Hyjal Summit (Caverns of Time)

For the raid instance, see Battle for Mount Hyjal.

Hyjal Summit
File:Hyjalsummit2.jpg
Capital(s)	Astranaar (4,000)Template:Cite
Population	5,000
Races	Template:Demon Race (1,500) Template:Night Elf Race (1,000) Template:Dryad Race (850) Template:Blue Dragonflight Race (550) Template:Red Dragonflight Race (500) Template:Bronze Dragonflight Race (450) Template:Keeper of the Grove Race (150)
Affiliation	Contested
Location	Atop Mount Hyjal

Hyjal Summit is a region of northern Kalimdor, located on top of Mount Hyjal. It is southwest of Winterspring, east of Felwood, northeast of Ashenvale, and northwest of Azshara. This area is currently closed off.

History

The massive summit of Mount Hyjal is one of the most impressive places in Kalimdor. Here, the World Tree known as Nordrassil regrows, with the second Well of Eternity below. The site of the final battle of the Third War, the land here is now as well protected as anywhere in the world — protected by the power and majesty of dragons. The blue, red and bronze dragonflights keep a constant vigil over the recovering World Tree here, seeking to prevent the Burning Legion from ever again reaching the shores of the Well of Eternity and the branches of the sacred tree. From the lofty peak, one can see much of Ashenvale, Winterspring and Felwood far below.

Three important groups form the bulk of the people at Mount Hyjal. The first are the night elves, humans and others who steadfastly guard the World Tree against future attacks. These demon hunters are some of the most experienced and powerful adventurers in the world, and rightly so; most of them either fought in the Battle of Hyjal in the Third War or otherwise have considerable experience tracking down and destroying demons. These demon hunters are assisted by dryads and keepers of the grove, who have an even greater investment in Mount Hyjal’s safety. Hyjal’s summit is sacred to the dryads and keepers, just as it is to the night elves, but it is also their home — in some cases, for many thousands of years.

Finally, three dragonflights carefully watch over the massive tree, their high numbers perhaps a form of compensation for their noted absence during the Third War. The blue dragonflight is particularly devoted to this cause, and while their numbers here are not large, they guard the tree from lower on the mountainside in their caverns of MazthorilTemplate:Cite

The Location of Hyjal

Entrance to Hyjal from Darkwhisper Gorge

Few elves live at the peak of Mount Hyjal, but the mountain and the World Tree shelter the night elves in the forests and shores at the foot of the mountain. The forests and rocky mountain slopes harbor many dangerous beasts. With the magic of the Well of Eternity and the World Tree saturating the air and infusing the groundwater, the creatures of the forests are stronger and smarter than those anywhere else on Kalimdor. Deadly black tigers and bears prowl the forests, as do powerful stags. These creatures do not fear fights; they even seek them if the prey looks weak enough. Even smarter and deadlier beasts inhabit the forests. Hippogryphs and chimaera are a common enough sight among the forested peaks of the Summit. Hippogryphs, magical beasts that look like a stag crossed with a raven, patrol the skies and attack anyone they deem a threat to the forests. Although friendly to night elves, they do not show kindness to strangers or to those they consider a menace. Wild dire wolves also lurk on the mountain slopes. They have no natural enemy and are fearless even when met with several armed hunters. The forests of Hyjal are also known to be home to the occasional treant and stray ancient. These sentient, mobile trees protect the night elves' towns and the surrounding forests.Template:Cite

Geography

The geography of Hyjal Summit is dominated by temperate rugged and forbidding mountains. Hyjal Summit rises high above northern Kalimdor, surrounded by Winterspring, the Moonglade, and Felwood. The mountain's twin peaks are the highest points on Kalimdor and home to Nordrassil, the massive World Tree. The climb to the peak takes travelers past everything from dense forests at the foot to rocky meadows with sparse growth as the grade gets steeper. Nordrassil's sheer enormity strikes awe into any who have the rare honor of approaching it. The root system spreads over the entirety of Hyjal's peak, and its vast, charged branches seem to touch the sky. Damaged in the recent war, it now heals itself at a rapid rate. Although the World Tree rests upon a high mountain peak, its magic keeps the weather pleasant and warm year round - until the year after Battle of Mount Hyjal, when Hyjal saw its first winter. Otherwise, the air remains warm and crisp and the sky is always a dark blue peppered with a blanket of stars. The night elves hope the regenerating tree will begin to regulate the weather again soon.Template:Cite

The top of Mount Hyjal shares the plight of Ashenvale: it is mostly uncorrupted, but bears scars and gashes from the battles of the Third War. In the center of the summit is the World Tree, stretching far above the mountaintop even in its damaged state. The forests are inhabited by the usual untainted beasts, which the dryads and keepers of the grove care for. The dryads and keepers are friendly, having worked alongside mortals in the Third War, and are much less shy and worried than those encountered in Ashenvale. Night elves control the majority of the area, but a number of small camps and ruins are spread over Hyjal Summit.Template:Cite

Maps and subregions

Map of Hyjal Summit

• Darkwhisper Gorge (RPG)
• Eternity Bridge (RPG)
• Well of Eternity
• World Tree Nordrassil

In World of Warcraft

In the Caverns of Time, players are able to travel to a past version of Hyjal, reliving the Battle for Mount Hyjal as part of a 25-man raid instance, with players assisting Malfurion Stormrage, Tyrande Whisperwind, Thrall, and Jaina Proudmoore in defending the World Tree from the clutches of the evil Archimonde.

