Hidden among the scorched sands and jagged cliffs of the Dry Steppes lie Strongholds teeming with danger, treasure, and ancient power. This guide reveals every location you’ll need to conquer to reclaim these forsaken bastions for Sanctuary.
Our Diablo 4Dry Steppes Strongholds guide explains where The Onyx Watchtower, Temple of Rot, and Ruins of Qara-Yisu are and the objectives to complete there. Each of the three Strongholds in the Dry Steppes also has an Altar of Lilith, which will provide you with a stat boost and some renown.
You can see the locations of The Onyx Watchtower, Temple of Rot, and Ruins of Qara-Yisu on the map below, or click through to our full interactive map.
The Onyx Watchtower Stronghold
Hidden deep within the northern Dry Steppes, the Onyx Watchtower Stronghold is heavily fortified and occupied by ruthless bandits. Players must fight through waves of enemies to reclaim the area, clearing out the camps and defeating the warlord who commands them. Once liberated, the tower transforms into a safe zone with merchants and new waypoint access, rewarding those who conquer its daunting defenses.
The Onyx Watchtower is a bandit fort in north central Dry Steppes. Clearing it will add a new Waypoint to your map.
- Explore the Onyx Watchtower.
- Purge the bandits and raze their encampment.
- Slay the Captain’s lieutenants.
- Find Captain Ezmin inside the Watchtower.
- Slay Captain Ezmin.
- Rekindle the Wanderer’s Shrine to conquer the Onyx Watchtower.
Temple of Rot Stronghold
Corruption spreads across the Temple of Rot, where undead cultists worship their decaying idols beneath the Dry Steppes. Clearing this Stronghold requires cutting through waves of festering enemies and purging the defiled altars at its core. Once conquered, the temple transforms into a waypoint area, offering new events and merchants for travelers braving the harsh desert.
The Temple of Rot is a cannibal-filled fort just to the east of the Fields of Hatred PvP area.
- Slay the Cannibal Champions.
- Locate Molqarth’s Lair.
- Slay Molqarth.
- Slay the Spawn of Molqarth.
- Rekindle the Wanderer’s Shrine to conquer the Temple of Rot.
Ruins of Qara-Yisu Stronghold
Once a fortress of the Kehjistani army, the Qara-Yisu Stronghold is now overrun by corrupted earth spirits and strange seismic forces. Players must face the lingering corruption beneath its ruins, destroy the demonic constructs controlling the land, and restore the site to safety. Clearing this area opens new exploration routes and reveals valuable rewards hidden amid the shattered stones.
You’ll find the Ruins of Qara-Yisu in the southeast of the Dry Steppes region. Clearing it will give you a new Waypoint.
- Explore the Ruins of Qara-Yisu.
- Find and destroy the Infernal Spires.
- Investigate the disturbance at the mine.
- Slay Utulku.
- Rekindle the Wanderer’s Shrine to conquer Qara-Yisu.
How to complete The Onyx Watchtower Stronghold walkthrough
The Onyx Watchtower Stronghold requires clearing bandits, lieutenants, and boss Captain Ezmin before activating a shrine. Located northwest of Hidden Overlook Waypoint in Dry Steppes’ Jakha Basin, it unlocks safe vendors and the Onyx Hold dungeon upon completion.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
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Enter from Khargai Crags and purge bandits while destroying marked objects like supply carts, tents, and support beams to raze the encampment.
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Hunt four Captain’s Lieutenants: one near northeast gate, one in east storeroom (requires Storeroom Key from southwest elite Crocus the Greedy), one west of center (avoid freeing caged beasts), and one on northern high ground.
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After objectives complete, a central gate opens; Captain Ezmin retreats north to her palisade.
Boss Fight: Captain Ezmin
Focus DPS on Ezmin while ignoring most spawned bandits-prioritize Firebrands if needed; dodge her burning ground rings and smoke bombs that Daze. Defeat her, then return outside to rekindle the Wanderer’s Shrine.
Rewards
Grants 100-120 Renown, Onyx Watchtower Waypoint, blacksmith/healer vendors, and access to Onyx Hold dungeon.
Where is the Storeroom Key dropped by Crocus the Greedy
Crocus the Greedy drops the Storeroom Key in the western side of The Onyx Watchtower Stronghold. This elite enemy appears during the initial clearing phase in Diablo 4’s Dry Steppes, often near a wall or enclosed area in the southwest section.
Location Details
Head west immediately after entering from Khargai Crags; Crocus patrols or hides behind destructible objects amid bandits. He may occasionally bug and get stuck, requiring a reset by leaving and re-entering the area.
Usage
Pick up the key post-defeat to unlock the eastern storeroom gate, revealing another Captain’s Lieutenant and bandits inside. This progresses the four-lieutenant objective toward facing Captain Ezmin.
