Iron Mines of Moladune

Evennia is free, and the treacherous Markis isn't far. Seek out the Seer to find how to infuse your armor to protect against the Mursaat's deadly Spectral Agony. Then track down Markis and avenge Saidra.

Objectives
Kill Markis and his Jade Armor guards.


 * Find the Seer.
 * ADDED: Kill the Eidolon.
 * ADDED: Deliver the Spectral Essence to the Seer to infuse your armor.
 * *BONUS* Defeat The Inquisitor before he leaves with the information about the Shining Blade.

Walkthrough
Upon entering, you'll see a battle between the White Mantle and the Stone Summit. You may choose to kill off both groups or run by them altogether. If you do not have infused armor (or don't feel like fighting Mursaat), follow the red path under the bridge Markis runs across. If you take the green one, you will run into a group of Mursaat that will use Spectral Agony to tear you to pieces if your armor isn't infused. Follow this path, taking out groups of Tundra Giants, Azure Shadows, and Mountain Trolls until you run into more White Mantle.

From here, the path to the right is probably easier. It leads to small groups of White Mantle and a White Mantle Engineer who can be killed to cease the ballista fire nearby and gain an easy morale boost. Circle down the hill that had the engineer, under the bridge, and kill the Stone Summit boss in the icy field. Continue north and you should see a White Mantle encampment raining down ballista fire. You'll hear Shining Blade Scout Ryder call out for help, but there isn't anything you can do to assist her at this time. Keep to the left here to avoid the ballista hits and take out the other Stone Summit boss. Follow the path north of the encampment and plow through more trolls, shadows, and giants. You will eventually come to a forked bridge that is under fire from ballistae. You'll have to run across, keeping to the left towards the Blessed Griffons in the distance. Continue up this path and you should eventually find an ice cave with the Seer, marked "S" on the map. Approach her for a cutscene where she instructs you to kill the nearby Eidolon so she can use its Spectral Essence to infuse your armor.

The Eidolon is in the ice cave, east of where the Seer is located, at the "E". You'll have to cut down a number of shadows to get to it, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find and defeat. Have someone carry the Spectral Essence it drops back to the Seer. All players should then talk to the Seer to have every piece of armor they are wearing infused. This will dramatically improve your chances of survival when fighting Mursaat.

Exit the cave to the north, and you'll see a group of White Mantle and Mursaat. follow the path, fighting multiple groups such as this until you reach the fort Markis is hiding in. If you wish to complete the bonus as well, you'll have to do it first and come back, as killing Markis and his guards completes the mission. Depending on your party setup, you might be able to take out each of the two guard patrols along the walls without aggroing the other. If you must enter the fort to engage them, you will aggro both groups, so make sure anyone doing so keeps to the walls to avoid engaging Markis as well. Once the guards are defeated, Markis appears to be alone, but if you approach him, the statues around him will break open, becoming Jade Armor. With proper pulling techniques, Markis can be pulled away from the statues and defeated without activating the Jade. Then the statues can be approached one at a time so the Jade can be easily dispatched. Keep in mind, if any player wishes to capture Barrage from Markis, the mission ends after he and his four Jade Armor guards are defeated, so make sure they do so before the Jade are all destroyed.

If the party has infused armor at the beginning of the mission, they can simply skip doing the Seer part of the mission. The party can follow the green and then yellow path on the map, do the bonus and end by killing Markis in his fort. Doing the Seer part of the mission is then unnecessary.

Bonus
Players (and henchmen) without infused armor are at risk, as you will run across multiple groups of Mursaat. To begin the bonus, speak with Shining Blade Scout Ryder located inside the White Mantle encampment (map point B). However, the party must work its way around the fort because there is no access through the front. Ryder will tell the party to kill the Inquisitor before it reaches a portal in the north. Accepting the bonus will cause the Inquisitor and a few Mursaat Mesmer guards to spawn just to the east, up the hill. From there, they will travel north towards the portal. Clear out mobs that might get in the way before talking to Ryder.

If the party has infused armor at the beginning of the mission, they may choose to simply follow Markis across the bridge after the initial White Mantle/Stone Summit battle. Follow the green path, and you'll find yourself inside the fort with Ryder. However, it is safer to wait until you have cleared the path the Inquisitor will follow (the yellow path to the north) before talking to Ryder.

If the party is coming from the Seer, it can backtrack to the besieged bridge, this time taking the other fork towards the siege engineers and heading south. Or, the party can continue past Markis and his fort circling around and back south through a number of Mursaat and White Mantle. Either way, try to kill whatever is in your path, thus clearing the way when the Inquisitor later appears.

Have all but one member of the party stand north of Ryder while the last party member talks to her to start the bonus. Quickly kill off the mesmer guards then focus on the Inquisitor. Snares and knockdowns should help keep it from getting too far. If your party lacks these skills, it can also be body blocked to delay its northern progress.

