My Group is Killing
the Cuckoo Nest!

Guide to Scornfeathers Roost

High atop the Clefts of Rujark, lies an area so horrid and dangerous (not to mention smelly, omg do you KNOW how much bird poop is in there?), even the mighty Rujarkian Orcs dare not enter (without gas masks). This roost of terror is littered with corpses whose little remaining flesh is fought over by harpies. As if a bunch of giant smelly bird critters isn't bad enough, there are snakes. Big ones.

The Roost of Scornfeather is a level 55+ group instance packed with more harpies and snakes than you would believe possible. If you have a low end machine, prepare to turn down your settings or witness a great slideshow. To get to the instance you'll need to go to the third level of the Clefts of Rujark (located off the Sinking Sands and Pillar of Flame). There is a quest to access the lifts that will have to be completed and the way up is a complicated but with a little effort you will easily locate the entrance.

Important Note: Entering the Instance will begin the lockout timer which is 4 hours.

Scornfeather's Roost

The layout of this instance is pretty simple. It's basically circular, with a unclimable rock formation in the middle of it. Surrounding this plateu are about 2 trillion level 55+ heroic harpies and snakes.  One of the big pluses of this instance, is after you die you will respawn inside the zone and it will not have reset.  This means you won't have to rekill everything in the instance. The only exception to this is 4 ^^^ Heroic Harpies with a ginormous patrol range that will respawn at regular intervals.

Upon entering, please take note of the amusing bug that logs the whole group out and back in, spamming every member of your guild who has been foolish enough to have the alerts turned on. Our guild fondly refers to this as the "hokey pokey." To your right, is Ibitnaya the Scorned. Notice how she perches on the cliff like a pigeon on a power line just waiting for you to walk underneath her? Unlike the pigeons, you can exact your revenge on this bomb dropping fowl, but only after you kill the five named critters shown below in any order. .

That Which Relentlessly Waits

Matron Zaqabai

Ishka Urz

Matron Suhailah

Hurikah Urz

Strategies

This isn't yard trash from the drainage ditch down the street. These birds and snakes pack quite a punch, and going in blindly swinging will have you reviving pretty quick.   I speak from very painful, scarring experience.  Fortunately the strategies for both Matrons and both living snakes are the same.   I'll break them all down for you.

Ishka Urz/Hurikah Urz:  These two are by far the easiest of the named creatures you'll run into.  Flanking the left and right sides of the rock formation, they wait like lawyers at the scene of an accident waiting to strike.  They have a pretty nasty poison that they will use freely so your healer will need to make sure they are paying attention.   Overall they should drop fairly quickly though.

Matron Zaqabai/Matrin Suhailah: One word can easily describe these floating monstosities.  Fricking evil!  Ok, that was two words.   With a properly balanced group you should be able to drop them but there are a couple things you need to look out for.  First: They. Hit. Hard. Not like "your-little-brother-with-a-pool-noodle" hard. We're talking "you-inadvertantly-called -your-wife-fat-and-a-large-heavy- projectile-is-hurtling-straight-at-your-head" hard.   That's nothing, you say? I can handle a little hard hitting, you say? I've got great healers, you say? Of course. Did I mention they stifle? Oh, I didn't? Oops. They stifle.   Yes prepare to stare, for up to 10 seconds, at a time in terror as your groups health bars begun to plummet.   Remember that Templar you haven't talked to since LU#13?   It's time to send them a tell, because they have a spell called Sanctuary (level 55) that will nullify this for up to 30 seconds.  Inquisitors also have a spell that removes stifling effects from themselves which can be really helpful.

That Which Relentlessly Waits:  I know you are snickering at the name of this creature so stop it.  He's got feelings too.  He seems to be easier than the named harpies.  He'll pack a decent punch along with a respectable poison.   His real skill, however, lies in his ability to fear.  I remember the first time we pulled him and I watched our necromancer just run away.    After calling him a coward and telling him Canada wasn't going to take him, he explained to me what happened.   As I stated above, call your local Templar or Inquisito,r as their spells will nullify this temporarily.

