Ashenvale / Thousand Needles

Started at level 26
Finished at level 30

Now I had finished up The Barrens and Stonetalon, I was ready to head to Ashenvale. Before heading off though, get your hands on a Deadly Blunderbuss as you will need it for a quest there, and better to have it already. If you are an Engineer you can make one, otherwise ask an Engineering friend or check the Auction House, I paid 1g for mine. Once you are ready, take a flight to Splintertree Post and then another up to Zoram Strand.

[24] Between a Rock and a Thistlefur
Objectives : Kill 12 Thistlefur Avengers and 12 Thistlefur Shaman
Rewards : XP!

[24] Troll Charm
Objectives : Collect 8 Troll Charms
Rewards : XP!

[24] Freedom to Ruul
Objectives : Escort Ruul
Rewards : XP!

From the Zoram Strand, head back towards the main path, when you reach it, turn right. You will follow it past Maestra's Post and up the hill, where just after that you should see a dirt path leading off to your left, Thistlefur are visable. If you follow that path up, you will enter a compound of sorts, and not far after you enter you see another path running up into the mountains, a short path that leads to a cave.

Inside this cave you will find your Troll Charms, they look like tiny little chests and they are scattered all around. When you enter the cave, you should come across an area that leads either straight ahead and up, or a little to the left and down. To start with, head up and clear the mobs there to get your charms. Once you have all 8, head down the other path where you will find a large white bear trapped in a cage, Ruul. Ruul wants you to escort them out.

Easily soloable, you will only have two instances where you are jumped by 3 mobs, but Ruul helps fight so that makes it a little easier. Ruul will fight out the cave, down the path and then take a left further towards the back of the compound. You will pass through a wooden gate of sorts, and then Ruul says they can make it from there.

Just fighting in and out of the compound will get you your kill rates of Shaman's and Avengers and you will most likely have the Logging Rope for Warsong Supplies drop. When ready, head back to Zoram Strand to hand in, and then take a flight to Splintertree. I didn't do the next step of the Thistlefur as it requires you to protect a flag and it can be very difficult, nay almost impossible solo. The other quest there is Vorshar the Lasher, which is again a protect quest but slightly harder so I chose not to do that one either.


[24] Ashenvale Outrunners
Objectives : Kill 9 Ashenvale Outrunners
Rewards : XP!

[25] Stonetalon Standstill
Objectives : Kill 12 Befouled Water Elementals and Scout the gazebo
Rewards : XP!

[25] The Sacred Flame
Objectives : Fill the Etched Phial
Rewards : XP!

[26] Satyr Horns
Objectives : Collect 16 Satyr Horns
Rewards : XP!

[27] The Befouled Element
Objectives : Bring the Befouled Water Globe to Mastok Wrilehiss
Rewards : XP!

[27] Warsong Supplies
Objectives : Collect the Warsong Supplies: Warsong Saw Blades, Logging Rope, Warsong Oil, and the Warsong Axe Shipment
Rewards : +9 Intellect, +4 Stamina Cloth Boots or sellable loot and XP!

[30] The Lost Pages
Objectives : Find the 12 missing pages of the Shredder Operating Manual, and put them together to form Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Rewards : +6 Intellect, +5 Stamina, +2 Agility Cloth Gloves or Leather Gloves and XP!

I did all of the above quests in one big strangely shaped loop. Starting from Splintertree post I killed the Ashenvale Outrunners just on the other side of the path. It really helps if you have sound on when killing these as they make a stealthing sound when you get close to them. Keep your eyes open for a blue hippogryph type mob as he is level 31 and can't give your rear end a nice beating if you are not careful.

Once I had my Outrunners I head North-West to Raynewood Retreat where I killed Laughing Sisters and the Protectors until the vial dropped for "The Sacred Flame". After I had that I continued further north up the path. You eventually hit a spot that allows you up to where the Satyr's are, and I chose this spot as they are further spaced apart and you can single pull all. I stayed here till all my horns dropped, also collecting my Warsong Oil from the camp (look for a lootable jug).

Once I had done those I jumped over the cliff back onto the path and made my way south to Mystral Lake to kill some Water Elementals. Watch the building on the edge of the lake as it's filled with Night Elves, but as long as you don't get too close they seem to have no problem with you ridding the waters of the elementals. While you're there, keep your eyes open for a greener level 27 Befouled elemental as he will drop an item that begins a quest for you. (the one listed above).

After finishing off that quest I started heading back towards Splintertree, stopping first past the moonwell (see map) to fill the vial. Be sure to keep any Shredder Operating Manual Pages that drop as there is a quest giver on the opposite side of the path to Splintertree that gives the quest : The Lost Pages.

When I got to Splintertree I handed in those quests before making my way to Booty Bay (via the Ratchet boat) to pick up the last element for Warsong Supplies. (You should already have the rope from the Thistlefur's, the oil from the Satyr's and the Saw Blades from trading in your Deadly Blunderbuss as Splintertree Post)


After I was done handing in those quests, I decided I'd head down to Thousand Needles and have a poke around. I had two quests sending me there anyway, so from Camp Taurajo I made my way south...

