Halnir Cave

[toc] **Greetings Treasure Hunter!** This is a non-official in-depth guide of the legendary Halnir Cave (HC) Dungeon in Avendyr’s Pass (AVP) and in Black Rose Keep (BRK). The deeper you journey into this guide the more information is revealed! So, use the links on the right side wisely to unlock the specific information you're looking for. **NOTE:** All the following information’s are based on the PRE-EA seasons and experiences and will be updated during the EA.  ## Introduction *"What dangers lurk in a deep, dark cave? What mysteries and secrets are held within its walls? What creatures lie in wait, and what timeless artifacts of great power do they hold in their possession?"* *"Halnir Cave is an eclectic crawl, but like most caves its origin story is time, lots of time, and then some more time.* *The history of its occupants is less linear. At one point it was dominated by goblins, but they have yielded their territory to more aggressive and persistent foes. In fact, there are currently no Halnir Goblins still living in the cave, and it's fair to wonder why that is.* *Historically, Humans have had a waxing interest in Halnir due to its unsettling dangers and difficult terrain. Because of this Halnir has never been properly annexed by Thronefast, and they treat it like a back alley of forgotten folklore. Unless there is a significant outbreak from some of the malicious inhabitants the caves can fester quietly for centuries.* *There's a saying in the great city, "Halnir is near enough to fear, but not close enough to dread." Yet the residents of Avendyr's Pass, where the cave mouth begins, wouldn't be so bold.* *Despite a present day reluctance to conquer the cave, Halnir's namesake actually originated with Human exploration. In their search for resources after the Deicide War, Human scouts marked the cave system as "hall near", a reference to the once active goblin hall therein. Over time the description was shorthanded to "halnir", and was formalized as Halnir Cave in 652 IH."* *"Halnir has a great supply of forgotten corners and neglected nooks, as well as the aforementioned diversity of population."* *"You aren't moving through one occupant's territory, but several who each like to go about their business in relative isolation."* *"What's interesting about Halnir is the way the inhabitants of the cave have been influenced by Celestium."* *"Celestium crystals are a rare gem that can draw and store arcane energy over eons."* You *"can expect to encounter various forms of Celestium all across Terminus, primarily in caves like Halnir. It is a unique and useful mineral."*  ## Points of Interest **Drawn Ratkin’s Territory** *"Ratkin are one of the more ubiquitous races in the Western Hemisphere of Terminus. Nearly every continent has at least one colony, from Kinsgreach down to Whitethaw, with several having multiple colonies in multiple regions. As diverse as environments are, so are the types of Ratkin that inhabit them.* *Ratkin are experts at resourcefulness and survival. The race excels at acquisition of goods and materials, and has a reputation for bizarrely repurposing items pilfered from more developed civilizations. Here morality is curved for Ratkin, as stealing from other races is regarded more closely to harvesting than theft. Yet to take from another Ratkin within one's own colony is an egregious crime, which may lead to the offender being cut off from the colony entirely. Abandoned and alone, most Ratkin lose their instincts to adapt and survive, and perish."* As mentioned before: *"Ratkin are not masters at anything but resourcefulness, and their craftsmanship reflects that. They may try to sell you a pot that was once a helm, or a pair of boots repaired with cloth instead of leather. Also items decorated with the skin and bones of Orcs, because they enjoy shaming them."* In Halnir Cave *"the Ratkin have a primitive but intense interest in the Celestium crystals that decorate the cave. While they are not skilled enough to craft the raw stone into items of magnificence, they can apply trace amounts of the Celestium dust and enhance other items with it."* *"Within certain Ratkin sleeps a devious bloodborne disease most commonly confused with rabies. Called the **"Drawn Sickness"**, a name which comes from the term "drawn from the blood" and also their reputation for being drawn to strong mana fields.* *The **Drawn mutation** gives infected Ratkin unnatural strength, extreme ferocity and a diminished length of life. Yet the sickness may lie dormant in a Ratkin for their entire life, as it often needs specific external or internal activators to begin the transformation process. Documented internal activators include: a life-threatening illness; sustained periods of extreme stress or lack of sleep; bites or similar fluid transfer from other infected Ratkin (high volume). External activators include: **highly concentrated or consistent exposure to Celestium crystals** or mana fields; spells of hexxing, etc; ingestion of potions or fungi that react in the blood stream.