Black Temple attunement is a connected questline that begins in Shadowmoon Valley and continues through The Arcatraz, Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep and the Battle for Mount Hyjal. The route starts differently for Aldor and Scryers characters, then merges at the Warden's Cage and follows the same raid checkpoints. Completing A Distraction for Akama rewards the Medallion of Karabor and unlocks entry to Black Temple.
The opening quests can be started at level 68, but the complete route requires level 70 raid content. A character can finish most outdoor and dungeon objectives before Tier 6 opens, then complete the Rage Winterchill checkpoint after Mount Hyjal becomes available. This guide covers every required quest, NPC, prerequisite and lockout-sensitive objective from the faction-specific start to the Medallion of Karabor.
Black Temple Attunement Requirements
Check the full requirement list before beginning. The chain crosses several progression systems, and discovering a missing raid access step after reaching Seer Olum or Rage Winterchill can delay completion by another weekly reset.
| Requirement | Why it matters | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Character level | The opening Shadowmoon Valley quests can begin at level 68, but later objectives are level 70 raid content | Reach level 70 before scheduling SSC, Tempest Keep and Mount Hyjal checkpoints |
| Aldor or Scryers allegiance | The first four quests are offered by different faction NPCs | Complete City of Light and choose a Shattrath faction |
| The Arcatraz access | Seer Udalo is inside the dungeon shortly before the final boss | Bring a key holder, a Rogue with 350 Lockpicking or another valid way to open the entrance |
| Serpentshrine Cavern access | Fathom-Lord Karathress must be defeated before Seer Olum appears | Confirm the character or account can enter SSC and has a group for the checkpoint |
| Tempest Keep access | Ruse of the Ashtongue requires an Al'ar kill | Confirm access to The Eye and keep the quest disguise available |
| Mount Hyjal attunement | An Artifact From the Past requires Rage Winterchill inside Hyjal | Complete The Vials of Eternity through Lady Vashj and Kael'thas |
| Weekly raid planning | Karathress, Al'ar and Rage Winterchill are separate raid checkpoints | Accept the correct quest before each required boss dies |
The official TBC Anniversary Phase 3 announcement confirms that Black Temple requires the attunement process. Flying is strongly recommended for the Shadowmoon Valley route and is normally needed to reach The Arcatraz entrance without a summon. The outdoor chain also includes group-oriented enemies, so a fresh level 70 character should not assume every objective will be efficient to solo.
Where the Aldor and Scryers Questlines Start
The faction choice changes the opening NPC, location and quest versions, but it does not create two different attunements. Both versions send the character through the same objectives before merging at Proof of Allegiance.
| Faction | Starting NPC | Location | Opening quest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldor | Anchorite Ceyla | Altar of Sha'tar in Shadowmoon Valley | Tablets of Baa'ri |
| Scryers | Arcanist Thelis | Sanctum of the Stars in Shadowmoon Valley | Tablets of Baa'ri |
Do not travel to the NPC belonging to the opposite allegiance. An Aldor character follows Anchorite Ceyla's versions of Tablets of Baa'ri, Oronu the Elder, The Ashtongue Corruptors and The Warden's Cage. A Scryers character receives equivalent versions from Arcanist Thelis. After The Warden's Cage, both paths use the same NPCs and objectives.
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Complete the Faction Opening Quests
The first stage establishes the Medallion of Karabor story and leads the character from the Ruins of Baa'ri to the Warden's Cage. The objectives are identical for Aldor and Scryers even though the quest versions and turn-in locations differ.
- Tablets of Baa'ri Collect 12 Baa'ri Tablet Fragments at the Ruins of Baa'ri. Fragments can be found on the ground and can drop from Ashtongue Workers. Return them to Anchorite Ceyla or Arcanist Thelis.
- Oronu the Elder Find Oronu at the Ruins of Baa'ri, defeat him and loot Orders From Akama. Return the orders to the appropriate faction NPC.
