Howling Fjord: the story of the zone in WotLK

October 8, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

The story of Howling Fjord in WotLK is the arrival of the Alliance and the Horde in southeastern Northrend, right in the territory of the vrykul the Lich King has just woken up. On one side, the Alliance defends Valgarde from the attacks of Utgarde Keep; on the other, the Forsaken test the New Plague in New Agamand.

In 3.3.5a, it is a level 68 to 72 zone. The overview of the whole expansion is in the story of Wrath of the Lich King.

What is Howling Fjord in WoW history?

Howling Fjord is a region of fjords, cliffs and forests in southeastern Northrend. It is the homeland of the continent's vrykul. The central fortress is Utgarde Keep, on the shores of Lake Cauldros.

When the curse of flesh began to turn them from beings of stone into mortals, they went into a magical sleep. That sleep protected them even from the Great Sundering.

In WotLK, the Lich King sends the Scourge across Northrend to wake the vrykul. It is in this nest of giants that the two factions land.

The origin of the vrykul and their link to humans are in The fall of the vrykul and the birth of humanity.

Did Arthas pass through here?

In Warcraft III, Arthas lands in Northrend to hunt the dreadlord Mal'Ganis. The original spot was Daggercap Bay, in the center of Howling Fjord. In WotLK, however, the landing was moved to the Forgotten Shore, in Dragonblight, and later books changed it again. His fall is in the story of the Lich King and Arthas.

Valgarde: the Alliance in Howling Fjord

Valgarde sits on the western shore of Daggercap Bay. The town was born after the Third War. It was founded by survivors of Arthas's betrayal, humans and dwarves from his expedition who were left behind.

When King Varian Wrynn declares war on the Lich King, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon commands the Valiance Expedition. The Alliance sets up its beachhead in Howling Fjord, and Valgarde grows with the campaign. The town's commander at the start of the expedition is Vice Admiral Keller.

About a month after the arrival, the trouble begins. The vrykul of the Dragonflayer clan start attacking the town with worgs and proto-drake riders. The proto-drakes breathe fire on the walls, which are still under construction.

That is where the Valgarde quests come from, with rescues in Wyrmskull Village, the vrykul village just below Utgarde.

Explorers' League, Steel Gate and the iron dwarves

The dwarves of Ironforge are also in the zone. The Explorers' League has a post, the Explorers' League Outpost, in the southeast, east of Nifflevar.

Right next to it is Baelgun's Excavation Site, overseen by the Explorers' League. A huge statue juts out of the cliff wall, and the ruins suggest titan work. During the war, the iron dwarves take the site and stop the dig. Farther north is Steel Gate, another dwarven dig, with an almost intact statue.

Westguard Keep and Fort Wildervar

Westguard Keep is a town of humans and dwarves on the western cliffs. It also belongs to the Valiance Expedition, and its leader is the dwarf Captain Adams.

In the northeast is Fort Wildervar. The Valiance Expedition founded the fort to supply the expeditions heading to Grizzly Hills and to take in human settlers. Its leader is Gil Grisert.

Vengeance Landing and the Royal Apothecary Society

On the Horde side, the ones who rule the zone are the Forsaken. Vengeance Landing is the military post of the Hand of Vengeance and the Horde's port in Howling Fjord. It was built by the Forsaken on Sylvanas Windrunner's orders.

Its leader is High Executor Anselm. The port has docks and a zeppelin tower linked to Undercity. A yellow fog covers the valley.

Members of the Royal Apothecary Society, Sylvanas's society of apothecaries, work there, such as Apothecary Lysander. They arrive with a new weapon: the New Plague.

New Agamand and the New Plague

The New Plague was created by the alchemists of the Royal Apothecary Society, and the latest version was prepared in Undercity. First sent to Vengeance Landing, it lost strength on the long ship voyage.

So the tests move to New Agamand, a Forsaken town in the south of the zone. Its leader is Chief Plaguebringer Harris. The land around it is dead and brown, in the middle of a green landscape.

The apothecaries even use the vrykul village of Halgrind as a testing ground. The New Agamand quests show this work from the inside, such as "A Tailor-Made Formula", "Apply Heat and Stir" and "Field Test".

Why does this matter for the Wrathgate?

After several failures in Howling Fjord, the apothecaries of New Agamand send a perfected sample, the "Forsaken Blight", to Venomspite, in Dragonblight. The quest "To Venomspite!" takes the player there.

This is the plague that Grand Apothecary Putress, serving Varimathras, will unleash at the Wrathgate on the Scourge, the Horde and the Alliance. But the wiki records neither Putress nor his agents in Howling Fjord. The zone shows the weapon being tested, not the traitor.

The betrayal itself is for the next chapter of the trail, in Dragonblight, and for the Battle for Undercity.

The vrykul of Utgarde: Ingvar, Keleseth and Ymiron

Utgarde Keep is the home of the Dragonflayer clan, which leads the vrykul of Northrend. That is where the attacks on Valgarde and Vengeance Landing come from.

