How to Complete the Black Knight Fortress Quest in RuneScape: Dragonwilds
You can finish the Black Knight Fortress quest by tracking down 13 scattered shards to fix the Dreaming Stone in Dowdun Reach, which then lets you fight the Gatekeeper boss. Before you even head out, make sure you have a spade and a Mithril pickaxe in your inventory. You are also going to want the newest tier of armor and weapons equipped, as this will make fighting the mobs easier.
Starting the Fortress Run and the Dreaming Stone
To start the quest, go to the bottom of Silverthorn Keep and talk to Cathan. Head through the door which will start the cinematic. Once the cinematic is done, follow the path forward. Keep an eye out for the Carnivorous Chinchompas on the road. If they get too close, they explode, which is just an annoying way to lose health before the quest even really starts.
Head up the stairs, tag the Lodestone, and talk to the Wise Old Wizard. After that, push up the hill, cross the bridge, and squeeze past the barrier to talk to Doric, and then the Dreaming Stone itself. The stone is broken into 13 pieces. This guide will show you how to get all the shards even if you have not progressed through the fortress and unlocked all the gates.
Before you start hunting for the shards, we strongly suggest that you farm the new resources so that you can get yourself the newest armor and weapons. This will help you a lot during your progression and will prevent you from dying from 1 hit. Also make sure that you bring a spade along as you will need it a few times during this guide.
Shards 1 and 2: The Garrison Towers
Start over by the Wizard and run left up the hill. The main gate is probably locked for you, but it doesn’t matter. You can use Windstep to jump up the rocks on the side of the gate and completely bypass it. Run straight toward the barrels and barrier in front.
Proceed over the barrels and use Windstep to jump over to the other side. Using Windstep again, jump onto the beam hanging above the cage. This lets you completely ignore the mobs below. You will need to take out 2 Acolytes on the outside platform to make the next steps easier.
You can either use Windstep to jump up to the bridge or you can run through the building and up the stairs. Prepare Windstep before you aggro the mobs so that you can jump up to the platform. Jump across to the next platform and then up into the tower.
There is an elite mob up here. If you are ranged, you can safely pick it off. If not, just drop down, grab the shard, dodge its swing, and Windstep back out of there.
For the second shard, drop down to the opposite tower roof and clear out the snipers. Work your way all the way down to the bridge, head outside, and turn right to drop down to the bridge with fire traps on it.
You will run into some Hellrats and Sergeant Blister here. The shard is locked behind a red beam until you kill Sergeant Blister. He hits like a truck, so keep your Wardstones ready and just focus on dodging. Once he drops, grab the shard.
Shards 3 and 4: The Pastures and the Dragon
Head back across the bridge and take the path to the right through the archway. You can run right past most of the enemies here. Once through the archway, head up the stairs where you will find 3 Black Knights. You can ignore them as long as you time your run so that you can cross the flaming section as it stops. Once you pass the first fire trap, Windstep across the gap. This will prevent the Black Knights from following you. Kill the Goblins waiting on the other side.
Make sure you kill the Hellhounds in this area. They have a ridiculous aggro range and will follow you forever if you ignore them. Continue up the path and jump up the rocks on the left.
Once at the top, go left and follow the path up to the top. You need to be careful here as there are Goblins that you will need to take out first.
Once you at the top, you will see a Lesser Blue Dragon. In the middle is a pile of rocks with a light coming out of it. This is where the shard is. You will need to hit the rocks with your Mithril pickaxe in order to get the third shard. You could fight the dragon, but honestly, it’s easier to just bait its attack, dodge, hit the rock, and run away until it gives up chasing you.
Once you lose the dragon by running down the way you came, head straight along the path to the cliff nearby and Windstep up. To make grabbing the fourth shard easier, throw a Confuse spell at the mobs so they fight each other. Kills the closest Goblins and then while the rest are distracted, just walk into the small building and take the shard.
Shard 5: Spittletoe and the Maple Toasty
With the 4th shard claimed, we can now head to the next one. Drop down the ledge, go under the rock bridge, and make sure you unblock the Nodestone so you can fast travel back to the Nexus later.
