Scholomance & Stratholme (part 1)

This guide to the Plaguelands and their associated instances has been split:

• PART 1: Summary of Quests and Reputation Gains
• PART 2: Guide to Quest Chains
• PART 3: Guide to Instances

Attuning (gathering of quests and quest items) for the two Plaguelands dungeons takes adventurers all around the stricken ruins of Lordaeron. This is the Argent Dawn’s chief staging ground, and you’ve a chance to gather all sorts of reputation tokens for them here. It can be a tricky zone to pace correctly, for quests as much as the acquisition of reputation points.

The two instances are wildly different, but both allow you to take an active part in the Scourge war.

The Scholomance of Caer Darrow is the training ground for Kel’Thuzad’s necromancer protégés, and is rife with the poisons, shadow spells and shambling masses of the students’ undead servants.

• Levels 55-60
• Nearest flight point: Thondoril River
• Nearest hub: The Undercity
• Quests from: Tirisfal Glades, Western & Eastern Plaguelands

Stratholme is the grim site of Arthas Menethil’s fall from grace. This once-proud city of Lordaeron was swept through by the Burning Legion’s Plague of Undeath, which Arthas sought to remedy with flames. The city now stands as a smouldering necropolis, lorded over by Baron Rivendare. A pocket of resistance lays to the west as Dathrohan’s Scarlet Crusade forces do battle with Stratholme’s former natives.

• Levels 55-60
• Nearest flight point: Light’s Hope Chapel
  
• Nearest inn: Light’s Hope Chapel
• Quests from: Western & Eastern Plaguelands

Entry to the Scarlet Crusade’s sanctuary in Stratholme requires [The Scarlet Key] from Arcanist Doan’s cache in the Scarlet Monastery, a rogue with lockpicking ability of at least 275, or an equivalent engineers’ Seaforium Powder. There is also a side entrance to the main city, which requires Magistrate Barthilas’ [Key to the City] or a similar lock-breaking item. Barthilas is found in the latter half of the instance.

Quests Summary

For quick reference; a more detailed guide follows. The minimum level for each quest is given in [brackets].

Prerequisites

• [50] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: Scarlet Diversions
  Destroy the Scarlet Command tent in Western Plaguelands and plant an incriminating Scourge banner.
  • [55] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: Scholomance
    Speak to Apothecary Dithers at the Bulwark. Dithers’ chain leads you back into the Western Plaguelands before visiting Gadgetzan and the Fire Plume Ridge at Un’Goro Crater, spending 15 gold and using two [Thorium Bar]s in the process of creating the Scholomance key.
    1. [55] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: Araj’s Scarab
       Complete the key with Araj the Summoner’s scarab brooch.
    2. [50] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: All Along the Watchtowers
       Mark four locations within Andorhal with a fire beacon.
• [50] Flame Crest, Burning Steppes: Broodling Essence
  Attack the native dragonkin in order to drain their essences.
  
  • [50] Flame Crest, Burning Steppes: Felnok Steelspring
    Report to Felnok in Everlook, Winterspring.
    1. [50] Everlook, Winterspring: Chillwind Horns
       Gather 8 horns from the native Chillwinds. Felnok asks you to return to Tinkee after handin.
    2. [57, raid] Flame Crest, Burning Steppes: Egg Freezing
       Test the Eggscilloscope in Upper Blackrock Spire’s Rookery. Whilst entry to Blackrock Spire requires you to join a raid, this quest is soloable once the room is cleared.
    3. [50, raid] Flame Crest, Burning Steppes: Egg Collection
       Return to the Rookery and collect 8 eggs. Just as before, this can be done alone once the raid is completed.
    4. [50] Flame Crest, Burning Steppes: Leonid Bartholemew
       Bring the eggs to Bartholemew at Light’s Hope Chapel. Bartholemew will refer you to Bettina Bigglezink afterwards.
• Nathanos Blightcaller’s quests:
  1. [54] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: To Kill with Purpose
     Slay Scourge and gather the [Living Rot] they possess within 10 minutes.
  2. [54] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: Un-Life’s Little Annoyances
     Kill Noxious and Monstrous Plaguebats.
  3. [54] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: The Ranger Lord’s Behest
     Journey to the Quel’Lithien lodge and retrieve the [Quel'Thalas Registry].
     1. [56] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: Duskwing, Oh How I Hate Thee…
        Kill the plaguebat, Duskwing.
     2. [56] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: The Corpulent One
        Kill the carrion maggot, Borelgore.

Scholomance, part 1

• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: Plagued Hatchlings
  Slay 20 Plagued Hatchlings within the Scholomance. Completing this quest will allow you to gather [Healthy Dragon Scale]s from these dragonkin on subsequent runs; these may be returned to Bettina Bigglezink for Argent Dawn reputation.
• [57] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: Dawn’s Gambit
  Deliver [Dawn's Gambit] to Vectus’ chambers inside the Scholomance, then defeat him. This quest requires you to have finished Tinkee Steamboil’s chain in Upper Blackrock Spire.
• [52] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: Barov Family Fortune
  Gather the four deeds to Alexi Barov’s inheritance.
  • [52, PvP] The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades: The Last Barov
    Slay Alexi’s brother in the Alliance’s Chillwind Camp.
• [55] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: Doctor Theolen Krastinov, The Butcher
  Kill Krastinov and burn the two bodies he has kept nearby. This quest is only made available after you have heard Eva Sarkhoff’s story.

