The Runic Prophecies

Quest Giver: Torthen Deepdig — Westfall Brigade Encampment, Grizzly Hills [59, 27]

Objective: Use the Runic Keystone to decipher the three Rune Plates inside Thor Modan and return to Torthen Deepdig.

Quick Facts

• Level: 75
• Location: Inside Thor Modan tunnel
• Chain Position: 3 of 3 (chain finale) in the Runic Plate chain (The Damaged Journal → The Runic Keystone → The Runic Prophecies)
• Horde Equivalent: The Runic Prophecies (Horde version, turns in to Sage Paluna at Camp Oneqwah, +250 Taunka reputation)

Walkthrough

• Enter Thor Modan through the main entrance at approximately [64.8, 20.3] and head into the tunnel area where the stone giants are hurling boulders.
• The three Rune Plates are mounted on sealed doors along the tunnel walls. They appear as large doors with a sparkling golden bar across them, making them easy to spot.
• Plate locations:
  • First Prophecy: North side of tunnel, approximately [65.5, 16.1]
  • Second Prophecy: South side of tunnel, approximately [69.0, 14.5]
  • Third Prophecy: South side of tunnel, approximately [70.1, 14.6]
• Stand in front of each plate and click it. The interaction is instant; there is no channeling bar and you cannot be interrupted. You can click prophecies even while being attacked.
• Stealth/Form Warning: Clicking a Rune Plate will break druid forms (cat, bear, etc.) and likely breaks rogue stealth as well. Plan accordingly if you were trying to sneak through.
• After deciphering all three, return to Torthen Deepdig at the Westfall Brigade Encampment [59, 27].

Efficiency Tips

• Do Alongside: If you have any other Thor Modan quests still active, the Rune Plates are in the same interior tunnel system. The plates are along the same path you’d take for The Fate of Orlond and Steady as a Rock?.
• Speed Strategy: You can pull mobs along with you as you run between plates, clicking each one as you pass since there’s no channel to interrupt. AoE classes can drag everything to the last plate and kill it all there.
• No Follow-Up: This is the chain finale. No direct quest continues from here. The storyline picks up thematically in the Storm Peaks where Brann’s trail leads to Ulduar.

Lore Context

• The three runic plates contain ancient titan-forged prophecies that Brann Bronzebeard was deciphering before he was forced to flee. The prophecy content reveals:
  • First Prophecy: References a return to “the cradle of iron and stone.”
  • Second Prophecy: Mentions “Ulduar, nestled in the embrace of the storm.”
  • Third Prophecy: Calls for “the greatest of the Maker’s children” to “arise and claim your birthright.”
• This is one of the earliest in-game breadcrumbs toward Ulduar in the Storm Peaks. Torthen’s reaction upon hearing the translations connects the Thor Modan iron dwarves to the broader question of dwarven origins and the titan facilities that created them. The “Maker” referenced is likely the titan Khaz’goroth, patron of the dwarves.
• The prophecies also foreshadow Loken’s plan to awaken the iron dwarf armies for his rebellion against the titans, a storyline that reaches its climax in Halls of Lightning and the Ulduar raid.

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