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Living World Season 3 content

Heart of the Volcano (story)

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Heart of the Volcano

Heart of the Volcano (story) loading screen.jpg

Loading screen

Heart of the Volcano is the final part of Flashpoint.

Objectives[edit]

Into the Volcano

  • Follow Balthazar into the volcano's chimney.
  • Explore the caldera.
  • Take the scanner from Scruffy.
  • Use your special action skill to scan the barrier.
  • Give Scruffy your scanner.
  • Scan the barrier again to expose an energy anomaly.
  • Glide up and collect the anomaly.
  • Destroy one of the barrier's anchors with an anomaly.
  • Rescan the barrier to generate another anomaly.
  • Use anomalies to destroy the barrier's remaining anchors.
  • Descend into the volcano.
  • Scan the second barrier to expose an energy anomaly.
  • Use anomalies to destroy the second barrier's anchors.
  • Descend farther into the volcano.
  • Scan the third barrier to expose an energy anomaly.
  • Use anomalies to destroy the third barrier's anchors.
  • Descend to Taimi's machine.
  • Scan the machine.
  • Defeat Balthazar's hounds.
  • Scan Hound's corpse.
  • And again, defeat one of the hounds.
  • Defeat Balthazar's hounds.
  • Rescan machine to leak more dragon energy.
  • Glide up and collect both fragments of dragon energy.
  • Taint hound corpse with combined dragon energy.
  • Destroy the hounds by tainting their corpses with dragon energy.

Rewards[edit]

Walkthrough[edit]

Targeting icons for the anchors

On entering the instance, you find yourself in a caldera with a variety of roaming Destroyers, an energy barrier (a dome-shaped structure) in the center, and (3) Barrier Anchors around the edges. Taimi provides you with a scanner that enables the release of balls of Dragon energy from the barrier which can be collected and used (with the Redirect Anomaly gliding skill) to destroy the anchors. While numerous, the Destroyers are nuisances that distract from the main task. Once the anchors have been destroyed, the barrier vanishes and allows you to drop to the next lower level of the caldera. This sequence occurs 3 times. At the third level, all remaining Destroyers vanish on the destruction of the first anchor, making completion of this level much easier. On dropping down to the lowest level, you find a central platform with Taimi's Machine being manipulated by Balthazar. After a short cut-scene, Balthazar unleashes his hounds against you. Both hounds need to be killed (from the ground) and then destroyed by using Dragon energy from the air. This energy is released from Taimi's device via the scanner, with the energy balls collected in air, then targeted to the "dead" hound before its health can be restored. Once both hounds and Taimi's device have been destroyed, the instance ends.

Within the caldera, the gliding mechanic changes due to the hot air in the caldera. You will not lose endurance and instead slowly accelerate upward. The longer you glide without cancelling the glide, the faster you will rise. Leaning forward will cause you to accelerate forward and upward more rapidly while leaning backwards will result in moving forward and upward slowly.

Achievements[edit]

