The Hellion's Heart

The Hellion's Heart is a sub-quest of Karlach's Companion quest, Our Fiery Friend.

Karlach's heart was replaced by an infernal engine.

Objectives

Objectives and journal entries may vary pending player decisions.

Find an infernal mechanic

• Karlach needs an infernal mechanic to tune up the engine she has for a heart. There might be one nearby.

Talk to Dammon.

• We should bring Karlach to Dammon, the tiefling weaponsmith we met in the druid's grove.

Find infernal iron

• Dammon inspected Karlach's engine. He said he'll need infernal iron in order to craft a repair.

Return to Dammon.

• We found infernal iron; we should take it to Dammon.

Let Dammon sleep on a solution

• Dammon upgraded Karlach's engine, but couldn't repair it yet. He'll need time to think of a solution. We should find him in Baldur's Gate - and bring infernal iron with us, too.

Quest Complete

• Karlach's heart was upgraded again, but Dammon bore bad news: her heart can't keep going outside of the Hells. Karlach will die if she doesn't return to Avernus.
• Dammon can no longer help repair Karlach's heart.
• Karlach left us - she won't be coming back.
• Karlach is gone forever.
• We failed to repair Karlach's heart.
• We never found a mechanic who could help repair Karlach's heart.

Walkthrough

Karlach struggles to control her infernal engine.

The Hellion's Heart is started after Karlach is recruited and opens up about her Infernal Engine. For example, if Karlach was taken to defeat the Paladins of Tyr as part of Hunt the Devil, she admits that he engine has been running hot ever since she left Avernus and that she needs to find an infernal mechanic.

Finding an Infernal Mechanic

It's possible to catch up with the infernal mechanic in three places:

• At the Druid Grove, in The Hollow.
• At the Last Light Inn, in the barn.
• In the Lower City, at the Forge of the Nine

Dammon inspects Karlach's engine.

The mechanic in question is a tiefling named Dammon. When the city of Elturel fell to Avernus, Dammon was there and was put to work as a mechanic. Upon meeting Karlach, he instantly recognizes that her heart is from the hells. He believes that he can help her, but he needs to materials to do so. He has spotted several pieces of Infernal Iron on his travels and believes that it's what's needed to aid Karlach.

There are many places where Dammon can die. During the raid on the Grove in Raid the Grove, Dammon can become a casualty. Dammon can die during an attack on the Last Light Inn by Marcus and his minions. If Dammon makes it to Baldur's Gate, he's safe, so long as the party doesn't randomly murder him. Additionally, Dammon can die if the Strange Ox is killed in Act One, as it's implied to have saved him on the road.

Infernal Iron Locations

There are several different places to find Infernal Iron. Karlach's heart only needs two in total to get the full set of upgrades from Dammon. Possible locations include:

• In the basement of the Blacksmith's House in the Blighted Village - inside the same chest as the Highcliff's Blueprints.
• In the locked room above Dror Ragzlin's throne in the Shattered Sanctum.
• Received from Kith in Grymforge if all three checks are passed about the Ruins.
• Inside the Mason's Guild in Reithwin Town in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

Upgrading Karlach's Heart

In order to repair Karlach's heart, return to Dammon with Karlach in the party. Karlach has to install the upgrades herself, so this only works if Karlach is present.

After the first upgrade, Karlach still feels hot, but not as bad as before. She feels more powerful than ever, but it's not enough to solve the problem. Dammon commits to keep working and says that he'll consider the possibility of enchanted coolant. He advises the party to keep an eye out for more Infernal Iron on the road for when they meet again.

Once the second upgrade is complete, Karlach is able to touch other people again without burning them up. She is immensely excited and can be hugged. The moment is highly significant for Karlach, who hasn't touched another person in ten years.

If the first upgrade is done in the Grove, then Dammon says he needs to think further on how he can help Karlach. He won't have a clear idea until after the party meets up with him again in the Last Light Inn. If the party initially encounters Dammon at the Last Light Inn, both upgrades can be received after a Long Rest. If Dammon was met in Baldur's Gate, then both upgrades can be received at the Forge of the Nine after a Long Rest.

Notes

• It's implied that the Strange Ox protects Dammon on the road to the Shadow-Cursed Lands. If the Ox is killed in Act One, then Dammon does not survive the journey.
• Although the Steel Watch has unique interactions to Karlach's infernal engine and the Gondians worked with infernal iron, there are no options to pursue more solutions for Karlach past the two upgrades with Dammon.