Contact!
Work with Avisk to find a potential shortcut to Fuzan's Volcano
The Avisk crystal in the Umbral Sands wants a shortcut to Fuzan's volcano through the Kalphite Hive, and the way through is a crystal helix the dead vault guardians carried in pieces. Bring a shovel, a pickaxe, four vault shards and plenty of food and drink; the hive is a long way from water.
On the map
4- Um S Contact Region (Area), Dunes of Uzzer
- Um S Avisk Crystals (Area), Dunes of Uzzer
- Vault Guardian Search Area (Area), Dunes of Uzzer
- Vault Guardian Prime (NPC), Dunes of Uzzer
Steps
10- 1
Find the Vault Guardian Prime in the Kalphite Hive
The Vault Guardian Prime is in a cave at the hive and names the three guardians whose helix fragments you need.
- 2
Find 3 missing vault guardians and recover their Crystal Helix fragments
The damaged guardian: turn your back on the Prime and follow the red lights through the tunnels into the big cave; its remains are on the left. The dead guardian is in the kalphite eggs outside, to the right of the cave entrance, and its helix is gone, with footprints leading away. The buried guardian lies under a ruined building; dig it up with the shovel and, with four vault shards in your pack, reactivate it for its fragment.
- 3
Use the Crystal Helix to pass through the magical barrier in the Kalphite Hive
The assembled helix opens the magical barrier inside the hive.
- 4
Talk to Zanik in the Shortcut Chamber within the Kalphite Hive
Zanik waits in the Shortcut Chamber.
- 5
Follow the footsteps in the sand to find who made them
The footprints from the dead guardian lead east of the kalphites to an oasis camp, where Zanik hands over the missing helix in return for your help.
- 6
Break the four crystals in the Shortcut Chamber of the Kalphite Hive
Break the four Avisk crystals in the chamber with your pickaxe and touch each Vein of Consciousness.
- 7
Return to the Vault Guardian Prime
- 8
Return to Zanik in the Shortcut Chamber within the Kalphite Hive
- 9
Find Crystal Helix fragments. 1/3
- 10
Find Crystal Helix fragments. 2/3
On completion
Avisk was not expecting you to have even the slightest bit of common sense. Fortunately, your brain is not made of cobwebs and you were able to work with Zanik to put a stop to his plans to take over the kalphite hive.
Tips
1The reward is the Icthlarian fetish, the vestige that makes the 
Pharaoh's Sceptre, whose special summons a kalphite to fight for you.
Dialogue (77 lines)
Vault Guardian: The vault guardian lies half-buried in the sand, its frame twisted and silent.
Vault Guardian: The vault guardian lies shattered, its frame torn apart. Deep score marks cut through the plating.
Vault Guardian: A decommissioned Vault Guardian. Very odd.
Vault Guardian: Kalphite assault… overwhelming. Game over man... Game over...
Vault Guardian: Non-designated individual detected.
Vault Guardian Prime: My objective is complete. I can rest now.
Vein of Consciousness: It is a red crystal with a deep glow to it.
Vein of Consciousness: The chamber shakes as you throttle the vein.
Vein of Consciousness: It is a red crystal with a deep glow to it.
Vein of Consciousness: You yank the vein out of the pedestal.
A wall of energy blocks the path. The air hums with power.
Vault Guardian: The core housing has been pried open. If the Crystal Helix was here, it has been taken.
Vault Guardian: Take the Crystal Helix fragment… Complete the task…
Avisk Crystal: Our paths cross again, mortal! I have need of someone with legs, hands and an impressionable character. While they are common evolutionary traits, I'm lacking them all here in the desert.
Avisk Crystal: I suppose your mushy mortal mind has forgotten the current objective.
Vein of Consciousness: Going by the lack of colour in the crystal, Avisk is no longer home.
Zanik: Thanks for helping with that dragonkin buffoon. I slipped a dagger into the vein of consciousness within his crystal. It's only a setback for him, as he will have other crystals for his mind to retreat into.
Zanik: Avisk 0, Team Adventurers 1. We should get out of here.
Vein of Consciousness: It is a red crystal with a deep glow to it.
Vein of Consciousness: The vein within the crystal pops disgustingly.
Vein of Consciousness: It is a red crystal with a deep glow to it.
Vein of Consciousness: The vein gushes out horribly.
Vault Guardian: Its energy core flickers weakly. There is space for 4 vault shards in the core. Perhaps they would reactivate it?
Vault Guardian: Its energy core flickers weakly. There is space for 4 vault shards in the core. Perhaps they would reactivate it?
Vault Guardian Prime: Carry on the mission... Use the Crystal Helix to pass through the magical barrier.
Vault Guardian Prime: Unit damaged… systems failing…
Choir of Avisk Crystals: Must I be humiliated? Why am I always the one who is shamed?
Avisk Crystal: Don't think that this is the end. We will meet again, puny human.
Vault Guardian: Small footprints lead away from the ruined guardian. They look like they belong to something goblin-sized.
