The War Within's Four Zones: A Tour of Khaz Algar

Key Takeaways

• The War Within opened the subterranean continent of Khaz Algar with four leveling zones that carried players from level 70 to 80 when it launched in August 2024.
• The zones run in a clear vertical order: the Isle of Dorn on the surface, then the Ringing Deeps, then Hallowfall, and finally Azj-Kahet at the bottom.
• The Isle of Dorn is the home of the stone-forged Earthen and their capital Dornogal, the expansion's neutral hub.
• Hallowfall is a cavern lit by Beledar, a giant crystal whose light sustains the Hallowfall Arathi and periodically darkens into a Void state.
• Azj-Kahet is the nerubian City of Threads, ruled by Queen Ansurek, whose pact with Xal'atath drives the expansion's story and houses the Nerub-ar Palace raid.
• The Ringing Deeps is an industrial underworld of Titan machinery, tended by the Machine Speakers, where Magni Bronzebeard and the Dark Iron dwarves return.

With the layout in mind, here is each zone in turn, from the surface down.

Khaz Algar: Four Zones, Ten Levels

When The War Within launched in August 2024, it opened Khaz Algar, a largely underground continent west of Pandaria and south-east of Kalimdor. Its four zones were built to be played in order, taking a character from level 70 to the level 80 cap: the Isle of Dorn (70 to 73), the Ringing Deeps (73 to 75), Hallowfall (75 to 78), and Azj-Kahet (78 to 80). Each zone drops deeper into the world than the last, and the story follows that descent as players chase Xal'atath through the continent. Anyone starting fresh could Level a character through Khaz Algar and arrive at the cap ready for the endgame.

Isle of Dorn (Levels 70 to 73)

The Isle of Dorn is the surface gateway to Khaz Algar and the ancestral home of the Earthen, a titan-forged race of living stone imbued with the essence of Azeroth's worldsoul. At its center stands Dornogal, a massive Earthen-forged fortress that served as the expansion's main hub for both factions, with the Foundation Hall holding portals to Stormwind and Orgrimmar. The zone is a lush island of waterfalls and mountains, and its story introduces the Earthen and their titan origins as players first set foot on the continent.

The Ringing Deeps (Levels 73 to 75)

Beneath the isle, the Ringing Deeps is an industrial underworld of mines, forges, and ancient Titan machinery. It is kept running by the Machine Speakers, Earthen who tend the old engines, and the zone brings back Magni Bronzebeard and the Dark Iron dwarves to help investigate what is stirring below. Players reach it from the Isle of Dorn through the Coreway, the great shaft that runs down through Dornogal. Its story turns on the Earthen's mechanical society and the void-touched threats seeping up from the depths.

Hallowfall (Levels 75 to 78)

Hallowfall is the surprise of the expansion: a vast cavern lit not by the sun but by Beledar, a colossal crystal fixed in the ceiling. Its light sustains the Hallowfall Arathi, an expedition branch of the Arathi Empire who keep their faith in the Sacred Flame from their capital of Mereldar. Beledar periodically shifts into a Void state, the Day of Darkness, which turns the zone hostile and is one of its recurring mechanics. The Arathi fight off kobyss raiders from the water and nerubian swarms pushing up from Azj-Kahet below.

Azj-Kahet (Levels 78 to 80)

The deepest zone, Azj-Kahet, is the nerubian high capital and the last living nerubian kingdom. Its sprawling City of Threads is built in layers, with the wealthy districts highest and the Blood Pits far below. Queen Ansurek rules the nerubians, and her bargain with Xal'atath, the Harbinger of the Void, conscripts her people into a void army. Azj-Kahet also holds Nerub-ar Palace, the expansion's first raid, where that story reached its first climax against Ansurek herself.

FAQ

How many zones does The War Within have?

The War Within launched with four leveling zones on Khaz Algar: the Isle of Dorn, the Ringing Deeps, Hallowfall, and Azj-Kahet. Later patches added further areas such as the Undermine, but the four Khaz Algar zones formed the core leveling path.

What level do you reach in The War Within?

The War Within raised the cap to level 80, up from Dragonflight's 70. The four zones are tuned to take a character from 70 to 80 in sequence, roughly three levels per zone.

Where is Khaz Algar located?

Khaz Algar is a mostly underground continent west of Pandaria and south-east of Kalimdor, across the Great Sea from the Eastern Kingdoms. Only the Isle of Dorn sits on the surface; the other three zones descend below it.

What is the giant crystal in Hallowfall?

The crystal is called Beledar. It lights the entire Hallowfall cavern in place of a sun and sustains the Hallowfall Arathi, but it periodically shifts into a Void state known as the Day of Darkness that turns the zone dangerous.

Who rules Azj-Kahet?

Queen Ansurek rules the nerubians of Azj-Kahet from the City of Threads. Her pact with Xal'atath, the Harbinger of the Void, is the driving conflict of the expansion and leads into the Nerub-ar Palace raid.

What order do you play the War Within zones?

The intended order is Isle of Dorn, then the Ringing Deeps, then Hallowfall, then Azj-Kahet, following the descent through Khaz Algar from the surface to the nerubian depths.

The four zones of Khaz Algar gave The War Within one of the most distinct settings in the game's history. Explore our WoW boosting catalog to skip ahead to whichever part of the journey you want. Last reviewed 2026-07-01 against Patch 11.0.2 (The War Within). Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.