WoW Reviews & Guides

Most of Azeroth’s savage trolls are infamous for their extreme hatred of other races, but the Darkspear tribe and its leader, Vol’jin, are an exception. Over the years, the Darkspears have proven to be invaluable members of the Horde. Vol’jin in particular is known to offer strategic advice to Warchief Thrall on a regular basis, and the cunning troll played a role in retaking the Undercity after it was overthrown by the rebel forces of Varimathras and Putress.

Yet for all of the tribe’s accomplishments, the Darkspears are still plagued by a tragic history of exile. Long ago they were driven from Stranglethorn Vale’s mainland by the more powerful trolls of the Gurubashi empire and then settled on a remote island. The Darkspears later sought refuge with the Horde when their isle was destroyed by a mysterious sea witch, and Thrall granted the trolls new lands on the Echo Isles off the coast of Durotar. Aside from a brief exodus when Daelin Proudmoore’s fleet arrived to hunt down orcs, the Darkspears enjoyed relative stability until one of their own, Zalazane, drove his brethren from their latest home.

The witch doctor Zalazane had been one of the tribe’s leading mystical instructors when he was inexplicably driven to insanity by the powers under his control. Utilizing dark magic, he enslaved many of his fellow tribespeople and amassed an army of mindless Darkspear trolls. Fearing that all of his tribe would come under Zalazane’s sway, Vol’jin ordered the remaining free Darkspears to abandon the Echo Isles.

Vol’jin’s Darkspears settled in nearby Sen’jin Village, which they have since used as a staging point to attack Zalazane. Over the years, members of the Horde looking to test their worth have braved the Echo Isles to confront Zalazane, and many of them even returned seemingly victorious with his severed head. These victories, however, proved to be nothing more than illusions created by the twisted witch doctor’s dark magic. Days after these trophies were taken to Sen’jin Village, they reverted to their true forms: painted rocks and coconuts adorned with wooden tusks, or even the heads of Zalazane’s enslaved trolls.

Despite these setbacks and his preoccupation with advising Thrall on Horde-related matters, Vol’jin has spent considerable time formulating a strategy to recapture the Echo Isles. Now he believes that the time to strike at Zalazane has come. As the Darkspear leader and his close allies Vanira and Champion Uru’zin await approval of their plan from the ancestral spirits, they have begun rounding up new troll recruits and staging reconnaissance missions to learn about Zalazane’s minions.

Yet Vol’jin’s trolls are short on forces, and the enslaved Darkspears on the Echo Isles outnumber them. The Darkspears are well-known for being among Azeroth’s bravest combatants, however, and fortunately many non-trolls have expressed interest in assisting Vol’jin, perhaps hoping that restoring the Echo Isles will eventually bolster the Horde’s strength.

Vol’jin is also aware of the strategic importance that a Darkspear homeland offers his allies, but he is motivated by more personal reasons. Zalazane’s betrayal was an affront against Vol’jin’s dream of a better life for his tribe, a destiny that his late father, Sen’jin, envisioned years ago. Only by retaking the Echo Isles will Vol’jin be able to honor his father and at long last secure a permanent homeland for the long-exiled Darkspear tribe.

Horde

Meet Lady Sylvanas Windrunner inside the entrance to the Halls of Reflection.

Description

Keep moving, the sword is close.

I need a moment to send one of my Dark Rangers back to the airship. With all of our fodder gone, I will not be caught unprepared – we will need any help they can send.

Go. I will meet you in the Halls of Reflection.

Alliance

Meet Lady Jaina Proudmoore at the entrance to the Halls of Reflection.

Lady Jaina Proudmoore

Description

We must press on, hero. We’ve come so far… we’re so close to our goal. I must delay a moment to send Elandra back to the airship. I’m uncertain how we’re going to escape with so many men lost and so few to keep our path in secure – we will need any help they can send.

Continue on. I will meet you in the Halls of Reflection.

Series

1.Inside the Frozen Citadel
2.Echoes of Tortured Souls
3.The Pit of Saron
4.The Path to the Citadel
5.Deliverance from the Pit
6.Frostmourne

The Forge of Souls is the first wing of the Frozen Halls instances in Icecrown Citadel, released in patch 3.3. The Forge is a massive production facility that builds Soul Grinders, the latest foul construct in the Lich King’s arsenal.

