The Eternal Grove

Protect the Forever Trees in the Eternal Grove by ensuring that the Tree Singers are able to complete their ritual through the Luxon and Afflicted attacks.

Objectives
Protect the Forever Trees by keeping the Tree Singers alive.
 * Added Defeat the Afflicted forces.

Reward
Note: You can only earn the faction reward the first time you complete the mission at a certain level in either mode.

Walkthrough
As you enter this mission note the additional health display which shows the health status of the three Forever Trees. The trees are located at the points 1, 2 and 3 on the map. There are four Tree Singers grouped around each tree - each singer contributes for one quarter of the tree's health. As the singers take damage the tree will also take damage. If a singer dies the tree is permanently damaged by a quarter; however seeing the bar go down by a quarter does not mean a tree singer has died - several could merely be injured, making it look as if one has died. If all four singers of one tree are dead the tree will be also. Only one tree singer/tree needs to survive the mission to complete it.

Baron Mirek Vasburg and Danika are present as stationary allies. They will heal the party, but you will have no control over them whatsoever and they cannot be resurrected. Their death does not result in a failure of the mission.

Three Juggernauts are available to assist you after the first siege turtle is killed, and they can be ordered to follow you or defend a spot. While close to a Juggernaut, you will benefit from the Aura of the Juggernaut (which boosts your energy regeneration).

The hill has only two entrances through which opponents can get to the Tree Singers, and is covered by the Aura of the Grove environmental effect, which provides a speed boost while in the area. A good tactic is for the party to split up into two balanced groups of 4 players (or heroes, if available; note that this split team tactic is very difficult with henchmen), one guarding each gate. Most of the foes in the mission will approach the hill but it is sometimes advantageous or necessary to leave it and engage them outside.

During the second stage of the mission you will be joined by a handful of Luxons plus any that were left alive from the first stage. However, the uncontrollable survivors can sometimes be more trouble than they are worth.

Luxon attack
Protecting the Tree Singers while taking out the Siege Turtles is the goal for this stage.

Luxons will attack from all sides, coming down the paths from the north, west and south. Take care not to let any Luxon Elementalists or Luxon Warriors slip through to the Tree Singers, as they can kill the Tree Singers quickly. Luxon Rangers are a comparatively minor threat. At six timed points during this stage, a Siege Turtle will approach from a side path, its arrival announced by Baron Mirek Vasburg. The order of arrival is west, south, north, south, north and west. They will start firing at the Tree Singers if they reach the small hills, marked with X on the map, but the Tree Singers can survive a minimal bombardment and the turtles will soon redirect their fire on a Kurzick team attacking them. Don't let the Luxon Rangers distract you from protecting the Grove - the turtles are the primary threat. You can optionally leave the second wave Rangers alive to the North and South, as they become additional allies (Turtles sometimes too if left alive) during the Afflicted attack.

If you run a split defense, position your teams at the base of the stairs, to intercept the Luxons as early as possible and minimize travel to the Siege Turtles when they arrive. Otherwise stay in the central area to avoid lengthy runs between Luxon siege positions and only go out of the fort for quick hit-and-run attacks on the turtles.

Grab the Juggernauts as soon as they become available and set them to follow you. With a split defense it is recommended to use two for the south team, one for the north. With them set to follow they will automatically return to you if killed.

Afflicted attack
After you have beaten the Luxons, you will be attacked by waves of the more dangerous Afflicted. The Afflicted have no siege attack so you can stay on the hill. Again, if possible, split the team and attempt to block both entrances to the grove. The south gate is generally a bit tougher than the north, so if you have a disparity in the two teams, send the better one to the south. Position your teams well inside the gates, behind the NPC defenders, closer to the NPC healers and the other team. Don't go through the gates unless mopping up. Poor positioning at this stage can lead to mission failure.

The Afflicted will always attack both gates simultaneously, but the strength of the waves varies. The first couple of waves are tougher on the southern gate, while the last few are tougher on the north gate. With the second wave, the southern gate will be attacked by the Afflicted Maaka. If you run a split team, the northern gate will usually be clear quickly, while the southern team may struggle to stay alive. In that case, the northern team should hurry to assist them. In the final wave two warriors will attempt to sneak in the southern door while the north is attacked by the Afflicted Xenxo and Senku, so make sure they are killed first before converging on the two bosses.

Alternative Approach
This alternative method is tricky to pull off but when executed correctly allows for players to complete the mission in Hard Mode with a team of heroes. The player MUST bring healing skills, making this easier for monks and ritualists, but the healing power need not be excessive. Furthermore, two of your top three heroes must be minion masters with Heal Area and Dwayna's Sorrow. Finding space for Recuperation within your party will also help substantially.

Method: Destroy the first siege turtle that approaches from the west as per usual before quickly running back to the clearing where you begin. Flag one of your minion masters directly between the two middle Tree Singers by the northern tree, and your other minion master in the equivalent location on the southern tree. Now the aim is to defend the clearing without leaving to kill the Siege Turtles. To do this run back and forth, using a longbow or flatbow to pull enemies towards your group. Keep an eye on the health of the Tree Singers and manually heal them where needed. Eventually, after several waves of Luxons, there should be two Siege Turtles to your north, and two to your south. At this point, start watching for the final Siege Turtle approaching from the west. When it does, leave the clearing and kill it, triggering the cutscene and the afflicted assault. Re-flag your two minion masters at the southern gate and use the rest of the team to defend the other. You may need to assist your two minion masters occasionally, to speed things along. When there is only one group remaining tie up the bosses at the northern gate long enough for your minion masters to kill the two warriors that try to sneak through the southern gate, before clearing all flags. Kill the two bosses with your whole party to end the mission with masters.

