Deadwind Pass

Deadwind Pass is a contested region located in central Azeroth, joining the southeastern reaches of the kingdom of Stormwind through Duskwood, it situated west of the Swamp of Sorrows, north of the Blasted Lands, and south of Redridge Mountains. It was, a score of years ago, considered a part of the Redridge Mountains.The Last Guardian, pg. 43Cycle of Hatred, chapter 16 A foul wind constantly blows across the decimated canyon, giving it its name.
Deadwind Pass is a stretch of land devoid of life, where the trees are reduced to withered husks, the marshes are a desiccated waste, and the sky turned a sepulchral gray with the sun covered in a burial shroud. At its center stands the imposing and enigmatic tower known as Karazhan, once the residence of the last Guardian of Tirisfal, Medivh, the tower lies abandoned and cloaked in dark enchantments since the death of its master. Deadwind Pass is now home to various haunting creatures, demons, malevolent spirits, and filthy beasts, that infest the region due to the curse left by Medivh upon his death.
==History==
===Ancient times===
The crater where Karazhan is built was formed by a magical arcane explosion long ago, and Medivh's personal theory is that the explosion happened specifically because he would one day come to live there.The Last Guardian, pg. 91 - 92 In fact, it was caused by Sataiel, Azeroth's first necrolyte, to whom was given Ulthalesh, the Deadwind Harvester by Sargeras himself.
Millennia ago, the Dark Titan commanded her to reap the souls of Azeroth's rebellious denizens, starting with the area that would later be known as Deadwind Pass. No one knows what the land was called before the coming of Sataiel. Most would rather not think of it at all. It is the burial site of countless trolls who were methodically slain, their spirits consumed by Ulthalesh, fueling its power to murder more. The scythe would feed and feed until all of the inhabitants were dead. While Sataiel was dispatched to break the will of Azeroth's denizens, it was not enough simply to kill them; bodies could be buried and forgotten. She decided to strike at the very heart of the land so that no new life could take up residence. With Ulthalesh, she would see that Deadwind Pass stood as a monument to the Legion's wrath.
After she used Ulthalesh to consume the souls of all living creatures in Deadwind Pass, she turned the blade on the land itself, draining it of life. The trees were reduced to withered husks. The marshes became a desiccated waste. The sky turned a sepulchral gray, the sun covered in a burial shroud. Sataiel relished the despair of the scythe's new prisoners as they unwittingly assisted in the annihilation of their home. The destruction was absolute. Even Azeroth's slumbering world-soul quailed. While Sataiel methodically drained all life from the hapless inhabitants of Deadwind Pass, turning the land into a tomb, she created a potent magical nexus in the process, which caused the explosion that formed the crater.
After being corrupted by the whispers of Ulthalesh, Sataiel guarded the weapon and hoarded the magical nexus they had created for centuries. When Sargeras discovered her deception, he manipulated the Guardian Scavell with a vision of a dangerous entity lurking in Deadwind Pass, which led him the mage to confront and turn the scythe against her, sending her soul to join those of her victims.Tome of Blighted Implements
===The Last Guardian===
Around 600 years before the First War, Karazhan was built in secret by the Guardian Aegwynn using :AlunethArchive of the Tirisgarde#Aluneth, Greatstaff of Magna after she grew increasingly paranoid and hostile to her fellow members in the Council of Tirisfal — a result of the dark influence that the spirit of Sargeras was exerting over her. The tower acted both as a refuge from the council and as a conduit for the potent ley lines in the region, through which Aegwynn could siphon power as needed. Aegwynn's son Medivh eventually took up residence in Karazhan. In time a small human village and its church flourished around the tower, but both ended up abandoned at some point.
As the structure was built atop a nexus of potent ley lines, the energies that coursed through Karazhan sometimes warped reality in the region. In pursuit of his studies, Arrexis gathered his apprentice magi and came to Deadwind Pass to study the tower and its powers, experimenting with their warding magics outside Karazhan, and attempting to neutralize the tower's strange powers. From his camp, he performed research on Karazhan and the way it bends reality in the area. He later found a way to stop the warping from happening within special wards, but while bringing the wards up, reality was weakened. Medivh, who was possessed by Sargeras, came to the camp and encouraged Arrexis to try his ritual on demonic realms, which caught the attention of the eredar Balaadur.Archive of the Tirisgarde#Ebonchill, Greatstaff of Alodi The catastrophe ended with Arrexis and all of his apprentices dead, Balaadur taking Ebonchill, Daio exiled from the Kirin Tor for his part in it, and all records of Arrexis destroyed and stripped from Kirin Tor records so that no one would repeat his mistakes.Finding Ebonchill
Once, Ariden was the leader of a group of charlatan merchants who sold counterfeit artifacts. From his base at Ariden's Camp in Deadwind Pass, he and his group attempted to cheat Medivh by selling those fraudulent items. Unfortunately for the group, Medivh was possessed by Sargeras at the time. In revenge for their trickery, Medivh cursed the group to forever hunt real magical artifacts and bring them back to him at Karazhan.Disturbing the Past It is not known exactly what curse Medivh placed on them, or if they are undead or not, but the Dark Riders have haunted the kingdom of Stormwind since that moment.Dark Riders
As the First War progressed, Medivh fought against Sargeras' control. The raging conflict within him finally drove the wizard irrevocably insane, until his childhood friend, Anduin Lothar, aided Medivh's young apprentice, Khadgar, stormed Karazhan and decapitated their former comrade. The death of Medivh caused fel energy being unleashed from his body, turning the surrounding land into a dangerous, thorny blight. Since that day, a terrible curse has pervaded both the tower and the lands around it - casting a dark pall over Deadwind Pass. A beautiful part of Elwynn Forest, named Brightwood, was also corrupted in the process, transforming it into the area known nowadays as Duskwood.
