Shadowfang Keep

During the invasion of the Burning Legion in the Third War, the powerful sorcerers of the Kirin Tor matched their mastery of the arcane against their demonic adversaries. Yet the might of the Scourge and the Legion was such that when they inevitably fell, their bodies would simply rise again in service of that which they had given their lives to defeat. Frustrated with the mages’ inability to truly make a difference, the archmage Arugal decided to go against the advice of his peers. He summoned extra-dimensional entities known as Worgen—half man, half wolf—to the aid of his fellow mages.

Though the vicious Worgen were remarkably effective against the Scourge, they quickly turned on the remnants of humanity in Lordaeron. They besieged the home of the noble Baron Silverlaine and slaughtered its inhabitants. In his grief, Arugal claimed the keep for himself, driven mad with guilt… and adopted the Worgen as his children. Now known as Shadowfang Keep, the dark castle casts its long shadow over the twisted village of Pyrewood, whose inhabitants seem to undergo a dreadful mutation when night falls…

Shadowfang Keep, or SFK, is a great little instance located in Silverpine Forest. Due to its location and the lack of any real quests for it on Alliance side, it’s primarily a Horde dungeon, though some of the loot to be gained there is pretty damn nice, and may be worth a run or two. It’s a very well-designed zone, a good balance of difficulty… and best of all, it isn’t too long at all. In particular, the zone has superb loot for casters, namely the informally named “Arugal’s Set.” Belt of Arugal and Robes of Arugal off the Archmage himself, and Feline Mantle off Wolf Master Nandos right before him. It’s a very fun zone, recommended for levels 24-28 (Arugal himself is level 26, so a tanking warrior may want to ensure that he’s at that level before going on a run).

Finding It

SFK is near the south of Silverpine Forest. For Horde, run south from the Sepulcher/Undercity, you’ll see it on your right after a while. Alliance should run from Hillsbrad, and when the road meets the main North/South Silverpine road, just keep running straight; SFK will be up on the cliffs above you. Very easy to find.

Quests

Arugal Must Die (27)

“Arugal still resides in Shadowfang Keep. We cannot claim Silverpine as a strategic stronghold for the Dark Lady until Arugal is slain.

I shall see to it that his magic is eradicated, (Name). But I leave it in your hands to see that Arugal meets the death he so deserves.

Travel to Shadowfang Keep and put an end to Arugal's foul spells once and for all. Bring to me the vile wizard's head!”

Objectives: Kill Arugal and bring his head to Dalar Dawnweaver at the Sepulcher.

The “Main Quest” for SFK, this requires you to kill Arugal, the last boss of the zone. Turning in the head to Dawnweaver will yield Seal of Sylvanas. While not the best ring for casters, it’s a solid ring for melee characters—and at this point in the game, you probably don’t have many good rings anyway, so it’s definitely worth it to pick this one up.

Deathstalkers in Shadowfang (25)

“In preparation for an assault on Shadowfang, two deathstalkers were sent to the keep to gather intelligence. It has been many days and they have not returned, but we must receive their report if we're to have any hope of a successful attack!

So here is your task, (Name). Go to Shadowfang Keep to the south and find the Deathstalkers Adamant and Vincent. Find them, and if they require aid then give it.

This mission is as dangerous as is it critical, (Name). Do not fail.”

Objective: Find the Deathstalker Adamant and Deathstalker Vincent.

The hardest part of this quest is finding the questgiver—he’s in the Sepulcher, in the little crypt-thingy that leads underground. The first Deathstalker is found in the early part of the dungeon, and Horde characters will free him anyway in order to continue. The second Deathstalker is lying on the ground in the big courtyard area, by the gate that blocks off the courtyard from the entrance zone. Completing the quest rewards you with Ghostly Mantle.

The Book of Ur (26)

“(Name), Shadowfang Keep holds a book, the Book of Ur, which would be much prized in my collection. Ur was a great mage of Dalaran before the coming of the Scourge, his studies in other worlds are of much value to ... certain parties among the Forsaken.

Enter Shadowfang Keep and find the book. Bring it to me, and I will report your service to our Dark Lady...”

