The Crucible

The Crucible serves as a deadly and dangerous proving ground for aspirants of the Storm's Fist. {{Quest
 * name     = The Crucible
 * adpack=Ruins of Gianthold
 * level    = 14
 * epic     = 24
 * duration = Very Long
 * solo     = 6257
 * normal   = 10898
 * hard     = 11368
 * elite    = 11837
 * ecasual  = 26288
 * enormal  = 45175
 * ehard    = 46535
 * eelite   = 47895
 * loc      = The Crucible
 * bestower = Walk-Up
 * npc      = Darsak
 * zone     = Ruins of Gianthold
 * patron   = Agents of Argonnessen
 * favor    = 8
 * free     = no
 * mappic   = M crucible.png
 * maplegend = yes


 * thirdmap = yes
 * mappic3  = M crucible maze.png
 * map 3 alt = Maze details. Crests and sockets are randomized !
 * fourthmap = yes
 * mappic4  = The Crucible.jpg
 * map 4 alt = Path to quest entrance


 * loadingpic= L Crucible.jpg


 * overview = An ancient structure among the Ruins of Gianthold. The monstrous clans of Orcs, Gnolls, and Hobgoblins know it as "The Crucible". Explore the ruins and learn what lies inside.


 * Reaching Hobgoblin Encampment Entrance automatically bestows quest.
 * This quest needs at least two players or a hireling to solve the maze.

| objective_1  = Speak to Jorgundal, commander of the Storm's Fist | objective_2  = Speak to the champions, then return to Jorgundal | objective_3  = Find the Horn of Cunning | objective_4  = Find the Horn of Agility | objective_5  = Find the Horn of Instinct | objective_6  = Find the Horn of Endurance | objective_7  = Fight your way to the Arena of Power | objective_8  = Defeat the Storm's Fist champions in the Arena | objective_9  = Speak to Jorgundal about joining the Storm's Fist Horde | optional_1   = Convince Vrall the Fearless to betray Harza Ghost-Waker | optional_2   = Get the sabotaged map from Daggertooth | optional_3   = Give the sabotaged map to Gorn Gut-Chewer | optional_4   = Trick Daggertooth into searching for the poisoned treasure | optional_5   = Bribe the kobold gatekeeper to 'lose' Daggertooth's armor


 * expect=
 * Collapsible floors
 * Overlapping floors
 * Maze (fixed layout)
 * Spawning/respawning monsters
 * Puzzle (mandatory: puzzle wheels)
 * traps= Trap DC
 * Multi-elemental triggered when you pick up the Horn of Cunning (Can be disabled)
 * Huge amount of mechanical traps to test you in the Trial of Agility (Cannot be disabled)
 * Spinning blade traps, spikes and acid blasts to kill you if you fail the Test of Instinct (Cannot be disabled)
 * Spike traps to impale you if you perform poorly in the Test of Endurance (Cannot be disabled)


 * misc = A good group for this quest includes a character with Evasion and high reflex save, characters with high intimidate and diplomacy and a character with low wisdom.
 * Talk to the Champions: (Skill DC table)
 * Daggertooth (gnoll) requires Diplomacy and gives you a map. This map is false and will send you through a false path after the test of agility, dropping you to your death. You can give this false map to Gorn.
 * Vrall the Fearless (hobgoblin) also requires Diplomacy to convince him that the hobgoblins don't need two leaders. If you succeed, you'll find Harza beaten up by the test of instinct. If you fail, you have to fight them both in the arena.
 * Gorn Gut-Chewer (orc) can be tricked to take Daggertooth's map, forcing his army to misstep and drop all the false floor in the path after the test of agility. An Intimidate check grants you information on a cursed treasure in the underwater tunnel.
 * Daggertooth, can then be tricked via Bluff to tell his gnolls to check the cursed treasure that holds the Gold Key. If you succeed, the gnolls guarding the Horn of Endurance will drop the key once defeated. If you fail, the key will still be on the treasure, forcing you to take the curse to get a hold on the key.


 * Test of Cunning: This is a very confusing maze with three valves controlling doors. This is made worse by the mobs on top of the walls tossing spells down at you. If you kill the pesky Gnoll Archers when in the lower maze most of them will be replaced by Gnoll Casters (Windlasher Elementalists). The Horn of Cunning is in the central room, you will need to find 3 crests ({{Item|Crest of the Bat|Bat}}, {{Item|Crest of the Scorpion|Scorpion}} and {{Item|Crest of the Snake|Snake}}) and put them in sockets in order to open the gates. The three crests are randomly distributed at the three locations and so are the sockets.Be aware, the floor will collapse when you pickup the horn.
 * Quick path using a minor bug:
 * This works with any regular party or with a hireling.
 * Go to the I valve and use it. Fetch the eastern crest.
 * Have one stand at the I valve and go past the northern I door.
 * Have the I valve used. Fetch the northern crest.
 * Get back out and have the I valve used.
 * Go to I valve and use it. Go to K valve and have one stand here.
 * Check if you have the crest for the western socket.
 * Go past the next K door and have the K valve used.
 * Go past the now open K door and have the K valve used again. Fetch the western crest.
 * Go back out and have the K valve used.
 * If you haven't placed the crest in the western socket, do it now.
 * Go to the I valve and use it.
 * The northern socket can be used through the wall. Place the crest here.
 * Place the crest in the eastern socket. The gates open.
 * If possible disarm the traps, fetch the Horn of Cunning and leave through north exit.


