Delving into Claude's Mind

Short caption for the image.

Quest Summary
Quest Type	Group
XP Reward	25%
XP Cap	--
Item Reward	Visage of the Shadow Virindi
Title Reward	--
Starting Location	Singularity Caul
Map	--
Timer	13 days
Level Restrictions	???
Level Suggestions	200+
Introduced In	Masked Memories

General

There is some preparation for this quest that only needs to be done by one person. Go to the Artifex Collegium at 91.9S 93.7W in the Singularity Caul, and get four Virindi Essences from the west wing -- there is no timer on pickup, and they are not attuned. Then go to 53.4N 79.0W, on Marae Lassel, and search for an Atuakeh Plant. Get a skilled alchemist to grind the plant into Atuakeh Dust.

In the Witnessing History section, you see: Asheron, Isin Dule, Claude the Archmage, Lord Haranue Amarand, Talaagran Sarian, and possibly others.

Walk Through

This is sketchy. Please fill in the missing details if you know how to run this quest.

1. Go to 53.4N 79.0W, on Marae Lassel. You can take the ??? portal out of Redspire and run from there.
2. The quest leader gives the Atuakeh Dust to the Keh Fire in the tent. This locks the fellowship, and you have one hour to complete the quest.
3. The quest leader should search for Claude the Archmage and hand him a Virindi Essence, which will teleport the entire fellowship to the next section.
4. The quest leader should pick up five essences and then hand the to Claude to teleport the fellowship to the next section:
   • Essence of Conformity
   • Essence of Loyalty
   • Essence of Order
   • Essence of Stasis
   • Essence of Selflessness
5. Everyone should kill and heal while the quest leader handles this part. The quest leader picks up 17 reflections, and gives them to the appropriate Virindi. (More detail needed here.) When they are all done, hand Claude his reflection to teleport the fellowship to the next section.
6. Kill the shadows. Do not stand in between the NPCs. (There is currently a bug where this may cause the portal to not take you to the next section.)
7. Enter The Path to More Recent Times portal.
8. After a short delay you will be teleported into the final part.
9. Kill Claude the Dark Archmage and loot a Shadowy Virindi Essence.
10. Give the Shadowy Virindi Essence to Leopold in Ayan Baqur for experience and a Visage of the Shadow Virindi. (Do you need to hand it in within the hour, or is it enough that you got the Essence?)
11. If you don't want the Visage, you can hand it back to Leopold for experience?

Items

• File:Atuakeh Plant icon.png Atuakeh Plant
• File:Atuakeh Dust icon.png Atuakeh Dust
• Shadowy Virindi Essence
• Visage of the Shadow Virindi
• Mana Applesauce

Lore & Dialog

You cleave Artifex of the Singularity in twain! As you deal the final blow to the Artifex of the Singularity, it collapses upon itself with a high pitched screaming noise, and a cold voice speaks directly into your mind: "The Master's will shall live on, even as this shell, and all other imperfect vessels of the Master's will, decays into dust. Rejoice that you were in some small way a part of the birth of an eternal consciousness..."

Aun Kelauri tells you, "Peace be with you, buhdi. Welcome to my abode." Aun Kelauri tells you, "All are welcome to come and meditate upon their own keh, or upon the keh of others." Aun Kelauri tells you, "I have found that sometimes such visions are aided by the use of atuakeh dust. Form a fellowship and toss your dust into the fire, and your fellowship will be able to see things you were unable to before for a short time." Aun Kelauri tells you, "Beware - the atuakeh dust will only work upon those who are a member of your fellowship when you toss the dust upon the fire and who remain with your fellowship as they approach the fire." Aun Kelauri tells you, "The mists will only remain parted for a short time - a half hour at most. Hurry on your task" Aun Kelauri tells you, "Finally, if you die, the journey to your lifestone will erase what tie you have to the other world. Be careful in how you tread, for that which lurks there can kill as surely as the monsters of this world."

t. We next traditionally begin the Exchange of Cups. Lord Haranue?"

Lady Aerfalle and Lord Haranue both look upon Asheron with dark looks.

Lord Haranue picks up a chalice that you do not recall seeing before and says, "We welcome you to our gathering." He hands the chalice to Isin Dule.

Isin Dule holds the chalice before him and says, "How could I refuse such an invitation? The madness of my old friend must be stopped before it is too late." He hesitantly hands the chalice to Asheron.

Asheron holds the chalice up and says, "Yes, we must work toward unity against a common foe." He offers the chalice to Claude.

Claude slashes the proferred cup from Asheron's hands. "You do not understand true unity. You insult the concept with your individualism. To comprehend unity, yield to the Directive," the Virindi say in unison.

Isin Dule says, "I agree. Let me first begin by saying, though it grieves me to do so, that I hereby declare myself in opposition to Ilservian Palacost. While his original goal was admirable, his endless war against all creation has gone too far. I cannot stand with him anymore."

Isin Dule says, "What I tell you now is highly secret, for it is a key to Ilservian's newfound power. There is an item which acts as a channel between this world and the realm of the Living shadow, from which we draw our power. We call it the Heart of Shadow. While the Heart is heavily guarded by Ferah's forces, a skilled group could invade, claim the Heart for their own, and somehow use its connection to Ilservian to weaken him."

Isin Dule says, "Repent? I think not. I merely object to total annihilation, not to power."

Claude says, in concert with the other Virindi, "We find the entity classified as Bael'Zharon to exceed limits on discordance. Tapping a fragment of the Singularity may reduce the entity's power by serving as a conduit to all. The entity may be susceptible to the solidification of all that the Singularity represents."

All three Virindi emphatically answer, "No."

Lady Aerfalle says, "You seem...enthusiastically reluctant to help."

Claude and the other Virindi reply, "We are prepared for a reduction in discordance either through the entity's defeat or through your defeat."

Lady Aerfalle says, "If I took you more seriously, I might feel threatened. Lord Haranue, why don't you reveal to our guests what we have to share?"

Lord Haranue Amarand says, "Yes, Lady Aerfalle. Some of you may be familiar with Dame Tolani, one of the great explorers of the Dericost. At one point she conducted a survey of our ancient homeland at Lord Rytheran's request. One thing she unearthed was the skull of a particular little boy - one Avoren Palacost. Unfortunately, of recent years it seems that Dame Tolani has decided to no longer honor the oaths she swore to follow the lords of Dericost. She has secreted the skull in the desert, in an ancient crypt. I do not care what becomes of those who guard that crypt, but the skull could be potentially be used against Ilservian, as my...dear...Lady Aerfalle will explain."

Lady Aerfalle says, "Ilservian Palacost suffers from overly attaching himself to things of this world - notably, to the fate of his departed son. His rage swelled forth when his son died, and when Ilservian became Bael'Zharon, the magic that flowed through his veins flowed into the remains of his child. The skull, then, is bound to the father and is a weakness we can exploit."

Asheron says, "Here is what I would propose, then - what I believe is needed in order to defeat Bael'Zharon. Let us obtain and use these artifacts - forge them into the keystone of a ritual, whereby I may weaken him. Then he may perhaps be defeated, at least for a time..."