WoW Dragonflight: Secrets of Azeroth guide – quests, clues, rewards, and achievements

World of Warcraft has so many events, both seasonal and returning: Timewalking, Darkmoon Faire, Feast of Winter Veil, and Hallow’s End. But with the Secrets of Azeroth event, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13, players are finally assuming the role of a detective and having to put their thinking caps on

Secrets of Azeroth is a Dragonflight-specific event that consists of treasure hunting, finding secrets, and daily clues just to solve one big mystery at the end of it all and collect some intriguing rewards.

Since the event started, players have been getting daily clues and the final piece of the puzzle will reveal itself on Sept. 13, the day when the event comes to a close. It’s important to note that all clues and rewards will still be available even when the event ends. Although this event might not return on a regular basis, Blizzard has hinted that it could return in the future.

So, here’s everything you need to know about the Secrets of Azeroth event in Dragonflight, including how it works, quests, clues, rewards, and achievements. 

WoW Dragonflight’s Secrets of Azeroth event, explained

The Secrets of Azeroth event started on Aug. 31 and lasts until Sept. 13. During the event, players will get 15 clues in total to solve. If you miss one daily clue, you can just come back the next day and solve it. 

Besides that, there will be community rumors. While clues are tied to the quests, community rumors are solely based on clues you get outside the game—blue posts or the official Twitter account. 

How to start the Secrets of Azeroth quest in WoW Dragonflight

To start the Secrets of Azeroth, talk to Preservationist Kathos in the Valdrakken inn. You’ll get the Preserving Rarities quest and your first clues in the Mystery Box. This means your detective adventures have started and you’re on the way to cracking your first case.

All Secrets of Azeroth clues in WoW Dragonflight

Clue one

After you start the Preserving Rarities quest, you will get A Mystery Box. In this box, you’ll find Golden Chalice and A Clue: The Golden Chalice.

Talk to Bobby Carlisle at the 47.8 47.0 coordinates sitting next to the bar in the inn. Head to the Valdrakken bank next and place the chalice on one of the heaps of gold, just next to the guild vault.

After completing this, you’ll get a Tuskarr Ceremonial Spear. 

Clue two

After you get the spear, go to Iskaara in the Azure Span and talk to Elder Poa. You’ll learn this spear is not actually Iskaaran, but that of Kalu’ak, a tribe that lives in Dragonblight in Northrend. Travel to Mo’aki Harbor by using a Dalaran portal in your capital city and flying on your mount.

When you reach Mo’aki Harbor, talk to Elder Ko’nani at the 48.0 74.8 coordinates and get The Elder’s Drawing and Shomko’s Unyielding Spear. Then head to Borean Tundra and west of Wasrson Hold you’ll find a statue, a place where you’ll place the spear. The exact coordinates are 33.5 58.3. 

Clue three

Clue three starts with Bobby Carlisle in Valdrakken. Talk to this NPC and get Thinking Cap Notes, notes you’ll use to create Thinking Cap. This item consists of three separate items you need: Thought Calculating Apparatus, Downy Helmet Liner, and Crystal Ocular Lenses.

For Thought Calculating Apparatus, you will head to the coordinates 42.2 48.8 in Valdrakken and meet Clinkyclick Shatterboom to turn in 10 Thunderspine Nest. To get Thunderspine Nest, first talk to Erugosa in the Valdrakken inn and get the Thunderspine Nest Shopping List. The items can be purchased at the auction house or travel around the Dragon Isles to get them:

• Get five Thunderspine Tenders from Agurahl the Butcher in Timberstep Outpost, in Ohn’ahran Plains at the 85.1 23.4 coordinates
• Get five Apexis Asiago from Gorgonzormu in Valdrakken at the 29.2 65.2 coordinates
• Get Latticed Stinkhorn from Sniktak in Loamm at the 54.1 56.6 coordinates

Downy Helmet Liner can be obtained by talking to Gryffin at the 42.5 49.3 coordinates in Valdrakken when you have Fresh Tyranha in your bags. To get this fish, you need to loot it from Hungering Tyranha at the  45.7 93.1 coordinates in Valdrakken, just near the river. 

