Dalaran

Dalaran (aka Dalaran City) is a magocratic city-state which was once located by the Lordamere Lake on the Alterac Mountains shore in the Eastern Kingdoms. With the beginning of the War against the Lich King its leaders, the Kirin Tor, have used their powers to move the city over the Crystalsong Forest in Northrend in order to use it as a front to attack the armies of the Lich King. The Kirin Tor rule the single city. Its inner fortress, the Violet Citadel, has served as the focal point for magi and the study of the arcane throughout human history. The kingdom's national color is violet and its flag is a yellow, possibly golden, eye set against a light purple background.

History
Dalaran was one of several kingdoms that emerged as the Empire of Arathor declined (see Seven Kingdoms and The Seven Kingdoms). Long ago, most human magicians lived in Strom. Wanting a place more suited to extensive use and study of magic, they traveled north to the recently founded city of Dalaran, located in the Alterac Mountains region. More wizards followed, and the city became a haven for magi and a center of arcane study. The mages of Dalaran protected inhabitants who weren't magic-users with powerful protection spells, and created a decadent, extravagant paradise. Dalaran was also built atop a massive ley line.

This overuse of magic with no proper protection or regulation, though, acted as a beacon for the Burning Legion, luring them back to Azeroth. Demons slipped through the gaps in reality, terrorizing the locals until the ruling Magocrats were forced to turn to the elves for aid. High Elf wizards quickly realized what had happened and warned that humanity would have to give up magic to subdue the threat completely. The Magocrats, unwilling to sacrifice their power, instead proposed selecting a mortal champion to protect them from the Legion. This Guardian would have access to all their might, and would form a secret defense for the world. The elves agreed and, through the newly formed Order of Tirisfal, provided guidance in the selection. At the same time, the Magocrats sent some of their number to research and catalog all human magic. These wizards became the Kirin Tor.

The Kirin Tor became the city’s ruling power. Dalaran, though not a large city, was a beautiful place of towering spires and glittering streets, and the people there were happy and well protected. The Kirin Tor’s headquarters was the Violet Citadel, an impressive building so named for its stone walls which gave off a faint violet light. The building had many libraries, research chambers, testing rooms, classrooms, meeting alcoves, and bedrooms.

During the Second War, Dalaran entered the Alliance of Lordaeron in order to help fight the invading Horde. After the war, Teron Gorefiend and his Death Knights, aided by Deathwing, were able to succcessfully enter Dalaran's Arcane vault and steal the Eye of Dalaran from it.

Later, Dalaran found itself powerless to stop Prince Arthas and his forces when he led the Scourge through Lordaeron. Arthas acquired the spellbook of Medivh, which Kel'Thuzad utilized to summon Archimonde, who destroyed Dalaran. The city was left in ruins.

The Kirin Tor refused to abandon their home, however. They returned to the ruins months later, destroying those few undead creatures that remained, and reclaimed their city. They erected a glowing dome around the entire city, powerful enough to destroy anyone who touches it, while they worked to rebuild their fallen city.

Eventually, the city, including the Violet Citadel, was somehow moved to its current location floating above the Crystalsong Forest in Northrend — close to the border with Icecrown. It left only a crater in its original place.

Wrath of the Lich King


Dalaran has been neutral since Lands of Conflict. was in charge during its reconstruction, and it was introduced as the neutral city for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, as Shattrath City was introduced as the neutral city for the The Burning Crusade expansion.

One thing to take into consideration is that three of Dalaran's best wizards,, , and have had dealings with the Horde in the past. Also, studied the effects of the orcs' lethargy extensively enough to know that they could be reasonable in the absence of their demonic bloodlust. More recently, the inclusion of the blood elf and Horde supporter Aethas Sunreaver in the Council of Six has ensured the Horde a sanctuary within the city, though Rhonin's wife Vereesa Windrunner was opposed to this notion.

The city contains areas that are faction-specific in the same manner as Shattrath City is divided amongst the Aldor and Scryers. Certain parts of the city can only be reached by Alliance players (Silver Enclave) while others are strictly for Horde use (Sunreaver's Sanctuary). The majority of the city remains neutral.

Evidently, the blue dragonflight, led by, has declared war on all mortal magic-users. In response to this crisis, the city has been moved (likely with the bulk of the Kirin Tor and most available resources) to levitate high in the skies above Northrend. Dalaran today floats majestically above the Crystalsong Forest in defiance to the blue dragonflight as well as the forces of the in Icecrown — to the north of its location.

Dalaran can be accessed via the teleport crystal in Violet Stand, Crystalsong Forest, north of the Dragonblight. The Council of Six continue to preside over the magical city of Dalaran, though only Archmage Modera, Archmage Aethas Sunreaver and its leader Rhonin are seen within the city.

