Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, the column that answers your questions about the story and lore of the Warcraft universe. Click the Comments link below, ask your question, and blogger/columnist Alex Ziebart will answer you in a future installment!

Travis asks...

What can you tell me about the other portals around Outlands (the only one that springs to mind right now is the one in Zangarmarsh)? They look just like the one you get to Outlands through, but are just standing there doing nothing.

Answer: Those portals were once used by the Burning Legion and their lackies to travel between Outland and various other worlds. Those portals were also used to send Legion reinforcements to Outland. Before Illidan and his posse usurped Magtheridon, they went around shutting down these portals to prevent Magtheridon from being reinforced. Further, they've been kept closed so Kil'jaeden can't come stomping back into Outland to punish Illidan for not being able to kill the Lich King.

Player Kerr on the Windrunner server was farming mithril in the Hinterlands when he decided to go exploring by the Emerald Dream portal in the area. The outdoor raid dragon Lethon appeared and Kerr beat a quick retreat, but stumbled on this dragon graveyard. As Kerr put it: "I wonder who the [dead] dragon was?"

Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wowinsider.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We prefer full screen shots without the UI showing. And please, no more sunsets. No, really. Ok, only if it's a sunrise in new Patch 2.4 lands. We'll take those anytime. Oh, and no more shots of Omen killed in Ogrimmar. It's cool, we get it. A lot of it.

Chichilarue of Knights of Irony on Uldum sends in this shot of the Troll temple of Jintha'Alor nestled in the mountainous Hinterlands. If you've never had the pleasure of visiting Jintha'Alor yourself -- a sprawling temple infested with numerous Trolls (who, prior to patch 2.3, were elite) -- you may not under Chichilarue's trepidation at the sight. He tells us, "At my level it's as close as I want to get to the place"

Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see your idea of the best looking instance on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wowinsider.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Reader Tyrianus of Bronzebeard sends in this interesting shot, snapped while flying into the Hinterlands from the Undercity. The sky is of particular interest -- what's up with that red line on the horizon, fading through purple into dark blue? You may think it's a sunset, but when Tyrianus landed, the sun and sky looked more like mid-day.

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

Reader Zevet of Lothar presents us of this shot of the symbolic gryphon statue up at Aerie Peak in the Hinterlands. And while you couldn't miss it in this screenshot, running up to the Aerie Peak on foot you might never notice it simply for lack of looking up. (I know I was surprised to see this grand gryphon when I first flew in to the area.)

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

I love it when people send in shots of the Azerothian landscape that I've never seen before. And while reader Robert suggests that he might have just recently happened to find this spot in the Hinterlands because he's an Alliance nub, I've played Horde characters to 60 without seeing it myself. Is there anyone out there who can tell us what exactly this place is, if anything?

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.

Reader Xedio sends in this shot of his warlock alt in a little alliance encampment that he found while swimming from Arathi Highlands out to the Hinterlands. He wonders if it's a known alliance quest area, but not to my knowledge. Another unfinished area, perhaps? If you want to see more of the place, there are a couple more screenshots after the jump.

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. If yours isn't posted immediately, don't fret! Shots are posted (more or less) in the order received, and yours will come up eventually.