Arborstone

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.

Arborstone

Campaign	Factions
Region	Echovald Forest
Type	Cooperative
Party size	8
Duration	Medium
Preceded by	The Count's Daughter
Followed by	The Convocation Charting the Forests Charting the Jade Sea

Retrieve the urn of Saint Viktor and safely leave Cathedral zu Heltzer.

Mission information[edit]

Requirements[edit]

Starting the mission has no requirements, but the gate from Arborstone (explorable area) is inaccessible from the north side of the area. However, there is a glitch that allows access to the southern side, from which you can simply walk into the mission outpost.

The Count's Daughter grants access, but any characters that have not completed Tahnnakai Temple will be left behind in Arborstone (explorable area).

Objectives[edit]

Retrieve the sacred Urn of Saint Viktor and deliver it to Mhenlo.

Escort Danika to the door of the cathedral so she can open it.
Clear the cathedral of the guardians binding the Urn of Saint Viktor. You have [5...0] group[s] of guardians remaining.
Collect the Urn of Saint Viktor
ADDED: Make your way out of the cathedral! Defeat the guardian Stone Souls.
ADDED: Protect Danika so that she can open the door.
Mhenlo must survive.

Reward[edit]

Normal mode	Completion time	Rewards
Standard	> 35 minutes	1,000 XP	100	1	1,000
Expert's	30 - 35 minutes	1,500 XP	150	1	1,000
Master's	< 30 minutes	2,000 XP	200	1	1,000
Hard mode	Completion time	Rewards
Standard	> 35 minutes	1,000 XP	200	1	1,000
Expert's	30 - 35 minutes	2,000 XP	300	1	1,000
Master's	< 30 minutes	3,000 XP	500	1	1,000

Walkthrough[edit]

Head southwest across the bridge, turn left and follow the path down to the Cathedral doors. Avoid standing beneath giant mushrooms which emit the Stone Spores effect. You will find mixed groups of Wardens throughout this area. When Danika gets in range of the doors, she will open them. (Note that if there are minion masters in the party, she may become distracted by their minions and attempt to heal them instead.)

After a short dialog, Danika will open the gate, allowing the party into the cathedral. In order to pick up the Urn of Saint Viktor, the five groups of Wardens must first be defeated. Take advantage of the terrain - the water provides Blessed Water which lengthens enchantments, and the walls can be used as cover from the rangers. The group at the top of the stairs will include two Wardens of Earth and a boss (either Ryver Mossplanter or Milefaun Mindflayer).

Picking up the urn will trigger a cinematic, and Mhenlo will become trapped outside the building, leaving the party and Danika to escape through the collapsing cathedral. From here on fragments of the building fall at a regular rate, causing minor damage to the whole party and interrupting skills and attacks. Several areas are in a near-constant state of collapse, players should make sure that neither Danika nor heroes are left unattended in these areas (i.e. avoid dropping the urn in the middle of these areas).

When the cinematic ends, Stone Rains and Stone Reapers will spawn in front of the group. After clearing these foes out, Danika will make a short speech and when she is finished she will then follow the bearer of the urn. There are now three possible routes to the cathedral exit, all with some hidden groups of Oni and the Cathedral Collapse effect:

The southern route (purple path on the wiki map) is mainly populated by balanced teams of Dredge, which can be quite difficult to defeat. Except for Dredge Gardeners, all the Dredge have an interrupt skill and each melee Dredge also has a knock down skill, which can be problematic with Cathedral Collapse also interrupting your party. The narrow corridors leave little room for maneuver.
The middle route (yellow path on the wiki map) is primarily populated by Wardens. This is the most straightforward route.
The northern route (green path on the wiki map) is populated by Stone Scale Kirin, Dragon Mosses, and large groups of Undergrowths.

Middle route

Head up the stairs past the defeated Warden boss. At the end of the stairs, a pair of hidden Stone Reapers will come to life. A few wardens will patrol along the platform too. If you linger here, another group of Warden will come at you from the right. Head left along the platform and clear out the groups upto the staircase. (The left side of the cathedral hall is less dangerous than the right, due to the placement of the collapsing ceiling triggers.)

The stairway itself is under a near permanent Cathedral Collapse effect, so either lure Wardens off the staircase, or run down to the lower area (either way, don't drop the urn on the staircase). At the bottom of the stairs are two hidden Stone Rains. Make your way slowly through the Wardens towards the southeast staircase.