The current layout of Hyjal as it exists in the game is quite linear, and the zone is first and foremost intended for its Caverns of Time version, and not a regular zone. [Blizzard] has not yet made modern-day Hyjal accessible, but has said they will do so at a later date. Although it used to be possible to access Hyjal (via Wintersping with some skillful rock climbing), it is no longer. Blizzard implemented a " [No Man's Land]" teleport that removes you from the zone. From exploration before the teleportation patch: No music is present and no mobs or NPCs have been added. The water beneath Nordrassil (which, according to lore, is the second Well of Eternity) is non-fishable, and there exists a small picket fence which indicates that this area is "Under Construction", a common sight to participants in the Beta phase of World of Warcraft.

The modern Hyjal layout compared to the Caverns of Time's is slightly different (patch 2.1.3). The main map is roughly the same except the last part: there's a huge crater, a vast burned area and also the skeleton of Archimonde only in the modern one.

Lore and the Battle for Mount Hyjal (Caverns of Time version)

File:Archimonde'sEnd.JPG

Battle of Mount Hyjal fanart

The raid instance mirrors the last level of Warcraft 3, Twilight of the Gods. The units wear the same clothes they had in Warcraft 3. For instance, Horde Shamans wear the same wolf-like fur on their heads. The events begin in the Alliance base. Jaina commands the base, with a small army of Alliance NPCs. After starting the event by talking to her, the raid has to face eight waves of elite undead, such as Ghouls, Crypt fiends or Abominations. Units have exactly the same abilities they had in Warcraft 3, such as Cannibalize for Ghouls, Disease aura for Abominations or Brilliance Aura for Jaina. After 8 waves, the first boss comes: the lich Rage Winterchill, who was also present in Warcraft 3. After Winterchill is dead, talking to Jaina again gets the next boss and his assorted trash waves coming - dreadlord Anetheron. Once Anetheron is taken down, the Alliance forces are defeated and the base is overrun by an unstoppable wave of undead. The raid has to move up the mountain to the horde base.

Just like Jaina did, Thrall assists in person and with several Horde NPCs. The Undead Scourge and the Burning Legion keeps sending necromancers, banshees, gargoyles, infernals and even frost wyrms against the defenders of Azeroth. The boss waves are started by talking to Thrall, first Kaz'rogal (which was not present in Warcraft 3), and then the last lieutenant of the Burning Legion, the pit lord commander Azgalor.

Once again, the base falls, and the raid must now help the last defenders of the world, Tyrande Whisperwind and her Sentinels: Archers, Huntresses, Druids of the Claw, and Druids of the Talon. Archimonde is busy chanelling the World Tree as the players enter the base. Besides providing an important piece of equipment (the Tears of the Goddess), Tyrande and her NPCs help the players by holding off invading Ghouls, Crypt Fiends and Abominations during the battle. The raid must bring Archimonde down to 10% health, at which point a large group of Ancient Wisps attacks him and destroys once and for all the mighty demon lord.

Dungeons

Around Mt. Hyjal are two raid instance portals. The first is right at the beginning when entering from Darkwhisper Gorge in Winterspring and is located just inside a very non-flashy cave. There is no way to go into the cave as the invisible wall, which is normally intended for keeping travelers out of Hyjal, prevents you from getting close to the cave. You can still see the portal from a distance however.

The second is a portal exactly like the entrance to Onyxia's Lair. It appears to be a giant dragon skull, possibly leading to an encounter with Deathwing. Only the future will tell. It's confirmed by mages blinking in the entrance, that behind the skull there's just the same cave as used by Onyxia - but empty. As Blizzard most probably won't reuse the same characteristic cave for two raid encounters, it may be changed, if Hyjal in the present is ever going to be opened for players. It should be noted that this cave does not appear in the Battle of Mount Hyjal map.

The Portal could also be the entrance to Barrow Deeps which was the Prison of Illidan. This would explain why the Map of the Old Hyjal is only used in north.

Notes, Tips, & Additional Info

• Preview at WoW Guru
• Thottbot-Hyjal
• Jumping off the highest point of Mount Hyjal will land you in Felwood, presumably in the form of a stepped-on tomato unless you use a timely paladin bubble, parachute cloak, [Levitate] or feather fall. Slow falls, such as from  [Noggenfogger Elixir], allow a character to land as far away as Darkshore.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

The inclusion of Caverns-Hyjal might have superseded plans for modern Hyjal to be a raid instance, and it might instead be refitted to serve some other purpose. The announcement of Hyjal's inclusion in the Caverns of Time has generated speculation that modern-day Hyjal may be eventually redesigned as a non-raid instance. To many, the prospect of two Hyjal raid zones, one in the present and one in the past, seems highly unlikely.

If Furbolgs are added as a playable race, Hyjal is assumed by some to be a likely starting area for them.