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The Heart of Darkness (#166)


Released		25 September 2024 (Update)
Members		Yes
Quest series		Twilight Emissaries, #3
Lead developer(s)		Unknown (edit)

The Heart of Darkness is the third quest in the Twilight Emissaries series, in which the player digs deeper into the Twilight Emissaries and sect of Ranul to figure out who's behind the attempts on Servius' life.

Details

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Start point	Speak to Prince Itzla Arkan at the Teomat. Show on map
Official difficulty	Experienced
Official length	Medium
Description	Uncover the secrets of a mysterious cult and unlock a new dungeon.
Requirements	55 Mining ^{[not boostable]} ^{[required to start]} 48 Thieving ^{[not boostable]} ^{[required to start]} 48 Slayer ^{[not boostable]} ^{[required to start]} 46 Agility ^{[not boostable]} ^{[required to start]} Completion of the following quests: Twilight's Promise Children of the Sun
Items required	30 coins Up to 4 empty inventory slots
Recommended	65 Combat level 43 or higher Prayer level for Protect from Melee Combat gear Food 10 Quetzal feed, 3 limestone brick, and 4 soft clay to build the Unbuilt Landing Site in Salvager Overlook Access to several destinations in the Quetzal Transport System Prayer potions or Super restore potions Super combat potions or similar
Enemies to defeat	Several Emissary Brawlers (levels 74 and 86) Several Emissary Conjurers (level 71) Prince Itzla Arkan (level 167) Amoxliatl (level 263)
Ironman concerns	You will need 3-4 empty inventory slots at multiple parts of the quest.
League notes	Varlamore✓ — location requirement

Walkthrough

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Infiltration

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Start the quest where you left off at the end of Twilight's Promise, at the Teomat. Speak to Prince Itzla, who will propose you and him go undercover by infiltrating the Twilight Emissaries. As he discusses the plan, his mother, Queen Zyanyi Arkan, will arrive. Frustrated at her son's failure to protect his father, Itzla tells her about his plans to lead the infiltration. However, she refuses, insisting that he confide in someone he absolutely trusts to lead in his stead. After the Queen's departure, Itzla relents and asks you to visit a pub in the Quetzacalli Gorge to meet a trusted contact of his, who will fill you in on the infiltration operation.

Head south-west towards Renu and fly to the Quetzacalli Gorge, then head to the Windbreaker pub and speak to the bartender. Ask him to rent the basement room as instructed, only to find out a basement doesn't exist; he will offer to let you rent the ground floor room for 30 coins instead. If you don't have 30 coins, either pickpocket the citizens around the area or use the bank just east of the pub. Once you have the coins, accept the bartender's offer, then head to the east room and rest at the bed.

Upon waking up, you will find a disguised Prince Itzla to be your "trusted contact". He claims that there are very few people he can trust after the events of the previous quest, and that the less people who know about his mission, the better; additionally, as an outsider fairly uninvolved in Varlamorian politics, you ironically are far more trustworthy. He will then tell you that he believes a shopkeeper in the Gorge is recruiting members for the cult, and that you will pose as a potential recruit in the hopes he'll contact the Emissaries.

Head out east to the Quetzacalli Gorge General Store and speak to the shopkeeper, and tell him that you've heard he can offer help to those in need. He is initially skeptical, but accepts your request to join the Emissaries, and tells you and your "friend" to head to the Twilight Temple, where he'll send word for them to expect two recruits. Return to Prince Itzla at the Windbreaker, he will then meet you at the Temple.

Trials of the Emissaries

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Items needed: 4 empty inventory slots
Items recommended: 10 Quetzal feed, 3 limestone bricks, and 4 soft clay. Combat gear, Food, Prayer Potions and at least 43+ prayer for Protect from Melee

Head north-east past the gate, and make your way east past the Proudspire, then head south to the Tower of Ascension to meet Prince Itzla. He will tell you that a person named Forebearer Janus will call on the both of you when its time to be tested. In the meantime, he wishes to speak to the nearby recruits for insights on why they wish to join the Emissaries.

Talk to the nearby recruits: Nova, Sergius, Felius, and Caritta. Nova will speak of the Augur, the new leader of the Emissaries, who has reorganized the cult and is said to guide them to Mokhaiotl. Return to Prince Itzla, who will explain that Mokhaiotl refers to the centre of the world, which is where it is said Ximoua will happen. As you discuss this with him, Forebearer Janus calls on the both of you to begin your trials.

