Where to Find Cursed Essence in RuneScape: Dragonwilds
You can obtain Cursed Essence by opening small ash piles and ash pile bags dropped by demonic creatures like Hellrats and Hellhounds. These mobs are primarily located in and around the Garrison. While you can technically fight any demonic enemy for a chance at these drops, setting up a reliable farming loop in this specific fort is going to save you a lot of time. It is a fairly straightforward process, though the drop rates can sometimes test your patience.
Navigating the Garrison for Ash Piles
The Garrison has a high density of demonic spawns, making it the most practical place to farm. Before you start the run from the Wizard teleporter, I highly recommend bringing along a few Wardstones. You will inevitably take a few hits from some of the heavier enemies along the way, and having Wardstones to refill your armor allows room for slight mistakes. It just makes the whole trip a bit more relaxed.
The Safe Route for Hellrats
Starting at the Wizard, head towards the left entrance of the fort. There is usually a mob sitting by the fire here, though it occasionally fails to spawn. Proceed along the right side of this room and eliminate the sniper stationed at the back. From there, you will need to head up both flights of stairs.
At the top, you will find two knights sitting by a fireplace. You have to take them out, but be careful because they hit surprisingly hard. Once they are down, continue straight and take a left at the front. This brings you to a relatively safe farming room containing one Dark Knight and three to four Hellrats. The Hellrats are very easy to kill and shouldn’t be an issue for most players.
Drop Rates from Hellrat Bags
Every time you kill a Hellrat, it drops a bag containing a small ash pile. However, getting the bag doesn’t mean you automatically get the material you want. For example, opening four bags might only yield three Cursed Essences. It is not a guaranteed one-to-one drop rate, so you will simply need to run this loop a few times to build up a decent supply for your crafting needs.
The High-Risk Hellhound Areas
If you want to speed things up and have upgraded your gear, you can push into the more dangerous sections of the fort. The room directly below the Hellrat spot contains Hellhounds. If your equipment isn’t up to par, your best bet is to try and bait them out one by one so you don’t get overwhelmed. For those who want to farm in bulk, progressing deeper underground towards the Demon Gate will reveal quite a few more Hellhounds and Hellrats. Just keep a close eye on your armor durability if you decide to go that deep.
