Annihilator 2: Searing Day

Annihilator 2: Searing Day
Section	Festival Event Quests
Event	April Fools' Day
Given by	Corporal Bane in Embark Beach (The Battle Isles)
Type	Festival quest  (Solo Quest)

Annihilator 2: Searing Day is an April Fools' Day quest to save Gwen from a time-traveling golem in the past.

Quest information

Objectives

• Travel back to the year 1070 AE.
• Search for familiar faces.
• Find Gwen.
• Defend Gwen from the G-1000.
• Escape to Ashford Abbey.
• Enter the dungeon below Ashford.
• Lure the G-1000 to the lava pit and throw it inside.
• Step into the lava pit to erase all evidence of golems from this timeline.
• See Corporal Bane for your reward.

Reward

• 2,029 Experience
• 1,000 Gold
• 1,995 Vanguard reputation points

Walkthrough

Deceiving the Golem

Players will spawn over the gate to the Northlands with the G.O.L.E.M. disguise. Walk south towards the Ascalon City entrance to find Prince Rurik and a Familiar-Looking Hero there.

After a dialogue, follow the quest marker and defeat the G-1000.

Once the G-1000 is defeated for the first time, follow the quest marker to Ashford Abbey's entrance, and go through the portal to Ashford Catacombs. Once there, wait until the dialogue ends and defeat the G-1000 again.

Advance to the quest marker while defeating enemies on the way. Meanwhile, the G-1000 will respawn constantly and slowly chase the player. Try to aggro as few enemies as possible, and whenever the G-1000 spawns, defeat it before proceeding. Even though it walks slowly, it may catch up and make the battle unnecessarily harder. Alternatively there is a simple method to decieve G-1000. After defeating it and the first group of gargoyles in the catacombs Mhenlo should open the passageway to the north. Go to the south and wait for G-1000 to spawn again. G-1000 will travel to the end of the quest and wait there.

Once close enough to the quest marker, Annihilator Toss will become available. Use it as soon as possible on the G-1000, and it will be teleported to the lava and die.

After a final dialogue, enter the lava. The quest will be completed and the player will time-travel back to Embark Beach after a countdown. Completion may not trigger if when entering the lava prematurely. If completion doesn't trigger, leave the lava and re-enter.

Combat tips

• Reactor Burst and Sky Net can interrupt enemies. Use them to interrupt key skills such as Savannah Heat from Flowstone Elementals.
• Reactor Burst skill can remove conditions. Against the G-1000, save it to quickly remove poison after it uses Viper's Defense.

Optional encounters

There are four optional encounters during this quest which offer uncommon rewards relating to Thackeray's scavenger hunt. All of these encounters can be completed after the player has recruited the Familiar-Looking Hero and Rurik thus making some of them much easier.

Drake Broodmother: In the river next to Ashford a giant Drake Broodmother is patrolling around with her brood. Killing her will reward the player with a Drake Kabob.

Molotov Rocktail: In the cave full of devourers near where the player first encounters Gwen during this quest, multiple mobs of devourers can be fought through. Each mob will spawn a larger mob as the player progresses further into the cave. Once the last devourer is slain, Molotov Rocktail will appear out of the ground and attack the player. When his health is lowered enough, Molotov becomes neutral and quickly escapes north towards Regent Valley's portal, and a chest containing three Honeycomb will spawn on the slope at the end of the devourer cave.

Alain: Alain can be found at the bandit camp next to the field of worms outside of Ashford Abbey. While fighting him he will spawn multiple bandits to reinforce him when his health hits certain points. Each spawn will contain one Bandit Firestarter and two Bandit Raiders. After killing him Hard Apple Cider will spawn at the camp.

Worm Queen: If the player kills a few of the worms which spawn in the field outside of Ashford Abbey, larger level 10 worms will spawn. Upon killing them, more powerful worms will spawn. Doing this a few times the Worm Queen will spawn. Killing her will make a chest containing a Birthday Cupcake spawn. The chest might spawn beneath the queen's corpse, so holding down <ALT> might help to find it.

