Cold Hearted

Quest Giver: Brijana — East of Brunnhildar Village, Storm Peaks [53, 66]

Objective: Fly to Dun Niffelem, free 3 Captured Proto-Drakes, and rescue 9 Brunnhildar Prisoners.

Quick Facts

• Location: Dun Niffelem [65, 61]
• Chain Position: Quest 14 of 16 in the Sons of Hodir prerequisite chain
• Pairs With: Accept Deemed Worthy after turning in

Walkthrough

Getting to Dun Niffelem

• Fly east from Brijana on your own mount to Dun Niffelem, the frost giant city at approximately [65, 61]. Look for chained proto-drakes hovering in the air above the city.

Mounting a Proto-Drake

• Approach a Captured Proto-Drake and click to mount it. This replaces your action bar with vehicle abilities, including Ice Shard (Button 1), your primary tool for freeing prisoners.

Freeing Prisoners

• Brunnhildar Prisoners are encased in ice blocks on the ground throughout Dun Niffelem.
• Target a prisoner and use Ice Shard when in range to break the ice. Hold still until the freed prisoner is yanked up to the drake. Moving too early can cause you to miss the pickup.
• Each drake carries 3 prisoners at once: one on the saddle behind you and one in each claw.

Returning to Brunnhildar

• Once you have 3 prisoners loaded, fly the drake out of Dun Niffelem heading west. As soon as you leave the area, the drake auto-pilots back to Brunnhildar Village (“The proto-drake smells freedom and flies homeward!”).
• Do not dismount during the auto-pilot flight. Dismounting early cancels the delivery and you won’t get credit.
• Repeat the full cycle 3 times (3 drakes x 3 prisoners = 9 prisoners total).

Dodging the Giants

• The frost giants in Dun Niffelem throw ice clubs at you while you fly. These hit hard and can knock you around. Keep moving between prisoner pickups to avoid taking unnecessary damage.
• Stay low enough to target prisoners but don’t hover in one spot. The giants’ throwing range is larger than you’d expect.
• If you die and resurrect in Dun Niffelem, be aware that the giants may not render visually until after you’ve already respawned, potentially putting you right under an elite’s feet.

Efficiency Tips

• Plan your route before each pass. Identify 3 nearby prisoners, swoop down for each pickup, and fly out as soon as you have a full load.
• If a prisoner doesn’t attach after using Ice Shard, you likely moved too soon. Circle back and try again.
• The quest is 3 clean runs if you always pick up 3 per trip. Partial loads still count toward the 9-prisoner total, but incomplete runs waste time since you’ll need an extra trip.

Lore Context

The Hyldnir and the Sons of Hodir have been raiding each other since Thorim fell into his depression. The frost giants have captured Hyldnir warriors, frozen them in ice, and are holding their proto-drakes prisoner as trophies. Brijana’s quest text captures the Hyldnir warrior code: “To be slain honorably on the field of battle brings us all glory. To be frozen in a block of ice and endlessly taunted does not.”

This is your first time entering Dun Niffelem as an enemy. Later in the chain, after completing the Sons of Hodir reputation grind, you’ll be welcomed here as an ally. The same frost giants throwing clubs at you now will eventually be quest givers offering dailies.

Explore the Storm Peaks’ hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Storm Peaks Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.