It acts as the neutral sanctuary city for the continent, similar to Shattrath City in Outland, and can be accessed by teleportation from the Violet Stand in the Crystalsong Forest or by flying mount. Like Stormwind's Stockade and Orgrimmar's Ragefire Chasm, Dalaran has its own instance within the city: the Violet Hold. Like Shattrath City, there were originally no class trainers - with the notable exception of mage trainers, given the city's history - nor an Auction House. (Patch 3.2 introduced an Auction House for Master Engineers with the addition of Steam Powered Auctioneers to the Like Clockwork engineering shop, while Patch 4.0.3a made the auctioneers usable by everyone and added class trainers.) Grand Master trainers for each profession are available in the city. Portals are located within the Alliance and Horde districts of the city, connecting to the factions' capital cities and Shattrath City. There is a portal trainer at the Violet Gate, and there are battlemasters and an arena master in the Underbelly sewer system.

In-game, the city of Dalaran was originally a no-fly zone below a certain altitude (slightly higher than the rooftops), with the exception of Krasus' Landing, where the flight point is located, and the Underbelly. This was to help maintain the atmosphere of the city, but with Cataclysm, the rule was lifted.

Cataclysm
The portals to the Alliance and Horde major cities were removed in Patch 4.0.3a and replaced by class trainers. The formerly engineering-only auctioneers &mdash; Steam-Powered Auctioneer in Silver Enclave and Steam-Powered Auctioneer in Sunreaver Sanctuary &mdash; now serve anyone and flying is now allowed.

For information about getting out of Dalaran and getting around the Old World without the portals to the major cities, see Living without portal hubs and Cataclysm travel guide. Note that, while it has been explained that Outland and Northrend take place within the time frame their storylines occurred in, the Dalaran Crater in the old world remains empty. According to blue poster Bornakk, Dalaran will remain in Northrend for the foreseeable future.

Areas


Dalaran is split into several inter-faction zones, and 2 faction only zones. These are:
 * The Violet Citadel (Seat of the Kirin Tor faction.)
 * Purple Parlor (Upper floor and viewing balcony of the Violet Citadel.)
 * Archmage Vargoth's Retreat (Vargoth's bedroom/library somewhere in the Violet Citadel.)
 * Silver Enclave (Faction specific subzone for the Alliance)
 * A Hero's Welcome (Inn attached to the Silver Enclave)
 * Beer Garden (Area located behind A Hero's Welcome)
 * The Eventide
 * Krasus' Landing (Flight master is located here.)
 * Sunreaver's Sanctuary (Faction specific subzone for the Horde.)
 * The Filthy Animal (Inn located within Sunreaver's Sanctuary.)
 * Antonidas Memorial (Memorial to Archmage Antonidas.)
 * Magus Commerce Exchange''' (Main trade district)
 * Runeweaver Square (The city's central plaza.)
 * Violet Gate (Where portals first take you.)
 * The Legerdemain Lounge (Neutral Inn, North-central area)
 * The Underbelly (Sewers below the city.)
 * Cantrips & Crows (The Underbelly tavern and inn.)
 * Circle of Wills (A place for some duel action and PvP fun.)
 * The Black Market (The secret market for rogues and warlocks.)

Factions
There are 3 major factions in Dalaran. These are:
 * Dalaran Tabard.jpg Kirin Tor
 * Sunreaver Tabard.jpg Sunreavers
 * Silver Covenant Tabard.jpg Silver Covenant

Previously, during The Third War, the city was also inhabited by the Sorcerers' League and Mages' Guild, two Alliance-aligned wizard-factions that fought alongside Kirin Tor against the Scourge. As they haven't been mentioned since then, they were possibly either destroyed or fused with Kirin Tor.

The High Council

 * : Current leader of the Kirin Tor.
 * : Leader of the Sunreavers. Member of the Six.
 * : Long-standing member of the Six.
 * : Kirin Tor Quartermaster.
 * / : Emissary of the Bronze dragonflight.

Other notable residents

 * : Survivor of the Alliance Expedition and former resident and notable of Kirin'Var Village.
 * : The wife of Rhonin and the leader of the Silver Covenant.

Getting to Dalaran
Dalaran is located in the north central region of the continent of Northrend, floating above the western side of Crystalsong Forest. Ships and zeppelins departing from Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Menethil Harbor and the Undercity provide access to Northrend from Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.

