Blasted Lands The Blasted Lands bears that name for a reason : the area was twisted by the magic that brought the Dark Portal into being , spewing the rampaging Horde out onto Azeroth . This wasted desert of red clay is home to the original Dark Portal . The portal still stands , and leads to Draenor ( used to lead to Outland ) . Nethergarde Keep , a Stormwind fortress of dour mages and paladins , keeps watch over the portal and the demons and ogres that would abuse its power . Now , the wretched land hosts few inhabitants and no significant settlements . Magic that leaked through the Dark Portal warped the Blasted Lands , leaving an infertile desert landscape . Hardy desert species like Basilisks , Scorpions and Hyenas have since colonized the area . The red rocks of the region do not come by their color naturally . The original tan color was transmuted into the unearthly crimson by searing heat and chaotic energies when the Dark Portal was destroyed . There is but one usable road in the Blasted Lands , guarded at the north by Nethergarde Keep ’ s grim mages . They have the unenviable task of watching the Dark Portal , guarding the rest of the continent from the demon s in the south and protecting themselves from the ogre tribes that roam the desert . The weather here is dry and hot during the day and bitterly cold at night . Mountains block any moisture that may come from the Swamp of Sorrows to the north , and no rivers grace this land . The eastern coast will occasionally get storms from the sea , but these downpours come so quickly the water merely runs off the packed earth and back into the sea . The keepers of Nethergarde have an uptight and uncheerful disposition that seems appropriate in light of the danger they face daily . The warriors and mages fight every day with the ogre magi and demons that threaten either to destroy the keep or take over the Dark Portal . This tightly knit community experiences little crime , however . Those found breaking the agreements they take on when accepting a post at the Keep are sent for a time to the Stockade in Stormwind . History . This foul desert was once a dark fen of marshlands called the Black Morass ; a sort of sub - region of the Swamp of Sorrows . This is the area where the orcish Horde first entered Azeroth through the Dark Portal , followed soon by their attack on the human lands to the northwest . The lands around the former Dark Portal are burnt and dead , forever warped by the powers that followed its destruction . Lightning strikes are constant , and the inhospitable land is home to groups of especially vicious and powerful creatures . A sizable remnant of the Burning Legion has taken refuge within the Tainted Scar . It is still watched over by the wizards of Dalaran within the Fortress of Nethergarde , established by the Archmage Khadgar after the second war . The unique and dangerous opportunities presented in such a harsh landscape has also attracted the notice of the Blood Elves and the Horde . As if the Horde weren ’ t enough , Dreadmaul ogres also came through the Dark Portal . Unlike the orcs , they remained in the Blasted Lands . Nethergarde ’ s mages tell that the ogres serve Lord Kazzak . Whoever their master is , he orders them to attack the Alliance ’ s keep on an uncomfortably regular basis . The Blasted Lands were once littered with gold mines , and heavily populated with centaur . Geography . This desolate and barren land has very little in the way of flora and fauna , barring the demons which now wander the plains . The region is particularly notable because the Dark Portal leading into Outland can be found here . There are no instanced dungeons or battlegrounds in this zone , though several micro dungeons can be found here . Notable characters . The Blasted Lands are home to several characters of note . At Nethergarde Keep , Thadius Grimshade aids adventurers in locating a special gryphon . Further west , near Dreadmaul Hold , Bloodmage Drazial and Bloodmage Lynnore attempt to capture the essence of strength , power and wisdom from the local beasts and turn them into special elixirs . And deep inside the Tainted Scar , Daio the Decrepit sends highly seasoned warlocks into the darkest , most demonic parts of the world in search of mystical items . Quests . There are three main quest " chains " in the Blasted Lands : The potions quests , the Kum ' isha quests , and the You Are Rakh ' likh , Demon quest chain . Kum ' isha quests . These quests are obtained from Kum ' Isha The Collector , level 60 in the Middle of Blasted Lands . He has two quests , one that requires you to find a random Green Item called Imperfect Draenethyst Fragment and one that requires you to find a random Blue Item called Flawless Draenethyst Sphere , which is even rarer , and has about 0 . 2 % chance to drop . Any mob in the Blasted Lands can drop both of these items , but the best source for the sphere is Teremus The Devourer , a dragon that can be 5 manned . It drops it 75 % chance and usually about 2 - 3 spheres . Each of these spheres give a Level 40 - 50 Superior / Rare Item , or if you are very lucky , an Epic Item . The Imperfect Fragments only give random Level 40 - 50 Uncommon Items . World of Warcraft : Cataclysm . This is one of the zones Blizzard is most excited about . The level range of the zone is 54 + , and the newly exposed coastline to the east allows for a brand new play zone . In addition to these , the Tainted Scar ( sub - zone in the south - western parts of the Blasted Lands , currently populated by elite demons ) is now a large worgen area . Instead of being a " scar " , it is a forest , dark , misty , and gloomy , with exposure to the ocean . The worgen in the fishing village of Surwich are allied with the Alliance . Areas affected : Lore . These barrens are littered with gold mine s and populated by centaur s . The tileset is called " Barrens " .