The Eye occupies Tempest Keep's central vessel above Netherstorm and is designed for 25 level 70 players. Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary opened the raid on May 14, 2026 with the Overlords of Outland update. Blizzard names The Eye as one of the two Phase 2 raids in the official Anniversary release announcement.
During the current Phase 2 rules, entry requires the complete Tempest Keep attunement. The route begins with The Hand of Gul'dan in Shadowmoon Valley, continues through every branch of The Cipher of Damnation, and ends with four Trials of the Naaru. The final objective is a Magtheridon kill that awards The Tempest Key. Later Anniversary phases may change the entrance restriction, but the questline and its rewards remain relevant even if the raid gate is eventually relaxed.
Tempest Keep Attunement Overview
| Requirement | Tempest Keep details |
|---|---|
| Starting level | The Shadowmoon Valley chain can begin at level 68 |
| Trial level | Level 70 is required before A'dal offers the Trials of the Naaru |
| Opening quest | The Hand of Gul'dan from the faction camp in Shadowmoon Valley |
| Main prerequisite | Complete all three fragment branches and The Cipher of Damnation |
| Heroic dungeons | The Shattered Halls, The Steamvault, Shadow Labyrinth, and The Arcatraz |
| Raid objective | Defeat Magtheridon in Magtheridon's Lair |
| Final rewards | The Tempest Key and Phoenix-fire Band |
| Anniversary account rule | One finished raid attunement grants The Eye access across the associated Battle.net account |
The complete route has two distinct sections. The first is a long outdoor story campaign that reconstructs the Cipher of Damnation. The second is a level 70 challenge series involving four Heroic dungeons and one raid. Quest progress is character-specific until the final raid attunement is completed.
Requirements Before Starting the Questline
Prepare a flying mount or dependable summon access. The Cipher campaign moves between elevated areas of Shadowmoon Valley, while The Arcatraz and The Eye are located on floating structures in Netherstorm. Reaching the raid portal normally requires flying even after attunement is complete.
The first attuning character needs access to four Heroic dungeon families. Anniversary uses Revered reputation for the original Heroic keys. An alt can use an account-bound communal version after reaching Friendly with the relevant faction, but every character entering a Heroic must have valid access for that dungeon family.
| Heroic objective | Faction requirement | Required key |
|---|---|---|
| The Shattered Halls | Revered with Honor Hold or Thrallmar | Flamewrought Key |
| The Steamvault | Revered with Cenarion Expedition | Reservoir Key |
| Shadow Labyrinth | Revered with Lower City | Auchenai Key |
| The Arcatraz | Revered with The Sha'tar | Warpforged Key |
Three dungeons also have physical entrance doors. A group needs one Shattered Halls Key, one Shadow Labyrinth Key, and one Key to the Arcatraz for the relevant doors. A Rogue with 350 Lockpicking or an Engineer carrying Elemental Seaforium Charges can provide an alternative. Door access does not replace each player's Heroic key requirement.
Blizzard's official attunement outline confirms the Cipher prerequisite, the four Heroic dungeon challenges, and the final Magtheridon objective. It also separates optional door-opening preparations from the personal requirements needed to enter Heroic difficulty.
Get any Attunements service from ExpCarry: raids, dungeons, PvP, leveling, gold, farming, coaching, and custom orders.
Fastest Tempest Keep Attunement Route
| Stage | Main task | Group requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete the eight opening Cipher quests | Mostly solo |
| 2 | Recover the first fragment through Grom'tor | Solo or small group |
| 3 | Recover the second fragment through Ar'tor | Solo or small group recommended |
| 4 | Recover the third fragment through Borak | Small group for Ruul the Darkener |
| 5 | Defeat Cyrukh and finish The Cipher of Damnation | Five players recommended |
| 6 | Speak with Khadgar and A'dal in Shattrath | Solo |
| 7 | Complete Mercy, Strength, and Tenacity | Four Heroic dungeon clears |
| 8 | Complete Trial of the Naaru: Magtheridon | 25-player raid |
Part 1: The Cipher of Damnation Opening Quests
Alliance characters begin with The Hand of Gul'dan from Earthmender Sophurus at Wildhammer Stronghold. Horde characters receive their faction version of The Hand of Gul'dan from Earthmender Splinthoof at Shadowmoon Village. Both quests send the player to Earthmender Torlok at the Altar of Damnation and merge into the same storyline.
