Thousand Needles

Thousand Needles is a huge dry canyon in Southern Kalimdor, filled with towering mesas. In the east, the canyon opens up to the Shimmering Flats, a vast salt pan that is used by Goblin and Gnomish engineers for their races. Despite being relatively barren, the area has its' own harsh beauty, and the sunrise seen from either Freewind Post or one of the mesas around Darkcloud Pinnacle can be spectacular. The Shimmering Flats and Mirage Raceway are also worth visiting for their surreal, lonely atmosphere.

Although as a contested territory this area doesn't see anywhere near as much action as some, Darkcloud Pinnacle is a favourite stealth ganking spot for Alliance rogues due to the Horde quest there and the relative difficulty of the mobs/remoteness of that location. The Alliance also tend to attack the Great Lift and Freewind Post fairly regularly. In addition, players questing on the Shimmering Flats near the Tanaris border are advised to look over their shoulder from time to time, as the unwary can occasionally find themselves being stabbed in the back by a passing member of the opposing faction.

History
The barren canyons of Thousand Needles have traditionally been the territory of several Tauren tribes. The Tauren were forced to live precariously on the tips of the high mesas in order to avoid the large tribes of Centaur that almost wiped them out. Now, with the help of the Horde, the Tauren are fighting back against their enemies, including the fanatical Grimtotem Tribe. The Shimmering Flats to the southeast are also the home of the world famous Mirage Racetrack, where gnomes and goblins race their respective rocket cars in order to permanently settle the question of which race has the better engineering.

It is suspected that ages ago, Thousand Needles was once a small inland sea, or perhaps even an inlet of the Great Sea. This explains the salt flat as well as why perhaps there are so many "needle" like mesas (once possibly islands). The cause for the sea's evaporation could be attributed to the sundering, which tore the ancient Kalimdor cleanly in two. A catastrophe such as this could easily have caused climate change.

Another theory states that a river with its source in Feralas, possibly Wildwind Lake flowed into the area that would become Thousand Needles. The river cut through the earth, carving the canyon and shaping the dramatic pinnacles that became the Thousand Needles. It was a verdant, forested land. The river emptied into a large inland sea in the east. When the Great Sundering occurred, the course of the river was altered and ceased to flow through what would become Thousand Needles. The forests died and the fertile soil became orange dust. The inland sea, without it's source of water, evaporated leaving a vast salt flat.

It has also been thought by a night elf of Thalanaar that dark magic of some kind blighted the land.

Maps


Topographic map of Thousand Needles

Dungeons
None

Raid Dungeons
None

Half-Dungeons/Elite Areas
None

Battlegrounds
None

Flight paths from Freewind Post

 * Thunder Bluff
 * The Crossroads, the Barrens
 * Camp Taurajo, the Barrens
 * Camp Mojache, Feralas
 * Gadgetzan, Tanaris

Notable Characters
The Thousand Needles are home to several characters of note. At Freewind Post, Cliffwatcher Longhorn seeks aid in the battle against the evil Grimtotem Clan. At the Weathered Nook, Dorn Plainstalker attempts to teach members of the Horde about Faith, Endurance, and Strength. And at the Mirage Raceway, Kravel Koalbeard sends bold adventurers around the world in search items that will give him personal gain in his bets at the gnome and goblin races.

For a complete list of characters, see List of Thousand Needles NPCs.

Resources

 * Herbs
 * Bruiseweed
 * Wild Steelbloom
 * Kingsblood
 * Ore
 * Copper Vein
 * Tin Vein
 * Silver Vein
 * Iron Deposit
 * Gold Vein
 * Mithril Deposit
 * Ooze Covered Mithril Deposit
 * Truesilver Deposit

Wild Creatures

 * Air elementals
 * Basilisks
 * Carrion birds
 * Centaurs
 * Cougars
 * Earth elementals
 * Harpies
 * Hyenas
 * Kobolds
 * Scorpids
 * Silithids
 * Turtles
 * Water elementals
 * Wind Serpents
 * Wyverns

Notes, Tips, & Additional Info

 * Although Thousand Needles features no travel hub for Alliance, Thalanaar in Feralas and Gadgetzan in Tanaris are both close enough to avoid fighting anything before entering the zone.
 * The Shimmering Flats is a great place to quest and level-up for both factions, and can keep players occupied with running errands around the globe until their low 40s.
 * You can't race on the Mirage Raceway.