The Key to Onyxia's Lair
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BEFORE YOU CAN KILL ONYXIA, there's an epic series of quests you'll need to complete in order to gain the Drakefire Amulet, which acts as a key to Onxyia's lair. For the Alliance, the journey begins with a simple quest in the Burning Steppes.
Quest List
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Dragonkin Menace (54+) (Burning Steppes)
The True Masters (54) (various)
Marshal Windsor (54+) (BRD)
Abandoned Hope (54+) (BRD)
A Crumpled Note (54+) (BRD)
A Shred of Hope (58+) (BRD)
Jail Break! (58+) (BRD)
Stormwind Rendevous (63+) (Stormwind)
The Great Masquerade (63+) (Stormwind)
The Dragon's Eye (63+) (Winterspring)
Drakefire Amulet (63+) (UBRS)
Dragonkin Menace (54+)
Starts At: Helendis Riverthorn - Morgan's Vigil (BS)
Zones: Burning Steppes
Kill a variety of dragonkin and return to Helendis. All the dragonkin can be found in the eastern Burning Steppes: 15 Black Broodling, 10 Black Dragonspawn, 4 Black Wyrmkin (elite) and 1 Black Drake (elite).
The True Masters (54)
Starts At: Various
Zones: Burning Steppes, Redridge Mountains, Stormwind Keep
This is a series of delivery quests, starting by taking Helenis' letter from the Burning Steppes and delivering it to Magistrate Solomon in Redridge. From there, you travel to talk to Highlord Bolvar Fordragon in Stormwind Keep, back to Magistrate Solomon in Redridge, and then back to Marshal Maxwell back at Morgan's Vigil. Maxwell gives you one last task to talk to Ragged John at Flame Crest in NNE Burning Steppes before returning to Maxwell to continue the quest chain.
Marshal Windsor (54+)
Starts At: Marshal Maxwell - Morgan's Vigil (BS)
Zones: Blackrock Depths
Ragged John claims Marshal Windsor is still alive, and you'll have to fight through Blackrock Depths to find what became of him. Maxwell is imprisoned in the Detention Block, not far from the entrance to BRD (see BRD walkthrough, part 1, for directions). The Prison Cell Key is dropped by High Interrogator Gerstahn, who is just a bit past Windsor's cell.
Abandoned Hope (54+)
Starts At: Marshal Windsor - Blackrock Depths
Zones: Burning Steppes
Return to Marshal Maxwell in the Burning Steppes and give him Marshal Windsor's bad news.
A Crumpled Note (54+)
Starts At: A Crumpled Note - Blackrock Depths
Zones: Blackrock Depths
Although the quest chain seems to die after "Abandoned Hope," you'll usually find the random drop of A Crumpled Note quickly on your next trip to Blackrock Depths, which starts the next quest in the chain. (The note will drop during a 10-man raid and can be picked up by multiple people.) Once the note drops, take it to Marshal Windsor, in his cell.
A Shred of Hope (58+)
Starts At: Marshal Windsor - Blackrock Depths
Zones: Blackrock Depths
Windsor asks you to recover key information from General Angerforge and Golem Lord Argelmach in Blackrock Depths. You must defeat both bosses in a 5-man group, and return the information to Marshal Windsor in his cell. Both bosses can be found en route to the bar. (See BRD walkthrough, part 2, for the route to the bar).
Jail Break! (58+)
Starts At: Marshal Windsor - Blackrock Depths
Zones: Blackrock Depths
Free Marshal Windsor from his cell and escort him safely through countless mobs and fight your way safely out of the instance. This must be done in a 5-man group, and involves clearing both the entire front area of the instance as well as both rings of mobs. (See BRD walkthough, part 3: Jail Break! for more info on this quest.) See Marshal Maxwell in the Burning Steppes to complete the quest.
Stormwind Rendevous (63+)
Starts At: Marshal Maxwell - Morgan's Vigil (BS)
Zones: Stormwind
Travel from the Burning Steppes to Stormwind and meet Reginald Windsor at the gates. You need to wait just inside the gates on the border of Elwynn Forest, and Marshal Windsor will eventually ride up.
The Great Masquerade (63+)
Starts At: Marshal Windsor - Stormwind Gates
Zones: Stormwind
Follow Reginald Windsor up to Stormwind Keep. Watch as he tells Highlord Bolvar Fordragon what he knows and confronts Lady Prestor...and get ready for fireworks. This quest is marked as "raid." but you can simply stay back and watch the show.
The Dragon's Eye (63+)
Starts At: Highlord Bolvar Fordragon - Stormwind Keep
Zones: Stormwind, Winterspring
Take Highlord Bolvar's medallion and search out Haleh in Winterspring. She's on a mountaintop south of the large frozen lake, but to reach her, you need to travel to the back of a cave filled with groups of 55+ dragonkin, and step on a blue rune at the back of the cave to be transported up to the top. (Although Blizzard made changes to prevent people from climbing up the side of the mountain to Haleh, some players report that it's still possible to reach her.)
Drakefire Amulet (63+)
Starts At: Haleh - Winterspring
Zones: Upper Blackrock Spire, Winterspring
The final step of this epic quest chain requires that you retrieve the "Blood of the Black Dragon Champion" -- a drop from General Drakkisath at the end of Upper Blackrock Spire.
It's important to note that while only people with this quest will see the blood, there may not necessarily be enough blood to go around, depending on how many people have the quest. Make sure group members understand they may need to /random for the blood and not just grab it off Drakk's dead body, or you could have some unhappy cries of "ninja!" on your hands. Once you have the blood, return to Haleh in Winterspring for the Drakefire Amulet, which will allow you access to Onyxia's Lair in Dustwallow Marsh. |