- The Ashtongue Corruptors Defeat Eykenen, Haalum, Lakaan and Uylaru. Collect the four medallion fragments required by the quest.
- The Warden's Cage Travel to the Warden's Cage and speak with Sanoru. This is the point where the Aldor and Scryers routes begin moving toward the shared chain.
Collecting the tablets can take longer on a crowded realm because ground objects and quest enemies are shared preparation targets. Work through the Ruins methodically and check the ground before relying only on enemy drops. The remaining faction quests are more predictable but involve travel across Shadowmoon Valley.
Proof of Allegiance and the Meeting With Akama
Sanoru continues the chain with Proof of Allegiance. Defeat Zandras near the Warden's Cage, return to Sanoru and accept Akama. The next objective sends the character deeper into the Warden's Cage to meet Akama directly.
- Accept Proof of Allegiance from Sanoru.
- Defeat Zandras and return to Sanoru.
- Accept Akama and enter the lower section of the Warden's Cage.
- Speak with Akama to complete the quest.
- Accept Seer Udalo from Akama.
The chain has now fully merged. Faction allegiance no longer changes the main route, and every character proceeds to The Arcatraz. Check the dungeon entrance plan before leaving Shadowmoon Valley so the group does not arrive without a key holder or another way through the locked door.
Find Seer Udalo Inside The Arcatraz
Seer Udalo can be completed on Normal or Heroic difficulty. The objective is not a boss drop: the character must reach Udalo's body in the room before Harbinger Skyriss, the final boss. Interact with him to complete the dungeon objective, then return to Akama in Shadowmoon Valley.
- Enter The Arcatraz with Seer Udalo active.
- Clear the dungeon far enough to reach the room before the final boss.
- Find and interact with Seer Udalo.
- Return to Akama and complete Seer Udalo.
- Accept A Mysterious Portent and speak with Akama again.
The Arcatraz step is a common logistical blocker rather than a difficult quest mechanic. One group member can open the entrance with the Key to the Arcatraz, and a properly skilled Rogue can provide another route. Confirm access before forming the group instead of relying on an uncertain summon or late replacement.
Complete The Atamal Terrace and Akamas Promise
After A Mysterious Portent, Akama offers The Ata'mal Terrace. This outdoor group quest takes place on the northern side of Black Temple. The group must defeat Shadowlord Deathwail, loot the Heart of Fury and return it to Akama.
- Accept The Ata'mal Terrace from Akama.
- Form a group and travel to the terrace north of Black Temple.
- Defeat Shadowlord Deathwail and loot the Heart of Fury.
- Return the Heart of Fury to Akama.
- Accept Akama's Promise and deliver Akama's message to A'dal in Shattrath City.
Akama's Promise can make the chain appear finished because it awards a quest reward and does not immediately provide the next outdoor objective. The real attunement continues inside Serpentshrine Cavern after Fathom-Lord Karathress. Do not remove the chain from the raid preparation tracker at this point.
Complete the Serpentshrine Cavern Checkpoint
The next section begins after Fathom-Lord Karathress is defeated in Serpentshrine Cavern. Seer Olum appears in the boss area and offers The Secret Compromised. Speak with him before leaving the instance, accept the quest and return to Akama at the Warden's Cage.
| Checkpoint | Required quest | Required action | Next destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serpentshrine Cavern | The Secret Compromised | Defeat Fathom-Lord Karathress and accept the quest from Seer Olum | Return to Akama |
| Tempest Keep | Ruse of the Ashtongue | Use the Ashtongue Cowl and defeat Al'ar | Return to Akama |
| Battle for Mount Hyjal | An Artifact From the Past | Defeat Rage Winterchill and loot the Time-Phased Phylactery | Return to Akama |
Seer Olum is easy to miss when a raid leaves immediately after distributing loot. The character does not receive credit merely for killing Karathress. The important action is accepting The Secret Compromised from the NPC who appears after the encounter. Players who cannot secure this checkpoint through their normal roster can review the Black Temple Attunement Boost after confirming which earlier quests are already complete.
