Hillsbrad Foothills

The Hillsbrad Foothills are a mid-level zone most suitable for players around levels 30. The hills are home to the towns of Southshore and Hillsbrad (Alliance), and Tarren Mill (Horde).

Hillsbrad Foothills is one of the sub-regions of the Alterac Valley region.

PvP
On PvP servers, Hillsbrad is arguably one of the most actively contested regions within the game, with the area immediately surrounding Tarren Mill often being a major battlefield. This is due to a meeting point between the Forsaken players reaching level 20 - 25 (coming from Silverpine Forest) and level 30 Ironforge Dwarf players (coming from Wetlands through Arathi Highlands). This zone should therefore probably be avoided on solo questing (or by levels below 20), especially considering that level 70 characters of the opposing faction who visit this area customarily have no qualms about killing characters 20-30 levels lower than themselves. Although quests are available here, the area tends to be frequented by individuals whose primary interest is PvP combat.

Having been previously known as "Gankbrad" and "Pwnshore", among others, Hillsbrad was the place for PvP action before the battlegrounds were introduced. It is now once again a peaceful place. However, sometimes Alliance or Horde will venture to the opposing faction's outpost in parties or raids to wreak a little havoc (primarily reaching for the same objectives), especially when the battlegrounds are down.

History
Hillsbrad is traditionally the most blood soaked battlefield on Azeroth, despite its pleasant, pastoral setting. In the Second War, it saw several important skirmishes between orcs and forest trolls on one side, and humans and high elves on the other. In the Third War, the Scourge wiped out the human town of Tarren Mill, though later it was claimed as the southernmost holding of the Forsaken. Since then, the undead have been battling fiercely with the humans of Southshore, and the region is infamous for having at one point been impossible to even enter without being slowed down by the constant battle and bloodshed.

An instance inside the Caverns of Time, in Tanaris, sends the player back seven years in the past to a location known as Old Hillsbrad Foothills (as part of the Escape from Durnholde Keep quest). The instance retakes most of the current setting of the zone with the exception of Tarren Mill still untouched by the Scourge as well as Durnholde Keep still on its defenses. Some soon-to-be notable characters can also be met in Southshore, such as Sally Whitemane, Captain Sanders and Kel'Thuzad.

Getting there

 * Horde:From The Sepulcher in Silverpine Forest, run east to the main road, then follow it all the way south. Keep following it as it curves east all the way into Hillsbrad.  Continue to follow the road through until you see a signposted turn off to the north to Tarren Mill.  Run north along that road until you see a signposted turn off to the east to Tarren Mill.  The flight path is near the entrance to the town.
 * Alliance:From Ironforge in Dun Morogh, run east on the road all the way to the Loch Modan Zone. Then, continue running north, until you reach the Wetlands.  Run west in the Wetlands until you encounter a road running north.  Run north, over the bridge, until you meet a road running west.  Take that road, pass under the great wall, and Southshore is south of where you are.  If you need anymore help, ask anyone in that area.  Don't forget to pick up the Thelsamar, Menethil Harbor, and Refuge Point flight paths on the way!
 * Alternatively, Alliance can swim up the coast from Menethil Harbor, avoiding underwater mobs, until they come to Southshore. This route is perhaps safer and slightly faster, but far less scenic. It also forces you to walk to Refuge point later, since you can't pick up the flight path.

Geography
Though the rest of Lordaeron was ravaged by the Scourge and twisted into a haunted perversion of its former self, the Hillsbrad Foothills largely managed to escape this fate. It remains the best preserved region of the fallen kingdom, giving travelers a feeling for what the land was like before the Plague. It is Human country, soft and green. Pine trees dot the ample farmland, and the rolling pastures are frequently crisscrossed with roads leading to the numerous towns and villages that still remain. A river flowing from Darrowmere Lake in the Western Plaguelands runs north to south. There are a few small, empty islands off the southern coast, and one larger one, Purgation Isle.

There are no instanced dungeons or battlegrounds in the foothills, though the Alterac Valley battleground can be found in the nearby Alterac Mountains. In addition, the micro dungeon Purgation Isle can be found here.

Maps and subregions

 * Topographic map of Hillsbrad Foothills

Elite areas

 * Purgation Isle

Flight paths from Southshore

 * Ironforge
 * Menethil Harbor, Wetlands
 * Refuge Pointe, Arathi Highlands
 * Aerie Peak, the Hinterlands
 * Chillwind Camp, Western Plaguelands

Flight paths from Tarren Mill

 * Undercity
 * The Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest
 * Hammerfall, Arathi Highlands
 * Revantusk Village, the Hinterlands

Notable characters


The Hillsbrad Foothills are home to several characters of note. At Southshore, Magistrate Henry Maleb seeks aid in the battle against the Syndicate, and Marshal Redpath sends promising adventurers into the Alterac Mountains to slay the vicious ogres that have their holdings there. In Tarren Mill, Apothecary Lydon attempts to concoct the perfect new plague, and High Executor Darthalia orders agents of the Horde into human lands to show them what's what.

Resources

 * Herbs
 * Mageroyal
 * Swiftthistle
 * Briarthorn
 * Stranglekelp
 * Bruiseweed
 * Wild Steelbloom
 * Kingsblood
 * Liferoot
 * Khadgar's Whisker
 * Leather
 * Thick Murloc Scale (Skinning level 30-35 murlocs)
 * Ore
 * Copper Vein
 * Tin Vein
 * Silver Vein
 * Iron Deposit
 * Gold Vein
 * Mithril Deposit
 * Truesilver Deposit

Wild creatures

 * Bears
 * Ghosts
 * Gnolls
 * Mountain Lions
 * Murlocs
 * Naga
 * Sharks
 * Spiders
 * Yetis