A Very Grentchie Wintersday

A Very Grentchie Wintersday
Section	Festival Event Quests
Event	Wintersday
Required campaigns	Prophecies
Given by	Old Nickoles in Lion's Arch (Kryta)
Type	Festival quest
Map(s)
Fisherman Finnius
Gunk Farmer Urme
Necromancer Skorzena
Dreier Dane
Presents in Ascalon Settlement

Quest information

Objectives

• Speak to Vehemus to learn how you can assist Grenth.
• Ask around for some termites... There must be some out there somewhere.
• Ask around for some gunk... There must be some out there somewhere.
• Ask around for some garlic... There must be some out there somewhere.
• Ask around for a pair of unwashed socks... There must be some out there somewhere.
• Return the four ingredients to Vehemus.
• Meet Vehemus and the Grentch outside of Lion's Arch.
• Travel to the Ascalon Settlement with the Grentch and destroy all the Wintersday gifts from Dwayna. [0...7] of 7 Wintersday gifts remaining.
• See Vehemus for your reward.

Reward

• 5,000 Experience
• Peppermint Shield
  • Armor: 8
• Gingerbread Focus
  • Energy +5

Walkthrough

• To get termites, go to Fisherman Finnius on the beach due north of Lion's Arch in North Kryta Province.
• To get gunk, go to Gunk Farmer Urme by following the road southeast of Temple of the Ages.
• To find garlic, head into Watchtower Coast from Beetletun and find Necromancer Skorzena. After she has killed Nobleman Daltain you can talk to her to receive the garlic. (You don't have to wait until after the fight to talk to her but may talk to her before the fight starts.)
• Unwashed socks can be found outside of Bergen Hot Springs. You will be required to chase Dreier Dane until he stops running. When he stops click him to receive the socks. He starts by running up to Villager Gessel before you can start to chase him.
• After you receive the items return to Vehemus in Lion's Arch .
• Meet Vehemus and Grentch outside Lion's Arch .
• Go to Ascalon Settlement with Grentch and destroy all of the Wintersday gifts from Dwayna.
• See Vehemus back in Lion's Arch for your reward.

NPCs

North Kryta Province

Allies

• 10 (20) Fisherman Finnius
• 2 (20) Vehemus (after completing the potion)
• 15 (20) Grentch (after completing the potion)

Foes

• 12 (24) Brrrl (after completing the potion)

The Black Curtain

Allies

• 10 (20) Gunk Farmer Urme

Watchtower Coast

Allies

• 20 (20) Elite Guard
• 2 (20) Necromancer Skorzena

Foes

• 15 (20) Daltain Guard
• 8 (20) Nobleman Daltain

Nebo Terrace

Allies

• 10 (20) Dreier Dane
• 10 (20) Villager Gessel

Dialogue

Initial dialogue

Old Nickoles

"Each year during Wintersday, the gods Grenth and Dwayna clash to determine whether darkness or light will reign following the coming of the new year. Although Dwayna has many followers, there are some of us who understand that this is a season of somber reflection, a time to pay tribute to death, which is, after all, a necessary cycle of life. The call of Grenth has gone out, seeking all those who wish to serve the Merciless One to ensure his rise above the goddess of light for the coming year. Will you answer Grenth's call?"

 Accept: "I hate all this merry-making. I'm for Grenth!"

 Decline: "You really need to lighten up."

Ask :

Before speaking to Vehemus:

"Speak to Vehemus at your earliest convenience"

After speaking to Vehemus:

"To create the potion of Grentchification, you first need some termites. Seek out wooden structures that may be infested. Tyrian termites are especially fond of waterlogged wood; it is easier for them to digest."

After obtaining termites:

"The second ingredient of the Grentch potion is that peculiar substance called gunk. Search near the swamps. Gunk farmers are often found in the foulest bogs imaginable."

After obtaining gunk:

"Now you must find garlic. Not only is it both rare and tasty, it's also the third ingredient for my potion. Garlic is not easy to come by, but I do know that Krytan nobles often hoard it. Start your search near the households of these nobles, and follow your nose."

