Deep in the Bowels of The Underhalls

Quest Giver: The Bone Witch — Cave at Njorndar Village, Icecrown [32.5, 42.9]

Objective: Enter The Underhalls, beat information out of Apprentice Osterkilgr, and then slay him.

Quick Facts

• Location: The Underhalls, entrance at [32.7, 32.2] in Jotunheim (near Valhalas)
• Chain Position: Continues from The Bone Witch. Osterkilgr drops Dr. Terrible’s “Building a Better Flesh Giant”, which starts the follow-up The Sum is Greater than the Parts (also completable inside the Underhalls).

Walkthrough

Find the Entrance

• From the Bone Witch’s cave, head northeast into Jotunheim. The entrance to The Underhalls is at [32.7, 32.2], near the Valhalas arena. It looks like an ornate building entrance, not a typical cave. The subzone name “The Underhalls” only appears on your screen once you’re practically inside.

Navigate to Osterkilgr

• Enter the Underhalls and proceed straight down the main hallway until you reach a fork.
• Left: Bethod Feigr, who offers the side quest Revenge for the Vargul. Pick this up before proceeding; it can be completed inside the Underhalls.
• Right: Stairs leading down. Descend the first staircase, then take an immediate left and descend the second staircase. At the bottom, Apprentice Osterkilgr wanders underneath/behind the stairs you just came down.

Beat the Information Out of Him

• Attack Osterkilgr and bring him to roughly 40% health. At that point, he shouts out the information you need (revealing the plans for “Nergeld”), completing the first objective. Then finish him off for the second objective.
• Critical: Do not kill him too fast. If you one-shot him or burn him down before he reaches 40%, you will not get quest credit for the interrogation. This is the single most common failure point for this quest, especially for well-geared characters.

Loot the Book

• After killing Osterkilgr, loot Dr. Terrible’s “Building a Better Flesh Giant” from his body. This item starts The Sum is Greater than the Parts, which can also be completed inside the Underhalls. Accept it before leaving. You must be on or have completed this quest to loot the book.

Return to the Bone Witch at Njorndar Village [32.5, 42.9] to turn in.

Efficiency Tips

• If you kill him too fast, he respawns quickly. Strip off gear, unequip your weapon, or use a Soft Foam Sword to reduce your damage output. Some have had success just punching him naked.
• Rogues: Use Gouge at around 40% health to stop auto-attack and prevent accidentally finishing him off.
• Hunters: Set your pet to Passive before engaging. Pet damage plus your own can easily overshoot.
• Do Revenge for the Vargul and The Sum is Greater than the Parts in the same Underhalls trip. All three quests can be completed without leaving.
• Stand close to Osterkilgr when you engage. Killing him at too long a distance may prevent the interrogation trigger from firing.

Lore & Secrets

Dr. Terrible and the Vargul

Dr. Terrible is a Scourge scientist working under the Lich King’s authority to experiment on the vargul, the vrykul who fell in combat at Valhalas and were deemed unworthy of becoming Ymirjar. Instead of earning glory, these failed warriors are raised as mindless Scourge.

Dr. Terrible is using them as raw material for his flesh giant research, and Osterkilgr inadvertently reveals his plans for “Nergeld” during the interrogation.

The Bone Witch’s completion text notes surprise that Dr. Terrible was “using a vargul as an assistant given what he was working on,” hinting at the doctor’s indifference to his subjects.

Dr. Terrible’s name and the book title (“Building a Better Flesh Giant”) are a nod to mad scientist tropes. It may also be related to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008), the Joss Whedon web series that premiered the same year as WotLK.

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