Heart of the Volcano Flashpoint Heart of Thorns mastery point 0Achievement points
Enter the caldera, and venture deep into the heart of the volcano.Journal: Heart of the Volcano Completed Completed the Heart of the Volcano 0Achievement points
This achievement rewards items.This achievement rewards a title. Fancy Flying Flashpoint 5Achievement points
Descend the chimney in the Heart of the Volcano instance without being hit by destroyer fireballs.Story Instance: Heart of the Volcano
"Like a moth to the flame."
Title: Fancy Flyer
Reward: Fire Orchid Blossom.pngFire Orchid Blossom (5)
Descended the Chimney While Avoiding Destroyer Fireballs 5Achievement points
  • Make it to the bottom without being hit by any destroyer fireballs, including both on the ground and in the air. The easiest way to get this achievement is by partnering with another player, with the other party member completing the first part of the instance, destroying all barriers and such, continuing up to the point where all of the destroyers have been nullified. At this point it will be safe to descend in order to get the achievement, which will be awarded upon landing on the final platform. Note that the second player does not need to kill all destroyers. Instead, they can pass through all 3 barriers and on destroying one of the links, all destroyers will insta-die, and the other player can safely glide down.
  • Achievement qualification may be tracked via the Achievement effect.png Achievement Eligibility: Fancy Flying effect.
Go Nuts with the Scanning Flashpoint 5Achievement points
Find all unique objects and creatures in the Heart of the Volcano instance that respond to Taimi's scanner.Story Instance: Heart of the Volcano
"A Scan a Day..."
Scanned 1 Object or Creature in the Heart of the Volcano Instance 0Achievement points
Scanned All 9 Objects and Creatures in the Heart of the Volcano Instance 5Achievement points
  • You will need to scan: Taimi, Barrier Anchor, Energy Barrier (x3), any Destroyer (easiest to do as soon as you begin your descent), the machine, and both of Balthazar's Hounds, Tegan and Temar.
  • It seems that only the person who opens the instance can progress this achievement.
Map of Primordus (red) and Jormag (blue) energies. (Note: They are at different altitudes)
Excess Energy Flashpoint 3Achievement points
Find all the lingering fragments of Primordus and Jormag energy in the Heart of the Volcano instance.Story Instance: Heart of the Volcano
"Leaving stray Elder Dragon energy around probably won't cause any problems...but better safe than sorry."
Found 1 Fragment of Primordus and Jormag Energy in the Heart of the Volcano Instance 0Achievement points
12 Found All Fragments of Primordus and Jormag Energy in the Heart of the Volcano Instance 3Achievement points
  • There are six blue orbs of Jormag energy leading from the entrance to the volcano core to where Taimi's machine was located, and there are six red orbs of Primordus energy located above the lava where Primordus was emerging that must be collected.
This achievement rewards items. Return to Heart of the Volcano Return to Flashpoint 0Achievement points
Complete the mission Heart of the Volcano in Living World Season 3 Episode 5.
Reward: Unbound Magic.pngUnbound Magic (5)
Completed Heart of the Volcano 0Achievement points

NPCs[edit]

Allies[edit]

Asura
Golems

Foes[edit]

Destroyers
Elementals
Gods
Elder Dragons

Objects[edit]

Dialogue[edit]