Combat tips

• In the devourer cave, try to stand close to as many devourers as possible and spam the Annihilator Knuckle. It will recharge instantly if four or more foes are hit. When the Annihilator Beam charges, position the character to have as many devourers in front of them as possible.
• Against the Broodmother, use Reactor Burst or Sky Net to interrupt the Broodmother's Light of Dwayna or simply kill her first. It will be wise to charge Annihilator Beam attacking nearby skales to use it right at the start of the battle.
• When fighting Against Alain and the Worm Queen, remember that Mhenlo is in front of Ashford Abbey's entrance portal. He will heal the player, Rurik, and the Familiar-Looking Hero when approached, helping the player to recover faster and survive the Worm Queen's Wurm Bile.
• The player can use Sky Net to pull Alain south from the camp, creating the chance to attack him without having to worry about the bandit pop ups - and in turn allowing safer pulls for said pop ups. The rock will also offer cover from Flares cast by Firestarters.
• Against the worms, try to save Reactor Burst to interrupt their Death Novas, Apply Poison, Wurm Siege and the Queen's Wurm Bile.

NPCs

Allies

Humans

• 19 <Character Name> (a.k.a. Familiar-Looking Hero)
• 2 Ascalon Guard
• 8 Captain Osric
• 5 Devona
• 2 Farrah Cappo
• 20 Prince Rurik
• 5 Warmaster Grast
• 5 Academy Monk
• 20 Brother Mhenlo
• 5 Lina the Healer
• 1 Alison the Tanner
• 1 Annette Landru
• 19 Ascalonian Scout
• 1 Ascalonian Townsfolk
• 1 Chantalle the Troubadour
• 1 Farmer Dirk
• 1 Fisherman Justin
• 2 Gate Guard Torin
• 1 Gwen
• 2 Harner
• 1 Marshall Richards
• 1 Miller Upton
• 2 Odette
• 1 Old Mac
• 1 Pitney
• 2 Reginald
• 1 Trina Yunn
• 1 Wilton Payce

Beasts

• 1 Prize-Winning Hog

Charmable animals

Animals

• 1 Strider
• 2 Warthog
• 2 Wolf

Foes

Lakeside County

Devourers

• 15 Carrion Devourer
• 22 Molotov Rocktail
• 15 Lash Devourer

Drakes

• 15 River Drake
• 24 Drake Broodmother

Golem

• 20 G-1000

Grawl

• 18 Grawl
• 20 Grawl Longspear

Humans

• 15 Bandit Raider
• 24 Alain
• 15 Bandit Firestarter

Plants

• 0 Aloe Seed

Skales

• 0 River Skale Tad
• 18 River Skale Queen
• 2 Skale Broodcaller
• 15 River Skale Brood

Beast

• 24 Rogue Bull

Worms

• 0 Plague Worm
• 18 Rock Borer Worm
• 10 Plague Worm
• 26 Worm Queen

Wurms

• 24 Elder Siege Wurm
• 22 Siege Wurm

Ashford Catacombs

Elementals

• 20 Burning Spirit
• 20 Flowstone Elemental

Gargoyless

• 15 Flash Gargoyle
• 15 Shatter Gargoyle

Golem

• 20 G-1000

Skeletons

• 15 Restless Corpse
• 18 Skeleton Raider
• 15 Raging Cadaver

Dialogue

Initial dialogue

Corporal Bane

"This is bad... I've just received a *CLASSIFIED INFORMATION* from the future. It looks like the Charr have sent a second golem to the past to kill Sarah's daughter, Gwen, when she's still a child! Unfortunately, we can't go back again until our *CLASSIFIED INFORMATION* stabilizes from the last jump, so we're going to have to go with Plan B."

"Headquarters has been building its own golem to send back, but its *CLASSIFIED INFORMATION* hasn't been installed yet. I think I can set up the Moahawk controls to interface with it so you can control the golem from this time period with your mind."

"It should only take me a few minutes to modify the controls; when you're ready, let me know, and I'll send your consciousness back to the past to save Gwen!"

 Accept: "The future's not set! I'll save her!"

 Decline: "No thanks, I liked the original better."

Intermediate dialogue

Corporal Bane

When you're ready, I can link you up with the golem. I just hope you can do this without your weapons.

Weapons? Where we're going, we don't need weapons. We have a golem, after all.

Back to the past? Nah, I've already been there.

Intermediate cinematic

See also: Annihilator 2 (cinematic)

Narrator: "The last day dawns on the Kingdom of Ascalon."

Narrator: "It arrives with no fanfare, no tolling of alarms."

Narrator: "Those who will remember, will speak fondly of the warm morning breeze."

Narrator: "People carry on with their daily lives, unaware that in a short while..."

Narrator: "Everything they have ever known will come to an end."

King Adelbern: "Scribe!"

Ascalonian Scribe: "Yes, my lord."

King Adelbern: "These Charr are relentless, but we shall hold the Wall at all costs."

