It was discussed before - the best explanation was that the high concentration of arcane magic of the Sunwell irradiates common ores and plants to create Mana Thistle an Adamantite.

It was also noted that Adamantite has existed on Azeroth before, but it was extremely rare and barely anyone knew how to mine or forge it properly:

"Neltharion's betrayal had struck a great blow to the Aspects, and their fear to be destroyed like the blue dragonflight kept them in seclusion. Deathwing returned to his lair beneath a mountain. His proximity to the Demon Soul was ripping his body apart, so the Goblins forged an armor of adamantium to serve as a vessel to contain Deathwing's raging powers in check. Only the adamantium plates kept the power from destroying his body"

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?forumId=11572&topicId=4665562705

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whats more important, lore inconsitencys or gameplay hinderances?

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Adamantite and khorium can only be created when the land is infused with magical energy. Kael did this to the Isle of Quel'Danas prior to WC3, and subsequently did this in Outland. It has been highly visible in Outland for a while now due to the large number of explorers there, but Quel'danas had been left largely untouched by the forces of good.

With the sudden expansion by the Shattered Sun Offensive to Quel'Danas, however, the horde and alliance have now seen that that land too is capable of yielding Khorium and Adamantite ore.

Suitable? =)

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I just say sometimes you need to give up some accuracy for the sake of decent game mechanics.

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Well, As the firts poster mentions, Adamantium is actually part of WoW lore way before The Burning Crusade was released, tens of thousands of years in the Lore, and several "real" years in our world.

The RPG books has a bit more balanced explanation of metals than the game, where all metals are not automatically in a hierarchy of quality, but rather has *different* qualities. In the Magical World of Warcraft, you would probably find mor minerals than Copper in Dun Morogh (why else whould Dwarves, who are miners and like exotic metals settle there), but for gameplay reasons, it would be unfair to put Iron, Mithril, Thorium and Adamantite there.

As for Mana thistle, there are a number of reasons, as mentioned above. It could just be your average thistle, just mana-infused, or seeds from outland. Remember, by Blizzards time-line, the Sunwell offensive will have taken place almost a year or more after the Exodar crash. Possibly two years (seeing as Draenei can take part of events on Azeroth (lowbie quests) that supposedly happened a full year before Burning Crusade story line kicks in).

Mainly, you need to remember that the entire WoW is seen through the camera of an MMO. If you want closer to real lore or reality, read the books. Many of the details don't correspond. Gnomes of Azeroth cant carry 5 different armour sets in their bags, people who die in WoW (not in the game) often stay dead etc.

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It's a little late in the game to be bringing up lore inconsistencies, isn't it? I mean the appearance of a herb and ore is nothing compare to... let's say...

Draenei.

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The animals in the Black Moras give Knothide leather while animals in modern day Swamp of Sorrows give heavy leather. Why did they evolve into giving a lower quality type of leather?

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A wizard did it.

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Why is copper only found in low level zones? Why is thorium only found in high level zones? I don't see a difference between the past resource and level correlation to this one.

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Different planets have the same metals. Metal isn't a species or strain, it's a chemical compound. All elements in the universe are going to be found on the same periodic table. You can probably find copper on other planets just as you can find it on Earth (or Azeroth).

Adamantium and Khorium are presumably metals or compounds found on the WoW universe's version of the periodic table. Fel Iron is probably just regular iron infused with fel energies.

Of course, the fact that they're only available in high-level zones is a gameplay decision.

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Also, it makes sense that different herbs/plants could be found in both places; just look at dandelions.

Fortunately, Blizz seems to have kept the fish of Outland and Azeroth completely separate. At least, I think so. I doubt anybody has bothered to try to stock the rivers and lakes of either planet with fish from the other.

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I'm a biologist,

*WARNING INCOMING SCIENCE*

so I can explain the appearance of the herbs pretty easily. Mana Thistle would be an invasive species, that is a non-indigenous plant that has managed to hitch a ride far from its native location. Most plants possess mechanisms to spread their seeds (e.g. burrs, those helicopter seeds, etc.) and it is not unheard of for these seeds to end up far from where they started, perhaps attached to some unwary adventurer's boot (and the beginning of the SSO would mean many such opportunities, given the sudden influx of travelers). If the seeds get carried to a location with appropriate germination conditions, in this case the mana-infused ground around the Sunwell, then the seeds could sprout.

Or some jerk decided to make money by planting a for-profit plant in a new area, and then the plants grew out of control.

As for the ore, *shrug*. I'm a doctor, not a geologist darnit!

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