Before leaving, it is recommended that you bring the materials to build a landing site: 10 quetzal feed, 3 limestone bricks, and 4 soft clay, as you'll be in proximity to the Salvager Overlook landing site en route to the Temple.

The first trial

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“

The aim is simple: Speak the correct pass phrase to me and you will be allowed to proceed.

”

You will be in a room with three Emissary Ascended. Pickpocket one of them to obtain a tower key, which is used to open the south-east gate. Search the chest to receive a book and scrap of paper. Take note of the first letter of each white word in the book, which is the passcode for the south-western chest; you will receive a poem and another scrap of paper.

The first word of each verse in the poem uses the language of the Old Ones, translated as cardinal directions: Takam = East, Makt = North, Silam = West, Uitt = South. Reference the poem to get the order of arrows for the code for the last chest located in the north-west part of the room. Enter the code to get the last scrap of paper. Combine the three for a completed note, which contains a pass phrase.

Speak the pass phrase to Forebearer Janus to complete the first trial.

The second trial

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“

Welcome to your next trial. Here, there is one simple goal... Survive.

”

The second trial is combat-based, with Emissary Brawlers (melee) and Emissary Conjurers (magic) attacking two at a time, then four at a time. The level 86 brawlers can use a special attack that strikes the tiles adjacent to them that can be dodged, while the conjurers can heal themselves and adjacent brawlers.

Both you and Prince Itzla must survive the trial; use the bandages from the medical boxes around the room on him to heal.

Speak to Forebearer Janus again to start the third trial.

The third trial

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“

Welcome to your third trial. Before you stand some recently initiated acolytes. However, it seems one of them was not as loyal to our cause as first believed. Your task is to question all four and determine who the traitor is.

”

The third trial involves questioning the members of the cult - Tenoch, Silia, Adrius, and Eleuia - and working out who the traitor is. Ask each about the Final Dawn; the traitor (different for each player) will be the one who talks about having eternal life in Mictl. Once you question each member, you'll be given the option to accuse them while talking to them. If none of the members are the traitor, you may need to exit and re-enter the floor.

If the chosen member is the traitor, Janus will kill them rather than keep them barely alive; speak to him to begin the final trial.

**Traitor Dialogue (by character)**
Player Prompt	If Tenoch is traitor	If Silia is traitor	If Adrius is traitor	If Eleuia is traitor
Why did you join the Emissaries?	To do my duty, of course. Ralos and Ranul wish us to bring about the end of this world. Only then will we all unite in Mictl.	I always knew people were wrong about me. I knew I would serve a higher purpose. I never cared what it was. I only cared that in doing so, I would be granted a place in Mictl.	To be honest, I wasn't too sure about joining at first. My friend convinced me though. Here we have a chance to be granted a place in Mictl.	I wished to see my god in mortal form and be granted eternity in Mictl. In return for my service, the Emissaries promised me they could grant that wish.
Tell me about the Final Dawn.	The Final Dawn is our destiny. Ralos and Ranul will unite us all and end this world, but in doing so, they will grant us eternal life in Mictl.	The Final Dawn is an end, but also a beginning. It is when Ralos will use his holy fire to destroy this world. Then he and Ranul will guide us to Mictl.	They say the Final Dawn is inevitable. It's the end that we can't escape from. It's a scary thought, but at least here I have a chance to control my destiny and obtain a place in Mictl.	The Final Dawn is the will of Ranul. He will show us all that death is nothing to be feared. He and Ralos will lead us into forming a new world before then guiding us to Mictl.

The fourth trial

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“

Victory is within your reach, but one more trial awaits... Face your opponent.

”

The final trial requires you to battle Prince Itzla. He uses melee attacks, so Protect from Melee is advised. He will use protection prayers whenever you perform a special attack, and uses two in turn, both of which he will warn you about in advance. For instance, he will pray Protect from Magic if a Voidwaker special is used.

The sword swipe special attack turns off any active protection prayers, but you can simply reactivate them without any delay. The other is an AoE attack, once he warns you he is going to do it, run behind him immediately to dodge.

