Fineous Darkvire

Fineous Darkvire is the Chief Architect of the Dark Iron dwarves, a paladin-like boss who paces the Hall of Crafting in Blackrock Depths. He carries Ironfel, the great hammer of the architect who came before him, and taking it from him is the first step toward the [Shadowforge Key], the master key to the dungeon. For many groups he was a boss killed once per character and remembered mainly as the price of that key.

Background

Darkvire succeeded Franclorn Forgewright as Chief Architect of Shadowforge City, and Franclorn's hammer Ironfel passed to him with the title. Franclorn was the great architect whose statue of Thaurissan stands at the shrine; Darkvire, according to the game's later Adventure Guide, rose by passing off better masons' work as his own. Franclorn's ghost has not forgiven him. It lingers at the Shrine of Thaurissan and asks adventurers to take the hammer back before it can be used for evil.

Later stories gave Darkvire a kinder ending than his reputation. The story The Jade Hunters says the stolen plans that made his name were actually presented by his daughter, Fenella Darkvire, under his name, and that he kept quiet to protect her. In that story he dies when the adventurers sent by Magni Bronzebeard to rescue Princess Moira pass through the city. Fenella went on to become one of the leading architects of the Dark Iron clan under Moira.

Abilities

Darkvire fights with holy magic:

• Holy Strike: charges his next swing with extra holy damage.
• Devotion Aura: extra armor for himself and nearby allies.
• Holy Light: heals himself or an ally. Interrupt it.
• Kick: interrupts a player's spell for several seconds.
• Seal of Reckoning: heals him each time he strikes a player.

Strategy

The Hall of Crafting is a square stairway climbing from the Black Anvil to the upper city, held by groups of one elite golem and three Dark Iron dwarves. Darkvire walks from one end of the ramp to the other. The simplest approach is to clear one end of his path, then wait there for him to arrive, so no extra packs join the fight.

Once he is alone, he is a straightforward melee boss. The two things to watch are his heals: an interrupt on every Holy Light, and a dispel or purge on Seal of Reckoning if the group has one, keep the fight short. His Kick can stop a heal on the tank, so a second healer or a careful one helps.

Loot

Darkvire always drops Ironfel and often the [Dark Iron Fanny Pack] wanted by Oralius in the Burning Steppes. From our database (patch 1.12):

The Chief Architect's Monocle and Senior Designer's Pantaloons are cloth caster gear; the Foreman's Head Protector, a plate helm for paladins, was added in patch 1.10.

Quests

• Dark Iron Legacy: Franclorn's ghost, at the Shrine of Thaurissan, asks players to kill Darkvire, recover Ironfel and lay it on Franclorn's monument. The reward is the [Shadowforge Key], which opens the locked gates and doors of Shadowforge City, including the gate to the West Garrison and the routes to the dungeon's later bosses. The statue stands in front of Pyromancer Loregrain, who has to be dealt with on the way.
• The Good Stuff: the Dark Iron Fanny Packs that Darkvire and other dwarves drop are collected for this quest.

Sources

• Fineous Darkvire - Warcraft Wiki
• Hall of Crafting - Warcraft Wiki
• Dark Iron Legacy - Warcraft Wiki