There are two hidden groups of Oni on the staircase out of the main hall. When combined with the Cathedral Collapse effect, the Oni can become difficult to fight. The first group appears as you fight the last Wardens in the room, and the second appear right at the top of the stairs. For the second group there is a small patch on the topmost part of the stairs which is not collapsing. You should be standing on it when the Oni reveal themselves. Wait there for them to engage you, do not charge up at them, as this would mean you would have to fight in a collapsing area.

Southern route

Foes on this route are primarily melee based. This path is also generally narrow in several spots, making skills that benefit from balled foes more effective, but that also means it is more difficult for your team to spread out.

Take the southern stairway. There will be a mob of Dredge at the top of the hill. All the Dredge groups on this route have a similar composition, mostly Gutters and Guardians with either one Gardner or one Gatherer. After the first mob, head through the doorway and there will be a similar mob of Dredge, and behind them will be two Blood Drinkers and Dark Fang (boss). In the doorway out of Dark Fang's room you will encounter three Oni popups.

In the following corridors there will be two more Dredge mobs followed by a pair of Blood Drinkers. The next Oni popups will be in the middle of a long set of stairs following the Blood Drinkers. Two more Dredge mobs follow and then the final Oni popups occur in a doorway just before one final mob of Dredge.

It is worth noting that this pathway drops you out right next to the exit that Danika must open for you to complete the mission. If you flag your team and drop the ashes near that door, you can potentially avoid Danika suddenly rushing over there when The Judge is defeated, because she'll already be near the door.

Northern route

Take the stairway to your left. As you head up the stairs be prepared to meet your first group of 3 Oni. Defeat them and proceed to the top of the stairs, note that although you are outside the cathedral, you will still run into several areas with Cathedral Collapse. When you reach the courtyard, avoid the group to the left and eliminate the group on the right. Defeat The Ancient (spread out to avoid Shatterstone nuking your group) and go through the doorway.

Head south and then follow the right-hand wall. Again you can avoid the group to your east and just take care of the group directly ahead. At the end of the chamber, turn right again and head south up the stairs back into the cathedral.

As you go up the stairs, 3 Oni will appear. Defeat them and move up to the top of the stairs but be prepared for another set of 3 Oni to appear. Continue south down the hallway into the cathedral. 3 Oni will appear in the middle of the hallway and then another 2 when you reach the end of the hallway. After defeating this final pair of Oni, continue forward to the sealed door guarded by Stone Judge.

Sealed door

All paths converge here. Upon reaching the wide open area with the closed door, several Stone Rain, two Stone Reapers and one Stone Soul will emerge from the stone pillars and gather around the Stone Judge boss. Try to intercept and take down one or two of the Stone Rains spawning next to you before they can join the group. Kill the Stone Judge last, since killing him causes Danika to rush towards the door to attempt to open it - whereby she aggros two Stone Crushers who awaken beside the doorway. Kill these. The mission ends when Danika successfully opens the door.

Mission tips[edit]

The falling rocks that happen at regular intervals (and not merely because someone is in an unstable area) are always preceded by a screenshake about a second beforehand. Make sure to not use any vital, interruptible skills during this brief period and be mindful of using skills with a cast time of a second or longer if the rockfall hasn't happened for a while.
Check periodically that Danika is following you, as there are several situations where she gets distracted:
- Just before opening the main doors, Danika might stop to heal minions; flag any minion masters as closely to the cathedral entrance as possible until her dialogue triggers.
- Just before and shortly after picking up the Urn, Danika might stop for several reasons; make sure the quest log updates appropriately.
- Any time you encounter a popup, a chest might appear (causing her to get stuck on the unexpected object).
- Danika will not follow you unless you are carrying the Urn. (You can use this to flag her position, out of danger from foes.)
The Urn provides Shield of Saint Viktor when dropped.
Avoid killing the Stone Judge too quickly: as soon as it dies, Danika will rush to the exit door, triggering additional popups. You can easily wipe if you have not yet whittled down the Judge's allies.

Skill recommendations

Standard melee counter techniques are helpful to dispose of the Oni and other physical attackers (including the Stone Judge).
You can prevent or avoid interruptions due to Cathedral Collapse in several ways: bring short-activation time skills, skills that reduce activation time, or interrupt-prevention skills (e.g. Mantra of Resolve or Glyph of Concentration); mesmers can increase their Fast Casting rank.
Use caution with overcast-causing skills, since that effect is triggered immediately; if you are interrupted, you will be overcast and waste the energy cost of the skill.
Minion master builds are tricky to use during this mission: Danika can be delayed by healing them, the final battle lacks any fleshy enemies, and most skills that create minions have long activation times that can be interrupted by Cathedral Collapse.
Consider bringing skills that benefit from holding a bundle on the character that carries the Urn.

