The Asterkarn Incident is the first real objective in the Fangs of Asterkarn expansion, opening right after the short intro quest. Two scouts have pushed into the Frostveil Highlands and gone silent, and your job is to track them down before the cold and the wildlife finish them off. There is no quest marker to lean on here, which is what trips most players up.
Quick answer: Accept the quest after Trouble in Asterkarn, travel north into the frozen Frostveil Highlands, then head east across the open zones until you reach Garmir the Lost. Defeat him, speak to the freed scouts, then talk to Ulfgarn, Son of Garn, to complete the quest and unlock Journey to Kurnhold.
How The Asterkarn Incident starts
The quest becomes available once you finish Trouble in Asterkarn, the brief opener for the expansion. Agree to search for the missing scouts and you will be sent straight into the new region. The catch is that there is no quest tracker guiding you to the scouts. The only on-screen help is a star icon that appears once you are already close to them.
Quest objectives
| Order | Objective |
|---|---|
| 1 | Explore the Frostveil Highlands in search of the missing scouts |
| 2 | Vanquish Garmir the Lost |
| 3 | Speak to the Scouts |
| 4 | Speak to Ulfgarn, Son of Garn, in the Frostveil Highlands |
Route through the Frostveil Highlands to Garmir the Lost
Optional side quests you can skip
Two side quests appear before the boss, and neither is required to finish the main objective. If you chase the first one blindly, you will end up wandering away from the scouts.
| Side quest | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Hearth in the Blizzard | Sends you northwest to kill a large beast for its meat. The dead-end at the end holds a lore book that grants bonus XP, but going this way stalls your progress. |
| Feathers of a Bird | A short task that pops up just before you reach Garmir the Lost. |
Note: Hearth in the Blizzard is the reason many players get stuck. Grab the lore book if you want the extra experience, then return to the eastward path rather than continuing northwest.
How to beat Garmir the Lost
Garmir the Lost is a huge beast with two attacks you need to respect. He breathes fire in front of him, and he slams the ground to send out large lines of ice. Both are area attacks, so the fight is mostly about positioning.
- Keep moving to stay out of the fire breath cone.
- Watch for the ground punch and step away from the ice lines as they form.
- Close the gap and apply damage between his telegraphed attacks.
The attacks are more annoying than deadly once you learn the timing, and a reasonably geared character will bring him down without much trouble.
Finishing the quest and rewards
With Garmir the Lost down, walk to the guards behind him and free the scouts. Then speak to Ulfgarn, Son of Garn, one of the Kurn. He points you toward Kurnhold and warns that the trip will be difficult.
You know the quest is complete when the objectives clear and the following rewards land in your inventory and reputation totals.
| Reward | Detail |
|---|---|
| Experience | Quest completion XP |
| Kurn Reputation | +100 |
| Item | Frozen Aster |
| Next quest | Journey to Kurnhold begins |
Speaking with Ulfgarn is what flips the quest to complete and hands off Journey to Kurnhold, so make sure you talk to him rather than leaving the area straight after the boss. From here, the path leads west toward Kurnhold and the deeper story of the Kurn tribes.
