Heirlooms of the Mad King

In Heirlooms of the Mad King one must recover the priceless heirlooms of the Mad King.

Objectives

 * Defeat Bryce the Stablehand and recover King Thorn's most prized half-eaten apple from his saddlebag.
 * Defeat Geoffrey the Butler to recover Mad King Thorn's left slipper.
 * Defeat Guardsman Brofis the Deserter to recover Mad King Thorn's copy of "Moa Soup for the Demented Soul."

Reward

 * 5,000 Experience
 * 1,000 Gold
 * 50 Trick-or-Treat Bags

Walkthrough
You only have to defeat a boss for your quest log to update; there are no items to recover. A hero/henchmen group in normal mode can easily complete this quest.

The best starting point is the Temple of the Ages. From there, go south to The Black Curtain and follow the map marker west to Bryce the Stableboy. After a quick chat, he will create several Grasping Ghouls. Defeat Bryce and clean up any remaining Grasping Ghouls before you run to Kessex Peak.

Geoffrey the Butler is just past the entrance of Kessex Peak. After his brief dialogue, he will run away into a path with many Fog Nightmare. If you run past him during his dialogue, you may be able to body block him, making him easier to kill. Likewise, knock downs or a low recharge snares (e.g. Crippling Shot) will make defeating him easier. If you lose him, you can just rezone.

After Geoffrey is down, you should map travel to Gates of Kryta. Head north to Scoundrel's Rise and follow your map marker to Brofis the Deserter. He has a standard mix of skeleton units that you might find in this zone. His group stands near a cluster of Bog Skale who should be taken out during the dialogue before battle (although Brofis' undead group are also hostile to the skale group). Once Brofis is down, you may map travel back to Lion's Arch to collect your reward.

Foes
Undead
 * 20 Grasping Ghoul

Initial dialogue

 * The Countess of Hakewood
 * Ah, the sounds of screaming peasants! 'Tis music to my ears! It's a tragedy that the world experiences the glory that is King Thorn but once a year. I can still taste the delicacies from the grand feasts his courtiers were treated to each night. Devastating famine or not, our glorious monarch knew how to prioritize the division of resources. Of course, the commoners weren't thrilled with his economic policies, but before our beloved king had a chance to tell them just what he thought about their opinions, his reign was cut short. With a carving knife.


 * That is why His Royal Squashness has sent me here to perform a mystical ceremony of ancient magical...er...magic. According to his calculations, which are as infallible as everything else about His Majesty, he is imprisoned behind a series of magical seals that prevent him from materializing in the mortal realm more than once a year. The return of the Krytan royal bloodline to power has destroyed the first seal, weakening the barrier preventing our most glorious king's permanent return to your world. I am as excited as an inquisitor in a room full of dissidents!


 * Now, I'm no expert on magical seals or summoning spirits from beyond the grave, but what I do know is these sort of fancy rituals usually require some sort of artifacts to work. At least, every sacrificial altar I've ever seen was quite cluttered with seemingly random knick-knacks! Prior to his tragic death, King Thorn had three possessions dearer to him than any others. Unfortunately, a horde of revolting peasants burned them, along with his palace, most of his courtiers, and, well, him... But don't fret, I have an alternative!


 * After his untimely pitchfork-and-torch-related "accident," many of our most benevolent king's possessions ended up in the hands of his ungrateful, thieving servants and other unworthy swine. We must reclaim them! And by "we" I mean "you." I have located three suitable heirlooms. I trust you are as eager to please the king as I am.

Intermediate dialogue

 * Bryce the Stablehand:
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Stand back mortal! In life I was the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. Armies fled at the mere sight of my presence!"
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Villagers would torch their own homes in hopes I would show them mercy for saving me the trouble. But I show no man mercy! Ha ha ha!"
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Kings handed over their crowns! The gods..."
 * : "I heard you were a stableboy."
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Stableboy? Uh, no, that was my brother. HA! Stableboy!? I was a terrible and fearsome force of sheer power!"
 * : "Fine, I'll take your word for it. I'm not looking for any trouble, I simply need to get something King Thorn left in his saddlebag."
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "What? I checked in there centuries ago and there is nothing in there but some nasty, half-eaten petrified apple. See?"
 * : "So wait, you found a petrified, chewed-on apple in a saddlebag and you kept it for some reason?"
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Well yes, of course. You never know when something like that might come in handy!"
 * : "When could that come in handy?"
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Don't judge me! Now, what are you looking for?"
 * : "The apple."
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "And you wondered when I would find a use for such a thing? Do you honestly think I will turn over this sought after treasure without a fight?"
 * Bryce the Stablehand: "Best me and the apple is yours!"


 * Geoffrey the Butler:
 * : "Were you the Mad King's butler? I'm trying to gather some items for him."
 * Geaffrey the Butler: "What? He's back? I won't go back to that degrading life with him. You can't imagine the indignities I suffered! You can't make me go! Noooooooo!"


 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter:
 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter: "Halt, fleshy one!"
 * : "I'm not looking for trouble here. All I want is King Thorn's copy of "Moa Soup for the Demented Soul."
 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter: "King Thorn!? By the gods, he will tear out my heart!"
 * : "It doesn't look like you still have a heart..."
 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter: "That won't stop him! You don't understand. I was instructed to protect the king, but it's hard to stand your ground when you have an angry mob running at you!"
 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter: "I won't let you take me to him! And I won't let you take my book! This thing has gotten me through some tough times. Losing a job, fleeing for my life, dying an agonizing death. These writers know my pain!"
 * Guardsman Brofis the Deserter: "If you want this book, you'll have to take it from my cold, undead hands!"

Reward dialogue

 * The Countess of Hakewood
 * "Excellent! As you can see, these items were far too valuable to be allowed to remain in the hands of the unworthy. I'm pretty sure I just felt a seal break. Either that or I've had too much absinthe..."

Trivia

 * This quest was introduced in Halloween 2010.
 * The Mad King's book, "Moa Soup for the Demented Soul," is a reference to the popular inspirational book series, "Chicken Soup for the Soul"