===World of Warcraft===
In recent years, nobles of Darkshire ventured into Deadwind Pass to investigate the blight that had settled over the region. None who entered the dark tower ever emerged.Zones - Karazhan
At some point, the Deadwind ogres came to settle in the area, setting up their mounds and camps in the area known as the Vice.
===The Burning Crusade===
The Violet Eye, a secret sect founded by the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, was assigned decades ago to keep an eye on Karazhan and to spy on the Guardian of Tirisfal Medivh. Although Medivh was killed long ago, and Karazhan somehow sealed itself off to the outside world, the Violet Eye remained to study the tower and the effects of its magic disturbances on Deadwind Pass.Contact from Dalaran As Karazhan is a portal into Twisting Nether, a beacon shining into other worlds, it's the Violet Eye's mission to ensure that the tower doesn't fall into the wrong hands, or the possible repercussions would be unthinkable.A Demonic Presence
At some point after the reopening of the Dark Portal, Archmage Alturus asked for the adventurers' help to discover the reason for the ghosts around Karazhan, precisely some of their essences to study them.Restless Activity He also sent them with a scrying crystal to obtain an imprint of Karazhan's energy, and discovered that the haunted tower was no longer emanating all manner of arcane currents, but instead, became a huge energy vacuum with a very faint demonic echo.Arcane Disturbances
When the tower was reopened, the adventurers of the Alliance and Horde entered and defeated Prince Malchezaar, preventing the demon from taking over the tower on behalf of the Burning Legion.
===Cataclysm===
In the wake of Deathwing's reemergence and his shattering of Azeroth, the black dragon Nalice hid with her Blackwyrm Cult in the Master's Cellar beneath Deadwind Pass, researching arcane secrets buried beneath the foundation to perform some sort of arcane experiments. The place was later infiltrated by the rogue adventurer who killed Nalice on the orders of Wrathion.Blood of the Betrayer
===Legion===
Right after the Battle for the Broken Shore, Dalaran was hovering over Deadwind Pass and more particularly Karazhan.Dalaran over Karazhan phases in after completing the Broken Shore scenario. The entire city had been moved by a giant teleportation spell, but not before Khadgar activated the defense mechanisms of Karazhan to repel the invading demons.Hiding in the Stacks However, the Legion was still successful in taking control of the tower. The Violet Eye and a few Kirin Tor mages could be seen fighting the demons outside Karazhan, in the town ruins. The Legion intended to use the tower as a conduit to each and every one of the countless worlds that they had consumed during their Burning Crusade, but Medivh severed the connection between Karazhan and those worlds.Viz'aduum the Watcher fight
Drawn by the power of the Scythe of Elune, a few Nightbane worgen followed Ariden and his Dark Riders to Deadwind Pass, and later attacked the adventurer who sought to recover the artifact.Feral Nightbane
===Exploring Azeroth===
Following the Fourth War, Mathias Shaw mentioned in his reports that the agents he sent to meet the Shade of Medivh had seen Nightbane appear upon their arrival at the tower, at least, that's what their charred reports say.World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms, pg. 29
==Geography==
This region is barren and devoid of any useful resources - herbs do not grow here, and there are no precious metals to be found. The only wildlife to speak of are carrion birds. The Redridge Range stretches from the region of the Redridge Mountains to Deadwind Pass.
If merely passing through, the only mobs travelers usually come across are vultures and giant spiders, all of which are aggressive and will attack on sight. As one goes further south, they will come across a tribe of Deadwind ogres living around the bend in the road leading to Karazhan. Many undead aggressive spirits haunt the remains of the town at the base of Karazhan, far south down the road. Their presence also extends deep underground. There are open cellar entrances in two of the ruined houses which will lead to catacombs and caverns filled with these ghosts.
The raid dungeon Karazhan can be found in this zone, a level 70 10-man instance in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Other than that, there are no dungeons of any kind and no battlegrounds here. In addition, there are no travel hubs - players will have to rely on the nearby towns of Darkshire (Alliance) and Stonard (Horde) to access this zone.
