Q: Brood of Flame

Tags: in

Updated Fri, Feb 13, 2009 by Darkgolem

The Fire Caves: The Brood of Flame

By Darkgolem

The Second Fire Caves quest, Brood of Flame, is an excellent quest, and the first "fire creature" quest found that players experience with their characters at lower levels. Set in Three Barrel Cove, it is a follow up to the quest "The Stones Run Red" The Brood of Flame is the second of the Fire Caves quest chain, the heroes returning to the fire caves after defeating high shaman Mak-Murung, who worshipped the legendary dragon below, Khyber. Mak-Murung had summoned some fire creatures before being dispatched by the heroes, and now the fire creatures are summoning more of their kind from the plane of fire, Fernia.

Replete with creatures of fire, fire resistance (and perhaps protection) is a must in this quest. Not only are the fire caves awash with mephits, hell hounds and fire elementals, the majority of the caves have narrow walkways in many places, most placed above lakes of lava. Beautiful, but deadly.

Again, it's very good to have a rogue, for the only shrines in this quest have locked doors barring them (though who exactly it is that walked back into the caves and locked them since the heroes last left is an interesting question). Jump is useful, because there are areas where jumping from stepping stones over lava; and up ledges and similar obstructions, is nescessary. An organized party that thinks before it moves is the most important ingredient for success here, the foolhardy almost always die a hot, burning death, usually bringing their companions with them.

Starting Npc:	Idas
Quest Zone:	The Fire Caves
Related Zones:	Three Barrel Cove
Level:	5
Monsters:	Fire Mephits, Greater Fire Mephits, Large Fire Elementals, Hell Hounds
Named/Boss Monsters:	None
Bonus Objectives:	Slay 20 Fire Mephits
Possible Reward Items:	3 Chests
Walk-Through	Entrance Area: 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 5 fire mephits here, and note they are hard to see because they are sneaky. 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 a large fire elemental which must be defeated, along with a few fire mephits. The fire elemental uses fireball, and because of the narrow opening at the top of trecherous steps, it can be very difficult to win this combat without cautious planning. After defeating the fire creatures, pull the switch on the far side of the room. Proceed through the opening near this switch up to another room. Once in this room, look 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 the 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. 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. Unfortunately, these side hallways have fire mephits, who will attack when the fire elemental does, leading to a very fiery encounter. Be prepared by placing a warrior or two with fire protections in front, and have the remaining party behind providing ranged support and healing. Past the elementals and mephits, after flipping the two switches, is a lava chamber. Out of sight in the lava chamber is a second chest. Afterwards, return back to the top of the lava area and prepare for the last portion of the quest. Two elementals down, one to go. 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 four hell hounds. One hallway leads to the right to a locked shrine. Best to open this now, to have available later. One leads straight ahead to a lower platform. Several mephits, including greater fire mephits, are found in the hallway leading to this platform, along with some more hell hounds. Similar tactics as used before for these creatures work well enough, often pulling them back to the doorway at the intersection closes them up into close enough an area to use area spells. The platform, above a lake of lava, at the end of the hallway has the last large fire elemental, and again beware it's fireballs. 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 leads down 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. This large chamber is empty aside from a few fire mephits. Upon defeating them, cross (carefully) to the far side of the chamber to reach a chest (in the first quest, this is the location you found the high shaman). Remember to watch your footing, some of the pathways are narrow and have gaps leading to a death in lava without protections if your not cautious. On the far ledge, a way leads up (with jumping) to an exit, if you should chose to use that method rather than just finishing out.