Upon his defeat, speak to Janus to complete the trials.

The Ruins of Tapoyauik

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Items needed: up to 4 empty inventory slots (the icons can be done one at a time, but is recommended against)
Items recommended: Combat gear, Food, Prayer Potions

Now that you and Prince Itzla have passed the trials, the Augur herself will oversee the initiation process. Open the nearby chest to obtain the Twilight Emissary Robes, then wear them and make your way to the Twilight Temple to begin a cutscene.

Note: If you teleport out or walk too far, Itzla will go back to the Tower of Ascension.

During the initation, it is revealed that the Augur is indeed Metzli, the Teokan of Ranul, and claims Ennius and Furia Tullus are the mortal forms of Ralos and Ranul, who were reborn as the twins during an eclipse 31 years ago.

After the cutscene, speak to Forebearer Fides. She will task you with opening up the passage to the Ruins of Tapoyauik, a fortress of the Old Ones under the temple, where Metzli believes they left behind secrets to bring about the Final Dawn. Make your way to the building directly south, and climb down the stairs to the blocked passage; a barrel containing pickaxes can be found nearby to mine it.

Upon mining the blockage, a cutscene will play in which you proceed further into the fortress. However, the ground rumbles, manifesting two frost nagua, killing Forebearer Vulcan and knocking Prince Itzla over a pit.

Note: Once you have completed the cutscene, you no longer need to wear the Twilight Emissary Robes to proceed. The robes will be required in the subsequent quest The Final Dawn, and can be reclaimed at anytime from the chest you found them in.

You will now need to navigate the fortress to meet up with Prince Itzla. Run past the frost nagua (use Protect from Magic if able), then avoid the spear traps; getting hit by one will stun you and deal 6-12 damage. Once past them, pull the lever and climb down the nearby ledge.

Next, run past the frost crabs and make your way north, avoiding stepping on the traps by taking the middle path. You will come across a wall by an icy ledge that you can slide across. Once across, enter the north-eastern room and move around the trap before pulling the lever. Move west to the frozen platforms and cross them, then climb down the western ledge.

Head west to the enclosed room and pull another lever, avoiding the trap. Head south to find a large gate and another lever to pull on the north side. Before entering, pull the chain just east to unlock a shortcut to the exit. If you need to leave and come back, climb down the stairs to enter the dungeon and head west to climb down this chain.

There are four total levers to pull, each lever lighting a brazier at the large gate.

Icons Puzzle

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When you walk west through the gate, you will find yourself in a large, rectangular room divided into thirds. The eastern third that you start in contains many urns and two murals. The middle third has a floor of ice and several frost nagua. The western third contains urns, another two murals, four statues, and a frozen door.

Do not search the urns yet - whilst searching urns, frost naguas will spawn and attack and cannot be safespotted. Instead, inspect the two murals and take note of the first words used (zema, oma, yeya, naui) and the corresponding element that is visible on them. You will need to recall these word-element pairs soon. Then, run all the way west to meet up with Prince Itzla. He will help you fight any nagua that you bring near him.

Now in the western third of the room, inspect the other two murals for their words and elements. Check which three of the statues are broken. Then, you will need to run back east again.

In the eastern third again, search the urns to find three distinct icons which correspond to the broken statues that you inspected earlier. You will be ambushed by frost nagua while searching urns. Once you have all three icons, run west again.

Finally, in the western third again, use the icons on their corresponding statues. Once you have done so, you will need to touch each of the four statues in the correct order. The words on the murals determine the order in which the player must touch the statues: Zema = 1, Oma = 2, Yeya = 3, and Naui = 4. Meanwhile, the elements on the murals determine the specific statue that must be touched. The order is different for each player. If all statues are touched, but in the incorrect order, you will take damage from falling rocks.

Upon touching the statues correctly, they will unleash a wave spell and melt the ice off the door. The next section will be a boss fight, so return to a bank if needed.

Guardian of the Fortress

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This fight takes place in an instance.

On death, all unprotected items will be moved to a grave outside the instance. Any items left on the ground will be lost.

