Hillsbrad Foothills The zone Hillsbrad Foothills , or simply ' Hillsbrad ' , contains quests mostly suited for Horde characters around the level of 20 . Located in the southern end of the north island of ( Eastern Kingdoms ) , the hills are home to the towns of Southshore and Hillsbrad ( Alliance towns before the Cataclysm ) , and Tarren Mill ( Horde ) . Some notable locations , such as Durnholde Keep and Azurelode Mine are also found here . Since Hillside lies outside of Thoradin ' s Wall , it was a crossroads between Alliance and Horde players , which made combat between the two factions likely . Before the Cataclysm , Hillsbrad was relatively safe and stable . Its hills were green and pastoral , its meadows fertile and its soil rich . Humans loyal to the Alliance controlled Hillsbrad from the town of Southshore , though the Syndicate , murlocs and Forsaken threatened their serenity . The Cataclysm upset this balance , however , as the Horde and Forsaken successfully pushed their way into the borders , destroying virtually everything the Alliance once held and chasing the refugees to Fenris Isle . The entirety of the region is now under Horde control , and those loyal to the Alliance would be foolish to set foot inside their borders . The current Hillsbrad Foothills is made up of the former Hillsbrad Foothills region as well as the Alterac Mountains , as the two zones have been merged . History . Hillsbrad is traditionally the most blood soaked battlefield on Azeroth , despite its pleasant , pastoral setting . In the Second War , it saw several important skirmishes between orc s and forest troll s on one side , and human s and high elves on the other . In the Third War , the Scourge wiped out the human town of Tarren Mill , though later it was claimed as the southernmost holding of the Forsaken . Since then , the undead have been battling fiercely with the humans of Southshore , and the region is infamous for having at one point been impossible to even enter without being slowed down by the constant battle and bloodshed . It was formerly the home of Dalaran before the Third War . In Burning Crusade . An instance inside the Caverns of Time in Tanaris sends players back seven years in the past to a location known as Old Hillsbrad Foothills as part of the Escape from Durnholde Keep quest . The instance duplicates most of the current setting of the zone with the exception of Tarren Mill ( at that time still untouched by the Scourge ) as well as Durnholde Keep still on its defenses . Some soon - to - be notable characters can also be met in Southshore , such as Sally Whitemane , Captain Sanders and Kel ' Thuzad . In Cataclysm . The Forsaken gained the upper hand during the events of the Cataclysm , due in no small part to the use of the Forsaken plague , despite being expressly forbidden by Garrosh Hellscream . Hillsbrad Fields shows the most terrible result of this plague , now named the Sludge Fields and overridden with mindless aberrations . Southshore , once the most prominent Alliance holding , now lies in complete and utter ruin , most of the inhabitants slain or engulfed by monstrosities birthed by the plague . Plague tank s still line the road , now flush with green , sickly pools . The Horde did not stop with pushing out the Alliance , though they certainly claimed much territory from their most hated enemies , including Azurelode Mine and the Lordamere Internment Camp . The Syndicate also were routed or killed , giving up Eastpoint Tower and Durnholde Keep , the Keep now used as a proving ground for would - be Horde heroes . In addition to their new territories , the Horde have updated their architecture to reflect a Forsaken feel , including their well - known town of Tarren Mill . The Alliance have not completely given up without a fight . Corrahn ' s Dagger , the Headland , and Gavin ' s Naze all contain Stormpike troops which Horde adventurers must deal with , and assassins now stalk Sofera ' s Naze . The Stormpike have even attempted to claim Purgation Isle with the help of the worgen . Even the spirit of the dwarves live on at Dun Garok , fighting for their lands after death . This reminds the Forsaken of their own tumultuous history and earns their respect . Because of this they report Dun Garok to be uninhabitable so that the spirits can keep what they fight for . Geography . Though the rest of Lordaeron was ravaged by the Scourge and twisted into a haunted perversion of its former self , the Hillsbrad Foothills largely managed to escape this fate until the Cataclysm . . It remained the best preserved region of the fallen kingdom , giving travelers a feeling for what the land was like before the Plague . It was Human country , soft and green . Pine trees dot the ample farmland , and the rolling pastures frequently crisscross with roads leading to the numerous towns and villages that remain . A river flowing from Darrowmere Lake in the Western Plaguelands runs north to south . There are a few small , empty islands off the southern coast , and one larger one , Purgation Isle . Since the merging of Alterac Mountains with Hillsbrad , the Alterac Valley battleground is situated in this zone now , and can be found in its usual location in the mountains , just below the snowline . The Horde entrance lies close to Tarren Mill , while the Alliance entrance is located nearer the Ruins of Alterac , due north of the Ruins of Southshore . In addition , the micro dungeon Purgation Isle can be found here . Hillsbrad Foothills was home to several Alliance characters of note . At Southshore , Magistrate Henry Maleb sought aid in the battle against the Syndicate , and Marshal Redpath sent promising adventurers into the Alterac Mountains to slay the vicious ogres that had their holdings there . In Tarren Mill , Apothecary Lydon attempted to concoct the perfect new plague , and High Executor Darthalia ordered agents of the Horde into human lands to show them what ' s what . " " If there is one great truth about Hillsbrad , it ' s that this region is destined to live under the shadow of war . " " ~ Huraan , Southshore NPC Areas of interest . PvP . On PvP servers , and less commonly , non - PvP servers , Hillsbrad was Ground Zero . It was arguably the single most actively contested region within the game , with the area immediately surrounding Tarren Mill often being a major battlefield . This was due to a meeting point between the Forsaken players reaching level 20 - 25 ( coming from Silverpine Forest ) and level 30 Ironforge Dwarf players ( coming from Wetlands through Arathi Highlands ) . It was suggested that the zone should probably be avoided for solo questing ( or by levels below 20 ) , especially considering that some max level players of the opposing faction who visited customarily had no qualms about killing characters much lower in level than themselves . Although quests were available here , the area tended to be frequented by individuals whose primary interest was PvP combat ( on PvP servers ) . Having been previously known as " Gankbrad " , " Pwnshore " , and " Killsbrad Foothills " among others , Hillsbrad was " the " place for PvP action before Battleground s were introduced . This brought some peace to the area , but sometimes Alliance or Horde would still venture to the opposing faction ' s outpost in parties or raids to wreak havoc , especially when the battlegrounds were down . Battlegrounds . Alterac Valley : Both the Horde and Alliance entrances to Alterac Valley can be found in the mountains , just below the snow line .