Sign inHydraxian Waterlords
The Hydraxian Waterlords are water elementals who serve Neptulon, the Elemental Lord of water, and are sworn enemies of Ragnaros and his fire elementals. In Classic their leader, Duke Hydraxis, waits on an island off the coast of Azshara and recruits adventurers to carry the war into Molten Core. Reputation with the Waterlords is what lets a raid douse the runes in the Core and summon the Firelord.
Who they are
The elemental lords have warred with one another since long before mortals walked Azeroth. Ragnaros, lord of fire, was bound under Blackrock Mountain when the Dark Iron dwarves summoned him, and from the Molten Core he now commands the Dark Irons and a host of fire elementals. The water elementals see a chance to weaken their old enemy while he is in the mortal world, and they are willing to use mortals to do it.
In Blackrock Depths, some of the Dark Iron patrons in the tavern already grumble that the water elementals could tip the balance against the fire lords. Duke Hydraxis speaks to adventurers with the condescension of an elemental toward "so small a creature", but he rewards those who prove useful.
Where to find them
The Waterlords have no town. Duke Hydraxis stands with a few Hydraxian Honor Guards on a small island off the southeast coast of Azshara, reached by swimming. He has no shop: everything he offers comes through quests and conversation. Everyone starts at Neutral, and reputation can never fall below it.
Earning reputation
Killing fire and earth elementals is the whole of it. Outside raids, Dust Stormers and Desert Rumblers in Silithus and Greater Obsidian Elementals in the Burning Steppes give a little reputation, but only up to the end of Friendly. Fire elementals in Blackrock Depths and Blackrock Spire, such as Lord Incendius and Pyroguard Emberseer, count a little further.
From there, Molten Core is the only source. Its trash elementals give reputation through Honored, most of its bosses through Revered, and only Golemagg the Incinerator and Ragnaros all the way to the end of Exalted. Most raiders reached Honored after a few weeks of clearing the Core without trying, and Exalted after many months.
Duke Hydraxis's quests lead players toward the Core:
- Poisoned Water (curing poisoned elementals in the Eastern Plaguelands) and Stormers and Rumblers (killing the elementals of Silithus) introduce him.
- Eye of the Emberseer asks for the [Eye of the Emberseer] from Pyroguard Emberseer in Upper Blackrock Spire.
- The Molten Core sends players into Molten Core to kill one each of its Fire Lords, Molten Giants, Ancient Core Hounds and Lava Surgers.
- Agent of Hydraxis needs Honored standing.
- Hands of the Enemy asks for the hands of Lucifron, Sulfuron Harbinger, Gehennas and Shazzrah, four of the Core's bosses. The follow-up, A Hero's Reward, gives 200 reputation and a choice of the rings [Tidal Loop] or [Ocean's Breeze].
Rewards
Aqual Quintessence
The Waterlords' reward that mattered most to raids was not gear. Next to most bosses in Molten Core burns a rune of the Firelords. Majordomo Executus, Ragnaros's steward, will not appear until all seven runes have been put out, and without him there is no way to reach Ragnaros.
The runes are doused with [Aqual Quintessence], which Duke Hydraxis gives to players who have finished Hands of the Enemy. Each one is used up, so in the first years of Classic every raid needed at least seven members who had done the quest line, and each of them swam back to Azshara every week for a new one.
Patch 1.11 added the [[forever:item:22754]], a version that is never used up, for players who reach Revered with the Waterlords. It spared raid leaders the weekly round trip to Azshara.
By standing
| Standing | What it opens |
|---|---|
| Neutral | Duke Hydraxis's first quests |
| Honored | Agent of Hydraxis, then Hands of the Enemy and A Hero's Reward ([Tidal Loop] or [Ocean's Breeze]); [Aqual Quintessence] after the hands are delivered |
| Revered | [[forever:item:22754]] (from patch 1.11) |
| Exalted | No further reward in Classic |
History and trivia
- Reputation from the Core's bosses was the slowest part of the climb, and for a long time Exalted with the Waterlords was a mark of a very dedicated raider.
- Patch 3.0.8 made the Majordomo appear on his own once the other bosses were dead and removed the Quintessence quests. Players who still held an Aqual or Eternal Quintessence received the Feat of Strength "The Fifth Element".
- After Cataclysm, Duke Hydraxis disappeared from Azshara. The Waterlords returned in Legion and Battle for Azeroth, fighting alongside the Earthen Ring and in Nazjatar.
Sources
Categories: Reputations, Lore
Comments (0)
No comments yet.