in the Barrens (Ratchet can be reached either by boat from Booty Bay or by running south from Ashenvale). The route from Theramore or Mudsprocket is faster but much more dangerous, as Dustwallow Marsh is a 35-45 level zone.
HordeHorde
From Camp Taurajo in the Barrens, head south along the road to the Great Lift and down into Thousand Needles.

Geography

Thousand Needles contains no dungeons, raid dungeons, micro dungeons, or battlegrounds.

Maps and subregions

Camp E'thokDarkcloud PinnacleFreewind PostThe Great Lift
HighperchIronstone CampMirage RacewayRoguefeather Den
Rustmaul Dig SiteThe Screeching CanyonThe Shimmering FlatsSplithoof Crag
Splithoof HoldTahonda RuinsThe Weathered NookWeazel's Crater
Whitereach PostWindbreak Canyon

Travel hubs

Freewind Post

Freewind Post

There is only one flight path in Thousand Needles, and that is Horde-aligned Freewind Post. However, Alliance travelers can use the nearby Thalanaar flight path to the west, and the flight path in neutral Gadgetzan to the south to navigate the zone.

Horde Flight paths from Freewind Post

Adjacent regions

Zone Name Faction Level Range Direction Access
The Barrens Horde 10-28 North By elevator or Horde flightpaths from Freewind Post to Camp Taurajo or the Crossroads
Feralas Horde Alliance 40-50 West By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Camp Mojache
Tanaris Horde Alliance 40-50 Southeast By foot or Horde flightpath from Freewind Post to Gadgetzan

Notable characters

Mirage Raceway

Mirage Raceway

Main article: Thousand Needles NPCs

The Thousand Needles are home to several characters of note. At Freewind Post, Cliffwatcher Longhorn seeks aid in the battle against the evil Grimtotem Clan. At the Weathered Nook, Dorn Plainstalker attempts to teach members of the Horde about Faith, Endurance, and Strength. And at the Mirage Raceway, Kravel Koalbeard sends bold adventurers around the world in search items that will give him personal gain in his bets at the gnome and goblin races.

Quests

Main article: Thousand Needles quests
See also: Thousand Needles questing guide

Horde quests in Thousand Needles begin around level 25 and go through level 35. Neutral quests at the Shimmering Flats begin around level 30 and continue to level 35. Some of the neutral quests that send players out of the zone continue all the way up to level 45. Notable quest chains include Goblin Sponsorship and Errands for Kravel, both neutral and available at the Mirage Raceway.

Cataclysm

Cataclysm This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.
Thousand Needles Cataclysm Trailer
File:WorldMap-Thousandneedles-cata.jpg

Map of Thousand Needles in Cataclysm

In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Thousand Needles will be completely flooded [2] and retuned as level 40-45 zone.[3]

Razorfen Downs, currently located in the southern part of the Barrens, will be located in Thousand Needles in Cataclysm (Razorfen Kraul is still in the Southern Barrens).

In the lake that was formerly the Shimmering Flats, a massive "speedbarge" floats over the flooded ruins of the Mirage Raceway.

Areas affected[4]:

Videos

Resources

Wild creatures

Main article: :Category:Thousand Needles mobs
Highperch

Highperch

Notes

  • You can't race on the Mirage Raceway.
  • Shimmering Flats mobs have an oddly high rate of dropping blue BoE (lvl 20-27) gear, though this rate seems to only go as high as .5%.
  • Standing on what is now Thousand Needles lakefloor just before the flood, would get the player moved to the nearest graveyard.

Gallery

References

External links