* *Drawn are a menace to any people group nearby, including their parent Ratkin colonies. Their brute power and swift stealth or strike abilities make them a threat to even capable adventurers. Additionally, once the process of transformation is complete there are no remembrances of a former life or allegiances thereof."* The Drawn sickness manifests for each mutating Ratkin in a different way and empowers each of them with different abilities. The Scholars distinguish those mutations as the **Drawn Ravager**, the **Stalker**, the **Scavenger** and the **Cabalist**. **Blood Lich Lair** At their final and very rare, altered state of mutation they're all known as the **Drawn Bloodsick**. It's *"a rare type that will likely be very limited and circumstantial in the world, with Drawn and obviously Normal as the most common."* *"While Drawn are unsuitable as warriors or slaves, some nefarious entities have sought to use Drawn Ratkin as untethered watchdogs, or even to use the sickness for their own means."* **Crawlers Den** *"Sounds of skittering all around."* Not surprisingly the Dusk Crawlers in Halnir Cave are very attracted to high concentration of celestium crystals too and over a long period of time the spiders at this place were altered and began to use the side effects of the crystals to their own advantage. Treasure hunters do avoid this place, especially the upper part because of the high concentration of crystal poison and an abnormal infestation of Dusk Crawlers and Creepers and their brood mother. **Black Rose Keep Basement** *"The Black Rose are mining in the cave, but they are not mining ore. Otherwise, their goals are a bit more clear cut. They need to find and maintain sources of income and resource generation beyond robbing the rich. The Black Rose are growing numerically, and revenue streams are enablers of power and independence."* **Crypt of 582 Catacombs** & **Chasm Gates** *"The Cult of 582 are an **Ulthiran cult of death**, which started as a taboo fancy among certain members of Thronefastian aristocracy.* *Like many vices that begin as an "innocent" interest in darkness, 582's membership was driven to deeper indulgences over just a few years. When they were eventually betrayed, a surprising number of the cult chose to withdraw from Thronefast altogether. The mysteries they once pursued out of boredom and excess had transformed into an inescapable obsession.* *Sadly, 582 found what they were looking for. Their fate, while unique, is shared by multiple populations across the globe. Their story connects back to one of the older bases of power on Terminus, although it is a weak and distant relationship."* All ranks of the Ulthirans in Halnir Cave share the same heritage: They're **all Wraiths** or some call them also **the Unmortals**. As a side note: These Wraiths have also a large and dense concentration at the place called **"The Gate"** in Wilds End. Some even claim it’s the source of all the Unmortals. The Gate once represented the ancient halls of *the Withered*. So, to wrap it up, those who are willing to uncover the secrets of the Wraiths will most likely find their answers at the Gate. The Crypt Catacombs in Halnir Cave serve as the main hub of the Ulthiran Wraiths. You'll also encounter in Halnir Cave a group called the **Wraith Hunters** which dedicated themselves to hunt down the Wraith on Terminus. The last thing worth mentioning is the sealed doorway in the crypts of 582. It's not much known about the place behind the door. The only hints and leads were once retrieved from the crypt itself by some Keepers from Thronefast. The researched scripts mention a forgotten and uncounted Prince of Bane, a bane-bounded key, a magical barrier, a dark chasm and some strange descriptions about a mysterious figure which is just called the remaining one. *A voice whispers, "She speaks: "They drew me to this place... and here, I remain."* *"They are ravenous... yet, I remain."* *"It began here, so long ago... and still I remain."* *"Out of the depths they will come... yet, I remain."* *"Lost and forgotten... yet, I remain."* *"They are breaking through... still, I remain."* The retrieved scripts describe the strange magical barrier around a still undiscovered area within the Crypt Catacombs. *"Across the chasm is a statue and a voice: 'Here, I remain.'"