Ascalonian Scribe: "Yes, my lord."

King Adelbern: "Take this message to Sir Tydus:"

A golem lands in the middle of a battle between Ascalonians and Charr and heads south.

King Adelbern: "Go forth and recruit the strongest, the smartest."

King Adelbern: "Bring to me the bravest in all Ascalon."

King Adelbern: "Find me the heroes who will lead our kingdom to glory."

Ascalonian Scribe: "As you command, my king."

Intermediate dialogue (Lakeside County)

Upon initially moving

Corporal Bane: "(Alright, it looks like the time leap and golem interface were successful. Can you move?)"

<Character name>: "(Yes...I think so. This is a little disorienting.)"

Corporal Bane: "(Unfortunately, even though you can issue commands to the golem, you can't speak through it. But it does have a few preset phrases that you can make it say.)"

Corporal Bane: "(Just focus on moving and familiarizing yourself with the golem's skills. We need to find Gwen as soon as possible. I navigated the golem around the wall for you, but you'll have to handle the rest.)"

When reaching the entrance of Ascalon City

Prince Rurik: "Well, that takes care of Vatlaaw Doomtooth. That'll teach him to mess with Ascalon."

Ascalonian Scout: "Sir, I'm here to report sightings of what looks like a giant Charr cauldron just north of the wall. It seems they're preparing some kind of ritual."

Prince Rurik: "That sounds grave indeed; we'd better go and check... Great Dwayna! What in blazes is that monstrosity!?"

Annihilator 2.0: "*I AM A GO-LEM FROM THE FU-TURE SENT TO COR-RECT THE PAST. TAKE ME TO GWEN. SHE IS IN DAN-GER*"

Familiar-Looking Hero: "Gwen? You mean Sarah's daughter? I've met her a few times."

Prince Rurik: "A young child is in danger? There's no time to lose! Let's get searching immediately! My father, the king, told me to always listen to strange travelers from the future, after all."

When approaching Gwen

Annihilator 2.0: "*TAR-GET AC-QUIR-ED. DAN-GER DE-TEC-TED*"

Familiar-Looking Hero: "What is that thing? Gwen! Get away!"

G-1000: "*TAR-GET LO-CA-TED. PRO-CEED-ING WITH AN-NI-HIL-A-TION*"

<Character name>: "(What was that thing? It didn't look like any golem I've ever seen!)"

Corporal Bane: "(It's a new, more advanced type of golem the Charr have created. Instead of encasing the crystal core in a solid steel chassis, they are using a crystallic-polymock alloy.)"

<Character name>: "(What the heck does that mean?)"

Corporal Bane: "(Liquid magic.)"

After killing the G-1000 for the first time

Prince Rurik: "It just disappeared into the ground! Be on your guard, it may return."

Familiar-Looking Hero: "We shouldn't stay here, we're too exposed."

Prince Rurik: "I agree, let's head for Ashford. The monks there may be able to help us deal with this golem."

Upon reaching Ashford Abbey

Brother Mhenlo: "Ah, Prince Rurik, what brings you to the abbey today?"

Familiar-Looking Hero: "We're in trouble, Mhenlo, there's some kind of invincible golem chasing Gwen and..."

Prince Rurik: "Wait, this may be the golem in disguise; first, we need to prove that he's really Brother Mhenlo!"

Prince Rurik: "I'll ask you a question only the real Brother Mhenlo could answer. What do you love most in this world?"

Brother Mhenlo: "Cynn."

Prince Rurik: "Hmm... Possibly too easy. What do you fear most in this world?"

Brother Mhenlo: "Also Cynn."

Prince Rurik: "He's the real one alright. In that case, we need to find a way to kill an evil shape-shifting golem from the future, any ideas?"

Brother Mhenlo: "Perhaps we could lure it into one of the lava pits in the dungeon below the abbey?"

Prince Rurik: "You have a dungeon under the abbey...and it has lava pits?"

Brother Mhenlo: "There are several levels of catacombs beneath the abbey, actually. It seems like a bad idea to build an abbey over a gaping cavern connected to the underworld,[sic] but I'm no architect."

Prince Rurik: "Very well. Let us travel as soon as the golem is ready."

Intermediate dialogue (Ashford Catacombs)

Upon meeting Meerak the Scribe

Brother Mhenlo: "Quickly, the lava pits are this way!"

Meerak the Scribe: "You can't go down there, Mhenlo, that area has been closed off."

Brother Mhenlo: "Meerak? What are you doing down here? I thought you were traveling to Foibles Fair [sic] today."

