Halls of Knorr

Difficulty:  Minimum to survive, 80+ to solo as a melee, 90+ to solo as a mage
Level Restriction:  60+
Timer:  3 Days
Can be Solo'd?  Yes, with Lockpick
Rewards:  Luminescent Coat, Girth, Leggings, and Helm, or Auroric Coat, Girth, Leggings, and Helm, Runic Helm of Knorr, Crescent Moons UA weapon, Scepter of Thunderous Might Mace

Hieromancer Armor is nice, but since it doesn't have any base armor level, it isn't as useful as it could be.  Fix that problem and learn more about the initial Olthoi invasion by visiting Asheron's old stomping grounds.

Step 0:  Do the Hieromancers' Armor quest!

Step 1:  Head to Stonehold.  Knorr may be located thousands of miles away, but the only way to get there is by buying a recall gem from a Lugian in Stonehold.  If this is your first trip, bring along an M note, but if you've done this before, you'll need an MMD.  Now it's time to head to Stonehold.  My preferred route is to head to Qalabar and take the Azaroth Community portal just west of town.  From Azaroth, head NE along the shoreline until you reach a portal to Stonehold just above the sand.  Once you're in Stonehold, find Olcris the Lugian inside a barn near the portal drop.  Greet him, listen to what he has to say, then give him your money.  He'll give you a portal gem.  When you're ready, use it.

Step 2:  Riddles.  You need to answer three riddles before you can enter the Lyceum.  Greet the big Diamond Golem in each room for your riddles.  Solve them on your own if you prefer, but if not, the answers are:  Book, Mead, Shield.  Answering all 3 correctly will teleport you to the Lyceum.

Step 3:  Seat of Knorr.  The first thing you need to do in Knorr is get some keys.  Before you go, notice that there are several portals in the area - you'll use some of these later.  Buff up - all physical and acid banes and protects.  You'll be fighting Acidic Diamond Golems and Swarm Olthoi up to Guardians.  When you're ready, head north.  You will come to a lot of intersections in the next portion, but your decisions don't matter too much.  Consult the map if you get hopelessly lost, but you'll want to continue northward.  Fight the Golems until you reach a large open room.  Pick the two locked doors ahead of you and you will enter Asheron's Study.  There are several items in here you will want.  On a desk, you will find 3 keys.  Each person will need all 3.  Another desk has 8 books on it - take all 8 if you want to learn more about the Olthoi Invasion.  There is also a Bookshelf.  Use it for another piece of lore.  Even if you don't want the lore, take at least one book or use the shelf.  Olcris will refund your money once if you give him a piece of lore.  Once everyone has their keys and/or lore, head back the way you came.  Back in the portal area, find the Barracks portal in the east wing.

Step 4:  The Barracks.  Get ready for the Olthoi!  From the drop, turn left, then go straight through the next two intersections.  You'll come to a ramp down into a L shaped room with several doors on the sides of the room.  The first door to the left as you enter contains the Helm of Knorr.  Pick the lock on the door and head inside.  Use your Defender key on the chest to get the Helm.  There is also another piece of lore in this room, if you want it.

There are two more optional items in here - a UA weapon and a mace.  If you want those, head back the way you came to the portal area.  This time, take your first two rights.  You'll go up several ramps into a large room with doors on the far side.  Once the Olthoi are dead, open the doors and search the far walls for a torch.  Use it to open the lever door in front of you.  Fight your way south into another big lecture room.  Kill the bugs and go up the ramp in the rear of the room to find the Elder and Sentinel Caches.  Use the appropriate key here to get your weapons.  Once you are done, head back to the portal area and find the Research Chambers portal in the East Wing.

Step 5:  Research Chambers.  This dungeon has 3 orbs inside it - red, blue, and green.  These orbs transform Thaumaturgic Armor, Exarch Armor, and the Knorr Helm into Luminescent or Auroric armor.  You'll need one orb for each piece of armor.  Consult the map to determine which section you want to fight through.  Head right for the red orb, head left for the blue orb, or pick either way for the green orb.  Kill the huge spawn and then head into the room for the Orb.  If you are wearing your Hieromancer armor, don't add your orb yet!  You can't wear your armor until you reforge it!  After you have all the orbs you want, head back to the portal area.  Unfortunately, you'll have to head back to the Seat of Knorr to find the Forge Conveyance.

Step 6:  Forge.  The forge is a small dungeon, but it's essential to finishing off your armor!  Kill the Olthoi through the door preferably and then take either your first left or right - just don't go straight!  The dungeon is quite linear, so just keep pressing on until you reach a huge forge in the middle of a large room.  This room is safe, so now is a good time to add your orbs to your armor.  There isn't a skill check on the armor - Exarch will always make Auroric and Thaumaturgic will always make Luminescent, but there is a Life Magic check on the Helm.  Be sure to buff up as high as you can go before adding the orb to your helm!  I failed with over 400 buffed life magic the other day, so don't be afraid of asking for brilliance.  Use the orb on your armor, then use the resulting armor piece on the forge.  Now you can wield your armor again, maybe!  The pieces now have a base skill check to wield on them.  Luminescent armor has a 285 base war (life for the helm) wield requirement and Auroric armor has a 315! base skill requirement.  The upgrade is worth it though.  Now the armor has base armor and self-banes, although it is now unenchantable.  That doesn't matter much though, as Auroric armor self-buffs to AL 445 with all excellent or unparalleled protections.  It also looks really nice!  The Helm is also terribly useful!  Even if you don't add an orb to it, the helm adds 30 health and casts invuln VI.  If you do add the orb, it changes to casting minor/moderate life mastery, endurance VI, and Healing Mastery VI.