War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
“While I have not heard from Slinkin or know what fate has befallen him, perhaps I can assist in finding him.
<Quarterflash holds up a tiny mechanical toy.>
This is not a toy, newfound compatriot. It is, in fact, my latest mechanical creation. The machine was created with the sole purpose of finding that which has been lost. These are unfortunate circumstances, but the machine is your best chance at finding Slinkin.
When you are ready to begin your search, place the bot on the ground next to me.”
-Siege Engineer Quarterflash
Find Slinkin the Demo-gnome in Wintergarde Mine. Use Quarterflash’s Homing Bot if you need help finding the mine.
Provided item:
Quest Giver: Siege Engineer Quarterflash — Wintergarde Keep, Dragonblight
Turn In: Slinkin the Demo-gnome (body) — Wintergarde Mine [81.5, 42.2]
Objective: Find Slinkin the Demo-gnome in Wintergarde Mine. Use Quarterflash’s Homing Bot if you need help finding the mine.
Walkthrough
Quarterflash gives you his Homing Bot, a tiny mechanical device designed to locate Slinkin. His quest text: “This is not a toy, newfound compatriot. It is, in fact, my latest mechanical creation. The machine was created with the sole purpose of finding that which has been lost.”
Using the Homing Bot (Optional)
Place the bot on the ground next to Quarterflash to activate it. You’ll receive a whisper from Quarterflash: “The bot will adjust its speed to match your own. I would suggest you mount up to speed things along.” The bot will lead you to the mine entrance.
Mount up so it moves faster. Using the bot is optional; if you know where the mine is, you can go directly.
Finding the Mine
The mine entrance is at approximately [80, 46]. Head south from the Keep into the ruined lower village. If you enter through the lower doorway (bottom shaft), the path leads directly to Slinkin’s body.
Slinkin is dead, located at [81.5, 42.2] inside the mine. Look for the quest marker on the ground. Interact with his body to read the note clutched in his hand, which completes the quest.
Quick Facts
Do Alongside
Pick these up from Quarterflash before heading to the mine, as they share the same location:
All three quests complete inside Wintergarde Mine. Do them in a single trip.
Lore & Story Context
Slinkin’s Final Report
Slinkin’s death note is more significant than it appears at first glance. He was trapped, knew he was going to die, and spent his final moments gathering intelligence:
“Chased into a dead end. Hidden for now, but they know I’m here. It won’t be long until they find me. The miners work tirelessly to unearth the strange ore that fuels the Scourge war machines. There is much banter. The language of death confounds me, but I have been able to identify commonly uttered sounds and phrases. The word ‘Yogg-Saron’ is said with great contempt and is usually followed by loud outbursts. They refer to the ore as ‘saronite.’ Meaning?”
This is the Wintergarde storyline’s introduction of saronite, the mysterious ore that is literally the crystallized blood of the Old God Yogg-Saron.
Slinkin didn’t understand what he was hearing, but the Scourge miners despise the name of the entity whose body they’re harvesting. The ore fuels the Lich King’s war machine (armor, weapons, fortifications), but its Old God origin means even the undead fear it.
This thread continues through the follow-up quest and connects to major storylines in Icecrown and the Ulduar raid.
Easter Egg
Explore Dragonblight’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Dragonblight Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.
You will be able to choose one of these rewards:
You will also receive:
Upon completion of this quest you will gain:
Vikstone's War JournalQuarterflash’s device was no toy.
“This is my latest mechanical creation,” the gnome said, holding up a small construct that clicked and whirred in his palm. “The machine was created with the sole purpose of finding that which has been lost. These are unfortunate circumstances, but the bot is your best chance at finding Slinkin.”
I set it on the ground outside the mine entrance. The thing’s gears spun and it scuttled into the darkness. I followed.
The Wintergarde Mine had become something else since the Scourge took it. Undead miners worked the veins, their pickaxes ringing against stone. They spoke to each other in the guttural tongue of the dead, words I could not understand.
The bot led me deeper, past workers who barely noticed my passage, until the tunnel ended in a dead-end chamber.
Slinkin lay crumpled against the wall. A gnome, small even by gnome standards, his fingers still locked around a scrap of parchment. His final report.
Chased into a dead end. Hidden for now, but they know I’m here. It won’t be long until they find me.
The miners work tirelessly to unearth the strange ore that fuels the Scourge war machines. There is much banter. The language of death confounds me, but I have been able to identify commonly uttered sounds and phrases.
The word “Yogg-Saron” is said with great contempt and is usually followed by loud outbursts. They refer to the ore as “saronite.” Meaning?
I read the note twice. Yogg-Saron. The name meant nothing to me then. Whatever Yogg-Saron was, even the dead feared it.
Saronite. The ore that fueled their war machines bore its name.
Slinkin had died alone in the dark, but he had died doing what demolitionists do: gathering intelligence, understanding the enemy. His final question, unanswered.
Meaning?
I pocketed the note. Someone at Wintergarde would know. And if they didn’t, we would learn.
Slinkin was dead and his last report changed everything, because the Scourge were mining saronite, and with Yogg-Saron’s blood coming up out of that shaft they would Leave Nothing to Chance about sealing it.
