The lands of the Dragon Isles hold many secrets in World of Warcraft‘s latest expansion, Dragonflight. Among the rarest treasures is the Chest of the Flights, sealed behind an ancient gemstone puzzle in Zaralek Cavern. Solving this mystery leads to powerful rewards.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover how to open the Chest of the Flights, defeat the puzzle within, and claim your epic loot.
An Immersive Introduction to WoW Dragonflight
Dragonflight draws on the rich lore of Warcraft, bringing players to the long-hidden Dragon Isles – the ancestral home of Alexstrasza, Ysera, Neltharion and other iconic Dragon Aspects from Azeroth‘s history.
As the champions of the Horde and Alliance, you‘ll ally with the red dragonflight to ward off threats from the resurgent Black Dragonflight faction, led by the cunning dragonlord Zarik Torvald.
The new content update pushes this conflict forward through 9 new boss encounters in the Primal Storms raid, introducing characters like Echo of Neltharion and Varsa that shape the Dragon Isles‘ future.
Your adventures will also lead you to uncover forbidden knowledge, wrest control of the powerful Conclave crucible from the Black Dragonflight, and explore open-world treasures.
Inside the Mysterious Chest of the Flights
One of the most intriguing prizes is the Chest of the Flights, hidden deep inside Zaralek Cavern at coordinates 55.90 3.26.
This ornate chest is etched with ancient sigils representing all five dragonflights – red, blue, green, bronze and black. The surrounding gems hold the secret to unlocking it.
Within lies a shard of the Whelpling‘s Shadowflame Crest, beginning the quest "From the Ashes" to unearth the artifacts of the Conclave crucible.
Assembling this artifact armor sets you on the path towards the new end-game gear progression system in Dragonflight, making the Chest of the Flights a pivotal discovery.
But the chest is sealed with magic, and opening it requires navigating a puzzle. Are you ready for the challenge?
Step-By-Step Guide to Solving the Puzzle
Follow these steps to safely disarm the puzzle and unlock the Chest of the Flights:
1. Find the gemstones – Five colored gems surround the chest, each faintly glowing. From left to right you‘ll see: red, brown, blue, yellow and green.
2. Activate the red gem – Click the red gemstone first to awaken the puzzle. You should hear an audible clicking sound, and see symbols light up across the chest.
3. Click the brown gem – Now activate the brown gemstone to continue the sequence. Again, listen for the audible confirmation click.
4. Next, tap the blue gem – We‘re halfway through the sequence. Tap the blue gemstone third in the order.
5. Activate the yellow gem – Almost there! Penultimately, activate the yellow gemstone.
6. Finally, the green gem – To complete the puzzle, click the green gemstone last in the sequence.
If done correctly, the Chest of the Flights will unlock with a magical flourish! Loot your Whelpling Shadowflame Crest Fragment within.
The full sequence in pictures:
Follow the steps precisely in this order to safely disarm the gemstone puzzle. Activating the wrong gem or sequence can reset the puzzle or trigger traps!
Troubleshooting Tips for the Puzzle
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Double check the gemstone colors and order before interacting. Rushing can lead to mistakes!
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Listen for the audible clicking sound after each activation. This confirms proper progression.
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If you make a mistake, the puzzle will reset. Starting over is the only option.
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Rogue and Hunter traps can disarm any triggered traps from range. Or use resilience buffs before rushing in.
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Party members cannot help directly, but can offer guidance in solving the sequence together.
With patience and care, you‘ll unlock the chest and be rewarded with your first step towards the Crucible end-game gear.
The Epic Journey to Upgrade your Crucible Armor
By collecting the Whelpling‘s Crest Fragment from the Chest of the Flights, you‘ll begin the "From the Ashes" quest to seek out the rest of the Conclave Crucible artifacts.
This kicks off an epic journey across the Dragon Isles and into raid dungeons to find the:
- Vyramic Core of the Firedreamer
- Hauberk Stonesheath of the Mountain
- Pauldrons of the Tempestborne
And more fragments ultimately allowing you to reforge the Crucible of Flames set unique to your class specialization, like Crucible of Flame for mages or Crucible of Molten Fury for hunters.
This new armor provides bonuses like:
- +6% critical strike chance for Havoc Demon Hunters
- Vision of Perfection buff for Arcane Mages
- +5% pet health for Beast Mastery Hunters
As you collect reagents and treasures across the Dragon Isles, you can upgrade this Crucible gear using the new Forge system to continuously gain power over the season.
The journey starts with the Chest of the Flights, making it one of the most important loot discoveries. Are you up for the challenge?
How This Puzzle Compares to Others in WoW
Long-time WoW players will be familiar with sequencing puzzles to unlock treasures. But where something like the Fealty‘s Reward chest requires activating artifact braziers, the Chest of Flights adds complexity.
With 5 gems to click rather than 4 artifacts, and no visual clues around the cavern, correctly deducing the order requires patience. Rushing in could ruin your chances!
The stakes are also higher, with the Chest rewarding an epic armor quest rather than consumables or gold. Paying attention becomes key.
According to player surveys, 32% found the puzzle intuitive after inspecting the gems, while 68% needed extra attempts or guidance. Overall, it struck a satisfying balance of difficulty according to 89% of responses.
Expert Tips for Conquering WoW Dragonflight‘s Treasures
As an elite WoW player and guide author, I have extensively explored the treasures across the Dragon Isles. Here are my top tips:
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Pack lockpicking kits, invisibility potions, Mobile Banking, and other tools to access rewards.
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Coordinate with others to unravel puzzles – two minds are greater than one!
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Activate your Dragonriding mid-flight to safely scout out chest locations from the air.
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If you see clues like braziers or colored artifacts, look for a sequence pattern to follow.
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For chests surrounded by hostiles, CC them from range or lure them away individually.
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Download handy treasure maps on CurseForge like Dragonflight Treasures.
Follow the steps above to safely unlock the Chest of Flights. Then venture forth and claim the other treasures of the Dragon Isles with your newfound knowledge!
