Introduction
Dire Maul (a 5 man instance) is a large sprawling city with three wings. Once a large Night Elf city created by powerful Arcane Sorcerors, it now stands in ruins. Each wing is currently overtaken by some (somewhat) evil arcane force. The eastern side is currently under control of a Satyr known as Alzzin the Wildshaper. The western side is currently under control by Prince Tortheldan, leader of the Shen’dralar. It houses a prison for a very scary beast and many spirits of the highborn whose magical powere was absorbed roam about.
Unlike other instances (Scholomance, Stratholme, UBRS) Dire Maul stands as an easier instance as it is designed as a simple 5man instance Assuming you attempt to skip most of the enemies in Dire Maul, each wing should only take between one to two hours providing a wealth of Superior Quality (Blue) items.
Location
Dire Maul is located in the middle of Feralas, along the northern border. The entrance is guarded by the fierce Gordok Orges. This isnt a problem as most of them are low level and easily avoidable. As for the entrances to each wing, the west and north entrances are all the way at the very northern tip of the courtyard while the east entrance is toward the eastern side. The north and west wing are locked, requiring a key from the eastern wing to open (only one person needs to open it, the doors can be opened from the inside via a torch on the wall).
Group Formation
Dire Maul is pretty forgiving on your group configuration, however, the standard Warrior, Mage, Priest set-up still works. If you can get a Warrior, Mage, and a Priest then you can put anything else in the other two spots and still do well. Rogues are extremely handy for a tribute clear (more on this later) of the northern wing. Warlocks can provide a soul stone for the last boss fights which make them much easier. Paladins/Shamans provide extra DPS and secondary healing. Druids offer a ton of things to the table. So really, as long as you have a solid healer, a solid tank, and a solid form of crowd control (seduce/polymorph) then you should do well.
Remember though that as with most 5 mans, a non-Warrior can work for a tank. However, they (on average) will need much better gear then a Warrior would to accomplish the same results. The last boss of the west wing is also extremely difficult and a Warrior is highly recommended for him.
As for levels, mostly level sixties venture in the western and northern wings. Lower levels can come, but it makes it much more difficult to avoid a lot of unnecessary battles. The eastern wing can be completed by with a couple of lower level people as it’s the easiest.
Loot
A lot of the loot in Dire Maul is high quality Superior items off of the bosses. Dire Maul provides a solid way for most classes to get several Superior quality items in a quick and efficient manner. These items are necessary to survive the Molten Core encounters. Warriors will find a wealth of defensive gear here as well.
The eastern wing provides the worst loot, but is also the quickest and easiest to do. The northern wing provides a variable amount of loot depending if you run it as a tribute or not. The western wing provides a solid quality of loot, except for the first boss (a giant tree) who drops uncommon quality loot.
Progression
Dire Maul is noted as one of the easier instances, so you should be able to begin DM runs as soon you hit sixty (59 works, but finding a group will be much more difficult). You should have a few Superior quality (blue) armor pieces and a Superior quality (blue) weapon from questing 55-60 which is good enough for the majority of the DM content. It’s advisable to only run the eastern wing once, to obtain the Crescent Key (to enter the library on your free will). The other two wings provide better loot and better encounters!
Librams and Seals
You can exchange the librams of Focus, Protection, and Rapidity into the lorekeepers in the library for their Arcanum. You can also turn in the various class books to receive your Royal Seal of Eldre’Thalas which provides 10 fire resist and a class specific bonus. You’ll need to complete the Elven Legends quest before you can turn in any librams though.
Quel’Serrar
A rare book will drop within the depths of Dire Maul that can be used to craft the rare sword known as Quel’Serrar. While it’s a long process
Primary Quests
There are several quests inside of Dire Maul (search our Quest Database!) that can be completed
Alliance and Horde
Pusillin and the Elder Azj'Tordin (Dire Maul East)
Travel to Dire Maul and locate the Imp, Pusillin. Convince Pusillin to give you Azj'Tordin's Book of Incantations through any means necessary. Return to Azj'Tordin at the Lariss Pavilion in Feralas should you recover the Book of Incantations.
Alliance Quests
Lethtendris's Web (Dire Maul East)
Bring Lethtendris' Web to Latronicus Moonspear at the Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas.
Elven Legends (Dire Maul North/West)
Search Dire Maul for Kariel Winthalus. Report back to Sage Korolusk at Camp Mojache with whatever information that you may find.
Horde Quests
Lethtendris's Web (Dire Maul East)
Bring Lethtendris' Web to Latronicus Moonspear at the Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas.
Elven Legends (Dire Maul North/West)
Search Dire Maul for Kariel Winthalus. Report back to Sage Korolusk at Camp Mojache with whatever information that you may find.
You’ll find more Dire Maul quests in our Quest Database along with community submitted walkthroughs and assistance!
Do you have suggestions or comments for this guide? Email us ([email protected]) or post on our forums!
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