Warlord's Ruin

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Prev:	Ghosts of the Deep
Next:	Vesper's Host
Warlord's Ruin
Game:	Season of the Wish
Player(s):	1-3
Recommended Power Level:	1790
Location:	Windswept Crag, European Dead Zone
Hostile race(s):	Scorn Taken
Objective(s):	Investigate Scorn activity at a Warlord stronghold and stop a Taken corruption infesting within.

“

Nestled deep in the mountains of the EDZ, Scorn lay claim to a Dark Age Castle containing dangerous relics, and a blighted vengeance festers in the dirt.

”

Warlord's Ruin is a Dungeon that was added to Destiny 2 in the Season of the Wish. Among the misty mountains of the European Dead Zone, Guardians must venture into an ancient Dark Age castle festering with Scorn and a Taken corruption beckoning them within.

Objectives

• The Climb

You've arrived at the end of a trail of Dark Ether. Press foward, climb the ridgeline path, and discover what remains hidden in stormy peaks.

• Mysterious Challenger

A corrupted Knight stands between you and answers. Meet their challenge, leave them broken, but beware latent curses.

• Imprisoned!

A dying wish has imprisoned you within a ruined cell. Use your wits, and find a method of escape.

• Venture Deeper

The Scorn are numerous, but a whisper still calls from deeper within the castle. Press on, across the ramparts, O vengeance mine.

• Buried Ruins

Navigate the ruined undercroft of the castle, and mind your footing.

• Outward

Find a path outside; search for and uncover a long-defunct entrance to the main castle grounds.

• Wailing Tempest

Wish for warmth, brave the frigid winds, and silence the Locus of Wailing Grief that sustains them.

• Follow the Whispers

The whispers grow stronger. Their grief quelled, their vengeance almost sated. All that remains is to end the source of this corruption.

• Vengeful Peak

Discover the source of the Scorn, the whispers, and clense the Keep of corruption.

• Quell the Corruption

"You have taken my vengeance. My task is done, Naeem's wish fulfilled. Come then, slay me. Let it end." -Hefnd

Walkthrough

Mysterious Challenger

Players begin in the Windswept Crag, at the bottom of a trail leading to an outpost for the castle. After trekking through the dangerous, mountainous cliffs and creeping through the ancient outpost, players will find themselves faced against Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul, who overlooks the Warlord's Ruin.

This boss fight introduces the Imminent Wish and Blighted Eye mechanic, which will be seen throughout the rest of the dungeon. Imminent Wish allows players to stand in specific areas with corrupted Ether Totems and cleanse them for 30 seconds. After some time, Rathil will activate the Imminent Wish buff and teleport Guardians into cages elevated above the arena. To escape before being impaled by the spikes, Guardians will need to shoot the three Blighted Eyes surrounding their cage. Upon doing this, the cage door will open, allowing players to fall back down to the arena and cleanse as many totems as they can. Totems are cleansed when the Taken Blight in the middle disappears, revealing a light blue glow within.

After totems are cleansed and Imminent Wish hits zero, Rathil's hex will backfire, giving Guardians a buff called Naeem's Wish Empowerment, which allows them to damage Rathil. The time given by Naeem's Wish Empowerment is directly connected to however many totems Guardians cleanse, so Guardians should try to cleanse as many totems as they can to maximize their DPS phase.

After Rathil is eliminated, Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera will appear and teleport Guardians to a prison cell.

Imprisoned!

After being teleported to a prison cell, Guardians will have to shoot specific nodes throughout the prison to release the lock and open the doors. These nodes are circular in shape and stand out from the rusted objects in the room. When shot, the nodes will make a squeaking noise, and start spinning counterclockwise. When shot again twice, will start spinning clockwise. Weapons with thermal sights also help highlight where the gears are located, such as CALUS Mini-Tool.

In two of the cells, skeletons can be found on the floor. The directions of gears must spin will be determined by which hand the tally marks are next to. For example, if a player finds that one skeleton's right hand has 4 tally marks next to it, that means 4 of the wheels/gears must be spinning to he right (clockwise), and the other two must be spinning to the left (counter-clockwise). All of the gears must be spinning in order to open the prison cells.

