As an avid ARPG fan who has sunk countless hours into the Diablo series since the early 2000s, I was thrilled when the Secret of the Spring side quest appeared during my playthrough of the Diablo 4 early access beta. This quest promised exactly what I love – a brain-teasing riddle to solve and lucrative rewards to uncover.
In this walkthrough, I‘ll share my experiences with deciphering the cryptic clues and navigating the puzzle-like steps to complete Secret of the Spring. Whether you‘re a fellow seasoned demon slayer or a new player just starting your adventures in Sanctuary, this guide will help you swiftly unlock the quest‘s epic loot!
Starting the Quest
Secret of the Spring first popped up on my quest log after I stumbled upon a Discarded Note in the snowy Forsaken Quarry to the northeast of Kyovashad‘s Cathedral of Light.
As a Diablo veteran very familiar with how these types of side adventures work, I knew this mysterious note would likely trigger a hidden quest. And I was right! Reading the note added Secret of the Spring to my journal and its cryptic poem set me on a trail of clues to uncover the location of some epic burried loot:
"Let the light guide you to where the cold spring flows, then make your patience known for treasures that lie below."
Ooo this was exciting! I loved the thrill of puzzling out where I needed to go and what needed to be done there. The riddle hinted that patience would be key – definitely an intriguing mechanic for a secret area treasure stash!
Deciphering the Riddle
Now came my favorite part…interpreting the clues embedded in the riddle! As a fantasy reader, I really enjoyed flexing my analysis skills to decode poetry and prophecies, so this quest was right up my alley.
The first line seemed pretty straight forward – follow light to a cold spring. Glancing at my surroundings, a glow shone from my torch indicating the direction I entered the quarry. I set off walking northeast, expecting to find a cold mountain spring situated along the way.
Sure enough, nestled against a ridge I spotted a flowing pool fed by a melting glacier. Its chilly waters seemed like an ideal match for the “where the cold spring flows” hint.
After locating this, the second half of the riddle clicked – “make your patience known” must require activating an Emote to spawn the treasure! I opened my Emote wheel and equipped “Wait” since its animation matched displaying patience.
Standing in the center of the spring, I triggered Wait…and success! A vibrant glow shone from the ridge and spectral chest materialized containing the secret loot!
Carefully navigating the icy slope, I reached the magical chest and tapped it to complete Secret of the Spring and claim my rewards. What an exhilarating adventure solving this creative riddle!
Rewards
As a devoted RPG enthusiast focused on min/maxing my character builds, I was quite hyped to see what potent goodies this hidden treasure contained for advancing my hero!
Here‘s what Secret of the Spring added to my inventory when I finished it on my level 26 Barbarina:
| Reward | Quantity |
|---|---|
| XP | 4620 |
| Gold | 1000 |
That‘s a sizable chunk of change! Nearly 5k XP easily pushed me into level 27 and the gold helped buy some sweet new armor. For only a few minutes of poking around, that‘s an awesome payout comparable to completing major campaign quests. It will give you a great boost when first entering the western Deadlands region.
As a long-time theorycrafter, I also appreciate how much freedom Diablo 4 provides in rewarding alternate playstyles like treasure hunting off the main path. It expands build diversity beyond just combat!
Tips for Completing the Quest
If you still find Secret of the Spring too tricky, here are some pro-tips that helped me quickly grab the treasure on my Saboteur rogue:
Clear Enemies First
The Forsaken Quarry crawls with grotesque Maw Cultists ready to mob unaware adventurers, so I took the time to meticulously clear them out before focusing on the quest. This prevented any unpleasant surprises interrupting my riddle solving!
Explore the Area Beforehand
On my Necromancer alt, I first backtracked to sweep the entire quarry before grabbing the Discarded Note. Doing so revealed the chilly pool‘s location early, saving me time when deciphering the clues.
Prep Your Emote Wheel
Having Wait instantly accessible ensured I could trigger the reward spawn quickly without fumbling through menus. I advise customizing your wheel beforehand if possible!
Nab Loot Fast
That glimmering prize chest seems to vanish after just a few seconds, so sprint up and rapidly tap it before losing your chance! Persistence pays off.
See, with the right prep Secret of the Spring becomes a breeze for all playstyles!
Is It Worth Doing?
For just a short jaunt through an optional area, I definitely feel Secret of the Spring offers worthwhile rewards for little time invested. That XP dramatically leveled up my fresh Witch Doctor, while the gold helped him learn new spells.
Its creative integration of the Emote system also makes it quite memorable compared to typical collection and fetch quests. The cryptic poem sucked me into the adventure!
Ultimately, I highly recommend all wanderers in Sanctuary head to the Forsaken Quarry once reasonably equipped and uncover this hidden prize. It‘s a fun mini-mystery breaking up the tension of war against Lilith’s demons and well worth doing!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about solving Secret of the Spring! I‘m always happy to share more ARPG insights and guides from my decades of dungeon crawling.
