Nethergarde Keep

The Dalaran tabard

Nethergarde Keep

Nethergarde Keep is a heavily defended Alliance town in the Blasted Lands. Though technically it's just a castle like Northwatch Hold in the Barrens, none of the Guards are PvP-enabled except the Gryphon Master and a few questgivers.

Leaders: Archmage Thas’ranan, Commander of Nethergarde’s mages; General Lordenson, Commander of Nethergarde’s warriors.

History

Nethergarde Keep was built during the Second War - shortly after the destruction of the first Dark Portal - at the behest of the Archmage Khadgar to ensure that there would be no further invasions from Draenor. It stands on a high bluff along the only road into the Blasted Lands, a road often travelled by both the Horde and the Alliance as they prepare to do battle with the demonic forces in the region.

Khadgar, a mage of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, was the master of Nethergarde until the reconstruction of the Dark Portal by Ner'zhul and his clans on Draenor. When the orcs began attacking Azeroth once more, Khadgar and his friends Turalyon, Danath Trollbane, Alleria Windrunner and Kurdran Wildhammer rallied troops and led the Alliance Expedition through the Dark Portal, to destroy the Horde and seal off the Portal once and for all. When Ner'zhul opened his portals, which began to tear Draenor apart, the five leaders remained behind to seal it from Draenor, so that the backlash would not affect their beloved Azeroth.

For twenty years thereafter, the Dark Portal was silent.

After the Portal was sealed, the mages of Dalaran kept Nethergarde in operation both for the Kirin Tor and the Alliance. They focused their efforts on studying the effects that the Portal's energy had on what had become known as the Blasted Lands - the mutations to the wildlife and the tainting of the soil. When Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde during the invasion of the Burning Legion, Nethergarde's continued survival depended on support from the nearby Kingdom of Stormwind, and by warriors of the Alliance who travelled into the Blasted Lands. Then Lord Kazzak, the demon commander in Azeroth, found an artifact to reopen the Dark Portal, and join the Legion's ranks in Outland. Now, with the way to Outland open again, Nethergarde is now the major hub of activity between Stormwind and the Dark Portal.

NPCs

• Bernie Heisten - <Food & Drink Merchant>
• Strumner Flintheel - <Armor Crafter>
• Nina Lightbrew - <Alchemy Supplies>
• Alexandra Constantine - <Gryphon Master>
• Nethergarde Soldier
• Nethergarde Analyst
• Nethergarde Cleric
• Nethergarde Officer
• Nethergarde Elite
• Nethergarde Riftwatcher
• Enohar Thunderbrew
• Watcher Mahar Ba
• Thadius Grimshade
• Ambassador Ardalan