After setting the nodes going in a certain direction, a glowing switch can be seen at the lock of one of the cells. This needs to be shot to trigger the mechanism that unlocks the cell doors. When a guardian is solo, they will have access to all prison cells and will be able to likewise access all nodes throughout the prison.

After opening the doors, Guardians will grab their loot from the previous encounter and will continue on through the ancient castle.

Venture Deeper

After escaping cells, Guardians will need to continue on throughout the castle to reach the summit, dodging traps and climbing the mountain to reach the top. Guardians will first start by crawling through the undercroft of the castle until they eventually reach a maze filled with spikes and traps. Upon being stepped in front of, spikes will shoot out from the wall, killing Guardians unlucky enough to step in their path. Spiked areas can be identified by the rectangular griddle sticking out from the wall. In addition to this, Guardians will encounter pits, which can be easily jumped over to avoid.

After making their way through the treacherous maze, Guardians will find themselves outside on a dangerous cliffside. They will need to continue up the snowy peak to reach the castle bailey. Guardians should be aware of loose rocks that are of risk of falling and potentially carrying a Guardian with them. Upon reaching the castle bridge, Guardians will need to dodge and evade the hordes of incoming scorn and the attacks of the Blighted Chimaera.

After braving the Chimaera's Attack, Guardians will need to climb through a sewer drain on the side of the mountain to reach the castle bailey, arriving at the next encounter.

Wailing Tempest

After arriving at the castle Bailey and shooting the blight in the center, Guardians will find themselves faced with the Locus of Wailing Grief, a massive Taken Ogre who guards the entrance to the Kingsbane Rampart.

The Locus will start by summoning a set of Blighted Eyes, shielding it and attacking players. Guardians will need to shoot these eyes to trigger Imminent Wish, which causes Broken Knights to spawn on each end of the arena. Upon death, Broken Knights will drop corrupted Ether Totems, which need to be cleansed with Imminent Wish. Broken Knights will occasionally also spawn ether totems through their attacks, so it is best to wait for Broken Knights to summon their totem before killing them.

Upon attempting to cleanse totems, a howling snowstorm will occur, giving players the Biting Cold debuff. Upon reaching ten stacks, players with the debuff will be frozen and killed. Around the back of the map are torches that provide the "Shelter From The Storm" buff, which, if activated, will remove all stacks of Biting Cold within 5 seconds. Guardians will need to continue to use Imminent Wish to cleanse the totems, while also looking out for Biting Cold and using Shelter from the storm to remove Biting Cold.

After Imminent Wish ends, Solar charges will spawn in the center of the arena. These charges must be transported to any one of the four pillars in the center of the arena and lit to bring Guardians one step closer to a damage phase. Guardians should keep in mind that the amount of solar charges that spawn are influenced by however many totems are cleansed.

Immediately after the fourth pillar has been lit, the damage phase begins.. Guardians should stand in the vicinity of the pillar that was activated last to receive Shelter From the Storm, as well as Naeem’s Wish Empowerment to wound the Locus. After Naeem’s Wish Empowerment runs out, Shelter From The Storm will run out, and Guardians will have to run to another pillar and activate it to receive Naeem’s Wish Empowerment. Once a player stands near one of the 4 pillars during damage phase, they will have used up that pillar, even if they step into it by accident. Sticking together as a group is recommended while doing damage, so as not to waste any valuable time before the damage phase ends.

After the Locus is banished, the taken barrier at the back of the arena, behind the Ogre, will dissipate. Guardians should grab their loot and continue on their way to the mountain summit and the top of the castle.

Vengeful Peak

Upon climbing through ancient ruins and frozen ice rooms, Guardians will find themselves on the side of the mountain, at risk of plummeting down. Guardians should trek with caution as they eventually reach a massive Blight with rocks flying around it. Here, Guardians should exercise extreme caution and take their time to not get hit. Eventually, Guardians will find themselves at the summit of the mountain, with a spiral of moving Ahamkara Bones and the final encounter of the dungeon.

