Come Hell or High Water

The subject of this article or section was part of the Elemental Unrest, a world event that heralded the beginning of the earth-shattering Cataclysm.

Fire elementals attacking Orgrimmar as part of the pre-Cataclysm event.

The Elemental Unrest is a world event that heralds the Cataclysm. The event leads up to elementals attacking Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Ironforge, and Thunder Bluff. If players can defeat these elementals and free trapped citizens within their entire city, they will be granted access to two special boss encounters. Until the name Elemental Unrest was used by a Blizard employee on the official forums, the community generally referred to this event as the Elemental Invasion. This alternative name persists in the community, however, and is used by many other fan sites to refer to the same event.

The event is currently in its third phase, making it possible for players to complete all of the quest chains which lead to the invasions that will take place in the fourth phase. Players may also obtain the  [Tripping the Rifts] feat of strength while this event is in progress.

Event progression

Date	Event
8 December 2009	Prelude: Rare Earthquakes begin on Azeroth.
12 October 2010	Earthquakes increase in intensity and frequency. Magni Bronzebeard and Thrall call meetings in Stormwind Keep and Grommash Hold respectively.
1 November 2010	Phase 1: Twilight's Hammer cultists appear in cities, elementals begin invading questing zones. Quests are available from Stormwind and Orgrimmar.
8 November 2010	Phase 2: Additional quests from Earthen Ring NPCs are available.
12 November 2010	Phase 3: Further additional quests are available. The Twilight's Hammer cultists infiltrate both Stormwind and Orgrimmar and are preparing to summon forth elementals to raze the cities.
Anticipated	Phase 4: The event is anticipated to climax with elemental invasions against Stormwind, Ironforge, Orgimmmar and Thunder Bluff.

Prelude

The Alliance leaders meet at Stormwind Keep.

Starting with the release of Patch 3.3.0 (8th of December 2009 for US realms), earthquakes begin in Azeroth. They are very infrequent and of mild intensity. Many players failed to notice they were even occurring.

Starting with the release of Patch 4.0.1 (12th of October 2010 for US Realms) the random earthquakes begin to occur more frequently and with much greater intensity. They now have an accompanying sound effect and are very obvious when they occur. In response, the faction leaders of the Alliance and Horde have gathered in Stormwind and Orgrimmar respectively to deal with this turn of events.

On 16th of October 2010 the earthquakes have longer durations. Whenever there are earthquakes near the Orgrimmar or Stormwind Auction houses, or the bank in Ironforge, dust comes down from the ceilings.

On 27th of October the earthquakes become more frequent.

Phase 1

This phase was released on the 1st of November, 2010. The day the phase started, Zarhym stated "There are four stages of the event. We're on the first."

Rifts have begun to form randomly in all questing zones, spawning elementals; the spawn timers are erratic, and not tied to the beginning of the hour. The first phase of the quest chains are now active. Earthquakes are now felt around the world, and not just in capital cities. Doom-preaching cultists and mysterious devices have appeared in Orgrimmar and Stormwind.

To obtain the Feat of Strength  [Tripping the Rifts], players must obtain a buff from each type of elemental portal that spawns in Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Outland and Northrend (Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind). Players do not have to kill rifts of their level to qualify for the achievement. The daily quests Hammering It Out and A Natural Occurrence are obtained from the mysterious devices left after the portals have been defeated. Player level must be within typical honor/experience granting range to receive the quest.

See  [5-80] Prophecies Of Doom to begin the quest chains.

For a full list of Elemental Rift spawn locations, see  Tripping the Rifts

Phase 2

This phase was released on the 8 November 2010 and simply opened up a few more quests in Orgrimmar, Stormwind and Ironforge.

Doomsday Cultists walk in areas of Stormwind and Orgrimmar wearing the  [Doomsday Message] and are Spreading The Word (Alliance) / (Horde).

Optional Alliance-only breadcrumb:  [80] What's Shaking in Ironforge

•  [80] Tablets of the Earth /  [80] Tablets of Fire
•  [80] Subduing the Elements

Phase 3

This was phase released on 12 November 2010.

More Doomsday Cultists walk through more areas of Stormwind and Orgrimmar with their Doomsday Message.

Cultist infiltrators are in Orgrimmar and Stormwind attempting rituals to summon powerful elementals to destroy the cities. Citizens are being held up and searched at the gates. Players get quests to search for infiltrators at the gate, arrest them in the city, and disrupt their rituals.

Thrall has moved to the Throne of the Elements in Nagrand. He is in a meeting with Aggra and Gavan Grayfeather. They are surrounded by a large number of level 1 elementals called "Disturbed Elements".

1.  [80] Show Me Your Papers
2.  [80] Arrest the Infiltrators
3.  [80] Back Under Cover
4.  [80] I Said the Words...

Side quest:

•  [80] A Gathering in Outland

Phase 4

This phase has not yet been activated.

Preparing for the invasion

Before every invasion event starts, a herald will yell, warning players and citizens about incoming danger. At this time, players are instructed to grab barricades/sandbags from stockpiles around their major city and place them in zones directed by a red arrow. Low-level players unable to participate in this event are instructed to evacuate to the nearest portal activated by several guards. When all barricades are placed or 5 minutes have elapsed, the battle against the invasion begins.

Combating the invasion

Viewing a city's map during an invasion will display all the districts and which are still under attack by elementals or need citizens freed.

All of the districts of the invaded city will be attacked by elementals spawning from opened rifts. Every elemental has about 320,000 HP and every rift will spawn elementals until 32 are destroyed. Several citizens are trapped in these districts and must be freed by an [Earthen Ring Unbinding Totem] provided by Earthen Ring Defenders. Players must clear the city of every rift and rescue every citizen within an hour in order to win the event.

After players defeat 32 elementals surrounding a rift, the rift will close and a buff will be applied to all players nearby:

Elemental	Faction		Buff Gained
	Alliance	Horde
Fire	Ironforge	Orgrimmar	Stacking damage debuff
Earth			Chance to restore 2% HP
Water	Stormwind	Thunder Bluff	+15% Power Regained
Wind			50 haste rating for 10s

Tips

• Unlike other phased events such as Battle for the Undercity, Operation: Gnomeregan, or Zalazane's Fall, you are not buffed into invulnerability against these powerful mobs. If you are assaulting a rift by yourself or with a few players without a healer present, only attack one elemental at a time.
• Bring an unbinding totem provided by the Earthen Ring Defenders with you. If your allies get trapped by an elemental, they must be freed or healed immediately or they might die within the time of the prison's stun.
• The elementals' prisons are cast in a frontal AoE cone. It has a very short range, so it is possible to avoid it by simply running away during the cast.

After the invasion

If an hour has elapsed since the start of the event, Earthen Ring Defenders will intervene and suddenly halt the invasion, removing all elementals from the city. However, players will not benefit and will have to wait until the next event occurs.

If players successfully secure a major city, two portals are available to enter for the next 30 minutes to fight one of the four lieutenants Cho'gall commands:

•  Grand Ambassador Flamelash
•  Crown Princess Theradras
•  Kai'ju Gahz'rilla
•  Prince Sarsarun

Quests

Quests which follow the invasion of a city:

•  [80D] Earth Girls Aren't So Easy
•  [80D] Fired Up and Not So Good To Go.
•  [80D] This Blows
•  [80D] Water They Up To?

Patches and hotfixes

• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Added.

  Phase 1 activated on 1 November 2010. Phase 2 activated on 8 November 2010. Phase 3 activated on 12 November 2010.