by Magistrate - 8 years ago     show comments

Highmountain, a mountainous and untamed land of the ancient Tauren clans, stands proudly at the northern tip of the Broken Isles. This post breaks down the different sub zones, points of interest, lore, and models that bring the zone to life.

Home to three ancient Tauren clans–the Skyhorn, Bloodtotem, and Rivermane–Highmountain has been at peace for generations. Thousands of years ago, the Tauren that participated in the War of the Ancients settled here before the Sundering. Today, those same Tauren are now fractured and in need of our help, or else they will fall to the onslaught of the treacherous Drogbar.

Moose Tauren? Why Not!

We don’t know where the idea came from, but the new “moose Tauren” are kickass. Featuring moose antlers on both male and female variations, these ancient Tauren have protected an ancient artifact for many years–until the Drogbar went and stole it, seeding fear and chaos between the three clans.

Noticeably, their antlers are inscribed with patterns and decorations. These signify clan allegiance and rank among the Highmountain Tauren. Males have the broader antlers, while females have more petite ones.

New Enemies

Among the regions jagged mountains–Highmountain being one of the biggest in all of Azeroth–as well as narrow canyons, forested valleys, and icy peaks, the biggest threat is the Drogbar.

Originally slaves of Neltharion–whose lair in Highmountain serves as one of Legion‘s 10 new dungeons–the Drogbar are a highly shamanic race, with strong power over the earth and warrior roots. Their brutish appearance often belies their cleverness. There are many different kinds we will encounter, including the shaman version seen below.

The Drogbar Chieftain, pictured above, is a powerful adversary we will cross paths with several times, including within Neltharion’s Lair.

Highmountain will also feature new models for Harpies, including the new Alpine Harpy, as well as Ettins. We’re promised that the Highmountain variations of these familiar creatures will be bigger and more aggressive than their other Azerothian cousins.

Alpine Harpy

Art and Design

Much of Highmountain’s artwork was inspired by the Swiss Alps and Yosemite. The team felt it was also imperative to not only advance and explore Tauren culture like never before, but also to stay true to their nomadic, earthy roots we know and love.

In addition to high mountains, pine forests feature extensively into the zone. To get away from the typical coniferous forest look, they played with different canopy shapes and silhouettes. The special and geographic shapes they created influenced the placement of many creatures.

We also see advances in Tauren architecture, as seen below. While there is still a nomadic element to the Highmountain Tauren, living in the same zone for thousands of years has given a more solid and rooted twist to their structures.

The zone also represented an opportunity for revamping some wildlife, including more moose than you could ever believe and holy mother An’she look at how cute the baby mooses are I’m dead:

That’s all for Highmountain. Check out all the zones below:

• Highmountain
• Stormheim
• Azsuna
• Val’sharah
• Suramar