Quell the Corruption

After shooting the small Blight in the center of the map, Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera will appear, attempting to neutralize Guardians with its Void Eversion. Guardians should shoot the Blighted Eyes shielding the Chimaera to spawn two Broken Knights on each side of the map.

Upon death, Broken Knights will drop corrupted ether totems and will also spawn them on their own. While this is happening, Guardians will be given Imminent Wish and will proceed to cleanse the totems.

While the totems are being cleansed, Guardians will be inflicted with the Hex of Vengeful Corruption. This debuff lasts for fifteen seconds, and anybody who has the buff when it ends will die. To be released of the Hex, Guardians will need to locate Corrupted Hex-Drinkers scattered across the map. These immune Wraiths can be struck with a melee to transfer the Hex to them from Guardians. Guardians should be aware that Hex-Drinkers can melee them and transfer the Hex back to them, so they should advise caution when in close proximity to a Hex-Drinker.

After all Hexes and totems have been cleansed, Naeem's Wish Empowerment will be granted and damage can begin. Like in the first encounter, Naeem’s Wish Empowerment is increased in time depending on the amount of totems cleansed.

After Naeem's Wish Empowerment runs out, the Chimaera will retreat to a higher floor. Guardians should climb the ruins to the next floor to repeat the mechanics. It should be noted that if not enough damage is done, the Chimaera will remain on the floor it is currently on, awaiting a repeat to meet the damage check.

Eventually, Guardians will reach the final floor, which is made up of three platforms that when stood on, will grant Naeem's Wish Empowerment. Surrounding the boss are many Blighted Eyes, which if shot, increase the duration of Naeem's Wish Empowerment. It is recommended that after doing some damage, Guardians shoot some Blighted Eyes to extend their phase. After Naeem’s Wish Empowerment runs out, the Chimaera will teleport to another platform, awaiting Guardians to wound it.

After all three platforms are activated, the Chimaera teleports Guardians back down to the first floor to repeat the mechanics and reach final stand.

At final stand, Naeem's Wish Empowerment will be granted to Guardians, allowing damage to the Chimaera. Naeem's Wish Empowerment is indefinite here, so it is recommended that Guardians take their time to finish the fight.

After the Chimaera is banished, Guardians should collect their loot and also collect the Ahamkara Bone to officially complete the dungeon.

Transcript

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

{Mission begins}

Windswept Crag, European Dead Zone

The Guardian transmats onto the base of Windswept Crag and scales along the ridgeline path.

• Crow: Guardian! Good running tactical for you again. This is where the Dark Ether trail went cold. I—oh, Petra's calling. I'll patch her into the feed. Petra, did you lose some Scorn on Earth?

• Petra Venj: Not exactly. Riven tells us an Ahamkara claims territory in this region.

• Crow: I've patrolled this range dozens of times. I'd have noticed a dragon.

• Petra Venj: They have a history of eluding you, but we'll get to the bottom of this.

The Guardian reaches a fortification, defeating the Tarnished Ravagers and other Scorn blocking the way.

Warlord's Ruin, European Dead Zone

The Guardian encounters Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul.

• Petra Venj: A minion of the Ahamkara here, I'd guess. Approach with caution.

As Rathil summons a hexed totem, the Guardian is forcibly teleported into an ascending gibbet, guarded by Blighted Eyes.

Imminent Wish...

The Guardian successfully kills the Blighted Eyes, breaking free before they are impaled. The Guardian takes the imminent wish for themselves—to make Rathil vulnerable—gaining Naeem's Wish Empowerment.

Rathil’s hex backfires!

Rathil recuperates from the hex and raises their shields.

Rathil break free of the hex!

After killing Rathil, the Knight makes a dying wish and Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera appears. The Guardian and their fireteam are immediately teleported into cells at the undercroft.

• Crow: What was that? I just got a spike of weird Taken energy.

• Petra Venj: That was a Chimera; it must be the Ahamkara's avatar.

