Quests

*For the notes section of the journal, see here.*

Quests are important objectives that you must accomplish to mark your steps of progression in the story. Most quests in Grim Tides involve you defeating a boss in a certain dungeon, requiring a certain character level and dungeon floor to encounter said boss and complete the objective.

## **Main Quests**

Main Quests are important quests that your character must take to be considered as having completed the game.

### **The Price of Freedom**

The Quest that ties everything together, your hit list of sages can be viewed here. As you kill each sage, the targets on the list are crossed out one by one. Sage Luxious will be crossed out when you obtain Entry 13 of the Journals of Sage Erideus, and Bartimeus at Entry 15.

**Sage Erideus**known for his eccentric ways and unusual areas of study, but respected for his undisputed arcane talent. Appointed leader of the Southern Isles expedition due to his research into the Mua-Ta culture and language. Outlawed for arcane malpractice and high treason against the Sun Court and the Empire.
**Sage Bartimeus**a seasoned battlemage of the highest rank and expert in fire magic. Veteran of the Reclamation Campaign of 1239 IE. Accomplice of Erideus.
**Sage Luxious**a senior scholar and master of magical abstractions, highly respected for his wisdom and knowledge of the arcane. Accomplice of Erideus.
**Sage Stormspeaker**an experienced arcanist versed in air magic. Served as a weathermage in the imperial navy for many years. Accomplice of Erideus.
**Adept Sonorius**a promising novice apprenticed to sage Erideus. Shows talent in the arcane but still lacks experience to be elevated to a sage. Accomplice of Erideus.

### **All Hands on Deck**

Complete when you defeat the Fey Avatar, at Mystic Grove level 15 and Character Level 6.

"Alas, the vessel you've arrived in is not fit for traveling the archipelago, and the local shipbuilders are experiencing a shortage of sorts... We don't have time to waste on domestic squabbles of these provincials - venture into the Mystic Grove and locate a sizable amount of ironbark, enough to commission a small ship. Neutralize all potential threats to your mission encountered along the way."

**Reach Mystic Grove level 15****Reach character level 6**
 With the Fey avatar defeated, the rest of his kin flee and scatter like leaves on the wind, leaving the giant ironbark tree unprotected and free for the taking.You return to Farhaven hauling a decent amount of the precious material, just enough to reinforce a small ship and make it resistant to the freak weather of the Isles. You have little trouble finding a skilled shipwright in one of the narrow alleys leading to Low Harbor. The man is flabbergasted at the very sight of ironbark, and, after showing him the letter of conduct wearing the official imperial seal, he is more than happy to do the necessary adjustments to one of the small vessels in his aresnal. With an eagerness of a child who's just been gifted with a new toy, he promises the ship will be sea-worthy in no more than a day.Exhausted from the ordeal, you return to your lodgings in the local tavern, the Salty Rat, and check in early for the night. Tomorrow you will set out for the next stop on your journey, a sinister place with an equally sinister name - the Hollow Reef, one step closer to your freedom, or one step closer to your doom?

### **Eye of the Storm**

Complete when you defeat Stormspeaker, at Hollow Reef level 15 and Character Level 9.

"An unnatural storm has been raging around Farhaven for the last few weeks, making passage further south all but impossible. Travel to the Hollow Reef, the supposed origin point of the storm, and determine its source - it reeks of Erideus' meddling work, or one of his accomplices, at least. Use any means at your disposal to resolve this issue, and make sure you eliminate all perpetrators involved."

**Reach Hollow Reef level 15****Reach character level 9**
 Exhausted from the enormous spell he was maintaining all this time, the sage at the top of the Glyphed Plateau still manages to put up a good fight, and you barely make it out alive. Closer inspection of the body reveals he was missing a tongue and your suspicions are confirmed: you've just disposed of one of the targets from your list, Erideus' accomplice, the mute sage Stormspeaker.The freak storm subsides with the renegade sage's demise, and the sky above Farhaven turns a vibrant cerulean hue, with not a cloud in sight. Scores of merchants, explorers, fishermen, and other seafaring folk rush for their vessels, as it is finally safe to sail past the Hollow Reef and into the Isles proper. You are uncertain what awaits you there, having nothing but Asmodius' vague instructions and scattered writings of a wanted criminal to go by, but are determined to see this through, even so.

### **Forbidden Arts**

Complete when you defeat Adept Sonorius, at Emerald Wild level 15 and Character Level 12.

"Investigate the central island of the Archipelago, Great Nuk, and the jungle of the Emerald Wild for any traces of Erideus and his accomplices. If my reports are correct, the place is teeming with the undead - just another proof of the depths of my former colleague's malpractice and treachery. Perhaps the trail of walking corpses will lead you to their master?"

