by JR Cook - 9 years ago     show comments

Exploring Draenor delves into the hidden places of the world that will one day become Outland. From the volcanic landscape of Frostfire to the gloomy dells of Shadowmoon, these articles are your guide to events that are off the beaten path.

Location: Zorammarsh, Tanaan Jungle

Rewards: Primal Spirit(s), Apexis Crystal(s), chance at Haunter’s Kurzed Cloak

In celebration of the launch of Patch 6.2, we venture into the humid depths of Tanaan Jungle. This already-lethal landscape – full of ravagers, orcs, Arrakoa and Sabreon – has been corrupted by the Burning Legion’s fel magic, turning it into an adventurer’s worst nightmare – or, in another light, a ripe opportunity.

Hellfire Citadel dominates the centre of the zone, surrounded by a ring of dead and dying vegetation, where a rotting stink fills the air…probably. Directly south of the Citadel is an area where the rot has spread, forming swampy sub-zone known as Zorammarsh. Water lies still in stagnant pools, which huge (and elite) snakes slither through with barely a ripple. Raptors, perhaps drawn by the corpses, rule the few dry areas.

Corpses, you ask? Yes, Mutilated Corpses can be found throughout Zorammarsh, and involved in the hunt for this week’s rare spawn: The Night Haunter.

On your way around Zorammarsh, you will occasionally see the shadow of a massive orc – The Night Haunter, himself. Don’t worry, he’ll vanish at the first sign of trouble – applying a stack of Marked by the Night Haunter to you. The corpses, remnants of the Haunter’s victims, will also sometimes apply a stack when you interact with them.

You’ll need to reach 10 stacks before The Night Haunter will get angry enough to stop running and attack you. Be careful, though; the debuff only lasts for 10 minutes, and leaving Zorammarsh – including venturing into the caves at the edges – will clear it.

Once you have your stacks, track the orc down again. A simple /target macro will work. He doesn’t have much health – less than 2 million – but hit my Mage hard. I assumed that Mythic gear would be ok to go toe-to-toe with him, but I was wrong – kiting is your friend, ranged classes. Not only does the Haunter melee for upwards of 30,000 per hit, but his Interrupting Slam attack will interrupt spell casting – and appeared to hit me regardless of range. Just stop casting when you see it.

The Night Haunter has just two other abilities. The first is a damage buff called Ghostly Howl, which also do some minor damage. Finally, he will periodically Enrage, increasing damage and attack speed. This effect stacks.

Without Mythic gear, a group may be needed to take The Night Haunter down – certainly anyone without raid gear will need help. On the first day in Tanaan, this is unlikely to be a problem – there’ll be people everywhere – but once the rush passes, engage at your own peril.

The Night Haunter, and the cloak he drops, are a reference to Konrad Curze. Curze was Primarch of the Night Lords, a Traitor Legion of the Space Marines in Warhammer 40,000 (although all the cool kids played original Warhammer. Trust me on this. Ask my mum).

We’re not done yet, though. Make your way to the centre of Zorammarsh to find a Draenor treasure – and some sweet, sweet progress towards flying. In the bole of a hollow tree on the largest island in the swamp you will find The Perfect Blossom, a beautiful purple flower – which happens to be surrounded by a deadly mist called Pollen Cloud. You can loot the flower by simply standing far enough away – or, if you want to do it in the intended way, loot Mysterious Fruit (these are found all over Tanaan, and will also grant a 5% buff to all stats) until you receive Pollen Protection. After that, just run through the cloud to loot The Perfect Blossom, which will lend a fel-tainted look to your pets.