After escaping their cells, the Guardian exits the maze of the undercroft and continues their ascent of the ruined castle marked with banners of the House of Kings; while Hefnd's Vengeance appears to shoot at them.

Kingsbane Rampart, European Dead Zone

Reaching the castle grounds, the Guardian and their team confronts the Locus of Wailing Grief; engaging in Hefnd's wish magic to shield themselves from the frigid cold.

Scorn rise to invoke their fortune and your demise...

Scorn led by Malaris, Second Broken Knight and Vrysiks, Third Broken Knight arrive to hinder the Guardian. The Broken Knights summon a hexed totem, as a Freezing Tempest rolls through.

The bones call forth a freezing tempest...

The Guardian defeats the pair of Broken Knights, taking the wish for themselves, manifesting a Solar Charge to ward off the Freezing Tempest.

A burning wish! Granted O vengeance mine!

The howling winds die...

The Guardian takes the Solar Charges and ignite the Warming Flame braizer, gaining Burning Desire. With all braziers lit, the Locus of Wailing Grief becomes vulnerable.

Your wish is granted. O vengeance mine.

The Guardian defeats the Locus of Wailing Grief.

Blighted Keep, European Dead Zone

They continue their ascent after defeating the massive Taken Ogre where the whispers beckon them to end the corruption, defeating Vengeful Blades and other Taken.

At the summit of the peak, large Ahamkara bones and rock, orbit a Taken blight.

The Guardian engages in a final encounter with the Taken Chimera and puts an end of Hefnd's Vengeance.

Wish-Lured Blightmakers arrive, blighting the ground.

A poisonous feast, O vengeance mine!

Nymeks, Fourth Broken Knight and Sirloks, Fifth Broken Knight arrive, alongside a Corrupted Hex-Drinker which inflicts the Guardian with a Hex of Vengeful Corruption, threatening to consume them.

Your fists bear corruption. Strike your foes or be consumed.

The Guardian strikes the Corrupted Hex-Drinker, passing the hex to them.

The Guardian lets go of their corruptive vengeance.

The Corrupted Hex-Drinker, inflicted with the Hex of Vengeful Corruption is consumed.

Vengeance consumes the corrupted

The Guardian defeats the pair of Broken Knights, taking the wish for themselves, making the Chimera vulnerable.

A wish for violence! Granted, O vengeance mine!

The Guardian weakens the Chimera, as it moves to another part of the keep.

So eager for blood!

Weakened even more the Chimera moves up the floating pieces of the keep.

Pursue you prey, O vengeance mine.

Hefnd’s blight bleeds into the Keep!

The Guardian pursues onwards and keeps the engagement.

My hide is think, O vengeance mine.

The Chimera teleports itself and the Guardian back to the beginning of the keep.

At least once more, O vengeance mine.

With the last of its life, the Chimera prepares for its final stand.

Do you wish for my death, O vengeance mine?

After being laid to rest, an Ahamkara bone is found lying at the Guardian's feet that they collect.

• Petra Venj: This is all that remains of the Ahamkara, then. Even like this, in its silence, it could move worlds. The damage the Scorn could have caused had one of them realized what they possessed... We'll secure the bones and make sure this can't happen again.

• Crow: Yeah. This makes me a little worried about the hidden cost of our deal with Riven.

• Petra Venj: That thought has crossed my mind.

• Crow: Petra, I've... never apologized to you. For what you're still going through.

• Petra Venj: There's no need. It wasn't you.

• Crow: I'm sorry. He is too. Completely. If I could wish it away...

• Petra Venj: No. You're helping break the cycle; that should be more than enough.

{Mission ends}

Ahamkara Bones

Scattered throughout the dungeon are eleven Ahamkara Bones, that tell the story of Hefnd and Naeem through the perspective of The Crow and Petra Venj. The first bone is acquired through Guardians’s first completion of the dungeon, and the last bone is found after all previous bones have been collected. Other bones can found in later clears of the dungeon after the first. Each bone is acquired through different levels of dispel, so each set of dispelled bones must be found before going back into the dungeon to collect the next tier of bones. The first and last bone do not require Dispel.

