Darkness Calling

Quest Giver: Writhing Choker (dropped item)

Turn In: Stefan Vadu — Ebon Watch, Zul’Drak [14, 73]

Objective: Take the Writhing Choker to Stefan at Ebon Watch.

Quick Facts

• Level: 75
• Prerequisite: Must have completed Drakuru’s quest chain in Grizzly Hills and Drak’Tharon Keep.
• Chain Position: First quest in the Drakuru infiltration chain (Zul’Drak side) for players who already know Drakuru. Part of the Guru of Drakuru achievement.
• Next Quest: Close Call (Horde)/Near Miss (Alliance)
• Alternate Version: Players who did NOT complete Drakuru’s Grizzly Hills chain receive An Invitation, of Sorts… instead, which uses an Unliving Choker from the same trolls. Both lead into the same chain.

Walkthrough

Getting the Drop

• The Writhing Choker drops from Withered Trolls in the area around Ebon Watch.
• The drop rate is effectively 100% for eligible players. Your first Withered Troll kill should drop it.
• You’ll almost certainly pick this up naturally while doing Kickin’ Nass and Takin’ Manes, which sends you to kill the same trolls.

Starting the Quest

• Right-click the Writhing Choker in your bags to accept the quest.
• The quest text is identical to An Invitation, of Sorts…: your character finds a bone choker “dripping with blood,” resists the compulsion to wear it, and decides to bring it to a death knight for analysis.

Turn In

• Bring the choker to Stefan Vadu at Ebon Watch [14, 73]. Stefan recognizes the artifact and tells you that you’ve been “chosen.”

Efficiency Tips

• No farming needed. Kill one Withered Troll and you’ll have it. If you’re following normal quest progression from Light’s Breach, this drops during Kickin’ Nass and Takin’ Manes.

Lore Context

If you’re on this version instead of An Invitation, of Sorts…, you already know who Drakuru is. You helped him in Grizzly Hills, watched him betray you at Drak’Tharon Keep, and saw the Lich King promote him to Overlord. The Writhing Choker is Drakuru reaching out to you specifically, since the two of you have history. He wants to “reunite” with his old accomplice.

Stefan Vadu and the Knights of the Ebon Blade are already tracking Drakuru’s operations from Ebon Watch. Bringing them this choker is the first step toward the infiltration plan that will eventually bring Drakuru down from inside his own necropolis.

The narrative payoff for Darkness Calling players comes later: when you reach Voltarus and meet Drakuru face-to-face, he greets you warmly as an old friend (via the Reunited quest), completely unaware you’re planning to destroy him.

Players who took An Invitation, of Sorts… get the colder Dark Horizon version instead, where Drakuru treats them as a stranger.

Full Chain Overview

• The Darkness Calling path runs: Darkness Calling → Close Call/Near Miss → Silver Lining/You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide → Suit Up!/Dressing Down → Infiltrating Voltarus → onward through the Voltarus double-agent quests to Betrayal.
• The full chain awards 2,125 reputation with the Knights of the Ebon Blade.

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