Borean Tundra The Borean Tundra ( pronounced " BOHR - ian " , not " boh - REHH - an " ) is located in the far western edge of Northrend , and is the home of the tuskarr , Drakkari troll s , and blue dragon s . The Undead Scourge and the naga also inhabit the zone . Important landmarks of the region include the tuskarr capital of Kaskala and the Riplash Ruins . Coldarra is an island just off the coast . Kaskala is currently under siege and the tuskarr have moved to Unu ' pe . Most of the Borean Tundra is empty ice . Tuskarr are the dominant presence in the Borean Tundra . However , they keep near their villages , and one can go for days without seeing another living creature . Tuskarr mainly care about fishing , whaling and protecting their villages . Tuskarr will fend off hungry Drakkari , and even fight wayward nerubians , and are formidable foes ; but they never attack anyone without a good reason . Drakkari wander the tundra , but not in any significant numbers , most are content to roam alone or in small packs . They have no city in the tundra , but live in several camps , none big enough to have names . They harass the tuskarr from time to time , but every time the tuskarr gather their forces and send the Drakkari running . Nerubians wander about as well , but only in small packs . Naga live near the south end , in the Riplash Ruins . Blue dragons from Coldarra also fly over the tundra from time to time . Scourge scouts straggle over from the lake area . The Borean Tundra is not an important part of Northrend . It ’ s too isolated and too barren to be desirable and has too much shoreline to be defensible . Tuskarr like it because of that expansive shore , and the Riplash Ruins gives the naga a perfect view of anyone approaching across the ocean from the south . Drakkari hunt here because they can and because the tundra provides little cover for wildlife . Most others stay well away , preferring the forested areas to the east . Borean Tundra contains bases of both factions , and does not have an emphasis for a specific faction . There is a port between Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord that uses a giant turtle with a deck on its back as a quick means to travel between the 2 starting zones . There is a murloc town that may be used after some quests for D . E . H . T . A . . The murlocs can actually talk and repair your equipment . They also have quests against an infected camp across the cove . History . The nerubians were in the Borean Tundra first , according to the ruins . However , the ruins may be parts of Azjol - Nerub that were thrust up from underground , unless it was an experiment to see if they could be comfortable living above ground . If the latter is the case it may have failed , since it is a ruin . The tuskarr were next — Kaskala ' s oldest village is at least several centuries old , and the rest grew up around it as family members split off to start their own smaller families . The Drakkari are more recent additions to the area and have no fixed settlement . The Scourge rarely appears , and its agents never stay longer than it takes to patrol and look for potential dangers or new recruits . In " " , the Horde has established the settlement of Warsong Hold under the command of the Mag ' har i son of Grom , Garrosh Hellscream . The Horde has created a pact with the local and culturally similar tuskarr , who are under siege from naga based at the Riplash Ruins . These naga intend to use their generators to melt the surrounding ice caps ( though these plans have been thrown off course by their defeat by the Kvaldir , a clan of Vrykul which are also raiding the tuskarr ) . Garrosh and his forces have also discovered the enigmatic taunka , an ancient offshoot of the tauren race thought to be lost forever . Geography . The Borean Tundra is wide , flat , and cold . The landscape varies greatly . Hard but farmable soil in the south lead to nourishing steam pools in the middle . Along the west edge , nasty cliffs rise up and then shear off into the Westrift . The north is home to grasslands and an area of steep hills . The east is snow - covered and the most brutal this area has to offer . At its northeast edge the tundra runs into the mountain range of Lake Wintergrasp , a vast frozen lake that effectively shields it from the Dragonblight and Icecrown Glacier . The only way to reach these areas overland is across the mountains bordering the Dragonblight or through the Sholazar Basin , neither which are easy . An army would be suicidal to attempt either . Not many plants can survive up here . Without any cover the wind is fierce enough to tear flesh , and people can barely hear themselves when they shout . A few trees manage to hang on , evergreens , but the small twisted kind rather than the tall proud ones out east . Wolves and rabbits and foxes and even bears , roam this area . However , most of the life is in the water . The zone is separated from the Dragonblight by the Borea River . To the northwest , one can see the high plateau of Coldarra . It is high enough to be blanketed in snow year round . Lately , rumblings have shaken the earth around the lone island . Geologists are concerned with the appearance of rifts in the crust and worry that a massive earthquake could tear Coldarra apart . This would have massive repercussions on the stability of Borean Tundra and possibly Northrend itself . This is the longest region in Northrend , running from its southwest tip up to Lake Wintergrasp . The ground here is more dirt than rock , and small trees and scrub dot the landscape . But everything is still frozen solid . The tundra avoided most of Northrend ’ s problems for awhile , but the Scourge have been sighted fortifying holdings in the northeast . Perhaps the Borean Tundra owes its fortune to its relative isolation . Access to the land can be found along its southern edge through the ocean . Warsong Hold has a zeppelin tower connecting it to Durotar , and Valiance Keep has a dock connecting it to Stormwind City . Quests . The major questlines explore a variety of conflicts across the zone . The native tuskarr and taunka are being uprooted from their villages by the Kvaldir . Multiple sinkholes are disgorging crypt fiends around the recently established fortifications of Warsong Hold and Valiance Keep . Territorial aggression is being observed in the Magmothran magnataur . The Fizzcrank gnomes have awakened a flesh - hating terror , fused from abandoned Titan technology . In the course of battling these threats , Warcraft ' s player heroes will also uncover a handful of political plots . The first sparks of the wolvar / Oracle conflict are evident as these groups also have their opponents in the Winterfin tribe of murlocs . An organization known as the Druids for the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Animals are conscripting everyone they can , to bring Nesingwary ' s poachers to justice . The wizards of Dalaran are investigating the kidnapping of magical talent from the areas surrounding the Amber Ledge . Finally , after these many trials , the player will come to confront the subversive figure known as Prince Valanar , atop the floating necropolis of Naxxanar . Wild creatures . Rare Elite NPCs associated with the achievement . Gallery . More screenshots can be found on the various subzone pages .