Serving as the first wing in this expansive dungeon, the Forge of Souls will quickly put players to the test of carving through the Scourge stronghold into deeper, more treacherous locations. Jaina will command Alliance forces, and Sylvanas will direct Horde forces. The goal is to ruin the twisted engines known as soul grinders found in this portion of the citadel, and then players can advance — that is, if the Horde and Alliance forces can overcome the foes who confront them.

Bosses

Bronjahm, the Godfather of Souls
An instrument of reckoning, Bronjahm watches over the engines in the Forge of Souls. He must be killed if the soul grinders are to be destroyed.

The Devourer of Souls
As the chief operator of the engines found in this wing, the Devourer stands guard over the souls stolen by the Lich King.

The Frozen Halls is a three-winged dungeon released in Patch 3.3.0. This dungeon is likely to be the last one released in the Wrath of the Lich King era.

The entry chamber to the Frozen Halls instances has been designated a sanctuary and can be found on the northwest side of the citadel on the upper parapet. A meeting stone can be found inside the halls near the three instance lines.

Every loot item which drops in both Normal and Heroic modes for those instances is of epic quality. The loot for Normal mode equals or surpasses 10-man Ulduar drops in some slots. The loot for Heroic mode equals or surpasses 10-man Onyxia’s Lair and 10-man Trial of the Crusader normal mode drops in some slots. However, its difficulty should not be underestimated though. And just like Trial of the Champion, it is by no means a “get epics quick” scheme for under-geared players!

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls will feature 3 wings and 7 bosses where the players accompany Jaina Proudmoore (for Alliance players) or Sylvanas Windrunner (for Horde players). Only the Forge of Souls is available at the start; players must complete each wing in sequence to unlock access to the others.

The Forge of Souls
The first wing in the instance will have the players destroy Soul Grinders under watch of Bronjahm and the Devourer of Souls, wicked machines that serve some dark purpose of the Lich King. When this is complete the players can advance into the next wing.

Pit of Saron
The second wing of the instance involves entering a saronite mining pit and freeing captured champions of the Alliance and the Horde, put to slave labor by the Scourge under watch of Forgemaster Garfrost, Krick and Ick, and Scourgelord Tyrannus.

Halls of Reflection
The last wing of the instance will have players and their guides attacking the private chambers of the Lich King along with his two Scourge commanders, Falric and Marwyn.

ALLIANCE
Free 15 Alliance Slaves and kill Forgemaster Garfrost.

* Alliance Slaves freed (15)

* Forgemaster Garfrost slain

Description
They’ve put our captured soldiers to work in the quarry! Kill their captors and set them free, hero, and do it quickly. We will need their aid when we confront Scourgelord Tyrannus.

HORDE
Free 15 Horde Slaves and kill Forgemaster Garfrost.

* Horde Slaves freed (15)

* Forgemaster Garfrost slain

Description
They’ve put our captured soldiers to work in the quarry. Kill their captors and set them free, <class>, and do it quickly. We will need their aid when we confront Scourgelord Tyrannus.

The Halls of Reflection is the third and last wing of the Frozen Halls instances of Icecrown Citadel, released in patch 3.3. These are the private chambers of the Lich King, the only place where he lets his guard down. Judging by the loading screen and map, it appears to be a dark, twisted replica of Lordaeron’s imperial chamber.

To become “attuned” to the Halls of Reflection, players are required to complete the quest Deliverance from the Pit (Alliance) / (Horde) in the Pit of Saron as part of the Frozen Halls story line quest chain. Pit of Saron has its own “attunement” prerequisite quest that must be completed in the Forge of Souls.

Kill Bronjahm and the Devourer of Souls to secure access to the Pit of Saron.

I cannot thank you enough for coming. We’re severely undermanned to be risking a venture into the citadel, but opportunities like this are too rare to pass up.

I’m awaiting the arrival of champions from the coliseum, but if your reputation holds true, you should be more than equipped to fight through the forge yourself. Clear the way to the far side and secure the passage to the Pit of Saron. We will need to hold it to move our men further into the citadel.

Please hurry, <name>. We’re counting on you.

Echoes of Tortured Souls

The Pit of Saron is the second wing of the Frozen Halls instances of Icecrown Citadel, released in patch 3.3. The enormous pit in the dungeon is filled with large extracts of saronite ore and the Scourge have taken many Alliance and Horde prisoners forcing them to mine the saronite or face torture and reanimation into undeath. The players help Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner rescue the prisoners and put a stop to the Scourge’s operations and defeat the brutal scourge master of the area and his lieutenants.

