TheWoWDBTo get to this questline, you have to fulfill the prerequisite quests, which begin all the way back in Gadgetzan with this version of Kelsey Steelspark. I figured this out the hard way while looking for the second (phased) Kelsey that only appears at Land's End Beach when you've completed her Gadgetzan questline. It's a long questline too with multiple stops along the way, FYI.
I'm just writing this for the people here to grab one of these quest items for Transmog purposes. For me, it was the leather shoulders.
Quest
Ancient Obstacles
A World of Warcraft quest in Tanaris. Facts and objectives from the current retail game data.
The highest voted Wowhead comments for this page. They are community notes, not TheWoWDB comments.
Easy quest with 2000-2100hp Sandstone Golems.
First one dropped [Vanadium Loop of Spirit].
Total loot for me from Quest and 10-Golems was 1g 61s 71cp.s. of course you only need 6 of them.
"But what's done is done, and the entrance to Uldum is revaled."
"revealed" from proofreader lol :)
While you do this quest go inside the Ruins of Uldum to the far side of the big cavernous room (or as [npc=40109] calls it the Antechamber of Uldum) and pick up The Grand Tablet quest. There are no mobs to kill or traps of any kind. When you return to Prospector Gunstan he will declate that you and he together have "made the find of the century!"
Or you can wait and pick it up while you are there doing The Secrets of Uldum. You will have to kill the [npc=39077]. But this way you can "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak.
Quest facts
LevelLevel 15-30
ZoneTanaris
Quest ID25420
Check whether you have already completed this quest
in-game: /run print(C_QuestLog.IsQuestFlaggedCompleted(25420))
Requirements
FactionAlliance only
Read from the Blizzard quest API.
What to do
StorylineTanaris, step 37 of 48
RewardsSandstone Pauldrons, 
Decomissioner's Monnions, 
Gatewatcher Belt, 10g 50s, 4,100 XP
Sandstone Pauldrons, Decomissioner's Monnions, Gatewatcher Belt, 10g 50s, 4,100 XPDescription
I've studied the gate here for years, trying to find a way of entry that wouldn't disturb any of the ancient architecture just behind it. It figures a few overgrown earthquakes decided to muck the whole thing up! But what's done is done, and the entrance to Uldum is revealed. I wasn't expecting anything to come out of the ruins before we went in, though. A whole mess of golems are running amok in the valley now, let loose from inside. Someone needs to clean them up if we're gonna get in there!
Where to go
Pins are the quest’s own POI points from the current retail client, projected onto the in-game zone map. The game marks one blob as the quest’s turn-in; the rest are objective areas. Points that fall outside a map’s window are dropped rather than guessed at.
Turn-inObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaObjective areaIn-game waypoint: /way #71 40.1 77.0
Coordinates
- Turn-inTanaris 40.1, 77.0
/way #71 40.1 77.0 - Objective area (centre of the marked area)Tanaris 37.0, 76.5
/way #71 37.0 76.5
Map coordinates of the pins above. An area the client draws as a shape is given by the centre of its points.
Nearby on the Tanaris map
- Violence Will Solve It about 340 yards
- Butterfly Effects about 370 yards
- The Fate We Make about 370 yards
- Not Today, Fate about 380 yards
- Hero's Call: Uldum! about 890 yards
- Tearing at the Seams about 1,540 yards
- The Great Detective about 2,090 yards
- Warn the Detective about 2,090 yards
- Toy Trouble about 2,090 yards
- The Final Toy about 2,090 yards
Quests whose map markers the client places closest to this one on Tanaris, nearest first. Distances are straight lines between the markers.
Getting there
Alliance flight points closest to the quest’s turn-in marker on Tanaris:
- Gunstan's Dig, Tanaris
- Bootlegger Outpost, Tanaris
- Ramkahen, Uldum
From the turn-in, the objective areas lie:
- Objective area
Straight-line distances in yards between the quest’s own map markers (QuestPOI) and the client’s flight-point positions (TaxiNodes); flight paths and terrain are not modelled.
Community notes from Wowhead · 4 comments
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Choose one of these rewards:
3D Model
First-party render from the game files. Model © Blizzard Entertainment.
Reward details
Pick one of these
TypeMail Shoulder
Item level25
BindingBinds when picked up
Armor10
Stats+5 Agility or Intellect, +8 Stamina
Suited toElemental, Restoration, Devastation, Preservation, Augmentation, Marksmanship, Beast Mastery, Survival, Enhancement
Sells to vendors for24 gold61 silver
TypeLeather Shoulder
Item level25
BindingBinds when picked up
Armor7
Stats+5 Agility or Intellect, +8 Stamina
Suited toBalance, Restoration, Mistweaver, Devourer, Vengeance, Feral, Guardian, Brewmaster, Subtlety, Outlaw, Assassination, Havoc, Windwalker
Sells to vendors for24 gold53 silver
TypeCloth Waist
Item level25
BindingBinds when picked up
Armor3
Stats+5 Intellect, +8 Stamina, +10 Haste
Suited toAffliction, Frost, Discipline, Holy, Fire, Arcane, Shadow, Destruction, Demonology
Sells to vendors for16 gold41 silver
Reputation: Ironforge +250
This Alliance capital is the pride of the Dun Morogh dwarves. Home to King Magni.
Reputation group: Alliance.
Other quests in Tanaris that reward Ironforge reputation: The Grand Tablet (+350), Laying Claim (+250), Fragments of Language (+250).
Item facts are the current retail client’s (ItemSparse); the specialisations for a pick-one item are the ones the Blizzard quest API lists; faction and currency text is the client’s own. Lowest listed price = the US commodity auction house now.
Storyline
Tanaris
Part 37 of 48.
Previous: Thunderdrome: Grudge Match! · Next: Laying Claim
- 32Sandscraper
- 33Thunderdrome: The Ginormus!
- 34Thunderdrome: Zumonga!
- 35Thunderdrome: Sarinexx!
- 36Thunderdrome: Grudge Match!
- 37Ancient Obstacles
- 38Laying Claim
- 39Fragments of Language
- 40The Secrets of Uldum
- 41Thunderdrome: Grudge Match!
- 42Laying Claim
- 43Fragments of Language
Showing steps 32 to 43 of 48.
Storyline order is the client’s own QuestLine data from the current retail build.
Where this quest fits
Before this quest
Taken from the storyline's own step order.
- Thunderdrome: Grudge Match!
It seems we have a special request! I have here a note from one Kelsey Steelspark, requesting to enter the cage and settle a dispute. She's asked for you to be her partner, <name>. A fan of your previous victories? Or perhaps you're acquainted outside the ring?
After this quest
Taken from the storyline's own step order.
- Laying Claim
We're not the only ones interested in these ruins, it seem. Of all things, we've got blood elves after our dig sites.
Other quests with this name
This one: Alliance only · Tanaris · Level 15-30.
The storyline at a glance
Tanaris has 48 steps, from Seaside Salvage to The Grand Tablet.
Maps its steps are placed on (steps per map): Tanaris (48).
Steps of this storyline count toward:
Other storylines on the Tanaris map
- Suspicious Munitions
- Warbanding Together
- Bronze Reconciliation
- Cataclysm Chromie Time Breadcrumbs
- Legion Engineering
Steps, storylines and map placement from the client’s QuestLine, prerequisite and QuestPOI data; neighbouring quest text is Blizzard’s own (quest API), shortened to its opening sentences.