NPCs[edit]

Allies[edit]

Humans

20 Brother Mhenlo
20 Danika

Foes[edit]

Demons

28 (30) Oni

Dredges

Drinkers

20 (26) Blood Drinker

Kirins

23 (26) Stone Scale Kirin

Plants

23 (26) Undergrowth
24 (26) Dragon Moss

Stone Guardians

23 (26) Stone Crusher
24 (26) Stone Soul
22 (26) Stone Reaper
23 (26) Stone Rain

Wardens

Bosses[edit]

Drinkers

28 Dark Fang → Vampiric Spirit

Plants

28 The Ancient → Shatterstone

Stone Guardians

28 (30) Stone Judge → Forceful Blow

Wardens

28 (30) Ryver Mossplanter → Lacerate
24 (30) Milefaun Mindflayer → Energy Surge

Dialogue[edit]

Opening cinematic[edit]

Brother Mhenlo: "I'll do the talking here."

Count zu Heltzer: "You may rise."

Count zu Heltzer: "It has been a long time since we last met, Brother Mhenlo."

Brother Mhenlo: "Indeed, Count zu Heltzer. I am glad to find you in good health."

Count zu Heltzer: "I am similarly pleased. But enough with the pleasantries."

Count zu Heltzer: "You have come here with a purpose, have you not?"

Brother Mhenlo: "As always, Count, you are well-informed and to the point."

Brother Mhenlo: "We have come for the Urn of Saint Viktor."

Count zu Heltzer: "This is not a small thing you ask, Brother Mhenlo."

Count zu Heltzer: "The final resting place of our greatest hero, the man who single-handedly slew Shiro the Betrayer."

Count zu Heltzer: "Why would you ask this of us?"

Brother Mhenlo: "Because, Count, Shiro Tagachi has returned."

Count zu Heltzer: "If what you say is true, then it was indeed very wise for you to come to us."

Brother Mhenlo: "Then you will give us what we seek?"

Count zu Heltzer: "We wish to help you, but I'm afraid it's not as easy as just handing over the urn."

Brother Mhenlo: "What is it you require of us?"

Count zu Heltzer: "We require nothing. But Saint Viktor's remains are ensconced inside Cathedral zu Heltzer."

Brother Mhenlo: "Alright then. We shall go to Cathedral zu Heltzer."

Count zu Heltzer: "Brother Mhenlo, many things have changed since you were last here."

Count zu Heltzer: "The cathedral's magical protections have failed."

Count zu Heltzer: "It's been overrun by all manner of terrible beasts."

Count zu Heltzer: "To go there will mean great peril."

Brother Mhenlo: "I see."

Count zu Heltzer: "If you still wish to pursue the urn, speak with my daughter, Countess Danika."

Count zu Heltzer: "She can open the doors within the cathedral and help you recover what you seek."

Brother Mhenlo: "Thank you, Count."

<Party leader>: "Thank you, Count"

Count zu Heltzer: "Gods speed to you."

Intermediate dialogue[edit]

At beginning of mission: Danika: "Now, remember...this place is sacrosanct to my family. It's been heavily guarded, and not even I know every ward and protection that's been put into place. But don't worry; our defenses would NEVER harm a zu Heltzer. As long as you're with me, you'll be safe."; Danika: "I do not know why they've come, nor do I care. I'm not going to let those primitives defile the zu Heltzer cathedral!"; Brother Mhenlo: "What happened here, Danika? The wardens never dared come so close to Arborstone in years past."

Reaching the cathedral doors: Danika: "My uncle led an expedition to clear the cathedral. One man escaped and lived just long enough to tell us the tale. He spokes of wardens and of creatures far more foul."; Danika: "We sealed these doors to protect House zu Heltzer and have not reopened them until now. Be prepared for anything.

Entering the cathedral: Danika: "I suspect my uncle left some sort of protective ward around the sacred urn.; Danika: "It looks like we have company!"; Brother Mhenlo: "We should not touch the urn until we've cleared the area of enemies. One hazard at a time is best."