The final piece, Crystal Ocular Lenses, you can get by talking to Shakey Flatlap at the 38.9 61.9 coordinates in Valdrakken, for a price. You need to pay 346 gold in the secret inn, or just get it from him for 1,000 gold.

After you’ve gotten all the pieces, click on Thought Calculating Apparatus and you’ll get the Unfinished Thinking Cap quest which you need to turn in to Fangli Hoot in Valdrakken at the 26.7, 54.2 coordinates. You’ll get the Tricked-Out Thinking Cap toy. 

Then, use the cap to get the Tricked-Out Thinking Cap buff and collect all scavenging hunt items for the Tricked-Out Thinking Cap quest from Fangli Hoot. The items can be found at the following locations in Valdrakken:

• 26.6, 53.9
• 9.97, 56.5
• 29.2, 62.7
• 39.8, 64.4
• 36.2, 71.2
• 44.2, 58.4
• 38.0, 49.2
• 55.2, 43.3
• 64.6, 53.7

Clue four

Move back to the Valdrakken inn and get An Inside Job? quest from Bobby Carlisle. Then, go to Fangli Hoot at the 26.6, 54.3 coordinates in Valdrakken, talk to him, and obtain Fangli’s Note and Copied Artifact Storage Key.

After all that, head once again back to the Valdrakken inn, but this time around you want to go to the second floor. There, you’ll be looking for Preservationist’s Locker, and from there, you need to loot Maruuk Burial Banner.

Venture to the Emerald Enclave and talk to “Appraiser” Sazsel Stickyfingers at the 62, 73 coordinates to get the Preservationist Cleared quest.

Then, take back the Maruuk banner to the Valdrakken inn, and talk to Fangli once again to complete his quest.

Clue five

To get clue four, head back to the Valdrakken inn and talk to Tithris. This NPC will give you the Preservationist’s Dispatch item after turning in the Securing an Artifact quest.

Hop on your Dragonriding drake, and head to the Waking Shores, near Life-Binder Conservatory. Use the Tricked-Out Thinking Cap toy you got from the previous clue, and use three Ancient Levers at these locations:

• 57.0 25.5
• 57.7 23.8
• 56.6 20.3

Move back to the building, and get the Artifact Secured quest after looting Torch of Pyrreth. After that, get back to Valdrakken and turn in the quest in Valdrakken inn.

Then, get the Torch of Pyrret quest at the 47.6 48.2 coordinates from Preservationist Kathos. Use the torch toy and go to the Ruby Enclave where you’ll loot a hidden chest. The chest is at the 58.2 23.5 coordinates. 

Clue six

Once again, head to the Valdrakken inn and get The Clerk’s Notes from Bobby Carlisle. With this in your bags, travel to the cold lands of the Azure Span, Vakthros, to be perfectly exact. Enter the tower at the 78, 32 coordinates, and use your thinking cap toy and the torch to find the tablet. The tablet is on the top floor of the tower. You’ll then get the A Knowledgeable Descent quest and return once again to Bobby in the Valdrakken inn to turn the quest in.

Clue seven

Talk to Tithris in the Valdrakken inn and get the Preservationist’s Dispatch Two. Then, head to Ohn’ahran Plains and light three braziers using the Torch of Pyrreth. The braziers are at the following locations:

• 32.3 68.0
• 31.0 70.8
• 35.2 65.7

Then, move to the brazier at the 39.6 58.9 coordinates and interact with it until you get the An Idol in Hand quest. Venture back to Valdrakken and turn the quest in to Preservationist Kathos in the inn.

Use the Idol of Ohn’ahra toy to track down three gems in Valdrakken at the following locations:

• 49.1 51.4
• 45.7 59.3
• 55.2 64.6

Return to Valdrakken inn and turn in the quest.

