Society Initiation

Difficulty:  Minimum to solo
Level Restriction:  100+ to learn about the Societies, 180+ to join
Timer:  Once per character
Can be Solo'd?  Yes
Rewards:  XP, membership in a faction, society armor, and a tier VIII chest pull

Rytheran's misuse of the Book of Ebihil had a powerful effect on the Ley Lines throughout Dereth.  In response, three new secret orders were formed to combat the growing threat.  Learn more about them by helping them investigate new changes in the Graveyard.

Learning About the Societies

Step 1:  Preparation.  This quest will require you to be able to get to Zaikhal, the Graveyard and Ayan.  If you don't have Graveyard Recall or a Chapterhouse Recall orb, you will need to get a ride to Small Black Hill and Ayan.  Aside from that, bring along a fire weapon.

Step 2:  Graveyard Expansion.  Begin your quest in Zaikhal and find Jondor Torgren, who is standing next to the Scriveners' building.  Talk to him and he will ask you to learn about the three factions by investigating their scouts in the Graveyard.  Now head to the Graveyard.  The three factions' scouts are located just outside the graveyard, out the the north, SE and central west exits.  Each is stationed next to a blackened pit filled with monsters.  You will need to visit all three eventually, so start with whichever you like.  For each task you complete, you will receive an XP reward, capping at 13.8M.

Step 2a:  Celestial Hand.  Head to the Central West pit and find Candrus Steady-Hand.  Talk to him and he will ask you to kill 8 Blighted Spirits in the pit.  These are your average ghost monsters, not Graveyard Dreads, so you shouldn't have much trouble taking them down.  Once you've dispatched 8, return to Candrus and he will give you an introduction to his commander in Ayan.

Step 2b:  Eldrytch Web.  In the north side of the Graveyard is Kousu Temo.  Talk to him and he will ask you to recover a sceptre from the bunker in the nearby north pit.  This bunker is full of Blighted Rats and one Large Blighted Rat.  The Sceptre is inside a locked chest that is easily picked if you have Lockpick.  If not, you'll have to kill the Large Blighted Rat.  Enter the bunker and take a right, then a left.  At the bottom of the stairs is a large room where the Large Blighted Rat lives.  Kill him and grab the key.  Now go back up to where you made your first right.  Head the other direction and you should come to a smaller chamber.  Go up the stairs at the other side of the room and look for the chest.  Use your key and grab the sceptre.  Return it to Kousu and give it to him for a letter of introduction.

Step 2c:  Radiant Blood.  Now head to the SE exit from the Graveyard and look for Jawaq ibn Janath.  He wants you to destroy a Blight Lictor, an Undead monster in the nearby pit.  There are also quite a few other Undead in the pit too, so either clear them all out or try to pull the Lictor off by himself.  Grab the head from its corpse once you dispatch it.  Return it to Jawaq for your third letter of introduction.

Step 3:  Faction Leaders.  Now that you have your three introduction notes, it's time to head to Ayan to meet their leaders.  One leader is on the second floor of the armory (SW), one is on the first floor of the building where Jaleh was abducted (SE), and the third is outside the Agent of the Arcanum's building.  Find each, give him the appropriate introduction note, and you will receive a book detailing the beliefs of each faction.  Read them if you like, but you cannot yet join one.  When you have all three books, return to Jondor in Zaikhal and turn them in.  Each will net you up to 6.9M XP.

Step 4:  Rewards.  Completing this quest will earn you up to 62M XP.  Once you have finished and you are at least level 180, you will be able to pick a Society to join.

Joining a Society

Step 1:  Preparation.  You have done the previous steps, right...?  Aside from that, you will need a frost weapon and solid armor.  Having lockpick would be nice, but is not necessary.

Step 2:  Pick a Side.  The three Societies have strongholds in the capital cities of Hebian-to (Celestial Hand), Zaikhal (Radiant Blood), and Cragstone (Eldrytch Web).  Look for the banners and the stronghold portal and talk to the NPC nearby.  Regardless of which faction you choose, you will be completing the same task.  Your job is to head to a dungeon patrolled by blighted Moarsmen and Sclavi followers to retrieve a special mana stone.  The dungeon is located at 23.9S 54.1E, which is in the Blackmire Swamp near Sawato.  Run to the dungeon and buff at the drop.

Step 3:  Corrupted Caverns (sorry, no map yet).  Blighted Moarsmen and Sclavi mean frost weapons, which hopefully you brought.  The dungeon is mazey, but you can do reasonably well by hugging the right wall until you head down a ramp.  Once you are on the lower level, your navigation strategy may need to change.  If you have lockpick, keep hugging that right wall.  If not, you will need to find a key that spawns on the ground.  Hug the left wall instead and you will eventually find it if you are scanning using [ and ].  Once you have the key, go back the way you came and take the opposite path.  That key will unlock a door leading to the end chamber, which is guarded by a couple Sclavi.  If you do have lockpick, you can pick the lock - weaken it and it should only take you a couple tries.  Once inside, grab the mana stone on the pedestal in the middle of the room.  Now quickly return to your Society's stronghold - the stone has a lifespan of an hour or so, so don't dawdle.

Step 4:  Rewards.  Hand in the stone to your Society's recruiter and you will receive several rewards.  First and foremost,  you will become a member of your society, which will grant you the ability to enter the nearby stronghold.  Additionally, you will receive a treasure key that can be used to open one of four chests near your society's promotions officer.  These chests contain random tier VIII gear.  Read the chest before you choose - each chest is more likely to spawn a certain kind of gear, be it spell components, weapons, or armor.  You will also receive an armor writ.  Find your society's armorers and hand in your writ for a key to the particular chest you want (note that you need to be a specific rank to receive various pieces of armor).  Finally, you will receive a good chunk of XP, capping at 200M or so.