After the last group guarding the urn is defeated.: Danika: "I'm not sure what sort of trap this is on the urn, but go ahead and pick it up. Mhenlo is here if something goes wrong."; Danika: "I would do it myself, but it could be dangerous. After all, my father will have you all killed if I die, and what good would that be?"

Intermediate cinematic[edit]

Brother Mhenlo: "Look out!"

<Party leader>: "Countess, are you all right?"

Danika: "Lyssa be damned, I didn't see that one coming."

Danika: : "I'm all right."

<Party leader>: "Brother Mhenlo? Brother Mhenlo?"

Brother Mhenlo: "I'm unhurt, but I'm trapped on this side."

Brother Mhenlo: "It's up to you to get the countess and the urn out safely."

Brother Mhenlo: "I'll go around and meet you in front of the cathedral."

<Party leader>: "May Dwayna carry you safely to your destination."

Brother Mhenlo: "May Balthazar give you the might to make it through. Go now."

Intermediate dialogue (2)[edit]

Danika: "The legends say that dropping the urn summons the spirit of Viktor to your side, and he helps to shield you from harm."

Danika: "This uproar is sure to awaken the stone guardians! We have to get out of here! Going left will be safest... No, right... Or...maybe straight through the heart of the cathedral."

Danika: "Gods! My luck's been terrible today... You'd better choose our path. Now let's get moving before we all die!"

If the urn is left on the ground for too long: Danika: "Hey, this urn is one of my family's most prized possessions. You can't just leave it here unattended!"

Reaching the final room: Danika: "Oh, this is bad.... The gate guardians have been awakened, too! Dwayna shows us your mercy and protection!"

When the Stone Judge is defeated: Danika: "Listen, you have to keep the guardians busy while I perform the magic to open the gate. If I'm interrupted, the spell won't work!"

When Danika reaches the sealed door: Danika: "If you can keep them from interrupting me, I'll open this door."

End cinematic[edit]

Danika: "The wards failed, the gate collapsed, and for a while there I wasn't sure my spell would work."

Danika: "I think, my friends, it's time to leave this place."

<Party leader>: "Agreed. Lead the way."

Danika: "Right. Follow me."

Brother Mhenlo: "Glad you could make it."

<Party leader>: "One down, one to go."

Brother Mhenlo: "Indeed. Come, Master Togo will want to hear that we've recovered the urn."

Brother Mhenlo: "Thank you, Countess."

Danika: "May the gods watch over you in your pursuits."

Notes[edit]

Once you have picked up the Urn, you can safely drop it and wander off without failing the mission. If you finish the mission without holding the Urn, your character will talk about recovering the Urn in the post-mission cinematic, but you will be empty-handed.
If any of your characters have completed this mission as well as Eternal Grove and Unwaking Waters, your Kurzick Faction cap limit is increased by 7,000 points (this increase can only be applied once per account).
Completion of this mission will fill in page #4 of the Shiro's Return storybook.
After completing this mission, your party will be taken to Altrumm Ruins.

Bug.

Sometimes Danika will get stuck on one of the randomly spawned chests. Have the urn bearer attempt to drag her out of it. You will have to restart if she is permanently stuck.
If you leave the central area without waiting for Danika to follow, she will run through the center route on her own. There is a high probability of her dying if you took an alternate route, as she will run through the spawns attempting to get to the end of the mission.
Sometimes Danika will get stuck against the wall on the northern route. You will often have to restart as she will return to this position even when dragged past by the urn bearer.
The Drinker group that includes Dark Fang sometimes spawns outside of the boundaries of the mission, sometimes still within the Danger Zone and sometimes outside of it.

Trivia[edit]

Arbor is the Latin word meaning "tree", thus "arborstone" translates to "tree stone", or "stone tree".
Kaolai's dialogue indicates that, at some point in development, this mission was known as Deadwood Fall.
This map contains the only tile compass rose found outside Prophecies areas.

Factions missions
Minister Cho's Estate » Zen Daijun » Vizunah Square » Nahpui Quarter » Tahnnakai Temple » Arborstone » Boreas Seabed » Sunjiang District » Gyala Hatchery or The Eternal Grove » Unwaking Waters » Raisu Palace » Imperial Sanctum
Challenge: Altrumm Ruins • Amatz Basin • The Aurios Mines • Dragon's Throat • Zos Shivros Channel
Competitive: Fort Aspenwood • The Jade Quarry
Elite: The Deep • Urgoz's Warren

Arborstone

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