Duskwood

For the area from the Warcraft film universe, see Brightwood (film universe).

For the lore of the zone and its status before the Cataclysm, see Duskwood (Classic).

Duskwood
Level: 20 - 60 Battle Pet Level: 5 - 7
Capital(s)	Darkshire
Races	Human  Worgen  Undead  Ogre  Ironforge dwarf
Ruler(s)	Unknown
Former ruler(s)	Ello Ebonlocke
Major settlements	Raven Hill Vul'Gol Ogre Mound
Minor settlements	Beggar's Haunt Addle's Stead Yorgen Farmstead Rotting Orchard Manor Mistmantle
Affiliation	Night Watch, Kingdom of Stormwind, Kingdom of Gilneas, Nightbane pack, Splinter Fist, Green dragonflight
Location	Central Azeroth
PvP status	Contested territory

Duskwood, originally called Brightwood, is located in the southern-central part of Azeroth, south of Elwynn Forest, east of Westfall, west of Deadwind Pass, and north of Stranglethorn Vale. Due to events central to the Scythe of Elune, Duskwood is a cursed, dying land. Beneath the everlasting night which gave Duskwood its current name, the Scythe's effects have transformed what was once a beautiful part of Elwynn Forest into a land covered in gnarled trees and inhabited by the hideous undead and maddened Worgen, brought along with the black fog hanging over the woods. Ogres moving in from Deadwind Pass have brought up even more problems.

Duskwood is inhabited by a defiant people who still cling to their holdings in the face of overwhelming adversity. On all sides lurk dangerous creatures, from skeletal warriors and ghouls to ferocious worgen and some of the most powerful members of the Defias Brotherhood. The militia of Duskwood, known as the Night Watch, patrol the main thoroughfare and protect Darkshire, wary of anything moving through the shadows.

The most prominent geographical feature of Duskwood is an ancient and long-dead volcano crater. The crater teems with life and features one of the Great Trees with a portal leading into the Emerald Dream. The sleeping druids' influence can be seen on the surrounding land, which is cloaked in a twilight quite different from the rest of Duskwood. The woods also feature several abandoned farmsteads, as well as the prominent Raven Hill Cemetery, which holds the graves of the numerous people who have been killed by wild beasts and undead since the darkness fell.

Duskwood in Dark Riders.

History

Roland's Doom.

Duskwood at day.

First War

“I remember Duskwood before all this, <name>. I remember bright skies and peaceful woods.”

— Sven Yorgen

Formerly known as "Southern Elwynn Forest" and "Brightwood" Duskwood was not always the way it appears now. Located in the southern reaches of the Kingdom of Stormwind, the southern part of Elwynn Forest was the location of two sizable towns, now called Darkshire and Raven Hill. Before the area was overcome by shadow Darkshire was known as Grand Hamlet.

Brightwood was invaded by the Old Horde during the war, and got cursed when Medivh died, fel energy being unleashed by his death. The area would later become known as Duskwood.

Long ago, Elwynn Forest was populated with a group of spiders that lived peacefully among the woods. However, when the curse fell over Duskwood - turning the once peaceful woodland into a realm of terror - the spiders began to mutate and grow to monstrous proportions. The lurking venom spiders began hunting their hapless prey in all of the shadowed corners of the land. Possessing both deadly acidic venom and powerful webbing, these cruel beasts stalked any foolish wanderers who stray too far into the haunted woods.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Years ago, humans introduced the rat snakes into Duskwood to cull the local rat population.

A night elf by the name of Velinde Starsong came to the woods carrying the Scythe of Elune. Hunted by Varkas, Velinde was killed and the Scythe of Elune was lost in Roland's Doom. The powerful weapon was later found by a man who was part of a team of men who had entered the mine looking for the source of its darkness. Jitters picked up the weapon, triggering its effect of summoning. The mine was immediately filled with worgen, who then proceeded to rip the men apart. Jitters escaped with the weapon but was hunted by the worgen across the woods.

