A Strange Black Rock

This is the quest for the Glowing Black Stone. It is initiated by Scholar Al'Quylar, behind the Oracle Tower in Antonica (-1039, +14, -665). You must be level 25+ to receive this quest. If he isn't up then you may need to wait for up to 3 hours for him to respawn.

The first order of business is to harvests a bit of power from power sources in Nektulos and the Thundering Steppes. They are both underwater, and the Thundering Steppes one will require you to have some form of water breathing in order to make it up without dying. They are located at:

Thundering Steppes: Beneath a ship deep in the northwestern ocean at (+1681, -88, +308) Nektulos Forest: In the pool underneath Timber Falls (+457.7, +14.5, -1505.3)

After harvesting both you should return to Scholar Al'Quylar. You'll receive some coin and experience and the next step of the quest.

The next step is to recover the Brown Research Tome on Binding at +18.79, +4.00, +69.68 and the Black Research Tome on Immortality at +237, +54 in the Ruins of Varsoon. Be forewarned that the Book of Life and Death spawn in these rooms.

You then must obtain a Palladium Torque. This item drops in various zones (Stormhold and Edgewater Drains confirmed), can be player crafted, and can also be bought from brokers quite often. When you turn it in you will receive approximately 1.5 gold as a reward.

Al'Quylar will then ask you to head back to the Ruins of Varsoon to kill the Tome of Life and the Tome of Death. These spawn in the two rooms where you got the research tomes earlier.

After destroying them return to Scholar Al'Quylar who will send you to kill Varsoon the Undying in the Chamber of Immortality. This is an access zone. You must complete the Where Will This Lead Me quest to gain access (see related quests). Only one member of the party needs to have completed this quest.

Varsoon himself spawns as part of a ring event in that zone. When you hail him he will spawn three aggro mobs to attack you. Kill them and hail him again to receive the next wave. Rinse and repeat. The fourth wave will be the Etheral Fiend, and the fifth will be Varsoon.

After killing Varsoon return to Scholar Al'Quylar who will then attack you. He is a level 35 ^^^ heroic mob with a knockback attack. Kill him for your reward.