After obtaining garlic:

"Finally, you must track down a pair of unwashed socks for the Grentch potion. The people of Nebo are notorious for never washing their clothes. Seems like a natural, and smelly, place to begin your search."

After obtaining unwashed socks:

"Speak to Vehemus at your earliest convenience."

After completing the option:

"Travel with the Grentch to the Ascalon Settlement and destroy the Wintersday gifts from Dwayna that you find there.

Intermediate dialogue

Vehemus

"Now you must help me create one of Grenth's unholy winter servants...a Grentch, a person whose heart has been shrunk three sizes. Grentches know only death, fear, and hatred, and their only goal is to create as much mischief and misery as possible."

"Take this vial and place within it the four ingredients I need to concoct my special potion. The first ingredient you must gather, termites, shouldn't be difficult to find. Ask around for them. There must be some out there somewhere."

Fisherman Finnius

"For more years than I can count, I've spent my days here on this dock, casting and reeling, casting and reeling. Some days the gods are kind to me, and I bring in plenty of fish, other days they ignore me, and I go home empty handed. Those are hard days, but that's the life of a fisherman. Over all these years and through three disastrous marriages, only one constant has remained...this wooden dock. She's been a good friend, a good listener. But these blasted termites have begun gnawing away on her beams, and I fear that soon she'll collapse into the ocean below.... If it's termites you're looking for, I'll give you all you need; my poor dock is overflowing with them."

Gunk Farmer Urme

"You is looking for gunk? Then you is coming to the right Urme! I be the greatest gunk farmer in all of these swamps, I is. You is very lucky, Urme is just making a very large batch of gunk he is not be needing all of! I is giving you gunk for free because you is nice person, but you is not telling anyone I give it free. Urme not want everyone to expect free gunk, then Urme would be out of job!"

When approaching Skorzena and Daltain

Necromancer Skorzena: "Pathetic, sniveling useless noble! Stop this caravan and turn your attention to me, your guide to the afterlife."

Nobleman Daltain: "You're that Necromancer who has been attacking caravans! They say you show no mercy.... Guards! To me! Make a circle around me!

Necromancer Skorzena: "Your guards will be of little use to you. Their souls shall be ushered to the Underworld, just as your shall."

Nobleman Daltain: "Dwayna protect us! It isn't my time to meet Grenth!"

Necromancer Skorzena

"I gather Vehemus has sent you on one of his little scavenger hunts? That man is incapable of doing anything that involves getting his hands dirty. What is it you need? Garlic? You're in luck: it just so happens that I have some garlic right here. Now, leave me to my work. Grenth will be most pleased to have more souls to welcome to the Underworld this day, and should you not move quickly enough, I may just decide to add you to the list...."

When approaching Villager Gessel

Villager Gessel: "Hey! Someone has stolen my precious, yet unwashed, socks! Stop, thief!"

Dreier Dane': "Mercenaries! You'll never catch me! I am a leaf on the wind! I, Dreier Dane, the infamous clothing bandit of lore and song, cannot be captured! I know why the caged moa sings!"

When Dreier Dane is cornered

Dreier Dane: "Curses, you've left me no place to run! Perhaps it is time that I, Dreier Dane, the infamous clothing bandit of lore and song, reconsider my choice of occupation!"

Dreier Dane

"Do not blame me, blame society! I grovel before you, a lowly, mangy dog. My wife, she is sick; my thirteen children, limbless and afflicted with the dreaded whooping vapors. My cat, she has kittens, and...not buying it, are you? Look, can I talk to you thief to mercenary for a moment? All that I have will be yours if you leave me be. Of course, all I have are these unwashed socks, but free me, and they are yours! Gloriously filthy socks they are, blights on the stocking industry, but perhaps they might be of use to you. Socks are rare in these lands, and these are...okay, please, I'll shut up, just don't hurt me. Pain makes me break out in cuts, bruises and open wounds. I'm terribly allergic to it."

