Tol Barad

Tol Barad is a ravaged island kingdom in Baradin Bay, between Hasic and the shores of Khaz Modan.

History
During the Second War, Tol Barad was an island citadel belonging to Stromgarde. The island was also the site of a fierce battle between the Horde and Alliance. The Horde, having already conquered most of the dwarven lands, were preparing to strike out into the northern kingdom of Lordaeron. At the time, the island was being used as a staging point to strike back at orc raiders. In response, Orgrim Doomhammer launched an invasion of the island. Overwhelmed by the orcs, no life more complex than a few hardy weeds and insects survived the Horde's bloody victory. An aura of death seemed to radiate from the island, and the original fortress was razed to the ground. Tol Barad became a frightening symbol of the Horde's merciless tenacity and barbarity.

Years later, after the Second War, the island nation of Kul Tiras claimed the former stronghold and established a magic prison over the ruins of the old fortress. Wizards from both Dalaran and Stormwind oversaw the complex, and prisoners included enemy mages, lesser and greater demons, warlocks, and undead war criminals. The wizards did not allow anyone near the island and kept the prison's existence secret.

After the Cataclysm, however, Tol Barad became once again a contested zone between the Alliance and the Horde. The Horde elite regiment of Hellscream's Reach was charged by Garrosh Hellscream to take the island for the Horde. Baradin's Wardens is an army that originally guarded the prison, but aligned themselves with the Alliance after the Horde started attacking Tol Barad.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Tol Barad is an outdoor PvP raid zone in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, very similar to Wintergrasp in Northrend. However, the island is also similar to the Isle of Quel'Danas in that it is a major daily quest hub. Battling for control of the island are the Baradin's Wardens for the Alliance, and Hellscream's Reach for the Horde. Whichever side controls the prison on Tol Barad gains access to more dailies and the dungeon instance Baradin Hold.

In World of Warcraft, Tol Barad consists of two zones:
 * Tol Barad - PvP area (location of the battle) as well as a daily quest hub for the faction that controls it. This PvP area is also home to the Baradin Hold dungeon.
 * Tol Barad Peninsula - A daily quest hub for level 85 players regardless of who controls Tol Barad.

Players can enter Tol Barad by portals from Stormwind and Orgrimmar once they reach level 85 or by means of a mage portal, Portal, Tol Barad.

PvP
The Tol Barad zone plays out like Wintergrasp. There are seven discrete points of interest, with Baradin Hold at the center of the island and three destroyable towers and three capturable buildings surrounding it.

Points of Interest, circling clockwise around Baradin Hold from the north:
 * Ironclad Garrison at 12:00
 * East Spire at 2:00
 * Slagworks at 4:00
 * South Spire at 6:00
 * Warden's Vigil at 7:00
 * West Spire at 10:00

Battle lasts for 15 minutes with a 2 hours 30 minutes cooldown period. The victory condition for the attacking side is capturing all three buildings at the same time. The defending side has to prevent this, waiting for the timer to expire, to win. Whomever has more players near the flag gains control of the area, much like in Wintergrasp and Eye of the Storm.

Battle time is extended by 5 minutes for every tower destroyed bringing the total battle time up to 30 minutes with all three towers destroyed.

Three Tol Barad Commendations are awarded for a win.

Running north along the Blackstone Span connects to the Tol Barad Peninsula, a contested zone.

Questing


See also Baradin's Wardens and Hellscream's Reach for a full list of daily quests.

Points of Interest, circling clockwise around The Darkwood from the north:
 * Cape of Lost Hope at 12:00
 * Rustberg Village at 1:00
 * Largo's Overlook at 2:00
 * Baradin Base Camp at 3:00
 * Hellscream's Grasp at 6:00
 * Forgotten Hill at 7:00
 * The Restless Front at 8:00
 * The Darkwood at 9:00
 * Wellson Shipyard at 10:00
 * Farson Hold at 11:00

Resources

 * Herbalism
 * Azshara's Veil
 * Cinderbloom
 * Whiptail
 * Mining
 * Elementium Ore
 * Pyrite Ore

Inhabitants

 * Demonic hound (one, Svarnos)
 * Ettin (one, Problim)
 * Floating eyes
 * Foxes
 * Ghosts
 * s
 * s
 * Imps
 * s
 * Oozes
 * s
 * Rats
 * Shivarras
 * Snakes
 * Wrathguards
 * Snakes
 * Wrathguards
 * Wrathguards
 * Wrathguards

Tol Barad
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Daily Quests
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Tol Barad Peninsula
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Trivia

 * "Tol" is Sindarin for "isle" (as in Tol Brandir) and "Barad" is Sindarin for "tower" (as in Barad-dûr) according to Lord of the Rings' appendices. "Tol Barad" would thus mean "The Isle of the Tower" in Sindarin.
 * The Tol Barad art was the instance loading screen for the Scarlet Monastery before it was split into four wings.
 * Tol Barad Peninsula is not a peninsula.
 * Although Tol Barad is visible on the map of the Eastern Kingdoms, it is housed in a separate instance and thus cannot be accessed by flying from Vashj'ir or the Ruins of Gilneas. Instead of the two islands, the main map only has fatigue water at their supposed locations.
 * There is an island south of here; through a sight spell it's just unimplemented terrain.