Avisk Crystal: I did have some vault guardians, who had hands at least, but they seem to have expired. It's really rather irritating.
Zanik: I was wondering when you'd show up!
Zanik: You made it into the Umbral Sands! It was never in doubt. I'm a little busy now, but shall we catch up later?
Zanik: Keep working on that Crystal Helix. I'm going to see if there's another way past that magical barrier.
Zanik: Phew! Definitely took the harder route into this cave. Wait a minute - are those crystals the same as the one outside?
Zanik: That should be it! We've undermined his plan to mind-meld with the kalphite and the Kalphite Queen. Who knows what THAT might have been like.
Choir of Avisk Crystals: You can't destroy Avisk! I have many places like this - full of my consciousness.
Choir of Avisk Crystals: Perhaps we could work together? You can have Ghornfell. I have no use for Ghornfell.
Vault Guardian: The vault shards magnetise into place.
Vault Guardian: The vault guardian's core flickers with what seems like sadness.
The barrier seemed to scan you for something, then shoved you back once it found it missing.
The Crystal Helix spins brightly in your hands. The barrier shifts and matches the light of the Crystal Helix. It allows you to pass.
Vault Guardian: The light in its core fades.
Vault Guardian: You don't have space to take the Crystal Helix fragment.
Avisk Crystal: I want you to find my vault guardians and retrieve a Crystal Helix they were carrying. It is the key to a... shortcut which leads directly to Fuzan's Volcano.
Avisk Crystal: Find my defunct vault guardians, gather fragments of the Crystal Helix, and use them together to open up a shortcut to Fuzan in the cave back there.
Avisk Crystal: What are you waiting for? You have the Crystal Helix. Go into the Kalphite Hive, pass the magical barrier, and meet your doo... victory!
Choir of Avisk Crystals: Avisk is everywhere, mortals! Adventurerer, complete your quest. All that remains is for you to jump into the hole with the Crystal Helix. It will take you directly to Fuzan!
Zanik: All that's left is for me to deal with the giant Avisk crystal on the surface.
Vault Guardian: Auxiliary power… restored…
Vault Guardian Prime: Crystal Helix fragments detected. You carry them, Vault Guardian Prime.
Avisk Crystal: That interests you, yes? You want to confront Fuzan, don't you? Use the Crystal Helix to access a secret entrance in the nearby cave. Help me and we both benefit.
Zanik: Ah, you found the dismembered vault guardian? Yeah, that was my handiwork. In fact, it's something I would like to discuss...
Zanik: It is incredibly good to see you, but we have a problem - a problem we need to align on.
Zanik: Ha! Like we'd believe that, you goofy carbon deposit! Notice how there's heat coming from the hole? Avisk must want the Crystal Helix melted in the lava or geyser that lies down there.
Zanik: Here, have a reward for trusting me over that fancy pebble. I found it in a tunnel that led into this cave. Looks impressive.
Vault Guardian: Crystal Helix... fragment… released…
Vault Guardian Prime: Non-designated individual detected. Access denied.
Vault Guardian Prime: Deliver fragments to this unit. Unit will then repair the Crystal Helix.
Zanik: You seem to be helping Avisk, but you're too clever to REALLY be helping Avisk. You have an angle on this, don't you?
Zanik: Of course! Avisk wants to diffuse his consciousness to the kalphite and the Kalphite Queen! In what world was that plan going to work, Avisk?
Vault Guardian Prime: Crystal Helix remains incomplete.
Vault Guardian Prime: Protocol override. Vault Guardian Prime status will be conferred to new subject. YOU are now Vault Guardian Prime.
Vault Guardian Prime: Reconstruction complete. Mission… fulfilled.
Vault Guardian Prime: Fragments withheld. Directive cannot be fulfilled. Return when ready.
Vault Guardian: Ooh, very clandestine! Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Close enough to put them in a headlock.
Vault Guardian: You better believe something is off! Avisk has zero interest in finding a shortcut to Fuzan. It's a big old stinking ruse.
Choir of Avisk Crystals: Don't listen to the goblin! Jump into the hole like a good mortal!
Vault Guardian: You don't have space to take the Crystal Helix fragment.
Vault Guardian Prime: One lies buried… outside... within a ruin of some kind.
Vault Guardian Prime: Mission handover: the Crystal Helix was… shattered into three fragments.
Zanik: I'd like to suggest an alternative plan. You complete the Crystal Helix, then we access this Shortcut Chamber - whatever it is - and then we undermine whatever Avisk's REAL plan is.
Zanik: Pffrt. What do you say we play a bit of whack-a-crystal? Get your pickaxe out.
Vault Guardian Prime: One was captured... in this cave. An obstruction pins the unit in place.
Vault Guardian Prime: Three vault guardians are in possession of them. Recover the fragments… and this unit can restore the Crystal Helix. Then... magical barrier will open.
Zanik: How does that sound? If you're in, you will be needing this...
Vault Guardian Prime: The last rests near some eggs of the kalphite... on the surface...
Zanik: Or, at least, you would if you had space. Make some room and then we can go undercover.