The Secret of the Dwarf Delving – Drakensang: The River of Time

This Guide is for a quest in Hammerberg area of Drakensang: The River of Time. It’s complete with a map, map legend, and overview of the varying points of interest.

Map Legend

1 – Nogo
2 – Animals
3 – Dwarves
4 – Dwarves
5 – Dwarves
6 – Shaftsweeper Toppel
7 – Dwarves
8 – Trapped bridge
9 – Dwarves
10 – Dwarves & Scorpions
11 – Lever
12 – Old Materials Chamber
13 – Trapped Passage
14 – Avarosh Goldtooth
15 – Traps and Rock Goblins
16 – Giant Scorpions
17 – Stone Golem and Rock Goblins
18 – Emerald Spiders
19 – Hidden Treasure
20 – Torlosh

Exits:

1. Exit to Hammerberg.
2. Stairs up/down.
3. Flooded passage to old materials chamber.
4. Breach to deeper mines.

Background

After you have finished in the Secret Harbor and return to the Thalaria, you will find the bridge guard waiting for you near the ship, to ask for your help as new troubles have arisen in the delving. Head there and you will find Prince Arom ready to punish Avarosh for delving the Norgamashzrom. Arom will accompany you as a temporary follower into the mines, where mad dwarves await.

This combat crawl is all about carefully set ambushes, and as such regular strategic withdrawal is advisable.

1 – Nogo

The bosnickel Nogo appears and tells you he has tried to turn the animals in the caverns against the dwarves but has been unable to stop them. If you apologize for trying to stop him earlier he gives you a leaf of Chonchinis. He can give you a bonus protection of RM+20 for the duration of your stay in the delving.

2 – Animals

Nogo’s curse turns the animals against you as they can’t distinguish between friend and foe. You are attacked these points by animal groups: three bats and four crypt lice; five bats and five crypt lice; three crypt lice and three giant scorpions.

3 – Dwarves

This is your first encounter with Averosh’s dwarven clan in here. They have all gone mad due to the influence of Norgamashzrom. Climber Grimmnax talks to you and orders you to leave and orders the three dwarves with him to attack you, before running away himself. It is advisable not to rush through these areas, but to retreat and lure the dwarves (three or four should follow), as this room is heavily trapped.

4 – Dwarves

The dwarves have lain quite an ambush here. There is an arrow trap at the entrance and lightning traps before the two barricades on the sides. The dwarves shoot at you with arbalests from behind barricades, includer Climber Grimmnax from the central pillar. Excluding Grimmnax, there are 9 dwarves in this ambush.

5 – Dwarves

Another ambush. Two dwarves stand behind a barricade (lightning trap in front of it) blocking the stairway, three more behind another barricade blocking the room (no trap).

6 – Shaftsweeper Toppel

Toppel provides some extra info and then heads up. No AP.

7 – Dwarves

Three of Avarosh’s Dwarves behind a barrica (no trap). There is poison trap a few steps down.

8 – Trapped bridge

There’s a total of five poison traps on the bridge.

9 – Dwarves

Two dwarves lie in wait. There’s a fire trap in the doorway.

10 – Dwarves & Scorpions

There are two dwarves and four scorpions in the room that will charge you, and four more behind a barricade (fire trap in front of it) to the left. It is advisable to retreat and face the two dwarves and four scorpions before returning to handle the dwarves behind the barricade.

11 – Lever

The Water Pump has been fixed, and this is the only moment available to resolve this quest, which you should absolutely do as the reward is worth it. Below a large stone dwarven head you will find a lever, use it for 10AP and to make Exit C available. Head there.

12 – Old Materials Chamber

Five giant scorpions guard this chamber. There some shoddy chests in this room but much more importantly, a weapon stand, armor stand and locked hidden trasure chest on the indicated locations. Loot them for: 2x Dwarven Skraja, Stonesplitter, Warhammer, Dragonslayer Hammer, Dwarven Plated Boots, Dwarven Gauntlets, Dwarven Chain Mail, Dragonslayer’s Helmet, 182x Rare Coin, 254x Old Bronze Coin.

13 – Trapped Passage

Behind the bars you will find three spear traps and two blade traps.

14 – Avarosh Goldtooth

Here you will finally find Avarosh Goldtooth, the dwarf responsible for all this misery. There’s an arrow trap in the entrance and a spear trap in front of the barrier. There are three dewarves on the south platform, one in the south niche and four surrounding Avarosh. Strategic withdrawal to deal with them in phases is advisable. Be sure to loot Avarosh’s corpse as he carries more than 37D in goods and coins.

You can opt out of the rest of the quest here, as Arom offers to go on alone if you remind him of the bosnickel’s advice. If so, he will give you some gemstones and let you go on your way. It’s better to go and complete the quest though.

15 – Traps and Rock Goblins

There are four rubble traps in this hall, and two rock goblins attack you, trying to lure you onto the traps. Get them to chase you out of range of the traps, then disarm them after combat.

16 – Giant Scorpions

Four giant scorpions attack you.

17 – Stone Golem and Rock Goblins

One stone golem (265VI) and four rock goblins lie in wait. They can be lured separately if need be. Defeating the stone golem is worth 20AP in combat experience.

18 – Emerald Spiders

An emerald spider and five small emeral spiders attack you.

19 – Hidden Treasure

Locked chest containing Malmarangroshom, 7x Dwarven Steel, 40x Kosh Steel, 9x Gemstones, 34x Gold Leaf.

20 – Torlosh

Reaching this point nets you 10AP. Arom’s friend Torlosh has fused with the Norgamashzrom, he attacks you immediately. He has 345VI. He’s not particularly tough except for one thing: when he is hit in close combat, his opponent gets a 10s burn effect. Use burn salve to keep this effect from becoming too big a problem, and keep your low-VI characters away from close combat.

Defeating Torlosh nets you 50AP and drops a Cooled Fire Heart (which is a valuable item though it has no special, quest-related function), which you’ll have to pick up quick as Arom sets his firebomb and will tell you to run, which immediately brings you outside of the delving. The delving is collapsed so no one can ever enter it again, netting you a final 10AP and closing the quest. Arom will offer you his axe, the Anglagorum, or 8x gemstones if you refuse the axe. Additionally, the Merchang Ungram and Huckster Borgus will now offer discounts on barter.

Exits:

1. Exit to Hammerberg.
2. Stairs up/down.
3. Flooded passage to old materials chamber.
4. Breach to deeper mines.