Fire Over Morgrave

{{Quest | name            = Fire Over Morgrave | adpack          = Vecna Unleashed | epic            = 34 | duration        = medium | raid            = yes | tier            = | solo only       = false | solo            = | normal          = | hard            = | elite           = | xp              = | ecasual         = | enormal         = 16,069 | ehard           = 16,436 | eelite          = 16,803 | epicxp          = | bestower        = Geth | npc             = Geth | loc             = Morgrave Upper Commons | zone            = Morgrave University - Upper Commons | patron          = Morgrave University | favor           = 9 | free            = no  | extreme          = | mappic          = | maplegend       = | loadingpic      = | overview        =

Flagging
No flagging required. | flagging        = No flagging required. | objective_1     = Speak with the Dean | objective_2     = Approach the Tear | objective_3     = Defeat the Balor | objective_4     = Push the Balor from the platform before it explodes | expect          = | misc            =
 * A huge amount of fire damage, potentially heavy lightning damage, and some evil damage - bring relevant absorptions.
 * Morgrave University wishes to invite you to a prize-giving ceremony to celebrate your preventing the facility's destruction. However, a mysterious planar rift seems to have opened where the ceremony is to take place...
 * Before heading outside, bear in mind that the Esoteric Table to upgrade loot from the raid is at the entrance, and anyone still inside the library will be locked out after talking with the Dean (Capri Stormleaf d'Phiarlan). If someone wants to craft an item, give them a second to do so - otherwise you may lock them out of the action. (They can now at least get to the end chest when the raid finishes.)
 * As you approach the rift, an apparition of Vecna appears, along with Zweilanar, the Balor you last saw fleeing the Traveller's attack in Vecna Unleashed (quest). With control over the world of Eberron denied to him, the archlich has decided to give his demonic general a chance at destroying it instead!

General Strategy

 * Fire Over Morgrave is pretty much a sustained boss fight, but Zweilanar has a few tricky mechanics - as such, you should read the sections on his attacks below carefully. However, managing the trash is important, as if the tank goes down, everyone's in trouble.
 * Sticking close to Zweilanar is necessary to keep the trash spawn rate down and avoid some of his most dangerous attacks. Also note that named monsters in this quest have an effect that reduces ranged damage taken if they are not being engaged in melee.
 * Don't jump off the sides of the platform while the fight is ongoing - this will instantly kill you (although it's possible there's some sort of secret hidden to living players as in Skeletons in the Closet...) Jumping off is safe before and after the fight.

Zweilanar's Abilities and Mechanics

 * Iron Wing Defense - Very Strong : Zweilanar takes reduced spell damage and has missile deflection. Having people in melee range of him will reduce this effect.
 * Weapons of the Balor: (Zweilanar's standard attacks)
 * Lightning Blade : Sword that deals slashing and electric damage.
 * Withering Fire : Whip that deals bludgeoning and fire damage. Also applies the debuff Withering Whip . (Debuffs fire absorption and reduces PRR and MRR by 7 for 15 seconds, stacking up to 10 times. Stack decreases by one on timer expiration.)
 * Balor Warlord:
 * Scorn : Every 36 seconds players who are not nearby receive a stack of Mark of Scorn . (Marks your character for 2 minutes, stacking up to 15 times. Entire stack fades on timer expiration.)
 * Cunning : A character who shield blocks for too long may be affected with Balor Cunning, an effect which makes them vulnerable to the Balor's Kick attack (see below.)
 * Lightning Strikes Twice : To characters with Mark of Scorn, deals electric damage and applies Balor's Storm Call . (Reduces electric absorption by ~15% for 60 seconds, stacking up to 10 times. Entire stack fades on timer expiration.) He then deals electric damage in a long rectangular AoE on the ground in front of him.
 * A jump attack similar to Rudus in Project Nemesis - jump before he lands to dodge it. The damage done is not as high, but the area is deceptively large and the timing is quicker. Note that the attack can also cause knockdown.
 * A spinning jump attack where he strikes everyone around him with his whip. (This attack cannot be dodged by jumping.) It can also add a stack of Withering Whip.
 * A kick attack where he kicks a player who is actively shield blocking and who has the Balor Cunning debuff. This knocks the player down, bypassing knockdown immunity. Zweilanar can chain this attack faster than most characters can get up, potentially locking a player in place until Balor Cunning expires, so players may want to only shield block sporadically or not at all.

Zweilanar will charge into battle pretty quickly, and Vrock Doom Dancers will begin constantly spawning around the area shortly after. These enemies cast Vrock Dance of Ruin, dealing evil damage every 5 seconds as long as they are alive. The more Vrocks that are alive, the more damage they will deal. They also have Iron Wing Defense - Weak: a weaker version of the buff that Zweilanar has that reduces spell damage and grants them some missile deflection. One or two players in melee range will negate this buff.

At 85% of his max HP Zweilanar will teleport to the west corner and start Phase 2.

Additional Zweilanar Abilities

 * Zweilanar summons a ring of fire around himself. Passing through the ring deals fire damage, and additionally prevents casting spells or performing ranged attacks through it. If you are inside the ring you cannot target, attack, or heal anything outside the ring, and if you are outside the ring you cannot affect anything inside the ring. Zweilanar will not move while the ring is up. The ring dissipates when Zweilanar is brought down to 70% of his max HP.
 * Balor Fire : Zweilanar will periodically raise his whip and emit flames around himself, giving everyone in melee range a stack of Balor Fire . (Damage over time effect that deals fire damage every 4 seconds for 10 minutes, stacking up to 20 times.) Both Zweilanar and Dretch Balefire Eaters can apply stacks. Being near a Risia Ice Orb when it is broken will remove all stacks.
 * Circle of Scorn : If you run away from Zweilanar with his aggro, he will periodically root you in place and increase your damage taken. You will see a small ring of fire around your feet while you are rooted.
 * Whip Snare : If you run away from Zweilanar with his aggro, he will periodically lash his whip at you, slowing your movement speed.

The friendly Sphinx in the library will begin to summon Risia Ice Orbs around the area (which appear as stars on the minimap) to help in the battle. Stand next to an orb when it is destroyed to remove all stacks of Balor Fire.

Zweilanar will open rifts to summon respawning Dretch Balefire Eaters. These very large Dretches can apply stacks of Balor Fire and will explode in fire damage a few seconds after they are killed. Melee characters will need to be ready to run out of the indicator circle to avoid the explosion or let ranged characters kill them. Note that Dretch spawning rates increase if not enough players are near Zweilanar, so try and keep everyone as close as they can safely be unless they're on Vrock-killing duty.

After a certain amount of time in this phase (roughly 2 and a half minutes?), Zweilanar will catch fire, gaining massive damage reduction. While it is still possible to force him to the next phase with this active, most attacks will do little to no damage. You must break a Risia Ice Orb while he is standing next to it to remove the damage reduction and reset the timer.

At 50% of his max HP Zweilanar will teleport to the north corner and start Phase 3.

Phase 3
Zweilanar summons another ring of fire around himself, as well as more rifts with respawning Dretches. The ring of fire dissipates when Zweilanar is brought down to 30% of his max HP.

Once again a timer starts for Zweilanar's massive damage reduction. It is also still possible to force him to the next phase with it active, but it will nearly always be easier to bring him to a Risia Ice Orb and break it. Many groups will probably not have to deal with the damage reduction in Phase 2, but it is more likely to encounter it in Phase 3. (Phase 3 requires you to do 45% of his max HP in damage as opposed to 35% in Phase 2. Additionally, your party might be more occupied with the increased number of spawns.)

At 5% of his max HP Zweilanar will teleport back to the east corner for Phase 4.

Phase 4
Zweilanar will entreat Vecna for more aid. Untrustworthy as ever, the Lich instead casts a spell on the Balor; if you don't kill him quickly, he'll explode!

At this point you are guaranteed raid completion, as Zweilanar counts as defeated even if he explodes. However, this costs you an extra chest, and also kills thousands of innocent people, so you're going to want to bring him down quickly. You have exactly 2 minutes to kill him from 10% HP, but don't worry too much: all respawns stop, letting you focus on the Balor. (Zweilanar also stops using some of his most dangerous abilities, including the Ring of Fire.)

With Zweilanar defeated, Vecna's last shot at destroying Morgrave is foiled - and the university finally gives you some amount of credit for the multiple times you've saved the world!

| insidious       = | devious         = | discreet        = | aggression      = | onslaught       = | conquest        = | tamper          = | neutralization  = | ingenious       = | observance      = | perception      = | vigilant        = | mischief        = | vandal          = | ransack         = | bonus_xp_notes  = | chest           = Two | npcreward       = Standard, no 20th completion reward as Raid Rune system is in place | unique          = yes | external        = }}
 * One end chest
 * One bonus end chest for preventing the Balor from exploding