Trooper Scale Armor

You say, 'Hail, Drixiv Arcut' You say, 'What curse?' You say, 'redemption' You say, 'What ancient armor?'

Drixiv Arcut says, 'You wish the armor of our ancestors? The armor donned by the Guard whose duty was to protect the Chosen? A warrior relies not on strength alone, but many virtues. If a warrior learns to balance each virtue, then he may be fit to guard the Chosen. Each piece of armor reflects a [virtue], and each virtue must be learned before the armor is given.'

You say, 'What virtue?'

Drixiv Arcut says, 'The virtues symbolized by the armor I keep are confidence and righteousness. The [boots], [greaves], [gauntlets], and [bracers]. Bring me proof that you have mastered these virtues as well as a piece of Banded armor of the type you desire and the appropriate armor shall be yours, Syriash. If you wish the other pieces you must speak to my brother.'

You say, 'What boots?'

Drixiv Arcut says 'You wish the boots worn by the ancients? Then you must first master the virtue of confidence. For our brothers of the dead, confidence is the virtue that allows them to control the forces that would tear them apart if they knew it not. When a warrior steps, he must be confident, for a weak step cannot crush your enemies. Take this note to the current Harbinger in Cabilis and learn from him.

Harbinger Glosk hisses and says venomously, 'And I am disturbed yet again. I hope for your sake it is important.' The gaunt necromancer looks down at the paper in his hands and after reading a few lines gasps, then falls into a violent coughing fit. After recovering he takes a deep breath, puffs his chest out and hands the paper back to you. With his head held high, he says in a raspy voice, 'Show this to Rixiz. He will test you.'

You say, 'What bracers?'

Drixiv Arcut says 'The bracers of our ancestors embody righteousness. When we strike, and our forearms are soaked in the blood of our enemies, our purpose must be pure. Else that blood will burn our souls and anger that which we live for. Go and find the Archduke in Cabilis and give him my note. He will teach you of righteousness. For if our chosen did not know righteousness, our people would not be. Go!

You say, 'What strange Iksar?'

Arch Duke Xog says 'Yes, he was dressed in rags and hadn't eaten in days. He rambled on about seemingly nothing, obviously he had lost his mind at some point. The guards brought him in because he told them he had valuable information concerning a captured Crusader. According to the mad man, our missing knight was captured by a group of cultists that follow a false god. The cultists intend on converting him apparently. Your [test] will concern Geanik.

You say, 'What test?'

Arch Duke Xog says 'Learning Righteousness is learning to listen to one's own heart. At all times our Lord of Fear speaks to us. Our heart is through which he speaks. If we are pure in action and undistracted in mind we can hear the very words of our Father. Your test will be to find our lost Crusader. When you find him you must listen, and act based on what you hear. If your actions are Righteous, I will give you my reference. Bring me proof of your action and two sapphires.

You say, 'What gauntlets?'

Drixiv Arcut says 'Our hands are our most useful and deadly instruments, after our minds. When we use them other than in service of our lord and ancestors, our actions are false. Without knowing righteousness we can never be sure if our actions are in the name of fear. The Chosen, the Crusaders of Greenmist, know fear intimately. Their actions are never without the blessing of our lord. Take this note to the Archduke. He will recognize my writing and instruct you.

Arch Duke Xog says 'Ahh, excellent, Syriash. Did you hear our Lord speaking to you? Let him guide your actions as his are pure and you are but a vessel to carry out his wishes. This fool's death will bring suffering to many. You have done well. Take this reference to the Brothers. Perhaps, in time, a new pact may be drawn up.'

You say, 'What greaves?'

Drixiv Arcut says 'Our legs move us forward. If we move with hesitance we will surely fall and leave our charge exposed. Before you can wear the greaves, you must learn from the Brood of Kotiz. For if they did not wield their powers over the dead with confidence, their life forces would be sucked from them instantly, leaving them empty husks. Take this note to the Harbinger and listen to his instructions.

You say, 'what virtue'

Xlixinar Arcut says, 'The armor I keep are the symbols of focus, sacrifice, and perseverence. The [helm], [pauldrons], [vambraces], and [breastplate]. You must bring me proof that you know these virtues before attaining the armor I keep. I also will need a piece of Banded armor of the type you desire. My brother keeps the other pieces.'

You say, 'What breastplate?'

Xlixinar Arcut says 'The monk is the master of focus, the shaman of sacrifice and the shadowknight of righteousness. Lastly, our brothers of the dark know confidence. It is then our duty to know perseverance more than any other. When others fall from spear and sword, we must stand. When others are washed away by fire and ice, we must stand. When others are frustrated and confused, we must continue on. There is a warrior in the swamp near the city. He is an exile, like my brother and I. He knows more about it.

You say, 'what mission'

Grik the Exile says 'If you have not noticed the new intelligent races that have found it's way to our land, you will see soon. They have built a small outpost far to the south along the ocean. If they go unchecked, their outpost will become a city from which they will cause us much discomfort. They are strong and have experienced [mercenaries] in their employ.

