Grizzly Hills

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Grizzly Hills, located in southeastern Northrend, is the home ground of the Grizzlemaw furbolgs. The dwarven settlement of Thor Modan can be found in the north, as well as the Scourge fortress of Drak'Tharon Keep. Over 20,000 furbolgs live in Grizzly Hills, most in the large settlement of Grizzlemaw.

It is similar to other forests during wintertime, except that winter here is year-round. The trees are tall and thick; the pine needles and crisp, clean air produce a pleasant scent, the snow leaves the ground clean and fresh, and the hills themselves are high enough for decent elevation but low enough and gradual enough to be easily climbed. It’s one of the nicest regions in Northrend. Dwarves live here at Thor Modan, but they aren’t the only residents. Furbolgs dominate the region, and they make are fine neighbors when they’re not attacking. The Scourge has a presence here as well, but not strong enough to do much more than block the northwest corner. Wild animals roam the hills, providing plenty of meat and fur and entertainment. It’s not an easy land by any stretch, but it’s handsome and fierce and full of life.Template:Cite

It has also been revealed that the Venture Co. will be found here, deforesting the land. The deforesting operation is large-scale and throughout the region. Arugal has also been resurrected and now leads his worgen army in Grizzly Hills. Some furbolgs have also been corrupted by an Old God.

History

Art from Lands of Mystery.

Early concept art.

The furbolgs claim they were the first people in these hills. So do the Drakkari ice trolls, though they’re concentrated to the north in Zul’Drak. They may both be wrong. Another theory is that dwarves were here first. It is believed that Titans placed dwarves here, after they’d created them. It was an experiment to see if they could survive on their own. They not only survived but flourished, spreading southward and into what would later become Kalimdor and the other continents. The dwarves of Thor Modan believe they can find evidence of the dwarves ancestors in the hills, and uncover truths about their race’s early culture. Regardless, all this was well before any surviving history. But no one really knows what went on here back then.

Other stories say that the Drakkari built Drak’Tharon Keep before the furbolgs built Grizzlemaw. Supposedly, the Frost Paws gathered the tribes together in part to fend off the new Drakkari threat. Both races were here and hated each other — the furbolgs had the numbers but with their new keep the Drakkari were more organized, and the trolls were always more unified than the furbolgs. The existence of Grizzlemaw affected the balance, and the furbolgs’ victory over the Drakkari in a series of skirmishes may have led to the eventual loss of Drak’Tharon to the Scourge.

This region is the furbolg homeland, and they outnumber every other race here combined. They are massive bear-men, enormous creatures with a bear’s build and fur and basic features, but a man’s hands and, to a limited extent, mind. That is a dangerous combination, and they’re powerful in a fight. Fortunately they’re not aggressive beyond their own territory. The dwarves at Thor Modan have run-ins with furbolgs on a regular basis, since the furbolgs feel the dwarves are trespassers and grave-robbers. Furbolgs are surprisingly friendly to travelers, though, and greeted them warmly once they are assured that they laid no claim to anything in the hills. They’re less approving of large groups, and particularly wary of strange races, but their caution can't be blamed.

File:Grizzlyconcept.jpg

A town in the mist drawn by Peter Lee.

The furbolgs have a city here, Grizzlemaw, but it holds less than half their number. The rest are gathered in clans and scattered throughout the region. Each clan has its own totem, and when one sees one they know that they have entered Snowspring territory, Winterpaw land, Snow Flurry hunting grounds, or any of the others. It's best for a person to declare himself openly once a person sees the totem, since a furbolg may be watching and won't appreciate the person trying to sneak past. The dwarves in Thor Modan were thrilled to see visitors and eager for news of home. They don't get that many travelers up here. They are not here for socializing, though, and remain focused on their excavations. They have not yet discovered anything of note, but they are still hopeful.

The Scourge forces at Drak’Tharon Keep are typical: nasty, violent, and focused. They hold the passes between Zul'Drak, the Dragonblight, and the rest of the Grizzly Hills in order for more Scourge forces to reach the east or return to Icecrown Glacier.Template:Cite

For generations, the tribal furbolgs have worshiped a colossal prehistoric bear that roams the surrounding wilderness.

Geography

Map of Grizzly Hills.

The initial design layout of the zone, first presented at BlizzCon '07.