Once you are in Northrend, there are a number of ways to reach Dalaran:


 * Dalaran specific methods from within Northrend:
 * As of Patch 4.0.3, the flight master at Krasus' Landing in Dalaran is learned automatically by all characters. Any character can simply take a ship or zeppelin to Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord, talk to the flight master near the dock, and take a taxi to Dalaran.
 * At level 68 any character can learn Cold Weather Flying and fly to Dalaran with a flying mount.
 * At level 68 a set of crystals, (Teleport to Violet Stand Crystal and Teleport to Dalaran Crystal), can be used. The Teleport to Violet Stand Crystal must be used first by doing Quest:Learning to Leave and Return: the Magical Way from Portal Trainer, so you must first reach Dalaran via another method. Note that the completion of these quests will render Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran unavailable, so it is a good idea to not complete these quests until you have acquired one of the Kirin Tor rings or an Argent Crusader's Tabard.
 * At level 74 any character can get Quest:The Magical Kingdom of Dalaran from any of several members of the Kirin Tor. This provides a portal to Dalaran until you complete the quest. As with the quest above, it is best not to complete this quest until you have one of the Kirin Tor rings or an Argent Crusader's Tabard. If you don't complete it, you can use the portal to travel quickly from the ship or zeppelin port in Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord (or several other locations in Northrend) to Dalaran, allowing you to keep your hearthstone in your faction capital or some other useful location.
 * At level 71 mages can talk to NPCs in Dragonblight and learn to teleport to Dalaran after completing Quest:Attunement to Dalaran.
 * At level 80, if your faction has won the previous Wintergrasp battle, you can take the Wintergrasp portal to the Violet Citadel. The portal is inside the Wintergrasp Fortress.
 * A separate guide, Getting to Wintergrasp and Dalaran, provides a few ways to get to Wintergrasp.


 * Dalaran specific methods from anywhere:
 * At level 74 mages can learn a portal to Dalaran from the portal trainer. A mage portal allows anyone to get to Dalaran from anywhere.
 * A set of upgradeable Kirin Tor rings are available at level 80. Any of these rings can teleport the player to Dalaran.
 * An Argent Crusader's Tabard is available at level 80. This teleports the player to the Argent Tournament Grounds, less than two minutes' flight from Dalaran.


 * Non-Dalaran specific methods:
 * Once in Dalaran, players can set a Dalaran inn as their home, which enables them to teleport there with their Hearthstone.
 * A Warlock in Dalaran can summon players to Dalaran, with 2 others in Dalaran in the same group.
 * Players whose accounts are linked via Recruit-A-Friend can summon one another to Dalaran. The players must be in the same group.

Leaving Dalaran

 * Dalaran-specific methods
 * Anyone who is at least level 74 can talk to Portal Trainer and do Quest:Learning to Leave and Return: the Magical Way to enable the Teleport to Violet Stand Crystal which teleports to Violet Stand below Dalaran.
 * Learn Cold Weather Flying and fly from there with a flying mount.
 * Take the Caverns of Time portal in the Violet Citadel.


 * Non-Dalaran specific methods:
 * Hearth to non-Dalaran bind point.
 * A warlock in Dalaran can summon players from Dalaran, with 2 others at destination in the same group.
 * After meeting the Dalaran Flight master (in Krasus' Landing), players can pay to fly from there to nearby flight masters via a Flight Path.
 * Jump off the edge or from the tunnel in the sewers (Underbelly). If you have some method to prevent falling to your death, that's usually preferred.
 * As of Cataclysm, it is fairly common to see mages offering portals out of Dalaran to various locales.

Flight

 * Ebon Watch, Zul'Drak
 * Moa'ki Harbor, Dragonblight
 * Wyrmrest Temple, Dragonblight
 * Argent Tournament Grounds, Icecrown
 * Argent Vanguard, Icecrown
 * Fordragon Hold, Dragonblight
 * Kor'kron Vanguard, Dragonblight

Portals
When Wrath of the Lich King went live, Dalaran supplanted Shattrath City as the major hub for player activity, due to easy access to the capital cities in the southern continents, to Outland via Shattrath, and to the high level content in Northrend. Those portals were removed in patch 4.0.3a, however portals to Orgrimmar and Stormwind City were added in patch 4.1.0.

Teleport Crystals

 * Teleport to Dalaran Crystal
 * Teleport to Violet Stand Crystal

Old location
A large, gaping crater has replaced the old location of Dalaran, with a weakened shield in place of the opaque dome, though there is some purplish smoke around the site — possibly residue from magic dome or the city's (literally) earth-shaking exit.

Points of Interest



 * There are 12 mailboxes, one outside The Filthy Animal inn and two outside The Legerdemain Lounge inn, two located outside the north bank and one located outside the south bank, one outside the Eastern entrance to The Underbelly, one outside the Alchemy trainer, one in Krasus' Landing, one at the foot of the stairway leading to The Violet Citadel, one outside A Hero's Welcome, and one outside the Guild Master.
 * As pointed out from above there are two banks, one located right from the statue of Antonidas and another located on the other side of Dalaran in The Eventide, to the left of the entrance of A Hero's Welcome. Although they are both near the faction controlled areas, they are available to both the Alliance and the Horde.
 * The well near the Magus Commerce Exchange is an entrance to the Underbelly, when you jump into it you arrive randomly at one of four possible sites in the Underbelly. Jumping down will not give any fall damage.
 * All profession trainers (except Fishing and Cooking) are also located in the Magus Commerce Exchange.
 * All mage trainers are located in the Violet Gate.