Hive and Seek Walkthrough: Chonk, Isbrand & the Cave

Hive and Seek is the third quest in Lacra’s chain and the one with the best name in The Blood of Dawnwalker. It is also a genuine mechanical test: a cave system full of silver-infused water, a kobold boss with three telegraphed attacks, and a hostage negotiation where the wrong sentence costs you a fifteen-kobold brawl. IGN recommends level 22+; the quest costs 4 time segments.

How Hive and Seek Unlocks

The quest follows Song of the Mountain, Lacra’s optional hunting detour in Westridge — which has no consequence either way, so do not stall on it. Once it closes, talk to Lacra on the northwestern edge of Rockfalls and follow her into the caves. She clears the entrance for you; what waits below is the two of you against the hive.

Keep a save before entering. Not because the quest can fail, but because the Isbrand dialogue at the end has a right answer, and you will want it fresh in memory.

The Cave Route: Silver Water and Wrongs

The approach is part of the challenge:

• The cave water is silver-infused and constantly damages you. Cross it with Shadowstep between rock pillars rather than wading — the damage ticks add up fast.
• You will fight kobold groups on the way down, then meet the hive mind.
• Watch for the Wrongs — kobold-looking monsters that deal poison damage. They are adds, not the boss.

In the wide chamber, a corrupted kobold fights you as a mini-encounter. That one is a Wrong. The real fight starts moments later, when Chonk the Insatiable drops in.

Chonk the Insatiable: The Fight

Chonk hits hard but his moveset is short and heavily telegraphed:

Attack	Tell	Counter
Acid spit	Spreads his arms wide	Dodge on the wind-up, circle behind, punish
Lunge	Leaps forward with claws	Sidestep, attack the recovery window
Standard combo	Repeated hand strikes	Read each swing, perfect block

The real pressure is the waves of regular kobolds that join in. Do not tunnel on Chonk — thin the adds whenever he resets his distance, then return to him. The good news: once Chonk falls, the survivors scatter. No cleanup phase. The full fight breakdown, including both kobold bosses, is in the kobold boss guide.

The Choice That Matters: Saving Isbrand

With Chonk dead, the hive turns on its prisoner — Isbrand — and moves in to feed. Your dialogue here decides whether the quest ends calmly or in a brawl:

1. Tell them to calm down
2. Then explain they will lose their bond if they drain him

That second argument is what makes the kobolds back off. Pick wrong and you fight the entire hive — winnable, but a waste of health and time segments. Talk to Isbrand afterward to close the quest.

Note the stakes beyond the quest: Isbrand is not just flavor. He ties into the Forge It Anew weapon storyline — Isbrand’s Plate is one of the game’s named legendary armor pieces, listed in the legendary equipment guide. Keeping him alive keeps that thread open.

What Comes Next

Hive and Seek feeds directly into Our Rotten Roots — the tower quest where Lacra’s history finally comes out — and then The Night of Horrors and Midnight Reckoning, her chain’s finale. If you are running both ally chains in parallel, this is roughly where Crake’s chain hits its own Infamy gates; the best quest order guide keeps the two synchronized.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level for Hive and Seek? IGN recommends 22+. The fight is a mechanics check, but the silver water punishes under-leveled health pools.

Can you fail the Isbrand negotiation? You cannot fail the quest, but a wrong pick triggers a 15-kobold fight. Calm down, then bond argument — that is the calm path.

Is Chonk missable? No. If you are on Lacra’s chain, the fight is mandatory. The Knyazmaker ending sits behind it.

Does the hive remember your choice? Kobold-related encounters later in the region play friendlier if the negotiation went well — subtle, but noticeable in the Rockfalls camps.