Guide to Drak'Tharon Keep

Drak'Tharon Keep is a 5 man instance for players 74-76 located in the northwestern section of Grizzly Hills. As you know, this is an instance guide that will explain the instance.

Table of Contents
1.Who to Bring
2.Quests
3.Mobs/Bosses
4.Strategies on Each Boss

1.Who to Bring
You'll want the same thing, tank, healer, 3 dps. However, make sure that these dps can crowd control! I can't stress enough how much crowd control is needed in this instance. The mobs are mostly human, undead, and beasts, so almost any CC will do. At least have a hunter in the group for their flexible CC.

2.Quests
[75]Cleansing Drak'Tharon Obtained from Image of Drakuru. The prerequisite is [75]Voices From the Dust.

Drakuru wants you to use Drakuru's Elixir at his brazier inside Drak'Tharon. Using Drakuru's Elixir there will require 5 Enduring Mojo.

Description
The time be here at last, good friend.

Drak'Tharon soon be cleansed of them foul undead and restored to her noble purpose. My soul will be havin' peace, and in return for your help, the keep's most valuable treasures be yours, mon!

Da keep rises up into a sacred ziggurat. Once ya be reachin' its top, ya must summon me a final time, and I'll perform the ritual.

Alas, mon, my summonin' will again be comin' at a cost. Ya must collect the mojo from the survivors in the keep.

Rewards
Shroud of Temptation

Enticing Sabatons

Shackles of Dark Whispers

Shoulders of the Seducer

[74]Search and Rescue The prerequisite is [74]Seared Scourge.

Mack at Granite Springs wants you to go into Drak'Tharon and find out what became of Kurzel.

Description
Orc women... they just don't lissen - hic. Know what I mean, ?

Kurzel's been with us fer years. You'd think she'd get a feel fer how we do things by now. Lure the fools in fer the dangerous work, then reap the rewards when it's safe. What's so hard to understand?

Not her though... impatient green-skin goes off and takes matters into her own hands. Probably dead by now, but I'd feel horrible if we didn't follow after her, and I'm in no shape to do it myself - hic.

So whatdya say, pal?

Rewards

Kurzel's Angst

Kurzel's Rage

Kurzel's Warband

[74]Head Games This is the follow up of [74]Search and Rescue.

Kurzel wants you to use Kurzel's Blouse Scrap at the corpse of Novos the Summoner, then take the Ichor-Stained Cloth to Mack.
Ichor-Stained Cloth
Provided Item:
Kurzel's Blouse Scrap

Description
Too lazy for their own good.... Wait! I know how to teach 'em!

Here, , take this. Dip it in the remains of that annoying lich over there and return it to Mack back at the camp.

Once the boys have stewed in their guilt for a while I'll show up and let them off the hook.

They'll learn not to let a lady wander off alone!

Rewards
Shameful Cuffs

Scorned Bands

Accused Wristguards

Disavowed Bracers

3.Mobs/Bosses
Bosses:

Trollgore, 76 elite

Novos the Summoner, 76 elite

King Dred, 76 elite

The Prophet Tharon'ja, 76 elite

Mobs
Crystal Handler These mobs will do a spell called Flash of Darkness that will do 1527-1773 on normal and 2960-3440 on heroic.

Darkweb Hatchling These are small spiders, they aren't dangerous individually but they are dangerous in groups.

Darkweb Recluse These mobs cast a poison spit that does damage and puts a DOT on the target. They will also cast encasing webs that roots the target and slows you by 100%.

Drakkari Bat
Just like the Darkweb Hatchlings, these are dangerous in a group or a "colony."

Drakkari Commander They will cast a battle shout which increases their attack power, will go into a frenzy increasing attack speed and damage, and also do a whirlwind.

Drakkari Guardian They will use hamstring which slows you, shield bash which will interrupt casting, and will also heal. Make sure that the heal is disrupted by a counterspell, shield bash, etc.

Drakkari Gutripper They will cast a debuff that reduces stamina by 15% for 6 seconds.

Drakkari Raptor Mount All they do is some good damage that needs to be healed through.

Drakkari Scytheclaw They will cast rend which does damage over time.

Drakkari Shaman Casts lightning bolt, a heal, and chain heal. Make sure that the heal and chain heal is disrupted, especially the chain heal. It will heal any trolls in the same group as the shaman.

Fetid Troll Corpse They are very annoying in large groups.

Flesheating Ghoul These will go into a frenzy increasing attack speed and damage, and will also use pierce armor which will decrease your total armor.

Ghoul Tormentor These use cleave which does damage in a frontal cone. Make sure all melee dps are in the back of him. They also do an attack named fresh rot, which will damage you then put a DOT on you.

