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Template:CoT

Old Hillsbrad Foothills
Escape from Durnholde Keep, Durnholde, Thrall, CoT 1, Old Hillsbrad, Durn
Location Caverns of Time, Tanaris
Race(s)

Template:Race Icon Human Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Human Female Small Human

Template:Race Icon Infinite Small Infinite Dragonflight
End boss Epoch Hunter
Advised level 66-68
Player limit 5
Key Heroic Mode: [Key of Time]

Old Hillsbrad Foothills is the setting of the instance, Escape from Durnholde Keep. It is one of the timeways ("wings") accessible in the Caverns of Time. The setting takes place seven years before WoW's present (i.e. two years before the events of Warcraft III), to when the future Warchief Thrall was a slave of Aedelas Blackmoore, master of Durnholde Keep. The questing involves helping Thrall escape. The instance area in question spans from Southshore (where familiar personalities of WoW present can be found) to Tarren Mill.

Template:Spoiler

This instance, being the replica of a level 20 zone, is quite explorable alone. The actual areas where you encounter the fights and bosses of this instance are few and far between, leaving a wide-open zone full of things to explore. In fact it is encouraged that you come here alone to see all the cameos and find the interesting tidbits that lore fanatics crave, because if you come with your group for a full run, they are not going to want to wait for you to explore so they can tackle content. However, you cannot wander too far away from the zones included in the instance (Tarren Mill, Southshore, and Durnholde Keep).

You enter the instance from a cave that replaces the cave at Darrow Hill in the present-day Hillsbrad. Head south from there and you hit the road that goes east-west from Silverpine Forest to Arathi Highlands. Patrolling along this road is a pair of mages from Dalaran, a Dalaran Sorceress and an Aged Dalaran Wizard. The latter of the two sells an enchanting recipe found only in this instance, [Formula: Enchant Shield - Intellect], in limited supply (1). However don't let the limited supply think you can't get more than one in each instance as it has a 5 minute respawn timer on the vendor.

Also patrolling along this road, and down into Southshore is Thomas Yance <Travelling Salesman>. He sells a very valuable Leatherworking recipe, [Pattern: Riding Crop], for 5g and this one is NOT in limited supply. Interestingly enough, he also sells all the level 1 gear you start with when you start a new character...for every class. He is also particularly useful as an armor repairer should your group wipe at any time during your run. As Thomas enters the town he can be quoted saying, "Southshore is such a peaceful town... I'd like to live here one day," and he patrols down onto the Southshore dock and turns around and goes as far as the inn in Tarren Mill before turning around back towards Southshore.

Within Tarren Mill, there are two children running around the town: Jay Lemieux (Jason Lemieux is a mushroom vendor in the present day Tarren Mill) and Julie Honeywell (who goes on to become a mage in present-day Southshore.)

Also in Tarren Mill, within the orchard, is the Tarren Mill Horsehand. He patrols around the area and has some interactions with residents and his horses. It starts in the barn.

A still-human Kel'Thuzad is in this zone. He can be found just north of Southshore, on the road leading north. Patrolling with Kel'Thuzad along the road in and out of Southshore is Helcular, a necromancer made famous by the Horde quest H [33] Helcular's Revenge.

In the Southshore inn, many well-known members of the Scarlet Crusade are standing around a table. If you wait a minute or so, they'll have a discussion about the upcoming war against the Scourge, which reveals some backstory about the Ashbringer, in what appears to be their first meeting. This is most bosses from Scarlet Monastery as younger versions of themselves, as well as the prominent members of the Scarlet Crusade who splintered off to become the Argent Dawn because they disagreed with the Crusade's fanaticism.

Also in Southshore is Sally Whitemane, the future boss of Scarlet Monastery Cathedral, playing tag with Renault Mograine, the future other boss from Scarlet Monastery Cathedral. Jimmy Vishas can be seen following them, he later becomes Interrogator Vishas in the graveyard instance of Scarlet Monastery Cathedral. The trio also re-enact some of their lines and events when you encounter them as bosses on a Captured Critter.

Herod the Bully can also be seen walking around Southshore, and he is much larger than the other children.

On the dock of Southshore, Zixil <Aspiring Merchant> can be seen building a robot, Overwatch Mark 0 <Protector>. In the present day, this goblin (known as <Merchant Supreme> in the current Hillsbrad) can be found patrolling around Hillsbrad as a traveling vendor, accompanied by Overwatch Mark 1 <Protector>.

Also on the dock is the one and only Nat Pagle! He is fishing with Hal McAllister in a zone which, surprisingly enough, has no fish.

And inside the inn, there are two ship captains drinking at the bar, who go outside to have a private discussion. Captain Sanders discusses his plans with Captain Edward Hanes to hide his various possessions around the world, and leave a map that goes from clue to clue in order to get his prizes! This treasure hunt can be found in the present day from a world drop off of Murlocs in Westfall. The rewards from doing the quest are the items he talks about while in Old Hillsbrad. Captain Edward Hanes is also a quest giver for low level Draenei on the Bloodmyst Isle.

Nathanos Marris can also be found in Old Hillsbrad, who in the events of the Third War will become "The Blightcaller," Lady Sylvanas' champion, and is a major Horde quest hub in the Eastern Plaguelands at Marris Stead. He even has the same gear at both past and present.