* **Hidden Caves** & **The Depths** The Crypt Catacombs have also some hidden trapdoors and secret passage which lead to some forsaken parts beneath the catacombs. This place and its deep vertical shafts are one of the legacies of the Cult. It's still a well-kept mystery what they were looking for while digging deep into the mountain. Only one thing is for certain, it’s one of the reasons of their transformation into the wraiths they become as of today. Deep below the hidden caves is another mysterious place. Some treasure hunters tell among themselves scary stories about an impassable depth with growling sounds in a far distance and from deep within these depths. Just stories...? **Underworld** *"The air is chill by a wind pulling from up ahead."* This place on the other hand is deep within the mountain but can be reached through one of the main deep vertical shafts in the Crypt Catacombs and is crowded with different kind of finds. It seems like the cult found right here in the underworld what they were looking for with their obsession of twisted salvation for eternal life. *"Winds and voices howl as one, pressing against skin and soul."* **Temple of Eternity** Deep down in the underworld awaits an ancient Temple. This Temple radiates with very dark power and was historically speaking the turning point for the naive ulthiran cult fanatics to something between life and death... *"A dark presence is focused on this place, watching all unfolding..."* These days the temple is well guarded by the high rank wraith elite and one of their cult leaders; *The Thief of Eternity*. **Celestial Chamber** An extraordinary chamber full of very special celestium crystal formations and Celestium Shepard elementals. These elementals seem to play their own role in all the circumstances surrounding the transformation of the cult. The chamber indicates also some old excavations and constructions... maybe there're some answers at the bottom of this chamber... or just even more question marks ... ## Quests, Keys & Factions There're no active quests from a NPC available for Halnir Cave at the moment. You'll find different NPC’s in the dungeon, which will have some tasks for you in the future! Deep down in the Underworld (3 Piller Room) is a ground spawn pouch with a quest [A magical Feather](https://shalazam.info/quests/231-a-magical-feather). **NPCs** - **[Thandius Shane](https://shalazam.info/npcs/191-thandius-shane)** (Essential Goods): Dungeon vendor in the Drawn Ratkin Territory. - **[Sorsae](https://shalazam.info/npcs/192-sorsae)**: In the Drawn Ratkin Territory, very close to Thadius. - **[Armond](https://shalazam.info/npcs/232-armond)**: Very well hidden... to common habits of perception. - **[Wraith Hunter Fifelo](https://shalazam.info/npcs/209-wraith-hunter-fifelo)**: Is in one of the buildings in the big crypt hall. - **[Gaelvaarden](https://shalazam.info/npcs/208-gaelvaarden)**: An ancient one... **Keys** Halnir Caves has several doors and gates which must be unlocked with [special keys](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/11-halnir-cave-keys) which can be found from different sources. Most of the doors can be open without any key right now. The first door at the beginning (crossroad before the bridge) is closed because the area is under development for future features. The following keys were already discovered but serve no purpose at the moment. 1. **[Aged Brass Key](https://shalazam.info/items/599-aged-brass-key)** drops from the Drawn Ratkins. 2. **[Corroded Key](https://shalazam.info/items/600-corroded-key)** drops from the Black Rose Crew Boss and Black Rose Warden. 3. **[Etched Bronze Key](https://shalazam.info/items/603-etched-bronze-key)** can be found in a pouch within of Halnir Cave. 4. **[Fadesteel Key](https://shalazam.info/items/573-fadesteel-key)** was part of an old questline with Armond. | Faction-Standings you lose | Faction-Standings you gain | | | --- | :----: | ----: | | Drawn Ratkin | | | Black Rose, E'mani Karos | Thronefast Regulars, Queen Amenthiel | | Hara's Crawl | | | Ulthirans | Wraith Hunters, Black Rose | | Cult of 582 | Wraith Hunters, Black Rose | Barran Noble Family | | Tyrusa Noble Family | | | Crypt Fiends | | | Crystal Shepherds | | ## Toxic Acclimation The toxic climate in HC is at the moment not active. There're only a view testing celestium crystals in the first room of the dungeon. You can also check the **[Acclimation Guide](https://shalazam.info/guides/10-acclimation)** for more general acclimation information's. ## Encounters & Strats The population here is dense, well organized and knows how to defend itself from intruders. There're also high chances of being overrun by trains. So be prepared for the worst, especially in the Drawn Ratkin's Territory when you see several groups there! A good entry level for the group is level 12. You'll be able to manage the Drawn Ratkin's Territory and push into the Black Rose Keep Basement instead of being stuck at the entrance. But if you're looking for some challenge and you have a good team with CC, you can also begin the dungeon with level 10. Check always the Traits of the mobs before pulling multiple mobs! This is an overview of all the vertical dungeon layers and the connection between them:  | | | | | :---- | :----: | :---- | | | |**Drawn Ratkin's Terretory** | | | |They have a random chance to inflict their opponents with the "**Drawn Sickness**: Diseased. Attributes reduced by 20%" for 4 mins. A Cleric is able to cleanse it.