Diablo 4 Season 9 begins with The Embers Yet Smolder, a starting quest that presents newcomers and longtime players alike to new seasonal mechanics such as Horadric Strongrooms, Horadric Spells, and enigmatic Blood Relics. Skip the campaign or play fresh, this quest primes the season’s narrative thread—and it’s filled with early-game action, discovery, and gentle puzzle-solving.
Initiating the Quest in Cerrigar
When you spawn in Season 9, you’ll be in Cerrigar, a central hub for the daily story. Your first task is to speak with Bryona, the main NPC in charge of the Horadric storyline. She informs you that a few survivors have made a break for Firebreak Manor, which belonged to Donan—but demons have taken over the property now.
This begins your adventure: uncover the fate of those at Firebreak Manor and investigate bizarre arcane phenomena involving Horadric relics.
Find Bryona at Firebreak Manor
After conversing with Bryona, head south from Cerrigar towards Firebreak Manor. If you have not yet opened up this fast travel point, you will have to ride—but the ride is relatively short. Make sure to grab the waypoint when you arrive to save time later.
When you find Bryona outside the manor, address her again. She will instruct you to go and look for survivors around there, which leads to a short series of combat battles.
Find Survivors and Eliminate Threats
Follow your map markers to investigate the outposts near Firebreak Manor. When you get to each one, clear out the demon threats. These are fightable encounters even by newly created characters and serve to familiarize you with your build and controls.
Once you have cleared all of them, you will be given a new quest: visit Eldhaime Keep to continue your search.
Investigate Eldhaime Keep and Find the Horadric Wayfinder
Journey east to Eldhaime Keep, another ruined fortress rife with Horadric heritage. Within, fight some demons and search for a Strange Item that is deeper in. You are given the Horadric Wayfinder, a useful object which is utilized over and over again during Season 9, when you touch the item.
Return to Bryona after you have gotten the Wayfinder to restart your quest.
Journey inside the Demon’s Wake Dungeon
Bryona will take you to a hitherto inaccessible area: Demon’s Wake. The dungeon is located within Firebreak Manor and is quite short and simple. While early enemies are pathetic, there is a pick-up afterwards—especially if you play on an increased world level.
Make your way to the back of the dungeon, defeating enemies along the way. Near the final chamber, you’ll find a Horadric device that opens a portal to the first Strongroom of the season.
Complete the Horadric Strongroom and Retrieve the Blood Relic
This is your introduction to Horadric Strongrooms, special instanced events where players earn Blood Relics and Horadric Knowledge. In this particular Strongroom:
- You will be moving into a ritual zone with waves of mobs.
- Pillars of Ritual activation can give you buffing for a brief period and fill up your Horadric Attunement.
- Kiting mobs into ritual zones and AoE attacking is the best way to do it.
- Movement skills or crowd control are highly valuable here but not strictly necessary.
Soon, you’ll find the demon Agony, a low-level boss that shouldn’t be too challenging. Slay it, and open the chest to pick up the Blood Relic to complete the Strongroom.
Return to Cerrigar and Examine the Horadric Focus
After finishing the Strongroom, return to Cerrigar and speak with Bryona again. She’ll inform you that the relic you found contains the Blood of Astaroth, setting the stage for even deeper storylines and yet-to-be-encountered threats.
Prior to the quest’s end, interact with the nearby Horadric Focus—a focal seasonal mechanism. This building is where you’ll:
- Collect seasonal rewards
- Track Horadric upgrade status
- Manage your Horadric Spells
This final step ends The Embers Yet Smolder and tucks you automatically into your next quest, The Truth That Lies Within.