Vehemus

"Praise be to Grenth! Surely his eyes are upon you. Two final steps remain. First, I must speak the sacred words that will bring the potion to the point of potency. "Stink! Stank! Stunk!"

Now go wait outside Lion's Arch. I will trick one of the people of this city into drinking the potion, which will shrink the dupe's heart three times, transforming the useless citizen into a blessed Grentch! I will send this new Grentch to meet you outside the city. From there, you will travel due north with the Grentch to the Ascalon Settlement. There Dwayna has left a bounty of gifts for the culmination of Wintersday. You will find these gifts, and together with the Grentch, you will destroy them! Should you and your Grentch complete the task, return and tell me so that I can pass on this glorious victory to our merciless lord himself. May the unholy blessings of Grenth go with you!"

Vehemus

"The potion was a success, and a brand new Grentch awaits your command. Head north to the Ascalon Settlement! Destroy every gift, token and keepsake! Leave no present behind!"

After talking to Vehemus

Grentch: "It's time te wreak havoc, it's time to spread fear, it's time to make all of the gifts disappear. So take me to where I might find those filled with light, the Dwayna supporters who are merry and bright. Let us make mischief, oh such fun we shall find, ruining this holiday for the sweet and the kind!"

During the journey to the Ascalon settlement

Grentch: "They say 'tis a season of love and goodwill, I say 'tis a season of making you ill!"

Grentch: "Nothing but this will give me great joy: to see Dwayna's children weep o'er broken toys."

Grentch: "I can tell that we're close, to gift-givers we're near, the stench clogs my nose and it stuffs up my ears."

During the fight with the Brrrls at the entrance to the Ascalon settlement

Grentch: "Servants of Dwayna, come close and pay heed, I've presents for all of your Wintersday needs!"

Grentch: "No joy, no light, no sweet merriment, it's Wintersday joy that I'm here to prevent!"

During the fight with the Brrrls guarding the presents

Grentch: "I bring merciless blessings from Grenth below, you simpering, melting, weak men of snow!"

Reward dialogue

Vehemus

"You have served Grenth most faithfully, <Character Name>. Here is a token of his...appreciation. The work you have done today will surely help our merciless lord sway the balance of the battle to our side. I shall go let loose this Grentch upon the citizens that it might spread sadness and discontent. I'm looking forward to it."

Notes

Bug. Sometimes in Watchtower Coast, when you are picking up the garlic, Necromancer Skorzena is already dead upon arrival. It would seem the Elite Guards protecting her don't react if a group of bog skale next to her attacks before you arrive, thus leaving her helpless. In this case, you simply need to re-zone.

Bug. Sometimes a Daltain Guard will run up and attack her, and her Elite Guards will not react, leaving her helpless.

Bug. If War in Kryta is active, White Mantle near Necromancer Skorzena can attack and kill her.

• The objects that you are asked to collect are never present in your inventory, and as such, cannot be traded or sold. Consequently, this quest cannot be done by a character which does not have access to all the areas where the items are found. Because of this, each player in the party needs to speak to each NPC themselves.
• The Grentch doesn't need to stay alive while you destroy the Wintersday gifts.
• The quest Defend North Kryta Province will be suspended while you are on quest to destroy the presents.
• The first stage of this quest syncs up well with the finale of its Dwayna equivalent, The Greatest Snowman Ever Made. The finale takes place in Nebo Terrace, close to the portal with the Ascalon Settlement, and thus close to the dock where the player needs to collect termites.

Trivia

• This quest was introduced in Wintersday 2005.
• The words that the Necromancer says, "Stink, Stank, Stunk!" are from the the song in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
• The items sought for in this scavenger hunt are all used to describe Mr. Grinch in the "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch". You have termites in your smile, your soul is full of gunk, you've got garlic in your soul, and your heart is full of unwashed socks.
• Dreier Dane saying "I am a leaf on the wind!" might be a reference to the movie Serenity (Firefly TV show), where Hoban “Wash” Washburne says “I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."