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\n\tThe long-awaited fourth expansion to World of Warcraft is here. Welcome to the Mists of Pandaria!
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\n\tIn this gallery, I highlight some of the key points of interest in the new continent, Pandaria, so you know what to look for (and what you’re looking at) as you quest through its seven (and a half — more on that later) zones.
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\n\tSpoiler alert: This gallery contains major storyline spoilers, for anyone interested in Lore and Storyline.
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\n\tThis image is the continent map for Pandaria. Zone progression is as follows:
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThis gallery was first published in September 2012.
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\n\tThe first zone is The Jade Forest. I covered this zone in my last gallery about the Mists of Pandaria, but Blizzard made several changes to the opening quest chains, so I thought I’d point out some of those items.
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\n\tFirst, instead of crash landing in Pandaria and having to immediately fight off the Hozen (a race of sentient chimps), the initial Horde battle is from your gunship attacking this temple the Alliance have commandeered. The battle eventually moves to the ground, where you meet a Pandaren for the first time. (In the initial Beta, you did not meet the Pandaren until after the first few quest hubs.)
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Pandaren have a village nearby where the first battle takes place called Honeydew Village. This serves as your second quest hub and contains the first mailbox and innkeeper, as well as several profession trainers.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tDuring a cut sequence, you learn that the gunship crashes during the battle with the Alliance. Here is its final resting place, behind Honeydew Village. It almost took out their hot-air balloon on its way down.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tHellscream’s Hope in the Beta has been changed into an Alliance base called Strongarm Airstrip. Your next quest hub is nearby in the commandeered Nook of Konk where you make strikes against this Alliance base. Eventually, the Horde claims this base for its own, I guess restoring its name to Hellscream’s Hope, although the in-game location information still identifies it as the Strongarm Airstrip. This image is after the Horde have claimed the base.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tFrom this point, the zone progresses basically the same as it did in the initial Beta; a few “leader” quests were added to send you to quest hubs that you weren’t led to initially, though.
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\n\tThis image is the revised map of The Jade Forest, which you can compare to the one in my last gallery to see the minor differences in place names and such. Based on the differences noted, I have inferred that the Alliance storyline (which starts in the very southern end of the zone) has changed in much of the same way.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tMoving on to the Valley of the Four Winds, you will soon encounter Halfhill, a Pandaren settlement that excels at culinary arts. While players have been able to learn the new cooking skill, Zen Master Cooking (all Pandaren skills are labelled Zen Master, by the way), from trainers all over Azeroth, most of the recipes can only be learned here in Halfhill through painstaking study. The Tillers faction, one of the new reputation factions in Pandaria, will help advance this.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Heartland, which is near Halfhill, is the Tillers’ homeland. While questing through the Valley of the Four Winds, players will get to help existing Pandaren farmers maintain their lands and crops. Later, once you reach the maximum level of 90, you will be able to return to the Heartland and till and maintain a plot of land of your own.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tIn the Beta first look, I showed the Temple of the Jade Serpent, which serves as one of the first level 85 level-up dungeons; this is the Stormstout Brewery, which serves as the other. Our friend Chen Stormstout, who we’ve known since Warcraft 3, is our guide and partner throughout this dungeon, and is frequently involved in questing throughout the expansion. Chen is also the Pandaren star of the new opening cinematic.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tOn the western edge of the Valley of the Four Winds, a swarm of Ik’thik Mantid have broken through the wall separating the peaceful valley from the Dread Wastes beyond. Their Collossus, now dead thanks to Inferious’ involvement, appears to have done the heavy work. The Mantid race is (to me) an obvious tip of the hat to the StarCraft race, the Zerg.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tWe can’t have a World of Warcraft expansion without a Nesingwary or, in this case, two. Hemet and his son, Hemet Jr., have made the trip via hot-air balloon to exploit the wildlife of Pandaria.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Temple of the Red Crane in Karasang Wilds, devoted to following Chi-Ji the red crane god. This is the second of four temples (the first was the Jade Serpent in the Jade Forest) dedicated to the four celestial beings who will play a role in battling the Sha.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tAlso in Karasang Wilds is the Angler’s Wharf. The Anglers are another reputation faction that does not unlock until you reach level 90. Keep an eye out for an old friend when you visit this town.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tAfter completing both the Valley of the Four Winds and the Karasang Wilds, your next step — or, rather, 100 steps — is to climb the Path of a Hundred Steps into The Veiled Stair, the “half” zone referred to in the first slide.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Tavern in the Mists serves as a minor quest hub (and the only one in this mini-zone) for players travelling through while leveling up. It also serves as the base of operations for Wrathion, the Black Prince.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tInkgill Mere is one of the first areas players quest in when entering Kun-Lai Summit. I think the layout of this little town on a series of islands in a lake is cool.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Temple of the White Tiger is the third temple dedicated to the gods of Pandaria. Players are not directed here while leveling through Kun-Lai Summit, but those who visit are given a short quest line that eventually leads you to join all four gods at the Gate of the August Celestials in the southern part of this zone. If you are following “Lore and Storyline,” don’t go to this temple or open the gate until you’ve finished all other zones.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tAnyone who thought we were done with the Zandalari trolls in patch 4.1 was wrong — dead wrong. The Zandalari trolls play a pretty big role in this expansion, starting with the battles between Zouchin Village and the Zandalari Vanguard and ending, probably, in some future raid encounter. Fans speculate that the large blue island northwest of Pandaria may be the Zandalari homeland, and we may see it in one of those future encounters. After all, why would Blizzard put a conspicuous island on the map if they weren’t going to use it?