Hulking Corpse These have no special attacks, but they do a lot of damage. Your healer needs to heal through this.

Risen Drakkari Bat Rider They will use curse of blood that will increase damage taken, and they will also use impale which is a DOT.

Risen Drakkari Death Knight They use deafening roar which silences, and also does physical damage.

Risen Drakkari Handler They will use hooked net which is a root, backhand which is a stun, and shoot.

Risen Drakkari Soul Mage They use shadow blast which does shadow damage and knocks them back, blood siphon which steals health, and void zone which casts shadow damage. YOU MUST MOVE OUT OF THESE!!!

Risen Drakkari Warrior They use crush armor which decreases your armor rating by 10% for 30 seconds, and ghost strike which does physical damage.

Risen Shadowcaster These cast shadowbolt.

Scourge Brute Does a knockdown, will use mortal strike which reduces healing to the target, and uses dark weapon which does shadow damage.

Scourge Reanimator Casts cripple which reduces movement speed and strength by 50%, uses frostbolt which does frost damage and slows the target, and does unholy frenzy which increases the mobs around him's attack speed by 35%, but will also do shadow damage to it.

Wretched Belcher Does an AOE DOT, does bile vomit which is a disease and does nature damage, it can be dispelled, and will do cleave which means all melee dps needs to be on the sides or in the back.

4.Strategies on Each Boss
The first boss is Trollgore. He will do an AOE that kills the trolls attacking him, and does damage to any player in range. Also, he will do corpse explosion on the dead trolls that will do damage also. Make sure the healer is able to survive - Trollgore deals out a lot of party wide damage, and the tank is going to get hit hard. He will do a cannibalize that increases his damage, and the DPS needs to burn him down before it stacks to high. Although he isn't extremely hard with a good healer, you need to have good dps also. Once you defeat Trollgore you are onto Novos!

The second boss is Novos the Summoner. When you engage Novos, he will put up an arcane shield that makes him invulnerable and will do damage to anyone standing in it. When he does put this up, he will call several undead down the stairs in the middle. Most of them are non elite, and are very easy to AOE down. Sometimes there will be a risen shadowcaster that will not come into melee, or a hulking corpse that needs to be kept off anyone other than the tank due to his high damage. This keeps going on until four crystal handlers spawn from the stairs that you must kill to deactivate Novos' shield. Once this is done, Novos is not much of a threat, but make sure all the undead that spawned are dead. He will cast frostbolt, arcane blast, blizzard, and a spell called wrath of misery, which he casts on a random person. This painful spell will do shadow damage every 2 seconds for 8 seconds. Stay out of his blizzard. He isn't that tough. When he is dead, make sure you use the Kurzel's Blouse Scrap on his remains to complete the quest [74]Head Games. Onwards!

The 3rd boss is an optional one and can be avoided by moving around his pen, but I advise not too. King Dred is the boss you are about to kill. He hits moderately hard and casts DOT bleeds on the tank. When you see the emote, "King Dred lashes out wildly," be prepared for his special abilities. He uses mangling slash, which does damage and increases the damage taken from his bleeds with grievous bite. This bleed move can wipe you because it deals a lot of damage and if the tank does not become fully healed they will keep taking damage. He uses piercing slash to deal damage and reduce armor by 75%, and this ups his damage. Make sure you look for the "Raise his claw menacingly" thing. This gives you a warning he's about to attack three times. The healer needs to be prepared so that they can heal through it. He also uses an AOE fear to all enemies within 35 yards of this huge devilsaur. Be aware of adds around the pen, and pull him as far away as you can. If you have a shaman in your group they should put a tremor totem down to help with the fear. Once you kill him, we're heading to the final boss!

The 4th and final boss is The Prophet Tharon'ja. A few times throughout this fight, he transforms the entire group into skeletons which have a new set of skills. This includes touch of life, which steals health, bone armor which absorbs damage for ten seconds, taunt, and slaying strike, which does a good amount of damage. The tank should still have his attention despite the transformation. Everyone else should use slaying strike, including the healer. The prophet also drops poison clouds throughout the area, as soon as you see one by you get away, no matter what you were doing at the time. If you take damage use touch of life. After a while the prophet will turn everyone back into their flesh forms, and will stun you for a few seconds, which is another reason to stay out of poison clouds. I know that I've been stunned by this before, and then a poison cloud dropped right by me. Tharon'ja also uses an eye beam that hits a random person for shadow damage until you're at 50% hp. as well as using shadow voley and lightning breath. Pay close attention and soon the prophet will die. Right behind the Prophet is Drakuru's Brazier, which by now you should have the Enduring Mojo to summon him. Watch the cool script between Arthas and Drakuru, then head home.

-End-

-Kostada

Please post anything you see wrong in the guide. I will repair it.