Strongholds are a staple of Diablo 4’s open world, and whether you’re trying to max out your renown in a region or just looking to unlock some new dungeons to play through, you’ll likely want to clear out all the strongholds you can.
Hawezar, like the other four regions in the game, has its share of strongholds that can be a bit tricky to find in the twisting maze of the swamp. On top of that, the rewards you get for finishing a stronghold aren’t as consistent as they were in earlier regions. Here’s where you can find each stronghold, a brief description of how to complete them, and the rewards you’ll get for doing so.
Crusaders’ Monument
Located in the top left of the Hawezar region, this abandoned monument is home to all sorts of skeletons and other restless dead that you’ll have to deal with in order to lift the curse laid by mistakes made long in the past.
To put the dead to rest in the Crusaders’ Monument, you’ll have to find the bodies of four grave robbers and burn their skulls in a ritual pyre at the center of the monument. While there are plenty of these corpses lying around, look towards the outer ring of the structure as those are the only bodies that will drop skulls when looted. After you burn all these bones, you’ll have to face three heroes of old fighting in tandem.
Unfortunately, the stronghold won’t give you any additional bonuses when defeated except for the 100 renown points you get for completing any stronghold in the region.
Eirman’s Pyre
Deep in the Cinder Wastes in the top portion of Hawezar stands the stronghold of Eirman’s Pyre. This ever-burning town is home to Eirman, a possessed body atop a large pyre that you’ll have to put out in order to free the trapped spirits of the villagers.
To do this, you’ll have to run around the area, looking for the remains of the villagers which you can use to put out the focal points feeding the flames of the pyre. Doing so will unlock a new area that will have another set of remains hidden within it. Extinguish all the focals, and you’ll have to fight the spirit inhabiting Eirman’s body to vanquish it once and for all.
Once you complete this stronghold, you’ll gain access to the Oblivion dungeon. Running through this dungeon at least once will reward you with the Aspect of Shared Misery, which has a neat crowd control-based effect that any class can use.
Vyeresz
The third and final stronghold in Hawezar is the swamp town of Vyeresz in the bottom middle of the region. You’ll quickly find that this town has been taken over by serpent cultists and their reptilian friends.
Around this snake-infested village, you’ll find Serpent’s Eyes, gems that dot the town in small snake-themed altars. You’ll have to collect all three of these eyes, defeating the cultists that guard them, to open the door in the center of the village. Behind that door, you’ll face an oversized naga.
The trouble is worth it, however, as clearing out this stronghold will unlock the Vyeresz Waypoint and the Shadowed plunge dungeon. The dungeon offers a decent aspect for rogues. While the services in the newly revitalized town aren’t anything to write home about, Vyeresz sits in a great place on the map, letting you travel easily to anywhere in the bottom portion of Hawezar.