Lava Fields – Champions of Norrath

This guide will walk you through the Lava Fields in Act II of Champions of Norrath.

1 – LIQUID HOT MAGMA

This area is actually pretty innovative. It’s essentially ha huge lake of lava with some islands of charred rock that you can walk on. Head out from the starting point and you will see a tower on your left. If you move near it, you’ll get a message saying that the passage has been blocked. Remember this, because no one else is going to tell you that this is the way you need to go to rescue Melman’s daughter. Head across the bridge and learn how to deal with the big golem-type things that fling rocks at you. You will have to fight several before you leave. Also, be advised that you can get pushed into the lava, which will of course incinerate you.

2 – KOL

The level pretty much guides you right to Bingham Viggs’s assisstant, Kol, by putting pipes in your way. Remember where he is, though, because he’s hard to spot without the big exclamation point above his head. He tells you that the orc chieftan broke the lava pump and that you need to fix it to find him. To fix it, you’ll have to find the exchanger, get a lava runner, then drive across the lava to the pump and put the exchanger in it. This, incidentally, will open up the passage to the Cavern of the Fallen.

3 – MOVING ON

Now, this part had me confused for a good while. Head right from Kol and you’ll see a steam vent. Go through it to continue on. I assumed it would hurt me, but it doesn’t. Explore that area, and you’ll find another manhole that leads down to a lower lava field level. If that is even possible. Anyway, go down there, explore the very small level and grab the exchanger at the end of the steam vent/piston gauntlet. By the way, the steam vents will not hurt you, but the pistons will.

5 – FIRE BUGGY

When you get back upstairs, explore the area to the right of the ladder and you will eventually find a save point. You will also find a gnome mechanic standing next to a lava rider. Talk to him and he will let you ride it. This is a pretty cool idea, level-design wise. All the areas that were inaccessible before are now accessible, because you can travel on top of the lava when you’re in the lava rider. This gives you the freedom to explore all the other islands and kill all the lava golems in the area. To continue with the quest, though, turn the rider arouns and follow the edge of the map until you find the island that the lava pump is on. It’s easily recognizable on the map, because three saides of the lava pump are surrounded by pipes, which are indicated by white lines.

6 – CAVERNS OF THE FALLEN

After fixing the lava pump, you can talk to Kol or the mechanic again, but neither will tell you what to do next. You could go tell Biggs that the lava pump is fixed, but he still won’t give you the boat, because it’s been commissioned by Vanarhost. You are supposed to go to the Caverns of the Fallen next, so go back to the tower. You’ll get a cut-scene as you go over the bridge that seems to indicate that you’ll have to fight two golems, but the wizard that owns the tower pops out and says that since you fixed the lava pump, they aren’t hostile anymore. He also says that you’re free to go down to the Caverns of the Fallen, which you should do.