Upon exploring the volcano's caldera
<Character name>: Taimi. I've reached the volcano's chimney. The druids' ward is...holding. I am feeling some heat, though.
Taimi: I'd expect you to work up a little sweat, but let me know if you experience a fiery death.
<Character name>: Thanks. There's... Looks like there's some sort of energy barrier here. Any ideas? I can describe it for you if you want.
Taimi: How about if I just take a look myself?
<Character name>: You—! Scruffy! He's fixed?
Taimi: Not completely... This is my fault. I wasn't going to let you go it alone.
<Character name>: Balthazar's doing this, not you.
Taimi: But I gave him the gun.
Taimi: Anyway, Scruffy's mobile and heat-shielded, but he's still lacking weapon capabilities, so I won't be much good to you.
<Character name>: It's just great to have you here. Facing a god of war and all...
Taimi: We're sure in it deep, Commander! Here. Take this scanner and use it on the possibly deadly energy barrier.
Taking the scanner
Taimi: Go nuts with the scanning.
Scanning Scruffy 2.0 and Taimi
Scanner: Boundless—intellect—with—infinite—cognitive—capacity—detected.
Scanner:Designation: Taimi—the—Magnificent.
<Character name>: Funny; it didn't say anything about how humble you are.
Taimi: Hey, it's just a scanner. It only sees the world as objective data. Who am I to argue?
Scanning one of the anchors of the energy field for the first time
Scanner: The—energy—barrier's—structure—is—fragile—here.
After scanning the first energy field
Scanner: Volatile—energy—field—detected.
Scanner: Field—is—not—naturally—occurring—for—this—geographic—location.
Taimi: Gonna guess that means Balthazar or one of his people set it up.
Taimi: In that case, maybe it's not perfect. I can modulate your scanner to find any cracks in the armor...
Taimi: Let me see it again for a second.
Giving the scanner to Scruffy
Taimi: Try it now.
After scanning the energy field again
Scanner: Assessing—weakness. Defect—discovered. Please—stand—clear.
Taimi: Hooray! You didn't die! That's scientific progress! It looks like the field tried to purge its weaknesses.
Taimi: Collect those anomalies and use them against the field. That should do the trick.
Taimi: I'd glide up there myself, but, you know... I'm in two tons of steel.
Taimi: The heated air in here should give you a lift.
Talking to Scruffy 2.0 (Taimi)
I got this figured out, Commander. Me brains, you brawn. Look up for the anomalies. If you glide up, you can collect one. Once you've got it, shoot it at a vulnerability. That'll take care of it.
Talk more option tango.png Glide up? Really?
Yesss. The hot air in here will lift you if you glide out over it. Close your glider, and you'll fall though. Don't forget to curb your momentum before you hit the ground or Commander goes squish!
Talk end option tango.png Okay, I got this.
Talk end option tango.png Okay, thanks.
When taking too long to grab the anomaly
Taimi: The anomalies are above you, so you'll need to glide up to collect one.
Taimi: Once you've got one, you can fire it down at one of the field's vulnerabilities.
Taimi: The air in there is so hot that you'll naturally glide upward.
Taimi: When you're ready to descend, close your glider, but be sure to reopen it before you go splat!
When taking even longer
Taimi: If you need to expose more anomalies, you can always scan the center of the field again.
If landed after touching anomaly and did not use them
Taimi: Huh. The anomaly dispersed when you touched down.
Taimi: Guess you'll need to stay airborne to use them against the field's vulnerabilities.
After disrupting the first energy field by destroying all three anchorsq
Taimi: Nice work! I'll monitor your descent and stay in touch over the communicator.
Taimi: Have a good...uh...plummet!
Talking to Scruffy 2.0 (Taimi)
What? Is something wrong? Why are you back here? Need I remind you that time is of the essence? The great and powerful god of Not Caring Who Dies could activate the device at any moment!
Talk end option tango.png I just wanted to check on you before I made my run.
Upon scanning any destroyer for the first time
Scanner: Destroyer—detected. Entity—is—magma—and—rock—animated—by—Elder—Dragon—spectrum: Primordus.
While descending the vulcano
<Character name>: You'll never guess what's down here.
Taimi: Please tell me it's not a second, even angrier, god of war...
<Character name>: No. Another energy field. And some destroyers who don't like me airborne.
Taimi: Well, standard annihilate-or-avoid tactics should work on the destroyers, and the scanner should disrupt the barrier.
Upon scanning the second energy field for the first time
Taimi: Have you thought about...you know...?
<Character name>: There's really no other way to kill Primordus or Jormag?
Taimi: They're each other's weakness. Like Mordremoth's was its mind. And without my machine...
