War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
“You might have already seen the room where Daegarn is being held while you were gatherin’ the tablets. It’s through this corridor and then down a set of steps. Daegarn will be in the room at the bottom of the steps – locked up tight!
Get down there and find him. At the very least you might be able to get the cipher from him.”
-Glorenfeld
Quest Giver: Glorenfeld at the Utgarde Catacombs
Objective: Find Daegarn in the Ring of Judgement inside the Utgarde Catacombs.
Quick Facts
Walkthrough
From Glorenfeld’s position near the catacomb entrance, head deeper into the catacombs. At the T-intersection, take the right path. Descend the first set of stairs only, then go through the door. Daegarn is in the first cage on your right.
Speak with Daegarn to complete the quest and receive the follow-up.
Note: This quest is purely a discovery objective. The gladiator combat and arena event occur in the follow-up quest, Stunning Defeat at the Ring. Do not engage the arena combatants until you’ve accepted that quest from Daegarn.
Efficiency Tips
Story Context
Glorenfeld sends you with a glimmer of hope:
“You might have already seen the room where Daegarn is being held while you were gatherin’ the tablets. It’s through this corridor and then down a set of steps. Daegarn will be in the room at the bottom of the steps – locked up tight!”
“Get down there and find him. At the very least you might be able to get the cipher from him.”
But Daegarn’s response dashes that hope:
“Yep. You found me. Woopedy-do!”
“And no, I don’t have the cipher. My beard was the first thing those beasts checked! Oluf’s the one that’s got it now. He’s the chieftain of the gladiators.”
Earlier, Glorenfeld mentioned that “The cipher is hidden away in Daegarn’s grimy beard. What? Dwarves hide things in their beards all the time!” The vrykul apparently know dwarven customs well enough to check there first.
Lore Context: The Ring of Judgement
The Utgarde Catacombs house a gladiatorial arena called the Ring of Judgement. According to Wowpedia, this ring contains four mini-bosses:
The Dragonflayer clan uses this arena to pit prisoners against their champion gladiators. Losers are taken to the basement where Scourge necromancers reanimate them as undead. Daegarn was next in line for the arena.
The completion text for the follow-up quest hints at something deeper about the arena: “Fascinating tale! Something is actually judgin’ these things? To what end?! For what purpose?” This suggests the “judgement” in the Ring of Judgement may be more than a name: some entity or force seems to actually be evaluating the combatants.
Quest Chain: Explorers’ League Investigation
Explore Howling Fjord’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Howling Fjord 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 JournalThe Ring of Judgment.
They’d named it, these vrykul. Given their murder-pit a title like it was something sacred.
I descended through the corridor Glorenfeld had described, past the chambers I’d already cleared gathering tablets. Old blood and fresh fear. The distant sound of metal on metal, and the roar of a crowd that never tired of watching men die.
The ring itself was a circular depression built into the catacomb floor, surrounded by tiered seating cut into the stone. Empty now, save for the caged prisoners around its edge, who were waiting for their turn.
Daegarn sat in one of those cages.
He was a dwarf built like a boulder, but captivity had worn him down.
“Yep. You found me. Woopedy-doo!”
I reached for the lock. He shook his head.
“And no, I don’t have the cipher. My beard was the first thing those beasts checked.” He laughed without humor. “Oluf’s the one that’s got it now. He’s the chieftain of the gladiators.”
Of course. Nothing simple in these tunnels.
“Can you get out?”
“Can I get out?” He rattled the bars. “Not without the key. Not without dealing with Oluf first. He only comes down when someone in the ring actually gives his fighters trouble.” The dwarf leaned forward against the bars. “Give ’em trouble.”
Oluf the Violent. Another name for the list.
Daegarn said Oluf only came down when somebody gave his fighters real trouble, and with four gladiators standing between Vikstone and the cipher, the dwarf rattled his cage and waited on a Stunning Defeat at the Ring.
![Finding Daegarn:
Enter the Utgarde Catacombs (entrance at 57, 50).
At the T-intersection, take a right and descend the first set of stairs.
Daegarn is located in the first cage on your right.
Starting the Event:
Speak to Daegarn to accept the follow-up quest, [Stunning Defeat at the Ring].
The quest will prompt you to enter the Ring of Judgment, where a series of battles will take place.](https://gamertribute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ring-of-Judgment-Map.png)
