The Skyborne start Blizzard confirmed

Zephras Isle is the WoW: Forever starting zone for the Skyborne, an elemental, skybound island that runs levels 1 through 12. Blizzard describes the architecture as Classic Warcraft blended with Skywall-inspired stonework. You choose Horde or Alliance for your Skyborne at character creation, and that choice locks your exclusive class: Horde-aligned Skyborne join the Windshapers and unlock Shaman, Alliance-aligned Skyborne join the High Order and unlock Mage. Both sides can also play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid.

The island's antagonists are the Al'Aketh, a cult devoted to Al'Akir the Windlord that overran part of Zephras after its guardian wind spirits vanished. Their leader, High Priestess Lorthuna, is the last named stop on the main story before you leave the isle.

Dee stands at a cliff path forking toward two island lodges, one arcane and pale, one elemental and carved, with a skycutter docked beyond.
Two lodges, one fork, one way off the island.

The Zephras Isle map: Thendal to Valanaar

You start at Thendal, a village where Ailee Farheart and Rorian the Dayseeker hand out the opening quests regardless of faction. Thendal Grove and Shen'dar Highlands fill the early levels, then the story moves south to Valanaar, the island's central hub.

Valanaar holds both faction lodges, the Windshaper lodge and the High Order lodge, plus the council tower that runs the late story. From there, quests send you to the Shrine of Akir and the Sanctum of Storms, where a portal leads to the Rohashi Spires for the Lorthuna fight, then back to the lodge to leave.

The High Order and Windshaper quest chains

On the High Order side, Elaadrin Evengale's lodge runs through The Missing Scholar, given by Dondallion, which has you carry the trapped Fillion Flamebreeze out of a cave and kill the Shriekling Matriarch inside. That clears Fillion's Mission, and Elaadrin then offers Catching Wind: carry an Index Esoteria to the Overlook Standing Stones and use it on the windstone formations there, while Windshapers guard the site. It leads into Avenged Tenfold, then In Service of Zephras.

On the Windshaper side, Ayessa Dawnsinger's lodge sends you through The Broken Construct into A Firm Response, a confrontation with Belathaan Brightwish and his Living Storms on the road to the Shrine of Akir. Shaman Skyborne also get Call of Fire at level 10, a timed ritual with Olariaan Swiftburn at the Shrine of Flames: carry the Eternal Flame back to light the Windshaper lodge's brazier before the clock runs out, for the Searing Totem spell.

Three quests the 1 October notes fixed

Three Zephras Isle quests changed in the 1 October 2026 beta notes. Catching Wind, the High Order chain above, was redesigned, and Blizzard adjusted the spawns at the Overlook Standing Stones at the same time. In Nightclaw Cavern, where Elegael sends you to heal several wounded druid NPCs for Wounds of Betrayal, the heal now awards credit properly. A Firm Response no longer fails to grant credit either.

The same build fixed one quest just off the island: Exploring the Horde, the Skyborne quest that sends new Horde characters to Undercity to meet Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, now completes when you talk to her.

How do you leave Zephras Isle?

The story closes with Confront Lorthuna, fought through the Sanctum of Storms portal into the Rohashi Spires alongside Elaadrin and Ayessa together. Turning that in opens The Fate of Zephras, which sends you to Talaanis in Valanaar's council tower, then What Comes Next, which sends you back to your own faction lodge for the exit quest.

Alliance Skyborne take The Magical City of Dalaran and board the skycutter at the lodge dock, landing in Dalaran's Sky Enclave to meet Denaaris Stargale and pick up Welcome to Azeroth and a Stormwind portal. Horde Skyborne take The Earthen Ring and board the Mulgore skycutter instead, landing at Skywatcher Plateau northwest of Thunder Bluff to meet Alaana Stormwalker before heading on to Thrall in Orgrimmar.

Zephras Isle stacks several quest chains in your log at once: the shared Thendal opening, your faction lodge story, the Al'Aketh fights and your class introduction. Wowdee will track which chain you are mid-step in and flag the Lorthuna-to-What-Comes-Next story line specifically, so you know it is still open before you board the skycutter.

  1. Confront Lorthuna through the Sanctum of Storms portal into the Rohashi Spires.
  2. Turn in The Fate of Zephras to Talaanis in Valanaar's council tower.
  3. Finish What Comes Next back at your faction lodge.
  4. Alliance: take The Magical City of Dalaran and board the skycutter at the lodge dock.
  5. Horde: take The Earthen Ring and board the Mulgore skycutter instead.

Still to come

Not yet settled by our sources or tested in game:

  • The exact order of every grove and cavern side quest between Shen'dar and Valanaar; beta guides note it is not fixed yet.
  • Whether Zephras Isle is revisitable, by party summon or on another character, once you finish the story.

Sources

Beta notes are dated because Forever is still changing.