The Eternal Grove

This article is about a mission. This name is also used for an outpost, an explorable area, a Zaishen mission quest, and a Zaishen vanquish quest.

The Eternal Grove
Campaign	Factions
Region	Echovald Forest
Type	Cooperative
Party size	8
Duration	Medium
Preceded by	The Defenders of the Forest
Followed by	Into the Whirlpool Invoking the Saints

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.

Mission information

Requirements

• Starting the mission has no requirements, but if the party contains any characters that have not completed The Defenders of the Forest (accepting the reward is not required), the gate from Drazach Thicket will be closed.

• The Defenders of the Forest grants access, but any characters that have not completed Befriending the Kurzicks will be left behind in Drazach Thicket.
• Alternatively, it is possible for any character to walk into the outpost from The Eternal Grove (explorable area), but this first requires you to complete Unwaking Waters from the Luxon side and glitch through the gate from Unwaking Waters (explorable area) to Unwaking Waters (Kurzick).

Objectives

Protect the Forever Trees by keeping the Tree Singers alive. You have [12...0] of 12 Tree Singers remaining.

• ADDED: Defeat the Afflicted forces. You have [12...0] group[s] remaining.

Reward

Normal mode	Tree Singers remaining	Rewards
Standard	1 - 5	1,000 XP	100	1	1,000
Expert's	6 - 11	1,500 XP	150	1	1,000
Master's	12	2,000 XP	200	1	1,000
Hard mode	Tree Singers remaining	Rewards
Standard	1 - 5	1,000 XP	200	1	1,000
Expert's	6 - 11	2,000 XP	300	1	1,000
Master's	12	3,000 XP	500	1	1,000

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, Danika, and Mhenlo are present as stationary allies. Danika and Mhenlo 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. Danika spawns at the beginning of the mission and is stationed in the middle of the grove. Mhenlo spawns after the intermediate cinematic and is stationed at the north gate.

Three Juggernauts are available to assist you after they have been transformed, and they can be ordered to follow you or defend a spot (talking to them once will set them to follow you, talking to them again will make them defend where they are). 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 for the first part 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.

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. Killing the rangers and the two turtles to the west will trigger the cinematic and arrival of the Afflicted. You can optionally leave the rangers and turtles alive to the north and south, as they become additional allies 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.

With heroes, the most effective way to do this is to have a team of three guarding the north entrance. Ideally, this team should consist of a minion master, a healer (skills like heal area will help) and a nuker. Position them quite far forward. Use the minimap and learn the positions of the two entrances so you can re-flag even when they're not visible (they're between the patches of green - zooming in can help). Your team (you plus four heroes) should have high damage output. A team speed boost isn't necessary, but it will definitely help. Your team guards the southern entrance. Dispatch the incoming groups as quickly as possible and constantly look for incoming siege turtles. When you see one, run towards it, kill it, then run straight back to base. Don't be tempted to mop up any other enemies you see running around. Speed is of utmost priority here - use heavy AoE damage and kill the turtles and their guards as quickly as possible. The less time you spend outside the base, the better. It can help if you create spirits dotting the map as these will distract and slow down enemies.

When you see a siege turtle heading towards the northern entrance (this should be the second wave), move your defensive team to the other (southern) gate while you head out north to kill the turtle and any mobs you come across en-route. Again, run back when it's killed. Keep flagging your defensive/base team to whatever entrance is needed while you dispatch the turtles. You may need to help them from time to time, particularly if they're under attack from elementalists.

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.

There is little doubt that the master's award for this mission is among the hardest in the campaign. It may take several attempts to learn the attack patterns and, with heroes, learn where you need to flag them for optimal positioning. However, it is achievable for teams with balanced skill builds. Thankfully, if you can survive the Luxon attack with all the Tree Singers still alive then the hardest bit is over and the next stage shouldn't pose too many problems.

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 inside the grove. The good news is that the Afflicted will focus more on you and your allies than the Tree Singers, meaning it's easier to simply keep your party together and move between the gates. Splitting your group (especially if you're the only player) is still possible but much more dangerous. The afflicted come in large groups and can very easily overwhelm a group of 3-4 heroes, after which they're free to flank the remaining party members or down the Tree Singers.

The strategy here is similar to the first stage. Split your team to defend the two gates. There's no reason to leave the base. In the case of this mission, the best defence is NOT offence! If you decide to push out, Afflicted can and will get into your base and start attacking the Tree Singers. The stronger team should help the weaker one as soon as they're finished with their group.

If you still want to split your team: 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. (Watch out in particular for the Afflicted Monk's Ray of Judgment, and the Afflicted Elementalist's Mind Burn.) 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.

