Cataclysm Beta: A walk-through of the all-new Westfall

This article has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

Editor's Note: This article contains heavy plot spoilers for the upcoming Cataclysm expansion. Read at your own risk!

In the heart of every player who has leveled a human character lies a special place for the gentle, rolling plains of Westfall. Despite the fallow fields and barren hills, the region has a sort of natural beauty to it that many players have found irresistible, making it a favorite for Alliance players. Given its high popularity and my own nostalgia for the zone, I was a bit worried when Cataclysm was announced. What would happen to the great zone? Would it be so radically changed that it no longer resembled what it once was? Would it go by mostly untouched, leaving it unused in the wake of more polished zones?

Fear not! The zone has retained its raw beauty and has received a number of much needed upgrades. The town of Sentinel Hill is now much more secure, with a large wall and greater defenses. The layout of the zone remains mostly the same, with the exception of the Raging Chasm. Once the Alexston Farmstead, this area is a swirling vortex of wind and dust, a remnant of the cataclysm. It adds a new feature to the skyline of Westfall, as it towers into the air at a distance that can be seen from any corner of the zone.

The similarities to the current zone stop at aesthetics, however. The actions of our heroes all those years ago have cleared the Defias out of the land. The Westfall Brigade continues to keep the peace after its return from Grizzly Hills. But in the wake of the cataclysm, a new development grips Westfall, and fear returns to the land.

As players enter from nearby Elwynn Forest, they meet up with Lt. Horatio Laine (CSI: Miami fans, rejoice -- he is complete with red hair and sunglasses. Yeah!), who is investigating the murder of the Furlbrows and -- brace yourself -- Old Blanchy. Horatio sends players to investigate by interrogating nearby peasants at the Jansen Stead. The investigation yields few results, so Laine asks you to delve deeper by attacking nearby gnoll and murloc encampments. These investigations reveal a few scraps of red cloth (memories resurfacing yet?) and a threatening letter to the Furlbrows.

Who is the shadowy figure?

The investigation continues, sending players into the back of the Jangolode Mine to eavesdrop on a meeting between Glubtok (the foreman of the kobold miners) and a Shadowy Figure. The Figure offers Glubtok a chance to join her, with promises of wealth and power. Glubtok accepts, and the Figure promises to call for him when "the dawning" is upon them. Baffled, players return to the Pumpkin Patch (where there is now a flight point!).

Next, the player eavesdrops on a group of thugs who discuss a mysterious woman, who has sent Thug 2 to thank them for "the job that [they] did for her on the Furlbrows." They begin to ask Thug 2 if he saw her face, asking "Is it really ..." before being rudely interrupted by the player, who is then attacked. After dispatching them, players return to Horatio Laine, who sends them to Saldean's Farm.

Westfall Stew has survived the cataclysm! The Saldeans have players collect some ingredients and kill some Harvest Golems before sending them to Sentinel Hill to meet with Hope Saldean, their adoptive daughter. How sweet!

Hope asks you to feed Westfall Stew to the nearby homeless Stormwind citizens while the Westfall Brigade deals with gnolls. Gryan sends players to an SI:7 agent near Mortwake's Tower in the southeast (previously Klaven's Tower, which was involved in a rogue quest). There, players observe a conversation between the Shadowy Figure and Helix Gearbreaker. The Figure asks Gearbreaker to gather the people in Moonbrook one last time before "the dawning." Players return to Sentinel Hill, where Gryan interrogates a worgen, Ripsnarl, who is locked up next to the tower, before sending players to Moonbrook.

Moonbrook now has a small Alliance outpost and is not swarming with enemies, a godsend for players running into The Deadmines (still accessed through the building in the southwest area of the town). Players are asked to collect propaganda and find scraps of red cloth on aggressive thieves. If the memories aren't hitting you yet, don't worry. Players then eavesdrop on the final meeting between the Figure and the people, in which she rallies them against Stormwind.

With this information in hand, the Westfall Brigade enlists the aid of a Shaman, who sends players into The Deadmines with a bit of incense. At the entrance of the instance, players are shown a scene in which five Alliance heroes (a warrior, priest, mage, hunter and rogue) kill Edwin VanCleef, the former leader of the Defias gang. Once he is killed, the heroes take off -- and a small girl, Vanessa VanCleef, walks out onto the deck, saying: "Daddy? ..."

The hidden player is revealed

Players rush back to Sentinel Hill and inform Gryan of this information. Gryan is shocked, but is interrupted by a nearby noise. At this point, Hope Saldean walks out of the tower and begins to speak to Gryan. I'll let their conversation speak for itself.

With the mystery of the Furlbrow's murder solved, players make it to King Wrynn, who agrees to send reinforcements to the region. But Sentinel Hill is already in flames. The Defias, reformed under Vanessa, have burned the city and retreated, and now the Brigade scrambles to recover what little has not yet burned down.

Unfortunately, it is here that the quest chain ends. Stoutmantle sends players to Redridge, saying that he will call upon players again at some point in the future; three zones later, I have yet to receive word from him. I assume the quests continue inside The Deadmines, but I have yet to venture inside -- a spectacular, yet frustratingly abrupt end to a classic zone that is better than ever in the wake of Cataclysm.

Have you ever wanted to write for WoW Insider? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions, and be sure to sign up for Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider. The next byline you see here may be yours!