Dustwallow Marsh

Dustwallow Marsh (or Dustwallow Swamp) is a vast and ancient swamp in the eastern reaches of Central Kalimdor. Although there is little activity in the area, the Alliance and the Horde have recently expanded their influence in the region. The Alliance city-state of Theramore was located in a small island east off shore, but was eventually destroyed by a mana bomb ordered by the then-Warchief Garrosh Hellscream. The Horde major stronghold in the area is Brackenwall Village, the new home of the ogre Stonemaul clan.

=History=

Third War
Dustwallow Marsh had long been home only to wild beasts, but all this changed in the Third War when Jaina Proudmoore led her people here to settle down after the battle with Archimonde at Mount Hyjal. Founding the city-state of Theramore, Jaina's people rapidly extended into the swamp, building fortified scout towers at important points along the road to the Barrens.

The area was home to the centaur and wildkin who raided orc members. Bloodbeak the Berserker destroyed an orc village here.

After Daelin Proudmoore attacked the Echo Isles, Vol'jin relocated his tribe to the marsh. His base served as a base of operations for Rexxar, Rokhan, and Chen Stormstout. The Mok'nathal recruited the ogres of Stonemaul Clan that lived here into the Horde when he killed their tyrannical leader Kor'gall. Dustwallow Marsh saw a great skirmish between the Horde and Kul Tirans led by Admiral Proudmoore, eventually leading to Daelin's death and the permanent breakup of the tentative peace between the Alliance and the Horde.

World of Warcraft
Perhaps it is because of extreme terrain conditions that neither the Horde nor the Alliance has succeeded in establishing an extensive presence in the area. Though it is shown that several orc families live here. Located on the rocky tip of the peninsula on the eastern shore, the citadel of Theramore is the home of Jaina Proudmoore and a great bastion of the Alliance. The gleaming walls of this bastion, however, often serve to contain the Alliance, and its presence does not extend far beyond them, despite a number of scattered checkpoints and towers that dot the road leading to the Barrens. Theramore's military has recently been dwindling, partly due to the ever-increasing number of desertions, though why so many people have chosen to forsake their place with the Theramore garrison remains a mystery.

Despite bordering on Horde-controlled territory, tauren and orcish presence in Dustwallow Marsh is equally marginal and is largely confined to Brackenwall Village to the northwest. Founded by the Stonemaul ogres and ruled by the iron fist of their leader, Overlord Mok'Morokk, Brackenwall Village is the only vestige of the Horde in the area. As the Stonemaul ogres do not generally seem to take much interest in the outside world, much of the area between the bastion of Theramore Isle and the Horde settlement remains wild and untamed, with even the road leading to the Barrens rapidly falling into disrepair.

Though neither faction controls a significant portion of Dustwallow Marsh, covert skirmishes between the Alliance and Horde became common, in spite of the official truce that was maintained in the region. There have been reports of Brackenwall Village taking military action against the covert Theramore infiltrators, who have been spotted to the east of the village. Other sources indicate that a number of Horde spies have been murdered or simply disappeared while attempting to infiltrate Theramore. Clandestine activities on both sides continue to this day and are more likely to escalate into a full-fledged covert conflict than cease completely.

In the south of the marsh, the Black Dragonflight has established a presence. Consequently, these regions of the swamp have come to be known as the Dragonmurk and the Wyrmbog. Until recently, the Stonemaul ogres lived in Stonemaul Village in this region in relative peace. The Mok'Nathal Rexxar assumed leadership of their tribe some time ago and forged an alliance between the Stonemaul and the Horde, although later it seems he stepped down as a leader. Not long after, the Black Dragonspawn attacked the village in a terrible rout and the surviving Stonemaul ogres were forced to retreat to Brackenwall but the ogres have sworn revenge on the usurpers. It is said that this wilderness is also home to Onyxia, a great black dragon and the daughter of Deathwing, and even some adventurers ventured into her lair and lived to tell the tale.

The Burning Crusade
The goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel created the town of Mudsprocket in the southwest of Duwtwallow Marsh. At the same time, the Grimtotem tribe expanded their influence in the region by settling in the northern reaches founding Blackhoof Village.

Cataclysm
Dustwallow Marsh was almost entirely untouched by the Shattering. The only changes of note were a new road from Theramore directly to the Southern Barrens and a new mountain pass from Mudsprocket to Thousand Needles.

Mists of Pandaria
The relative quiet didn't last long though. After Deathwing's fall, Theramore was attacked and destroyed by a mana bomb detonated under the orders of Garrosh Hellscream, then-Warchief of the Horde.

Once Garrosh Hellscream was defeated and captured in the Siege of Orgrimmar, King Varian Wrynn stated that he wanted to set up a garrison close to Theramore.

=Geography=

Dustwallow Marsh is a vast and ancient swamp in Central Kalimdor that is home to many old and wonderful beasts. Navigation is often extremely difficult and many adventurers have lost their way in this great jungle,[citation needed] where trees obscure the sunlight and raptors, spiders and crocolisks lie in wait, hunting those brave enough to venture close to their lairs.

A hot, fetid swampland, Dustwallow Marsh is fed by underground springs that keep it eternally wet and muddy. Mosquitoes buzz in the air. Trees dip fronds into the waters.[citation needed] The climate is home to a variety of predators, including crocolisks and murlocs. Black dragons dwell in the southern end of the swamp in such profusion that the area garners the name "Wyrmbog". Dustwallow Marsh abuts the ocean on its east side, and the mixing of the waters makes a wide swath brackish. Off the coast, there are some islands like Alcaz Island or a rocky island on which was perched the Alliance stronghold-city of Theramore until it was destroyed by Garrosh Hellscream.

Near the low hills that form the western edge of the Marsh separating it from the Barrens, the Stonemaul ogres have opened their Brackenwall Village to the races of the Horde. Brackenwall serves as an essential foothold for the Horde in the marshlands.

See WoWPedia