- Dog Days is a secondary quest from Vannaka in the Stormtouched Highlands
- Required materials: 2 ram horns and 3 shocking plant bulbs
- Main challenge: defeating the Garou King in his northwestern castle
- Purify the tainted token at Lougrim's Shrine to finish the ritual
- Reward: the Garou highborn's cloak, a cosmetic quest trophy
Dog Days Quest Overview
Dog Days is one of the secondary quests you'll encounter in the Stormtouched Highlands region of RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Vannaka, the veteran slayer master, asks you to investigate the garou and their strange rituals. The quest is short but combat-heavy, so bring your best armor and weapons before heading into the highlands. For reference, see the official Dog Days quest page on the Dragonwilds wiki.
Video Highlights:
- Full quest walkthrough from start to finish in the Stormtouched Highlands
- A wall-climbing safespot trick using Windstep to cheese the Garou King
- Farming routes for ram horns and shocking bulbs
- Where to find the lore book and Lougrim's Shrine
| Quest Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Secondary quest |
| Start point | Speak to Vannaka, eastern Stormtouched Highlands |
| Description | Investigate the Garou and their rituals |
| Requirements | None (combat gear strongly recommended) |
| Required items | 2 ram horns, 3 shocking plant bulbs |
| Final reward | Garou highborn's cloak |
The highlands are packed with high-level enemies, including garou thanes, druids, and shocking vine creatures. Equip your best armor and weapons, and stock up on food before beginning the Dog Days quest.
Key Locations and Ingredients
Knowing where to go saves you significant time in this quest. All quest locations sit within the Stormtouched Highlands, but the terrain between them is hostile.
| Location | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vannaka | Eastern Highlands | Under a cliff next to a campfire |
| Garou King's castle | Northwestern Highlands | Hilltop ruin, guarded thanes en route |
| Lore book | Beneath the wyrm corpse | Garou camp nearby, sneak from the north |
| Lougrim's Shrine | North of Vannaka | Garou druids guard the altar |
You'll also need to gather ritual materials. Rams roam nearly everywhere in the highlands, while shocking vines (wild lapulis vines) tend to spawn more frequently on the east side of the region.
Ram Horns (x2)
- Dropped by rams roaming the Highlands
- Found in nearly every area of the region
- Kill rams while traveling between objectives
Shock Bulbs (x3)
- Dropped by shocking vines (wild lapulis)
- More common on the east side of the Highlands
- Eliminate vines you pass early to save a return trip
Kill every ram and shocking vine you encounter on your way to the castle. By the time you reach the purification step, you'll likely have all the ingredients already collected.
How to Defeat the Garou King
The Garou King is the toughest fight in the Dog Days quest. He's a shield-carrying thane with a large health pool, and the path to his castle is guarded by multiple enemies.
There are two reliable approaches:
Straight Fight
- Enter the castle and fight face to face
- Dodge his attacks and use your whip ability to stun
- Cast magic blast to break his shield defense
- Higher risk, faster engagement
Wall Safespot (Cheese)
- Circle around the left side of the castle
- Jump on the rocks and cast Windstep onto the outer wall
- Attack with a bow or magic staff from the wall
- Safe, but slow due to his large health pool
| Fight Method | Difficulty | Risk | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight fight | ★★★★ | High | Medium |
| Wall safespot | ★★ | Low | Slow |
Don't leap too far past the outer wall, or you'll drop into the castle courtyard and be forced into a face-to-face fight with the Garou King. The king also shifts position roughly every quarter of health lost, so adjust your aim while on the wall.
Once he falls, you'll automatically receive the tainted king's token. If you skipped speaking to Vannaka at the start, picking up this token begins the quest for you automatically.
Dog Days Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Follow this sequence to complete the entire quest in a single run through the Stormtouched Highlands.
Start the Quest
Speak to Vannaka under the cliff in the eastern Highlands. Alternatively, you can skip this and head straight to the castle, where obtaining the tainted token starts the quest automatically.
Gather Ingredients Along the Way
Kill rams for ram horns and shocking vines for shock bulbs as you travel. Rams are everywhere; shocking vines favor the east side of the region.
Defeat the Garou King
Fight your way to the castle in the northwest. Defeat the king directly, or use Windstep to reach the outer wall and safespot him with a bow or staff. Loot the tainted king's token.
Read the Lore Book
Find the book beneath the wyrm corpse skeleton (dragon spine). Approach from the north to avoid the camp's enemies, clear the nearby garou, loot the chest, and read the book to learn how to purify the token.
Purify the Token
Head to Lougrim's Shrine, kill the garou druids guarding it, and perform the ritual of purification using 2 ram horns and 3 shock bulbs to receive the purified token.
Return to Vannaka
Head back to Vannaka's campfire and speak with him to complete Dog Days and receive the Garou highborn's cloak.
The lore book has a garou thane standing next to it, but he faces the opposite direction. Approach from the north and you can sneak in, read the book, and slip out without a fight.
Rewards and Quest Checklist
The final reward for Dog Days is the Garou highborn's cloak. Stat-wise it matches the other cloaks you've earned previously, so treat it as a trophy marking your completion of this tougher quest rather than a gear upgrade.
| Reward | Type | Stat Value |
|---|---|---|
| Garou highborn's cloak | Cloak (cosmetic trophy) | Same stats as previous quest cloaks |
| Quest completion | Secondary quest | Counts toward quest progress |
Dog Days Quest Checklist:
- Speak to Vannaka in the eastern Highlands
- Collect 2 ram horns and 3 shock bulbs
- Defeat the Garou King and take the tainted token
- Read the lore book beneath the wyrm corpse
- Perform the ritual of purification at Lougrim's Shrine
- Return to Vannaka and claim the highborn's cloak
You don't have to start Dog Days with Vannaka. Grabbing the tainted king's token from the castle first will trigger the quest automatically, letting you begin at step three if you prefer.
FAQ
Q: Where does the Dog Days quest take place?
The entire Dog Days quest takes place in the Stormtouched Highlands of RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Vannaka waits under a cliff in the eastern part of the region, while the Garou King's castle sits in the northwest.
Q: How do I beat the Garou King in Dog Days?
You can fight him directly using dodge timing and your whip ability to stun him, or cheese the encounter by casting Windstep onto the outer castle wall and attacking from range with a bow or magic staff. The safespot method is slower but far safer given his large health pool.
Q: What materials do I need for the ritual of purification?
You need 2 ram horns from rams and 3 shock bulbs from shocking vines (wild lapulis). Rams roam across the Highlands, while shocking vines spawn more often on the east side of the region.
Q: Is the Garou highborn's cloak worth the effort?
Stat-wise, no. The highborn's cloak has the same stats as previous quest cloaks, so it functions mainly as a cosmetic trophy proving you completed Dog Days. The real value is quest completion progress.