Wandering Isle The Wandering Isle is a giant turtle named Shen - zin Su that left Pandaria 10 , 000 years ago and began growing . Pandaren afflicted with wanderlust accompanied the giant turtle , venturing out to explore the known world . They were gone for such a long time that their own homeland was even lost to them . Forests lush and green sprang up upon the turtle ' s back , and the pandaren erected buildings , temples , and farms . Wildlife native to Pandaria also live upon the turtle ' s back . In the " Mists of Pandaria " expansion , the Wandering Isle was introduced as the starting zone of the pandaren . Pandaren players are able to progress through the quests , then choose which faction to join at its conclusion : Horde or Alliance . They were the first race to have that option . Originally , pandaren players could not return to the Isle once they left , and others players could not reach it , either . However , with the release of the " Legion " expansion , the Temple of Five Dawns at the Isle ' s center became the Order Hall for monk s . Background . It is the rare pandaren indeed who sought a way beyond the mists of Pandaria . Generations ago , pandaren explorers began to gather on the back of a giant turtle : Shen - zin Su . This great sea turtle roamed Azeroth ' s oceans for hundreds of years , eventually losing contact with their mist - shrouded homeland . Here on the " Wandering Isle " young , eager pandaren train and learn , engaging in mock combat against one another and mastering the tools and forms of martial arts . When Shen - zin Su travels near the Maelstrom , life on the Wandering Isle — once pacific and enlightening — is cast into crisis . The ground becomes unstable and Shen - zin Su ' s very life is threatened as the great turtle drifts into an unsteady pattern which may be a death spiral . As one of the most promising pandaren wanderers , players must uncover the true threat to the Wandering Isle . But the problem facing the great turtle has several potential solutions , and the students of the isle are split on how to handle it . Players ' decisions will shape the future , and mark the path of the pandaren in a changed world . In Legion . After a quest chain and a great explosion , the player finds themselves on the Wandering Isle , after being injured in the Peak of Serenity ( Kun - Lai Summit ) . The Hall of the Seasons becomes the class hall . The monk area also encompasses the Temple of Five Dawns and Mandori Village . Geography . The majority of the Wandering Isle is covered by lush grasslands intermingled with groves of trees . The eastern half of the Isle is comprised of many lakes and pools , some that contain mystical properties . This area is known as the Singing Pools . South of this is the main agricultural center for the pandaren people , Dai - Lo Farmstead . Crop fields are planted nearby that take up the entire southeastern part of the area , with a virmen - infested brewery nearby . The two main forests of the Isle are the Wood of Staves and Pei - Wu Forest . The former is directly west , only accessible via the long Elders ' Path from the Ridge of Laughing Winds . This is a sacred site to the pandaren , for this is where their elders journey when their end has come . Pei - Wu Forest is in the southwest . This large , dark wood is seldom ventured into , for it is home to many sorts of wild beasts . The only exception to this rule is a lone . The central area of the Isle contains the multi - tiered Temple of Five Dawns . It is the religious center of the Isle , yet boasts very few actual inhabitants . This is where the ancient spirits must be returned . Travel . This is the starting zone of the playable pandaren . As such , there is no way to get to the Isle via normal means from the outside . As already stated , it does not show up on the world map . Once pandaren depart the Isle , they cannot return , much like the goblin Lost Isles . If a player attempts to swim beyond the limits of the island , the screen will black out and they will find themselves passed out at the dock at Morning Breeze Lake . There are no flight master s , boat s , or zeppelin s . Notable characters . is the pandaren that players meet first , right when they begin their adventures on the Isle . He is an old elder , seemingly in charge of training would - be monks and fighters . Players encounter him at all the pivotal points in the Isle ' s quest lines , as he tests players and sends them to gather the ancient spirits . He eventually ends his journey at the Wood of Staves before passing into the next world . Two other notables are his students , and . Their relationship might best be described as sister - brother , if not for the fact that Ji seems genuinely attracted to Aysa . Though they share in the players ' adventures and assist in removing the thorn from side , what might be the beginnings of love cannot progress : Aysa joins the Alliance , while Ji joins the Horde . Quests . By and large the main story arc concerning the Isle is to discern what ill has befallen Shen - zin Su , the giant turtle the Isle rests upon . This involves gathering the ancient spirits before talking with the giant turtle himself . Once the cause of his discomfort is established , players are tasked with fighting off saurok while attempting to remove an entire boat from Shen - zin ' s side . Smaller story arcs mainly consist of proving your prowess , as well as helping to insure the continued prosperity of the pandaren by defending their homes and crops against the hozen and virmen .