Scholomance, part 2

• [55] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: Krastinov’s Bag of Horrors
  Slay Jandice Barov and bring the bag she carries back to Eva.
  • [55] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: Kirtonos the Herald
    Summon and defeat Kirtonos. The porch you need is actually tucked just inside the Scholomance: it’s worth running back in to complete this before your party completes its second run.

Stratholme, part 1

Stratholme’s campaign begins in the ‘living’ quarter, and requires you to enter a locked door. You may also find the [Medallion of Faith], essential for a quest in part 2.

• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: The Flesh Does Not Lie
  Gather [Plagued Flesh Sample]s from the undead wandering Stratholme. These are quite plentiful and drop from many undead, but you will want to ensure that each party member has their stock of 10 before completing the run, as Bettina Bigglezink has a follow-on for the second attempt on Stratholme.
• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: The Archivist
  Kill the Scarlet Crusade’s archivist and burn his library. Note that you will have to hand this quest in before receiving orders to kill their leader, found just opposite the library.
  • [55] Scarlet Cathedral, Stratholme: The Truth Comes Crashing Down
    An item drop which returns you to Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff. This opens a quest up for the Scourge-infested areas of Stratholme.
• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: The Great Fras Siabi
  Locate Fras Siabi’s tobacco shop and retrieve some tobacco from the proprietor. The tobacconist is one of the first locations near Stratholme’s front gate.
• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: The Restless Souls
  Find Egan in Terrordale, south-west of the entrance to Stratholme. Part 2 of this quest takes you into Stratholme in efforts to ‘ghostbust’ the wandering neutral undead.

Intermediate Quests

The following quests require you to equip the [Spectral Essence] given as reward for Kirtonos the Herald, as the questgiver is one of the Caer Darrow deceased and will not otherwise appear.

• [57] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: The Human, Ras Frostwhisper
  Retrieve the [Keepsake of Remembrance] from Stromgarde in the Arathi Highlands. This book tends to appear in the ogre-populated section of Stromgarde, in or around the fireplaces.
  • [57] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: The Dying, Ras Frostwhisper
    Bring the [Keepsake of Remembrance] to Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff at Light’s Hope Chapel.

Stratholme, part 2

The second run into Stratholme takes in the undead district, and is best conducted from the cathedral where Aurius resides. Aurius offers aid and another quest if you can provide him with the [Medallion of Faith], found in the Scarlet Cathedral. He is, however, an integral part of the blood elven True Masters of the Light quest. A group wishing to engage paladins in their level 60 ritual will need to take this into account, and stage an instance reset or arrange another run.

• [56] The Marris Stead, Eastern Plaguelands: Ramstein
  Kill Ramstein. This quest requires you to have completed 5 prerequisites with Nathanos Blightcaller, Sylvanas’ Champion in the Eastern Plaguelands.
• [55] Alonsus Chapel, Stratholme: The Medallion of Faith
  Bring the [Medallion of Faith].
  • [55] Stratholme: Aurius’ Reckoning
    Triggered after your battle with Baron Rivendare, should Aurius survive the encounter.
• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: The Active Agent
  Investigate the ziggurats surrounding the undead quarter of Stratholme. This quest requires you to have completed The Flesh Does Not Lie.
• [55] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: Above and Beyond
  Kill Baron Rivendare. This quest requires you to have completed The Archivist and then slain Grand Crusader Dathrohan to hand The Truth Comes Crashing Down in.
• [57] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: Menethil’s Gift
  Find Menethil’s Gift (seek Baron Rivendare) and deliver the [Keepsake of Remembrance] to it. This requires you to have completed Magistrate Marduke’s intermediate quests, themselves unlocked after the Krastinov/Kirtinos chain in the Scholomance.
  
  • [57] Light’s Hope Chapel, Eastern Plaguelands: Soulbound Keepsake
    Return the [Soulbound Keepsake] to Magistrate Marduke.

Scholomance part 3

• [57] Caer Darrow, Western Plaguelands: The Lich, Ras Frostwhisper
  Reunite Frostwhisper with his keepsake and strike him down. This requires you to have bound the [Keepsake of Remembrance] in Stratholme.

Reputation

We’ll start with reputation because it is earned throughout your stay in Lordaeron of old, and can allow you to equip some very useful, shadow-resistant gear before facing its toughest challenges.

Reputation with the Dawn is earned in many ways:

• By slaying Scourge within the Plaguelands (until honoured),
• By carrying out quests from the Bulwark, Darrowshire and Light’s Hope Chapel,
• Through the handing-in of Minion’s, Invaders’ and Corruptors’ Scourgestones, all of which are soulbound, and dropped while in possession of the Argent Dawn Commission trinket,
• By handing the following in, 30 at a time (from friendly):
  • Savage Fronds (Un’Goro Crater, Maraudon),
  • Crypt Fiend Parts (Scholomance),
  • Bone Fragments (Plaguelands),
  • Cores of Elements (Un’Goro Crater, Silithus, Blackrock Depths)
  • and Dark Iron Scraps (Searing Gorge, Burning Steppes, Blackrock Depths),
• Completing Craftsman’s Writs (from friendly),
• Freeing Darrowshire Spirits in the Eastern Plaguelands (from honoured),
• Slaying so-called ‘trash mobs’ and the bosses within Stratholme and Scholomance. Only the bosses and named NPCs tend to yield reputation past honoured.

A more detailed quest guide follows…