===Maps and subregions===
*Abandoned Kirin Tor Camp
*Alturus' Sanctum
*Ariden's Camp
*Forgotten Crypt
**Pauper's Walk
**The Slough of Dispair
**The Upside-down Sinners
**The Pit of Criminals
**Tome of the Unrepentant
**Well of the Forgotten
*Deadman's Crossing
*Deadwind Ravine
*Karazhan
*Karazhan Catacombs
*The Master's Cellar
*Morgan's Plot
*Sleeping Gorge
*The Vice 
**Grosh'gok Compound
----
;Removed locations
*Diamondhead River
Topographic map of Deadwind Pass
===Instances===
Dungeon Name	Level Range	Group Size	Approximate Run Time
 	70+ 	10-man 	Two days (3–4 hours a day)
 	110 	5-man 	Unknown
===Adjacent regions===
Zone Name 	Faction	Level Range	Direction	Access
Duskwood 	 	20 - 60 	West 	By foot only
Swamp of Sorrows	 	40 - 60 	East 	By foot only
==Getting there==
; Alliance: From Darkshire in Duskwood, simply follow the road east into Deadwind Pass.
; Horde: It is a little more difficult for Horde to reach the pass. Head north through Duskwood from Stranglethorn Vale, skirting alliance camps and the town of Darkshire. The road east from Darkshire leads into Deadwind Pass. For those who have already been to Swamp of Sorrows, the road west from Stonard also runs into the Pass.
==Notable characters==
Archmage Alturus, Archmage Leryda, and Apprentice Darius of the Violet Eye are the only friendly characters that have dared to brave the pass. They have come on behalf of Dalaran to investigate the disturbances coming from Karazhan and are enlisting adventurers to delve deep into the tower's mysteries.
==Wild creatures==
*Ghosts
*Ogres
*Shades
*Spiders
*Vultures
*Wisps
*Wraiths
==In the RPG==
This land is dead. The remaining trees are leafless and petrified, leeched of life by the tower's foul magic. The wind smells foul and dead, and the lightning storms are of concern to travelers carrying metal weapons. Undead and demons move over the land, refusing to allow it any chance of healing itself. In clear view of the road, scarecrow-like totems hang from the trees, a warning to remain on the path. The weather is in one of two states: threatening to storm or stormy. The main pass is through the middle of the region, and one must travel to the south to reach the cursed Ivory Tower of Karazhan. Few people wish to travel there, and few ever return. The few who have returned never reached the tower; attacking ogres forced them back before they came within sight of it. Besides the ogres, travelers must watch for harpies in the canyons.
Although Deadwind does have a handful of inhabitants, few are likely to run across them if they are just passing through. The Deadwind ogres comprise most of the population. The ogres are dedicated to cleansing the region of all interlopers, led by a "master". These ogres dress in foul rags and carry crude, rough weapons. They are the biggest, most obvious threat to travelers and why most caravans and groups go heavily guarded. The humans of the region are travelers, carrying their homes on their backs and trying to stay one step ahead of the ogres, demons, and undead that haunt them. They do not recognize the Alliance or even ask its aid. They simply move from place to place, fighting for their lives, stolidly proclaiming Deadwind Pass as their home.Lands of Conflict, pg. 44
The fates of many people in Azeroth and the surrounding continents were forged here. Medivh made his home here and planned the Dark Portal's creation and opening. His evil is felt in this region more strongly than anywhere else, the land corrupted with the foul taint of his magic. Currently, the pass has little significance. People move through quickly, wishing to avoid ogres, undead, and demons. It is rumored that the attacking monsters do not kill those they capture, but take them back to the tower.Lands of Conflict, pg. 43, 44
The Ivory Tower of Karazhan, once the dark wizard Medivh’s seat of power, stands in the center of this jagged region and leaks evil magic into the land. The trees are petrified and leafless, and a terrible wind keens through the canyon. Ogres, demons, undead and a few human gypsies roam the interior. Deadwind Pass connects Duskwood and the Swamp of Sorrows, and travelers are advised to move quickly — whispers tell that a new force has claimed the Ivory Tower, and that the ogres and demons are under its sway.World of Warcraft The Roleplaying Game, pg. 16
Harpies live here in the canyons.
==Film universe==
Deadwind Pass is depicted as a healthy forested area, but once a barrage of Medivh's fel energy is unleashed from Karazhan, the area becomes as desolate as its World of Warcraft incarnation.
==Notes and trivia==
*In The Last Guardian, the area Karazhan stood in was described as being shaped like a skull. Despite this, it doesn't resemble a skull in World of Warcraft.The Last Guardian, Prologue
*For a time during the Cataclysm beta, the Eastern Kingdoms' world map did not show a border between Duskwood and Deadwind Pass. This was later corrected. Despite speculation about changes to the area as a result of the map issue, the area remained largely untouched by the Cataclysm. With the new continental maps in Battle for Azeroth, the border was missing once again.
*This area might have been the Borderlands from the original Warcraft.
==Gallery==
File:WoWAzeroth.jpg|Deadwind Pass on the map of the World of Warcraft Manual.
File:Deadwind Pass map film universe.jpg|Map of Deadwind Pass in the film universe.
==Patch changes==
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==References==
==External links==
 
Category:Passes
Category:Lands of Conflict
es:Paso de la Muerte
pl:Deadwind Pass