You say, 'what mercenaries'

Grik the Exile says 'Yes. In particular, a company of mercenaries commanded by a human known as Streaven. He has personally thwarted an operation I was in charge of. I will make him pay for his interference. You will kill Streaven. But first you must [draw him out], as he is not a fool.

You say, 'how do I draw him out'

Grik the Exile says 'While Streaven is not foolish he has made a mistake. He's taken a young and ambitious noble on as an officer in his company. This noble represents a source of funds and as such Streaven most likely will come to his aid if endangered. Our spies have reported that he has been implanted with some sort of device that will alert the commander of any danger. You must retrieve this [implant].

You say, 'what implant'

Grik the Exile says 'The implant is buried deep within this noble's head. Retrieving it will most likely leave quite a traumatic wound. Once you have the implant you must take it to an agent that will be in the area. This agent is one of the Kotiz Brood, a necromancer. Her name is Vekis and she will be able to activate the implant and draw Streaven out. She will only appear after you have dispatched the noble and she will go back into hiding shortly there after, so you must [find her] quickly.

You say, 'where do I find her'

Grik the Exile says 'She will be near one of our ancient statues along the coast. You need only hand her the implant for her to activate it. Once he is away from the guards you will have your chance. Bring me Streaven's Head and 3 rubies and you will have your reference for the Arcut. Remember that your perseverance is your greatest virtue and will carry you to victory always.

You say, 'What helm?'

Xlixinar Arcut says 'You must first learn focus before being awarded the legionnaire scale helm. The Swifttails are the masters of focus and as such you will learn from the Grand Master of the Court. It has been so long, I do not know who is Grand Master now. Whoever it is, give him this note and follow his instruction. Once you have learned, return to us and the helm will be yours.

The note reads:

Glox's Instructions Atop the ancient tower of Kurn lives a mole. This mole has unwittingly taught the Swifttails much. It has taught us focus. Go into the tower, sit and meditate near his burrow, and settle yourself. When it peers out to look for food, use all of your pent up ferocity and kill the mole quickly. Upon its neck will be a collar. Return to me the collar and 2 star rubies and I will give you my reference for the Arcut.

You say 'What pauldron?'

Xlixinar Arcut says, 'Upon our shoulders we carry the virtue of sacrifice. Our bodies are ruined in the name of our Lord. Pain and suffering please him and our ancestors. Without knowing sacrifice, a warrior can never protect his charge from harm as he sees himself as greater than his duty. The mystics embody sacrifice. Find their highest authority and give him this note. He will recognize it.'

You say, 'What special Potion?'

Prime Hierophant Vek says, 'It is a most lecherous distillment and has been the savior of many. Making it is a complicated procedure and collecting the ingredients is a task not for the average scholar. First one must melt the rare [gray ice] in a pot and boil 2 [pondfish spines] until the poison is extracted. Then take the extraction along with a portion of Hopeless Willow Moss and brew this with plain water in a common bottle. After you have the potion force one of our froglok workers to drink it. As it suffers and its life melts into a puddle you must quickly collect the remains. Bring back the ultimate product of that suffering, along with 2 fire emeralds and you will know sacrifice.'

You say, 'What gray ice?'

Prime Hierophant Vek says, 'Gray ice is a very rare element found only atop the highest peaks in the region known as Frontier Mountains. It is valued for its very caustic nature and is used in many ways by our alchemists.'

You say, 'What pondfish spines?'

Prime Hierophant Vek says, 'There is a small spring that is the father of two streams. One leads to the ocean while the other is a tributary to the great Lake of Ill Omen. Due to the mineral-rich waters of the spring, many fish in the area have developed poison-based defenses. Some of the larger fish are adorned with spines that carry a deadly poison. These are the spines you must gather.'Spine Poison Extract

Prime Hierophant Vek says 'Ahhh, yes, wonderful work indeed, Legionnaire. It's amazing your brood was not chosen to be blessed as a Scaled Mystic. Here is your reference, Syriash. Remember the suffering and pain you have caused in the name of your creator.'

You say "What vambraces?"

Xlixinar Arcut says 'Our arms carry more than the weapons of war and the hands that make use of them. We sacrifice the strength in our arms to carry our duties and obligations. Unless we can sacrifice our own bodies and abilities to carry these ideals, we will never be fit to protect the Chosen. Take this note to the master of the mystics in Cabilis, he will teach you a lesson in sacrifice.'

You say, 'What unique weapon?'

Prime Hierophant Vek says 'This goblin is known as a pit fighter. Though they are small, weak, and unintelligent, they still maintain a level of ferocity that surpasses that of most wild animals. This, along with a disgusting and perverse imagination, has allowed these pit fighters to reach heights of physical power most Iksar never see. This particular fighter uses his tongue liberally while fighting. He has ingested many deadly contagions and licked things from the slimy surfaces of the darkest and dankest crevasses imaginable. His tongue will do well to further our cause in pain and suffering.'