The Lost Spirits

Quest Giver: Elder Atkanok, a large stone statue outside Coldrock Quarry [54, 36]

Turn In: Elder Atkanok [54, 36]

Objective: Free the spirits of 3 Kaskala Craftsmen and 3 Kaskala Shaman.

Quick Facts

• Quest Type: Kill mobs, use item on NPCs
• Required Item: Core of Malice (dropped by Beryl Hounds, 100% drop rate)
• Chain Position: Second quest from Elder Atkanok.
• Previous: The Honored Ancestors
• Follow-up: Picking Up the Pieces

Walkthrough

Step 1: Kill Beryl Hounds

Beryl Hounds roam throughout Coldrock Quarry around [52, 32]. They have a 100% drop rate on Core of Malice, so you only need to kill six (one for each spirit you need to free).

Step 2: Find the Tuskarr Spirits

The Kaskala Craftsmen and Kaskala Shaman spirits are scattered throughout the quarry around [50, 34]. They appear as friendly (green) NPCs.

Important Visual Note: Since Patch 3.1.2, these spirits appear semi-transparent, matching their ghostly status. Before this patch, they looked like normal, fully physical tuskarr, which caused massive player confusion. Many players ran around looking for “spirits” without realizing the regular-looking tuskarr NPCs were the quest targets.

Step 3: Use the Core of Malice

Target a Kaskala Craftsman or Kaskala Shaman spirit and use the Core of Malice from your inventory.

Wait for Credit: After using the Core, the spirit will speak to thank you. Wait approximately 10 seconds for the quest credit to register. You can begin moving away once they speak, but don’t rush off too quickly.

Autobar Bug: If you’re using the Autobar addon for quest items, you may see “Invalid Target” errors. Use the Core directly from your bag or place it in a regular action bar slot.

Story Context: The Violence of the Attack

Elder Atkanok explains the spiritual consequences of the massacre: “In the attack on the quarry, the shaman and craftsmen working here were slain. The violence threw the spirit world into utter chaos and we’ll be unable to guide the ancestors home unless we find a way to soothe the spirits of the murdered.”

For tuskarr, violent death is spiritually catastrophic. The murdered craftsmen and shaman didn’t pass peacefully to their deity Karkut, who normally guides tuskarr spirits to the afterlife. Instead, their souls became trapped, tormented by the very creatures that aided in their deaths.

“The aggressors themselves pay no heed to the spirits, but their companions, the beryl hounds, sense the spirits and hold them in thrall.”

The mage hunters (the human defectors) ignore the spiritual realm entirely. But the Beryl Hounds possess an ability to sense and imprison tuskarr spirits, feeding on their anguish and preventing them from finding peace.

Lore: Beryl Hounds

The Beryl Hounds are strange creatures employed by the mage hunters. “Magehunter hounds” are referenced throughout WotLK as creatures that aid the blue dragonflight in hunting down renegade mages. Their ability to sense spirits and “hold them in thrall” suggests they detect magical or spiritual energy, making them effective trackers of magic users.

The Core of Malice they drop represents the “raw energy” that binds the tuskarr spirits. By using it on the imprisoned spirits, you’re essentially turning the hounds’ binding power against itself, breaking the imprisonment.

The Freed Spirits Respond

When you free a spirit, they thank you:

• “Thank you, [class]. May the winds and seas always deliver you safely.”
• “May the ancestors always aid you, [class], as you have aided me.”

These blessings reflect tuskarr values: safe journeys across dangerous waters and the continued guidance of ancestors.

Explore Borean Tundra’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Borean Tundra Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.