| | **Celis Creeper** | 10 | Non group mob. Focus on those first, they have low health, but high dmg. | | **Psyrachnid** | 10-12 | Non group mob. Same as Creepers. | **Drawn Cabalist** | 10-13 | Shaman | **Drawn Stalker** | 10-13 | Rogue | **Drawn Scavanger** | 10-13 | | **Drawn Ravager** | 10-13 | Casts: **Ravage** (5 sec): Frontal cone with massive dmg! Don't stay in front of it. You can step back out of the ravage range, but it’s much easier to step behind the mob for the duration of the cast. Can also be interrupted! | **[Drawn Outcast](https://shalazam.info/monsters/83-drawn-outcast)** | 14 | Same as Ravager. | **[ZTHIR THE FOUL](https://shalazam.info/monsters/77-zthir-the-foul)** | 14 | Shaman. Can spawn in 3 different close by locations. | **[HYSSR THE WRETCH](https://shalazam.info/monsters/68-hyssr-the-wretch)** | 14 | Same as Drawn Ravager. | | | | | | | **Black Rose Keep Basement** | | | | All the Black Rose are initially non KoS unless you attack them.| | **Black Rose Guard** | 15-16 | Silences | **Black Rose Watcher** | 15-16 | | **Black Rose Worker** | 15-16 | | **Black Rose Mine Hand** | 15-16 | | **[Black Rose Boss Crew Boss](https://shalazam.info/monsters/75-black-rose-crew-boss)** | 16 | Drops the Corroded Key. | **[Black Rose Warden](https://shalazam.info/monsters/76-black-rose-warden)** | 17 | Drops the Corroded Key | | | | | | | **Blood Lich Lair** | | | | | | **Celis Goliath** | 17 | Same as other Creepers. | **Drawn Bloodsick** | 20-23 | Same as Drawn Ravager, but more deadly.! | **[BLOOD LICH SANGSHAA](https://shalazam.info/monsters/67-blood-lich-sangshaa)** | 22 | He is a caster. | | | | | | |**Crawlers Den** | | | | | | **Dusk Creeper** | 16 | Red eyes. Non group mob. Same as other Creepers. | **Dusk Crawler** | 19-22 | Green eyes. | **[HARATHENA](https://shalazam.info/monsters/69-harathena)** | 21 | Face her away from the group. Having a wall behind you, she does random knock-backs. She has also a nasty AoE. Be prepared for a heal check or outsmart her with LoS. | | | | | | |**Crypt Catacombs & Hidden Caves** | | | | This is the main area of Wraith. Watch out for the random **Unmortal Sacrifice** (4 sec cast) curse dmg in the execute from any of the Wraith! Interrupt or LoS. The Catacombs have also 3 secret passages to the Hidden Caves beneath the Catacombs! Those caves have two separate cave systems. One leads to Ashbarran and one to the Crystal Heart.| | **Ulthiran Soldier** | 20-24 | Tank. CC immunity breaks out of CC. Interrupt Shield Wall (Incoming physical damage is reduced by 60%). | **Ulthiran Disciple** | 20-24 | Healer. Interrupt Ulthiran Light. | **Ulthiran Striker** | 20-24 | Rogue. Interrupt Wrath of the Wraith. | **Ulthiran Cultist** | 20-24 | CC. Interrupt Ulthiran Curse. | **Ulthiran Blaspheme** | 20-24 | Dire Lord. Damage stop while Sanguine Symbiosis (Covered in chaotic blood magic) is active. | **Ulthiran Mana-Weaver** | 20-24 | Caster. **Unmortal Surge** (5,3sec) Curse dmg. Interrupt! | **an Ulthiros cultist** | | Ashbarans's PH | **Crypt Fiend** | 16-17 | Red Color. Empowered by incoming Fire Dmg. | **Crypt Fiend** | 16-17 | Blue Color. Empowered by incoming Cold Dmg. | **Cryptling** | 20-23 | Red Color. Empowered by incoming Fire Dmg. Face away from the group. | **Cryptling** | 20-23 | Blue Color. Empowered by incoming Cold Dmg. Keep some distance. Interrupt the **Ice Spike** (2 sec cast) otherwise some players get a nasty bleed! | **[TYRRASURE THE BANEBOUND](https://shalazam.info/monsters/72-tyrrasure-the-banebound)** | 18 | See Ashbarran. | **[ASHBARRAN THE BANEBOUND](https://shalazam.info/monsters/70-ashbarran)** | 22 | Interrupt **Unmortal Surge** & **Unmortal Barrage** (6 sec) - Channeled fear with high DoT dmg. **Reflective Dmg Shield** - watch buffs, Sanguine Symbiosis AoE. | **Skeletal Monk** | 22-23 | | **[MASTER BUSHU](https://shalazam.info/monsters/88-master-bushu)** | 23 | | **[THE CRYSTAL MIND](https://shalazam.info/monsters/81-the-crystal-mind)** | 24 | | **[THE CRYSTAL HEART](https://shalazam.info/monsters/81-the-crystal-mind)** | 25 | | **_[GNASHURA THE UNCOUNTED