 * Test of Agility: This is a timed run. One person should stay outside and pull the lever. The second person enters, must run through 2 rooms filled with traps, and pass the door in the second room before the white light goes out. Once you make it, wait for door to close before taking the Horn of Agility to prevent a condition where you are trapped. Evasion makes it easier but this can be done by any class, with good twitch skills. A shrine is available at this point.
 * Tip: Target the horn, then jump and hit E to pick it up in mid air to avoid the initial traps.
 * If the test is failed: All players inside must exit for it to reset.
 * Only the player who is making the run should enter. The rest should wait outside near the switch.
 * If you are too quick, you can lock yourself inside the room with the horn, as picking it up will toggle the door, and thus close it if it is still open. To avoid this lock-in, a Lever to the left of the door has been added that opens it.


 * Bribe the kobold gatekeeper to 'lose' Daggertooth's armor
 * You might have to click on the Kobold Grotz a few times before his actual interactive version dialogue window appears.
 * Requires diplomacy and 100 platinum


 * Cracking down path: The floor through this hallway will collapse in sections as you move through it. A Kobold will show you the way when you've successfully gotten the map at the beginning, making this much easier. You must allow him to approach the path before any players do for this to work. You will also need to fight some orcs on the way.


 * Test of Instinct: Horn of Instinct is inside 1 of the 6 doors. The doors are numbered, clockwise, from the left as you enter (the numbers are written in Roman numerals on the floor in front of each door). The Tome at the center will give you hints, according to your wisdom score.
 * If you guess the wrong door, there are many traps (cold, fire, pierce, slash, poison)
 * Note that the hints specify which doors not to open. The hints don't specifically say which door is safe, they just eliminate unsafe doors. Keep reading and you'll get up to three hints.
 * You may need to click the Tome of Instinct three separate times before each time you open a door; to ensure up to: 3 separate hints appear across the screen.
 * Here are three hints given to a high wisdom character:
 *  You sense that the fifth door hides death. (This eliminates door #5)
 *  You sense that the doors nearest the book hide death. (This eliminates door #2 and #5)
 *  You sense that the odd-numbered doors hide death. (This eliminates door #1, #3 and #5)
 * So only door #4 and #6 are possible, you're left with a 50/50 choice at this point
 * Further attempts to read the book don't give more clues, just the message You develop no further intuitions regarding the doors
 * One method is to get a member with lowest wisdom (usually classes like fighter) and have him/her read the tome. Do the OPPOSITE of what the book hints, as The lowest WIS score gets a false hint, the other party members get a truthful one
 * All are false so door #3 was the correct door:
 * You sense that the third door hides death. (if false means door 3 is safe)
 * You sense that the doors nearest the exit hide death. (if false means 3 or 4 is safe)
 * You sense that the right-hand doors hide death. (if false means 1, 2, or 3 is safe)
 * Wisdom checks:
 * {{Xpcolors|solo=40|normal=33|elite=21}} Wisdom gave Correct hints
 * {{Xpcolors|solo=??|normal=17|elite=15}} Wisdom gave False hints


 * Upper area of the maze: You will have to clear the gnoll casters before you can do anything here (watch out for their Sleet Storm!). Once the room is clear, one player should go to the lever in southeast corner, the rest of the party should go to the colored wheels in the other corners (Red, Blue, Green). Once the party is ready, the first player should pull the lever, and the bank of six (signal crystal) gems above the runes will light up (Red, Blue, Green). The wheels at each corner of the room will need to be set to the rune under its color. This must be completed before the runes reset. At least on normal, one player can run and set the wheels if they run fast. You have about 30 seconds before the door checks to see if all 3 wheels are correct.
 * All the Puzzle wheels in the room will be default set at the "F" rune position (left most rune symbol of the six). When the southeast lever is pulled, count from the left to where the colored light is, then subtract one that's how many clicks the matching colored wheel needs to make. When all the wheels match the runes at the southwest lever, the gate opens''.
 * If all Wheels are set to "F" prior to your lever pull and shows a light at position 0, it means you'll only need to run to turn two wheels.
 * The message: "Your hear the creaking of old clockwork from somewhere above the Maze of Cunning" means you've failed to get the correct combination in time and need to retry. The success message: "As the puzzle wheel clicks into place, a loud gear grinds in the southeast corner of the room. The path forward is open".
 * Note: If you fail any pull, the Puzzle Wheels do not return to their default positions. Therefore if you want to re-attempt the count: 0-6 method rather than trying to match symbols, you have to turn ALL wheels into their default position "F" yourself before repulling the lever to show a new set of lighted gems for the 0-6 position formula to workout correctly.
 * Theoretically if you already knew a specific random light combination that 100% works, i.e. using positions 0-6: 0 (unlit), 1 (Blue), 2 (Red), 3 (Green), 4-6 (unlit). You could turn the wheels to match that exact configuration and just repeatedly pull the lever until the lights eventually matched. It'd maybe take a dozen attempts or more though before the wheels match that light combination but you wouldn't have to do tricky timed running and jumping.
 * Jumping Potions, Haste Potions and Expeditious Retreat might help if you Character is rather slow at moving.


 * Test of Endurance: You have to swim through an underwater tunnel filled with spikes. The Horn of Endurance and a key for a locked chest is guarded by a group of gnolls. Letting a rogue or caster type solo/duo this is a typical strategy (sneak past them or hypnotize them and leave). There is a stuck point to the right of the gnolls which you don't want to jump into. This part is great with a strong swimmer, there are many spikes and very difficult. You can also Dimension Door out if you're a mage-type after you get the horn.
 * Underwater Water-flow Control Valve: Underwater, in the river you have to pass through to get to the Test of Agility, in the southwest corner there is in a small alcove, (behind some stone pillars) with a valve. Using this valve stops the flow of water making the swim through an underwater tunnel easier for the swimmers during the Test of Endurance. The valve resets every ~10 seconds, stationing a party member there is required to monitor and use the valve again when the water flow starts. Using the valve can make the Test of Endurance more manageable if your party is having trouble with the swim. Caution: If the party member misses the opening to the valve they may be sucked to their death by the giant fan which controls the water flow.
 * The treasure key (Gold Key) is in the "Glittering Treasure" pile (if you failed to successfully Bluff Daggertooth prior). It is trapped as well with: "Cursed Contact Poison", a combination of Supernatural (Curse and Poison) effect, so be prepared to neutralize both effects (Curse Removal and Neutralize Poison potions work nicely).
 * At the T-junction near the northern end of the swim, there is a lever on the right. Pulling it briefly opens the (east) wall behind the fan to the North-east of the lever. Inside is a locked (as least on Heroic Elite, Update 45) chest that requires the: Gold Key.
 * Extended Merfolk's Blessing and Water Breathing will last the length of the swim.


 * Fight them in the Arena: There are a lot of ambushing mobs on the way to the arena. Don't use charm spells, as clearing them all is required. (Or use charm spells and dispel charms one at a time). Then shrine up, go in the arena, firewall bosses, pickup the keys for the chests, then talk to the giant to get credit.

Solo Notes

 * This quest can be soloed with a hireling. If you know how to navigate the maze, have the hireling hold ground at each lever and set them to Passive stance to prevent them from running around and attacking the Windlashers above. Important: Make sure Auto-targeting is disabled or you can easily trap yourself behind the doors! Keep each switch you need to turn selected and order the hireling to turn it. You will have to pick up the crests manually using the mouse. Make sure your final exit path is clear using the map or you will trap yourself in.
 * The level 11 fighter hireling, Mikayl the Pious, can use Dimension Door twice per rest, giving you more leeway if you make a mistake and get trapped.
 * If you die during the swim, you can call your hireling to you. The cleric and FvS hirelings are able to raise you underwater. Its also possible Hirelings don't take damage from the underwater spikes.

Trivia / History
The last objective and the related dialog with Jorgundal still tell that flagging for The Reaver's Fate worked different prior to U17.

Named Monsters: }}
 * tamper          = 2
 * mischief        = 119
 * vandal          = 155
 * ransack         = 190
 * chest=5
 * 1 in the North-east corner of the maze
 * 1 locked in an underwater cave (opened by key only, the key is found near the Horn of Endurance, in an adjacent cave)
 * 3 at the end
 * npcreward=Standard, Select from 10, Up to 13 level accessories, up to 12 level weapons and armors.
 * unique=yes
 * monsters= Monster Information
 * Arzag-Khor Loremasters
 * Arzag-Khor Shamans
 * Cloven-Jaw Veterans
 * Cloven-Jaw Warlords
 * Windlasher Elementalists
 * Windlasher Pack Lords
 * Windlasher Rippers
 * Windlasher Runners
 * Windlasher Soul Howlers
 * Wyrm Cult Eviscerators
 * Wyrm Cult Heresiarchs
 * Wyrm Cult Impalers
 * Wyrm Cult Sacrificers
 * Daggertooth - Red-named gnoll; end boss
 * Gorn Gut-Chewer - Red-named orc; end boss
 * Harza Ghost-Waker - Red-named hobgoblin; end boss
 * Vrall the Fearless - Red-named hobgoblin; end boss