Prince Rurik: "Stand aside, man, this is royal business."

Familiar-Looking Hero: "Wait, Prince Rurik, something isn't right here."

G-1000: "*YOU WILL ALL DIE IN THESE CAT-A-COMBS*"

After defeating the G-1000

Prince Rurik: "It's re-forming! We must move now! We can fight it back if we need more time, but defeating it will only be a temporary solution!"

Brother Mhenlo: "This way! To the lava pits!"

Somewhere along the way

<Character name>: "(Is this really going to work? Will the lava kill it?)"

Corporal Bane: "(If it burns, we can kill it.)"

After tossing the G-1000 into lava

Gwen: "Is it dead?"

Annihilator 2.0: "*AN-NI-HIL-A-TED*"

Familiar-Looking Hero: "Well, I just hope that repairs the timeline."

Annihilator 2.0: "*NO, THERE IS ONE MORE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE HERE*"

Gwen: "Wait, you mean...?"

Annihilator 2.0: "*IT HAS TO END HERE*"

Corporal Bane: "(You'll have to command the golem into the lava pit. It can't self-annihilate.)"

Side dialogue

When reaching Althea's Actors Stage

Odette: "Is there any word on the new play?"

Reginald: "Lady Althea tells me the first draft will be ready soon, my dear."

Odette: "Yes, but what is it about?"

Harner: "You mean, what's your part, don't you?"

Reginald: "Ha! That sounds more like you, Harner. Don't worry though. I'm sure I'll still be the lead."

Harner: "Talking the loudest doesn't make you the lead."

Reginald: "Whose name comes first on the playbill?"

Harner: "Lady Althea's!"

Odette: "He has a point, Reginald."

Reginald: "He has a sharp tongue, darling. That's all. Whose side are you on anyway, Odette?"

Odette: "Well I'd think that was obvious...."

Reginald: "Oh?"

Harner: "Yes?"

Odette: "Whoever can tell me ANYTHING about the NEW PLAY!"

Harner: "Oh."

Reginald: "Yes, well. I hear the first draft will be ready soon."

Odette: "Dwayna's mercy, you're useless!"

Reginald: "Ah."

*Odette leaves east and heads into Ascalon City; Harner goes onto the north ramp*

Harner: "I think that went well. Don't you?"

Reginald: "Yes, you've got quite a way with the ladies."

Harner: "She was mad at you, too!"

Reginald: "True, but she doesn't like me."

*Harner goes to the statue of Lyssa; Reginald leaves east*

When walking east of Lina the Healer

Familiar-Looking Hero: "Prince Rurik, I want to save Gwen too, but are you sure we shouldn't have sent someone to investigate that Charr cauldron?"

Prince Rurik: "Not to worry, soldier. If it was anything important, the golem would have told us that first, right? The Charr investigation can wait a little while longer, I'm sure."

When walking the road between Ascalon City and Ashford Abbey

Prince Rurik: "Let's hurry, the golem will likely try to impersonate someone on the road in order to get close to us."

Familiar-Looking Hero: "How can you be sure?"

Prince Rurik: "It's what I would do if I were a shape-shifting golem from the future."

When approaching the worm field

<Character name>: "(What happens if we fail and the golem gets to Gwen?)"

Corporal Bane: "(Failure is not an option, soldier! We'll go back as many times as necessary to get the job done.)"

<Character name>: "(Wait, we can do that?)"

Corporal Bane: "(Yes, but if we do, you probably won't remember this conversation.)"

When walking on the road to Regent Valley

<Character name>: "(I'd forgotten how beautiful Ascalon was before the Searing. I wish I could go back to those days.)"

Corporal Bane: "(Its beauty is certainly unparalleled, but sometimes you have to move on. You can't spend your life living in the past.)"

When walking on the side path south of Althea's Actors Stage

<Character name>: "(What's stopping the Charr from sending back another more advanced golem if we beat this one?)"

Corporal Bane: "(What? That's dumb. They already sent back two. How many more time-traveling golems could they possible [sic] have?)"

<Character name>: "(Shouldn't you know that? You're from the future. And haven't we had this conversation once before?)"

Corporal Bane: "(Don't think too hard about time travel; it will melt your brain.)"

South of Ashford

Prince Rurik: "Hmmm."

Familiar-Looking Hero: "What is it, Prince Rurik?"

Prince Rurik: "I know it's just a golem, but its confidence is inspiring. Look how it charges headlong into battle, heedless of the consequences!"