Head up the stairs into the building on the right. There are some Hellrats that you will need to take care of before continuing. After killing the Hellrats, go around the bend, and you will find Spittletoe holding the fifth shard. He won’t hand it over to you unless you get a recipe for him. Yeah, an errand run in the middle of a fortress siege.
To get the recipe, go outside and up the stairs to find Snotpit. There is a Zogre that you will need to kill before going to Snotpit. Just outside the building hes in, there are a few Goblins you will need to kill. Snotpit needs a password, which you can get from the Chef’s Journal at the top of the Grand Hall. Run to the left side of the Grand Hall—you will need to kill the mobs by the fire before proceeding. Head inside the Grand Hall and run straight through until you reach the stairs. Head up the stairs and jump onto the wooden platform at the edge.
Cross the beams to the right. Make sure you take out the sniper as well as the Black Knight Elite. Proceed up the stairs to the top floor. There are 2 Acolytes here that you need to kill first. Now that they are dead, head over to the book on the bed and read it. The book reveals that the password is ‘Please’. Go back to Snotpit and give him the password. You will now have the recipe to make the Maple Toastie. Take the recipe to your base, cook the Maple Toastie, and give it to Spittletoe for the shard.
Shards 6, 7, and 8: The Underground
To get to the 3 shards underground, we will be starting near the Wizard. If the gate is locked, you can use the rock on the left and Windstep over the wall. You will then be able to unlock the gate for future adventures.
Head down the stairs below the Cathedral. There will be a Zogre patrolling this area. You can bait him towards the stairs to negate some of his attacks. Once hes dead, head across the room to the dead body slumped against a tombstone. You will encounter some zombies that will spawn as you get closer.
Read the note on the floor for a clue on where the shard is. Take out your spade, and dig up the grave right next to the body to get the sixth shard. Digging up the others can spawn enemies or chests that you can loot if you wish to do so.
For the seventh shard, we will need to head deeper underground. Turn around from the tombstone and turn right. You will see stairs heading down. At the bottom of the stairs, there will be some traps that you need to dodge. Once past the traps, there will be a room with skeletons. Kill the one on the left and move down that side. Continue down the next flight of stairs and avoid the traps at the bottom.
You will hit a room with a mage, a demon, and an acolyte. Use the Confuse spell on one of them and let them do the work for you. Once you have killed all the mobs, head through the big hole in the wall.
Activate the Nodestone and then proceed to talk to the goblin fishing. He wants you to catch a fish in exchange for the shard. Catch it, hand it over, and he will reward you with the shard.
To get the eighth shard, walk back to the mage room and take the stairs down. Pull the lever to start the lift. Once you get to the bottom, activate the Nodestone. The lift will now continue to go up and down forever. Walk down the path, making sure to shoot the spiky plants from a distance so they don’t blow up in your face. There will be a bunch of Hellrats along the path that you will need to take care of. The path is quite straightforward to get to the bridge.
When you reach the bridge, cross it to get to the centre area. Two demons will spawn when you are close enough. Again, use the Confuse spell on one and help it kill the other, then finish off the survivor to drop the barrier around the shard. Eight shards down with only five more to go!
Shard 9: The Library and Alric’s Journal
Start at the tent next to Vanaka, just to the right of the Wizard. Walk up the stairs into the library. There are a lot of mobs in here, so I suggest using a Magical Focus consumable to help with clearing the mobs before you try solving anything. You want to try not to fight more than 2 mobs at a time.
Interact with Alric’s Journal to start a riddle. You have to read three specific books in order:
- The first is on the left side of the room.
- The second is in the middle aisle on the left side of the room.
- The third is diagonally across the second book.
- Once you click all three, return to the journal and turn left. Read the red book on the shelf to drop the barrier. This will remove the barrier so that you can head down.
Take note that there are 3 mobs in the room with the second and third book that you will need to take out. They should not present too much of a problem for you.
Head downstairs, where you will find 2 demons as well as some Hellrats. Use the Confuse spell on one of the demons, clear the Hellrats, and then finish off the demons. You can now go grab the 9th shard!
Shard 10: Valerius and the Glittering Memory
Walk out of the Library, turn left, and go up the outside stairs. Mobs will chase you, but will stop once you go up the second flight of stairs. The second flight of stairs has fire traps shooting out on and off. Try avoiding them if possible to avoid unnecessary damage.