| Order | Quest | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hand of Gul'dan | Travel from your faction camp to Earthmender Torlok at the Altar of Damnation |
| 2 | Enraged Spirits of Fire and Earth | Use the supplied totem before the elementals die and capture both required soul types |
| 3 | Enraged Spirits of Water | Capture water spirits near the northern pools and return to Torlok |
| 4 | Enraged Spirits of Air | Capture air spirits around the Netherwing Fields |
| 5 | Oronok Torn-heart | Find Oronok at his farm above Coilskar Cistern |
| 6 | I Was A Lot Of Things... | Use Oronok's boars to uncover the required tubers on the Shattered Plains |
| 7 | A Lesson Learned | Destroy the flayer eggs across the Shattered Plains |
| 8 | The Cipher of Damnation - Truth and History | Ask Oronok to begin his story and remain until the complete conversation is credited |
After Truth and History, Oronok opens three independent branches for his sons. The branches can be completed in any order. Turning in a recovered fragment does not block the other two, so choose the route that matches nearby groups and active objectives.
Part 2: First Fragment Through Grom'tor
| Order | Quest | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grom'tor, Son of Oronok | Locate Grom'tor at Coilskar Point |
| 2 | The Cipher of Damnation - Grom'tor's Charge | Kill Coilskar naga for chest keys and search their chests until the first fragment is found |
| 3 | The Cipher of Damnation - The First Fragment Recovered | Carry Grom'tor's secured fragment back to Oronok's Farm |
Do not attempt the chest search while in a raid group because ordinary quest credit and loot can fail. Gather several keys before opening chests to reduce repeated travel through Coilskar Point.
Part 3: Second Fragment Through Ar'tor
| Order | Quest | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ar'tor, Son of Oronok | Travel to Illidari Point and find Ar'tor's prison |
| 2 | Demonic Crystal Prisons | Defeat Painmistress Gabrissa and release Ar'tor |
| 3 | Lohn'goron, Bow of the Torn-heart | Kill demons around Illidari Point until Ar'tor's bow is recovered |
| 4 | The Cipher of Damnation - Ar'tor's Charge | Escort the summoned spirit hunter south, defeat Veneratus the Many, and recover the second fragment |
| 5 | The Cipher of Damnation - The Second Fragment Recovered | Return the secured fragment to Oronok |
Clear the route before starting Ar'tor's Charge. The spirit hunter can engage patrols and does not recover health reliably. A second player makes the Veneratus encounter much safer, especially for characters with limited self-healing.
Part 4: Third Fragment Through Borak
| Order | Quest | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borak, Son of Oronok | Find Borak near the bridge north of Eclipse Point |
| 2 | Of Thistleheads and Eggs... | Search the nearby arakkoa settlement for a usable egg and deliver it to Tobias in Shattrath |
| 3 | The Bundle of Bloodthistle | Carry Tobias's package back to Borak |
| 4 | To Catch A Thistlehead | Place the bait across the bridge, wait for Envoy Icarius to dismiss his guard, then defeat him and recover his message |
| 5 | The Shadowmoon Shuffle | Collect six clean armor pieces from Eclipsion forces |
| 6 | What Illidan Wants, Illidan Gets... | Use the supplied disguise and deliver the false order to Grand Commander Ruusk without taking damage |
| 7 | The Cipher of Damnation - Borak's Charge | Ambush Ruul the Darkener along his route and recover the third fragment |
| 8 | The Cipher of Damnation - The Third Fragment Recovered | Return Borak's secured fragment to Oronok |
Ruul the Darkener is the main group check in this branch. His patrol follows the road between Dragonmaw Fortress and the Sanctum of the Stars. Form a tank, healer, and damage core before engaging him instead of waiting beside the route after he appears.