Prince Rurik: "I think I could learn a thing or two from it. A true prince leads his subjects from the front lines, does he not?"

Familiar-Looking Hero: "Well, as long as you're not too reckless..."

When going to the wrong lava pit

Corporal Bane: "(No, you can't use that lava pit! It's not hot enough to destroy the golem.)"

<Character name>: "(Not hot enough? It's lava.)"

Corporal Bane: "(Look, I'm from the future, you'll have to trust me on this one. I have many years of advanced lava studies backing me up.)"

Reactions from NPCs when first approached by Annihilator 2.0

Alison the Tanner: "By Dwayna, that's a monster! What happened to children having imaginary friends?"

Ascalonian Townsfolk: "Don't look at it. Just ignore it and maybe it will go away."

Ascalonian Townsfolk: <begs> "Ah! Please don't hurt me, giant metal thing!"

Captain Osric: "Wow, Prince Rurik, is that Althea's birthday gift? It sure is grand, but what is it?"

Chantalle the Troubador: "Hi, Rurik. Hi, Gwen. Hi, giant, hulking monstrosity from my nightmares."

Farmer Dirk: "A giant metal construct? Haven't seen one of those since the Guild Wars."

Fisherman Justin: "There's a broodmother down by the mill! Hurry, kill it before someone gets eaten!"

Gate Guard Torin: "What's your profession? That's the most amazing armor I've ever seen."

Lina the Healer: "Well, that's the strangest thing I've seen all day."

Miller Upton: "I need to lay off the ale, I'm seeing things!"

Old Mac: "Whoa! What's that?"

Pitney: "That is the fanciest looking...whatever it is...I've ever seen."

Warmaster Grast: "Is that one of them new-fangled Canthan ornamental statues?"

Reward dialogue

Corporal Bane

"You did it! The timeline is restored, and Gwen is safe! I sure hope that's the last of these Annihilator golems. All this time travel is giving me a headache."

Notes

• This quest is offered by the "W20 Corporal Bane" (to the west); the "Lvl 20 Corporal Bane" offers the prequel.
• Even though it is possible to enable Hard Mode in Embark Beach, it is disabled upon entering the areas for this quest.
• The Ebon Vanguard title track can be maxed by completing this quest 76 times.
  • This also allows characters without Eye of the North to earn this title.
  • To speed up reputation-point farming, make use of speed boosts (e.g. Birthday Cupcakes or Rock Candy).
• At over 100 experience per kill and with the quest reward, this repeatable quest is an easy way to level up a low-level character.

Anomaly.Despite being set in pre searing ascalon, the main map (M), mission map (U), and compass show post searing Ascalon. Exploration done during the quest will uncover the corresponding area for the Tyria cartographer title track

Bug.The Quest Log says the quest is given in Lion's Arch, instead of Embark Beach.

Bug.The Bandit Firestarters are hostile to each other.

Trivia

• This quest was introduced for April Fools' Day 2012 and added as part of the March 29 and April 1st, 2012 game updates.
• The quest name, experience and Vanguard reputation points reward amounts, dialogue, and NPCs are all references to the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day. 1995 is the year the second Terminator arrives, while 2029 is the year from which the Terminator originates.
• The two options in the intermediate dialogue, along with the random G.O.L.E.M. dialogue "GREAT SNAFF" are references to the movie Back To The Future.
  • "GREAT SNAFF" is also a reference to Snaff from Edge of Destiny.
• Most of the dialogue involving Prince Rurik is foreshadowing events that happen later in the Prophecies campaign.
• This is the second quest involving time travel, the first being Annihilator.
• When accepting the quest, the line "The future's not set!" is a reference to the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• The dialogue on the road to Regent Valley refers to permanent pre-Searing characters.
• The counter when returning to the outpost displays "Returning to the future in: <seconds>".
• After beating the Golem, the message "Your future is what you make" appears; when failed, the message "The future refused to change..." appears.
  • "The future refused to change" is a reference to Chrono Trigger when the main character dies in key points of the story.
• The line "If it burns, we can kill it." spoken by Corporal Bane is a reference to the film Predator.
• The Line "Classified Information" in the Initial Dialogue may be a reference to Mikuru Asahina from the Light Novel/Anime/Manga The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
• Annihilator 2.0's dialogue, plus its loud voice, are similar to the Daleks, cybernetic aliens from the British television series 'Dr. Who'; like the Annihilator, Daleks speak in loud, grating voices, and their best-known catch-phrase is 'EX-TER-MIN-ATE!'.