Elemental Unrest

This article is about the Cataclysm world event. For elemental invasions in classic WoW, see Elemental Invasions.

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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.

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The Elemental Invasion is a world event that heralds the Cataclysm. This event began on live servers on 1 November 2010. The event will lead 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.

Prelude

Starting with 13th of October 2010 random earthquakes are reported in the major cities and zones of Azeroth. 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 released on the 1st of November, 2010. Portals have begun to spawn 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.

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 quest Hammering It Out, obtained from the mysterious devices left after the portals have faded, does require the death of level-appropriate elementals, however.

See  [1-80] Prophecies Of Doom (Alliance) /  [1-80] Prophecies Of Doom (Horde) to begin the quest chains.

Below are the current known location of Rift Spawns by type; see  [Tripping the Rifts] for a detailed list.

Fire
Zone	Location
Westfall	Sentinel Hill
The Barrens	Between Razorfen Downs and Razorfen Kraul, Ratchet, Camp Taurajo, North of Bael Modan, Stagnant Oasis, Sludge Fen, Blackthorn Ridge (43,82) Field of Giants (46,69)
Dustwallow Marsh	Inside Theramore near Armory, North of Witch Hill, Shady Rest Inn
The Hinterlands	South of the mouth of the river near abandoned house
Searing Gorge	N/A
Blasted Lands	Firewatch Ridge, just South of Thorium Point.
Winterspring	Everlook, east and west, Under Frostsaber Rock
Hellfire Peninsula	Dark Portal, Honor Hold, Thrallmar, Ruins of Sha'nnar
Zul'Drak	Thrym's End (just near Burr body), Between Rageclaw Den and Rageclaw Lake, South of Zeramas, East of the Reliquary of Pain, In the middle of Heb'Drakkar

Water
Zone	Location
Silverpine Forest	East of Shadowfang Keep, South of the fork in the road east of Sepulcher, West of Dead Field towards the shore
Ghostlands	N/A
Wetlands	On the shore near the Bluegill Murlocs and the two ruined ships, Between the Greenwarden and Dark Iron Dwarf Camps, Menethil Harbor inside near front entrance
Thousand Needles	Darkcloud Pinnacle
Stranglethorn Vale	Kurzen's Compound, Wild Shore, West of Nesingwary camp
Swamp of Sorrows	Stonard
Tanaris	Lost Rigger Cove, Dunemaul Compound
Un'goro Crater	Entrance from Tanaris
Zangarmarsh	On road leading to Terrokkar, Orebor Harborage, Ango'rosh Grounds, Bloodscale Grounds
Shadowmoon Valley	Legion Hold, Shadowmoon Village
Dragonblight	Obsidian Dragon Shrine (Next to the Ember Drake bones, left of the cave's entrance), Frostmourne Cavern (to the right side of the cave entrance down the path by the tower), Agmar's Hammer, Wintergarde Keep, Ruby Dragonshrine, New Hearthglen
Icecrown	Sindragosa's Fall, Deathspeaker's Watch west of Argent Tournament
Hrothgar's Landing	North part

Wind
Zone	Location
Darkshore	Aubderine, South of Auberdine on the shore
Felwood	Northern Furbolg Camp, below entrance to Timbermaw Hold
Hillsbrad Foothills	Southshore, Tarren Mill
Duskwood	South East of Raven Hill Cemetery, Darkshire
Arathi Highlands	South of Circle of West Binding, Hammerfall, Dabyrie's Farmstead
Feralas	Ruins of Solarsal, Front of Dire Maul, West of Feathermoon Stronghold, Forgotten Coast near the dock
Eastern Plaguelands	Northpass Tower, South of Corin's Crossing, Undercroft
Terokkar Forest	Cenarion Thicket, Veil Shienor, Bone Wastes, Tuurem, Firewing Point, Allerian Stronghold
Netherstorm	Area 52, Arklon Ruins, South of Manaforge Ultris near bridge
Borean Tundra	Taunka'le Village (North of the village Grave Yard in the The Flood plains), Magmoth
Sholazar Basin	Mosswalker Village, Kartak's Hold, Death's Hand Encampment
Crystalsong Forest	Unbound Thicket, Ruins of Shandaral

Earth
Zone	Location
Loch Modan	Mo'grosh Stronghold, The Loch (upper island)
Redridge Mountains	In Lakeshire
Desolace	Nigel's Point, Kolkar Village
Badlands	Just north of Theldurin the Lost
Alterac Mountains	The Uplands (Just southeast of the Growless Cave), Flame of Uzel for Horde players
Western Plaguelands	Felstone Field
Burning Steppes	West of Dreadmaul Rock
Silithus	Cenarion Hold towards Swarming Pillar
Nagrand	Laughing Skull Ruins, Windyreed Village, Telaar, Northwest of Oshu'gun, Garadar, Burning Blade Ruins
Blade's Edge Mountains	Grishnath, Sylvanaar, Bladespire Hold
Howling Fjord	Wyrmskull Village near the hut where Alliance players witness the visions of the past
Grizzly Hills	Drak'atal Passage, Rage Fang Shrine, Zeb'Halak
Storm Peaks	First Gnoll camp west of K3, Inventory's Library, Valkyrion[25, 62]

Phase 2

This phase has not yet been turned on for the live realms.

Phase two will open up a few more quests in Thunder Bluff / Ironforge.

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

Invasion preparation

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

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

Zarhym has stated "There are four stages of the event. We're on the first." Details of the fourth phase are as yet unknown.

See also

•  [Tripping the Rifts]

Credits

The info for the phase 1 Rift locations was taken from;

Wowhead 

World of Warcraft Community Site 

World of Warcraft Community Site 

Patches

• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Added. Activated on the 1st of November 2010.