Strongholds are subregions that have fallen to hostile forces, functioning like a mix between an overworld dungeon and a side quest. To begin a Stronghold, just enter the subregion and complete the objectives, the first of which is usually to headhunt some elite enemies or destroy some defended object, after which you’ll need to find and defeat the Stronghold’s boss monster. Strongholds are unique, one-time events, and once cleared the subregion may become a safe area, populated with merchants and a Waypoint. Even without that incentive, some Dungeons cannot be accessed until the nearby Stronghold is cleared, and you gain a whopping 100 points of Renown for each Stronghold you conquer. On this page you’ll find a walkthrough for the 
Altar of Ruin, a Stronghold in the Kehjistan region in Diablo 4.
You can find the Altar of Ruin along the northeastern corner of Kehijistan.
How to Find the Altar of Ruin Stronghold in Diablo 4¶
The Altar of Ruin can be found along the northeastern edge of Kehjistan, surrounded on three sides by the Amber Sands subregion. There are three entrances - from the northwest, southwest and southwest. Your choice is illusory here, as all three converge in some caverns along the southwestern edge of the Stronghold. You must enter these caverns and enter the Stronghold from the west, as the other route is blocked by a gate.
Crawl through a narrow passage and persuade some rubble to move aside to infiltrate the Stronghold. Kill any enemies you spot, then slide down a slope to the northwest and kill an Elite performing a ritual to score the Ritual Chamber Keystone. Once you get this your objective will update to Find the Keystones.
How to Find the Keystones¶
There are three named Elites bearing Keystones scattered throughout this rather small Stronghold. If you follow the suggestion above, you’d have already encountered one - Mayze Boltrend along the western edge of the Altar of Ruin. Their locations are as follows:
-
Mayze Boltrend: Along the western end of the Stronghold. She had the Shock Lance, Chilling Wind and Vampiric mods.
-
Heinrik Taintspur: With a name like that, it’s clear his parents didn’t love him. You’ll find him sulking along the north-center of the stronghold, near the doors leading north. He had the Plaugebearer, Waller and Vampiric mods.
-
Sephuz Boltrend: A relation to Mayze? This cultist is also performing a ritual, this time in the southeastern corner of the Stronghold. They have the Shocklance, Fire Enchanted and Mortar mods.
Each time you defeat one of these three named cultists, they’ll drop a Keystone. Gather all three to continue. Just be wary, as after you acquire the third Keystone, Khazra will develop a nasty habit of ambushing you via the always expedient means of falling out of the sky. Fight your way through these gravity-defying malcontents and return to where you found Heinrik (snicker) Taintspur in the north-center part of the Stronghold. Here you’ll find a Ritual Chamber Lock which will open when you install all three Keystones.
(1 of 2) Before Cardinal Maldul deigns to fight you himself, you must first defeat a Fallen Shaman named The Annihilator,
Before Cardinal Maldul deigns to fight you himself, you must first defeat a Fallen Shaman named The Annihilator, (left), and an Oppressor named The Unholy. (right)
How to Defeat Dark Cardinal Maldul¶
Go through the newly-opened door and advance north to reach the Ritual Site, where you’ll find this Stronghold’s boss - Cardinal Maldul - waiting for you. His first trick is to shield himself from damage and summon some lackeys to occupy you. Stand clear of the summoning circle he conjures, as it’ll damage you if you stand on it, and he’ll summon the following beasties:
-
The Annihilator: A
Fallen Shaman, complete with its own retinue of 
Fallen. It has the Mortar mod and is otherwise not a terribly interesting opponent. -
The Unholy: An
Oppressor who joins the battle with two of his buddies, albeit understudies not worthy of proper names. The Unholy has the Poison Enchanted mod.
(1 of 2) Cardinal Maldul’s shortcomings become evident when he’s forced to fight you, as his primary attacks include a weak triple fire bolt spell,
Cardinal Maldul’s shortcomings become evident when he’s forced to fight you, as his primary attacks include a weak triple fire bolt spell, (left), and a damaging sigil. (right)
Clear out these mobs and Cardinal Maldul will have no choice but to confront you himself, and when he does it’ll become immediately apparent why he relied on minions. Cardinal Maldul is a surprisingly inept opponent, largely sticking to three attacks:
-
Triple Fire Bolt: What it says on the tin, Cardinal Maldul will swish his staff around and swing out three fire bolts in a fan formation. He’ll usually do this twice in succession, and the staff swings can also deal damage if you’re close enough. These attacks are so weak that you shouldn’t even need to dodge, just trade with him.
-
Triune Sigil: Cardinal Maldul will create a sigil on the ground - there are at least three types of sigils he can use, but they all deal damage if you stand on them, so don’t do that.
-
Summon Allies: One of Cardinal Maldu’s aforementioned sigil attacks, (a triangle inside a circle), will have the added effect of summoning some Khazra to assist the doomed cultist. Remind these goatmen that they’re still only fodder, then turn your attention back to Cardinal Maldul.
Swat aside Cardinal Maldul and with him the Stronghold will fall. Just take care of the formality of interacting with the Wanderer’s Shrine to conquer this place properly, after which you’ll earn 120 Renown, 100 Renown for conquering the Altar of Ruin itself, and another 20 for claiming the 
Altar of Ruin Waypoint, which will be done automatically upon conquering the Stronghold.
Search the eastern end of the Stronghold to find an Altar of Lilith.
Sign up
No Comments