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City of Dalaran Guide (WoW Forever)

Fred the Purifier
WoW Classic streamer & guide writer
Oct 21 2026

Updated Oct 26 2026

Patch WoW Forever

Overview

City of Dalaran is a new level 28-33 dungeon set in the mage city on the shore of Lordamere Lake in the Alterac Mountains, where the barrier that hid Dalaran’s restoration has fallen and enchantments, constructs, and loose arcane power have run wild. It’s one of nine new dungeons launching with World of Warcraft: Forever, and unlike Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron, both factions enter through the same sewer gate.

Level 28-33 is the range the dungeon is tuned for, not a minimum entry level. The key questline starts at level 30, so most groups will arrive at 30 or higher, and the dungeon’s own quests are level 33.

Unlocking the Dungeon

The entrance is the sewer gate outside Dalaran’s northwest wall, on the shore of Lordamere Lake. Both factions first earn the Kirin Tor’s trust with a short attunement questline that starts at level 30 and ends with the Dalaran Sewer Key. Alliance players begin in Southshore, and Horde players begin in Tarren Mill.

Step Action
1 Fly to Southshore in the Hillsbrad Foothills. Dalaran has no flight master of its own.
2 At level 30 or higher, accept An Alarming Request from Emissary Jacques in the Southshore town hall.
3 Walk north to the Image of Archmage Modera outside Dalaran’s northwest wall and turn the quest in.
4 Accept Heart of Disruption and Starving Arcane from her. The first also gives you the Dalaran Sewer Key.
5 Open the sewer gate with the key and head down into the sewers. One player with the key opens it for the whole group.

Horde Attunement

Step Action
1 Fly to Tarren Mill in the Hillsbrad Foothills.
2 At level 30 or higher, accept Prison Break In and Key to the City from Magus Wordeen Voidglare.
3 Travel to the Lordamere Internment Camp in the Alterac Mountains. For Prison Break In, kill the four fugitive prisoners (Dermot, Ricter, Alina, and Kegan Darkmar on the second floor) and loot their Bloodstone artifacts. For Key to the City, loot the Warden’s Footlocker upstairs, near Kegan Darkmar.
4 Return to Voidglare and turn both quests in.
5 Accept Dalaran Patrols, the follow-up to Prison Break In, complete its objectives, and report back.
6 Accept Blood in the Streets, which sends you to the Image of Archmage Modera at the sewer gate.
7 Turn it in and accept Heart of Disruption. She gives you the Dalaran Sewer Key.
8 Open the sewer gate and go down into the sewers. Stay out of the streets: Dalaran’s guards attack Horde players on sight.

You don’t need everyone to finish the chain. One player carrying the Dalaran Sewer Key opens the gate for the whole group, so the rest of your party can simply pick up their dungeon quests.

Horde players should stay out of the streets. Dalaran’s guards attack Horde players on sight, and the key questline no longer grants free movement in the city. This doesn’t affect the way into the dungeon through the sewer gate.

City of Dalaran Map

Use the fan-made map below to get oriented before your first run through the sewers and the city above them.

Map of the City of Dalaran dungeon in WoW Forever

Map of the City of Dalaran dungeon sewers in WoW Forever

Map by Santiago Reyes, Atlas of Azeroth: Forever. Used with the artist’s permission.

Boss Quick Reference

Boss Key Mechanic Priority

Atrexis the Grave Knight

Necromancer in the central sewer hall who raises skeletons, speeds up his attacks with Unholy Frenzy, and disarms the tank Kill the skeletons as they spawn and use a tank cooldown during Unholy Frenzy
Lyn the Ignored

Lyn the Ignored (optional, summoned)

A secret boss you summon on a second ritual circle in the sewers. Shadow Bolt Volley hits the whole group, and Curse of Thorns hurts anyone who attacks Remove the curse from the tank and melee, and heal the whole group
Arcane Anomaly

Arcane Anomaly

An arcane elemental on a platform by the sewer exit. A beam sweeps the room and turns counterclockwise Keep walking ahead of the beam, and stay inside the platform circle to avoid the small adds
Mana Devourer

Mana Devourer

A demon in the garden in front of the Violet Hold that drains Mana and takes no Arcane damage Clear every mob in the garden first, and bring non-Arcane damage
Fel Ancient

Fel Ancient

A demon on Runeweaver Square behind a mana barrier. Entangle roots players, and Fel Timbers leaves poison fumes on the ground Step out of the fumes at once and free anyone rooted inside them

Unstable Sentinel

A construct on the trade district’s north road. Malfunction pulses Arcane damage every 2 seconds in a wide area Ranged players stay at max range, and melee step out on the wind-up
Arcanic Enigma

Arcanic Enigma

An elemental in the northeast with two Mana Phantoms. Manamorph turns a player into an animal, and Silence hits anyone close Kill the Phantoms first, dispel Manamorph, and keep the healer at range

Shade of the Archmage

The final boss, in the Purple Parlor at the top of the Violet Citadel. Arcane Explosion, Bounding Mana, and Mass Polymorph Spread out, keep casters at range, and keep him inside his room

Atrexis the Grave Knight is the first boss of every run, and Arcane Anomaly stands right by the sewer exit. After that the order is yours: the city offers several paths, and beta groups took the remaining bosses in different orders. Lyn the Ignored only appears when you summon him.