The Final Battle

Hurikah Urz

It all comes down to the final battle with Ibitnaya the Scorned.  As soon as the last named dies, she will fly off from her perch and begin patrolling a small circle in front of her nest.   Unlike her companions, you shouldn't see any stifling or fearing from her, but spells were thrown up just in case.   She has a very nasty poison and trauma area of effect both of which need to be healed immediately to shore up damage.  She hits harder than anything else in the zone, but with a vigilant healer (or two for safety) she should be dropped fairly easily thus completing the instance.

Das Loot

Now, on to what can be considered a more important aspect of this zone.  I've done this instance probably 5 times now and we've seen a variety of things.   Some of the treasured items we've seen consisted of:

Black Feather Pauldrons	Arms - Plate Armor +11 Sta +12 Wis +40 Health +29 Power Mitigation 312	Warrior(53) Crusader (53) Cleric (53)	Matron Suhailah
Creeping Cuffs	Wrist - +9 Str +9 Sta +16 Agi +40 Health +36 Power +406 vs Disease Resist	All Classes (54)	Hurika-Urz
Crown of Storm	Head - Plate Armor +10 Str +15 Sta +30 Health +25 Power +174 Divine +290 vs Mental Mitigation 312	Warrior(56) Crusader (56) Cleric (56)	Ibitnaya the Scorned
Dustbone Bracer	Forearms - Plate Armor +5 Str +8 Agi +14 Wis +20 Health +31 Power Mitigation 312	Warrior(54) Crusader (54) Cleric (54)	Ibitnaya the Scorned
Helm of Fervor	Head - Plate Armor +14 Wis +25 Health +40 Power Mitigation 312	Warrior(55) Crusader (55) Cleric (55)	That Which Relentlessly Waits
Hollow Bone Necklace	Neck - +7 Agi +7 Sta +12 Wis +20 Health +35 Power	All Classes (53)	Matron Suhailah
Ish'Urz Reaver	2 Handed Slashing - +12 Str +10 Agi +5 Sta +60 Health +40 Power	Warrior (57) Crusader (57)	Ishka-Urz or Hurikah-Urz
Ish'Urz Render	Dual Wield Piercing - 15-44 +10 Str +10 Agi+32 Health +31 Power	Warrior (54) Scout (54)	Ishka-Urz or Hurikah-Urz
Mystic Snakeskin Belt	Waist - +5 Sta +12 Agi +5 Wis +38 Health +32 Power	All Classes (56)	Any
Serpentine Band	Finger - +8 Str +8 Sta +5 Agi +40 Health +33 Power +348 vs Poison	All Classes (55)	That Which Relentlessly Waits
Urz Fang Hoop	Ear - +12 Str +45 Health +40 Power +174 vs Disease +290 vs Poison	All Classes (53)	Ishka-Urz or Hurikah-Urz
A Mysterious Unhatched Egg	Unlocks Quest to get Harpy Pet	Speak With Harpy on Ashen Order Island (Pillar of Flame) to Complete Quest	Ibitnaya the Scorned

On to the Fabled!   Fabled drops seem to be at random.   They can drop off any creature but will not drop every time.   Here are some of the fabled items we've seen drop:

Aegis of Scorn	Shield - +8 Str +15 Sta +12 Wis +42 Health +46 Power +116 vs Disease +58 vs Magic Shield Factor 278	Warrior (55) Crusader (55) Priest (55) Scout (55)	Can drop off any named
Crimson Rock Targe	Shield - +14 Str +14 Sta +4 Wis +50 Health +37 Power +137 vs Divine Shield Factor 928	Warrior (54) Crusader (54)	Matron Zaqbai
Immovable Barbute	Head - Plate Armor +8 Str +16 Sta +40 Health +35 Power +290 vs Divine +290 vs Mental	Warrior (56) Crusader (56) Cleric (56)	That Which Relentlessly Waits
Serrated Claw Medallion	Neck - +12 Str +12 Sta +12 Agi  +49 Health +30 Power +174 vs Poison	All Classes (53)	Ibitnaya the Scorned

Thanks for reading the TTH guide to Scornfeathers Roost.  If you have questions, comments or corrections, feel free to email me.

Last Updated: 01.04.06 (Guide Written)
Credits: RadarX (Guide Author), and Tallika the Necromancer of Neriak