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WotLK Classic Northrend Leveling Guide

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Quest 1 of 2 in the Cult Research Chain Group Quest

Both Factions • Icecrown • Level 80 • The Skybreaker

Collect 3 pages of Cultists' Research and combine them into the Cult of the Damned Thesis.

The researchers are inside the northern building of Aldur'thar, entrance around 51, 32. You need three different pages and can hold only one of each, so duplicates are wasted kills and the count is at the mercy of the drop table. Fight with your back to a wall. Their knockback cannot be interrupted, and being thrown into a second pack is what turns a manageable pull into a death. Work the bookshelf alcoves on the right rather than the central tables.

Vikstone's Classic Expedition

Thassarian had noticed the cult acting confident and wanted to know why, which is a stranger thing to be afraid of than an army. Most of the researchers died at their desks, and whatever Vikstone carried back off their tables took the composure out of a death knight's voice.

“The Cult of the Damned are notorious for concocting grandiose plans that in the end, rarely succeed. But something feels different this time….

Perhaps it’s the proximity to the Lich King that has their fervor heightened. Whatever it is, they appear to be more confident than ever. We must know what feeds this bravado and then find a way to strip them of it! I believe the key lies with their researchers. Find out what they’re up to and report back to me with the details.”

-Thassarian

Objective

LEVEL

80

Requires level

77

Start

Thassarian

END

Thassarian

Thassarian, aboard the Skybreaker, wants you to collect the 3 pages of Cultists’ Research from the Cult Researchers at Aldur’thar and use them to create the Cult of the Damned Thesis.

Cult of the Damned Thesis

(Suggested players: 3)

Quest Giver: Thassarian is found aboard The Skybreaker (Alliance) or Orgrim's Hammer (Horde).
Objective: Collect three Ebon Research Pages from Cult Researchers inside Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate.
Locate Aldur'thar:
Head to Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate, located in northern Icecrown.
Coordinates: 52, 32 marks the main entrance to the structure.
Find Cult Researchers:
Inside Aldur'thar, the Cult Researchers are primarily clustered around tables and along the walls.
The researchers spawn in groups of three but can also be found solo near the walls. — **Quest Giver:** Thassarian (Alliance, aboard The Skybreaker) / Koltira Deathweaver (Horde, aboard Orgrim’s Hammer)
**Head to Aldur’thar:** Fly to Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate in northern Icecrown. The entrance to the northern building is at [51, 32].
**Find Cult Researchers:** The Cult Researchers are level 79-80 non-elite humanoids found inside the northern building of Aldur’thar. They spawn in groups of up to three, clustered around tables and along the bookshelf alcoves lining the walls.

Icecrown Storyline

Reward

You will be able to choose one of these rewards:

The Darkspeaker’s Footpads

The Darkspeaker’s Treads

The Darkspeaker’s Sabatons

The Darkspeaker’s Iron Walkers

You will also receive:

Upon completion of this quest you will gain:

12,190 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Walkthrough

Quest Giver: Thassarian (Alliance, aboard The Skybreaker)/Koltira Deathweaver (Horde, aboard Orgrim’s Hammer)

Objective: Collect 3 pages of Cult of the Damned Research from Cult Researchers inside Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate and combine them into the Cult of the Damned Thesis.

Quick Facts

Suggested Players: 3 (soloable with care at 80)
Location: Northern building of Aldur’thar, entrance at [51, 32]
Chain Position: Sneak Preview → Need More Info → No Rest For The Wicked
Pairs With: Not a Bug, Retest Now, Cannot Reproduce (all objectives in the Aldur’thar area)

Walkthrough

Enter Aldur’thar

Fly to Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate in northern Icecrown. The entrance to the northern building is at [51, 32].

Kill Cult Researchers

The Cult Researchers are level 79-80 non-elite humanoids found inside the northern building of Aldur’thar. They spawn in groups of up to three, clustered around tables and along the bookshelf alcoves lining the walls.
Each researcher can drop one of three pages: Cult of the Damned Research – Page 1, Page 2, or Page 3. You need all three unique pages. Drop rate is decent but RNG can be streaky; expect roughly 6-12 kills.
You can only hold one copy of each page at a time. If Page 2 drops but you already have it, you will see “You can’t carry any more of those.”

Combine the Pages

Once all three pages are in your inventory, use any one of them to combine them into the Cult of the Damned Thesis. Note: combining the pages is a cast and will dismount you, so land first.

Turn In

Return to Thassarian aboard The Skybreaker (Alliance) or Koltira aboard Orgrim’s Hammer (Horde).

Combat Tips

Ability	Effect	Counter
Mind Blast	~2,000 Shadow damage	Interrupt with kicks, stuns, or Spell Reflect
Wail of Souls	AoE knockback + mana drain	Position against walls or pillars to negate knockback; cannot be interrupted

General: Despite the “Suggested: 3 players” tag, this is soloable at 80 for most classes. The danger comes from pulling a pack of three, where stacked Mind Blasts and Wail of Souls knockbacks can spiral. Fight with your back to a wall or pillar to neutralize the knockback.
Right Side Strategy: When you enter the room, turn right. The far wall has bookshelf alcoves with smaller pulls (some as low as two researchers). The large central table has denser packs. Work the edges first.
Casters: Shadow protection buffs help significantly. Expect mana pressure from Wail of Souls. Crowd control one mob from each pack when possible.
Melee: The knockback is the main threat. Wedging yourself into pillar alcoves keeps you in melee range. Save interrupts for Mind Blast, since Wail of Souls is not interruptable.
Stealth Classes: Rogues and feral druids can cherry-pick solo researchers along the walls. Use Sap to isolate targets from packs.
Respawn caution: Mobs respawn at a moderate rate. Avoid clearing back toward areas you already fought through, or you may get sandwiched.

Efficiency Tips

Pick up Not a Bug, Retest Now, and Cannot Reproduce before heading to Aldur’thar. All objectives overlap in the same area, and completing them together saves a full round trip.
The Cult Researchers also drop Recipe: Mighty Arcane Protection Potion and Formula: Enchant Cloak – Superior Arcane Resistance. If you are an alchemist or enchanter (or know one), keep an eye out.

Lore & Secrets

QA Bug Tracker Easter Egg

The quest names from this hub are a nod to software QA (Quality Assurance) bug tracking terminology. In bug tracking systems like DevTrack and others, testers and developers communicate using resolution statuses: “Need More Info” (tester’s report lacks detail), “Not a Bug” (developer deems it intended behavior), “Cannot Reproduce” (tester can’t replicate the issue), and “Retest Now” (fix is ready for verification).
All four quests come from the same quest giver, completing the joke. A nice hat tip from Blizzard to QA testers across the games industry.

The Cult of the Damned

The Cult of the Damned is a mortal organization serving the Lich King, originally founded by Kel’Thuzad during the events of Warcraft III. Their researchers in Aldur’thar are studying ways to strengthen the Scourge’s forces for the final defense of Icecrown Citadel, and the “Thesis” you assemble reveals the alarming scope of their progress.

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

Quest Series (2):

80G3 Need More Info
Learn more
80G5 No Rest For The Wicked
Learn more

Upon completion of this quest you will gain:

1,220 experience

10 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Vikstone's War Journal

“The Cult of the Damned are notorious for concocting grandiose plans that in the end, rarely succeed. But something feels different this time…. Perhaps it’s the proximity to the Lich King that has their fervor heightened. Whatever it is, they appear to be more confident than ever. We must know what feeds this bravado and then find a way to strip them of it! I believe the key lies with their researchers. Find out what they’re up to and report back to me with the details.”

Vikstone Portrait Act 3 — Illustrated by Christian DiBari and Simon Gough.

Perhaps it’s the proximity. He served the man. If anyone aboard could tell you what proximity does to a cultist’s nerve, it is Thassarian.

Mardagan came with me. He has not said much since the Amphitheater, and Zul’Drak feels a long way back from here.

The researchers work in the northern building, and they are human, and they were still working when we came through the door. They died at their desks, most of them, with the pen still in hand. One made it as far as the corridor and Mardagan put the Light through him there.

Their handwriting is careful. Whatever it says, they took their time saying it.

Three pages, and they combine into one document. Thassarian read the whole thing standing on the deck.

“This is alarming, indeed….”

Thassarian ordered to go back into that building and make certain the people who wrote it found No Rest For The Wicked.

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Objective

LEVEL

80

Requires level

77

Start

END

Icecrown Storyline

Reward

7 Gold

40 Silver

12,190 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Walkthrough

Combat Tips

1,220 experience

10 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Vikstone's War Journal

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The Making of the Guide

Solo PvP Guide

Star Wars Galaxies Chronicles

The Guide to SWGEmu