Heart of Fear

Heart of Fear is one of the three launch raids that opened in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. This is the seat of the mantid dominion, and a place where the queen of the mantid currently resides, possessed by the Sha of Fear.

The entrance to this raid dungeon is in the base of a large rotting tree structure in the west of the Dread Wastes.

Normal mode opened October 30, 2012, first Raid Finder part and Heroic modes opened on November 6, 2012, and second Raid Finder part opened on November 13, 2012. Raid Finder difficulty requires an average item level of 470.

Dungeon Journal
''The Sha of Fear has corrupted the grand empress of the mantid. Her increasingly erratic and paranoid commands have driven the Klaxxi--the keepers of mantid culture--to take aggressive action. Because they are few in number, the Klaxxi are reluctantly willing to accept outside help in destroying the empress and purging their race of the sha's negative influence.''

Overview
The Dread Approach: After the Grand Empress Shek'zeer's army is repelled during The Wrath of Shek'zeer, the Klaxxi-aligned adventurers venture into the Heart of Fear to finish the job. Imperial Vizier Zor'lok, previously seen during The Empress' Gambit, stands as the first boss, constantly spouting praise of his fear-driven empress and using powerful sonic magic. After silencing the zealot, the adventurers face off against Blade Lord Ta'yak, the mantid blademaster who wields great skill with both steel and wind magic. Progressing upward onto a great terrace, the mantid mages of wind summon Garalon, mightiest of the mantid's Kunchong. Though it's carapace was mighty, the adventurers killed the beast by destroying it's legs to weaken it.

The Madness of Shek'zeer: Fearful of the coming threat, Wind Lord Mel'jarak rallies the remaining elite mantid forces to guard the empress' inner sanctum. Slaying him, the final room before the throne room is a expanse of experiments of Amber-Shaper Un'sok, chief scientist and former associate of Xaril the Poisoned Mind. The fearful mad scientist threw every experiment he had at the invaders before falling. During the final battle, the Sha of Fear empowers Shek'zeer, allowing her to use a combination of sonic and sha magic. As she dies, the Sha of Fear escapes, later to be hunted down to the Terrace of Endless Spring. The Klaxxi presumably take up leadership until the next empress is born.

Quest guide
All bosses have a chance (on all difficulties) to drop Sigil of Power or a Sigil of Wisdom for The Strength of One's Foes.

Dungeon denizens

 * Kunchong
 * Kunchong

Bosses
Spurred on by the Klaxxi, the time has come to assault the heart of the mantid empire.
 * The Dread Approach

The mantid Empress, consumed by paranoia and twisted by the Sha of Fear, rules from her seat deep within the Heart of Fear.
 * Nightmare of Shek'zeer

Loot
All bosses have a chance to drop the Sigil of Power or Sigil of Wisdom in addition to the listed loot.

Achievements

 * The Dread Approach
 * Overzealous
 * Candle in the Wind
 * Like an Arrow to the Face
 * Nightmare of Shek'zeer
 * Less Than Three
 * I Heard You Like Amber...
 * Timing is Everything
 * Heart of Fear Guild Run
 * Heroics
 * Heroic: Imperial Vizier Zor'lok
 * Heroic: Blade Lord Ta'yak
 * Heroic: Garalon
 * Heroic: Wind Lord Mel'jarak
 * Heroic: Amber-Shaper Un'sok
 * Heroic: Grand Empress Shek'zeer
 * Heroic: Grand Empress Shek'zeer Guild Run
 * Ahead of the Curve: Grand Empress Shek'zeer
 * Cutting Edge: Grand Empress Shek'zeer
 * Realm First! Grand Empress Shek'zeer

Speculation
The Heart of Fear might once have been Manti'vess.