Enter the Kobold

{{Quest In order to breach the defenses protecting Sor'jek's hidden fortress, Khiin of Argonessen asked you to retrieve Khyber Dragonshard Essence. It's located deep within Mount Reysalon and Khiin created a portal for you to travel there. | quest text = A tribe of kobolds have taken residence in this sulfurous mine. They are known for their unusual size and ferocity. | objective_1 = Speak with Bezeek, kobold chief | objective_2 = Find the Great Kobold | objective_3 = Survive the assault | objective_4 = Clear the kobold nest | objective_5 = Survive the kobold gauntlet | objective_6 = Slay Desaga, kobold leader | objective_7 = Slay Pyripnon | objective_8 = Acquire the Khyber Dragonshard Essence | optional_1 = Slay the frenzied fire elemental | opt_percent_1 = 10 | optional_2 = Slay tainted kobolds | opt_percent_2 = 25 | optional_3 = Clear the kobold nest | opt_percent_3 = 20
 * name      = Enter the Kobold
 * adpack=The Reaver's Reach
 * level     = 17
 * duration  = very long
 * solo      = 5099
 * normal    = 8835
 * hard      = 9172
 * elite     = 9508
 * loc       = Volcanic Mine
 * npc       = Khiin
 * zone      = Reaver's Refuge
 * patron    = Agents of Argonnessen
 * favor     = 8
 * mappic    = M enter the kobold.png
 * maplegend = yes
 * loadingpic = L Enter the Kobold.jpg
 * overview  =
 * expect=
 * Traps (fixed, undisarmable)
 * Collapsible floor
 * Point of no return
 * Overlapping floors
 * Maze (fixed layout)
 * Spawning/respawning monsters
 * Puzzle (mandatory: Knight's Tour puzzle)
 * traps=Spikes, falling floor
 * misc=
 * Useful buffs: Blur/Displacement, Fire Resistance, Fire Shield: Cold, and anything else that can lessen incoming fire damage (especially important for end-fight, where you might even do need to do some lava dancing to chase the bosses).
 * You will meet fire elementals and mephits; cold-based weapons/attacks are helpful.
 * There are places where the map appears to offer several choices - it does not, just follow the path forward.
 * Go left (west) first, and Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate the NPC Kobold there - or just kill him - and get the key that leads east.
 * If you do not kill him, there is no combat until at least the first large room.
 * The second large room may seem like a maze - it's not, just push north.
 * Just past that shrine is a fence - you can jump over it in either direction, but you need to fight your way to the top, past the shrine (and chest), to the iron key and a lever - and you'll find another lever to drop that fence.
 * As you travel south again, beware the collapsing floor - jump to the right, you'll be fine.
 * One person (only!) solve the puzzle - all others wait, then cross (see below!). Once solved(!), go for the chest if you want.
 * The second to last rest shrine is temporary. It lasts about 3-5 minutes before disappearing.  If you are fast you can kill the kobolds up the ramp and around the lever before using it.  Also, it is actually a pair of rest shrines, and you can use them both even on Hard or Elite difficulty.

The Puzzle

 * The kobold gauntlet puzzle is based on a mathematical problem called Knight's Tour (or Warnsdorff's Algorithm). You move like a knight in chess - 2 left/right and 1 up/down, or 2 up/down and 1 left/right.
 * See if you are interested in the puzzle itself.


 * The maps below outline where you will end up when stepping on squares.
 * The point of this puzzle is to turn all the lights on in the cages. Be careful when you move. You may accidentally turn a light off necessitating you go back. If you are in a room with an unlit light, jump once to turn it on. You need to turn ALL the lights on.
 * You always land in a room facing West.
 * The letters "a/b" and "s/t" are not "rooms", but do have floor tiles that need to be lit, and have teleportation gems to take you to other rooms.
 * The chest does not appear (in "J") until you solve the puzzle. Once solved (the DM will tell you), the lights stay on, so only then is it safe for the party to cross, and/or get the chest.
 * For a solution try the following Chain:
 *  g e n p i r l c i k q j d m f h o m t 
 * The rest of the party can take i k t to move through.
 * From s take the chain of l j for chest; take l s to proceed to the end fight.
 * Alternate description for puzzle solution: when entering a room, face West and consider the positions of the lights surrounding you as if they were the numbers on a clock, with "12 o'clock" in front of you - west. Since you're moving "diagonally" (as a knight in chess does) 12, 3, 6 & 9 o'clock will never be options.  Only 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 & 11 o'clock may be.
 * To follow the path above, after entering the puzzle through the center light, move 7, 4, 1, 8, 4, 11, 10, 5, 1, 5, 8, 11, 4, 8, 1, 2, 7 then 2 o'clock (with "12 o'clock" facing west).

End Fight

 * The end fight is very challenging. It's recommended that a party will leave one person at the last shrine as an emergency rescuer, to release the party back up from the cave below, or to try to collect stones in case everyone else is dead.
 * Solo tip: you can park a (gold seal) hireling at the valve to let you back up and prevent a failure in the event of your death.
 * One of the major challenges of the end fight comes from the Living Spells. If you can't nuke 'em down quickly, use Ooze Puppet to contain their threats.
 * Recommended tactic is for the melee to head straight for Desaga (the boss kobold), and pin him into the wall to quickly DPS him down, then head for the Efreeti and take him down fast as well. While this is being done, a caster type should get the living spell/mephit agro and either kill or charm them all. Especially important is targeting the living meteor swarm first, as that is by far the most dangerous foe. Done well, both bosses should be dead in under a minute, and all that will be left is the fire elementals, as the living spells will no longer respawn. You can then loot the chests and DDoor out without bothering to kill the fire elementals, as killing them provides no benefit and takes quite a long time.
 * Note that while Desaga will return with full health if he gets too close to the entrance, this is not the case for the fire elementals. Therefore another tactic is to first have the healer(s) in the entrance tunnel while the melee(s) carefully pull over the elementals and living spells (the boss won't be able to follow), though this tactic will take a long time and probably resources, since the fire elementals have massive amounts of hitpoints and the living spells deal very heavy damage. You'd most likely want to charm the spells if you choose to do it this way.
 * Living spells continue to respawn after the quest is over.


 * onslaught       = ~99
 * conquest        = 118
 * chest=5
 * 1 optional for killing the first Frenzied Fire Elemental
 * 1 optional for clearing the kobold nest
 * 1 in the gauntlet puzzle
 * 1 at the end for killing Desaga and Pyripnon (Paragon Kobold and Efreet)
 * This unlocked end chest contains the Khyber Dragonshard Essence - BtC on Acquire, this is one of the three essences needed to flag for Stealer of Souls - as well a random Eldritch Rune - BtC on Acquire. The Eldritch rune is likely but not guaranteed on casual.
 * 1 locked at the end (Lock DC)

}}
 * npcreward=Standard
 * unique=no