Items needed: Combat gear (Melee combat strongly recommended)
Items recommended: Food, Prayer Potions and at least 37 prayer to use Protect from Magic, Super combat potions or similar, melee equipment to destroy ice blocks (Glacial temotli)

Enter the door to begin a cutscene in which you and Prince Itzla encounter Amoxliatl, a powerful frost nagua guarding the fortress. She will tell you and Itzla that the Mokhaiotl - or the Tlati archive - is off-limits to humans, claiming they are unworthy. Suddenly, Prince Itzla is teleported away, revealing that Metzli, Ennius, and Furia followed you here. As they attempt to deal with you, Amoxliatl claims they have defiled Tapoyauik and will face the consequences. However, as they teleport away, you are forced to fight her in their stead.

The player and Prince Itzla encounter Amoxliatl.
Metzli and the Tullus twins reveal themselves.

Amoxliatl uses three different attacks. In her standard attack, she attacks with magic, summoning ice spikes on the player's current tile and around the arena. Protect from Magic will protect against the initial attack, but the ice spikes additionally deal typeless damage. Finally, an icy pool will be left on the tile where the player was originally standing that will deal 6-10 damage per tick.

After every 2-4 standard attacks, Amoxliatl will use one of two special attacks. The first one used is randomly selected, but after that, she will alternate between them and will not use the same special attack twice in a row. If you are standing in the narrow entry path, she will not use her Unstable Ice special attack.

Unstable ice blocks: Amoxliatl forms 1-4 blocks of unstable ice around the arena. If not destroyed in time (16 ticks, ~10 seconds), all remaining ice blocks will shatter, causing icy pools to form within 3x3 of the ice blocks and healing the boss (16-25) for each ice block shattered. Ice Blocks can only be destroyed with melee, but will be fully destroyed in 1 tick regardless of the melee weapon used.

Icicle attack: Amoxliatl disables the player's prayer and launches an icicle at them. A message is shown in the chatbox: Amoxliatl disables your prayers and launches an icicle attack! Turn on Protect from Magic before the icicle hits you to negate all damage.

After defeating Amoxliatl, you will forcefully be banished from Tapoyauik. Make your way to Sunrise Palace, where Servius is currently staying. You will inform him of the events that transpired, and he will ask that you leave so as to avoid the Queen's anger, but assures you that you will be involved in whatever plans are made next.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Rewards

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2 Quest points
Access to Tapoyauik
8,000 Mining experience
8,000 Thieving experience
8,000 Slayer experience
8,000 Agility experience.

Required for completing

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The completion of The Heart of Darkness is a requirement to complete the following:

The Final Dawn

Transcript

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This article on a quest has an associated dialogue page.
Click here for a transcript of possible conversations encountered throughout the quest.
Click here for a transcript of the quest's journal entry.

Gallery

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Concept art of the Twilight Temple wallkit, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of the Ruins of Tapoyauik, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of the entrance leading to Amoxliatl's chamber, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of Amoxliatl's chamber, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of Prince Itzla's disguises, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of Augur Metzli, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of the Tullus twins during the quest, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of the cultists, by Mod Jerv.
Concept art of the cultist combatants, by Mod Jerv.

Changes

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Date	Changes
9 October 2024 (Update)	New dialogue is added to make it clearer when the trial is being reset upon failing to pick the traitor.
2 October 2024 (Update)	Frost Nagua will no longer respawn during the door puzzle segment after being killed.

Trivia

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The act of trying to rent a non-existent basement room at the Windbreaker is possibly a reference to the quest The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In the quest, the player finds a note in place of the horn telling them to rent an attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn, only to be told by the innkeeper that they do not have an attic room.
The quest's title "Heart of Darkness" is a reference to the classic 1899 novella of the same name by Joseph Conrad.

The Heart of Darkness

NPCs

	Prince Itzla Arkan Queen Zyanyi Arkan Bartender Shopkeeper Amoxliatl Servius, Teokan of Ralos
Cultist recruits	Caritta Felius Nova Sergius
Cultists	Emissary Acolyte Tenoch Silia Adrius Eleuia
Cultist forebearers	Forebearer Janus Forebearer Fides Forebearer Vulcan
Cultist leaders	Augur Metzli Furia Tullus Ennius Tullus

Items

	Tower key Book Poem Completed note Bandages Stone tablet
Scraps of paper	One Two Three
Icons	Icon (air) Icon (earth) Icon (fire) Icon (water)
Twilight Emissary Robes	Hood Robe top Robe bottom Sandals

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