So you turn in the first part of the quest at the tower (~24,38 Azshara, Kalimdor). Then you get the quest Professionally Good Looking, which you can just fly to three different NPCs, talk to them, and fight them (not hard, you can just hack and slash through). Once you get all the gear, fly back to the tower and hand it in. This will then give you the Order of Incantations quest, which you just click on the separate jewels in this order: PURPLE-WHITE-ORANGE-BLACK. Walk through the door way, you will be stunned, then just chase Archmage Kylem up the tower, killing as you go. At the top, he teleports away and you have to defeat Sanath Lim-yo (just DPS her down). Click the portal (I believe there is a cut scene, but mine auto-skipped or didn't play), then turn in the quest to Joanna, when she comes running up. Teleport back to Dalaran (using the hearthstone), and turn in the quest to Archmage Kalec. Accept the quest from Archmage Modera and step into the circle behind you and click the pop-up ability. Then go back to the order hall and click the new abilities!
Quest
Survival: The Thieving Apprentice
Quest facts and objectives from the current retail game data.
The highest voted Wowhead comments for this page. They are community notes, not TheWoWDB comments.
I find the easiest way of getting to Azshara is going to Stormwind and then use portal to Mount Hyjal and then fly. Alternatively you can use portal to caverns of time but that will send you yo the southern part of Kalimdor where as the quest takes place north.
The tower is at 24,38 in Azshara behind Org. The code to the barrier is purple-white-orange-black, incorrect click and you get killed. Cost me 160g to figure it out, lol.
Quest facts
Check whether you have already completed this quest
in-game: /run print(C_QuestLog.IsQuestFlaggedCompleted(47047))
Requirements
Read from the Blizzard quest API.
Description
The Focusing Iris has been stolen from the Dalaran Vaults! The thief was a mage of some skill, but we've been unable to track him. Fortunately, the thief dropped a note from his master, addressing him as one of his "apprentici." I know of only one mage who uses that particular pluralization - Archmage Xylem. I'll need you to investigate. In Azshara you will find his tower where he trains his apprentices. Go there, and see what Xylem is up to. Specialization: Survival Hunter
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.
Coordinates
- Turn-inAzshara 25.0, 38.5
/way #76 25.0 38.5 - Objective areaDalaran 28.6, 49.9
/way #627 28.6 49.9
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 Azshara map
- Xylem's Asylum about 40 yards
- Wasn't It Obvious? about 170 yards
- Easy is Boring about 170 yards
- The Trial of Shadow about 550 yards
- Chasing Gallywix about 550 yards
- Still Beating Heart about 560 yards
- Field Promotion about 560 yards
- Extermination about 570 yards
- Head of the Snake about 570 yards
- Ticker Required about 570 yards
Quests whose map markers the client places closest to this one on Azshara, nearest first. Distances are straight lines between the markers.
Getting there
Flight points closest to the quest’s turn-in marker on Azshara:
- Gates of Sothann, Hyjal
- Valormok, Azshara
- Bilgewater Harbor, Azshara
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.
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Storyline
Xylem Challenge
Part 4 of 10.
Previous: Frost: The Thieving Apprentice · Next: Arms: The Thieving Apprentice
- 1Subtlety: The Thieving Apprentice
- 2Havoc: The Thieving Apprentice
- 3Frost: The Thieving Apprentice
- 4Survival: The Thieving Apprentice
- 5Arms: The Thieving Apprentice
- 6Professionally Good Looking
- 7Order of Incantations
- 8The Archmage Accosted
- 9A Portal Away
- 10A Gift From the Six
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.
- Frost: The Thieving Apprentice
The Focusing Iris has been stolen from the Dalaran Vaults! The thief was a mage of some skill, but we've been unable to track him.
After this quest
Taken from the storyline's own step order.
- Arms: The Thieving Apprentice
The Focusing Iris has been stolen from the Dalaran Vaults! The thief was a mage of some skill, but we've been unable to track him.
The storyline at a glance
Xylem Challenge has 10 steps, from Subtlety: The Thieving Apprentice to A Gift From the Six.
Maps its steps are placed on (steps per map): Azshara (8), Dalaran (2).
Other storylines on the Azshara map
- Azshara
- Twilight Highlands
- A Golden Opportunity
- The Jade Forest, The Remains of Hellscream's Fist
- Mists of Pandaria
- Legion Blacksmithing
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.

