Dark Harbinger

Difficulty:  120+ to survive
Level Restriction:  60+?
Timer:  14 Days 
Can be Solo'd?  No
Rewards:  XP, Luminance, Titles, Harbinger's Foci, and a random protection gem, Braced Mana Forge Key

After years and years of trying to tame the Harbinger, Aerbax has met with some level of success.  The resulting Dark (or Prodigal) Harbinger is one nasty customer.  Dispatch him and serve one of the three factions in Yanshi.

Step 1:  Preparation.  Everyone doing this quest must be able to get to the Singularity Caul.  Caul Recall is the best, but you must at least be flagged.  Your group should gather at the Caul drop point just to be sure.  Everyone will also need to be able to enter the Harbinger Tunnels in Yanshi, meaning they will either need to have done any version of the Harbinger before or they will need to find and turn in a Harbinger item.  Unfortunately, you don't get the point(s) of skill reward for this quest, so new questers shouldn't waste anything valuable.  You will need a big group for this one.  I wouldn't want to try the quest with less than a full fellow.  You will also need a ride to Yanshi.  I wouldn't use a portal gem for this - when people die and come back, you want them to be able to Portal Recall back, which a portal gem will not allow. 

Step 2:  Talisman.  When your group is ready, buff up - full buffs and a slash weapon.  Head to the Artifex Collegium, located just west of Isin Dule's shadow spire at 91.9S, 93.7W.  You will be fighting Telumiat Hollow Minions, Virindi Desecrators, and Elementals.  Watch out for the Elementals - they can be very deadly.  Hug the right wall in this dungeon.  When you reach the end, you will find a room full of Elementals and a Virindi.  Kill everything and then look for an Elemental Talisman lying on the ground near the pedestal.  Everyone needs one.  Watch for respawns.  Once everyone has their talisman, it's time to leave.

Step 3 (Optional):  Decanters.  If you have the time, take a side trip to the Arcanum Research Facility outside Al Jalima and pick up some decanters.  More details in the Essence Invasion quest guide.

Step 4:  Harbinger Tunnels.  Now head for Yanshi.  It's decision time - you as the quest leader need to decide whether you are going to work for Issk or Vincadi.  This choice is a bit counter-intuitive.  If you want to work for Issk, go in Vincadi's portal.  If you want to work for Vincadi, go in Issk's portal.  You must choose for the group because the two portals don't go to the same place.  Anyone who hasn't entered the Harbinger Tunnels before should now give Issk or Vincadi their Harby item.  Enter the portal by using (double clicking) it.  For details on how to make it through the tunnels, read the Harbinger quest guide.  When you reach the end, use the Essence Chamber portal.

Step 5:  Essences.  You will now find yourself in the home of the four essences.  Your job in this dungeon is to find four hollows in the wall behind each of the essences and use your talisman on each.  Naturally the essences won't appreciate that very much.  I am not sure that killing the essences is absolutely necessary, but since you are there and the essences will be trying to kill you, it might not be a bad idea.  Follow the Essence Invasion quest guide.  When each Essence dies, go to the far end of its room and look for the hollow.  They look like small, dark diamond-shaped holes in the wall, about chest high.  Once you find the first one, you should be able to spot the others rather easily.  Have everyone hand their talismans to each of the four hollows to charge them.  When you have killed the fourth essence, a series of portals will spawn.  DO NOT take them!  Go back to the drop point and look behind you on the inner wall for a fifth hollow.  Rebuffing now would be a good idea.  When everyone is ready, have everyone hand their talismans to the fifth hollow.  They will then be portalled in to the Dark Harbinger's Lair.  Note that not everyone will spawn in the same place and some people will have the misfortune to be portalled directly next to the Dark Harbinger.

Step 6:  Dark Harbinger.  The Dark Harbinger is the hardest Harbinger you'll find.  He has very potent magic, including a smite spell, but his friends can be just as deadly.  Every so often, a few monsters will appear and make your day that worse.  The biggest problem are the Pillars.  These things are towers of elemental energy that cause regions of very heavy environmental damage.  They have to go as quickly as they appear.  Fortunately, they don't have too much health.  Melees should be very careful about fighting them, as getting close enough to attack them exposes you to the environmental damage zone.  Elementals also appear, but they are significantly less dangerous than the Pillars or the Harbinger, so they should be a secondary target after the Pillars die.  Pools of elemental damage also spawn from time to time.  These are indestructible and don't cause too much damage, but do your best not to stand in one (harder for melees).  If you die, go back to the portal you used (Issk or Vincadi) and use the portal - it will give you a choice of whether to go to the boss fight or to the Harbinger Tunnels.  Choose the boss fight, but be sure you are rebuffed first.  This Harbinger has roughly 3 times as much health as the Hard Harbinger, so he will take some time to dispatch, especially since you will need to break off and work the Pillars from time to time.  When he finally dies, make sure everyone picks up some Harbinger Blood from the ground and then use the portal.

Step 7:  Rewards.  You have three choices for rewards.  The easiest choice is to give your blood to the Emissary by the Stone.  He will reward you with XP, 15,000 Luminance, a crown called the Harbinger's Foci, a random protection gem (one use...), and the title "Storm Rider".  If you managed to get the kill on the Harbinger, you will earn the title "Prodigal Harbinger Slayer".  I would recommend giving your blood to the Emissary if this is your first trip through.  If you don't like the Emissary option, you can give your blood to either Issk or Vincadi.  The reward you get depends on which side you chose earlier.  If you went through one side and then give the blood to that same NPC, you will get a betrayer title (Vile Betrayer for Issk, Meddler for Vincadi).  If you go through one side and give the blood to the other NPC, you will get the ally title (Blood Seeker and Spy, respectively).  Note that you will NOT get the points of skill for killing this Harbinger.  I have no idea why, that's just how it is.

New for the September 2008 patch is an additional reward - a Braced Mana Forge Key, which will allow you to open the mana forge chests in the capital cities twice!