In an attempt to rid himself of their chase, Jitters disposed of the weapon nearby at the Yorgen Farmstead, whereupon he encountered the Dark Riders from Deadwind Pass. The riders slaughtered Sven Yorgen's family in front of Jitters' eyes. The frightened man then escaped to Raven Hill. The darkness lingers in Duskwood, and now the people huddle in former Grand Hamlet, renamed Darkshire, battling the undead and wolf men who inhabit the murky woods.^{[citation needed]} 

Getting there

Horde

From Grom'Gol in Stranglethorn Vale, follow the main road north across the bridge across the chasm and right into Duskwood.

Alliance

From Three Corners in the Redridge Mountains, follow the road south across the bridge into Duskwood. From Westfall, by crossing the bridge to the east. Also, by swimming through the river south of Elwynn Forest.

Geography

There are no dungeons of any kind and no battlegrounds in this area. The Redridge Range lies on the eastern border of this zone, as these mountains stretch from the zone of the Redridge Mountains to the zone of Deadwind Pass.

Maps and subregions

Map of Duskwood.

Map of Duskwood prior to Cataclysm.

Addle's Stead Beggar's Haunt Brightwood Grove The Darkened Bank Darkshire Darkshire Town Hall Scarlet Raven Tavern The Hushed Bank Manor Mistmantle Raven Hill Raven Hill Cemetery Dawning Wood Catacombs Forlorn Rowe Roland's Doom The Rotting Orchard The Tranquil Gardens Cemetery Twilight Grove Vul'Gol Ogre Mound The Yorgen Farmstead

Undisplayed locations Nazferiti river

Removed locations The Whipple Estate

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans Sunnyglade (presumed)

Warcraft RPG Tanglefoot Junction

Concept art Knight's Hollow

Topographic map of Duskwood

Travel hubs

Twilight Grove

Flight paths from Darkshire

• Stormwind, Elwynn Forest
• Goldshire, Elwynn Forest
• Sentinel Hill, Westfall
• Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains
• Raven Hill, Duskwood
• Rebel Camp, Northern Stranglethorn
• Booty Bay, Cape of Stranglethorn
• Nethergarde Keep, Blasted Lands

Flight paths from Raven Hill

• Sentinel Hill, Westfall
• Darkshire, Duskwood
• Rebel Camp, Northern Stranglethorn

Portal at Twilight Grove

• Emerald Dreamway, a portal hub within the Emerald Dream.

Adjacent regions

Zone Name	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Northern Stranglethorn		25 - 60	South	By foot or flight path.
Deadwind Pass		55 - 56	East	By foot.
Elwynn Forest		1 - 60	North	By foot or flight path.
Redridge Mountains		15 - 60	Northeast	By foot or flight Path.
Westfall		10 - 60	West	By foot or flight path.

Quest and travel Hubs

Place Name	Faction	# of Quests	Flight Path	Notable Character
Darkshire		??	Yes	Lord Ello Ebonlocke
Raven Hill		??	Yes	Jitters

Notable characters

Forlorn Rowe

Main article: Duskwood NPCs

Duskwood is home to several humans of note. In Darkshire, Commander Althea Ebonlocke sends willing adventurers to battle back the evil denizens of the dark woods. At the northwestern corner of the forest, Sven Yorgen directs budding heroes to uncover a magical weapon with which to weaken the evil Morbent Fel located in his dark house on Forlorn Rowe. And at Raven Hill, a frightened man nicknamed Jitters hides from his dark past.

