WotLK Beta Blog – Final Thoughts on Howling Fjord
If I had to sum up the Howling Fjord in three words it would be “beautifully, tragically serene.” From the moment you step off the boat or zeppelin, you hear what I think is the most beautiful music in World of Warcraft to date. In fact, before you continue reading this, you should go here and listen to the track. The soft sound of the music reminds me of a land crying out in sorrowful mourning.
While Borean Tundra still felt a bit like a foreign war torn wasteland, Howling Fjord felt a lot more like coming home. It could be because I used to live in northern Idaho and Howling Fjord looks like it is a little land tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, but going to the Fjord roused me in a way Borean Tundra didn’t. I felt like the very land was crying out for help. However cheesy as it may sound, it was very exciting.
Within the Fjord, the main Horde settlements are lead by an offshoot of the Forsaken’s Royal Apothecary Society named “The Hand of Vengeance” and their work to create a new plague as well as a Taunka settlement. The Alliance have settlements from the Ironforge Explorer’s League, searching for remnants of Titan knowledge, as well as a human settlement where they have captured a goblin zeppelin and its captain for their uses. There is also a large Tuskarr village. Unlike the diverse looks and multitude of enemies that Borean Tundra boasts, Howling Fjord is a little more focused in its content. The main two enemies found in the region are the Vykul, (think of large Vikings) in a brutal crusade to try to prove themselves worthy of the Lich King’s favor, and the Iron Dwarves, a violent offshoot race of the dwarves, that’s mysterious mission is nothing short of nefarious.
While not quite as large as Borean Tundra (which stands at over 150 quests), Howling Fjord sits just over 130 or so quests per side. Howling Fjord also a much more focused zone than Borean Tundra. While Borean Tundra is filled with multiple enemy fronts, the main focus of the Fjord is obviously the Vykul. I do think that Borean Tundra will end up being the more popular zone than the Fjord, but not by too much hopefully. Both zones offer great Northrend lore.
I can't say anything to what the quests for the Alliance consist of, but the Forsaken are back and more evil than ever. They're here for the cause of creating that plague and will stop at nothing to accomplish that. (Though as you can imagine, like always, it results in failure.) Some of their best quests include controlling a combustible abomination to wipe out the evidence of failed plague attempts and the aptly named 'BRAINS! BRAINS! BRAINS!' which has you killing dwarves from the Explorer's League and removing their brain with a hacksaw.
The missions for the Taunka mainly consist of fighting back against the Vykul and investigating the Iron Dwarves in the area and what they are doing to the local giants. While all these are great, I think one of the most exciting quests was being sent to fight against the white wolf as it provided a great 'OH SHIT!' moment and lead in to the Grizzly Hills.