Several trash packs deserve respect. Mindless Horrors fear, Skeletal Warders stun, and Fallen Mages slow in the sewers. Kirin Tor Necromancers raise skeletons and speed up their packs with Unholy Frenzy, and Dark Casters heal, so interrupt them or kill them first. Mana Phantoms use Mana Burn, which drains everyone near them, and Fragmented Sentries hit a cone in front of them with Arcing Smash, so the tank should turn them away from the group.

Critical Mechanics

Arcane Anomaly’s beam is the one mechanic that truly kills. Focal Blast sweeps across the room and turns counterclockwise, so keep walking ahead of it and don’t stop to cast. Stay inside the circle on the platform so you don’t pull the small adds around its edge.

Leave Arcane damage at home. The Mana Devourer, the elementals, and the constructs are immune to Arcane damage, and beta groups report that they also ignore bleeds and poisons. Fire, Frost, Shadow, and plain weapon damage do the work here.

Bring dispels, a curse removal, and interrupts. Manamorph on the Arcanic Enigma is a magic effect you’ll want dispelled, Curse of Thorns on Lyn the Ignored needs a curse removal, and Mana Burn and the Dark Casters’ Heal both call for interrupts.

Unstable Sentinel’s Malfunction punishes standing close. It winds up for 2 seconds, then pulses Arcane damage every 2 seconds across a wide area. Ranged players stay at max range, and melee step out on the wind-up and come back when it ends.

Shade of the Archmage resets if he leaves his room. Keep him inside the Purple Parlor, spread out for Bounding Mana so the orb never passes through a stacked group, and have casters hide behind a wall when he casts Mass Polymorph after running out of Mana.

Quests

Quest Level Pickup Objective
An Alarming Request (Alliance) 30 Emissary Jacques, Southshore town hall Starts the key chain and sends you to the Image of Archmage Modera
Key to the City (Horde) 30 Magus Wordeen Voidglare, Tarren Mill Retrieve the key from the Warden’s Footlocker at the Lordamere Internment Camp
Prison Break In (Horde) 30 Magus Wordeen Voidglare, Tarren Mill Recover four Bloodstone artifacts from the fugitive prisoners at the Lordamere Internment Camp
Dalaran Patrols (Horde) 30 Magus Wordeen Voidglare, Tarren Mill Follow-up to Prison Break In. Complete its objectives and report back
Blood in the Streets (Horde) 30 Magus Wordeen Voidglare, Tarren Mill Deliver it to the Image of Archmage Modera at the sewer gate
Heart of Disruption (Alliance) 33 Image of Archmage Modera, sewer gate Bring her the Arcane Mote from the Shade of the Archmage. She gives you the Dalaran Sewer Key
Heart of Disruption (Horde) 33 Image of Archmage Modera, sewer gate Bring the Arcane Mote from the Shade of the Archmage back to Voidglare in Tarren Mill. She gives you the Dalaran Sewer Key
Friend of the Kirin Tor (Alliance) 33 Image of Archmage Modera, sewer gate Follow-up: report to Archmage Celindra in the Violet Citadel
Shrewd Negotiations (Horde) 33 Magus Wordeen Voidglare, Tarren Mill Follow-up: report to Archmage Celindra in the Violet Citadel
Starving Arcane (Alliance) 33 Image of Archmage Modera, sewer gate Defeat 8 Seeking Remnants, 8 Saturated Remnants, and 8 Mana Echoes
Power Overwhelming (Alliance) 33 High Sorcerer Andromath, Mage Quarter, Stormwind Kill the Arcanic Enigma
A Green Sample (Alliance) 33 Shylamiir, Stormwind Collect a Fel Infused Blossom from the fel garden in the middle of the city
The Grave Knight (Horde) 33 Melisara, Tarren Mill Kill Atrexis the Grave Knight
Source of Power (Horde) 33 Doctor Martin Felben, Undercity Collect 6 Cracked Sentry Cores from Fragmented Sentries
Opportunistic Education (Horde) 33 Rexxie Copperclutch, near the sewer entrance Find The Founding of Dalaran, a book in the city

Key chain quests can be started from level 30. The dungeon quests are level 33 and can be accepted from level 24.

Heart of Disruption lets you choose a reward. Alliance players can pick Spellguard Pauldrons, Renewing Footpads, or Defender of Dalaran, and Horde players can pick Battle Spaulders, Enchanted Sandals, or Striking Staff.

Tips & Tricks

Sort out the Dalaran Sewer Key before you form the group. Only one player needs it, and the chain starts at level 30, so decide in advance who’s carrying it.

Pick up your faction’s dungeon quests before you go in. Alliance quests start in Stormwind and at the sewer gate, and Horde quests start in Tarren Mill and Undercity, so grabbing them first saves a long trip back out.

Plan for more than one run on two quests. Alliance players’ Starving Arcane needs 8 of each of three enemy types, and Horde players’ Source of Power needs every player to loot their own Cracked Sentry Cores, so beta groups often needed two or three runs.

Want the secret boss? Prepare the Tome of Dalaran first. Take the Black Tome from the table behind Archmage Arugal at the end of Shadowfang Keep, then use it next to the Ambermill Leyline Focus, the floating blue crystal in the Ambermill town hall in Silverpine Forest, to make the Tome of Dalaran. Use the Tome on the second ritual circle in the sewers to summon Lyn the Ignored. It isn’t consumed, but it goes on a 3-minute cooldown.

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