Artifex Ham

Though there is much of the architecture that lie in ruins, the majesty of these places and the stunning vistas are a sight to behold. These sights are truly magnificent when seen from the air while seated upon a dragon. With the return of both the dragonflights and mortals, many curious dragons have decided to travel with a mortal rider so that they might see the Isles. When I began my travels, I found a constant companion in a red scaled proto-drake known as Embershear. (He's quite the fiesty fellow, but I'm quite fond of him... Quark still apparently has his reservations regardless of whether he's in the air or on the ground...)

The primal energy which abounds in the Waking Shores should come as no surprise once you learn that this area of the Isles is the ancestral home of both the red and black dragonflights! For Queen Alexstraza's flight, they congregate around the Ruby Life Pools located on the eastern plateaus of the region. It is here where the red dragonflight oversees the eggs and young of the various flights as they are cared for by tenders from all flights.

In the western reaches of the region, the terrain becomes much more difficult and harsh. In this stark landscape lies Neltharus, the Obsidian Citadel. Surrounded by lava-scoured plains and molten geysers, the imposing fortress was once the seat from which the Earth-Warder defended the Isles. In these days however, the elemental half-giants known as the Djaradin (an ancient enemy of dragonkind) have claimed the abandoned bastion as their own. As I write this, there is a battle between these forces and those of Wrathion, the Black Prince for control over what the Prince claims as his ancestral birthright.

Photo by Kovacs, a Nightborne sellsword

If you continue further south, the land becomes more lush and wild among the stone pillars and running waters the dot the area.

It is here that you'll find the base camp of the Dragonscale Expedition. A leading force behind the mortal races' arrival to the Isles, the Expedition is a collaborative venture spearheaded by the Alliance's Explorer's League and the Horde's Reliquary. Having run into a number of their members, I must say that the genuine enthisasm and comradarie among folk of both the Alliance and Horde is quite heartening!