Grim Batol: Past and future
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 23rd 2007 at 5:51PM
Tabot asks about Grim Batol, and he's right-- there is a bit of rumbling going around about that place. It started at BlizzCon, in the dungeons and raids panel, where Jeff Kaplan mentioned that Grim Batol, the huge fortress in the Wetlands currently surrounded by the Red Dragonflight, is one of the locations they're looking at adding content.To find the past of Grim Batol, you've got to read Day of the Dragon, the novel by Richard A. Knaak. Basically, the Dragonmaw Orc clan had captured Alexstrasza in Grim Batol, and was using her to make their own dragons. Rhonin (who will be the leader of the Kirin Tor in WotLK) was able to break her out and free her. And that didn't make Deathwing (Onyxia and Nefarian's father, and the big bad black dragon aspect of Azeroth) very happy, because he was trying to steal Alex's eggs to make his own dragonflight. Rhonin eventually defeated Deathwing, and there DotD ends.
Cut to now. No player has ever been inside Grim Batol, and the only place it's ever been used in the game is as the spawn point for a dragon in the Horde's Onyxia key quest. Meanwhile Deathwing is MIA, or maybe even kept prisoner in Grim Batol (rumors say the Red Dragonflight may have taken him prisoner in there to get revenge).
However, things (as usual) are not always as they seem. Lately, there have been murmurs (in Outland of all places) that Deathwing is back. Grim Batol may not be a simple fortress-- it may consist of the whole coastline on the eastern side of the Wetlands. And if Deathwing is free, I've heard rumors that he, like Rhonin, may be found up north-- Northrend's Dragonblight is a place where dragons go to die, and Deathwing is supposedly headed up there, claiming that all he wants is to end his life in peace.
Of course, he's not to be believed. And the Red Dragonflight is doing something in Grim Batol, even if it's not keeping Deathwing prisoner. Only time will tell what Blizzard plans to do with the big fortress overlooking the Wetlands.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Instances, Lore, NPCs, BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fletch Aug 23rd 2007 6:24PM
Before any of that, Grim Batol was the home of the Wildhammer dwarves. The fortress was besieged by Modgud, wife of Thaurissan and queen of the Dark Iron Dwarves, who used dark magic to summon shadows to attack them. Eventually she got killed, but the fortress was irrevocably tainted, so the Wildhammer Dwarves picked up and moved to the Hinterlands.
Ryan Aug 23rd 2007 6:37PM
Perhaps Deathwing, seeking revenge on the Kirin Tor, is behind Malygos' recent outbursts.
Urthona Aug 23rd 2007 6:57PM
#2 Speaks truth.
Deathwing is a master manipulator, and Malygos was fooled by him before. Revenge on the Kirin Tor by using Malygos to wage war on magic users means drastically weakening the DPS of the Horde and Alliance forces.
I don't know what's up in Grim Batol, but I love me some Wildhammer Dwarves.
Roll on new content.
Braz Aug 23rd 2007 7:10PM
Since I had never been inside the dragon-infested area of the Wetlands, I took advantage of the premade epic'd out lv.70 characters on the PTRs to check out Grim Batol for myself.
Unfortunately the door to the fortress is closed, and the only mobs in the area are some elite 58-62 dragonkin accompanied by a large lv.62 elite dragon (I almost beat him, and I imagine that a competent lv.70 could do so without too much difficulty).
I look forward to seeing what Blizzard makes of Grim Batol, and to the time when I will be adequately geared/leveling to experience it.
RogueJedi86 Aug 23rd 2007 7:14PM
As I said in another topic, the Kirin Tor of Dalaran are allying with the Red Dragonflight to fight the Blue Dragonflight in WotLK, so that means Red Dragonflight will be our allies, including the ones at Grim Batol. What implication will this have?
Urthona Aug 23rd 2007 7:26PM
Well, the Blue Dragonflight were our allies against Onyxia, but they still kill us in Azshara and Mazthoril, and now in Northrend.
Like all races in Warcraft, there are exceptions to the rule. The reds at Grim Batol may have different orders than the ones in Northrend, or they may be subject to the "corruption" of the Grim Batol invasion. Who knows?
RogueJedi86 Aug 23rd 2007 8:51PM
I'm getting tired of the old excuse that turns all good things bad: corruption. Just say something got corrupted, and instant enemy. They could turn the most loyal ally into an enemy just by saying they got corrupted. No need to explain it, just say they got corrupted.
Inaraserra Aug 24th 2007 3:15AM
The reds at Grim Batol were bred by the Dragonmaw who used them as great big fire-breathing flying mounts..
The books describes them as young angsty dragons who haven't learned their place in the world yet - they're basically without an older dragon to guide them. They're just youngling dragons with no real alliances with anyone - they're of the Red Dragonflight because they're Alexstraza's brood, but they're not a part of it.
Gror Aug 24th 2007 3:47AM
Problem is this is in the Wetlands a lvl 20 to 30 zone. If there is going to be a new dungeon there with lvl 80s running about it is going to be pure hell for the people leveling in that zone.
RogueJedi86 Aug 24th 2007 4:21AM
Duskwood is 18-30, Swamp of Sorrows 35-45. Still way lower than the level 70's who run through there to get to Karazhan.
Necrous Aug 24th 2007 5:47AM
@5 "5. As I said in another topic, the Kirin Tor of Dalaran are allying with the Red Dragonflight to fight the Blue Dragonflight in WotLK, so that means Red Dragonflight will be our allies, including the ones at Grim Batol. What implication will this have?"
It means owning red dragon scales or items made from them are TABOO! 0.o
Todd Aug 24th 2007 10:17AM
I'm sure there's a lost Dwarf city behind those gates.
Brian Aug 24th 2007 3:24PM
I reckon it will be a new instance hub like in Tanaris They could make an underground zone quite easily because it would exist on a different server like Outlands and the new starting areas in TBC. It would be a level 80 version of Black mountain. Where the Black Dragon flight were trying to steal eggs and fight the Red Dragon flight for territory under the mountains. It could easily contain 3 instances and a raid dungeon where the final encounter involved you helping Alextraza against both Nefarian and Onyxia in one HUGE brawl.
You beat Ony.. You beat Nef.. Now face both at once with the aid of The Red Dragons!
Now that would rock.