WOW Guide Northshire Valley Newbie Walkthrough  

he Humans are one of the most popular races in World of Warcraft, and I can only begin to wonder why. If you find yourself rolling a human character, you will be starting off in a zone called Northshire Valley. Northshire is a small remote area protected by a small gate-pass that is guarded by high level Stormwind guards. The diligently protect the area from any Horde who want to crash the low-level party that is always happening in the Valley.

This guide will show you the ins-and-outs of the human starting zone, as well as a complete list of NPCs (Non-Player Characters), quests and a plethora of hints and other help that should get you on your way to higher level zones and exploring other content.

Northshire Valley is a beginner zone, and as such it is designed to introduce the new-comer to the game. You will learn a lot about WoW in your starting zone for the first time, but even though Blizzard has tried to make it as n00b-friendly as possible, everyone knows it can sometimes be confusing. Quests are essentially missions given to you by NPCs that offer rewards and experience points when completed successfully.

Every starting race has their own unique cutscene that they view in real-time when they first create their character. It explains the background of your race and your purpose in World of Warcraft. After viewing the human introduction, the first thing you will see is:

Deputy Willem is situated outside of this Abbey. When you first enter the world, he is the first NPC that is smack dab right in front of you, with a big yellow exclamation mark over his head. This signifies he has a quest for you.

Quest – A Threat Within

I hope you strapped your belt on tight, young paladin, because there is work to do here in Northshire.

And I don't mean farming.

The Stormwind guards are hard pressed to keep the peace here, with so many of us in distant lands and so many threats pressing close. And so we're enlisting the aid of anyone willing to defend their home. And their Alliance.

If you're here to answer the call, then speak with my superior, Marshal McBride. He's inside the Abbey behind me.

• (NOTE: NPCs will often evaluate your class and insert it into the quest dialogue to make it seem more personable. Here, a Paladin character was talking to the Deputy and was addressed as “young paladin”. This will differ for whatever your class is.)

Walking past him, you will see a large and obvious opening into the Abbey. As soon as you enter the hallway, you will see the Marshal standing at the end of the hall.

The yellow question mark indicates that speaking to him will complete a quest (A Threat Within). After you talk to Marshal McBride, he will respond and give you a quest of his own.

Marshal McBride has a quest line that deals with the Kobolds that are infesting north-west of the abbey. You get three quests to kill different types of Kobolds before you are finished the quest line and are sent off elsewhere. The quests listed in the Marshal's line are put in order, but most players will probably not complete this entire line in consecutive order. There are also side quests to pick up around the abbey which you can complete in the meantime. Here is McBride's first quest:

Quest – Kobold Camp Cleanup

Your first task is one of cleansing, Mogrin. A clan of kobolds has infested the woods to the north. Go there and fight the kobold vermin you find. Reduce their numbers so that we may one day drive them from Northshire.

Kobold Vermin Slain: 0/10

• (NOTE: Where it says “Mogrin”, the quest giver is again adding your name in to make it sound like a true dialogue and not just a carbon copy repeat of what everyone else gets when they talk to the Marshal. Remember that this will be what your character's name is when you talk to McBride for this quest)

This quest sends you on a journey to slay ten Kobold Vermin, creatures who are just north-west of the Abbey. Checking your map, you should see a small cave marked on the north-west corner. That is a kobold-infested mine, and between it and the Abbey lays many Kobold Vermin for you to kill.

Notice the small cave marking on this map to the right. This is the kobold-infested mine.

If you haven't already, you should go do the ‘Kobold Camp Cleanup' quest and head north-west in search of Kobold Vermin. Slay ten of them and return to Marshal McBride for the next part in the quest-line.

• (NOTE: Quest lines are, well, lines of quests that are given by the same NPC to a character. Quest lines usually deal with a certain race of mobs, such as kobolds, and implore you to combat different types of their kin in numerous quests, which get harder and harder.)