Taimi: I don't think they're going to duke it out physically. Feels like that would be a disaster anyway.
<Character name>: I can't believe we're seriously considering saving them.
Taimi: I know, but magic is so out of whack. If one more goes, all of Tyria might just collapse in on itself.
<Character name>: If...IF we keep them alive, how do we keep them from killing us all anyway?
Taimi: Hey, one problem at a time. At least we'd be alive to solve it...
After destroying the second energy field
Taimi: Looks like you broke through. Down you go!
While descending towards the third energy field
Taimi: My sensors show you nearing the base of the chimney, but let me guess... Another barrier?
<Character name>: You got it. And more destroyers. Many more!
Taimi: Well, you know what to do!
After destroying the first anchor of the second energy field
<Character name>: Taimi, all of the destroyers... They just... dropped.
Taimi: Uh... Okay... So you've probably guessed...
Taimi: That roar was Primordus. We've passed the event horizon. The machine's on.
Taimi: We either let Balthazar kill the dragons and absorb the magic or destroy the machine...
<Character name>: (growl) Don't plan on Braham ever talking to us again if we take Jormag off the table.
Taimi: I love that big dummy, but I'd rather be alive to try to explain myself.
After disrupting the third energy field
Taimi: That did it! Go! Go!
Upon reaching Balthazar and the machine
Taimi: Are you fighting him? What's happening?
<Character name>: He's here, but...not here. If that makes sense. Above the machine. In the channel of magic.
Taimi: What? Can you scan him?
Upon scanning Balthazar
Scanner: No—life—detected. Only—magic—energy—present.
Taimi: Nooooo...! Is the coast clear? Can I come down?
<Character name>: There's a god and an Elder Dragon down here, but you're welcome to join.
Taimi: Whoa. Hotter down here. Is that...? That's Primordus! Right there! I've never been this close to an Elder Dragon!
<Character name>: Should we be worried about it...I don't know, moving and killing us all?
Taimi: I theorized the machine would put it in a state of paralysis... Looks like I was right.
<Character name>: So what's going on with Balthazar?
Taimi: He's somehow inserted himself into the system... And he's so magically adept... So in order to absorb...
Taimi: Okay, I'll admit it. I don't really know exactly what's happening. But...here we are. Clock's ticking. What do you think?
<Character name>: Destroy it. A murderous, overpowered god of war is too dangerous to keep around.
<Character name>: Even if you're wrong about the deaths of more dragons devastating the planet.
Taimi: Agreed.
Balthazar: Your kind will not stop my campaign.
<Character name>: Balthazar! What you're doing... You'll destroy Tyria!
Balthazar: Your home is a trivial concern.
Balthazar: They abated me; dimmed my light... But they will see me now.
<Character name>: If you won't stop, then at least face me! For the honor of battle! Of war!
Taimi: Good thinking! A certain death sentence, but good thinking!
Balthazar: I've learned there is no honor in war. But if you crave the glory of the fray...
Balthazar: Temar! Tegon! Feast!
Taimi: Ah! You take care of them, and I'll start the overload process!
Scanning Tegon during battle
Scanner: Canine—signature—detected. Designation: Tegon.
Scanner: Good—dog.
Scanning Temar during battle
Scanner: Canine—signature—detected. Designation: Temar.
Scanner: Bad—dog.
After killing one of Balthazar's hounds
Taimi: Uh, why is it still burning after you just killed it? Try scanning it.
Scanning the slain hound
Scanner: Entity—corpse—is—concentrating—heat—for—revival.
Taimi: Gimme a second! I'll figure something out!
Taimi: Try this! No...! Actually, yes. Try using your scanner to disrupt my machine!
Alternating when killing one of the hounds again
Taimi: It's down! Use the scanner to disrupt the machine!
Taimi: Scan the machine when one of the hounds is dead!
After rescanning the machine
Taimi: You're going to have to glide to get the dragon energy.
Taimi: Glide! You need to grab both of those clusters of dragon energy!
Grabbing the first energy cluster
Scanner: Energy—channel—disrupted.
After grabbing both clusters
Taimi: Quick, hit the hound's corpse with the dragon energy before it revives!
Taimi: Shoot it!
Taimi: Hurry!
If landed after interacting with the clusters and did not use them
Taimi: The dragon energy dispersed when you landed.
Taimi: You need to fire it at one of the hounds' corpses while you're still airborne.
Upon hitting a hound with the dragon energy
Taimi: The machine is reacting! Nice work!
Taimi: Keep it up and the machine will think they're part of the dragons!
Taimi: Another blast like that should do it!
After hitting a hound with the dragon energy again
Taimi: Another reaction from the machine! Do it again!
