Desolace

In the past, **Desolace** was nothing but a massive grey desert, filled with dead trees and skulls of dead kodo, along with warring tribes of Centaur and the malevolent Burning Blade. With the advent of the Shattering, while still looking desolate in many areas, Desolace has become far more fertile, with grass, trees, and increased settlement by the Horde, Alliance, andCenarion Circle.

Despite this, conflict continues to rage between various factions, including the Horde and Alliance. The Magram,Kolkar and Gelkis tribes of Centaur continue to fight until a common enemy, the Burning Legion is seen by all. With the Legion to the south in Mannoroc Coven, the Burning Blade to the north in Thunder Axe Fortress, Satyrs to the north-east ruins, and Naga in the North-west coast, Desolace remains a harsh environment even with the Cenarion Circle's best efforts. The sacred Centaur grounds of Maraudon are the only instance in the area.

## History

In recent times Horde, Alliance, the Burning Blade, the Cenarion Circle, Satyr and Naga have set up outposts in the desolate land, and only four of the five tribes control Desolace. With the centaur kept in check, more species of animals occupy the land than before. Adventures are directed to beat back the Satyr, Burning Blade, and Naga forces at the behest of their respective factions and the Cenarion Circle. At the same time the Horde and Alliance seek to take advantage of the Magram-Gelkis feud by picking a side in order to gain an ally in the region.

### History

Desolace in Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game.

Legends claim that the centaur are descendants of a dark union between one of the demigod Cenarius's sons and a princess of the chaotic earth elementals. When the first khans were born of their union, it is said that they murdered their father, for shame of their misshapen appearance. They were born filled with rage and savagery and have not calmed in the centuries that followed. The first of their kind, the first khans, gave rise to the five tribes of the centaur. The race swept across Desolace and soon became legendary for its brutality. The diligent night elves held them in check for ages until theBurning Legion rained its destruction upon the world. The night elves left the centaur out of necessity for their own survival during the wars, allowing the twisted race to assume control of Desolace. Though fortunate enough not to be scorched into oblivion in the demon wars, Desolace was savaged nonetheless due to the centaur's ceaseless aggression. No longer threatened by night elves, the tribes plagued other plains races - chiefly, the peaceful tauren. This struggle endured for generations until recently, when the tauren were at last driven from Desolace. The centaur were never content with controlling just Desolace and have followed their tribal khans in a series of clashes with other races throughout southern and central Kalimdor.

The mountainous barriers of the Stonetalons lie to the north and Thousand Needles to the southeast, isolating Desolace from much of the rest of Kalimdor. The grasslands and mesas of Mulgore stand directly east, and the land runs rugged and open to the storm-tossed coast to the west. The winds create waterspouts against the lowland hills along the shore. The western coastline of Desolace is lush in sad contrast to the wasteland of its interior. Desolace is a gray, rocky wasteland littered with bones. It seems almost under a supernatural curse, its skies always black and stormy, with lightning and high winds a constant throughout the realm. The surrounding mountains form a significant barrier to travel, a key reason why the centaur have never established more than a sporadic presence elsewhere on Kalimdor. Five barbarous centaur tribes dominate the entire region with the strength of overwhelming numbers and unequaled ferocity. Each tribe is led by one of the dreaded khans and is known by a distinctive tribal color - Black, Brown, Green, Red, and Yellow. Members use the color to mark their weapons and their faces. The khans who lead each tribe rarely have contact with each other except in times of war. There are no other cultures of any note in all of Desolace, for the centaur have run them all down in their unceasing lust for conquest. The only animals that can sustain themselves in the arid and violent land were beasts such as lions, raptors, sand serpents, and harpies.[3]

## Geography

Desolace is a gray, rocky wasteland littered with bones. It seems almost under a supernatural curse, its skies always black and stormy, with lightning and high winds a constant within the interior.[4] Pools of yellow, polluted water cover the landscape.

The mountainous barriers of the Stonetalon Mountains lie to the north andFeralas to the south and southeast[4], isolating Desolace from much of the rest of Kalimdor. The grasslands and mesas of Mulgore stand directly east, and the land runs rugged and open to the storm-tossed coast to the west. The winds create waterspouts against the lowland hills along the shore. The western coastline of Desolace is lush in sad contrast to the wasteland of its interior[4], with the airy inn ofShadowprey Village allowing travelers to wake up to a beautiful view of the waterline.

Central to any study of the geography of Desolace are the four centaur tribes. The smallest and least influential of these is the Kolkar whose ancestral grounds lie along the eastern mountains. Not far south of the Kolkar are the Magram tribe whose yurts and pavilions are haphazardly scattered among acrid pools of brackish water near the juncture of the eastern and southern ranges. Just west of the road leading from Feralas, not far from the coast are the Gelkis. The Gelkis centaur inhabit a large ravine and surrounding environs. A cave entrance in the rocky cliff face can only be accessed by crossing a treacherous rope bridge and houses the Gelkis leadership. Finally, the Maraudine tribe inhabit the canyons and cliffs pinched between the coast of the Veiled Sea to the west and the Kodo Graveyard to the east. The entrance to dreadedMaraudon lies in the heart of Maraudine territory.

As the goblins of the Venture Co. know, it is often the most dire situations and environments which present the richest opportunities, and so there are a few neutral quests they offer for those willing to do some legwork for them. Hunting in Desolace is both challenging and profitable, with potential prey including kodo, thunder lizards, elementals, basilisks and powerful scorpids and vultures. Those brave or foolhardy enough who seek an even greater challenge can also hunt giants and the various otherworldly monsters which inhabit thedemon-infested Mannoroc Coven.

The surrounding mountains form a significant barrier to travel, a key reason why the centaur have never established more than a sporadic presence elsewhere on Kalimdor.