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style="font-family: tahoma;">The Fire Caves: The Stones Run Red

By
Darkgolem




The Fire caves are one of the best
looking areas in the game.  With beautiful lighting, design and a
compelling story, this low level quest is a gem that many players don't
experience enough at lower levels.  The Stones Run Red is the
first of a two quest chain, involving the players exacting vengeance
for the destruction of a "civilized" tribe of minotaurs upon a tribe of
ogres, led by a high shaman Mak-Murung, who worship the legendary
dragon below, Khyber.




One of the most important things to
do when adventuring in the fire caves is to watch your step.  The
quest is full of narrow ledges, tight corners, and gaps in the stone
walkways the heroes often will need to use, most of it above a lake of
lava.  However, the narrow ledges and confined ways provide
opportunities to channel your enemies movements, too.

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It's important to have a href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=144">rogue
with lock picking available, because of the two locked shrines that are
the only means of recuperating, and href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=107">resist
( and possibly protection) fire to assist in the lava areas that need
to be crossed.  A jump spell or two wouldn't go amiss either.

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Starting
Npc:

 Idas style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Quest Zone:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); width: 80%;"> size="-1">The Fire Caves Related
Zones:

Three
Barrel Cove
style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Level:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); width: 80%;"> size="-1">4

Monsters:

Ogre,
Fire Mephits, Grey Ooze, Ogre Shaman
style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Named/Boss Monsters:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); width: 80%;"> size="-1">High Shaman Mak-Murung Bonus
Objectives:



style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Possible Reward Items:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); width: 80%;"> size="-1">3 Chests Walk-Through

Entrance Area:



href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red&id=Map_Stones_Run_Red&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Map of Fire Caves"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red/Map_Stones_Run_Red.sized.jpg"
style="border: 0px solid ; width: 250px; height: 317px;" align="left">
size="-1">The fire caves are best divided into 3 sections. 



The entrance starts with a short tunnel which leads to a large lava
filled chamber.  The party of adventurers will arrive at the top
portion of this chamber, with a bridge crossing across the chamber to a
large distant platform.  There are two ogres in the far
platform.  At the far side of this platform is a lever which must
be pulled.  Another bridge of stone crosses from this platform to
another side of the gigantic entrance area.  The side of the
cavern (at the end of the 2nd bridge) has a small series of stone steps
leading up into a room on the side of the entrance chamber.



A chest is well concealed below the pathways, in an area only reached
by extensive wading in the lava.  It is located on the far east of
the lava lake here, on a small stone platform.



This room is reached from the steps by a
narrow opening, and the side room has
several
ogres which must be defeated.  It is much

better to have a warrior type go into this room first, since ogres hurt
a lot.  After defeating the ogres, pull the switch on the far side
of the room.  Proceed through the
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red&id=Fire_Caves_First_Chamber&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Fire Caves Starting Cavern"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red/Fire_Caves_First_Chamber.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 188px;" align="right">
size="-1"> opening near this switch up to another room with an altar
to the dragon below, Khyber.  This is one of 3 altars to Khyber
found in the fire caves.  Once the altar is destroyedlook for a
opening in the room wall (not the one you came in from) which looks
down upon the giant entrance chamber.  Take a leap of faith and
carefully step out of this opening, you will fall a short distance to a
flat plat platform which exits the entrance area through a (now open)
doorway.

Middle Area:

The middle area of the fire caves consists of an
entrance to far area of the fire caves (found to the right once you
enter the middle area), and the lava hallway (found forward and down,
once you enter the middle area).  The lava hallway starts in a
large lava filled pit directly past the entrance to the middle
area. 



Step down and forward and turn right along a natural staircase leading
down to the lava.  Forward and left is a shrine, which can be
reached by jumping from stepping stones in the lava.  The end of
the stepping stones; the entrance to the shrine, is blocked by a locked
door.  A rogue can unlock this door and open it.  This shrine
is perilous to use because of the lava jumping that needs to be used to
reach it. 



href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red&id=Fire_Caves_Lava_Hallway_Start&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Start of Lava Hallway"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red/Fire_Caves_Lava_Hallway_Start.sized.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 188px;" align="left">
size="-1">Often, death at low levels is caused by the necessary
movement around lava, and it is a good idea to have a single rogue with
fire protection or resistance, unlock and open this door, so ghosts can
later run into it without anyone who wishes to avoid this shrine
(because they don't need it) having to go to and unlock this door.



Forward and to the right from the lava pit
leads to the lava hallway proper.  This hallway leads forward to
an intersection, where one sees a large fire elemental.  Right and
left in this hallway are levers which must be pulled to continue to the
far area of the fire caves.  Forward past the fire elemental is
another lava pit is present, requiring jumping to cross.  On the
far side of the pit is another altar to khyer which must be
destroyed.   Behind this altar is a chest.  Once the
chest is looted and the 2nd altar destroyed, return to the top of the
lava pit and prepare for the last portion of the quest.  A narrow
path leads around the lava pit toward a doorway, and there are ogres
there.  Kill the ogres and continue.

Final Area:

The final area of the Fire Caves is a set of
three hallways.  The short winding tunnel to this intersection of
hallways has two ogres.  One hallway leads to the right to a locked
size="-1"> shrine.  Best to open this now, to have available
later.  One leads straight ahead to a lower platform.  Some
ogres are found on the way there, best to simply go this way after
opening the shrine.  The lower platform is on a ledge just above
another  lake of lava, with a shrine to Khyber on it.  This
Is the third shrine to Khyber, and must be destroyed.  If you
should be unfortunate enough to drop into the lava (and survive) you
can reach this ledge by swimming to a low stone series of steps which
return to this altar from below, allowing you to return to the
intersection.  The left tunnel from the intersection leadsdown to
another series of natural stone bridges crossing a gigantic lava
chamber (the same one mentioned in the previous paragraph).  A
single hell hound is in this hallway.



An href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=36">ogre
is directly ahead of you when you enter this chamber.  It is
important to watch your feet here, the path to the ogre is broken size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red&id=Fire_Caves_Second_Chamber&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Second Lava Chamber"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/Fire-Caves%3A-Stones-Run-Red/Fire_Caves_Second_Chamber.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 188px;" align="right">
size="-1"> with a gap in the stone, and if you charge the ogre, you
are going to end up swimming in lava.  Instead it is better
mesmerize or otherwise prevent the ogre from acting, then make your way
to the ogre, jumping over the gap in the stone, then beat the ogre once
you are sure of your footing.  A second ogre is on the immedeate
right after emerging from the hallway leading to this chamber, who can
be reached with a short run along the side of chamber.



After you kill these ogres, on the opposite side of this chamber,
across a bridge of stone, is a platform with the ogre shaman,
Mak-Murung.  Mak-Murung is not particularly hard to kill, mainly
casting sound burst,  but reaching Mak-Murung is difficult.



The bridge of stone drops to a round platform, and the footing around
this platform is very perilous.  On the far side of the platform
are steps lead up to the wide ledge which Mak-Murung is standing, and
if you are careful you can reach the platform without swimming in
lava. 



Once Mak-Murung is defeated, you can loot a chest found on the ledge
and exit.  If you wish to exit by foot rather than using the
“finished” button, on the left of the ledge (facing out into the lava
chamber) you can climb a series of steps which leads to a cave at the
very top of the fire caves, this cave having a rope leading to the
surface and back to Idas.

Advancing this quest chain: 

The fire caves quest chain can be advanced by
speaking to Idas.  This lets you continue to the Fire Caves: Brood
of Flame quest.




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Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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