Bone 1 (First Completion)

• Petra Venj: This is all that remains of the Ahamkara, then. Even like this, in its silence, it could move worlds. The damage the Scorn could have caused had one of them realized what they possessed… We’ll secure the bones and make sure this can’t happen again.

• The Crow: Yeah. This makes me a little worried about the hidden cost of our deal with Riven.

• Petra Venj: That thought has crossed my mind.

• The Crow: Petra, I’ve… never apologized to you. For what you’re still going through.

• Petra Venj: There’s no need. It wasn’t you.

• The Crow: I’m sorry. He is too. Completely. If I could wish it away…

• Petra Venj: No. You’re helping break the cycle; that should be more than enough.

Bone 2 (Dispel 1)

The Crow: Is this bone all that’s left? Not much of a territorial claim.

• Petra Venj: Death is not the end for and Ahamkara. If it’s feeding, it exists.

• The Crow: That bone’s radiating sterile neutrinos… Taken energy?

• Petra Venj: Yes, like poison in the marrow... but I don't understand how.

Bone 3 (Dispel 1)

Petra Venj: It's like the Ahamkara here was... feeding off the Taken, preying on their desire to fulfill a purpose. We understand what that's like.

• The Crow: They DO like things that loop in on themselves. I thought only Riven dealt with the Taken.

• Petra Venj: Xivu and The Witness are indisposed; many Taken are masterless. It's possible a strong will, like an Ahamkara, could have drawn them in.

• The Crow: Or maybe the Scorn wished them here.

• Petra Venj: Any Scorn making a wish probably doesn't realize they're doing it. At least, let's hope not...

Bone 4 (Dispel 1)

The Crow: The "Great Hunt" doesn't seem to have stopped the Ahamkara from granting wishes. It's a shame... to shed so much blood for so little return.

• Petra Venj: They were beautiful creatures... but venomous with guile. It's true the hunt wasn't all motivated by safety. Ahamkara were a threat... but, as you noted, their bones are still trophies. Some Guardians continue to wear them for power and status.

• The Crow: Like I said... a shame. Ahamkara were all across Sol. Maybe they're not all dead. I wonder who this one was.

Bone 5 (Dispel 2)

The Crow: You know... you sit around enough campfires with Saladin, and you hear about castles like this. There was this Warlord in the Dark Age named, um, um...

• Petra Venj: Ugh, don't start-

• The Crow: Naeem! She drank with a Warlord who'd felled a shapeshifting beast. He lead her to the beast's lair, a castle in snowy peaks. Inside was a skull that whispered promises. I always thought Saladin was just blowing smoke.

• Petra Venj: You found your people; Guardians do love their myths and stories.

Bone 6 (Dispel 2)

The Crow: Wait. Guardian... the Knights you've fought are marked. Something we did with the Barons.

• Petra Venj: Crow, you aren't responsible for this. These Scorn didn't come from the Reef.

• The Crow: I'm not seeing things! It's a... signature in the Dark Ether.

• Petra Venj: Fikrul has been missing from the Shore for some time. You can let this go.

Bone 7 (Dispel 2)

The Crow: Naeem and Hefnd - that's the Ahamkara's name - they'd become friends. Pretty tragic, actually. Saladin said their bond was "like a mutual domestication." But it wasn't long before the House of Kings stormed the castle.

• Petra Venj: When the Kings came, I take it Naeem didn't survive them?

• The Crow: No. And in her final breath, she wished ruin on their House, that "her vengeance follow them into the grave." Very particular wording.

Bone 8 (Dispel 3)

The Crow: Uldren had a history with the House of Kings. That's what led to the Scorn in the first place.

• Petra Venj: I'm familiar with your history, but the banners here are ancient.

• The Crow: Like from the Dark Age? You know that Warlord - the skull promised her anything she wanted. She offered that promise to surrounding villages. For tribute, of course - brokered their wishes and protected against consequences. Naeem's reputation spread, until... any guesses Petra?