PRINCE](https://shalazam.info/monsters/66-gnashura-the-uncounted-prince)_** | | Inactive! | | | | | | |**Underworld & Temple of Eternity** | | | | The underworld is full of Crypt Fiends. You can go at the T intersection to the north to the **3 pillars cave room** or to the south to the other main areas. You'll encounter here some high rank Wraiths. The well-guarded **Temple of the Eternity** is dedicated for a special wraith boss encounter, which is at the moment not active. | | **Ulthiran Evoker** |23-24 | Caster | **Ulthiran Reaver** |23-24 | Dire Lord | **Ulthiran Praetoras** |23-24 | Tank | **Ulthiran Shadowhand** |25-27 | Rogue | **_[THE THIEF OF ETERNITY](https://shalazam.info/monsters/71-the-thief-of-eternity)_** | | Inactive. | | | | | | | **Celestial Chamber** | | | | You can enter at the bridge of the Temple in this area. This is a huge chamber with several heights and is populated with Celestium Elementals. At the bottom of the chamber there awaits an interesting surprise. | **Celestium Shepherd** |25-26 | | **[THE CRYSTAL WILL](https://shalazam.info/monsters/91-the-crystal-will)** | 26 | ## Traits & Dispositions **Table of Traits**: - **Superheated** (Cryptling): They get very powerful the more fire dmg they absorb. - **Fading Presence** (Ulthiran): Attacks have a chance to inflict Fading Presence. - **Bloodless** (Skeletal): Immune to Bleeding and Poisoned states. - **Armored**: Heightened armor class. Reducing Armor class combats this bonus. - **Iron-Willed**: Immune to most crowd control effects. - **Acrobatic**: Avoidance chance increased dramatically. Immune to root effects. Reducing Physical Defense helps combat this bonus. - **Spell Slinger**: Greatly increased Cast Speed. Slowing effects will combat this bonus. - **Resistant**: All resistances increased. Lowering Resistances combats this bonus. - **Frenzied**: Greatly increasing attack speed. Slowing effects will combat this bonus. - **Spell Nullifier**: Spell Avoidance chance increased dramatically. Reducing Magical Defence helps combat this bonus. **Table of Dispositions** (How they act and behave): - **Bloodthirsty** (Drawn): Chance to proc a bleeding DoT on their target and a self buff called Blood Frenzy. - **Pyrophobic** (Celis): Afraid of fire. Will run away!? - **Clumsy** (Black Rose) - **Drowsy** (Black Rose) ## Loot & Treasures - **[HC named drops](https://shalazam.info/dungeons/11-halnir-cave)** (Summery) - **[HC ground spawns](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/16-halnir-cave-ground-spawns)** - **[HC Treasure Chests T1](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/31-halnir-cave-t1-treasure-chests)** - **[HC Treasure Chests T2](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/32-halnir-cave-t2-treasure-chests)** - **[Fadetorn Cloth Parts](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/45-t2-fadetorn-cloth-set)** - **[Cryptweave Armor Parts](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/46-t3-cryptweave-armor-set)** - **[Fadetorn Leather Parts](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/33-t2-fadetorn-leather-set)** - **[Seeping Leather Parts](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/27-t2-seeping-leather-parts)** - **[Fadesteel Armor Parts](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/26-t3-fadesteel-armor-parts)** - **[Fade (-steel, -wood & -weave) Weapons](https://shalazam.info/item_collections/13-t3-fade-steel-wood-weave-weapons)** ## Resources - Small, Large & Huge **[Tascium Crystals](https://shalazam.info/items/367-chunk-of-tascium-ore)** - Small, Patch & Cluster of **[Brightcap Mushrooms](https://shalazam.info/items/590-brightcap-mushroom)** - **[Ratkin Blood](https://shalazam.info/items/982-ratkin-blood)** - **[Spider Silk](https://shalazam.info/items/512-spider-silk)** - **[Dark Ichor](https://shalazam.info/items/1169-dark-ichor)** - **[Spectral Essence](https://shalazam.info/items/929-spectral-essence)** - Small, Large & Huge **[Slytherin Crystals](https://shalazam.info/items/548-chunk-of-slytheril-ore)** - Small, Large & Huge **[Glittering Slytheril Crystals](https://shalazam.info/items/547-chunk-of-glittering-slytheril-ore)** - Small, Large & Huge **[Glimwort Mushrooms](https://shalazam.info/items/700-glimwort-pulp)** ## Changelog Please consider the game is still in early development and changes can occur anytime. So, nothing is set in stone yet! All further adjustments will be added here. Any constructive feedback, corrections and additions are also welcome! ## Credits & Sources - The official "Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen March 2018 Newsletter" - The official "Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen April 2018 Newsletter" - An official forum post about the HC factions March 2018