To become “attuned” to the Pit of Saron, players are required to complete the quest Echoes of Tortured Souls (Alliance) / (Horde) in the Forge of Souls as part of the Frozen Halls story line quest chain.

The Pit of Saron, accessible only to those who have laid waste to the Forge of Souls’ unholy operations, will bring Horde and Alliance forces deeper into the Lich King’s domain. Players who venture here will immediately be confronted by the lord of this lair, Scourgelord Tyrannus. But defeating him will not be as easy as it seems. Before they can present a threat to Tyrannus, the adventurers, instructed by their leaders, will need to free enslaved allies who have been trapped by the Scourge. Until that happens, Tyrannus will leave all adversaries to his minions, workers of the citadel’s mines. Perhaps the challenges here will lend clues as to the whereabouts of the Lich King’s private chambers outside of the Frozen Throne, deep within the Halls of Reflection.

A master of Scourge weaponry, the forgemaster hauls stocks of saronite ore and other precious materials to the cold forges where the mechanisms of death are born. With a host of rime weapons and exotic alloys at his disposal, it could get cold in here.

Forgemaster Garfrost is a flesh giant encountered in the southeast corner of the Pit of Saron, the second wing of the Frozen Halls.

His death is a requirement of the Frozen Halls storyline quest The Path to the Citadel (Alliance) / (Horde).

Quel’Delar, the Sister Blade is a prismatic blade forged by the night elves and the five dragonflights along with its sibling, Quel’Serrar. Quel’Delar serves as an idol of opposition against the Scourge, and the elven factions of Dalaran would therefore like to see the blade play a pivotal role in the assault on Icecrown Citadel.

Coming Patch 3.3, players are able to embark on a mission to assemble the sword and either wield it themselves or trade it with their respective Dalaran faction for a weapon they can use. Doing so will reward the achievement  The Sword in the Skull.

After its creation, the sword was given to the quel’dorei and passed down from father to son until it was wielded by Thalorien Dawnseeker against the trolls and the Scourge. Thalorien eventually fell at the hands of Arthas’ lieutenants and the blade was susequently brought to Icecrown by Lana’thel, one of the followers of Kael’thas. Lana’thel originally intended Quel’Delar to be an instrument of vengeance, but after her own demise began to harbor hatred for the sword.

Now that the Ashen Verdict, alongside the Horde and the Alliance, are ready to march upon Icecrown Citadel, interest in the sword has been renewed. When Lana’thel defiles the sword at Quel’Delar’s Rest, the Silver Covenant and the Sunreavers immediately vow to return the blade to its former glory, so players are asked to reforge and cleanse the sword. The whole process takes players to distant places like the Halls of Reflection, the Sunwell and Dalaran.

The Quel’Delar Quest is part of the WOW 3.3 update that involves completing a 5 man instance, which from all reports will take you back into Sunwell, although it is not clear exactly how much work will be involved in Sunwell.  The Quel’Gelar Quest is set up as a chain quest which has at least 11 sub quests which include; The Battered Hilt, What The Dragons Know, The Sunreaver Plan, and several others.

This chain quest will feature separate versions and loot for both Alliance and Horde respectively.  Although, the loot rewards will be similar in stats, just have different names.  The overall point of this chain quest is to aquire the Quel’Delar blade by first finding its hilt and you retrieve the hilt from the Forge of Souls inside Icecrown Citadel.  Once you have the hilt you will head to Krasus’ Wyrmrest Temple and get your instructions that tell you the the blade you are searching for is infact is Quel’Delar.

This 3.3 quest chain will take you to Silver Enclave in Dalaran to to do some covert spying and steal Ancient Dragonforged Blades tome for Magister Hathorel.

You will eventually make your way to Quel’Delar’s Rest located outside the Coliseum to in order to find Myralion Sunblaze (Horde) or Caladis Brightspear (Alliance), that give you the quests to head to the Pit of Saron to reforge the sword.  One the sword is reforged, you will learn that it is possessed by the Lich King, and sends you to the Halls of Reflection.

Eventually you will need to travel to Sunwell to cleans the blade and return it to your appropriate faction Sunreavers, the Alliance version will most likely have you give it to the Argent Crusade.  This is a prime example of Blizzard taking a pro-active role with not only adding new content to the game but also encouraging players to revisit previous areas of the game that have in many cases become stale.