Northern Barrens storyline

Northern Barrens is a zone for Horde players. Since the Cataclysm, the zone has been thrown into disarray with floods, earthquakes and a Quilboar invasion. Players travel around the zone trying to create stability and preserve the connection between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff.

The progress of the storyline is tracked in the achievement Northern Barrens Quests.

After following one of three breadcrumb quests to the Northern Barrens, players find themselves at Far Watch Post where they are thrust into battle with the Razormane quilboar. Kargal Battlescar and Halga Bloodeye have players beat back the Quilboar and retrieve stolen supplies from their cave. After retrieving the supplies, Halga tasks players with escorting a vital supply caravan all the way to Crossroads in Crossroads Caravan Pickup.

After a difficult journey, the caravan stops for supplies at Grol'dom Farm where they are having their own problems with the Quilboar. The Orc Togrik has players capture one of the Quilboar for questioning in Drag it Out of Them. The captured Quilboar reveals that they are being led by a Quilboar named Tortusk. After eliminating Tortusk in The Tortusk Takedown, the remaining Quilboar scatter and the caravan can continue all the way to Crossroads.

In the Crossroads there are several quest chains that can be followed:

• The Sergra Darkthorn line, starting with The Zhevra
• The Oasis line, starting with The Forgotten Pools (quest)
• The Fungal Spores line, starting with Fungal Spores (quest)

The Sergra Darkthorn line has players doing quests for Sergra Darkthorn around Crossroads. To begin with, she has players test their mettle by hunting various beasts around the town before giving them a mission in The Purloined Payroll. A caravan with silver wages went missing on the road to Ratchet and she sends players to investigate. It is soon found that the caravan was attacked by Raptors who were attracted to the shiny metal. The silver is recovered in The Stolen Silver and delivered to Gazrog in Ratchet.

The Oasis line is started by the concerned Tauren druid Tonga Runetotem, who has felt a disturbance in the land. Additionally, the once-barren oases of the land are blooming with life again. He sends players to the Forgotten Pools to investigate where this power is coming from in The Forgotten Pools. Players discover that there are fissures in the ground from which power is emanating. Tonga then sends players to investigate the Stagnant Oasis before thanking them and continuing his research. While at these two oases, players can accept side quests which involve the Kolkar Centaurs who have grown in power recently. These quests involve taking down Kolkar warriors and leaders before eventually taking out Verog the Dervish in the quest of the same name and putting a large setback in the Centaur expansion.

The Fungal Spores line is started by the Fosaken Apothecary Helbrim who is trying to create a new biological weapon using the life energy of the oases. He has players use the power of the oases to create explosive spores that he tries to send back to Undercity. However before he can, the research is taken to Orgrimmar and players are warned to stay away from the Undead.

After spending some time in the zone and leveling up, another quest line opens up from Thork in Crossroads who sends players to Regthar Deathgate. Regthar is preparing to eliminate the Kolkar threat once and for all, starting by eliminating Hezrul Bloodmark. After this, the centaur are enraged and launch a full-scale attack on the Horde outpost in Counterattack! Players resist the attack and defeat Warlord Krom'zar, leader of the Kolkar, to end the Kolkar threat in the Northern Barrens once and for all.

The Sergra Darkthorn and Fungal Spores quest lines both lead players to Ratchet where more three short quest lines can be started.

The first quest chain is started by Gazlowe, who has players locate his lost treasure by speaking to the captured pirate Baron Longshore. After retrieving the treasure, Gazlowe sends the player to Nozzlepot's Outpost, up the river, to pay Nozzlepot for his help.

The second short quest line is also started by Gazlowe, who is annoyed at the constant interference of the Alliance in his city. He has players blow up the Alliance ships in his harbor to get them out.

Side quest:

• A Captain's Vengeance

The final short quest line in Ratchet is started by Wharfmaster Dizzywig who is dealing with Southsea Freebooters on Fray Island. He supports Tony Two-Tusk with weapons and money (with players' help of course) and in return, Tony takes out Alicia Cuthbert and takes over the pirates himself. With Tony in charge, the attacks on Ratchet stop.

Side quests:

• Southsea Freebooters (quest)
• WANTED: Cap'n Garvey

Another quest available in Ratchet has players killing King Reaperclaw for his horn. It's Gotta be the Horn

Nozzlepot's Outpost is the final questing location in the Northern Barrens. In the Outpost players help Sputtervalve steal a machine from the nearby Venture Co. camp known as the Samophlange. After retrieving it, the Goblins of the outpost work together to put it back together (with the help of the player) and it explodes triumphantly.

A side quest in the Venture Co. camp has players steal a shredder to bring back to Nozzlepot's Outpost.

A couple of sidequests are also given by Nozzlepot himself.

• Sludge Investigation
• Hyena Extermination
• Sludge Beast!

Also at Nozzlepot's Outpost, Sputtervalve gives players the option to take his new invention back to Crossroads. Needless to say, it goes badly and players end up near the Forgotten Pools where Darsok Swiftdagger is dealing with the Witchwing Harpies. He enlists players to help take down the Harpies and eventually their leader Serena Bloodfeather.

Finally, once the player deals with the harpies, they are directed back to Crossroads for one final questline that eventually leads to Ashenvale.