Where the great city of Lordaeron once proudly stood, only desolate ruins remain. The good news is that this makes it the perfect location for some good ol’ fashioned plundering, and a cromulent quantity of Scourge-slaying. In World of Warcraft: Forever, the Ruins of Lordaeron serves as a low-level instance that sits just above the Undercity in Trisfal Glades. 

While this may intrinsically mark the Ruins of Lordaeron as a Horde-exclusive dungeon, there’s plenty of joy to be found if you take the plunge on your Alliance toon. As we’ll come to explain in the guide, getting to the instance isn’t nearly as daunting in Forever as it was in Classic. Of course, we’ll also give you the full Lordaeron lowdown, including all the quests you can cash in, bosses you can challenge, and, most importantly, all of the goodies you can potentially acquire for your efforts. For a comfortable time in RoL, we’d recommend steering clear until level 18, though you can always jump in as soon as you’ve snapped up the quests. 

How to get to Ruins of Lordaeron

Ruins of Lordaeron is located in Trisfal Glades, outside the entrance to the Undercity.

Horde-side, Undead will have the easiest time reaching the ruins, seeing as they’re parked on the doorstep of the Undercity. A quick Hearthstone back to base (provided you haven’t relocated to The Sepulcher or elsewhere) is all you need. If you’re a Skyborne, Orc, Troll, or Tauren coming from Kalimdor, then hop on the zeppelin stationed near Orgrimmar’s entrance, which will drop you off just outside the city walls.

If you’re part of the Alliance, you best take your sea sickness meds as all races will need to head out on a cruise across the ocean at some point. If you’re stationed in Stormwind (Humans, Skyborne at this point), take the shiny new ship from the harbor over to Auberdine in Darkshore. There, you’ll find a vessel that travels on a route rotating between Auberdine, Menethil Harbor (Wetlands), and Southshore (Hillsbrad Foothills). Kick your feet up and wait until you reach the latter of the three destinations, before making the run up through Silverpine Forest, and into Trisfal Glades. Alternatively, you can head directly north through the foothills, looping around the back of Dalaran, and swim across Lordamere Lake to the glades.

For Night Elves, it’s a similar story, though you’ll likely already be in Darkshore at this point. Again, hop on the ship to Hillsbrad and go for a run (or dip) when you arrive -- nice and easy. Dwarves and Gnomes, conversely, have the most legwork to do. If you haven’t already been to Stormwind, you’ll first need to take the Deeprun Tram down there from Ironforge. From there, follow the steps outlined above and you’re good to go. 

It should be noted that you will often find Horde players patrolling the dungeon’s entrance, ready to one-tap you. If you fall foul of these shenanigans (you’re on their turf, to be fair), then try and resurrect as close to the instance portal as possible and leg it.

Ruins of Lordaeron Map Map by Santiago Reyes (2026)

Your party will enter the Ruins of Lordaeron to the north-east, before working its way around clockwise in a ‘U’ shape. The pathway marked on the map best indicates the dungeon’s general flow, with a double-back in and down once you reach the north-west quadrant. There’s some optional verticality to the ruins, too. 

For example, if you climb the stairs up to the top of the tower in Market Street, you can follow the rooftop along and drop down directly behind one of the bosses, Bjork.

It’s worth noting that you will need to clamber over the wall situated just below where it says ‘Lordamere Overlook’ on the map, so don’t think you’ve hit a dead end when you clear the eastern section. We’ve popped a screenshot above for reference.

If you want to keep an eye on the dungeon map in-game, there isn't a native method as of yet. However, we've been making liberal use of the Atlas addon to achieve this. You'll also need to install the Kalimdor & Eastern Kingdom map pack to get it working.

Ruins of Lordaeron Quests

There are five Horde-only and three Alliance-exclusive quests to undertake in Ruins of Lordaeron. There is also a secret quest that can be found by both factions inside the dungeon. While only one of the Horde tasks is picked up inside RoL, all of the Alliance ones are found within the instance. Detailed gear stats are listed in the loot section of this guide.

Alliance Quests

QuestStart locationInfoRewardsAbominable CreaturesCaptain Truman, Ruins of LordaeronSlay The Baron and return its head to Captain Truman.

Level 16, Shareable3,900 XP
One of: Monstrous Cleaver, Grave Shroud, or Slain Baron’s SignetBloodied InsigniaRandomly looted from an undead mob, Ruins of LordaeronCollect ten Bloodied Insignias and take them to General Marcus Jonathan in Stormwind.

