New WoTLK zone Grizzly Hills now previewing on the main WoW site
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Feb 14th 2008 at 4:55PM
We have some awesome WoTLK news for you today, as Blizzard has just updated their site with a preview of the Grizzly Hills, a Northrend zone that will adjoin the Howling Fjord. Not only are there some really beautiful screen shots, but there's a video with a fly-through tour of parts of the zone, show casing what look to be Human, Orcish, and Furbolg settlements.The zone will be the home of the Grizzlemaw Furbolgs, a peaceful tribe that is currently arming for war due to encroachment by trappers and the goblin Venture Company, as well as an invasion by the undead Drakkari Ice Trolls (Who are listed on the Beastiary page, although still grayed out).
Not only does the zone look amazing, but it sounds like there's going to be a lot of great lore and story to go with it as well. It's good to see an old nemesis return in the form of the Venture Company, whom we really haven't seen much of since Stranglethorn Vale, and hopefully we'll have one more Furbolg tribe to ally with in the Grizzlemaw. It's also mentioned that they worship a giant bear that roams the wilderness, which feels like it could lead to a bit of new lore for druids as well perhaps, especially if the bear is related to Ursoc and Ursol somehow. Finally, the Drakkari Ice Trolls seem to have gone the same way as the Mossflayers, and it should be interesting to find out how they fell.
Filed under: Trolls, Blizzard, News items, Expansions, Lore, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Acslayter Feb 14th 2008 5:16PM
I really never expected the new zones to look so good. Blizzard is really outdoing themselves with the WotLK zones.
Everything they have shown so far looks amazing.
Aticus Feb 14th 2008 5:20PM
Wow... I'm really amazed. Defiantly looks like it's going to be the Nagrand of Wrath :-)
-Aticus, http://www.paladintales.blogspot.com
Naix Feb 14th 2008 5:21PM
This looks awesome. I wonder what character type everyone to going to level 80 first. I have a warlock with 1100 shadow damage I think I could get to 80 before any other class. My holy priest on the other hand only has 500 damage so it is going to take some time.
mattarin Feb 14th 2008 5:31PM
i wonder if Drak’Tharon Keep will be an instance similar to Hellfire Citadel.
Zarzuur Feb 14th 2008 5:39PM
There was a step up between WOW and BC, although BC has a different glowy/exotic-Outlands style, so it is harder to make a direct comparison.
But these are "wow!"-looking Old World zones, it really shows how far they've progressed compared to the originals!
MechChef Feb 14th 2008 5:46PM
That was intentional. Outland has been described as "High Fantasy" whereas WoTLK will be "Gothic Fatasy." Gothic fantasy being similar to the original WoW. Though I guess it would make sense, as this continent had originally split off from the other two originals.
Watching the fly-through, I'm sort of reminded of Hyjal. Rather, the videos of people who have been able to sneak inside.
Retron Feb 14th 2008 5:44PM
Man, looks like they might really be going off with the environmentalism in this zone! (Not that that's a bad thing...)
Watching their silent flythrough video I thought of the perfect tree-huggingest soundtrack lol: John Denver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwARpaKHx_w
Markus0i Feb 14th 2008 6:12PM
How the Drakkari trolls fell is explained in the WOW RPG. The lich king used the same trick on them that he did on Lorderon. He convinced a troll to join him and then bring sleds of infected meat to the Drakkari capitol city. It's troll tradition to welcome guests and share a meal with them and this troll was headed to meet the troll king. In the RPG it's your task to stop him, although I'd assume that the players failed that quest or the lich king just tried again.
Elmo Feb 15th 2008 4:52AM
These zones make me more happy about WotLK than I ever was about BC.
RogueJedi86 Feb 15th 2008 5:16AM
I just wish Northrend really was covered in snow. It's pretty much at the North Pole of Azeroth, cover it in snow. I'm sure no one would've gotten mad if Northrend had been covered in snow. We have a dozen temperate zones and a dozen deserts in Azeroth alone, and only 2 snowy zones(3 if you count Alterac Mountains). But alas, at least Northrend is looking to be pretty despite the less-than-snow.
Sorry about that, just wanted more snow in Northrend, started talking to myself.
Kadathwack Feb 15th 2008 1:30PM
I'm sure there'll be snow. I'm pretty happy we won't see 11 zones full of it though.
I'm definitely leveling here though. Awesome work, I can hardly wait to see the rest of Northrend.