There is an alternative way to get the bonus without starting with infused armor, but this method takes longer. Follow the red path and avoid the Mursaat. Visit the Seer, infuse your armor, then continue along the red path until you reach Markis; do not kill him yet. Instead, clear all the enemies on the Yellow Path (M to B). Talk to Ryder, who will tell you to kill the Inquisitor. Now that the area is cleared, you can run after the boss and kill him.

Skill recommendations

 * You'll be facing knockdowns from giants and Signet of Judgment, so a skill such as Balanced Stance and "I Am Unstoppable!" may help keep you on your feet.
 * If attempting the bonus, snares and knockdowns may help keep the Inquisitor from running away.

Allies

 * 15 (20) Shining Blade Scout Ryder
 * 30 (30) Ancient Seer

Foes
Dwarves Elementals Giants Griffons Humans (White Mantle) Mursaat Nightmares Trolls
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Carver
 * 24 (26) Summit Giant Herder
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Ranger
 * 24 (26) Dolyak Master
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Gnasher
 * 24 (26) Stone Summit Heretic
 * 24 (26) Siege Ice Golem
 * 24 (26) Tundra Giant
 * 24 (26) Blessed Griffon
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Engineer
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Zealot
 * 18 (26) White Mantle Seeker
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Priest
 * 20 (26) White Mantle Ritualist
 * 16 (26) White Mantle Sycophant
 * 16 (26) White Mantle Savant
 * 24 (26) Jade Armor
 * 24 (26) Jade Bow
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Monk
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Necromancer
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Mesmer
 * 24 (26) Mursaat Elementalist
 * 24 (26) Azure Shadow
 * 24 (26) Mountain Troll

Bosses
Dwarves Humans (White Mantle) Nightmares Mursaat Phantoms
 * 28 (30) Marika Granitehand &rarr; Cleave
 * 28 (30) Slonak Copperbark &rarr; Dwarven Battle Stance
 * 28 (30) Lokar Icemender &rarr; Mark of Protection
 * 22 (29) Markis &rarr; Barrage
 * 28 (30) Balt Duskstrider &rarr; Signet of Judgment
 * 28 (30) Ceru Gloomrunner &rarr; Spiteful Spirit
 * 28 (30) Digo Murkstalker &rarr; Illusionary Weaponry
 * 28 (30) Martigris the Stalwart &rarr; Devastating Hammer
 * 28 (30) Hilios the Dutiful &rarr; Oath Shot
 * 28 (30) Feodor the Baneful &rarr; Life Transfer
 * 28 (30) Balasi the Arcane &rarr; Energy Surge
 * 28 (30) Kratos the Foul &rarr; Thunderclap
 * 28 (30) The Inquisitor &rarr; Thunderclap
 * 24 (30) Eidolon &rarr; Mist Form

Dialogue

 * Shining Blade Scout Ryder
 * "When I got caught, a Mursaat called The Inquisitor interrogated me. He just took my thoughts from my head."
 * "I...I...He found out we were heading to Thunderhead Keep to help the Dwarves. Please catch him!"


 * Markis
 * "So you finally figured it out, eh? Now you've come to extract vengeance?"
 * "I should have killed you in the Maguuma Jungle."
 * "I'm going to enjoy killing you almost as much as I enjoyed watching Saidra die."

Intermediate cinematic

 * Seer: Yes, yes. You are the Ascended ones the dragon Glint has spoken of. Come in. Come in. I have been expecting you.
 * : Who are you?
 * Seer: I have traveled far and waited many long years to help you fulfill the Flameseeker Prophecies. What matters is that I am here to help you.
 * : We're listening.
 * Seer: By now you have realized that the Mursaat cannot be defeated with the tools you now posses.
 * : Yes. Go on.
 * Seer: For centuries my kind has fought the Mursaat. I know the rituals that can give you at least some protection from their agonizing touch.
 * : And you will perform these rituals for us?
 * Seer: Yes.
 * : But why? Why help us?
 * Seer: Because if the prophecies are to be believed, you will do what my entire race could not. You are going to destroy the Mursaat.
 * : What would you have us do?
 * Seer: In a cave to the east lives a bestial creature made from malice and shade. This creature has a natural defense against the magics of the Mursaat. Bring me the spectral essence of this beast, and I will infuse its protections into your armor.

End cinematic

 * Evennia: "May the deaths of all whom you betrayed weigh heavy on you in the afterlife. Death is too good for you, Markis. May your tortured soul never find peace."


 * Brechnar Ironhammer: "Brother, the portcullis has been breached. The first and second regiments have fallen, and the Stone Summit has raised their flag over Thunderhead Keep. My king, the fortress is taken."
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: "Sound the horn of retreat, Brechnar. We will cut our losses and regroup."
 * Brechnar Ironhammer: "Get yourself to safety, brother. Deldrimor cannot afford to lose its capital and its king in the same day."
 * King Jalis Ironhammer: "Guards, with me. We are leaving."