Twilight Lord Kelris

Twilight Lord Kelris is the orc who leads the Twilight's Hammer in Blackfathom Deeps. Deep in the Moonshrine Sanctum he meditates before an altar, tending the hydra Aku'mai that he believes heralds the return of the Old Gods. Both factions put a price on his head, and killing him opens the way to the dungeon's final boss.

Background

The Twilight's Hammer is a cult that wants to bring the world back to chaos by serving the Old Gods. Kelris is its master in Blackfathom Deeps. According to the Argent Dawn, he eluded them for a long time; they thought him dead or missing, yet whenever evil stirred in Kalimdor, Kelris seemed to have a hand in it.

The cult found a strange three-headed creature in the depths of the old temple, and Kelris became convinced it was a sign of the Old Gods' return and his ticket to immortality. In the words of the later Adventure Guide, he personally supervises the hydra's growth, even feeding it his own followers.

He meditates in the Moonshrine Sanctum, an ancient temple to Queen Azshara that the cult has kept in good repair, its statue of the naga queen still standing.

Abilities

• Mind Blast: a blast of shadow damage at one player.
• Sleep: puts players near him to sleep for a few seconds. Any damage wakes them.

Strategy

Kelris is in a trance when the group enters and does not react until attacked. He has no guards, so he can be pulled alone, but the sanctum holds other cultists that are easy to aggro by mistake.

• Clear the room, or pull him out onto the steps.
• He runs around while casting, so keep everyone ready to follow.
• Expect someone, often the tank, to be put to sleep. The rest of the group should be ready to cover for a few seconds.

The altar. After Kelris dies, the four braziers around the statue, the Fires of Aku'mai, can be lit. Each one summons a wave of elite guardians after a short delay: crabs, turtles, makrura or water elementals such as the Aku'mai Servant. Light them one at a time; lighting several at once brings several waves together and usually wipes the group. When all four are lit and their guardians dead, the doors to Aku'mai's lair open.

Loot

[Rod of the Sleepwalker] is a rare staff with Intellect and Spirit, a strong weapon for healers and casters in their mid-twenties. [Gaze Dreamer Pants] are cloth trousers with Intellect and Spirit.

Quests

Argent Guard Thaelrid of the Argent Dawn waits inside the Deeps, weakened and unable to go on. He asks both factions to bring Kelris down.

• Blackfathom Villainy (Alliance): bring the Head of Kelris to Dawnwatcher Selgorm in Darnassus.
• Blackfathom Villainy (Horde): bring it to Bashana Runetotem in Thunder Bluff.

Both versions reward a choice of [Gravestone Scepter], a wand, or [Arctic Buckler], a shield.

Trivia

• Warcraft Wiki credits Marc Graue as Kelris's voice. When he wakes, he yells "Who dares disturb my meditation?"

Later history

Patch 2.3.0 lowered him from level 27 to 24. In Cataclysm-era lore, Twilight Lord Bathiel took over the Deeps and threw Kelris into Aku'mai's maw. Season of Discovery gave him a new raid version and an appearance in the Searing Gorge as Flamebringer Kelris. The original fight returned with World of Warcraft Classic.

Sources

• Twilight Lord Kelris, Warcraft Wiki
• Moonshrine Sanctum, Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB loot and quest data for patch 1.12