Clue eight

Speak to Preservationist Kathos in Valdrakken inn, and get A Clue: The Shifting Sands. Then, you need to travel across Thaldraszus and get Time-Lost Fragments at these coordinates:

• 58.51 78.43
• 58.79 78.24
• 59.30 78.82

It’s important to note that you need to use the Idol of Ohn’ahra toy, and once you have all three fragments, combine them and take them to Valdrakken inn.

Clue nine

On day nine of your detective career, navigate to the Valdrakken inn, and get A Key Story from Bobby Carlisle. Then, speak to Weaponsmith Koref in the city at the 36.4 51.6 coordinates, getting The Blacksmith and the Apprentice clue.

At the 63.4 56.9 coordinates in Ohn’ahran Plains, you’ll find Hastily Scrawled stone with a note. To get the note, you need to equip Torch of Pyrreth. This will task you with finding the Titan Key Mold, which is located at the 63.0 57.4 coordinates. For this bit, you have to wear your Tricked-Out Thinking Cap toy.

Get the A Titanic Mold quest and head back to Valdrakken weaponsmith to complete the quest.

Clue 10

Clue 10, as you probably guessed, starts in Valdrakken inn with Bobby Carlisle and the quest Reforging a Legend. Go to Weaponsmith Koref at the 36.4 51.6 coordinates and get Titan Key Materials List.

Gather 50 Rose Gold Dust near the shores in the Waking Shores, eight Igneous Flux near the Obsidian Citadel, and then go to the Earth-Warder’s Forge in the Waking Shores to meet with Weaponsmith Koref. Accept the quest A Key to Reforg(ing), follow the quest instructions, and then use the torch toy to complete it.

Clue 11

This clue starts in the Valdrakken inn, with A Proper Burial quest from Preservationist Kathos. This then takes you to Maruukai in Ohn’ahran Plains where you have to speak to Sansok Khan and get Ishtar Rethon’s Burial Banner.

Find Jhara at the 63.4 41.4 coordinates and talk to her to get The Path of Ishtar Drawing clue. Then, use your Idol of Ohn’ahra and find the markers at these locations:

• 83.9 48.5
• 78.6 83.3
• 60.7 63.5
• 31.7 70.3
• 43.4 48.0

Once you’ve gathered them all, go to the final resting place at the 42.7 51.0 and reach the top floor to complete this clue.

Clue 12

Clue 12, just like all other clues, starts in Valdrakken inn where you need to get the They Are Always Listening quest from Bobby. This quest needs to be turned in to Fangli Hoot at the 26.6 54.8 coordinates in Valdrakken. For the next bit, you need to loot items in Valdrakken at these locations:

• 44.2 60.4
• 74.0 57.5
• 53.0 28.5
• 37.6 37.2
• 31.6 70.3

Then, bow to the Odd Statue in the inn, enter the Dragon’s Hoard, and use the Idol of Ohn’ahra toy to find the note at the 46.0 41.4 coordinates. Once you’ve ticked all these boxes, return to Fangli and complete the quest.

Community rumors

First community rumor 

The first community rumor hints at Eastern Plaguelands, although no one has cracked the case yet.

Another post from Blizzard on social media asked which buff you would use if you could use it on Earth.

To crack this, head to the 51.5 65.0 coordinates in Eastern Plaguelands, loot a Plague Plaque, and head to the 55.2 59.4 coordinates to find a Buried Satchel.

Second community rumor

The next community rumor comes from the Trading Post announcement, where players can see the map of Felwood in the background. For this one, head to the 42.2 48.1 coordinates in Felwood and find a satchel.

Third community rumor

This rumor comes from the Blue News post from Sept. 1 with a barely visible map of Thousand Needles, an old zone just below the Barrens. Travel to the Razorfen Downs zone to the 43.9 37.4 coordinates and find another satchel at the 42.7 30.6 coordinates.