Young Blanchy can be found in the Tarren Mill barn. Old Blanchy is a horse that can be found in modern day Westfall.

Stalvan Mistmantle can be found sleeping in a bed in the Inn. Inv misc bandage 18 [The Legend of Stalvan] is an Alliance quest chain that starts in Darkshire.

A Male Dwarf who goes by the name of Bilger the Straight-Laced stands next to Nathanos Marris in the Southshore Town hall. In present day he's known as Brewmeister Bilger. Straight-laced simply meant he didn't drink, but after the events that took place, he became quite the drinker.

It is also of note that all other NPCs in the town use the "old" models from the very earliest stages of the game's development. These differ from the current models because their armor, clothing, etc is "built in" to the model, instead of the customizable models used by player characters. This is very obvious when you compare the Scarlet Crusade meeting in the Inn with the other characters around the outside of the building.

A young Taelan Fordring is upstairs in the inn, holding a large, glowing hammer.

In the double Story House nearest to the non functioning Gryphon rider is a small girl named Natasha Morris. She could be the daughter of Deathguard Morris.

Often if your party wipes while fighting Epoch Hunter or his minions, Thrall and Epoch Hunter will not reset to the earlier stage of Thrall talking to Taretha Foxton, this is a known bug and is being fixed.

It also should be noted that most players upon entering the zone become humans in appearance. This allows Horde races to interact with Southshore and other places. Night Elves and Draenei, who at the time of the escape were not part of the Alliance, are also humans in appearance. Spell shadow shadowform [Shadowform], Inv misc monsterhead 04 [Savory Deviate Delight], and other items that transforms you will remove this effect.

Map limits

  • Access west towards Hillsbrad Fields or Silverpine Forest is blocked by fog blanking the screen
  • the gate of Thoradin's Wall to the Arathi Highlands is closed tight
  • the southern coast that leads to Arathi is blocked to swimmers by that same fog
  • the passage to the Alterac Mountains is closed shut by a wall, but some creative jumping can get you over it, yet you'll find yourself walking into an invisible wall if you continue
  • the river that runs through the foothills is blocked at the entrance to Alterac by a troll-wall, but some creative jumping can get you over it, yet you'll find yourself walking into an invisible wall if you continue
  • the cavern leading to Ravenholdt has not yet been excavated; access to the area is possible with some creative jumping but there are no NPCs at Ravenholdt and the area graphics are incomplete (to access, face the wall where the cave usually is, mount up (epic mount) and go to the ledge to the left; jump onto the other side of the mountain)
  • The valley to the Hinterlands is blocked by a rock slide. Even if you manage to get past the rock slide, invisible walls encompass the area, blocking further access.

NPCs for Questing

The quest NPCs include:

  • Erozion - elf at the exit of the cave leading from the instance portal (gives both the quest to rescue Thrall and the incendiary bombs to do so)
  • Brazen - bronze dragon next to Erozion (gives free ride from instance entrance to Durnholde's front gate)
  • Thrall - primary quest NPC (in a cell in the basement of Durnholde Keep)
  • Taretha - other primary quest NPC (the inn in Tarren Mill)

Vendors in the Instance

Notable NPCs of the Past

Template:Spoiler There are many NPCs with some connection to important events in WoW and the Warcraft universe as a whole seen here in the past, many of them later being involved with either the Scourge, the Scarlet Crusade or the Argent Dawn. They include (current locations in parentheses):

Southshore

The Inn

Tarren Mill

Easter Eggs and Events

There are several events that happen throughout Old Hillsbrad, most are in Southshore and provide a little extra fun after beating the instance and restoring the timeline.

Notable Character Easter Eggs
Farmer Kent - Presumably referring to Superman's Father.


Scarlet Monastery
Sally Whitemane, Renault Mograine, and Little Jimmy Vishas sometimes performs a play, saying similar things which they said in their encounter in Scarlet Monastery.

Solo exploring

  • The instance is explorable as a solo adventurer. As the elites are grouped in Durnholde Keep and Tarren Mill, most of the open areas are populated by level 20ish non-elites, much like the present-day Hillsbrad Foothills.
  • There are no herbs or ore veins to harvest here, and the waters cannot be fished. Also, the mailbox next to the inn isn't there.
  • Despite the thick fog kicking in before you reach it, the actual Town of Hillsbrad is present within the instance. Oddly there is a new cave just north of Hillsbrad itself that seems to serve no purpose. The Tower at the entrance to the Hillsbrad region is also present and is not in disrepair. There is a wall blocking entrance or exit from the west of the Hillsbrad region and the path starts to go into the Silverpine region but then is cut off by instance limits.
  • The instance even includes Dalaran though it is not accessible due to the fog that kicks in if one ventures too far. Dalaran during this period in lore is restored but in the game it is not. The vast arcane bubble is not present but what lands it does cover is nothing but brown dirt.
  • The map extends into the Arathi Highlands and even the city of Stromgarde is built to how it appears in World of Warcraft.
  • Aerie Peak is also present in the map if a player manages to get past the rockslide that blocks the path from the foothills to the Hinterlands.

Videos

External links

Template:Caverns of Time Wings

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