An Ominous Artifact
 An Ominous Artifact | |
|---|---|
| Start | Orb Location [60.2, 58.7] |
| End | Preservationist Kathos [60.4, 59.1] |
| Level | 10-70 |
| Category | Valdrakken |
| Previous |
 [10-70] A Treacherous Race |
An Ominous Artifact concludes the Secrets of Azeroth activities.
Objectives
Secure the Orb of Rathmus as well as the artifact it is hiding.
- Investigate the Orb Slot on the Console (Optional)
- Defeat Amerinth
- Defeat Tithris
- Secure the Orb of Rathmus
- Place the Orb of Rathmus atop the Console
- Secure the Mysterious Artifact
- Retrieve the Orb of Rathmus
Description
<An orb would fit perfectly atop the console.>
Progress
A chest! Locked away in Tyrhold all this time. Can I examine it?
Completion
The text on top of this chest is definitely titan. But here, this is a language used by the Burning Legion! And this text is used by servants of the Old Gods. I've never seen these three languages being intermingled like this.
I'm not fluent, but the titan text speaks of a danger within the chest. An item? Or perhaps just... knowledge.
My order will see that the chest is secured and studied. Thank you again, <name>. In my eyes, you're an honorary Preservationist at this point.
Notes
Accept the quest and interact with the Orb Location:
This spot is clearly where the final clue suggests the orb would be placed.
<Investigate to see if you can bypass the orb.>
- Tithris and Amerinth run in.
- Tithris says: I must thank you, adventurer. I would never have gotten this far on my own.
- Tithris says: Unfortunately, I no longer require your assistance. Time to tie up this loose end!
- Preservationist Kathos says: Tithris, why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?
- Tithris says: The artifact, of course. And many more besides. It seems you should have trusted that meddlesome goblin after all.
Fend them off.
- Tithris says: Others... pull the strings.... You and I are but... puppets....
- Preservationist Kathos says: Others? Wait, now is not the time. We must use the orb to secure that artifact. Before anyone else tries to steal it!
Loot the 
[Orb of Rathmus] from Tithris's corpse, then interact with the Orb Location again:
This spot is clearly where the final clue suggests the orb would be placed.
<Place the Orb of Rathmus.>
- A magical shroud lifts from an object sitting on the console.
Interact with the Orb of Rathmus:
<The symbols on the Orb of Rathmus light up. They look the same as the symbols on the console below.>
<Retrieve the Orb of Rathmus.>
Also interact with the chest on the console to loot the Mysterious Artifact for the 
[Cache of Cosmic Curiosities].
On complete:
- Preservationist Kathos says: We will take the chest back to Valdrakken for further study. Order, fel, void... What could it mean?
This completes the 
[Whodunnit?] achievement, granting the title <Honorary Preservationist> and 
[Pattie's Cap].
Preservationist Kathos
Back at the Roasted Ram inn of Thaldraszus, Preservationist Kathos has new gossip:
Greetings, adventurer. Do you wish to aid my efforts?
What happened to that Cache of Cosmic Curiosities we found?
Bobby and I brought it straight to the Valdrakken Vaults.
It is like nothing I've ever seen. Preservationist Raithto is on his way to study it. He is one of our oldest members.
The fel symbols, what could they mean?
It is unsettling to see. After all, the Burning Legion has threatened Azeroth time and time again.
That said, we believe this text predates the time when Sargeras ruled over the demons of the Burning Legion. Though the exact origin has yet to be discovered.
What could the Old God writing signify?
There hasn't been much whisperings about the Old Gods since N'zoth was defeated. I do remember hearing a rather odd rumor about a void creature trapped in a weapon of some sort. I shudder to think if there are other such artifacts...
This cache, though. Could it contain void energies? Such ancient, chaotic forces wouldn't mix well with demonic fell[sic] or titanic order. And so the Old God text troubles me the most. Further research is needed, that is certain.
Was there any more you could discern from the titan text?
We know by its location that Tyr was entrusted with securing the cache. However, even with our knowledge of the titan language, the text is near impossible to translate. It appears to be a cypher of some sort.
I do wonder if there are other titan vaults out there with similar artifacts. If they were hidden as well as this one, they may still be undiscovered. However, if the group behind Tithris is actively searching for them...
It is the Preservationist's[sic] top priority to uncover and secure any other caches. And when that time comes, we may just need your help.
Bobby Carlisle
As does Bobby Carlisle:
Well hello! You appear to have a keen eye. Are you here to read an article on the Eye of Azeroth?
Who do you think Tithris was working with?
That's going to be a tough nut to crack.
I interviewed all of the contacts Fangli identified. All they knew is that he was planning an expedition to Tyrhold. Many think he was planning to leave the Dragon Isles afterwards.
Should we still investigate?
Well, I'm sure you're busy with other heroic deeds. The Dragon Isles has need of you yet, that I'm sure.
You leave the investigating to me. I'll let you know if I pick up any leads.
Where will you start your investigation?
Well, we know Tithris wasn't working alone. We found a couple of notes on him that suggest he was contacted after the Dragon Isles re-awoke. That means the group probably isn't local.
And if there are other caches like the one we found, that means that there will be others like Tithris looking for them. To what ends? I don't know. But given that they're working in secret, it can't be any good.
I've been asking around a few contacts who have knowledge of fel, void, and titan magic. Not that there's many of them, mind.
What did your contacts have to say?
Not much yet. We'll have to wait for a lead to surface.
I think this nefarious group lucked out here in the Dragon Isles. With the island being so isolated for so long, that meant no one had discovered the cache before we did. But that may not be the case in the more explored parts of Azeroth.
I wonder if there's someone out there trying to keep caches like this hidden...
The events here were pretty public, though. And the Preservationists haven't kept the cache we found a secret. I wonder if we may soon see more of these cosmic artifacts surfacing.
Marinth
As does Marinth:
Welcome to the Roasted Ram, traveler. What can I get for you?
Where is Tithris?
You haven't heard? Seems the mad lad got caught up in some dark dealings. Had to be taken out, from what I heard.
The details on what happened are still sketchy. I swear that Preservationist and reporter were involved, but both have been pretty tight lipped since the news hit Valdrakken.
You didn't hear this from me, but I heard Tithris was working for the Incarnates. Quite the scandal.
Progression
Optional breadcrumb: [10-70] The Preservationists
- [10-70] Preserving Rarities → [10-70] Rise in Relic Theft
- [10-70] A Secretive Contact → [10-70] Unfinished Thinking Cap → [10-70] The Tricked-Out Thinking Cap
- [10-70] An Inside Job? → [10-70] Preservationist Cleared
- [10-70] Securing an Artifact → [10-70] Artifact Secured → [10-70] The Torch of Pyrreth
- [10-70] A Chilling Ascent → [10-70] A Knowledgeable Descent
- [10-70] Idol Searching → [10-70] An Idol in Hand → [10-70] Using the Idol
- [10-70] Into the Sands → [10-70] Out of the Sands
- [10-70] A Key Story → [10-70] A Titanic Mold
- [10-70] Reforging a Legend → [10-70] A Key To Reforg(ing)
- [10-70] A Proper Burial
- [10-70] A Special Book → [10-70] A Legacy of Secrets
- [10-70] They Are Always Listening → [10-70] A Complete Inventory
- [10-70] A Sphere in Danger → [10-70] A Curious Orb
- [10-70] A Treacherous Race → [10-70] An Ominous Artifact
Patch changes
Patch 10.1.5 (2023-07-11): Added.