Ingvar the Plunderer coordinates these attacks. He watches Valgarde from a balcony above the Daggercap Bay waterfall, and his dragon riders strike from above.

At his side is Prince Keleseth, the Scourge's ambassador in Utgarde, who commands the undead in the zone.

Above them all is King Ymiron. He ruled the vrykul before the Great Sundering. When the curse of flesh arrived, Ymiron blamed the titans and banned their worship. He also ordered that babies born deformed be killed, under penalty of execution, at Gjalerbron. In the end, he put his people to sleep to wait for an awakening in the future.

Gjalerbron and Queen Angerboda

Gjalerbron is a vrykul fortress in the north of the zone. There, the vrykul and the Scourge perform rituals to wake the sleeping warriors.

During the war, Queen Angerboda, Ymiron's wife, tries to wake him beneath Gjalerbron. The idea was for the two of them to serve the Lich King together. Adventurers kill her before the ritual ends.

Then the Lich King appears. He takes Ymiron to Utgarde Pinnacle and, after the king proves his worth, turns him into undead. From there, Ymiron commands the vrykul allied with the Scourge against the Horde and the Alliance.

The kvaldir and the other peoples of the zone

At Shield Hill, a vrykul cemetery, the pirates of the Northsea Freebooters stole artifacts from the tombs. The tuskarr tried to return them, but it was too late. The theft started the raids of the kvaldir, cursed vrykul spirits, along the coasts of Northrend. Their link to Helya was only told in detail later, in Legion.

The tuskarr have Kamagua, on the Isle of Spears, as their largest village in Howling Fjord. It is ruled by Elder Atuik, of the Kalu'ak. From there leaves the giant turtle that goes to Moa'ki Harbor, in Dragonblight.

In the north, the Horde has an ally: the taunka of the Winterhoof tribe, at Camp Winterhoof, led by Chieftain Ashtotem. They are the ones who send the Horde against Skorn and Gjalerbron.

Who's who in Howling Fjord

| Character | Side | Role in the zone | | --- | --- | --- | | Vice Admiral Keller | Alliance | Commands Valgarde at the start of the expedition | | Captain Adams | Alliance | Leader of Westguard Keep | | Gil Grisert | Alliance | Leader of Fort Wildervar | | High Executor Anselm | Horde | Leader of Vengeance Landing | | Chief Plaguebringer Harris | Horde | Leader of New Agamand | | Chieftain Ashtotem | Horde (taunka) | Leader of Camp Winterhoof | | Elder Atuik | Tuskarr | Chief of Kamagua | | Ingvar the Plunderer | Vrykul | Coordinates the Dragonflayer attacks | | Prince Keleseth | Scourge | Scourge ambassador in Utgarde | | King Ymiron | Vrykul / Scourge | Former king, raised by the Lich King |

Where to see it in WotLK

Valgarde (58, 62): the ship from Menethil Harbor drops the Alliance off at the port. There you find "Prisoners of Wyrmskull", "If Valgarde Falls..." and "Dragonflayer Battle Plans".
Vengeance Landing: the Horde arrives by the zeppelin from Undercity.
New Agamand: the New Plague chain, from "New Agamand" to "Field Test" and "To Venomspite!". The Alliance attacks the town in "Mission: Plague This!".
Westguard Keep (30, 42), Fort Wildervar (61, 16), Steel Gate (30.2, 24.9) and Baelgun's Excavation Site (72, 72): Alliance and dwarves.
Camp Winterhoof (48, 10): Horde quests like "Skorn Must Fall!", "Dealing With Gjalerbron" and "The Slumbering King".
Kamagua (25.9, 57.9): tuskarr and the turtle to Dragonblight.
Utgarde Keep (dungeon, level 70+): Prince Keleseth, Skarvald and Dalronn, and Ingvar the Plunderer. The quests "Into Utgarde!" (Alliance) and "Ingvar Must Die!" (Horde) lead to him. When he dies, Ingvar is raised as undead by Annhylde the Caller.
Utgarde Pinnacle (dungeon, level 80): Svala Sorrowgrave, Gortok Palehoof, Skadi the Ruthless and King Ymiron.

For tactics, see how to play better in Utgarde Keep and Utgarde Pinnacle. If you are leveling, how to reach level 80 faster helps you fit the zone into your route.

What level is Howling Fjord in WotLK?

In WotLK 3.3.5a, it is a level 68 to 72 zone, like Borean Tundra. Level scaling only came in patch 7.3.5.

Who attacks Valgarde?

The vrykul of the Dragonflayer clan, who come from Utgarde Keep. They attack with worgs and proto-drakes, under the command of Ingvar the Plunderer and with the support of Prince Keleseth.

Does Putress appear in Howling Fjord?

There is no record of him in the zone. Howling Fjord shows the Royal Apothecary Society testing the New Plague, the same one Putress later uses at the Wrathgate.

Did Arthas land in Howling Fjord?

In Warcraft III, yes, at Daggercap Bay. In WotLK, the spot was moved to the Forgotten Shore, in Dragonblight, and later books changed it again.