Za'qul

Za'qul, Harbinger of Ny'alotha is the penultimate boss in the Eternal Palace raid. During the encounter, Za'qul casts spells which move adventurers into Fear realm or Delirium realm.

Adventure Journal
The harbinger for the end of days, Za'qul shreds the last vestiges of sanity from a world in chaos, laying the foundation of Azeroth's new master. <!--

Abilities
Dark Beyond: Venturing into the dark beyond inflicts 85 Shadow damage every 1 sec. Hysteria: Delving into the insanity realms and being affected by Horrific Visions increases a player's hysteria, Inflicting 2 Shadow damage every 1 sec for 35 sec. This effect stacks. Disciple of N'zoth: If a player reaches 20 applications of Hysteria, they surrender to the void and become a Disciple of N'zoth. Immune to Stun. Receiving sufficient damage will cancel this effect. Stage One: The Herald Mind Tether: Za'qul connects his current target and the closest player to that target within 300 yards with a mind tether. 100% of damage done to either player is reflected to their partner as Shadow damage. Reflected damage is increased after the players seperate beyond 12 yards from each other. If no other target is found, the current target suffers Snapped. Snapped: The mind tether snaps, stunning you for 10 sec. Portal of Madness: Za'qul tears the fabric of reality conjuring a Horrific Summoner to appear at random player destinations, inflicting 75 Shadow damage to players within 10 yards and causing them to panic in fear for 6 sec. Horrific Summoner: Summoned during the encounter by Za'qul. Dark Tear: The Horrific Summoner opens a tear, allowing creatures to continually come through to assault the players every 10 sec as long as the passage remains open. Horrific Vision: Periodically emerge from Dark Tears as long as they remain open. Gathering Nightmare: All damage taken increased by 5% and speed decreased by 2%. Caster starts with 30 stacks and loses a stack every 1 sec. When all stacks are removed, the creatures turns into an Unleashed Nightmare. (Mythic, Heroic) Unleashed Nightmare: Forms from a Horrific Vision that has been alive too long. (Heroic, Mythic) Quivering Claws: Claws the the target, inflicting 100% attack damage as Shadow as well as inflicting a stack of Hysteria. (Mythic, Heroic) Crushing Grasp: Za'qul unleashes a torrent of tentacles that cascades across the space in a line, inflicting 200 Shadow damage to players struck and knocking them back. Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. Upon expiration, inflicts 45 Shadow damage to everyone. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic) Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. (Raid Finder) Stage Two: Grip of Fear: Za'qul pulls players into the Fear Realm at 85% health. Fear Realm: While in the Fear Realm, you summon a Horrific Vision and gain a stack of Hysteria every 30 sec. Horrific Vision: Emerge from the darkness as long as players are effected by Manifest Nightmares. Gathering Nightmare: All damage taken increased by 5% and speed decreased by 2%. Caster starts with 30 stacks and loses a stack every 1 sec. When all stacks are removed, the creatures turns into an Unleashed Nightmare. (Mythic, Heroic) Unleashed Nightmare: Forms from a Horrific Vision that has been alive too long. (Heroic, Mythic) Quivering Claws: Claws the the target, inflicting 100% attack damage as Shadow as well as inflicting a stack of Hysteria. (Mythic, Heroic) Maddening Eruption: Za'qul causes a tear that will inflict 70 Shadow damage to all enemies when it erupts. If Za'qul is moved into the tear before the eruption, only enemies within 10 yards of the eruption receive 5 Shadow damage. When Za'qul stands in the eruption, he receives a stack of Punctured Darkness. Punctured Darkness: Shadows wither around Za'qul, increasing all damage taken by 55%. Mind Tether: Za'qul connects his current target and the closest player to that target within 300 yards with a mind tether. 100% of damage done to either player is reflected to their partner as Shadow damage. Reflected damage is increased after the players seperate beyond 12 yards from each other. If no other target is found, the current target suffers Snapped. Snapped: The mind tether snaps, stunning you for 10 sec. Crushing Grasp: Za'qul unleashes a torrent of tentacles that cascades across the space in a line, inflicting 200 Shadow damage to players struck and knocking them back. Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. Upon expiration, inflicts 45 Shadow damage to everyone. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic) Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. (Raid Finder) Stage Three: Delirium's Descent: Za'qul pulls players into the Delirium Realm at 70% health. Delirium Realm: Your mind shatters, causing you to go hostile to everyone and increasing haste by 30%. Instead of killing you, Fatal damage removes you from this realm and inflicts the effects of Shattered Psyche. Also, applies a stack of Hysteria every 6 sec. Shattered Psyche: Unable to cope with the encroaching horrors, your psyche shatters, stunning you for 6 sec. Mind Tether: Za'qul connects his current target and the closest player to that target within 300 yards with a mind tether. 100% of damage done to either player is reflected to their partner as Shadow damage. Reflected damage is increased after the players seperate beyond 12 yards from each other. If no other target is found, the current target suffers Snapped. Snapped: The mind tether snaps, stunning you for 10 sec. Crushing Grasp: Za'qul unleashes a torrent of tentacles that cascades across the space in a line, inflicting 200 Shadow damage to players struck and knocking them back. Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. Upon expiration, inflicts 45 Shadow damage to everyone. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic) Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec to random enemies. (Raid Finder) Stage Four: All Pathways Open: When Za'qul reaches 60% health, Thalyssra returns players to reality. First Arcanist Thalyssra: Pulls everyone back to reality to prevent them from succumbing to Za'qul's madness. (Normal, Heroic, Raid Finder) Reality Portal: Holds the portal to reality open so her allies can easily escape the various insanity realms. (Normal, Heroic, Raid Finder) First Arcanist Thalyssra: Pulls everyone back to reality to prevent them from succumbing to Za'qul's madness, then falls victim to the whispers of the old gods. (Mythic) Dark Pulse: Za'qul places a shield on himself that absorbs 5% of his max health and begins gathering dark energy. Upon completion, the energy is released inflicting 90 Shadow damage to enemies in all realms. Depleting the absorb shield triggers a Mind Fracture. (Normal, Heroic, Raid Finder) Mind Fracture: Za'qul becomes stunned for 1.5 sec, interrupting all casts. (Heroic, Raid Finder, Normal) Psychotic Split: Za'qul places a shield on himself that absorbs 5% of his max health and begins gathering dark energy. Upon completion, the energy is released inflicting 90 Shadow damage to enemies in all realms.

