This is a questing guide detailing the best method to obtain and complete quests in the southern Barrens. See the Northern Barrens questing guide for questing information in the lower level, northern part of the zone.
Note: This guide is not meant for power-leveling purposes. Rather, it is meant to show a player the most efficient way to complete all quests available for a particular zone. If you know of a better order or method to accomplish this, your input is welcome (in fact, greatly desired). For major changes, feel free to edit, but make a note in the talk page as to your reasoning.
Journey to Camp Taurajo
The southern Barrens is a good option for characters who want to continue their questing in Thousand Needles, as it usually levels characters up to around the starting level for that zone. In addition, the questing hub Camp Taurajo is less often attacked by Alliance than the Crossroads is (though it is still a frequent battle site). Most southern Barrens quests involve killing humanoids, so it is also a good place to farm cloth. In addition, this area is ripe with ore veins.
You will be moving south to a new questing hub: Camp Taurajo. If you are a cook, stop by the tower on the road to Ratchet before heading out and pick up [15] Dig Rat Stew (requires 80 skill level in Cooking)
Along the way south, find Mankrik's wife for the quest [20] Lost in Battle. If you follow the road south you will eventually cross a small bridge. Very near the bridge are a group of small huts. Click on the beaten corpse inside one of the huts.
The area near the huts and south of the ravine which cuts west to east across the Barrens is home to the rare kodo, Lakota'mani. Hunt him down and kill him, looting [Hoof of Lakota'mani].
Continue south along the road. Along the way, you will see some thunder lizards. Kill thunder lizards in the area until you get a [Thunder Lizard Horn] for [15] Chen's Empty Keg (2).
When you arrive in Camp Taurajo, be sure to turn in the quest [18] Jorn Skyseer and pick up the follow-up.
Warriors: Warriors can speak with Ruga Ragetotem to complete [20] Speak with Ruga. Wait to pick up the follow-up, as it is timed.
You will be flying back to Ratchet soon, so wait to turn in [20] Lost in Battle until then.
Don't forget to set your hearth to Camp Taurajo, as this will now be your primary questing hub.
Fly back to Ratchet and turn in [15] Chen's Empty Keg (2), picking up the follow-up. On the hill overlooking Ratchet is the dead tree where you can summon Ishamuhale. You need to kill a zhevra and use it's corpse by the tree in order to summon him. Once you have defeated him and looted his fang, stop at the Crossroads to turn in [20] Lost in Battle, then fly back to Camp Taurajo.
Head out of the camp and kill thunder lizards until you have collected 3 [Thunder Lizard Blood]. Check the area to the east and south of the Camp Taurajo for Owatanka, a blue thunder lizard who drops a quest item. Then return to the camp and turn in [18] Enraged Thunder Lizards (and [24] Owatanka if you have it), picking up the follow-up.
Head out of the camp and kill a thunderhawk, which will drop [Thunderhawk Wings]. Return to the camp and turn in the quest, picking up the follow-up.
Kill quilboar in the area until you have completed both [20] Consumed by Hatred and [21] Tribes at War. Be sure to look any [Blood Shards] that drop, as you can use these later to get buffs.
Return to Camp Taurajo and turn in [21] Tribes at War. [21] Blood Shards of Agamaggan will now become available. You should already have at least one blood shard, so you can turn in this quest as well. This will open up a large number of repeatable quests for which you turn in blood shards to receive buffs. It will also open up the quest [25] Betrayal from Within (1), which you should go ahead and pick up now.
Return to the Crossroads and turn in [20] Consumed by Hatred when you get the chance. Make sure you have [22] Egg Hunt while you are there, as you will be doing that quest next.
Head south along the road from Camp Taurajo until you see large mounds on either side of the road, somewhat like anthills. This area is known as the Field of Giants.
Search for eggs around the large anthill-like mounds and right click on them to use the [Digging Claw] and loot the [Silithid Eggs]. You will need twelve of these to complete [22] Egg Hunt. During this time, keep your eye out for the rare spawn Silithid Harvester, which drops an item starting an easy turn-in quest.
Warriors: Check the duration on [Twitching Antenna] you have collected thus far, as these will only be good for 15 minutes after you collect them. The drop rate is 100%, so you should be able to quickly collect 5 new antennae if needed. When you have all 5, return to Camp Taurajo and turn in the quest - remember if you hearth you can get there instantly, and may not need to collect new antennae.