Once on the second floor, head across the bridge. You will need to defeat 2 Dark Knights before continuing. Use the Confuse spell on the Dark Knights so they fight each other. Once both are dead, head inside and talk to Valerius. He wants you to dig up his “Glittering Memory” in exchange for the shard.
Go back across the bridge and up the third flight of stairs. You will run into a dragon that you can either fight or avoid. To avoid it, activate Windstep, run straight at it, jump directly over its head when it charges, and keep running to the Nodestone to lose aggro. Once you have lost the aggro, head back towards the dragon and drop down the nearby hill. Pull out your spade and dig up the chest that contains the memory. Take the memory back to Valerius for the tenth shard.
Shards 11 and 12: The Menagerie Levers and Beams
Fast travel to the Nodestone where you lost the dragon. Walk through the broken wall and turn right up the hill once you get to the large stone hill. As you continue up the path, you will encounter zombies. You can just run past them and up to the top of the next hill. There will be a dragon here that you will need to kill in order to continue.
Once the dragon is dead, head to the small building with the locked door. You have to pull three levers to light each of the 3 torches, which will open the gate. You will need a Mithril Axe to chop the vines.
- Lever 1: Just to the left of the door. Chop down or burn the vines to reach it.
- Lever 2: Use Windstep to get onto the roof of the house on the left, then dig it up with your spade.
- Lever 3: Use Windstep to get to the top floor of the ruined building at the back. With the torches lit, the door opens for the eleventh shard.
For the twelfth shard, go back to that same Nodestone we started at for the 11th shard. Head through the hole and proceed straight like last time. You can go left if you want and follow the path; however, you may end up fighting a lot of mobs. Go straight and then drop down the ledge on the left to completely bypass a mob pack. Continue along the path until you reach the Hellhounds. Take them out, as they may cause issues when you cross onto the beams.
Once they’re dead, continue on and cross the first beam to the wooden platform. You can go collect the chest if you want. You will need to use Windstep to carefully jump your way up the higher beams to the far ledge. Windstep one last time across the gap and claim the 12th shard!
Shard 13: The Cathedral Courtyard
Start in the Courtyard near the Wizard. Walk through the open gate, up the hill, and turn left. Use Windstep to jump up the lower part of the ledge. Head toward the Cathedral, but go through the side archway instead of the front door to avoid fighting half the fortress at once. You will need to take out 2 skeletons before entering the Cathedral.
Enter into the Cathedral and go right. Take out the Acolyte patrolling the halls. Try not to aggro any of the other mobs. Proceed into the open area and towards the stairs.
Sneak down the stairs and hug the left wall. The final shard is in the middle of the courtyard, blocked off by vines. Sneak up behind it so you don’t pull aggro from the entire room, chop or burn the vines, and take your thirteenth shard.
Defeating the Gatekeeper
Take all 13 shards back to the Dreaming Stone and repair it. This takes down the barrier to the Gatekeeper boss. Proceed through the barrier and follow the stairs up. You will need to use Windstep to get over a gap and then continue up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, right before you enter the main hall is a Nodestone. Activate it and then proceed to the barrier by the Gatekeeper.
Before you go through the barrier, eat your food, drink your potions, and make sure your Wardstones are completely topped off. You will be using the wardstones throughout the fight to prevent you from dying quickly.
The Gatekeeper isn’t overly complicated; it just requires patience. Get in two or three hits, stop, and dodge his attack. You do not want to go for a fourth hit, as it can cause your death if you are not full on armor. Just stick to the rhythm.
At around 55% health, his sword catches fire. Everything he does will now apply a burn effect if it hits you, and he adds three new attacks to his rotation:
- He stabs the ground and sends out a wave of fire.
- He shoots a fireball into the air that splits into smaller pieces.
- He sends a tracking fireball at you through the ground.
Keep your distance when he starts doing the fire attacks, dodge the projectiles, and just go back to hitting him twice and backing up. Once he is dead, go back to the Dreaming Stone to claim the Titans Wrath Weapon and the Tomb of the Titan.