Fourth community rumor

According to the fourth community rumor that is featured in the Darkmoon Faire post, your next destination is Shadowmoon Valley, just near the tree in Moonwillow Peak. At the 35.3 48.9 coordinates, you’ll find the next satchel.

Fifth community rumor

On Sept. 4, Blizzard’s official Twitter profile shared an image of transmog for #MogMonday, hinting at Netherstorm from The Burning Crusade expansion. Travel to Shattrath City by using a portal from your capital city and gather at least three friends to help you. All of you should use your torch toy at the 26.2 68.5 coordinates, and once you’re done, you can loot a mound to get another satchel.

Sixth community rumor

This rumor started from Blizzard’s post from Sept. 5, sending you to Valley of the Four Winds in Mists of Pandaria. The satchel is located at the 56.7 21.4 coordinates.

Seventh community rumor

The next satchel can be found in the Azure Span, near the snowmen at the 25.2 71.4 coordinates, as this Blizzard post indicates.

Don’t forget to use the torch toy to see the loot.

Eight community rumor

This was revealed in the Guardians of the Dream In Development Blue Post, where you can click on the image and you’ll image of the waterfall and actually see Wrath of the Lich King zone Dragonblight. The loot is at the 63.9 72.6 coordinates.

Ninth community rumor

The next satchel is in Northern Barrens, and you should notice that if you take a closer look at the Blues News News roundup. To find it, head to Barrens and loot it at the 46.0 50.6 coordinates.

10th community rumor

The next rumor takes you to the Dark Portal in Blasted Lands because of the Haunted Azeroth: The Frightening and Bizarre Blue Post. The satchel can be found at the 64.6 55.4 coordinates, at the top of the hill.

11th community rumor

The rumor, which Blizzard hinted at in the Six Best Romantic Picnic Spots Blue Post, takes you to Nagrand in Outland where you’ll find the loot at the 57.8 26.3 coordinates.

12th community rumor

This starts with This Week in WoW post, hinting you’ll be interested in what’s hiding in Grizzly Hills, on the cold island of Northrend. Once you get there, take a ride in the Blue Sky Logging Grounds and get the WHEE! buff. It’s important to note that the satchel will be in different spots for the Alliance and the Horde:

• The Alliance: 20.2 81.2
• The Horde: 10.9 74.9

13th community rumor

13th satchel takes you to Highmountain Peak, to the 53.3 87.4 coordinates. This is in the Legion zone of Highmountain.

14th community rumor

Another day, another sneaky rumor. This rumor started from the dev breakdown post about Secrets of Azeroth where the players can see the QR code on the bottle of water. Once scanned, it reads “Shrine (52, 123).”

This then sends the players back to Dragonblight, where they will find the satchel at the 73.2 39.5 coordinates when they put on Tricked-Out Thinking Cap.

Secrets of Azeroth achievements in WoW Dragonflight

• The Inquisitive: Finish the first day’s secrets during the Secrets of Azeroth event.
• Tools of the Trade: Unlock the secret-finding toys listed below.
  • Tricked-Out Thinking Cap
  • Idol of Ohn’ahra
  • Torch of Pyrreth
• Community Rumors: Find five Buried Satchels using rumors from around the community.
• Community Rumor Mill: Find 10 Buried Satchels using rumors from around the community.
• Whodunnit?: Figure out each of the following secrets that surfaced during the Secrets of Azeroth event.

Rewards for Secrets of Azeroth in WoW Dragonflight

• Pattie mount (Complete the Whodunnit? achievement) 
• Tobias pet (Complete the Community Rumor Mill achievement) 
• Tricked-Out Thinking Cap toy (Complete clue three)
• Torch of Pyrreth toy (Complete clue four)
• Idol of Ohn’ahra toy (Complete the Tools of the Trade achievement) 
• Brown Tweed Cap head transmog (Complete the Inquisitive and Community Rumors achievements)
• Blue Tweed Cap toy (Complete Community Rumors achievement)
• Titan Key transmog 
• The Inquisitive title (Complete the Inquisitive achievement) 
• Honorary Preservationist title