Skill recommendations

 * Strong party or AoE protection skills are useful in this mission due to the team being split in two.
 * A minion master can provide a lot of disposable targets for Luxons and particularly the Afflicted to attack. At least two minion masters are recommended for a split defense. With the pinch points minion bombers are very effective. You can use Blood of the Master to keep more minions alive during the delay between waves, but micro it as needed.
 * For split team tactics, long range skills such as Heal Party, Light of Deliverance and/or necromancer's orders skills can be helpful.
 * Trapping at the entrances to the hill area can be effective.
 * Area of effect attacks and spells can be very useful as the enemies tend to cluster.
 * A ritualist with Life and Recuperation stationed in the center of the grove will be able to heal all the tree singers simultaneously as well as supporting the team.
 * Offensive spirits can be set at each gate by the same caster, as they are far enough apart.
 * A single well-timed Pain Inverter can instantly kill a turtle, even in HM.

Allies

 * 20 Pet - Elder Reef Lurker
 * 20 Baron Mirek Vasburg
 * 28 Elite Juggernaut Berta
 * 28 Elite Juggernaut Klaus
 * 28 Elite Juggernaut Lieber
 * 20 Luxon Soldier
 * 20 Brother Mhenlo
 * 20 Danika
 * 20 Ex-Redemptor Berta
 * 20 Klaus
 * 20 Leiber
 * 20 Tree Singer
 * 20 Kurzick Necromancer (Labeled as Kurzick Soldier)
 * 20 Kurzick Mesmer (Labeled as Kurzick Soldier)

Foes

 * Afflicted
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Warrior
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Ranger
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Monk
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Mesmer
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Elementalist
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Assassin
 * 20 (26) Afflicted Necromancer


 * Luxons
 * 20 (26) Luxon Warrior
 * 20 (26) Luxon Ranger
 * 20 (26) Luxon Elementalist


 * Turtles
 * 24 (26) Siege Turtle

Bosses

 * Afflicted
 * 28 The Afflicted Maaka &rarr; (Enraged Smash)
 * 28 The Afflicted Senku &rarr; (Shadow Form)
 * 28 The Afflicted Xenxo &rarr; (Weapon of Quickening)

Objects
Control points
 * Western Forever Tree
 * Northern Forever Tree
 * Southern Forever Tree

Opening Cinematic

 * : "It's been a long time since we bested Shiro."
 * Brother Mhenlo: "I was thinking the same thing."
 * Brother Mhenlo: "I fear his return will not be long in coming."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "You worry about things that will never come to pass."
 * : "Shiro is still a threat. The Affliction will return."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Nonsense. Shiro is gone once again, and with him the Affliction."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "You should know. You were there."
 * : "Yes but-"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Shiro is in the past. We must be mindful of the present."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "The Luxons are the biggest threat to us Kurzicks, and it is to them we must shift our focus."
 * Kurzick Soldier 1: "Baron Vasburg! Baron Vasburg!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "What news?"
 * Kurzick Soldier 1: "Baron, the Luxons have breached the forest."
 * Kurzick Soldier 1: "They're on the march as we speak."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "To the Eternal Grove! Protect the Forever Trees!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Kill the Luxon invaders!"

Initial dialogue

 * Tree Singer: "Today, three brave Kurzicks have volunteered to become new, more powerful kinds of juggernauts. We honor them for their sacrifice. Let the Awakening begin!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "You must remain vigilant. There have been many signs and omens...it is certain that the Luxons will attempt to kill the Tree Singers and interrupt the ceremony."
 * Danika: "Until the ceremony is complete, fear not for my life, or the baron's...concern yourself only with the lives of the Tree Singers. Without them, all is lost."

Intermediate dialogue

 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "North! Siege turtle ready to fire!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "New siege turtle to the south! Protect those Tree Singers!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "New siege turtle on the western front!"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Ha! These Luxon brutes have no chance against us."
 * Danika: "I've seen my friends here battle enemies far more frightening than these ragtag savages."
 * Tree Singer: "You have done well so far, but do not grow complacent. We sense there is much danger lurking in the forest."
 * Danika: "Grow complacent!? There's not much danger of that, is there? Not with all these bloodthirsty Luxons everywhere."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Countess! You should show more respect. Our apologies, honored Tree Singers."

Intermediate Cinematic

 * Kurzick Soldier 2: "Here they come. More Luxons."
 * Kurzick Soldier 3: "Haven't they had enough?"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Hold! They're waving the white flag."
 * Luxon General: "The Afflicted! They've returned."
 * Luxon General: "Nobody gets out of here alive unless we work together."
 * : "Baron Vasburg, he makes a good point."
 * : "The Luxons are no longer the greatest threat to the Forever Trees."
 * : "It couldn't hurt to have a few extra blades to help turn back the Afflicted."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Until further notice, the Luxons are our allies."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "You stand with us now."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "If anyone has a problem with this, speak it now or forever hold your peace."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Let's Stand."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Good. Now comes the hard part."

End Cinematic

 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Look at this mess."
 * : "So, are you ready to believe now?"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Believe what?"
 * Brother Mhenlo: "That Shiro has returned."
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "It's hard to argue with the evidence littered here at our feet."
 * : "Then it's settled?"
 * : "You'll help us gather the Kurzicks together to fight Shiro?"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Yes. We are with you."
 * : "Even if that means fighting alongside the Luxons?"
 * Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Until Shiro has been destroyed, we will look upon the Luxons as our allies."
 * Brother Mhenlo: "Well then. I think our work here is done."
 * Brother Mhenlo: "Let us go find Master Togo."
 * Luxon Guard Captain: "If you're looking for Master Togo, you'll find him with our champion, Argo, in the Harvest Temple."
 * Brother Mhenlo: "Then we must go to the Harvest Temple."