Item Quest,Level 16, Shareable6,200 XP
45 Silver
One of: Duty Bound Leggings or Remembrance ArmorRemember That I Love YouBlood-Stained Letter by Rath’mael, Ruins of Lordaeron Bring the Blood-Stained Letter to Orphan Matron Nightingale in Stormwind.

Item Quest,Level 15, Unshareable6,200 XP
150 Undercity reputation

As noted, all three Alliance-exclusive quests are procured inside the dungeon, the first being Abominable Creatures. As soon as you enter the instance, look to your left to find Captain Truman, who’ll want you to slay The Baron for him and retrieve his head. You will have to make the run back through the dungeon at the end to turn it in to him, or, if you wipe after securing the payload, you can simply hand it over upon your return. This then frees up the possibility of hearthing out as soon as RoL is cleared.

Bloodied Insignia has a chance to begin as soon as you start encountering undead enemies, such as the Skeletal Soldiers and Shrieking Banshees. One of these foes will inevitably drop the first insignia, which you must then interact with in your inventory to bring up the prompt to accept the quest. From there, keep maiming and murdering until you’ve racked up a further nine insignias.

Finally, Remember That I Love You kicks off right at the end of RoL. In the graveyard where Rath’mael is, you’ll spot a letter laying on the ground near the boss. Clear out the area, polish off the big kahuna, and grab the parchment to get the ball rolling.

Horde Quests

QuestStart locationInfoRewardsA Frightened RequestTabitha Heartweaver, The Sepulcher, Silverpine Forest (44.5, 43)Investigate the disappearance of Edward Heartweaver.

Level 15, Shareable4,600 XP
One of: Edward’s Knife or Tabitha’s Cuffs
150 Undercity ReputationLight’s JusticeMorbin Lightbane, The Apothecarium, Undercity
(58, 89.2)Collect 25 Intact Limbs for Morbin.

Level 15, Shareable4,600 XP
45 Silver
One of: The Stitcher or Spare Part BindingsThe New PlagueTheodore Griffs, The Apothecarium, Undercity
(46.7, 71.8)Collect the Highly Toxic Strain from Witherfang for Theodore.

Level 15, Shareable5,450 XP
One of: Plaguefang or Blight GlovesThe Wrath of Rath’maelDeathguard Kristof, Brill, Trisfal Glades (65.3, 60.1)Kill Rath’mael.

Level 15, Shareable4,600 XP
One of: Forsaken Greataxe or Gnarled Necromancer’s Staff
150 Undercity ReputationUnending TormentThe Baron, Ruins of LordaeronLoot the Abominable Head from The Baron and deliver it to Master Apothecary Faranell in Undercity.

Item Quest,Level 16, Unshareable3,450 XP

The majority of the Horde quests are simple cases of ‘kill thing, loot item(s), turn in, though there’s a notable outlier. For A Frightened Request, you’ll need to try and figure out what happened to Edward Heartweaver. You’ll find the poor fella lying on the ground, very much dead, in Rath’mael’s graveyard. Take out the nearby ghouls and the quest will auto-complete when you’re close enough to Edward’s body.

Factionless Quests

QuestStart LocationInfoRewardsCrest of LordaeronRuins of Lordaeron (Multiple spawn points)Horde

Find the Crest of Lordaeron and bring it to Oran Snakewrithe in Undercity.

Item Quest,Level 14,UnshareableHorde

5,450 XP
Small Sack of GemsAlliance

Find the Crest of Lordaeron and return it to Lady Dena Kennedy in Stormwind.

Item Quest,Level 14,UnshareableAlliance

6,200 XP
Small Sack of Gems

The Crest of Lordaeron is Ruins of Lordaeron’s secret quest, and is very easily missed if you don’t know where to look. In one of five random locations the Crest will spawn, so make sure you check each one as you go.

