The Karazhan attunement is a quest chain that ends with The Master's Key. It starts with Archmage Alturus outside Karazhan in Deadwind Pass. He sends you to Khadgar in Shattrath. From there you collect three key fragments, one each in Shadow Labyrinth, The Steamvault and The Arcatraz, and then talk to Medivh in The Black Morass. In TBC Anniversary, the attunement is account-wide.
The Master's Key chain, step by step
- Arcane Disturbances: Archmage Alturus, at the Violet Eye camp outside Karazhan in Deadwind Pass.
- Restless Activity: a short follow-up task for Alturus around the tower grounds.
- Contact from Dalaran: Alturus sends you to Outland.
- Khadgar: report to Khadgar on the Terrace of Light in Shattrath City.
- Entry Into Karazhan: get the First Key Fragment in Shadow Labyrinth (Auchindoun).
- The Second and Third Fragments: get one fragment in The Steamvault (Coilfang Reservoir) and one in The Arcatraz (Tempest Keep).
- The Master's Touch: escort Medivh through The Black Morass (Caverns of Time) and speak to him after the Dark Portal event.
- Return to Khadgar: turn in at Shattrath to receive The Master's Key.
Quick facts
| Starts with | Archmage Alturus, Deadwind Pass |
| Main quest giver | Khadgar, Shattrath City |
| Dungeons needed | Shadow Labyrinth, The Steamvault, The Arcatraz, The Black Morass |
| Reward | The Master's Key (entry to Karazhan) |
| Anniversary change | Account-wide: completing it on one character unlocks Karazhan for every character on the account |
| Karazhan opened | February 19, 2026 (Blizzard's announcement) |
How do the key fragments work?
Each fragment sits in an arcane container inside its dungeon. When you open the container, a guardian elemental spawns, and you have to kill it before you can loot the fragment. Normal mode is enough. Let your group know about the container before the run so nobody leaves the instance early.
Do I need other keys or attunements first?
Yes, and this is where most people get stuck. The Black Morass stays locked until you finish Old Hillsbrad Foothills in the Caverns of Time. The Arcatraz has its own entry requirement in Tempest Keep. Sort out both early, because the chain cannot be finished without them.
Does every alt need its own Master's Key?
Not in TBC Anniversary. Blizzard's development notes say raid attunements are account-wide in this version. Once one character finishes the chain, every character on the account can enter Karazhan. That makes it much less painful to get alts into Kara now that the server is in Phase 3 (Black Temple and Hyjal, since August 27, 2026).
How long does the Karazhan attunement take?
Most of the time goes into the four dungeons. The quest steps between them are short walks to Deadwind Pass, Shattrath and the Caverns of Time. With a steady group, a character who already meets the dungeon requirements can usually finish over a couple of play sessions. Blizzard has not said whether or when attunements will be removed in this version, so don't wait for that.
If you would rather not organise four dungeon groups yourself, PewPewShop's vetted players can help through coaching and play-together runs. TBC Raid Attunements start from EUR 20, and since the attunement is account-wide, one completion covers your alts too.