[28] Calling in the Reserve
Objectives : Deliver the letter to the Great Lift
Rewards : XP!

Stopping at The Great lift I handed in that quest and picked up Message to Freewind Post, since I was heading there anyway. You loose a pet when you take the lift down so I didn't bother getting another as you will only loose that one when you get to the Outpost. If you follow the path around you can't miss Freewind Post. Head up and hand in...

[25] Pacify the Centaur
Objectives : Kill 12 Galak Scouts, 10 Wranglers, and 6 Windchasers
Rewards : XP!

Leaving Freewind Post I headed straight north to the area against the cliff wall, this is where you will find your centaur's. If you fill your way east, just after you get to the last of the centaurs you should be able to see a Tauren totem up at the top of the cliffs, and just after the pillar in front of you, there is a path leading up. There you will can do a quest;

[26] Test of Faith
Objectives : *Zips lips*
Rewards : XP!

I'm not saying a word about this quest... have fun ;)

I didn't end up taking the second stage to it, but after I had done the first, I killed the rest of the centaurs I needed. If have the quest The Sacred Flame, the cave you need is just up from where you are killing, although be warned it can get rather hairy in there. The flame you need is all the way at the end near the large pool of water, and guarded by mobs. Once done, I and headed back to Freewind Post to hand in, that way you can get the next quest.

[26] Alien Egg
Objectives : Retrieve the Alien Egg
Rewards : XP!

Leaving Freewind Post I decided to head left first instead of right. If you look at your map you can see where the main path almost touches the cliff wall, just there is some Serpent's. That's where I got my Alien Egg from, but it can spawn in multiple spots so it's up to you if you want to continue killing your way up the wall now or later.

[28] Grimtotem Spying
Objectives : Locate and retrieve the three Secret Notes in Darkcloud Pinnacle
Rewards : +5 Intellect, +5 Spirit Cloth Shoulders or Sellable loot and XP!

If you follow the path back towards The Great Life, there is a really large pillar with actually has a marking on the top if you look at the map. That pillar (which sits beside the black lake) is the one you need to make your assent to the top. You should see a path leading up on one side of it, and then follow the bridges further up. Eventually you will hit a top level where there are three Grimtotem's.

If you take the bridge to the next island, you then want to take the one on the right that leads to the larger compound. When you enter that, take the bridge on your right and that is where you will find the first secret note. Heading back to the main compound, fight your way around the right and there is a large building there that looks like an Inn, that has the 2nd note. There are three bridges leading to this large compound, the one you just came back from, the one that got you to here in the first place, and a third... that is the one you want. Over the other side you will find the 3rd note.

Heading back from the 3rd note to the large compound, take the bridge on the right, the same one that got you there in the first place. After you cross that one, you want to take another right, and then a left and you should be up the top of the cliff wall.

[29] Wanted - Arnak Grimtotem
Objectives : Slay Arnak Grimtotem
Rewards : Sellable loot and XP!

[29] Free at Last
Objectives : Escort Lakota Windsong from the Darkcloud Pinnacle
Rewards : +4 Spirit, +4 Intellect Cloak or Leather Waist and XP!

In the camp here you will find Arnak Grimtotem who is easily soloable and Lakota Windsong who would like an escort out. I killed Arnak and then helped Lokota which really wasn't that hard. After you cross the first each bridge you get jumped by two grimtotems... but I was lucky to have groups clearing there already so didn't have added mobs to worry about.

[29] Wind Rider
Objectives : Gather 10 Wyvern Eggs
Rewards : 2 Heavy Armor Kit's and XP!

Heading west, I found the path leading up to Highperch for my Wyvern eggs. Easily soloble this area, you access if via a path leading up.

[30] Steelsnap
Objectives : Collect Steelsnap's Rib
Rewards : XP!

Heading out of Highperch, I head to my left and killed along the cliff wall till Steelsnap walked past. He's a big brown hyena with two bodyguards. Given he's level 30 and I was only 28 at the time, I put my Voidwalker on him and tried to keep his two comrades feared... obviously not at the same time. With curse of weakness and fear, I was able to keep the two guards concentrating on my while I burned down Steelsnap. Once dead I looted an ran. =p

[29] A New Ore Sample
Objectives : Collect Unrefined Ore Sample
Rewards : Crap loot and XP!

After killing Steelsnap, I went on the hunt for a Gravelsnout Surveyor as they drop the Unrefined Ore Sample. They are scattered around the west end of the zone. After I found my Ore, I headed back to Freewind Post... with 7 quests to hand in!

[27] Sacred Fire
Objectives : Gather 10 bushels of Incendia Agave
Rewards : XP!

The last quest I had for Thousand Needles, you need to head to the black lake near the great lift. The Incendia Agave look like desert ferns and if you have Herbalism will show up on your mini map. Watch out for the elementals, they are harder than they look.

With that done, I flew to Camp Taurajo and Thunderbluff to hand in.

==>Continue Onto Part 8!

==>Continue Onto Part 8!