WARNING: Patch 10.1 Embers of Neltharion spoilers ahead!
Note: Cutscenes are not available on the PTR, usually being replaced by Captain Exposition explaining what you are supposed to see for each cutscene.
You will receive the quest when you first log in Patch 10.1. This quest requires you to climb to the top of the Seat of the Aspects, where the black dragons Wrathion, Sabellian and Ebyssian will be waiting for you. You will then talk with the other Aspects, in which we figure out that Fyrakk was the Primal Incarnate sent to explore the Zaralek Caverns.
A centaur scout overseeing the Cascades Canyon had a run in with the Incarnates, only to be incinerated by Fyrakk.
Iridikron, Fyrakk and Vyranoth created a massive tunnel into the underground world below the Isles.
Iridikron ordered Fyrakk to go underground and grow in power however he can.
—
Kalecgos: Why usher Fyrakk below instead of going himself?
Alexstrasza: Iridikron has always had his schemes, but Fyrakk has only sought power. Whatever they seek will bring suffering to dragons and mortals alike.
Alexstrasza: Ebyssian, Sabellian, Wrathion. We must call upon you to pursue him with <player>.
Ebyssian: It will be done, Life-Binder.
Sabellian: We will ensure Fyrakk’s destruction.
Wrathion: Whatever it takes.
We then arrive at the Cascades Canyon at the valley between Ohn’ahran Plains and Thaldraszus, in which the remains of the incinerated Centaur can be found protected by a Shikaar Clan centaur (and Wrathion getting into trouble as usual). We learn from the remains that the Centaur was struck by Fyrakk and ensured a very quick death.
After this, Sabellian and Wrathion both agree that we need to invade the Zaralek Caverns, and a cutscene plays out (currently not available due to PTR) and we land at the entrance of the Throughway, with many Primalists ahead of us.
You, Sabellian and Wrathion land just behind these rocks. The Primalists ahead haven’t spotted you yet.
Wrathion grabs his head in pain, but Sabellian shakes him from the moment.
You all settle in for the battle ahead.
After going through the scenario and killing the leader of the Primalist blockade, another cutscene plays, and we wake up inside a cave, imprisoned in crystal, with a Niffen standing by us. His name is Elder Honeypelt, a monster hunter for the Loamm Niffen!
You, Sabellian and Wrathion congratulate each other after a successful battle.
The light of burning fire comes closer from the Cavern in the distance. It’s Fyrakk!
Before realizing it, he was upon you three. It only takes a single blast to know you all out.
As he flies off, a pack of wild deepflayers drag you back to their nests.
You awake, stuck in a cage of crystal, held as food for the beasts.
One comes for you, slobbering and hungry. You can’t move!
But a small, mole-like creature from the shadows knocks a stalactite from the ceiling, knowing the deepflayer dead in its tracks.
We receive quests to kill Deepflayers around the cave while we kill them to carve a way out. As we find our way out and Wrathion and Sabellian, they’re back to their old bickering selves, but Wrathion quickly gets back to being himself, even going as far as apologizing and believing the Zaralek Caverns might be getting to his mind. We’re then tasked by Elder Honeypelt to further clear the area of Deepflayers.
Sabellian: I just expected more after listening to you boast about how you slew N’Zoth single handedly!
Wrathion: It was a team effort! Something you are incapable of understanding!
Sabellian: We are the Black Dragonflight! That means something! Neltharion would never have fallen to such a foe.
Wrathion: Comparing yourself to daddy dearest? You have shown your true colors if that’s your aspiration!
Sabellian! Father!– Wait… Father. Yes. I knew that relic back there looked familiar.
Wrathion: Are you walking away from me? Two can play that game! If you need me, <player> seek me over there,
Elder Honeypelt: Those two remind me of my cousins. They couldn’t stand each other either. I’d use them to flush out bone spiders with their bickering.
—
Wrathion: Before we start… I know my relationship with Sabellian is certainly strained, but our behavior back there was out of line.
Wrathion: I think it is this place. Something out there is testing my mental defenses. Worming its way through my mind and keeping my teeth on edge.
Wrathion: I will speak to Sabellian about the outburst in my own time. Things are never simple with him. You both have my apologies.
We then meet with Sabellian, who also apologizes about his behavior and reaches the same conclusion as Wrathion, that Zaralek Cavern is somehow messing with their minds. He tasks us with looking for nearby relics, but while looking for them, we also learn that the Sundered Flame has also caught wind of them (even if the scouts sent for these were mostly unceremoniously killed). After we bring enough relic fragments for Sabellian to assemble the fragment he found, we hear a hidden message from Neltharion: How he had abandoned the Zaralek Cavern and hoped no one would find it.
Sabellian: Wait, <player>. Before you go, I feel I must… apologize.
Sabellian: My temper got the best of me a moment ago. In trust, I reminded myself of my father in that moment. But that is not who I am.
Sabellian: Something about this place is causing me to lose focus and become distracted. That is how Fyrakk was able to defeat us so easily. I will not let that happen again.
—
Sabellian: The faded symbols on the buttons, they are draconic– Oh! What is this now?
Neltharion: My ambitions were far greater than my capacity to control what I had created.
Neltharion: Aberrus. My beloved laboratory. I must leave you to the dust and ruin of these caverns.
Neltharion: May my kin never find what I have attempted here.
We are then welcomed to Loamm, the capital of the Niffen, and reconvene with our dragon allies. In this final quest, we reconvene with Wrathion, Sabellian, Ebyssian and joined by Emberthal, As we reconvene and talk about our discoveries, all three black dragons talk about being influenced by whispers, and how staying in visage form quells them a bit. This marks the end of Chapter 1 of the 10.1 Campaign.
Ebyssian: The niffen saw an eruption of fire in the cavern you came from. Was that Fyrakk?
Wrathion: He defeated us as if we were nothing.
Sabellian: He is surprisingly stealthy. I am sure we can devise an effective strategy if we are not distracted by…
Ebyssian: The whispers…
Sabellian: Yes. They distracted us at key moments. They are quieter when I use my visage.
Sabellian: Also, I have discovered some recording artifice of my Father’s. He talked of a laboratory called Aberrus. A Sundered Flame partisan was killed by one of them.
Emberthal: Neltharion… that must be why Sarkareth is here.
Wrathion: I will go and search for this Aberrus–quiet and alone.
Ebyssian: Stay hidden, Wrathion.