After finally defeating the first hound
Taimi: You did it!
Balthazar: That was a dire mistake.
<Character name>: Step out then! Stop me!
Taimi: Good one, Commander!
Taimi: Anyways, one more to go!
Taimi: Getting close with the overload!
After defeating the second hound
Taimi: Good timing! I'm ready to overload the machine! You sure about this?
<Character name>: Am I sure? Are you sure?
Taimi: Guess we'll find out! But...
Taimi: What is Balthazar doing?
Taimi: Aargh!
Balthazar: I was weak... I'm feeling much better now.
<Character name>: Taimi, do it now!
Balthazar: The...power!
<Character name>: You okay?
Taimi: Yeah, yeah. The machine... It...survived.
After overloading the machine (in-game cut scene)
Taimi: Whaddya know? I was wro—
Taimi: Aaaaaaah!
After the cut scene
<Character name>: What was that?
Taimi: That was what I thought was going to happen. Just took a little longer.
<Character name>: Tyria seems intact, so at least there's that... You see Balthazar?
Taimi: No. Looked like he was vaporized in the explosion, but...he apparently doesn't like to follow the rules I know.
<Character name>: And Primordus?
Taimi: Let me check...
Scanner: Elder—Dragon—spectrum: Primordus, energy—subsiding—to—pre-awakening—level.
Taimi: Night, night, sweet dragon! Guessing the same thing happened to Jormag too.
Taimi: Uh, still... we should vacate this hot hole ASAP.
<Character name>: We just spared two Elder Dragons, Taimi. I had to say that out loud; I don't really believe it.
Taimi: Paradigm: shifted. But I'm relieved I'm not responsible for the death of everything I know and love.
<Character name>: Confirm that theory as soon as you can. I'm sure we'll have a lot of convincing to do when word of this gets out.
Taimi: I won't sleep until I... On second thought, maybe a little nap before I get started will be good for me.
<Character name>: Definitely do that. I'll try to find out what happened to our divine friend.
<Character name>: With any luck he's been scattered to the Mists.
Taimi: At least we won the day, Commander. Score one for Dragon's Watch.
<Character name>: True. And maybe one day we'll be a guild that can field a full team.
Taimi: Ha-ha. Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. Rata Sum wasn't built in a day, you know? We'll get there soon enough...
Talking to Scruffy 2.0
Well, plug me in and call me zapped. That was intense. I wish the others had been here to help. I feel like I never see Braham, Rox, Kas, or Jory anymore.
Talk more option tango.png Agreed. Let's get out of here.
Great idea. I want to run some tests on Scruffy 2.0. I hadn't planned to bring him into the field so soon. The smell of burning hair...not leaving his air-intake system anytime soon. (cough)
Talk more option tango.png Your new design looks good.
You don't know the half of it! It has internal phalange arrays, TWO pulpless propulsion systems, and a heated seat—for a cozy factor that's off the charts.
Talk end option tango.png Sounds wonderful.
Talk more option tango.png I wish Marjory hadn't run off to spy on Lazarus, but she meant well.
If she hadn't, we'd never have known about the mirror, and we'd have had no warning that he was on his way. I'm just glad she wasn't killed when Kasmeer started drooling in front of Balthazar.
Talk more option tango.png It's a human thing...the gods. Kasmeer couldn't help herself.
I suppose you see more of Kas and Jory than I do. They were with you in the battle of Divinity's Reach, right?
Talk more option tango.png No, actually, they weren't. Jory was with Lazarus, and Kas...I don't know.
You don't know? I guess you were kinda busy. And Kas has been doing all that work for Countess Anise and the queen. I bet she was behind the scenes somewhere, being all "sneaky mesmer."
Talk more option tango.png Likely. As for Braham, he's...trying to find his footing. Rox is with him.
I've tried to get in touch with him, but he's avoiding me. Rox told me he broke one of Jormag's teeth, and the norn in Hoelbrak have been celebrating ever since. They won't give him any peace.
Talk more option tango.png He's determined to go after Jormag. But...
I know. In light of what I discovered, considering how...wrong I was, going after Jormag isn't a good idea. I haven't told him that yet. It's going to be hard to be heard through the norn cheers.
Talk more option tango.png And you'll triple-check your new theory on the Elder Dragons, please?
That's my plan. We have no more room for error. I'll be in touch as soon as I know anything new.
Talk end option tango.png Get home safely.
Talk end option tango.png That must be it. C'mon, let's get out of here.
Talk end option tango.png Me too. C'mon, let's go.
After leaving the instance
Druid Spirit: You have done a good deed. Thank you. The protection from the elder druids is at an end. Go in peace.

