You’re wandering through the dust-choked ruins of the Dry Steppes. Your inventory is probably full of junk. Then you find it—a Bloodstained Letter. This triggers the Blood and Sweat Diablo 4 side quest, and honestly, it’s one of those tasks that feels way more complicated than it actually is because the game doesn't give you a waypoint for the final objective.
It's a small story. A father, a daughter named Tuya, and a hidden doll.
Most people get stuck because they expect a giant glowing pillar of light to show them where to go. Diablo 4 loves to make you actually look at the environment, which is cool for immersion but annoying when you just want your Renown points and some XP.
Where the Bloodstained Letter Actually Is
First thing’s first. You have to find the note to even start this. Head to the Chambatar Ridge in the Dry Steppes. Specifically, you’re looking for the Ruins of Qara-Yisu. If you haven't cleared the Stronghold there yet, you might want to do that first just to make your life easier, though it’s not strictly required to grab the quest item.
Look for a corpse. It’s tucked away in the southern portion of the ruins. Once you interact with it, the letter drops. It’s a sad read—basically a guy telling his daughter he hid something for her.
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Now the map gives you a blue circle. It’s a big circle. Too big.
Finding Little Tuya’s Doll
This is the part where players start running in circles. The quest tells you to "Search for Little Tuya’s doll," but the ruins are messy. There are multi-leveled broken walls and debris everywhere.
Don't look for a chest. You’re looking for a Loose Stone.
Go to the northern part of the blue quest circle. There’s a specific ruined building that looks like a destroyed house. You'll see a small rectangular area on the ground level. On the edge of the wall, there is a stone you can interact with. Flip it over, and the doll pops out. It’s tiny. If you aren't paying attention to the labels on the ground, you’ll walk right over it.
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Why the Location Matters
The Dry Steppes is a brutal zone. Between the Cannibals and the flies, it’s a high-tension area for mid-game leveling. Finishing Blood and Sweat Diablo 4 is a quick way to tick off another box for that region's Renown. If you're pushing for those extra Skill Points or Paragon Points from regional progression, these "fetch" quests are mandatory.
Interestingly, the narrative design here reflects the broader theme of the Dry Steppes: desperation. You see it in the flavor text. You see it in the environment. The "Blood and Sweat" isn't just a title; it refers to the grueling life of the NPCs living under the shadow of the Lesser Evils.
Bringing it Home to Alzuuda
Once you have the doll, you need to find Tuya. She isn't in the ruins. She moved on.
You’ll find her in Alzuuda, which is the town located in the Fields of Hatred (the PvP zone). Don't worry, you don't have to engage in PvP to talk to her. She’s just standing there near the outskirts of the town.
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Hand her the doll. She gets emotional. Quest over.
Quick Checklist for Efficiency:
- Zone: Dry Steppes (Chambatar Ridge).
- Trigger: Bloodstained Letter from a corpse in the Ruins of Qara-Yisu.
- The Object: Loose Stone (Northern side of the search area).
- The Turn-in: Tuya in Alzuuda.
Common Bugs and Fixes
Sometimes the Loose Stone doesn't appear. It sucks. If you get to the spot and there’s nothing to click, usually a quick teleport back to town and then taking the portal back fixes the instance.
Also, make sure you aren't in combat. Diablo 4's interactables can be finicky if a stray fallen is chewing on your leg. Clear the immediate area of enemies before trying to flip the stone.
Actionable Next Steps for Renown Hunters
If you're grinding out the Dry Steppes, don't just do this quest and leave. While you’re in Alzuuda, check the local vendors for any gear upgrades, as the PvP town often has decent item level scaling.
- Clear the Qara-Yisu Stronghold while you are already there for the quest; it unlocks a crucial waypoint and more side quests.
- Check your map for Altars of Lilith nearby. There are several in the ridges surrounding the ruins that provide permanent stat boosts.
- Combine this with the 'Currency of Fortune' quest if you have it, as the objectives overlap geographically.
- Save your salvage. If the reward for this quest is a rare item you don't need, don't sell it for gold—scrap it at the blacksmith in Alzuuda to unlock the transmog or get materials for later crafting.
Finishing this quest is less about the combat and more about knowing exactly which rock to flip. Now that you know it’s in the northern section of the ruins under a Loose Stone, you can get in and out in under three minutes.