Complete Ruse of the Ashtongue in Tempest Keep
After The Secret Compromised is turned in, Akama provides Ruse of the Ashtongue and an Ashtongue Cowl. The character must use the disguise and participate in an Al'ar kill inside Tempest Keep. Keep the quest item available and verify the disguise requirement before the pull.
- Accept Ruse of the Ashtongue from Akama.
- Keep the Ashtongue Cowl in the character's bags.
- Enter Tempest Keep and reach Al'ar.
- Use the cowl as required by the quest.
- Defeat Al'ar and confirm quest completion before leaving.
- Return to Akama and accept An Artifact From the Past.
This checkpoint uses an early Tempest Keep boss rather than Kael'thas. However, the character also needs Kael'thas for The Vials of Eternity, which unlocks Mount Hyjal. A preparation group can reduce wasted lockouts by tracking both the Black Temple and Hyjal objectives during the same Tier 5 schedule.
Unlock Mount Hyjal Through The Vials of Eternity
An Artifact From the Past takes place inside Mount Hyjal, so Black Temple access cannot be completed until the character or account has the relevant Hyjal unlock. Soridormi inside the Caverns of Time offers The Vials of Eternity, requiring two final-boss items from Tier 5 raids.
- Accept The Vials of Eternity from Soridormi.
- Defeat Lady Vashj in Serpentshrine Cavern and loot Vashj's Vial Remnant.
- Defeat Kael'thas Sunstrider in Tempest Keep and loot Kael's Vial Remnant.
- Return both remnants to Soridormi.
- Confirm access to the Battle for Mount Hyjal.
Complete The Vials of Eternity before the first Tier 6 lockout whenever possible. Rage Winterchill is the bridge between the Hyjal and Black Temple questlines, so a missing vial remnant can delay both raid access routes.
Defeat Rage Winterchill in Mount Hyjal
Enter Mount Hyjal with An Artifact From the Past active and defeat Rage Winterchill, the first boss. Loot the Time-Phased Phylactery and return it to Akama. The raid checkpoint is early in the instance, but the quest item still needs to be collected before the group continues.
- Confirm that An Artifact From the Past is in the quest log.
- Enter the Battle for Mount Hyjal and complete the opening waves.
- Defeat Rage Winterchill.
- Loot the Time-Phased Phylactery.
- Return to Akama at the Warden's Cage.
This is the final raid boss required before the closing dialogue and event sequence. A player who kills Rage Winterchill without the active quest may need another raid opportunity, so the raid leader should verify quest status before the first wave begins.
Complete the Final Black Temple Access Quests
After the phylactery is returned, the remaining steps move between Akama, A'dal and Xi'ri. These quests are short compared with the raid checkpoints, but the character is not fully attuned until A Distraction for Akama is completed and the Medallion of Karabor is awarded.
- The Hostage Soul Accept the quest from Akama and speak with A'dal in Shattrath City.
- Entry Into the Black Temple Accept the follow-up from A'dal and travel to Xi'ri outside Black Temple.
- A Distraction for Akama Speak with Xi'ri, indicate that the character is ready and complete the scripted assault at the entrance.
- Speak with Xi'ri again after the event and receive the Medallion of Karabor.
The official Black Temple access explanation confirms that completing A Distraction for Akama awards the Medallion of Karabor and allows its wearer to enter the raid. Equip or keep the medallion available according to the current access behavior on the realm.
Continue the Questline After Attunement
The Medallion of Karabor completes the access requirement, but the story continues inside Black Temple. These later quests are not required to walk through the entrance for the first time. They lead through two raid bosses and upgrade the medallion.
- Seek Out the Ashtongue Find Seer Kanai inside Black Temple.
- Redemption of the Ashtongue Defeat the Shade of Akama and return to Seer Kanai.
- The Fall of the Betrayer Defeat Illidan Stormrage and complete the final turn-in.
- Receive the Blessed Medallion of Karabor, which adds a teleport to Black Temple.
