Caverns of Time: Black Morass and Hyjal Summit

In The Burning Crusade's Caverns of Time, the bronze dragonflight sends the player into the past to protect two moments of history: Medivh opening the Dark Portal, in the Black Morass, and the Battle of Mount Hyjal, in Hyjal Summit. Instead of changing history, the mission is to make sure it happens the right way.

This post explains the lore of both instances, what the Infinite Dragonflight wanted and where all of it is in WotLK.

What are the Caverns of Time?

The Caverns of Time are in eastern Tanaris, in Kalimdor. They are the home of the bronze dragonflight, led by Nozdormu, the Aspect of Time. The bronze dragons watch over the timeways to keep everything in balance.

At the entrance waits the dragon Anachronos. Inside, you find Andormu and the Keepers of Time faction.

The problem is that, in recent years, the Infinite Dragonflight started meddling with the past. The bronze dragons cannot handle it alone. So they recruit adventurers to keep the great events intact.

What is the order of the instances?

In The Burning Crusade, the Caverns of Time have three instances:

1. Escape from Durnholde Keep (Old Hillsbrad Foothills): help the young Thrall escape.
2. Opening of the Dark Portal (Black Morass): protect Medivh.
3. Battle for Mount Hyjal (Hyjal Summit): the raid against Archimonde.

Wrath of the Lich King adds a fourth: The Culling of Stratholme. It has its own post: Culling of Stratholme: everything you need to know.

The Durnholde escape comes first for a practical reason. In TBC, finishing that quest chain was what unlocked the Black Morass. The chain goes through To The Master's Lair, The Caverns of Time, Old Hillsbrad, Taretha's Diversion and Escape from Durnholde.

There, you go back seven years in time. Agents of the Infinite Dragonflight have kidnapped Taretha Foxton, who was supposed to create the diversion for Thrall's escape. So you create the diversion in her place. The last boss is the Epoch Hunter, a drake of the Infinite Dragonflight. The original story of the escape is in Between the Wars #4: the escape from Durnholde.

Black Morass: why protect Medivh?

This is the part that confuses newcomers the most. In the Black Morass, you protect Medivh while he opens the Dark Portal. Medivh is possessed by Sargeras. The portal will bring the Horde to Azeroth and start the First War.

In other words: you are helping one of the greatest tragedies in history happen. Why?

Because the bronze dragons' mission is not to choose the best past. It is to protect the true past. If the Infinite Dragonflight kills Medivh, the portal does not open, the Horde does not arrive and everything that came after stops existing. The instance description sums it up: "The balance of time is in jeopardy, and if the past is not saved... there will be no future."

To understand what Medivh was doing in that swamp, read First War #5: the opening of the Dark Portal and Medivh and Karazhan.

How does the Black Morass work?

Medivh stands still, channeling the portal. Time rifts open at four points in the swamp. From each one come creatures of the Infinite Dragonflight, trying to reach Medivh.

There are 18 waves in total. The bosses appear in waves 6, 12 and 18.

Before you go in, the bronze dragon Sa'at hands each player a Chrono-Beacon. If Medivh dies, the event restarts after 5 minutes, and Sa'at hands out another beacon.

Chrono Lord Deja, Temporus and Aeonus

The three bosses are dragons of the Infinite Dragonflight: Chrono Lord Deja, Temporus and Aeonus.

Aeonus is the most important. He is the "Chrono-Lord of the Infinite Dragonflight". He was sent by a mysterious "Master of the Infinite Dragonflight" to disrupt key moments of time. He comes out of the last rift and announces: "The time has come to shatter this clockwork universe forever!"

When he dies, he leaves a warning: "We will triumph... It is only a matter... of time."

Hyjal Summit: the Battle of Mount Hyjal again

Hyjal Summit is a 25-player raid. It takes you back to the end of the Third War, to help humans, orcs and night elves against the Burning Legion and the Scourge. It is a version of the last mission of Warcraft III.

The goal is the same as in the original battle: weaken Archimonde so he can be destroyed. The full story of the battle is in Third War #9: the Battle of Mount Hyjal.

The order of the Hyjal Summit bosses

The raid follows the mountain's lines of defense:

1. Rage Winterchill, at the Alliance base, defended by Jaina Proudmoore.
2. Anetheron, also at the Alliance base.
3. Kaz'rogal, at the Horde encampment, defended by Thrall.
4. Azgalor, also at the Horde encampment.
5. Archimonde, the final boss, on the night elf side.

