Beyond the Untamed
Horizon
Less than twenty
years ago, the orcs'
former homeworld,
Draenor, was ripped
apart by the violent
energies of several
dimensional portals
that tore the very
fabric of the planet
to pieces. This
catastrophic event
left Draenor a
broken, shattered
world that the
survivors came to
call Outland. To
this day, some parts
of Outland are still
unreachable by foot
or boat, floating
eerily on the
horizon as silent
reminders of the
terrible fate that
befell Draenor. Yet
the denizens of
Outland have adapted
and learned to
harness some of the
indigenous species
as flying mounts,
allowing adventurers
to reach even the
most remote and
dangerous regions of
this wild, untamed
world.
One of the most
exciting new
features of World of
Warcraft: The
Burning Crusade will
be the introduction
of a new kind of
mount that will
provide players with
unprecedented
freedom to explore
the world of Outland
from an entirely new
perspective. After
reaching level 70,
players will
eventually be able
to obtain a flying
mount for their
characters. Outland
is home to
incredibly varied
and exotic fauna,
and the sentient
inhabitants of this
world have trained
several unique
creatures as flying
mounts. Both Horde
and Alliance will
have their own
special type of
mount, but there are
also mounts that
will be extremely
rare even among the
most powerful
characters. The
nether drake is one
of these.
With flying mounts,
players will be able
to take to the
skies, to soar among
the crimson clouds
of Hellfire
Peninsula or watch
as Nagrand's sea of
grass swaying in the
breeze far below as
they make their way
to new lands.
Players will have
full control over
their flying mounts,
allowing them to
roam the skies and
freely explore all
regions of Outland.
In fact, certain
areas of Outland
will only be
accessible by air,
as some parts of the
ruined world are
floating out in the
void, unreachable
except by those who
command one of
Outland's flying
creatures.
A few of these
"unlockable" areas
are actually located
near some of the
lower-level regions
of Outland; a
player's journey
will take them
through the Dark
Portal to the very
ends of Outland and
finally back to
where they started,
thus completing the
circle – but now
they will be able to
access regions that
were previously only
viewable from a
distance. Some
dungeons also
feature wings that
can't be reached
without a flying
mount, and this
should provide
players with a
profound sense of
advancement after
having gained
considerable
experience, new
abilities, and
powerful weapons and
armor. In a way, the
flying mount
represents the most
tangible
accomplishment of a
character's progress
up to level 70, but
it also serves as a
key to the content
that awaits players
beyond the maximum
level.
Origin of the Nether
Drakes
Near the end of the
Second War, the
black dragon
Deathwing traveled
through the Dark
Portal to Draenor.
Believing the world
to be a relatively
safe haven for his
offspring, he
secreted away a
cache of black
dragon eggs.
Following the war,
Ner'zhul recklessly
opened multiple
portals on Draenor,
and the magical
stress tore the
planet apart. The
energies released in
this catastrophe
altered Deathwing's
eggs, resulting in
the nether drakes:
partially corporeal
and partially
ethereal dragons who
possess the ability
to shift between the
astral and physical
planes. Without
Deathwing's
guidance, these
otherworldly nether
drakes are just now
finding their own
way among the
blasted ruins of
Outland.. .
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