Do not confuse this continuation with the entry requirement. A character becomes attuned after receiving the normal Medallion of Karabor from Xi'ri. The Blessed version is a later raid reward for completing the Illidan chapter.
Black Temple Attunement for Alts
TBC Classic Anniversary uses account-wide raid attunement access after the unlock has been completed on one character. Partial quest progress is not shared. An alt does not inherit individual quest completion, reputation, quest rewards or the Medallion of Karabor merely because another character finished the chain.
| Alt objective | Does the alt need the full questline | Recommended approach |
|---|---|---|
| Enter Black Temple after account access is unlocked | No full repeat should be required for basic account raid access | Confirm the unlock on the main and test the entrance before the scheduled raid |
| Receive Medallion of Karabor | Yes | Complete the required chain on that character |
| Receive Blessed Medallion of Karabor | Yes | Continue through Shade of Akama and Illidan after completing attunement |
| Earn quest rewards or story completion | Yes | Repeat the relevant personal quest objectives |
| Earn Ashtongue Deathsworn reputation | Raid access does not grant reputation | Run Black Temple on the alt and earn reputation normally |
Complete the chain again only when the alt needs its personal rewards, story completion or upgraded medallion. A raid alt that only needs entry should verify account access and spend the remaining preparation time on gear, consumables and encounter assignments.
Raid Lockout Checklist
The chain is long, but only three Black Temple-specific raid checkpoints need special coordination after the outdoor and dungeon stages. Mount Hyjal access adds Lady Vashj and Kael'thas to the wider preparation route.
- Finish Akama's Promise before the planned Serpentshrine Cavern run.
- Defeat Fathom-Lord Karathress and accept The Secret Compromised from Seer Olum.
- Turn the quest in to Akama before entering Tempest Keep for Al'ar.
- Use the Ashtongue Cowl and confirm credit for Ruse of the Ashtongue.
- Complete The Vials of Eternity through Lady Vashj and Kael'thas.
- Enter Mount Hyjal with An Artifact From the Past active.
- Loot the Time-Phased Phylactery from Rage Winterchill.
- Complete the Akama, A'dal and Xi'ri turn-ins before traveling to the Black Temple entrance.
Groups that have access but lack a stable first-clear roster can compare schedules and completion options through the Black Temple raid service. This is separate from the attunement itself and should only be considered after access, gear and raid goals have been checked.
Common Black Temple Attunement Mistakes
Most delays come from missing an NPC after a boss, using a raid lockout before the correct quest is active or assuming the chain ends at Akama's Promise. Review the next checkpoint before every dungeon or raid.
- Do not visit the opposite faction's starting NPC after choosing Aldor or Scryers.
- Do not enter The Arcatraz without confirming how the group will open the entrance.
- Do not leave SSC after Karathress without accepting The Secret Compromised from Seer Olum.
- Do not defeat Al'ar without using the Ashtongue Cowl as required.
- Do not attempt the Hyjal checkpoint before completing The Vials of Eternity.
- Do not kill Rage Winterchill without An Artifact From the Past active.
- Do not assume Entry Into the Black Temple alone awards access.
- Do not confuse Medallion of Karabor with the later Blessed Medallion of Karabor.
After every checkpoint, confirm that the quest log advanced before leaving the instance. This short check is more reliable than discovering during the next raid night that the required item was not looted or the NPC was never contacted.
Final Thoughts
The efficient Black Temple attunement route is to complete the Aldor or Scryers opening, meet Akama, finish The Arcatraz and The Ata'mal Terrace, then protect the three main raid checkpoints at Karathress, Al'ar and Rage Winterchill. The Hyjal requirement connects the route to Lady Vashj and Kael'thas through The Vials of Eternity.
Access is complete when Xi'ri awards the Medallion of Karabor after A Distraction for Akama. The later Shade of Akama and Illidan quests upgrade the reward but are not required for the initial entrance. Track active quests rather than boss kills alone, and the entire chain can be completed without losing an avoidable weekly reset.