  • Location #1: At the top of the first scalable tower in King’s Alley. After defeating Witherfang, hop through the window, head up the tower, then make your way outside. The Crest is on the tower’s outer wall to your left.
  • Location #2: Inside the crypt. As you make your way down to the south-east section of the dungeon, keep an eye out for a closed door tucked away. Crack it open and a Banshee will jump your squad -- not that it’s much of an issue. Deal with it and the Crest will be on the wall inside.
  • Location #3: Top of the Market Street tower. As with the first location, there’s a tower you can run up in Market Street, just after you’ve taken care of The Abandoned. Once again, it’s on the left side of the tower’s outer wall when you reach the top.
  • Location #4: Small room by Bjork. After dealing with Bjork, don’t continue south towards Rath’mael’s graveyard just yet. Instead, head north through the open doors into the torchlit room. The Crest is directly ahead of you at the base of the staircases.
  • Location #5: Outhouse in the north-west corner. All the way in the top-left corner of the dungeon you’ll come across a small building that a Living Monstrosity patrols. The Crest is on the northern outer wall.
Ruins of Lordaeron Bosses

There are six bosses in Ruins of Lordaeron: Witherfang, The Baron, Viktor The Vile, The Abandoned, Bjork, and Rath’mael. Both Viktor The Vile and The Abandoned are spawned in, with the former being an optional encounter -- more on that in their respective sections.

Witherfang

King’s Alley might as well be called Spider Alley, because that’s all you’ll be dealing with in RoL’s opening section. Witherfang patrols the street with a few of her brood in-tow, so make sure you’ve taken out enough trash to ensure it doesn’t get dragged in when the fight kicks off. Witherfang uses Leech Poison, which drains health over time from its target, so make sure that gets cleansed from your tank (or whoever has it applied to them). Aside from that, it’s a simple case of holding fast and dishing out damage.

The Baron

The Baron is essentially an oversized Flesh Golem, and has a similar knock back ability to its mini-me iterations. However, Knockout is a considerably more powerful move that deals devastating damage and can stun the target for several seconds. Obviously, as a tank, being stunned is less than optimal as it creates openings for aggro to drop. Do what you can to regain his attention should this happen. Damage dealers and healers should also keep a close eye on how much threat they’re generating in this window, though the latter should, of course, ensure they keep their team healthy. Generally speaking, it’s a pretty chill encounter, but there’s a small chance chaos may ensue.

Viktor The Vile

In the bottom-left corner of the dungeon, before you head into Market Street, you’ll find the remnants of a house with a large, prominent fireplace punctuating it. Make sure your group’s fully prepared, as interacting with the kindling inside of it spawns five waves of enemies, before Viktor The Vile makes his introduction. 

Viktor himself isn’t much to write home about. In fact, he only carries the same Leech Poison ability used by Witherfang. The only notable difference is that his melee attacks deal some solid damage, so make sure you keep your tank topped up.

The Abandoned

As you first enter Market Street through the archway, a lantern will flick on, prompting three waves of mobs to spawn. Once they’ve been dealt with, The Abandoned will emerge from the statue to the right of the courtyard. Sporting both Frost Nova and Drain Life, this boss can be a little irksome if you’re not properly positioned. For the most part though, it shouldn’t pose too much of a threat.

Bjork

No, we’re not quite taking on everyone’s favorite visionary Icelandic singer. There’s nothing magical about this Bjork; in fact, quite the opposite. The only ability this lumbering creature possesses is Anti-Magic Shield, which has a very short duration. Hit it, hit it some more, and it’ll keel over without much fanfare. 

Rath’mael

Ruins of Lordaeron’s grand finale is the fearsome-looking Rath’mael, who is, perhaps disappointingly, more bark than bite. He casts Flamestrike where your tank is, which can be interrupted. If he does get it off, simply reposition and go back to whacking him until he’s dead.

Ruins of Lordaeron Loot

Alliance Quest Rewards

ItemTypeStatsQuestMonstrous CleaverTwo-handed Sword (Main Hand)40-60 Damage
3.30 Speed
(15.15 DPS)
+6 Stamina
Equip: +4 Attack Power.
Equip: +6 Attack Power against Undead.Abominable CreaturesGrave ShroudCloak (Back)+18 Armor
+3 Strength
+3 StaminaAbominable CreaturesSlain Baron’s SignetRing (Finger)+3 StaminaAbominable CreaturesDuty Bound LeggingsLeather trousers (Legs)73 Armor
+6 Agility
+4 IntellectBloodied InsigniaRemembrance ArmorMail armor (Chest)180 Armor
+3 Strength
+5 Stamina
+3 IntellectBloodied Insignia