My story[edit]

Heart of the Volcano (story) loading screen.jpg

I entered the caldera and didn't go up in smoke, so I'd call that a success. Taimi met me, her own protective shields holding as well. With her help, I made my way down to the lava chamber at the heart of the volcano. Balthazar was there! He planned to acquire all the magic from both Primordus and Jormag, and he didn't give a hoot whether Tyria was destroyed in the process. He sicced his hounds, Temar and Tegon, on us, but they failed to vanquish us. It quickly became clear that our only hope was to overload Taimi's machine, despite the potential danger to ourselves. When it blew, we lost track of Balthazar and a bolt of Jormag energy struck Primordus, wounding the Elder Dragon and causing it to sink deeper into the lava. Taimi confirmed that Jormag had likely suffered the same fate.

My story

Notes[edit]

  • Hitting both of Balthazar's Hounds with the energy seems to sometimes get the other one in a constant respawning cycle. If either of them doesn't stay dead with the target marker on top of them, waiting for a minute or two seems to "unstuck" them.
  • Hitting both of Balthazar's Hounds with 1 energy ball can cause the game progression stuck, as the game still hinting you to destroy the hounds, but the hounds are no longer there.
  • If you have a pet, dismiss it right before a hound dies and "kill" it yourself. If a pet does damage to it while the hound is "dead" and waiting to be finished off, it can heal to 30% instantly.
  • If scanner is inactive (like after you died), try swapping weapons to reactivate it.
  • Throughout this instance, "gliding" is impacted by hot air updrafts that exist everywhere in the caldera. You can only descend by falling, if you try to glide, you will find yourself in an uncontrolled ascent, which very often will leave you "out of range" of your targeted foe. The platform itself is a stable surface, and there are a "few" floating islands that also provide stability and allow for needed health recovery.
  • There are two types of Vine-Touched Destroyers in this area. Some move around, while the majority are stationary. The stationary ones will shoot fireballs at you if you are airborne and ignore you while you are grounded (although there might be a slight delay in their non-aggressive nature depending on the timing of your landing compared to their next attack cycle). The mobile ones will attack you regardless of your location in the air or on the ground. Conversely, the Rotting Destroyers attack when you are grounded, but do not attack you while you are airborne.
  • Jumping is considered to be airborne.
  • The fireballs can travel through the ledges where the destroyers are stationed.
  • The Destroyers will not respawn, so it is possible to remove all of the aerial threats.
  • There is an intermittent energy beam that will shooting out from the center area of the lowest level as a red beam, and a few seconds later return down as a blue beam. The red beam causes Burning damage, while the blue beam does Chilled damage.
  • Approaching Primordus will cause up to 20 stacks of Burning.png Burning. Ignoring the burning and continuing to approach Primordus results in 40 or more stacks of Burning.png Burning.
  • Your character will be under the Unbound Firestorm.png Druid's Protection effect for the duration of the instance.
  • The Combat/Movement UI option Snap Groud Target to Current Target may prevent aiming at the anchors, automatically targeting one of nearby destroyer instead. It's recommended to switch this option off while doing this part.

Trivia[edit]

  • Falling from the highest point (maximum elevation with gliding) to the lowest point (lava floor) takes 58 seconds, making it one of the longest falls in the game. With a Jade Tech Gliding Booster this can be increased to comfortably over a minute by climbing well above where the updraft effect ceases before starting the fall.