The Forbidden Reach has a lot of history in the lore of the Dragon Isles. This place was fashioned by Neltharion the Earth-Warder and made into a training ground for his soldiers the Dracthyr. After their creation, the Dracthyr were then sealed in underground vaults and kept frozen in stasis. However, the island was later abandoned until recently, when the Dracthyr were made into a playable race.
The opening of the isle has revealed new content in the zone, as well as a few secrets and treasures like WoW gold that remain hidden from all but the most inquisitive adventurers. Here are all the new activities and features added to the Forbidden Reach zone.
Unlocking the Forbidden Reach
The zone will not present its content until players complete the following questlines:
- Hidden Legacies
- Return to the Reach
- An Eclectic Accord
- Stemming the Irontide
- Wings of Mercy
These quests unlock the island as well as other quests that introduce new systems in the Forbidden Reach.
Zskera Vaults
Hidden within the zone lies the Zskera Vaults, places where players can enter and claim the powerful Onyx Annulet, which has three Primordial Sockets for in-depth customization of effects and bonuses. To open a Zskera Vault, players will need to do zone events or kill mobs for a chance to get a Zskera Key.
These vaults contain not only Primordial Stones, which can be socketed on the Ony Annulet, but also a mount, some pets, and some toys for your collection. These include the Mossy Mammoth, Brightfeather, Emmah, Gilded Mechafrog, Kobaldt, Patos, and the Holoviewer toys.
Gear Catch-Up
The Forbidden Reach offers many activities that, when completed, reward Primalist gear tokens. These tokens can be exchanged for armor with a good starting ilvl of 385, which can then be upgraded with the Untapped Forbidden Knowledge tome to reach 395 ilvl. This is a great source of decent gear for alternate characters.
Forbidden Reach Rare Spawns and Forbidden Hoards
Forbidden Hoards are treasure chests found scattered across the island, but be wary as they’ll always be guarded by high-level mobs. These chests contain rewards related to much of the Forbidden Reach systems, like Zskera Keys, Primalist gear tokens, Elemental Overflow, and Untapped Forbidden Knowledge. These are shown on the region map, making it easy for players to navigate and claim these rewards.
Like all other zones, the Forbidden Reach has its own rare spawns that drop rewards when slain. In particular, Bonesifter Marwak, Vraken the Hunter, and Warden Entrix have a chance to drop pets that can be sold for a cheap WoW gold price.
Artisan Curios for Professions
Profession mains will want to take part in obtaining these items, as they provide a buff for reagent drop rates, tripling the yield. To summon an Artisan Curio for the appropriate curio, it will need a base item from a rare monster spawn and an interactable object in the open world to spawn it. Players who can take advantage of this boost to their professions can make some serious WoW gold from this venture.
Evolved Storms
Evolved Storms are world events exclusive to the Forbidden Reach, which has multiple phases. These always occur in front of the Froststone Vault every 2 hours. Completing this event will reward a Condensed Magic Stone, which can be used to create a Primal Stone for your Onyx Annulet. Each Evolved Storm event is tied to a certain element, giving you a Condensed Magic Stone matching the current element of the event.
These can also drop some Elemental Overflow, which can be exchanged for goods in villages within the zone, and Leftover Elemental Slime, which can be combined to earn the Gooey Snailemental mount.
New Dracthyr Factions and Reputation Rewards
Two new factions are available to earn Reputation with: The Obsidian Warders and the Dark Talons. These factions have their own rewards, along with an overhaul to their renown system. Now, players can choose to be a Renown Envoy to one of the factions and earn extra reputation for completing certain activities.
Another way to earn Reputation with the Forbidden Reach factions is to turn in items called Artifacts, which occasionally drop after clearing an event. Each faction accepts certain Artifacts, but they do reward you with a nice chunk of Reputation for your trouble.
