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Pandaria is a legendary place of bambus forests^{[citation needed]} and the mysterious pandaren of the Pandaren Empire located in the southern oceans of Azeroth, somewhat mirroring Northrend in location.^[1]

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Pandaren society 1.2 Gems of Pandaria 2 Mists of Pandaria 2.1 Pandaria in Azeroth 2.2 Zones 2.2.1 Getting there in Beta 2.2.2 Getting there 2.3 Creatures 3 References 4 External links

Background Edit

Pandaren hail from the distant island nation of Pandaria, which non-pandarens have never seen or ever visited to this day.^[2][3][4] The Pandaren Empire was founded before the Great Sundering of the world, and is believed to be just as old as the kaldorei civilization. It shared and traded resources, goods, ideas and mystic knowledge with the haughty night elves of central Kalimdor in the years before the War of the Ancients. As the night elves' obsession with the forces of magic drove them to the brink of madness, the gentle pandaren severed ties, withdrew and closed their borders,^[5] and left the night elves behind forever. The pandaren clans, or shao'dins, traveled far across the seas and established crude but beautiful cities of stone and sturdy bambus reed on an island they named Pandaria.^[6] In time they built a new empire on the island. For ten millennia, the world had forgotten pandaren. Shortly after the Third War, though, a few reappeared — perhaps roused from their isolation by the Burning Legion, whose catastrophic coming shook the world.^[7]

Pandarens have chosen to keep the location of their island a secret and most are content to remain there, with only the rare few pandaren choosing to leave and see the outside world.

A splinter group of pandaren arrived on Kalimdor in the aftermath of the Third War and has established a settlement in the Stonetalon Mountains of Kalimdor,^[2] but the location remains as secret as that of their island homeland.

Pandaren society Edit

Pandaren society has changed from its origins. Where once the pandaren were a mighty empire, standing proud beside their night elf allies, now they are a simple people who want only peace and a safe home. Yet the world is a dangerous place, and only through an acceptance of the violence that comes with life can the pandaren continue to prosper.

Pandaren society is, in many ways, compartmentalized. At their core, the pandaren treasure peace and creativity. Most pandaren are poets and singers, and the craftsmen of their culture are truly revered. The danger of their lives, however, has necessitated the evolution of a class of warriors to defend those ideals — it is these warriors, from the simplest pikeman to the great shodopans, who ensure that Pandaren culture survives.

Even the lowliest pandaren is capable of defending himself, using the fangs and stubby but needle-like claws that are a natural part of his body. All pandaren can use these natural weapons to fight and hunt, as pandaren grow up playing rough and tumble games meant to hone their abilities while learning the admonishments of their elders that such things are a last resort. In general, pandaren prefer to use the weapons they craft, feeling that their natural weapons hearken back to a primal time.

Pandaren are bipedal creatures, but their ursine forms allow them to move at tremendous speed on four limbs. When a pandaren drops down to all fours, his speed increases greatly. He must have nothing in his hands to use quadrupedal movement.

Gems of Pandaria Edit

Pandaria is apparently known for its gems (which are apparently magical). The red dragons believed that three crushed gems from Pandaria are one of the components needed to rejuvenate the Sunwell.^[8]

Mists of Pandaria Edit

This section concerns content exclusive to Mists of Pandaria.

Main article: Mists of Pandaria

On July 28, 2011, Blizzard Entertainment registered the trademark "Mists of Pandaria", with international codes 009 and 041 which appear on online games. The name was confirmed to be the next expansion^[9] after Cataclysm. According to the intro panel, the continent of Pandaria has been magically shrouded in mist since the Sundering. The expansion will also introduce a new playable Pandaren race.

Pandaria in Azeroth Edit

Pandaria is the southern mirror of Northrend, so it would appear between the southern tips of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.^[1]

Cout Spatula, a helpful MMO Champion forum poster made a mockup of how the updated Azeroth map might look...

Zones Edit

• The Wandering Isle - New Pandaren starting zone. Level 1 - 10.^[11]
• The Jade Forest - Eastern and beginning zone. Level 85 - 87.^[11]
• Valley of the Four Winds - Central southern zone. Level 86 - 87.^[11]
• Kun-Lai Summit - Northern zone. Level 86 - 88.^[11]
• Townlong Steppes - Western zone. Level 88 - 89.^[11]
• Krasarang Wilds - Southern shore.^[12] Level 86 - 90.^[11]
• Dread Wastes - Southwestern zone.^[12] Level 89 - 90.^[11]
• Vale of Eternal Blossoms - Central zone. Level 90.^[11]

Getting there in Beta Edit

In the Beta, there are pandaren placeholder NPCs with the title <<Portal Panda>> near the bank in Orgrimmar and the Trade District bank in Stormwind City that offer to teleport players to either the faction Jade Forest coastal starting subzones ( Wayward Landing / Hellscream's Hope) or Dawn's Blossom in the center of the region.

Getting there Edit

Similar to zones, players will get to Pandaria via quests starting from Orgrimmar or Stormwind City.^[1]

Alliance players will start by meeting with  King Varian Wrynn in Stormwind Keep and then go to the Stormwind Harbor to take a monoplane to Pandaria (but parachute from it just before it crashes).^[13]

Horde players will start by meeting with  Warchief Garrosh Hellscream in Grommash Hold and then take a zeppelin to Pandaria (which apparently crashed). ^[14]

Creatures Edit

Mostly friendly

• Cloud serpent^[15] - Playful race of dragon-like creatures; some corrupted. Preferred mount of the pandaren.^[16]
• Hozen^[15] (orig. Hozu) - Monkey-like race; pranksters. Courted by the Horde.^[16]
• Jinyu - Fish-like humanoids; considered wise by the pandaren.^[16] Approached for help by the Alliance.^[16]
• Sprites^[15] - Pranksters and embodiments of nature; some corrupted by the Sha.
• Yaungol^[15] - A newly-discovered descendent of Tauren, similar to the Taunka in Northrend.
• Grummle^[17] - Small, squat bipeds with pandaren-like facial features created by the Mogu.

Hostile

• Jiang-shi^[17] - Undead creatures.
• Kunchong^[17] - Insectoid creatures.
• Mantid - Mantis-like race; sentient individuals existing alongside Pandaren, but separated by a wall.
• Mistlurker^[17] - Animated mist cyclops.
• Mogu - Ancient nemesis of the Pandaren overthrown 12,000 years ago; ogre-like wraiths with the ability to create new races called flesh-shaping.^[16]
• Mushan^[17] - Large, kodo-like lizards.
• Quilen^[17] - Lion-like beasts with squashed faces.
• Saurok^[15] - A fighting, lizard-like race first created by Mogu flesh-shapers.^[16]
• Sha - Manifestations of negative emotions (like anger, hatred, or fear) and energy in Pandaria; large semi-gaseous mobs that can also possess other creatures.^[16]
• Virmen^[15] (orig. Verming) - Rodent-like race; small, numerous and tunnelers.

References Edit

External links Edit

Official

Lore

v • d • e Islands & continents of the world of Azeroth Eastern Kingdoms Azeroth · Khaz Modan · Lordaeron (Quel'Thalas) · Vashj'ir Kalimdor Central Kalimdor · Northern Kalimdor (Azuremyst Isles) · Southern Kalimdor Others Maelstrom · Northrend · Pandaria · South Seas Azeroth category