TheWoWDBThe Black Morass [Instance]
Strategy
As you enter the instance you will encounter three types of mobs (Spiders, Crocs, and Stealthed Cats) and all of these mobs are non-elites. As you move forward in the instance you will see Medivh surrounded by a red casting effect. The event will start the minute you get near Medivh, so avoid him until your group has cleared a good distance around Medivh of all three types of mobs. This gives you and your party room to move safely about during the event.
Once cleared of crocs, spiders, and cats make sure you are full-buffed and have your consumeables ready. Move close to Medivh to start the event. On the top center of your screen you will see a percentage of remaining shield left on Medivh and a Rift Status Counter. Your objective is to keep Medivh's shield from reaching zero percent and destroy what comes through each of the 18 Rifts.
Rift 1/18 will spawn somewhere in the woods surrounding Medivh. First, an elite Rift Keeper will come out and channel a spell near the Rift to keep it open. As long as the Rift Keeper is alive, the Rift stays open. As long as the rift stays open, more non-elite dragonflight will spawn from the Rift and head towards Medivh. One person in your party is to crowd control the non-elites and prevent them from hitting Medivh. Your main tank is always on the Rift Keeper until it dies. The Rift Keeper is channeling, mind you, so your party moves to each Rift as they spawn and tanks them there. Slay the Rift Keeper and finish the non-elites. There is time to drink between each Rift if you do this efficiently and quickly.
Each Rift will spawn somewhere in the woods surrounding Medivh. Rinse repeat with the elite Rift Keeper and non-elites.
However, there will be Bosses on Rift number 6, 12, and finally Rift 18. Non-elites will continue to spawn from the rifts as these are open so continue preventing them from reaching Medivh. After each boss kill there is a significantly longer time to res dead, drink, or prepare.
Boss explanation
1st Boss - Casts a magical slowing debuff (dispellable). Aoe knockback. Spank and tank.
2nd Boss - Puts a debuff on your main tank (much like Kurinaxx) that reduces healing effects by 10% each stack. Obviously, this is a very heavy dps fight so you burn him as fast as possible. This is the only time when your crowdcontrol does not crowdcontrol and instead does damage to the boss.
3rd Boss - Hits like a truck and uses Time Stop (Much like Chromaggus). If you are a healer, you will get time-stopped and your tank will drop health fast. Shielding when time-stop wears off is efficient and as are HoT's (Heal over Time [renew, rejuv, regrowth]). No non-elites come out of the 18th Rift so your crowdcontrol should be dps'ing.After the 3rd boss is down, you are done with Black Morass. Talk to Medivh, complete your quest, and get your Karazhan key. Good luck.
Quest
The Opening of the Dark Portal
A World of Warcraft quest in The Black Morass. Facts and objectives from the current retail game data.
The highest voted Wowhead comments for this page. They are community notes, not TheWoWDB comments.
If you wipe and/or if Medivh dies, simply wait for 5 minutes. Medivh will respawn, and the encounter will start at 1/18 again. This way you don't have to re-clear all the crocodiles and other trash.
Really excellent Ambassador! Thanks for it all.
Quest facts
The client quest POI data records no map location for this quest, so no map is shown.
Check whether you have already completed this quest
in-game: /run print(C_QuestLog.IsQuestFlaggedCompleted(10297))
Description
Beyond this timeway the Guardian, Medivh, feverishly works to open the Dark Portal. Scattered across the morass, rifts will materialize. Infinite will pour out of the rifts and attempt to destroy Medivh's shields and, ultimately, Medivh. Kill their rift lords and leaders! Do this until Medivh succeeds.
Getting there
Inside the dungeon: The Black Morass
Deep within the Caverns of Time, the brooding dragon Nozdormu has awakened. Since the world was young, the bronze dragonflight has safeguarded the winding labyrinth, monitoring the shifting timeways to ensure that the delicate balance of time is upheld.
Bosses in the Adventure Guide, in order: Chrono Lord Deja, Temporus, Aeonus.
Entrance: The Gaping Chasm, Tanaris at 56.8, 62.5.
Instance text, bosses and entrances are the client’s Adventure Guide data.
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Choose one of these rewards:
Reward details
Pick one of these
Reputation: Keepers of Time +500
The Keepers of Time are bronze dragons hand-picked by Nozdormu to watch over the Caverns of Time.
Reputation group: The Burning Crusade.
Other quests in The Black Morass that reward Keepers of Time reputation: The Black Morass (+250), WANTED: Aeonus's Hourglass (+350), WANTED: Rift Lords (+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.
Achievements
Completing this quest counts toward this achievement.
- Opening of the Dark Portal: its criteria name 2 quests, this one included.