Part 5: Complete The Cipher of Damnation
After all three fragments have been returned, Oronok offers The Cipher of Damnation. Travel to the Altar of Damnation and use the completed cipher to begin the event. Oronok and his sons assist, but Cyrukh the Firelord is designed as a five-player group target. Protect the supporting NPCs, control any additional enemies, and defeat Cyrukh before speaking with Earthmender Torlok.
Completion unlocks the Shattrath portion of the attunement. Players who need coordinated help with the Shadowmoon campaign, Heroic keys, and Trials can review the Tempest Keep Attunement service. This is an optional route and does not alter any in-game eligibility requirement.
Part 6: The Tempest Key and Trials of the Naaru
After finishing the Cipher, wait for Khadgar's in-game letter and return to Shattrath City. Speak with Khadgar to accept The Tempest Key, then speak with A'dal. At level 70, A'dal offers Mercy, Strength, and Tenacity. These three trials can be accepted together and completed in the order that best fits your dungeon groups.
| Trial | Location | Completion requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Trial of the Naaru: Mercy | Heroic The Shattered Halls | Reach and defeat the executioner before the final prisoner dies |
| Trial of the Naaru: Strength | Heroic The Steamvault and Heroic Shadow Labyrinth | Defeat Warlord Kalithresh and Murmur, then loot both quest items |
| Trial of the Naaru: Tenacity | Heroic The Arcatraz | Complete the final encounter while Millhouse Manastorm survives |
| Trial of the Naaru: Magtheridon | Magtheridon's Lair | Defeat Magtheridon after completing the three Heroic trials |
Trial of the Naaru: Mercy
Enter The Shattered Halls on Heroic difficulty and clear Grand Warlock Nethekurse. The timed execution sequence begins when the group advances into the gauntlet after the first boss area. The first prisoner is threatened after the initial timer, followed by additional execution windows. The trial fails only when the final prisoner dies before the executioner is killed.
Move quickly but avoid wipes. Defeat Warbringer O'mrogg and Warchief Kargath Bladefist, then kill the Shattered Hand Executioner behind the final boss area. Loot the Unused Axe of the Executioner. The item must be collected personally while the trial is active.
Trial of the Naaru: Strength
This trial contains two independent Heroic clears. In The Steamvault, defeat Warlord Kalithresh and loot Kalithresh's Trident. In Shadow Labyrinth, defeat Murmur and loot Murmur's Essence. Both items must be in the character's possession when the quest is returned to A'dal.
The two dungeons do not have to be completed on the same day or in a fixed order. Confirm that the quest is active before each final boss and inspect both corpses before leaving. Ordinary boss completion without the required loot does not finish the trial.
Trial of the Naaru: Tenacity
Enter The Arcatraz on Heroic difficulty and progress through the prison blocks to the final event. Millhouse Manastorm appears during the Harbinger Skyriss encounter sequence. Keep him alive through every released prisoner and the final boss fight. He can receive healing, so assign one healer to watch his health during heavy group damage.
Do not rush the event dialogue or leave immediately after Skyriss dies. Wait until the rescue credit appears in the quest tracker. If credit does not register, remain inside the instance and confirm that Millhouse survived the complete encounter before resetting or submitting a support request.
Trial of the Naaru: Magtheridon
After Mercy, Strength, and Tenacity are turned in, A'dal offers the final trial. Magtheridon's Lair does not require a separate personal attunement. Enter with a 25-player raid, defeat the five Hellfire Channelers, coordinate Manticron Cube clicks during Magtheridon's Blast Nova casts, and finish the boss.
