Monitoring the Rift: Sundered Chasm

Quest Giver: Librarian Garren at Amber Ledge [45, 33]

Turn In: Librarian Garren at Amber Ledge [45, 33]

Objective: Use the Arcanometer at the Sundered Chasm anomaly and return with the readings.

Quick Facts

• Quest Type: Use item at underwater location
• Pre-requisites: Monitoring the Rift: Cleftcliff Anomaly
• Buff Provided: Water Breathing (cast by Garren upon accepting quest)
• Chain Position: Second of three (follow-up: Monitoring the Rift: Winterfin Cavern)

Walkthrough

Anomaly Location: [43, 29] on the seafloor, with the exact center at approximately [43.9, 28.5] or [44.2, 27.8]. Look for a large, glowing purple area at the bottom of the chasm. This anomaly is MUCH larger than the Cleftcliff one.

Water Breathing: Upon accepting the quest, Librarian Garren automatically casts Water Breathing on you. This buff reportedly has no duration or location restraints as long as you don’t complete the quest or die. You can essentially breathe underwater forever until turn-in.

Even without the buff, WotLK’s extended breath timer gives you plenty of air to dive down, take the reading, and resurface without drowning.

Getting There

Option 1: The Cliff Dive (Fast but Risky)

Jump directly off the cliff behind the quest giver. Aim for deep water. The drop is dramatic, but won’t kill you if you land in water.

WARNING: Water Walking = Death

Death Knights, Shamans, and anyone with water walking abilities must disable them before jumping:

• Death Knights: Turn off Path of Frost
• Shamans: Don’t cast Water Walking before the jump
• Rogues with Sprint glyph: Disable Sprint

If you have water walking active when you hit the water, it becomes solid and you take fatal fall damage. 

Option 2: Trail Descent (Safe)

Take the trail at [43.18, 35.12] to descend safely to the water’s edge. This is the same blue torch path used in the previous quest.

Option 3: Cliff Entry Point

Enter the water from [47, 29], then swim northwest toward the anomaly.

Using the Arcanometer

1. Swim down to the bottom of the chasm
2. Locate the large, purple, glowing area
3. Position yourself INSIDE the purple anomaly (not just near it)
4. Click the Arcanometer in your inventory

Return Path

The closest path to ascend back to Amber Ledge is at approximately [45, 31], southeast of the anomaly. You can also simply swim to any shoreline and find the blue torch paths leading back up.

Environmental Notes

Bubbly Fissure: If you somehow lose your water breathing buff, there’s a Bubbly Fissure at [44, 27] north of the anomaly that provides air bubbles.

Hostile Creatures: A few water-based creatures patrol the area. They’re easy to avoid, but be aware of patrols near the shoreline and the quarry path. None spawn directly at the anomaly.

Achievement Opportunity

You can earn Going Down? (fall 65 yards without dying) by jumping off the cliff behind Garren.

Story Context: The Situation Escalates

Garren is visibly shaken when you return from Cleftcliff:

“Did you feel that?! That was just an aftershock… you should’ve been here a few minutes ago!”

“I’m afraid I must call upon your services again. My instruments indicate that there is an immense disruption just west of here, far beneath the water’s surface.”

Upon returning with the Sundered Chasm readings, Garren’s alarm reaches a new level:

“It was how big? That’s impossible! I need to report to Dalaran at once!”

The escalating severity of the anomalies paints a picture of rapidly worsening instability. What began as concerning readings is now becoming an emergency.

Lore: The Westrift’s Origins

The Westrift is more than just a geographic feature.

During the War of the Ancients, Deathwing used the Demon Soul to devastate the blue dragonflight, destroying their original home in what is now the Dragonblight. Malygos, driven mad with grief and rage, literally tore his territory away from the mainland, creating the tremendous gap now called the Westrift. The broken bridge you see spanning the rift is a remnant of the connection that once existed.

For thousands of years, the Westrift remained geothermally stable. But now, as Malygos redirects ley lines to Coldarra for his war against mortal magic users, that stability is shattering. The rifts opening beneath the water are symptoms of forces being pushed beyond their limits.

The Sundered Chasm anomaly you’re documenting lies at the bottom of this ancient wound.

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.