#ashenvale forest

[kasimova-dariia]

It's been one year and 17 days since I started working on this piece. And it's finally finished! The kaldorei huntress inspired by Warcraft III nightelf campaign! I am so proud of this illustration ✧ 

ArtStation I Patreon

[fawke]

My favorite zone in wow is without a doubt Ashenvale Forest.Tried to capture the feel of it

[warcraft-lore-archives]

Highborne Ruins - Ashenvale Forest

Prior to the sundering, the great forest of Ashenvale encompassed a swath of northern Kalimdor. The forest was so vast that it included the region now known as Azshara [RPG: Lands of Mystery, pg. 9] and perhaps even Felwood.

The forest is home to easily the largest set of ancient elven ruins on Azeroth. In addition to some of the more reputable ruins dotting the landscape, there are ruins at Fire Scar Shrine, submerged in the river mouth west of Felfire Hill, submerged in the river mouth west of Xavian, submerged in Mystral Lake, and submerged in and around the lakes around Astranaar and Lake Falathim. Lord Xavius, Azshara’s foremost advisor, also owned a private tower in Ashenvale [NPC: Lady Benel’derath Dialogue].

After the sundering and the fall of the Highborne, Ashenvale was one of the first places in which the kaldorei rebuilt their lives [RPG: Lands of Mystery, pg. 8]. Given the recent activities of both the demons and the Horde, it’s possible that several of Ashenvale’s many ruins could be casualties of recent events and not the sundering.

The Ruins:

Zoram & Blackfathom Deeps

Ruins of Stardust

Xavian

Satyrnaar

Night Run

Forest Song

Ruins of Ordil’Aran

Zoram & Blackfathom Deeps

Zoram sunk beneath the waves during the sundering [Quest: The Zoram Strand]. According to legend, the Ring of Zoram, which once belonged to the rulers of the city, can unlock any lock within the city [Quest: Ruuzel]. Several ancient statuettes with hidden compartments are scattered throughout the ancient ruins.

Blackfathom Deeps, which sits on the underside of Zoram, was once a renowned temple of Elune [Quest: Blackfathom Villainy]. It housed a powerful moonwell in its Moonshrine Ruins [Quest: Twilight Falls] which was eventually corrupted at some point in time by the Old Gods and their servant, Aku’mai [Quest: Blackfathom Villainy].

Some have speculated that Blackfathom Deeps is actually the location of Lathar’Lazal, an ancient and esteemed Temple of Elune. Others believe that Sargeron is the site of the lost city, however Lathar’Lazal is far too north on the map to have been in Desolace. In fact, it is in approximately the correct place on the pre-sundering map to be in Ashenvale, especially when accounting for how the borders of regions shifted in the sundering. Furthermore, Blackfathom Deeps’ appearance is consistent with depictions of Lathar’Lazal’s many bridges and lakes.

It could be, however, that Blackfathom Deeps is not Lathar’Lazal at all and that Lathar’Lazal was either destroyed during the sundering or hidden as the land shifted. It is important to note that Blackfathom Deeps is part of a city called Zoram, which is never found in mentions of Lathar’Lazal.

Ruins of Stardust

These ruins may be named for the bushels of frosted stardust that can be found within them. The stardust has some healing properties and is known to cure fevers [Quest: The Ruins of Stardust].

Xavian

Xavian sits atop an ancient elven temple [Page: Xavian]. As Xavian is just north of Satyrnaar, it’s possible that the two towns were once connected, especially if they were both holy sites.

Satyrnaar

This ruin, which has since been perverted by satyrs, was once a prominent shrine to Elune [Quest: The Lost Chalice, RPG: Lands of Mystery, pg. 8]. Pilgrims once traveled from afar to see the Chalice of Elune, a priceless relic which was given to the shrine’s keepers by the priestesshood [Quest: The Lost Chalice].

Night Run

While this ruin was an important site during the War of the Satyr, little is known about its pre-sundering history.

Forest Song

Forest Song has been referred to as a “shrine” [Quest: Kayneth Stillwind]. Little else is known about this ancient ruin.

Ruins of Ordil’Aran

Ordil’Aran is home to three massive moonstones [Quest: The Reason Why]. While the specific properties of the ones in Ordil’Aran are unknown, moonstones are known to possess a wide variety of abilities from creating artificial eclipses and curing illnesses to acting as keys, among other functions [Page: Moonstone].

Ordil’Aran is also the site of the Heartswood tree, which was created during a battle between the Kaldorei and demons during the War of the Ancients [Quest: Heartswood]. Supposedly, as two lovers were fighting demons in the city, one was stricken down in combat. The remaining elf disregarded his life in favor of his lover because he thought that he could not face the eons without her by his side. As a result, the Heartswood tree, a symbol of their undying love, grew from their last breath together.

[kaldoreiis]

𝔄𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔫𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢

Ashenvale, also known as Ashenvale Forest, a wilderness region south of Darkshore and Felwood, west of Azshara, and north of the Stonetalon Mountains and the Barrens. Ashenvale is also the term used for the larger forested region which includes most of western Hyjal including Azshara. It is the ancestral homeland of the night elves, who remain in control of several holdings through the zone, including Astranaar, Maestra's Post, Silverwind Refuge, Silverwing Grove, and the Shrine of Aessina. This has changed since the Cataclysm, as the Horde has begun attacks on various Night Elf encampments and have succeeded in deforesting sections of the forest.

[lifeonazeroth-blog]

Ashenvale Forest by Dr4kon