Return to A'dal after receiving kill credit. Completing the quest awards The Tempest Key and the Phoenix-fire Band. The key is placed in the character's keyring and represents completion of the classic The Eye access chain.
Account-Wide Access and Entering The Eye
Anniversary shares a finished raid attunement across the Battle.net account. Other characters can enter Tempest Keep through that completed unlock instead of repeating every Cipher branch and Naaru trial. Partial quest steps are not shared, and dungeon keys, faction rewards, and other reputation purchases remain separate systems.
The Eye entrance is on the largest central Tempest Keep structure in eastern Netherstorm. Fly to the raid platform or receive a Warlock summon. After the attunement is confirmed, players preparing for Al'ar, Void Reaver, Solarian, and Kael'thas can use the Tempest Keep raid service as an optional organized completion route.
Efficient Weekly Planning
| Priority | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finish the entire Cipher campaign before level 70 gearing is complete | Most objectives are outdoor quests without dungeon lockouts |
| 2 | Raise all four required factions to Revered | This prevents a missing Heroic key from blocking a scheduled run |
| 3 | Accept all three Heroic trials at the same time | Every qualifying clear can advance the attunement immediately |
| 4 | Schedule Mercy with an experienced Shattered Halls group | The execution timer punishes wipes and slow recovery |
| 5 | Reserve a Magtheridon raid after the Heroic turn-ins | The final trial is unavailable until all three earlier trials are complete |
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Khadgar does not offer The Tempest Key | The Cipher finale is incomplete, the letter has not arrived, or the character has not checked the mailbox | Verify The Cipher of Damnation completion and collect Khadgar's letter |
| A'dal does not offer the trials | The character is below level 70 or has not completed The Tempest Key introduction | Reach level 70 and speak with Khadgar before returning to A'dal |
| A Heroic dungeon cannot be entered | The character lacks the correct reputation key | Obtain the personal Heroic key or eligible Anniversary communal version |
| The group cannot open a dungeon door | No member has the physical entrance key or sufficient Lockpicking | Bring a keyholder, qualified Rogue, or Engineer with an Elemental Seaforium Charge |
| Mercy failed after a long run | The final prisoner was executed before the executioner died | Reset the dungeon and improve the route through the timed section |
| Strength did not complete | One of the two boss items was not looted on Heroic difficulty | Check both quest counters and repeat only the missing dungeon |
| Tenacity did not grant credit | Millhouse died or the group left before the rescue event finished | Keep him healed and wait for the tracker update after Skyriss |
| An alt has raid access but lacks Heroic access | Account-wide raid attunement does not automatically grant every dungeon key | Use the Anniversary communal key system or earn the required reputation |
Tempest Keep Attunement Checklist
- Reach level 68 and begin The Hand of Gul'dan.
- Complete the eight opening Cipher quests.
- Recover the fragments through Grom'tor, Ar'tor, and Borak.
- Defeat Cyrukh and finish The Cipher of Damnation.
- Reach level 70 and collect Khadgar's letter.
- Accept The Tempest Key and speak with A'dal.
- Unlock all four required Heroic dungeon families.
- Complete Trial of the Naaru: Mercy.
- Complete Trial of the Naaru: Strength.
- Complete Trial of the Naaru: Tenacity.
- Defeat Magtheridon during the final trial.
- Return to A'dal and confirm The Tempest Key reward.
- Travel to The Eye and verify account-wide raid access.
Final Verdict
Tempest Keep attunement is one of the broadest access chains in Burning Crusade. Its outdoor campaign is long but flexible, while the Heroic trials demand four different dungeon keys, correct quest loot, a timed prisoner rescue, and protection of Millhouse Manastorm. Complete the three Cipher branches before organizing Heroics, accept every available trial together, and schedule Magtheridon only after all dungeon objectives are turned in. That order prevents wasted clears and leads directly to The Tempest Key.