Skill recommendations

• A minion master can provide fodder against Luxon or Afflicted mobs; better still, they can help block the gates from enemy incursions.
  • At the start of the mission, you can make use of the exploitable corpses left behind by Ex-Redemptor Berta, Klaus, and Lieber as they become Juggernauts.
  • Blood of the Master helps to keep minions alive between the waves.
• Trapping at the entrances to the hill area can be effective.
• Bring offensive area of effect (AoE) skills, since mobs will cluster on the stairways and at the gates. However, killing several Afflicted at the same time can cause an AoE spike from multiple Afflicted Soul Explosions.
• 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.
• A single well-timed Pain Inverter can instantly kill a turtle, even in hard mode.
• Enchantment-based builds are vulnerable to enchantment removal by Afflicted Necromancers and Mesmers. Afflicted that deal physical damage can also remove enchantments when enchanted with Afflicted Necromancer's Order of Apostasy.

Split team strategy

• Bring party range skills (such as Heal Party or Light of Deliverance).
• Necromancer orders skills can be helpful.
• Offensive binding ritual spirits can be set at each gate by the same caster, as they are far enough apart.
• Defensive spirits such as Shelter can be placed between the gates and reach allies at both gates, making it an ideal location for a Soul Twisting Ritualist. Heroes will typically require manual control to place spirits in this position.

NPCs

Allies

Humans

• 20 Baron Mirek Vasburg
• 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)

Pet

• 20 Pet - Elder Reef Lurker

Plants

• 28 Elite Juggernaut Berta
• 28 Elite Juggernaut Klaus
• 28 Elite Juggernaut Lieber

Foes

Afflicted

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

Humans (Luxons)

• 20 (26) Luxon Warrior
• 20 (26) Luxon Ranger
• 20 (26) Luxon Elementalist

Turtles

• 24 (26) Siege Turtle

Bosses

Afflicted

• 28 The Afflicted Maaka → Enraged Smash
• 28 The Afflicted Senku → Shadow Form
• 28 The Afflicted Xenxo → Weapon of Quickening

Objects

Control points

• Western Forever Tree
• Northern Forever Tree
• Southern Forever Tree

Dialogue

Opening cinematic

<Party Leader>: "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."

<Party Leader>: "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."

<Party Leader>: "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 (1)

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "New siege turtle on the western front!"

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "New siege turtle to the south! Protect those Tree Singers!"

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: "North! Siege turtle ready to fire!"

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "New siege turtle on the western front!"

After killing the first siege turtle:

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Ha! These Luxon brutes have no chance against us."

Danika: "I've seen my friends here handle enemies far more frightening than these ragtag savages."

Intermediate cinematic

Kurzick Soldier (1): "Here they come. More Luxons."

Kurzick Soldier (2): "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."

<Party leader>: "Baron Vasburg, he makes a good point."

<Party leader>: "The Luxons are no longer the greatest threat to the Forever Trees."

<Party leader>: "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: "If anyone has an argument with this, speak it now, or forever hold your peace."

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "You stand with us now."

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Good. Now comes the hard part."

Intermediate dialogue (2)

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."

Danika: "Why aren't we done yet? Can't you sing any faster? Honestly, if you doubled the tempo, wouldn't the ceremony finish sooner?"

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "I expect it is not so simple, Countess. Though perhaps they would finish sooner if there were fewer interruptions."

Danika: "Yes, I know. That's why I've been fighting for the last hour...so the adagio chorus back there doesn't get interrupted."

Brother Mhenlo: "I am pleased to see Luxons and Kurzicks fighting side by side. Together, you can defeat this Affliction. I believe you...."

Danika: "Let's talk peace after the battle's over! After all, if these Luxons aren't better than the ones we fought earlier, they won't be alive much longer."

End cinematic

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Look at this mess."

<Party Leader>: "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."

<Party Leader>: "Then it's settled?"

<Party Leader>: "You'll help us gather the Kurzicks together to fight Shiro?"

Baron Mirek Vasburg: "Yes. We are with you."

<Party Leader>: "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."

Notes

• It is possible to gain about 2% toward the Canthan Cartographer title track here just by exploring. Flag your NPCs around the trees and explore.
• Pet - Elder Reef Lurker as allies won't attack, yet the Luxon Soldiers still use pet attack skills.
  • Occasionally, if the Luxon Soldiers die before their pets, the pets will become invulnerable until the corpse of the Luxon Soldier disappears.
• When the final group containing the bosses dies, remaining Afflicted from other groups will immediately die as well and the mission will complete.
• If a Juggernaut dies, it will revive at the Forever Tree that spawned it, provided at least one Tree Singer remains alive at the tree.
• The western Siege Turtle and its group are within longbow range of the western Forever Tree.
• Completion of this mission will fill in page #7 of the Shiro's Return storybook.
• After completion, your party will be teleported to Vasburg Armory.

Bug.As the first wave of Luxon approach from the west, the party can intercept these enemies as a large group. Killing the Siege Turtle before it has reached its destination may prevent the mission from continuing onto the Afflicted stage, however.

Siege Turtles and Luxon Rangers on the small hills from groups before the final group will remain hostile after the intermediate cinematic. The Afflicted will still attack them and vice-versa.

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