Map of Kezan and the Undermine as seen on the World of Warcraft Behind the Scenes DVD
The Undermine is an underground city located on the small island Kezan in the southern seas of Azeroth near the Maelstrom. In Lands of Mystery, the city had a population of 20,000.
Making their home in the Undermine are the goblins, who are native to the island.
Undermine is home to the fabled goblin trade princes, who hide from Alliance and Horde authorities on Kalimdor. The princes each control their own private armies and trade fleets. As a result, Undermine is a busy place, as the goblin fortress city goes about its business.
Introduction
The Undermine is the center of goblin civilization. It is located beneath and within Kezan, and is connected to the island via a series of volcanic tunnels. The main centers of Undermine are in volcanic caverns beneath Kezan. Secondary island caverns exist farther away, and the goblins have constructed tunnels of thick glass that lead to these smaller areas. Passing through these tubes means walking along the ocean’s floor and looking out to see the colorful fish and hungry sharks nearby. As the capital of goblin culture, Undermine teems with chaotic activity. Goblin alchemists and tinkers practice their crafts and set off explosions. Slave markets bustle in out-of-the-way places. Shops and businesses of all kinds are based here, and the headquarters of the Trade Coalition, the Venture Company and myriad other enterprises are within this city. In Undermine, you can find the extremes on both ends: reeking slave pens in one area, the trade princes’ lavish palaces in another.
Of particular interest is the fact that, wandering around Undermine, is a strange breed of creature called hobgoblins. They resemble goblins, but are much taller and have purple skin.[1]
Cataclysm
In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a stray footbomb, possibly augmented by Deathwing's return, has caused Mount Kajaro to erupt. Many goblins fled Bilgewater Port as slaves on Trade Prince Gallywix's yacht and ended up shipwrecked on the Lost Isles. The status of the city is unknown.
References to the Undermine
World of Warcraft
- [Undermine Clam Chowder]
- There is a Spanish normal server called Minahonda, which means Undermine (Minahonda is more precisely translated as Deepmine).
- There is an American normal server called Undermine.
- Wharfmaster Dizzywig of Ratchet states, "...you could tell him that I've got some things from Undermine for him..." at the opening of the quest The Missing Shipment.
- The ending of the quest Excelsior says, "Thanks for you help I'll have this order filled and sent off to Director Riddlevox on the next boat to Undermine."
- Gazlowe in Ratchet states that Pozzik "was one of the most respected tinkerers in Undermine before he retired to start working on the racers."
- When the quest Samophlange (4) is turned in to Sputtervalve in Ratchet, he says, "This is... er... interesting... yes. I'll have it sent along to the Tinkers' Union headquarters in Undermine. I'm sure after some careful dissection and research, they'll be able to make some sense of it."
- When the quest Wenikee Boltbucket is received from Sputtervalve (after the above Samophlange quest), he says, "I think I might have broken that Samophlange. That's not good, because I already told some colleagues in Undermine about it and they were very intrigued."
- When the quest Miner's Fortune is turned into Wharfmaster Dizzywig in Ratchet, he says, "Look at the size of that thing! We're going to be rich! Let's see, according to the rates I've seen on gems going into Undermine, I should be able to figure out your cut--fifty percent, don't worry!"
- When you turn in the quest Southsea Freebooters to Gazlowe in Ratchet, he says, "I don't even want to think about the profits I've lost from pirate raiding, and now they set up camp on my doorstep? It's getting out of hand, Undermine's got to do something about it."
- In the Horde quest Further Instructions (2) Sputtervalve says, "The matter of this gnome that has been hired by Venture Company has caused a bit of a stir in Undermine." It also mentions the trade princes, Director Riddlevox (the head of the Tinkers' Union), and Razdunk (the head of the Venture Company).
- In the shipment quests from Timothy Jones in Dalaran, a "wealthy shipping concern" from the Undermine request different collection of jewelry.
- After finishing the quest Gerenzo's Orders (2) and bringing the
[Unidentified Ore] to Ziz Fizziks, he says, "I'm sure the engineers in Undermine will be most interested to look at this..." - After finishing the quest Excelsior Drizzlik says, "Great! Thanks to your help I'll have this order filled and sent off to Director Riddlevox on the next boat to Undermine. Ahead of schedule, even!" In chronological order it would appear Undermine survived both the cataclysm and Mount Kajaro's eruption.
Speculation
- Foreman Dampwick believes Kezan to be dead.
- After the cataclysm and Mount Kajaro's eruption Drizzlik has an order filled for Director Riddlevox and placed on the next boat to Undermine.
- It is possible that Undermine, like Kul Tiras, will appear in a future content patch.
Other references
New Year event
The New Year 2005 content on the official community site, which states: "The innovative and artistic engineers of Undermine have been slaving away since their display of pyrotechnics in July."
Midsummer Fire Festival Event
The Midsummer Fire Festival 2008 event on the official community site, which states: "The lengthy Midsummer Fire Festival traditionally ends with the sky itself being set alight. The goblins of Undermine have lent their considerable skill (and copious amounts of gunpowder) to the task, resulting in a tremendous fireworks show! Take up a festival mug and raise a toast to the season as the multicolored explosions dance across the sky above you!"
Notes
Note that the Undermine was already in the early World of Warcraft Betas not as a city on a island, but as a continent south of Kalimdor, but there was only water there and nothing else.
References
- ^ Lands of Mystery, 77-78
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