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Peak of Serenity is nearly impossible to get to on foot (and may be completely impossible by this writing), but appears to be a training area for Monks. At least, Inferious couldn’t find anything to do here while questing through or at level 90 when he flew back to get this screenshot.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Shado-Pan Monastery serves as a major dungeon in a player’s travels through Pandaria. Here, you are tasked with helping free Shado-Pan trainees from the corrupting influences of the Sha. The Shado-Pan Monastery is the only visible site in Kun-Lai on the continent map of Pandaria, which makes me think it will play a larger role later in the expansion. The Shado-Pan Monastery is the base of one of the reputation factions, which helps to confirm that opinion.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Sha of Anger is a world boss that spawns roughly in the middle of Kun-Lai Summit and yells things… constantly. I hope they have this fixed for launch.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Dusklight Bridge is an old, fallen, hollowed-out tree trunk that serves as a bridge between Townlong Steppes and the Dread Wastes. A small quest chain happens here on either end of this bridge involving more Mantid.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tIn the far western portion of Townlong Steppes on one of the islands is the temple dedicated to the Black Yak, Niuzao. He is the fourth of the Pandaria gods.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tPlayers entering the Dread Wastes following the quest chain are immediately sent to the Terrace of Gurthan to clean up some spiders. While there, you are asked to investigate this cave, where you will find a Mantid who doesn’t want war.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThat not-unfriendly Mantid sees something in you and sends you on a quest that ends in Klaxxi’vess, home to the Klaxxi Mantid, the only friendly Mantid in Pandaria, and another of the reputation factions. Players must do several quests for them in this zone — as a matter of fact, most of this zone’s quests are Klaxxi-centric. The Klaxxi are apparently the wise or learned of the Mantid and have come to realize their queen is corrupt and must be killed.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tHeart of Fear is the ancient home of the Mantid Queen and also serves as an early Pandaria Raid. You must join forces with the Klaxxi Mantid to dispatch their corrupt (again with the Sha) queen.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tWe went way too long without beer in this expansion, so we’re overdue when we come across the Sunset Brewgarden in northern Dread Wastes. They have a hair-brained scheme to craft beer out of the sap from the trees that the Mantid treasure. Guess what happens here.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThroughout Pandaria, you will encounter various sprite creatures, most of which are neutral and will leave you alone if you leave them alone. The sprites of Rikkitun Village are friendly and have a series of quests for travelers helping the brewers from the Sunset Brewgarden.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tTaking their mighty sailing ship on a three-hour tour… wait, that’s another story involving marooned sea-goers.
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\n\tThe crew of this fishing ship based at the Angler’s Wharf in an effort to find better fishing accidentally crashed their ship against the southern coast of the Dread Wastes and have set up shop here while trying to figure a way back to their home.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tNow, we return to Kun-Lai Summit and the Gate of the August Celestials. The White Tiger, impressed with your skill during the trials at his temple, has gone off and gathered the other three August Celestials in order to open the gate and allow people to enter the Vale of Eternal Blossoms for the first time in ages.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThese guys look familiar — this is the location of the image used on the login screen for Mists of Pandaria, which I showed in my Beta gallery. However, I need to apologize to my Pandaren readers (if there are any left) for the insult in calling these statues Pandaren in my caption of that image. Instead, these statues are Mogu, an ancient and once-powerful race (they once ruled this continent from this very zone) that had fallen into disarray but are once again on the rise.
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\n\tBelow the statues is the Golden Pagoda, the quest hub for the Golden Lotus reputation faction. The pagoda is “normal size,” so you can imagine how immense those Mogu statues are.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tMogu’Shan Palace is the former capital of the Mogu empire and now serves as a dungeon and possibly a raid (I’m not sure at this point) during the expansion.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Shrine of the Two moons is the Horde city in Pandaria (the Alliance are based nearby at the Shrine of the Seven Stars). Once you can make it to this city, I suggest you do and that you set your Hearthstone here, as there are portals to every Horde and neutral city as well as profession trainers galore. It is also very centralized to the continent, allowing quick travel to nearly everywhere.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tOn the western edge of the zone is the Gate of the Setting Sun, which protects the Vale of Eternal Blossoms from encroachment by the Mantid in the Dread Wastes. There is a dungeon set within this gate, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find additional content in a later patch.
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\n\tScreenshots of World of Warcraft game client by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tFor more details about the expansion, read my Geekend post WoW fans, welcome to Pandaria.
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