Before each of the first four bosses come eight waves of enemies. Archimonde has no waves before him.

How Archimonde falls

The fight against Archimonde repeats the ending of Warcraft III. Tyrande Whisperwind gives each player the Tears of the Goddess. They make you fall slowly when Archimonde throws the group into the air.

When he reaches 10% health, the trap closes. Tyrande shouts: "The trap has sprung! The Horn has sounded! Archimonde will meet his end today! Rejoice!" The wisps attack the demon, and Tyrande protects the raid with the Protection of Elune. Archimonde cries: "No, it cannot be! Nooo!"

In the original story, it was Malfurion who blew the Horn of Cenarius. The wisps flowed into Nordrassil, the World Tree exploded and Archimonde was destroyed. About the leader of the Sentinels, read Tyrande Whisperwind.

Is the Infinite Dragonflight in Hyjal?

At first, the game hinted that the Infinite Dragonflight was also attacking this battle. Later, the story changed. Today, the wiki treats Hyjal Summit as a "time pocket", disconnected from real history.

The link to the Black Temple

Hyjal Summit is also part of the road to the Black Temple. In the quest An Artifact From the Past, Akama asks you to kill Rage Winterchill and bring back the Time-Phased Phylactery. It is the third step of the chain that leads to Entry Into the Black Temple.

Before patch 2.4.0, entering Hyjal required the quest The Vials of Eternity, from Soridormi. You had to bring Vashj's Vial Remnant, from Lady Vashj, and Kael's Vial Remnant, from Kael'thas. The raid's reputation is The Scale of the Sands. For the rest of the expansion, read The Burning Crusade in order.

Who is the Infinite Dragonflight?

In The Burning Crusade, nobody knew. The Infinite Dragonflight was just a group of dragons who wanted to break the timeline. Aeonus spoke of a "Master", without saying who it was.

The answer came later, in Cataclysm: the leader is Murozond, a future, corrupted version of Nozdormu himself. That paradox has a post of its own: The Infinite Dragonflight and the Nozdormu paradox.

Who's who in the Caverns of Time

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Nozdormu | The Aspect of Time, leader of the bronze dragonflight. | | Andormu | One of the bronze dragons of the Caverns of Time. | | Sa'at | The bronze dragon who hands out the Chrono-Beacon. | | Medivh | The Guardian possessed by Sargeras who opens the Dark Portal. | | Aeonus | The Chrono-Lord of the Infinite Dragonflight, final boss of the Black Morass. | | Archimonde | The Legion's leader at Hyjal, final boss of the raid. | | Jaina, Thrall and Tyrande | The leaders of the three bases of Hyjal. | | Soridormi | The bronze dragon tied to the Scale of the Sands. |

Where to see it in WotLK

• Caverns of Time, in Tanaris: the three TBC instances and The Culling of Stratholme are all there.
• Black Morass: the level 70, 5-player dungeon. In WotLK, you still have to finish Escape from Durnholde Keep to get in. That requirement only went away in patch 4.2.0. Heroic mode requires the Key of Time.
• Hyjal Summit: the 25-player raid, with no entry requirement since patch 2.4.0.
• Quests: The Black Morass, The Opening of the Dark Portal and Hero of the Brood are tied to Sa'at. An Artifact From the Past and The Vials of Eternity are tied to Hyjal.
• Reputations: Keepers of Time, in the dungeons, and The Scale of the Sands, in the raid.

If you are still on the road from 70 to 80, the guide to reach level 80 faster shows the route through Outland and Northrend.

Frequently asked questions

Why do we protect Medivh in the Black Morass?

Because the bronze dragons' role is to protect the true past. If Medivh dies before opening the Dark Portal, the whole history of Azeroth changes.

Who is the final boss of the Black Morass?

Aeonus, the Chrono-Lord of the Infinite Dragonflight. He comes out of the 18th and last rift.

Who kills Archimonde in Hyjal Summit?

The raid weakens him to 10%. Then the wisps attack and destroy him, like at the end of Warcraft III.

Do you need an attunement for the Black Morass in WotLK?

Yes. You need to finish Escape from Durnholde Keep. The requirement was only removed in Cataclysm, in patch 4.2.0.

Who leads the Infinite Dragonflight?

Murozond, a future, corrupted version of Nozdormu. This was only revealed in Cataclysm.