Continue south until you come to a large pit to the east of the road, known as Bael Modan. Follow the path down into the pit and head for the southern part of it, killing dwarves as you go. If you are on the quest [23] Dig Rat Stew, don't forget to collect [Dig Rats] as well. Kill Prospector Khazgorm <Explorers' League> and loot [Khazgorm's Journal]. Kill any dwarves you have left to complete [23] Gann's Reclamation.
Return to Gann and turn in the quest, getting the next.
Northeast of the pit is a hill with a dwarf hall set into the mountain, known as Bael'dun Keep. Head there and kill the dwarves in the area for their vials of [Nitroglycerin], bundles of [Wood Pulp], and samples of [Sodium Nitrate]. Continue to kill dig rats as you go, until you complete [23] Dig Rat Stew. If you are high level (close to 30) and/or in a group, you should pick up [30] The Tear of the Moons from Feegly the Exiled, located on the hill south of the entrance to the hall. Be warned that this quest involves killing a level 30 dwarf who pulls with four level 24-26 guards, and is therefore very difficult. If you are not on this quest, be sure to avoid the lowest level of the dwarf hall, as that is where the high level dwarf is.
After you have the items, return to Gann and turn in the quest, getting the followup. This simple quest requires you to head back to the ramp leading into the pit. Halfway down the ramp you will see a tower with a flying machine on top - simply use the item Gann gives out at the flying machine to destroy it. The tower is guarded, but not by any large force.
Finally, return to the tower south of the Crossroads when convenient to turn in the dig rat quest. You may want to do this after completing the quilboar quests described below, as they also take place in the southern-most part of the Barrens
Shaman: The orc shaman Brine is located on a hill on the north-eastern edge of Blackthorn Ridge. Brine is the questgiver for most of the Call of Water quests, which allow shaman to use water totems. This quest chain begins with a shaman trainer and sends the shaman to several different zones, including Ashenvale and Hillsbrad Foothills. Eventually Brine will send shamans to Islen Waterseer at the Tidus Stair, south of Ratchet (see Isha Awak section below).
While questing in this area, keep an eye out for Washte Pawne, a thunder lizard who patrolls the area. She drops a quest starting item which can be turned in at Camp Taurajo. Also watch out for Hagg Taurenbane <Razormane Champion> - he is a rare elite who sometimes spawns in the area, and can be devastating to the unwary solo quester. If you have a group, however, it can be quite rewarding to take him down.
You have several objectives in this area:
Kill Kuz and loot [Kuz's Skull]. He can be found patrolling most of the open area around Blackthorn Ridge.
Kill Lok Orcbane and loot [Lok's Skull]. He stays within a building that is up a ramp in the northwestern corner of the area.
Kill Nak and loot [Nak's Skull]. He patrols the open area southwest of the central hill.
Once you have all the needed items, return to Camp Taurajo to turn in the quests. You will receive a follow-up quest to deliver to the Crossroads. Make sure you have the quest [27] Mahren Skyseer before leaving Camp Taurajo, as you may not be returning.
Fly to Ratchet and head south along the coast until you reach the area known as the Tidus Stair - it is just north of the pirate ship. Speak with Mahren Skyseer to complete [27] Mahren Skyseer and receive [27] Isha Awak.
Shaman:Islen Waterseer is standing next to Mahren. She is the questgiver for several Call of Water quests, which allow the shaman to use water totems. Islen will send shamans to Brine initially, who is located in the southern Barrens (see The Razormane section above).
Continue south along the coast until you find the threshadonIsha Awak. She is usually just off the coast near the entrance to Northwatch Hold. Defeat her, loot [Heart of Isha Awak], then return to Mahren and turn in the quest.
Where to go from here
At this point, players are most likely somewhere between level 25 and 30. The best fit for the next questing zone is Thousand Needles, which has a range around 25-35. Other zones are mostly 20-30 or 30-40, which is awkward for characters of this level - either you pick up in the middle of the level range, or you are struggling to complete quests that are too difficult. A few possible zones will be discussed here.
Desolace is a barren wasteland which lies to the northwest. You can reach this area by entering the Stonetalon Mountains and following the path northwest until you reach Sun Rock Retreat. From there head west through the mountains, and turn southwest once you enter the Charred Vale. You will find a pass through the southern hills which will take you into Desolace. The quests in this area involve killing centaur (and in some cases, befriending them), battling orcs of the Burning Blade, and even fighting demons. Pick up [32] The Kolkar of Desolace from Regthar Deathgate in the burrow near the Forgotten Pools before heading out. See the Desolace questing guide for more information.
Other Zones
There are many other possible zones open to players at this point. A short list is as follows: