How to start and complete The Motherlode quest in WoW The War Within

The mines that hide many secrets.

A character standing in The Ringing Deeps Zone in WoW The War Within and holding a torch.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

The Motherlode is a part of a big quest chain in chapter three of the WoW The War Within campaign. 

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Although the quest itself is easy and straightforward, since it’s a part of a bigger questline, there are a couple of steps you need to take before you start The Motherlode. So, here’s our full guide to start and complete The Motherlode quest in The War Within.

How to start The Motherlode quest in WoW The War Within

Moira, a woman dwarf with a helmet and armor standing next to a male dwarf with glasses.
You’ll have a little sidekick with you this time. Screenshot by Dot Esports via Blizzard Entertainment

Since The Motherlode quest is a part of the third chapter of The War Within campaign story, you must reach maximum level and finish the entire campaign storyline of Khaz Algar first. After that, complete the first two chapters of The War Within campaign, and start the third one called The Machines March to War. The entire questline takes place in The Ringing Deeps zone, so make your way there and do the following quests in order:

  • A Mysterious Signal
  • Small Friend, Big Plans
  • Factory Recon
  • Back to Base
  • A Plan Comes Together
  • To the Waterworks
  • Putting the Works in Waterworks
  • Elemental Trepidation
  • Shadowvein Extraction
  • We Require More Minerals

All 10 of these quests are simple, since they mostly require you to talk to different NPCs in The Ringing Deeps, slay a couple of monsters, collect materials, and interact with items along the way. You also get to work with a small robot-like NPC, ZZ-01-47, throughout the entire questline. Once you finish the We Require More Minerals quest, talk to ZZ-01-47. He gives you The Motherlode quest.

How to complete The Motherlode quest in WoW The War Within

Thrall, the leader of Horde looking up in WoW The War Within.
There’s a big terror hiding in the mines. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Once you accept the quest, you must enter the Shadowvein Mine, at coordinates 58.56, 36.28 and make your way down to the center of the mine. You’ll find a lava pit there and a glowing lever you must pull. Click on the lever, and a big Magma Serpent spawns that you have to defeat. The monster isn’t an elite, so you can beat it easily. After that, simply hand in the quest to ZZ-01-47 and you’ll be one step closer to finishing chapter three.

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Image of Lazar Pavlovic
Lazar Pavlovic
Freelance News and SEO Writer for Dot Esports, covering games like Genshin Impact, VALORANT, World of Warcraft and League of Legends to new releases. When he's not writing, you can find him grinding dungeons and raids in World of Warcraft.