The Grizzly Hills are as hilly as the name suggests. Along the northern edges the land gains height and depth, approaching the level of small mountain ranges, while it flattens out a little in the south. Thick forest covers the land from end to end, broken only by small clearings or the space alongside one of the many streams and small rivers. Snow is everywhere but the region has little ice — the wind whistles overhead but the trees block it from entering down below, and the hills seem almost warm compared to the Dragonblight and the Borean Tundra. It’s still dangerous, with treacherous slopes and hidden caves and partially frozen rivers, but better than most of the other regions. All manner of wild animals live in the area, and the hills are full of life. Wolves, bears, foxes, rabbits and some small deer are the most common. Mice and other rodents hide from the snowy owls and other raptors in the trees, but mercifully snakes and spiders aren’t present here, likely due to the temperature. Wendigo and sasquatch prowl the hills, so it’s best not to go out alone. The Drakkari live just north in Zul’Drak and sometimes their hunters drift down to the hills as well, in search of prey.

The Grizzly Hills have three major settlements, each controlled by a different race. It’s strange that all three coexist here, and even stranger that they’re all along the north edge. The southern hills have other furbolg tribes and the random trapper or traveler, but nothing larger than a small village.Template:Cite

Dungeons

Dungeon Name	Level Range	Approximate Run Time
Drak'Tharon Keep	74-76	45 min - 1 hour

Travel hubs

Flight paths from Amberpine Lodge

• Westfall Brigade Encampment, Grizzly Hills
• Westguard Keep, Howling Fjord
• Wintergarde Keep, Dragonblight

Flight paths from Westfall Brigade Encampment

• Amberpine Lodge, Grizzly Hills
• Fort Wildervar, Howling Fjord
• The Argent Stand, Zul'Drak
• Zim'Torga, Zul'Drak

Flight paths from Conquest Hold

• Camp Oneqwah, Grizzly Hills
• Apothecary Camp, Howling Fjord
• Venomspite, Dragonblight

Flight paths from Camp Oneqwah

• Conquest Hold, Grizzly Hills
• Camp Winterhoof, Howling Fjord

• The Argent Stand, Zul'Drak
• Zim'Torga, Zul'Drak

Adjacent regions

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Howling Fjord		68-72	South	By foot, or (presumably) by flight path
Dragonblight		71-75	West	By foot, or (presumably) by flight path
Zul'Drak		73-76	North	By foot, or (presumably) by flight path

Notable characters

Gryan Stoutmantle, originally from Westfall, resides in Westfall Brigade Encampment.

PvP

There are a number of daily quests in the Grizzly Hills that focus on pvp combat and a general conflict between the Alliance and Horde to control Venture Bay, the Blackriver Logging Camp, and the Blue Sky Logging Grounds. Daily quests include tasks to recover parts and assist npcs, as well as killing opposition npcs and players. Players from both factions can speak to NPCs in the Blue Sky Logging Grounds to ride a log downstream to the bay, where additional quests can be found.

Venture Bay can be captured by either faction, which spawns defenders and permits access to the island's vendors.

Quests

Main article: Grizzly Hills quests

There are several quest chains in Grizzly Hills. The Alliance start out at Amberpine Lodge and are first tasked with taking care of the wildlife and restocking supplies. Players are then ordered to strike up an alliance with the local hunters and trappers based out of Silverbrook, who have a dark secret. Having figured out the situation, players are then sent to figure out what went wrong with Vordrassil, the failed World Tree, and other problems at the Westfall Brigade Encampment.

Both sides find their way to Granite Springs to deal with the Scourge-infested trolls in the area, in quest chains that send players to Drak'Tharon Keep and to the far eastern side of Grizzly Hills at the Drakil'jin Ruins and the Squatter's Camp.

Wild creatures

• Furbolgs
• Ice trolls
• Scourge
• Venture Co.
• Worgen

Images

• Grizzly Hills Art.jpg

  Grizzly Hills concept art as seen at BlizzCon 2007.

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  A Grizzly Hills Horde camp.

• Grizzly Hills Alliance.jpg

  Grizzly Hills Venture Co. port.

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  A Grizzly Hills worgen affected town.

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  A dock in the Grizzly Hills

• GHills06.jpg

  The beautiful Grizzly Hills.

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External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB

World of Warcraft Community Site Grizzly Hills preview

World of Warcraft Europe Grizzly Hills preview

MMO-Champion Grizzly Hills highlighted on Northrend map

YouTube Video Featuring Grizzly Hills: