Heart of the Shiverpeaks (quest)

Travel into the Heart of the Shiverpeaks to retrieve the Hammer of the Great Dwarf.

Objectives

 * Meet Budger Blackpowder inside the Heart of the Shiverpeaks.
 * Retrieve the Hammer of the Great Dwarf from deep within the mountain caverns.
 * Use Dwarven powder kegs to remove obstacles.
 * Slay Cyndr the Mountain Heart.
 * See Jalis Ironhammer for your reward.

Reward

 * 2000 Experience
 * 250 Dwarven reputation points

Walkthrough
You will need to travel through three levels of the dungeon, blasting through cracked walls along the way with powder kegs from Budger Blackpowder. Once you reach the dungeon boss, Cyndr the Mountain Heart, use kegs to damage its carapace so that you can finish him off.

After defeating Cyndr, the Mountain Heart Chest will spawn. It contains one item for every party member. A timer will start, leaving you three minutes to manage your inventory and pick up that item.

Getting to Heart of the Shiverpeaks
Start from Eye of the North (outpost). Follow the quest map and go directly west to find the portal to Battledepths. After entering, go east and then north. Turn north and head west. Follow the northernmost path as far as you can. You'll find an encampment of dwarves. Talk to King Jalis Ironhammer (point K on the quest map) to obtain the quest. Turn southeast and head towards the stairs to the Heart of the Shiverpeaks. An additional entry to Level 1 of the Heart of the Shiverpeaks dungeon can be found in Level 1 of the Bogroot Growths dungeon. Once the quest has been obtained, either entrance can be used.

Level 1
You can take either the red or blue path shown on the Level 1 map to find Budger Blackpowder.

Red path: This path is safer, easier and can be done with heroes.

Blue path: This is the harder path. If taking this, be sure to pull enemies when possible to avoid aggroing too many enemies. This path has many Skeleton Wizards which use Blinding Surge.

The green dots on the map indicate Budger's possible spawn points. Once you meet him, he will follow you through the rest of the dungeon. As you travel southeast, your path will end in front of a Cracked Wall. It looks somewhat like a stone wall covered with glowing white spider webs. When you reach this point, talk to Budger to receive an explosive powder keg. Drop the keg in front of the wall to destroy it and clear the path.

Continue walking southeast and take the portal to Level 2.

Level 2
Stay alongside the western wall and travel north, following the path outlined on the Level 2 map.

Watch for oncoming enemies on your compass. With many of the groups, you can move to the side, pause, and wait for them to travel out of aggro range to avoid them alltogether. Continue north dispatching any groups of enemies that cannot be avoided.

Minion masters should note that Skelk Corrupters use Verata's Aura which will cause your animated undead servants to be bound to the Skelk.

Once you reach the portal, you will encounter a final group of Skelk guarding it. Defeat them and take the portal to Level 3, home of the dungeon boss.

Level 3
This is the final level. There is an Area Map next to the entrance of this level which reveals the locations of the two Cracked Walls and the boss of the dungeon, Cyndr the Mountain Heart. Getting to the final battle is pretty straightforward. You will face some Aggressive Oozes, Flowstone Elementals, Magma Blisters and a pair of fire elementals, but an organized party should not have any difficulties with them.

While protected by "Mountain Heart Carapace," Cyndr is immune to all direct attacks and hex spells. This defense can be weakened by dropping powder kegs close to him. Three kegs temporarily take down the armor. Additional blasts deal about 50 points of damage. Life stealing and life transferring, such as Grenth's Balance, can get past his armor. Attack Cyndr quickly to take him down to complete the quest.

One tactic is to lure Cyndr close to the entrance and use life stealing skills, and so bypassing his carapace while also having protection from his attacks due to a wall. You'll need to take your party away from the entrance so that he'll be lured closer. Using the above tactic it is possible to defeat Cyndr using only the skills Apply Poison, and Barbed Signet or Vampiric Gaze. This allows you to defeat him easily with only one or two members of your party. When facing Cyndr the following skills are highly useful: Ward Against Elements and Ward Against Harm. Monks should maintain Protective Spirit on the runner(s)who should have some speed boost skill.

You can either Map travel back to Eye of the North and follow the initial quest map to King Jalis once again to receive your reward, or wait until the timer runs out and be teleported back to the battledepths.

Allies
Dwarf
 * 20 Budger Blackpowder

Boss-like Foes
Wurm
 * 29 Cyndr the Mountain Heart

Initial dialogue
''The moment of Dwarven destiny is almost at hand. We know the location of the Great Destroyer and must now seek the power and guidance of the Great Dwarf. For that, we will need the Hammer of the Great Dwarf, an ancient and powerful relic hidden deep within the mountains themselves.''
 * Jalis Ironhammer

''Its exact location has remained hidden for centuries, known only to a single member of the Blackpowder clan and handed down from generation to generation. Budger Blackpowder is the last of his lineage. Only he can lead ye to it. Find him in the Heart of the Shiverpeaks. Without yer help, we Dwarves will be forced to face our destiny alone.''

Intermediate dialogue

 * Budger Blackpowder (Heart of the Shiverpeaks): Come friends, drink with the last Blackpowder before we depart. The trek through the Heart of the Shiverpeaks will be interesting. And by that, I mean "dangerous." We Blackpowders have sworn a blood oath to protect the secret until the day the Hammer was needed...and my ancestors took that oath mighty serious. So, drink up, for today we may die honorably.

Upon reaching the cracked wall in Heart of the Shiverpeaks: Level 3
 * Budger Blackpowder: "Another obstacle built by Blackpowder hands... an opportune time for a show. Use the powder keg and blast away."

Upon entering the final chamber
 * Budger Blackpowder: "Behold! The Hammer of the Great Dwarf! Now Jalis can work the Rite of the Great Dwarf, and we can drive those Destroyers back to where the sun don't shine! Grab it and we'll be..."
 * Budger Blackpowder: "By the foul breath of Balthazar! It's Cyndr the Mountain Heart! This beast won't stop us from retrieving the hammer!"
 * Budger Blackpowder: "Cyndr's thick carapace protects him, but don't let up your attacks! A few blasts from my extra-special powder kegs will break him but good!"

After breaking through Cyndr's carapace (repeated each time the Carapace is broken)
 * Budger Blackpowder: "Har! Not even the infamous Mountain Heart can stand up Blackpowder's recipe. Now's our chance. Hit him with all you've got!"

After defeating Cyndr
 * Budger Blackpowder: "Ye've done it! I can't wait to tell the boys at the tavern about this. Truly, an epic battle!"

Reward dialogue

 * Jalis Ironhammer: You defeated Cyndr the Mountain Heart? Incredible! The entire Dwarven race owes you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. With the Hammer of the Great Dwarf in hand, we can fulfill our destiny. The Dwarves shall be transformed, forevermore! We will become living weapons who exist solely to defeat our ancestral foe.