RuneScape: How to Complete the Heart of Darkness Quests
Prerequisites & Requirements
Before attempting The Heart of Darkness, you need to meet the following quest, skill, and item requirements:
Quest Requirements:
Completion of the following quests:
The Lord of Vampyrium
The Branches of Darkmeyer
Legacy of Seergaze
The Darkness of Hallowvale
In Aid of the Myreque
In Search of the Myreque
Skill Requirements:
75 Attack
70 Constitution
65 Strength
60 Agility
60 Slayer
60 Magic
60 Prayer
(Combat level 100+ is strongly recommended.)
Items You’ll Need:
Combat gear suitable for both melee and magic enemies
Teleportation runes or jewelry (Varrock, Drakan's medallion, Ectophial)
Food and potions (prayer, restore, anti-poison)
Ivandis flail or Blisterwood weapon (for vampire enemies)
Quest Start: How to Begin
To start The Heart of Darkness, head to Burgh de Rott and speak to Veliaf Hurtz in the Myreque hideout. He will brief you on an ominous power emerging from the eastern marshes of Morytania, deep beyond the swamps. After accepting the quest, the game will auto-mark your mini-map with the first objective.
Walkthrough: Step-by-Step Completion
Step 1: Investigate the Source of Darkness
You’ll be sent into the eastern swamplands using a rowboat. Navigate through an instanced area filled with mutated swamp creatures and hidden traps.
Tips:
Use Surge or Bladed Dive to dodge marsh traps.
Light your path with a lantern or Seers' headband to reveal obstacles.
At the end, you’ll encounter a ruined altar. Interact with it to trigger a vision involving a new enemy faction—the "Children of Mah."
Step 2: Seek Out the Mahjarrat Connection
Return to Veliaf and then head to Rellekka to consult with Kharshai, a Mahjarrat who offers insight into this mysterious cult. He will instruct you to gather ancient relics tied to Zarosian rituals hidden in various tombs.
Relic Locations:
Senntisten Cathedral (Prayer unlock)
Kharid-et Dig Site (Archaeology level 60+ recommended)
Uzer Ruins (requires Ring of visibility or Ghostspeak amulet)
Once you’ve gathered all three relics, return to Kharshai.
Step 3: Decoding the Ritual
With the relics in hand, Kharshai will decode the ritual needed to cleanse the darkness. However, this attracts the attention of a powerful cult member named Serenite, who attempts to steal the relics.
Combat Encounter:
Level 200+ enemy
Uses both magic and shadow melee attacks
Protect from Magic is most effective
Bring stat restoration potions, as Serenite drains Prayer and Strength
Defeating her triggers a cutscene revealing that the Heart of Darkness is awakening in the ruins beneath Darkmeyer.
Step 4: Entering the Heart
Now armed with ritual knowledge, teleport to Darkmeyer using Drakan’s medallion. Use the sewer grate behind Vanstrom’s former lab to enter the hidden sanctum.
This area is puzzle-heavy and guarded by Shadows of Mah—monsters immune to basic attacks unless weakened by ritual fire.
Puzzle Tips:
Use the relics on brazier pedestals in correct order: Blood → Shadow → Ice
Light all three braziers within 60 seconds to unlock the gate
Avoid cursed tiles, which reset progress
Inside, you’ll confront the final boss: Malak d’Thul, a corrupted Myreque general.
Step 5: The Final Boss Fight – Malak d’Thul
Malak d’Thul is a multi-phase boss requiring quick reflexes and phase-awareness.
Phase 1 – Shadow Blasts
Avoid AoE explosions on the ground
Drain his shield with melee or Blisterwood
Phase 2 – Mirror Realm
You're pulled into a shadow version of the arena
Kill the shadow copies before returning
Phase 3 – Light Ritual
Light ritual braziers while dodging Malak’s projectiles
He becomes vulnerable after all four braziers are active
Combat Tips:
Bring plenty of food and 3–4 Prayer renewals
Use Freedom and Anticipation to break stuns
Dual wield or switch weapons for quick phase shifts
Once defeated, you’ll trigger a final cinematic revealing that the Heart of Darkness was part of a forgotten Mahjarrat experiment that could destabilize the realms of light and shadow.
Rewards and Unlocks
Upon completion of The Heart of Darkness, you’ll receive:
3 Quest Points
80,000 Attack XP
60,000 Slayer XP
60,000 Magic XP
Access to the Shadow Crucible Dungeon (daily elite mob farming area)
New Prayer unlock: "Sear the Shadow" (temporary immunity to shadow damage)
Malak’s Sigil – an off-hand item granting +5% damage to Vampyres
Final Tips
Be well-prepared before boss fights; quick banking between phases is not allowed.
Bring multiple teleport options—some areas have anti-teleblock fields.
Consider enabling Quest Helper or RuneLite plugins if you’re playing via RuneLite for better direction on puzzle solutions.
The Heart of Darkness is one of RuneScape’s more involved late-game quests. It serves as a dramatic continuation of the Myreque storyline and
cheap RuneScape gold sets the stage for future Elder God content. With the right prep, strategic combat, and lore curiosity, completing it is both rewarding and memorable.