Quests

Main article: Duskwood storyline

Resources

The Rotting Orchard

• Cloth:
  •  [Linen Cloth]
  •  [Wool Cloth]
  •  [Silk Cloth]
• Herbalism
  •  [Mageroyal]
  •  [Swiftthistle]
  •  [Briarthorn]
  •  [Bruiseweed]
  •  [Wild Steelbloom]
  •  [Grave Moss]
  •  [Kingsblood]
• Skinning
  •  [Light Leather]
  •  [Medium Leather]
  •  [Heavy Leather]
• Mining
  •  [Copper Ore]
  •  [Tin Ore]
  •  [Silver Ore]
  •  [Iron Ore]
  •  [Gold Ore]

Dig sites

Duskwood has two dig sites:

1. Vul'Gol Ogre Mound; contains Fossil Archaeology Fragments.
2. Twilight Grove; contains Night Elf Archaeology Fragments.

Battle pets

• Skunk
•  [Fossilized Hatchling] - Archaeology only
• Small Frog
• Squirrel
• Mouse
• Roach
• Dusk Spiderling
•  [Pterrordax Hatchling] - Archaeology only
• Black Rat
• Rat Snake
• Widow Spiderling
• Chicken
• Darkwidow Untameable
• Blackfang Untameable
• Webwinder Untameable

Wild creatures

Raven Hill Cemetery

• Abominations
• Ghouls
• Ghosts
• Ogres
• Skeletons
• Spiders
• Wolves
• Worgen
• Unseen

Treasure of Duskwood

Duskwood is rather unique with regard to its treasure chests. In most zones on Azeroth, treasure chests spawn next to or inside buildings or ruins, often in the middle of a camp of hostile mobs and virtually always with at least one mob guarding it. In Duskwood, especially north of the main road that cuts across the zone, treasure chests will spawn randomly in the forest next to trees and often without any hostile mobs near them. Chests also spawn at ruined buildings in Brightwood Grove and at the remains of a small house near Addle's Stead, generally with only a single hostile beast wandering nearby and it is fairly easy to loot the chests without drawing aggro. For an Alliance character in a level range of mid-to-high 20s, treasure hunting in Duskwood can be a fun and profitable adventure.

In Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Duskwood was a level 18 - 30 zone prior to Cataclysm, but returned for levels 20 - 25. Adventurers are sent here following their experience in Redridge Mountains. Areas affected:

• Beggar's Haunt – Abercrombie is now here, no Horde presence
• The Hushed Bank – mobs changed to owls and bears; camp of Lars and Sven Yorgen taken over by Grave Robbers
• Raven Hill – flight master, small Worgen camp established
• Raven Hill Cemetery – Abercrombie moved closer to Darkshire
• The Yorgen Farmstead – no humanoids, but new elemental mobs -  [Corpseweed]
• Vul'Gol Ogre Mound - an NPC named Apprentice Fess is on the road outside of the area
• New Hunter Pets - Barn Owl

Warcraft III map

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

Beasts with green scales inhabit this jungle, making it hard to spot them. The tileset is called "Ashenvale".

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Technically part of the Alliance and under Stormwind's protection, its distance from the mighty fortress and its close proximity to more malevolent forces in the south and east make it a realm of horror.

The undead roaming the woods were said to have appeared after the beginning of the Third War and to belong to the Scourge.

Notes and trivia

• Duskwood was previously described as having entered its current state shortly after the Second War due to darkness inside the nearby Karazhan.
• A "Flight to Duskwood" ride features in the Blizzard World map in [Overwatch].

Gallery

• 

  Southern Elwynn Forest during the Invasion of Draenor.

Videos

• Duskwood [HD] - World of Warcraft Cataclysm
  
• Cataclysm - Duskwood Overview
• The Story of Duskwood

Patch changes

• Patch 7.3.5 (2018-01-16): Level scaling implemented, previous zone level: 20 - 25.
  
• Patch 1.8.0 (2005-10-10): A Graveyard has been added to Duskwood at Raven Hill Cemetery.
  
• Patch 1.3.0 (2005-03-07):
  • Players will no longer fall through the ground in a cave location in Duskwood.
  • Players can no longer gain access to Zul'Gurub through Duskwood.
    

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB