War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
War stories, articles & game guides
Gamer
Tribute
2026
Expeditions,
War Stories &
Culture
“Progress is being made. We have a promising array of tactics that should gain us control of the death gate. There will doubtlessly be many casualties, but in the end, we should be able to prevail – barring any interference from those Horde you insist on contending with…
At any rate, our next focus will be the gate of desolation. Fly down and become familiar with it and with the enemies posted there. When you return, I will have your missions prepared.”
-Thassarian
Thassarian, aboard the Skybreaker, wants you to fly down to the gate of desolation, visiting the south, central, north, and northwest regions of the gate.
You will be able to choose one of these rewards:
You will also receive:
Upon completion of this quest you will gain:
Quest Giver: Thassarian aboard The Skybreaker (Alliance)/Koltira Deathweaver aboard Orgrim’s Hammer (Horde)
Objective: Fly to Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate and visit four scouting points: South, Central, North, and Northwest.
Quick Facts
Walkthrough
Scout Aldur’thar
| Scouting Point | Coordinates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Aldur’thar South | [53, 43] | Southern approach to the gate |
| Aldur’thar Central | [53, 36] | Central section of the gate structure |
| Aldur’thar North | [52, 34] | Northern end of the gate |
| Aldur’thar Northwest | [50, 33] | Northwest flank beyond the main structure |
Efficiency Tips
Lore Context
Aldur’thar: The Desolation Gate is one of the three massive gates leading into the inner reaches of Icecrown toward the Citadel. This quest marks the beginning of the airship faction’s push against Aldur’thar specifically.
Thassarian (Alliance) frames it as tactical preparation: “our next focus will be the gate of desolation. Fly down and become familiar with it and with the enemies posted there.” The Horde version from Koltira has equivalent framing.
The follow-up quests represent the operational phase: Drag and Drop uses disguised cultists to infiltrate the gate’s defenders, Chain of Command targets Scourge leadership at the gate, and Cannot Reproduce disrupts the Cult of the Damned’s alchemical operations. All stem from the intelligence gathered during this flyover.
Explore Icecrown’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Icecrown Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.
Vikstone's War Journal“Progress is being made,” Thassarian said. “We have a promising array of tactics that should gain us control of the death gate. There will doubtlessly be many casualties, but in the end, we should be able to prevail. Barring any interference from those Horde you insist on contending with…”
You insist on contending with. He has not forgotten that I came back from Bartlett’s count with nothing to report.
“At any rate, our next focus will be the gate of desolation. Fly down and become familiar with it and with the enemies posted there. When you return, I will have your missions prepared.”
I have been to Aldur’thar. Killohertz keeps his airfield on the southern tower of that gate, and I have flown out of it four times to bomb the Bombardment, and the Horde have theirs on the tower north of it. Both hidden, both on the Scourge’s own wall. Nobody on either tower has ever suggested that we take the gate they are standing on.
Today I went down and looked at it properly.
South is where they move. Ranks going somewhere in order, and the order is the thing worth noting; whatever the Scourge lacks, it is not discipline on that ground.
The centre is the Cult, and their cauldrons, and Veridian would not go low over them.
North is the sky, which is why the airfields are up there in the first place. Frostbrood sentries working the cloud the way I would work it.
The northwest is flesh giants standing on gates with runes cut into them, and I flew that stretch once and did not go back for a second look.
The walls are saronite. Near indestructible, according to the intelligence, which is a thing you say about a wall you have not yet been asked to bring down.
“Well and good, warrior. Now that you’ve seen firsthand what we’re up against, it’s time to get to work…”
Four sectors memorized and Thassarian already had the missions written, the first of which involved the Cult’s own disguises and a plan that amounted to little more than Drag and Drop.