Horde Quest Rewards

ItemTypeStatsQuestEdward’s KnifeOne-handed dagger (Main Hand)13-26 Damage
1.60 Speed
(12.19 DPS)
+2 Agility
+2 StaminaA Frightened RequestTabitha’s CuffsCloth bracers (Wrist)17 Armor
+4 Stamina
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to three.A Frightened RequestThe StitcherOne-handed mace (Main Hand)13-26 Damage
2.40 Speed
(8.13 DPS)
+3 StaminaLight’s JusticeSpare Part BindingsLeather bracers (Wrist)37 Armor
+3 Agility
+3 StaminaLight’s JusticePlaguefangOne-handed sword (Main Hand)18-34 Damage
2.10 Speed
(12.38 DPS)
Chance on hit: Poisons target for two Nature damage every second for ten seconds.The New PlagueBlight GlovesCloth gloves (Hands)24 Armor
+4 Nature Resistance
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to five.The New PlagueForsaken GreataxeTwo-handed axe (Main Hand)49-74 Damage
3.00 Speed
(20.50 DPS)
+8 Strength
+4 Stamina
Equip: Increases movement speed by 2% in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills.The Wrath of Rath’maelGnarled Necromancer’s StaffTwo-handed staff (Main Hand)34-51 Damage
2.80 Speed
(15.18 DPS)
+10 Spirit
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 26.
Equip: Increases movement speed by 2% in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills.The Wrath of Rath’mael

Boss Drops

ItemTypeStatsBossAtrophic GirdleMail belt (Waist)104 Armor
+3 Strength
+7 StaminaWitherfangSegmented Spider LegTwo-handed staff (Main Hand)50-76 Damage
3.60 Speed
(17.50 DPS)
+9 Agility
+5 SpiritWitherfangWitherbite BracersLeather bracers (Wrist)37 Armor
+4 Agility
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to five.WitherfangAbomination BonesMail armor (Chest)184 Armor
+8 Strength
+5 Shadow ResistanceThe BaronLeftover Abomination SkinCloth armor (Chest)37 Armor
+9 Spirit
Equip: Increases damage done by Shadow spells and effects by up to seven.The BaronMeathook SlicerOne-handed dagger (Main Hand)17-32 Damage
1.80 Speed
(13.61 DPS)
+5 StaminaThe BaronBloodied ChestwrapsLeather armor (Chest)89 Armor
+7 Agility
+9 SpiritViktor The VileVileblood ScimitarsOne-handed sword (Main Hand)26-50 Damage
2.60 Speed
(14.62 DPS)
+5 SpiritViktor The VileVilewalkersMail boots (Feet)131 Armor
+7 Strength
+5 StaminaViktor The VileGrip of FearMail gloves (Hands)119 Armor
+6 Strength
+6 IntellectThe AbandonedScepter of the AbandonedOne-handed mace (Main Hand)17-33 Damage
2.60 Speed
(9.62 DPS)
+5 Shadow Resistance
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 24.The AbandonedRotmender’s LeggingsCloth trousers (Legs)35 Armor
+5 Stamina
Restores +4 mana per five seconds.
Rotmender’s Raiment set piece.The AbandonedBonerust LeggingsMail legs (Legs)164 Armor
+4 Strength
+9 AgilityBjorkCorpse ChopperTwo-handed axe (Main Hand)52-79 Damage
3.60 Speed
(18.19 DPS)
Use: Chop nearby Humanoid or Undead corpse in two, restoring 150 Health, 150 Mana, and 15 Rage.BjorkTuskwrap BeltCloth belt (Waist)22 Armor
+5 Spirit
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to six.BjorkColdspire StaffTwo-handed staff (Main Hand)43-66 Damage
3.60 Speed
(15.14 DPS)
+13 Frost Resistance
Equip: Increases damage done by Frost spells and effects by up to 32.Rath’maelMirror of Rath’maelShield (Off Hand)547 Armor
11 Block
+5 Strength
Equip: Increases your chance to Block attacks with a shield by 1.0%Rath’maelRotmender’s TreadsCloth boots (Feet)29 Armor
+7 Stamina
Equip: Increases healing done by up to 15 and damage done by up to five for all magical spells and effects.
Rotmender’s Raiment set piece.Rath’mael

Now you’ve got the know-how to clear Ruins of Lordaeron comfortably, dive in and have fun. Once you’ve had your fill, you’ll have a little more leveling to do before you can take on the likes of Excavation Site: Wetlands and City of Dalaran. If you lock in, though, it won’t be long before you can revel in more of WoW: Forever’s excellent new dungeons.