Elemental Adepts

Difficulty:  Minimum to Survive, 150+ to Solo
Level Restriction:  100+
Timer:   4 Weeks
Can be Solo'd?  Yes, LP would be helpful
Rewards:  Necklace of Elemental Adepts, up to 10 M XP

The Viamontians keep mining in search for more ancient Empyrean treasures.  Queen Elysa will no longer tolerate their presence on the mainland of Dereth and has recruited loyal subjects to disrupt their efforts.

Step 1:  Preparation.  This quest is actually quite difficult because of the sheer number of spellcasters, so it might be in your best interest to do this quest with a group instead of solo.  If you do gather a group, it would be in your best interest to bring along a lockpicker too, as it will save you some time (although it is not necessary to have one).  It would also be nice to have a portal to Crater Village, but again, that's also not necessary.  When your group is assembled, head to Cragstone and find Royal Guard Qumashu right next to the Meeting Hall.  Talking to her will flag you to enter the first quest dungeon.

Step 2:  Viamontian Esper Mine.  Your first stop after talking to the guard is the Viamontian Esper Mine, which is in the northern mountains of Dereth at 72.2N, 3E.  The nearest settlement is Stone Triad out of Crater, but failing that, you can run from Neydissa Castle.  You should be able to run to the dungeon without buffing, but you certainly should buff once you enter.  You will be fighting Viamontian Knights and Mages and their Eater pets, so you will need to buff Lightning and Slashing weapons, as well as pretty much all protects and banes.  All of these dungeons are royal pains to navigate, so go slowly and keep the map handy.  When you are ready, head into the dungeon.  You will quickly come to a T intersection - choose either path as they both recombine very quickly.  Ignore the next four-way intersection you reach and you will come to another intersection - a Y this time.  Head left this time and you will reach another four-way.  Go straight through.  If you are paying close attention to the map, you can navigate the rest of the way fairly quickly, but I would recommend you hug the right wall instead.  It will take you a little longer and you will double back over a fairly significant portion of the quest, but you should be able to make it to the end without much difficulty.  The final room is a large chamber with a lot of enemies, including the Esper Mine Commander.  Check his corpse for a blue gem.  Everyone will need one to be properly flagged for the rest of the quest.  Return to Cragstone and show the Guard your gem to be flagged for the next section.

Step 3:  Viamontian Direlands Mine.  This second dungeon is located at 8.6N, 76.4W in the north-central Dires.  You can either run from Fort Tethana if you have a tie or you can use Aerlinthe Recall, use the Northwest Dires portal, and then run the rest of the way.  This dungeon is very similar to the Esper Mine, although it is not identical.  The monsters are the same, though.  From the drop, run straight ahead down the ramp.  Keep running straight ahead until you reach a Y intersection (ignoring the two four-ways).  Take a right at the Y.  You'll pass through a larger chamber and then reach another Y.  Take a left this time.  You will see a right-hand turn shortly after the turn - ignore that turn and then hug the right wall the rest of the way.  Eventually you will reach a large chamber with a ramp in the middle of the floor.  Head down and you will reach the Direlands Mine Commander's room.  Kill him and grab a second blue gem from his corpse.  Again, everyone needs one.  When your team has their gem, head back to Cragstone once more.

Step 4:  Dartante's Island.  Once you give Royal Guard Qumashu the second gem, she will craft a portal gem for you.  The gem takes you to a small island that is heavily defended by a legion of Viamontian Knights and Mages.  Depending on how fast you've been, you probably will need to rebuff before using the gem.  Fight your way to the villa inside the island's fortifications.  You will need to make your way toward the portal in the villa's basement.  The door is locked, so you will either need to pick the lock or grab a key from the Doorkeeper Knight.  Once you open the door, enter the portal into the Keep.

Step 5:  Dartante's Keep.  This final dungeon is a lot easier to navigate, fortunately!  From the drop, make your way westward until you reach a T intersection (you will pass a couple Ys on the way - pick either way as the path reconverges).  Once you hit the T intersection, turn north and open the door.  Follow the path and you will reach a large room protected by several Elemental Adepts.  Kill them.  If your team doesn't include a lockpicker, you will also need to destroy Count Dartante's desk in the north corner of the room.  Once it is destroyed, check the wreckage for a key.  Then continue to the east and follow the path up a spiral staircase.  At the top is a chest.  You can use Lockpick to open it or you can use the key from the desk you just smashed.  Grab the note from the chest - everyone will need one.  When you have your notes, return to Cragstone.

Step 6:  Rewards.  Hand your note to Royal Guard Qumashu and she will give you a percentage XP reward capping at about 10M XP and a Necklace of the Elemental Adepts.  If you don't want the necklace, you can turn it in for some more XP.