Now, after handing in the quest for ‘Kobold Camp Cleanup', Marshal McBride will have two quests for you. One of them will be class-specific, and you will receive some kind of note from your specific class trainer. The location of all trainers and NPC's is located further down in the guide, so if you are having trouble finding your trainer to complete this quest, scroll down, find the NPC you are looking for and check out his location.

The Marshal also gives us a new quest to hunt the Kobold.

Quest – Investigate Echo Ridge

Mogrin, my scouts tell me that the kobold infestation is larger than we had thought. A group of kobold workers has camped near the Echo Ridge Mine to the north.

Go to the mine and remove them. We know there are at least 10. Kill them, see if there are more, then report back to me.

Kobolds Miners: 0/10

Refer back to your map (default key M). Looking north-west, you can see the small symbol of a cave on the map that signifies the Echo Ridge Mine. You don't necessarily have to enter the mine; there are plenty of Kobold Workers outside of it to kill. Once you have reached a kill count of 10, return to the Marshal.

You receive yet another quest to hunt the Kobolds.

Quest – Skirmish at Echo Ridge

Your previous investigations are proof that the Echo Ridge Mine needs purging. Return to the mine and help clear it of kobolds.

Waste no time, Mogrin. The longer the kobolds are left unmolested in the mine, the deeper a foothold they gain in Northshire.

Kobold Laborers Slain: 0/12

Now you are on the grand quest to vanquish the mighty Laborers of the mine. Twelve of them. Jump into the mine and start killing them. They are fairly easy, but you might find yourself resting for health and/or mana more often with these burly guys. After destroying the Laborers, return to Marshal McBride for a choice of three rewards and a big XP payoff.

After completing the Kobold quest line, the Marshall gives you a final quest.

Quest – Report to Goldshire

Mogrin, you are a warrior with proven interest in the security of Northshire. You are now tasked with the protection of the surrounding Elwynn Forest.

If you accept this duty, then I have prepared papers that must be delivered to Marshal Dughan in Goldshire. Goldshire lies along the southern road, past the border gates.

You receive some documents and are to deliver them to the Marshal in Goldshire, another town just south of Northshire. This is essentially a breadcrumb quest which is supposed to lead you to a new area that will provide you with new quests that are appropriate for your level.

Behind the abbey, you may notice there is an abundance of ‘Young Wolves' walking around. Turning around to the back wall of the abbey, you will meet Eagan Peltskinner, an NPC who has a side-quest for you!

Quest – Wolves Across the Border

I hate those nasty timber wolves! But I sure like eating wolf steaks... Bring me tough wolf meat and I will exchange it for something you'll find useful.

Tough wolf meat is gathered from hunting the timber wolves and young wolves wandering the Northshire countryside.

Tough Wolf Meat: 0/8

Just facing Eagan are plenty of wolves for you to kill. Hunt them down quickly and gather eight Tough Wolf Meats and return them to Peltskinner for some experience and a choice of two rewards.

When you first started, you talked to a guard named Deputy Willem. You will notice at some point he has a quest line of his own, dealing with a group of bandits called the ‘Defias Brotherhood'. Talking to him after doing one of McBride's quests opens up his quest line. Here is the first.

Quest – Brotherhood of Thieves

Recently, a new group of thieves has been hanging around Northshire. They call themselves the Defias Brotherhood, and have been seen across the river to the east.

I don't know what they're up to, but I'm sure it's not good! Bring me the bandanas they wear, and I'll reward you with a weapon.

Red Burlap Bandana: 0/12

Traveling slightly south-east of the abbey will bring you to a small bridge that passes over a stream. The Defias bandits cover the farms past the bridge, and your new quest requires you to slay them and collect their Red Burlap Bandanas as proof. You will not get a bandana for every kill you get, so you'll probably end up killing more then just twelve of them.

After collecting the required twelve, return to the Deputy. You will notice after handing in the quest he has two other quests to give you. One of them is another Defias quest, but the other is a side-quest. First I'll mention the Defias quest and then the side quest, since you can probably complete both at the same time.