Depleting the absorb shield triggers a Mind Fracture. (Mythic) Echo of Fear: Summoned during Psychotic Split and resides within the Fear Realm. (Mythic) Echo of Delirium: Summoned during Psychotic Split and resides within the Delirium Realm. (Mythic) Void Slam: Sends the targets in a cone in front of the caster flying, inflicting 54 Physical damage on impact and knocking them back. (Mythic) Dark Shield: Images provide a shield that surrounds the boss, making him immune to damage and interrupts until no images are left. (Mythic) Mind Fracture: Za'qul becomes stunned for 1.5 sec, interrupting all casts. (Mythic) Dark Passage: Za'qul opens a passage to the Fear Realm, conjuring a Horrific Summoner to appear at random player destinations, inflicting 75 Shadow damage to players within 10 yards and causing them to panic in fear for 6 sec. Horrific Summoner: Summoned from the Fear Realm during the encounter by Za'qul. Shroud of Fear: Shrouded by fear, this creature is immune to damage when inflicted by enemies in other realms. Fear's Gate: From the Fear Realm, the Horrific Summoner opens a gate to reality, allowing creatures to continually come through to assault the players every 10 sec as long as the passage remains open. Horrific Vision: Periodically emerge from Fear Gates as long as they remain open. Gathering Nightmare: All damage taken increased by 5% and speed decreased by 2%. Caster starts with 30 stacks and loses a stack every 1 sec. When all stacks are removed, the creatures turns into an Unleashed Nightmare. (Heroic, Mythic) Unleashed Nightmare: Forms from a Horrific Vision that has been alive too long. (Mythic, Heroic) Quivering Claws: Claws the the target, inflicting 100% attack damage as Shadow as well as inflicting a stack of Hysteria. (Heroic, Mythic) Manic Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec on enemies in all realms. Upon expiration, inflicts 55 Shadow damage to everyone and an additional 90 Shadow damage to enemies within 5 yards of impact. Afterwards, leaves a pool of Caustic Delirium at the destination. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic) Caustic Delirium: Continually inflicts 6 Shadow damage every 1 sec as long as a player stands within the area. Inflicts greater damage the longer a player stands within the effect.

Accumulating five stacks of this effect transports the player to the Delirium Realm and removes the Caustic Delirium. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic) Manic Dread: Unleashes a psychic blast that induces fear and inflicts 5 Shadow damage every 1 sec on enemies in all realms. Upon expiration, leaves a pool of Caustic Delirium at the destination. (Raid Finder) Caustic Delirium: Continually inflicts 6 Shadow damage every 1 sec as long as a player stands within the area. Inflicts greater damage the longer a player stands within the effect.

Accumulating five stacks of this effect transports the player to the Delirium Realm and removes the Caustic Delirium. (Raid Finder) Mind Tether: Za'qul connects his current target and the closest player to that target within 300 yards with a mind tether. 100% of damage done to either player is reflected to their partner as Shadow damage. Reflected damage is increased after the players seperate beyond 12 yards from each other. If no other target is found, the current target suffers Snapped. Snapped: The mind tether snaps, stunning you for 10 sec. Crushing Grasp: Za'qul unleashes a torrent of tentacles that cascades across the space in a line, inflicting 200 Shadow damage to players struck and knocking them back.-->

Overview
At health percentages, the Herald assaults the players' minds, pulling them deeper into realms of insanity. While players are in these insanity realms, they continually gain stacks of [Hysteria]. The further they dive into these realms, the faster it stacks. Each realm employs its own method of assaulting players' minds. Within the fear realm, players continually spawn Horrific Visions that inflict additional stacks of [Hysteria]. Within the delirium realm, everyone becomes hostile but has their haste increased. After all realms have opened, Za'qul gains empowered versions of his abilities that allow the players to move between realms in order to combat his mechanics.

Damage Dealers: Healers: Tanks:
 * Defeat Horrific Summoners before the raid becomes overwhelmed.
 * Defeat Horrific Visions before they inflict too many stacks of [Hysteria].
 * Dispell allies effected by [Dementia].
 * Dispell allies effected by [Manic Dementia].
 * Use damage reduction cooldowns when under the effect of [Mind Tether].
 * Move the boss into [Maddening Eruptions] to prevent the raid from taking damage.

Quotes

 * Aggro
 * yell


 * Mind Tether
 * yell
 * yell


 * Dread
 * yell


 * Stage Two: Grip of Fear
 * yell


 * Delirium Descent
 * yell


 * Stage Four: All Pathways Open
 * yell
 * yell


 * Manic Dread
 * yell
 * yell


 * Dark Pulse
 * yell


 * Death
 * yell


 * Player Death
 * yell

Trivia

 * On the PTR of patch 8.2.0, its name was originally Za'qul, Harbinger of N'zoth and later Za'qul, Harbinger of Ny'alotha. The latter name is still used in the Adventure Guide.