#shadowglen

Honourable mentions: Teldrassil, cause I think it was the first place I saw during the 10 day free trial back in wrath after making a night elf rogue, not my fave but it holds a special place and feeling in my heart. Also Elwynn Forest because forest pretty and the music is really nice. Also its size and layout just feels really adventurous but familiar, like the woods I used to play in at summer camp. Additionally, on the last day of previous-said free trial, I was on a mage and got right to the gates of Stormwind and was so excited to see the big city, and then my neighbourhood’s power went out. It came back on shortly after but I was like 8 so by the time it came back on my mom said it was bedtime :(

5: Dun Morogh, I’m a sucker for snowy landscapes, especially snowy and piney mountains. I think dwarven architecture is super underrated as well so that and its expansiveness and again, the music always just makes me want to spend time there. Coldridge Valley was also one of the first places I saw and quested in

4: Tirisfal Glades, might’ve been the second place I checked out, and as a lover of everything spooky it was just so cool to little me to play as the “zombies”. Also atmospherically both classic and cata versions of the zones are very powerful, and surprisingly cozy and familial. As I got older I figured out why that was after learning more about the forsaken and they are one of my fave races now and I supremely wish for them to get their home back

3: Azuremyst Isle, this could be interchangeable with number 2, but there’s just something so alluring and underrated about Azuremyst and Bloodmyst, but I’m gonna use Azuremyst as the spot-holder. Back during the wrath 10 day free trial, you couldn’t play as draenei or blood elves if you didn’t have burning crusade (I didn’t have any version of the game at the time) so I was so curious about these races and when I got cata for christmas the year or so after, the first characters I made were blood elves and draenei. I fell in love with their zones and in the context of the draenei’s, again, the music is pristine and just the survivors’ feel and the draenei themselves being new to the land just resonated and still resonates with me all these years later. Too bad it just doesn’t get the love that Quel’thalas does

2: Eversong Woods babey! Again, one of the first characters I properly made after actually owning the game, and as someone who was already a lover of all things fire and elves and magic, these spoke to me on such a level beyond anything I’ve seen in any game up to this. My blood elf ocs are still some of the most lore-rich warcraft ocs of mine, and although I think Azuremyst is underrated, I definitely do not think Eversong is overrated. It still holds up likewise nowadays and I usually go to Silvermoon when I need to use the auction house or teleport to Undercity still. Sidenote- Eversong and the Ghostlands, especially Fairbreeze Village and Tranquillien are some of the most comfiest and inspiring towns to me? Fairbreeze being more of the comfy and Tranquillien just being so damn interesting to baby me wondering why it’s all ruined and why the forsaken are there, and that was one of entry-ways into wow lore

Before the storm...Nychala says goodbye.