Objective: Bring the Book of Ur to Keeper Bel'dugur at the Apothecarium in the Undercity.

In the room where you fight Fenrus, the book is on a shelf just to the left of the doorway you enter from. It’s large and green, but if you can’t find it, and you have the quest, just mouse over the bookshelves until you get the gear “interaction” icon. Return the book to have your choice of Grizzled Boots or Steel-Clasped Bracers.

Chain: The Test of Righteousness (22) [Paladin]

“I'd like to reward you if you'd be willing to accept such a thing? Don't misunderstand me, my generosity is dependent on how much help you can be, but I see us both benefiting greatly from such an alliance.

I will craft for you a weapon worthy of what you've accomplished, a symbol of paladinhood and the Light, but you must gather the items I need to craft it. I've already started taking notes on the items, it just requires someone brave and skilled enough to recover them. What do you say, Paladin?”

Objectives: Using Jordan's Weapon Notes, find some Whitestone Oak Lumber, Bailor's Refined Ore Shipment, Jordan's Smithing Hammer, and a Kor Gem, and return them to Jordan Stilwell in Ironforge.

This is part of the Paladin questline starting at level 20, requiring you to get items from dungeons all across the globe—the Deadmines, Blackfathom Deeps, Loch Modan, and Shadowfang Keep. The object in question: Jordan’s Smithing Hammer, is found in the big courtyard area near the beginning of the zone. It’s by the stables, a clickable object on a box by the horses. The end result for this quest is an extremely nice mace, Verigan’s Fist.

The Orb of Soran’ruk (25) [Warlock]

“When demons of the Legion fall out of favor, their spirits are imprisoned within orbs and distributed to their mages and warlocks.

Many were carried by their servants in Azeroth. Even fragmented, they still possess the powers of the demons trapped inside.

The orb of Soran'ruk was broken into two pieces, one was further broken to be used by the acolytes of the Twilight's Hammer in Blackfathom Deeps. The other, larger piece, was possessed by a wizard in Shadowfang Keep. Find them and I can reform it.”

Objectives: Find 3 Soran'ruk Fragments and 1 Large Soran'ruk Fragment and return them to Doan Karhan in the Barrens.

The object in question: Large Soran’ruk Fragment. Despite the quest text, it does not come from Arugal (presumably the wizard mentioned). Instead, it drops off of the Shadowfang Darksouls, who can be found throughout the instance. The drop rate is rather low, so you may need a few runs to get it. Eventually, you’ll get your choice of Orb of Soran’ruk or Staff of Soran’ruk.

Obviously, the only quests here available for the Alliance are the Paladin and Warlock quests; the other three are Horde-only.

Bosses and Loot

Rethilgore – the Jailer, you must kill him to continue on in the dungeon. Has several wolf adds that can be AoE’d, drops no loot worth mentioning.

Razorclaw the Butcher – Most often killed for his chance to drop Butcher’s Cleaver, an excellent one-handed axe.

Odo the Blindwatcher – Drops Odo’s Ley Staff, which is great for caster classes that rely on Spirit.

Baron Silverlaine – Drops Silverlaine’s Family Seal, a good melee ring.

Commander Springvale – Drops Commander’s Crest, an excellent shield for its level.

Fenrus the Devourer – Arugal’s little puppy. Drops Fenrus’ Hide. After killing him, be careful, because Argual will shortly spawn four non-elite Voidwalkers on you, so drink to full health and mana immediately after the fight.

Wolf Master Nandos – Has several wolf adds that should be killed before you start on him. Can drop Feline Mantle, easily the best cloth shoulders in the game for their level.

Arugal – The final boss of the zone. Rather tough fight for a group, especially one that’s underlevelled. He will mind-control whoever he has aggro on, generally the tank, which then results in him spamming Shadowbolt on whoever has second-highest aggro (generally the healer) as the transformed tank starts tearing stuff up. Because of this, it may actually be prudent to send a rogue in first to gain initial aggro, or a Druid (if you have one), so that the tank can then pick up aggro after he transforms his target. Drops Robes of Arugal, Belt of Arugal, and Meteor Shard for those melee classes feeling slighted by the great caster loot here.