style="color: rgb(154, 185, 124);">Quest Guide: Assault on
Splinterskull

Quests 7
and 8: Doom of the Witch Doctor; The Way of Zulkash and Zulkash, Herald
of Woe

style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">By
Darkgolem





These two quests lead to the death of the great witch doctor of the
Splinterskull tribe, Zulkash.  In the first quest, the heroes
simply must reach the inner fortress, fighting their way past
hobgoblins and spiders.  The second quest is slightly more
involved.  They must fight their way past many hobgoblin slayers,
infiltrators and witch doctors, solve a (moderately easy) puzzle, and
defeat Zulkash and his minions.



During the first quest, the heroes meet more of the spawn of
Whisperdoom, otherwise nothing is changed from previous quests. 
The second has a interesting optional quest involving a lot of
swimming, mostly underwater, and some rather dangerous earth elementals.

cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="font-family: tahoma;">Starting Npc:
style="font-family: tahoma;">Chief Ungurz
style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Quest
Zone:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Outer Splinterskull
Fortress

style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Related Zones:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Tangleroot Gorge; House
Phiarlan

style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Level:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">6 (both)

style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Monsters:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Brown Spider Prince,
Black Widow, Hobgoblin Infiltrator, Hobgoblin Cleric,
Hobgoblin Slayer, Darkfang spider, Night
Scorpion, Worg, Grey Ooze, Hobgoblin Witch Doctor, Glass Spider, Baby
Glass Spider Soldier, Dread Zombie, Large Earth Elemental

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Named
Bosses
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1"> size="-1">Zulkash
style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Bonus
Objectives:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> size="-1">Slay 9 Glass Spiders (The
Way of Zulkash)

Find the way to the elemental's cave (Zulkash, Herald of Woe)

Slay large earth elemental (Zulkash, Herald of Woe) style="font-family: tahoma;">

style="vertical-align: top; width: 20%; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Possible Reward Items:

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(220, 201, 125);"> size="-1">3 Chests (The Way of
Zulkash)

2 Chests (Zulkash, Herald of Woe)

style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> style="font-family: tahoma;">Walk-Through:

style="font-family: tahoma;"> size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">Quest 7: The Way of Zulkash size="-1"> size="-1"> size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">



The outer fortress of Splinterskull is not noteworthy compared to
previous quests, the three chests and enemies from " href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=415">The
Deadly Package" are the same, with one exception.  There are
now 9 glass spiders found throughout the fortress.  The spiders
are both less and more dangerous than other types.



They are hard to see, being clear, and will surprise those with poor
observation skills.  Furthermore, the glass spiders lay eggs about
half the time before attacking.   style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album32&id=map7&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Map of Outer Fortress"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album32/map7.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 214px;" align="right"> size="-1"> These eggs are poisonous
if damaged, so they are best dispatched from range.  Furthermore,
these eggs will hatch baby glass spider soldiers, which, while not
dangerous, can overwhelm heroes who don't pay attention.



When exiting the great hall and entering the circular hall (the cave
portion) you will meet your first glass spiders.  The other glass
spiders are found in side caves along the outside of the ring, along
with normal spiders (brown princes and black widows), and in one odd
grouping, with a few worgs.



After killing the spiders (if you should so choose to do so, it being
optional) simply enter the inner fortress.  Note there are more
glass spiders in the hallway beyond the gate, leading into the inner
fortress.




Quest 8: Zulkash, Herald of Woe



Upon entering the inner fortress. you should immediately prepare fire
protections.. in the future you will be style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album32&id=map_8&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Map of Inner Fortress"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album32/map_8.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 248px;" align="left"> size="-1">meeting hobgoblin witch
doctors. who love to use scorching ray, along with other spells such as
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=71">ray
of enfeeblement.  Directly ahead is the drawbridge seen in the
" href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=415">Agent
of the Darghull", now down.  You will meet hobgoblin slayers,
infiltrators and witch doctors here.  Beyond the bridge you will
find a short hallway leading to a doorway, beyond which, directly
ahead, are further hobgoblins, and further more to your east, a short
distance away (so be careful of attacks from your flanks).



Head east into the room where you previously saw the flesh
render.  This room will be reoccupied by worgs and some
hobgoblins.  Continuing past this room, you enter a long hallway,
shaped like a rectangle, with large colored wheels in each
corner.  There are hobgoblin patrols made up of infiltrators,
slayers and witch doctors near each wheel.  The eastern side of
this hall has a shrine and a entrance to a larger chamber, the entrance
blocked by a force wall.  To remove the wall, you must turn the
wheels at the corners of the hallway to the matching symbols found on
markers next to the force wall.  The pink wheel must match the
pink markers symbol, and so on.



Once the wheels all match the appropriate symbol, simply rest in the
shrine, and prepare resistance to fire, and enter the size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=album32&id=Symbols&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="The Force Wall"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album32/Symbols.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 186px;" align="right"> size="-1"> large chamber. 
This room contains the Zulkash, two dread zombies (essentially touch
zombies who can explode for acid damage), several hobgoblin slayers,
and two hobgoblin witch doctors (out of easy reach on platforms in the
sides of the room).  The best way to win this combat is to draw
your opponents out of the room, then re enter the room to dispatch the
witch doctors and any who did not follow.  Upon defeating Zulkash
you will note a key and two water breathing potions on the floor. 
You will need these to complete the optional quest mentioned later.



This chamber has a large dais in the center, with a totem and a chest
at it's apex.  Simply hack the totem to pieces, and, assuming
Zulkash is dead, you will have completed the quest.



Zulkash has a further chest in the complex, which can now be reached
with skillful style="font-family: tahoma;"> style="font-family: tahoma;">swimming and the key you have found. size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=album32&id=Totem&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="The Chamber of Zulkash"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album32/Totem.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 186px;" align="left"> size="-1">   Back at the
bridge inside the entrance to the inner fortress, on the east side of
the entrance, in the underground river, is a gate.  The key found
upon Zulkash's body unlocks this gate.  The river leads past the
gate, through a long underwater passage, to a large water filled cavern
pockmarked with small islands.  Note that the underwater passage
is very long, and should only be attempted by adventurers who are very
good at swimming or have the ability to breath water.



The water filled cavern has a large central island of stone, with a
chest.  The chest is locked, but if picked and opened, will yield
a fair treasure (for the quests level).  However, upon opening the
chest, three large earth elementals will rise from the ground of the
island and attack.  Upon defeating them you will have completed
this side quest.

Comment about this article at the
Ten Ton Hammer forums, href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=3392">here!
style="font-family: tahoma;">
Like to read our other quest
guides?  Read them href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=153">here!