Worldview: Azuremyst and Bloodmyst Isles

This is the first post in what I plan to make into an on-going series exhibiting the zones and instances of World Of Warcraft. Outside of WoW, my main hobby is photography, and I've decided to try and apply my knowledge and skills in that field to screenshot-making in the game. There is so much to see in Azeroth and Outland, yet I suspect many veteran players don't really look at it with an aesthetic mindset - everything is mere function.

My purpose, then, is to show what the world is like when you spend the time to stop and just look at it, without issues of quests, travel, chores and so forth clouding your mind. A secondary goal is to make pictures that even non-players will find interesting, thus there will be few images documenting practical aspects of the world such as vendors, flight paths and so forth. In fact, this is not really a documentary project at all, more of a series of themed galleries.

This idea has been fermenting for quite a while – I think it was when I first saw Feralas that I began to see the game in a different light, and it was only when I read a post on HoTs & DoTs about Firefox Personas (themes), of all things, that I finally began to seriously consider doing something constructive.

So why the draenei starting areas first? Mostly because it's my nature to root for the underdog, and to be different. I have no proof but I get the feeling the Isles are one of the less-busy Alliance zones in the game; I suspect this is simply because draenei are not one of the standard fantasy races, so most people will start with the more familiar humans, dorfs and elves. A comparatively minor reason for starting in Exodar is because I am using my shaman to take the screenshots, as Far Sight allows me to see the world from normally inaccessible places.

So then, let us begin. You can click the images to see a larger (960px wide) version.

The Traders' Tier in the Exodar.

Workers clearing up a less well-travelled area of the Exodar.

Near the top of the ramp leading in and out of the Exodar.

The Exodar from the outside looking towards the front entrance.

The road leading north from Azure Watch, the draenei starting town.

A stag and some ruins on the hill overlooking Azure Watch.

Overlooking Ammen Vale, the draenei starting zone.

Looking north from Blood Watch on Bloodmyst Isle. Various pieces of the Exodar that broke off during the crash are scattered around Bloodmyst Isle, corrupting the area.

A view out across the sea to Wyrmscar Isle.

The ghost of Razormaw circling the sky above Wyrmscar Isle.

The Warp Piston, part of the Exodar which broke off during the crash.

An un-harnessed voidwalker wandering around near the Warp Piston.

The Vector Coil, another broken-off part of the Exodar. The Blood Elves in the area are using it to empower their leader Sironas.