• Petra Venj: She drew attention from the House of Kings, who coveted this power.

Bone 9 (Dispel 3)

The Crow: This all feels... personal. Uldren links to the Kings, both link to Fikrul. My one dangling thread.

• Petra Venj: Step back from yourself. New Scorn rising drew Fikrul's attention... Kings, no less. What if this was a diplomatic envoy? The Witness's Scorn are empty flesh made weapons. But the Scorn here appear to express a crude culture.

• The Crow: Fikrul's followers have always been different... capable of learning. Maybe he saw that potential here.

• Petra Venj: Then maybe you can still get through to him.

Bone 10 (Dispel 3)

The Crow: This has to be the castle from Saladin's story. The Scorn have to be Kings. It's the only thing that makes sense. Hefnd was buried here since the Dark Age, but the instant he could, he lured the Taken in... Poisoned himself, feeding off their ties to the Darkness, their want. He found a loophole to raise the Kings into Scorn and enact his friend's dying wish for revenge.

• Petra Venj: Holding onto that anger for what... centuries? Just to destroy itself with Taken corruption - of course. Vengeance is an ouroboros. And everything cyclical is doomed to destroy itself, eventually.

Bone 11 (Final Bone)

Petra Venj: Something is different about this one…

• Lord Shaxx: And so, the Great Hunt claims the life of another Ahamkara. You slew me 14 times, Wish Dragon. I landed a killing blow only once. Hardly seems fair. They say that to draw a weapon against one of your kind is to wish for victory. Even if the beast is slain, the wish is granted. The dragon wins either way. Perhaps that’s why the send me on these hunts. Because… I do not wish to do this. The Ahamkara are a force of nature. To blame you for an ill-conceived wish is like blaming fire for burning down a house. And yet, when the fire burns out of control, it must be extinguished. There is no joy… or ambition in it. Only the knowledge that it must be done. Rest well, dragon. Let this castle be your tomb, one befitting a creature of your stature. That is the closest thing to a wish you’ll get from me.

• The Crow: Shaxx is the other Warlord?

• Petra Venj: Saladin never mentioned that? It’s sweet, in a way. That this is the way Hefnd chose to speak to us.

• The Crow: Well, Hefnd, I’m sure the Guardian found you a worthy opponent to. We were glad to hear your story. Who wants to ask Shaxx about this?

Bosses

Mini Bosses

• Malaris, Second Broken Knight
• Vrysiks, Third Broken Knight
• Nymeks, Fourth Broken Knight
• Sirloks, Fifth Broken Knight
• Wish-Twisted Abomination

Main Bosses

• Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul
• Locus of Wailing Grief
• Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera — (Final Boss)
• Primeval Thressia, Font of Blight (Buried Bloodline catalyst)

Unique Enemies

• Blighted Eye
• Corrupted Hex-Drinker
• Thieving Wretch
• Tarnished Ravager
• Vengeful Blade
• Wish-Lured Blightmaker
• Wish-Twisted Abomination

Rewards

Weapons

• Buried Bloodline - Exotic Sidearm
• Dragoncult Sickle - Legendary Sword
• Naeem's Lance - Legendary Sniper Rifle
• Indebted Kindness - Legendary Sidearm
• Vengeful Whisper - Legendary Bow

Armor

• Dark Age Titan Suit - Titan Armor
• Dark Age Hunter Suit - Hunter Armor
• Dark Age Warlock Suit - Warlock Armor

Other rewards

• Zira's Shell - Ghost Shell

Gallery

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Trivia

• Warlord's Ruin is the first dungeon to feature Scorn.
• Warlord's Ruin is the third dungeon to feature Taken, after The Shattered Throne and Prophecy.
  • It is also the third dungeon to contain two different enemy types, after The Shattered Throne and Grasp of Avarice.
• At the beginning of the dungeon, players can find an alcove with three different skeletons representing different classes from a traditional RPG game.
• When being impaled by a gibbet, it is referenced as a Rusty King-Skewer.

Appearance

• Destiny 2: Season of the Wish (First appearance)