Quest – Bounty on Garrick Padfoot

Garrick Padfoot - a cutthroat who's plagued our farmers and merchants for weeks - was seen at a shack near the vineyards, which lies east of the Abbey and across the bridge. Bring me the villain's head, and earn his bounty!

But be wary, Mogrin. Garrick has gathered a gang of thugs around him. He will not be an easy man to reach.

Now, before you go off into the wild looking for this cutthroat, accept the Deputy's other quest as well.

Quest – Milly Osworth

You've shown yourself a dependable warrior, Mogrin. Dependable, and not afraid to get your hands dirty, eh?

I have a friend, Milly Osworth, who's in some trouble. She's over with her wagon on the other side of the abbey, near the stable. I'm sure she could use a pair of hands like yours.

Walk to the other side of the abbey and you will find Milly near the stables. Once you talk to her, you receive a quest from her.

Quest – Milly's Harvest

A gang of brigands, the Defias, moved into the Northshire Vineyards while I was harvesting! I reported it to the Northshire guards and they assured me they'd take care of things, but... I'm afraid for my crop of grapes! If the Defias don't steal them then I fear our guards will trample them when they chase away the thugs.

Please, you must help me! I gathered most of my grapes into buckets, but I left them in the vineyards to the southeast.

Bring me those crates! Save my harvest!

Milly's Harvest: 0/8

Now you have to go beyond the south-eastern bridge into the Defias territory and walk into the fields to collect the Harvest (they are in grape cans scattered about the fields). Other than the Defias who are all clumped in the fields, you get no other disturbance. Pick up the eight harvests, killing any Defias that try to stop you. Travel to the eastern tip of the diamond-shaped field. Looking east, you should see a small building with some Defias near it. Garrick Padfoot is there. Charge him and his bodyguard, kill them both, and collect his head.

Return to the Deputy and you get a choice of some rewards. Then go to Milly on the otherside and hand in her quest for the Harvest. After handing in the quest to her, she will give you another one.

Quest – Grape Manifest

Now that my crop is saved, take this Grape Manifest to Brother Neals. He manages the store of food and drink in Northshire, and I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that he has fresh grapes.

You'll find Brother Neals in the Abbey, in the bell tower... where he likes to taste his wine.

Find the stairwell inside of the Abbey and keep going up until you reach the top of the bell tower. Hand in the quest to Brother Neals and accept a reward.

Congratulations! You have just completed ALL the quests Northshire has to offer! Remember, when you are done them all, make sure you have the quest “Report to Goldshire” and the head south on the road and you'll hit Goldshire.

Listed here are the location, name and function of every NPC that has a purpose in Northshrie. Those who are not trainers, vendors or quest givers, who have no real purpose, are not listed.

Vendors

Vendors are non-player-characters that buy and sell items. Certain vendors can even repair your damaged equipment, but not all. Here is a list (and screenshot) of every vendor found in Northshire. None of the vendors in Northshire give quests.

Quest-Givers

Class Trainers

Class trainers for every human class are available somewhere inside or outside of the Abbey. At every even level (2,4,6,8,etc…) you receive new skills which only your trainer can teach you. The more skills you learn, the more powerful you become. After completing the Kobold Camp Cleanup quest given by the Marshal, you will receive some kind of note (varies by class) that gives you a small description of your class and was sent by your class trainer. Remember to seek your trainer out, complete the quest and then return to him/her every even level to receive new training.

Northshire has many enemies – the overpopulated wolves who breed ever closer to the Abbey, the Defias who have taken a stranglehold over the Northshire Vinyards to the east, and the terrible Kobolds who have infested themselves in Echo Ridge. This section deals with all the different kinds of enemies you will face in your quests and where they can be found.

I hope this guide helped you in one form or another. The humans have many things to worry about – hapless farm hijackers, small creatures called kobolds that a tauren could probably punt 300 yards and dozens upon dozens of BIG BAD WOLFIES! Now soldier of Northshire – go out and take out the threat

Further Questions/Concerns

If you think we left out anything in this guide or got any of the information wrong, or just want to drop some comments about it, don't hesitate to post.