**Reach Emerald Wild level 15****Reach character level 12**
 The desperate fight with the madman at the bottom of the cave takes a heavy toll on both your physique and psyche. Despite the arsenal of dark and foul magic at the necromancer's disposal, you emerge victorious in the end. Inspection of his corpse reveals him to be none other than Sonorius, a renegade adept of the Sun Court, and apprentice to Erideus. Deformed in body and mind, the poor youth is so consumed by madness that he fails to divulge any useful information before letting out his final breath. Reaching for the remains of his tattered robes, you find a few hand-scrawled notes, most of them containing gibberish, but one pointing to a location deeper in the jungle, where the ancient Mua-Ta temple is supposed to be. Relieved, you pocket the dirty note and depart back to your ship to inform Asmodius of your findings.Before you even reach Farhaven, the Grand Sage responds to your call, divulging a more precise location of the Temple, calculated from the information in Sonorius' writing. One more target crossed off your list, and a new destination in mind, you sleep a little better tha night. You awake at the break of dawn, eager to continue your mission...

### **Renegade's Trail**

Complete when you defeat the Mua-Ta Chosen at Emerald Wild level 30 and Character Level 15.

"While in the Emerald Wild, be on the lookout for the meddling Mua-Ta natives - for reasons that escape me, Erideus was fascinated with the masked savages, and could have left a clue to his whereabouts at one of their sacred sites he was so obsessed with. Local legends tell of a sacred temple hidden in the depths of the jungle, where the Mua-Ta conduct their heretic rites. A depraved place, to be sure, but one worth visiting nonetheless..."

**Reach Emerald Wild level 30****Reach character level 15**
 You don't know exactly who, or what, for that matter, the Mua-Ta Chosen is... or was, for it is no more - you've made sure of it - but its demise seems to have dealt a heavy blow to the natives across the Emerald Wild. Your way back to your ship was uncontested, the scant Mua-Ta that you've encountered fled before you like frightened animals before a storm. Come to that, the whole jungle seemed unnaturally silent, as if the nature itself was in mourning over your foul deed...Asmodius contacts you on your way back to Farhaven, eager to learn about your findings, which you promptly share, not willing to test the Grand Sage's patience. After consulting Erideus' map, he plots a course of action for you: to reach the location indicated on the map you'll have to reach an ancient part of the jungle, avoided by explorers and friendly Mua-Ta both. Not much is known about the area, except its ominous name - the Sunless Oasis - and, as usual, Asmodius is reluctant to share anything but the most basic information. Left in the dark, you wonder if you're getting any closer to your target and your freedom, or is this just one big ghost chase, driven by forces and motives you don't even begin to understand?

### **Shadows of the Past**

Complete when you defeat the Ancient Dragon at Sunless Oasis level 15 and Character Level 18. This quest's text cannot be interacted with until Renegade's Trail is complete.

"Head for the Sunless Oasis and locate the Obsidian Temple from sage Erideus' writings. Haste is of utmost importance. My scrying attempts reveal little of the area - it seems to be permeated by a strange magical aura that prevents inquiry at a distance. Reports from scant travelers in the outskirts of the deep jungle mention a devious breed of lizardfolk crawling about. Don't let the savage beasts interrupt your mission, deal with them in the swiftest way possible - with brute and unrelenting force!"

**Reach Sunless Oasis level 15****Reach character level 18**
 With the mighty dragon slain and its reptillian followers decimated, you get a free survey of the lone mountaintop. In the distance, far below and away, you discern a black silhouette piercing the jungle vegetation like a black spear jutting from the ground - your destination, the Obsidian Temple from Erideus' journal. Marking its location on your map, you head back to your ship, fully intent on visiting it after you've recuperated and replenished your supplies...Back on your ship, you contact Asmodius and share your findings. The Grand Sage is ecstatic, and urges you to continue with all haste. He also gives you a new objective, one never disclosed before: you are to locate an item - a valuable property of the Sun Court - stolen by Erideus and protected by powerful wards inside the Obsidian Temple. To break the wards you'll need to expose them to the abrasive magic of the warden's sigil - the reason why you were picked for this mission in the first place...When they come into contact, both the wards and the sigil will come undone, nullifying each other. You will gain your freedom, and Asmodius will be rid of the wards that are preventing him from locating and retrieving the item he so desperately desires. A sound plan, even though it still feels it's missing a few key pieces... whatever those might be, Asmodius seems to have honored his part of the deal so far. The only one standing in your way now is Erideus...

### **Sage's Gambit**

Complete when you defeat Sage Erideus at Sunless Oasis level 30 and Character Level 21. This quest's text cannot be interacted with until Renegade's Trail is complete. After this quest is complete, the File:Warden's sigil.pngWarden's Sigil will disappear and epic dungeons become accessible.

"Breach into the Obsidian Temple and acquire the small black sphere that's located in its central chamber. It is the property of the Sun Court, stolen from me by Erideus and his accomplices. If Erideus is still in the complex, deal with the traitor as initially instructed. But the ARTIFACT is of VITAL IMPORTANCE! It is protected by strong magical wards, but I suspect those to have weakened by now. Use the warden's sigil, the abrasive nature of its magic should be enough to erode the wards completely. The process will also destroy the sigil, removing it from your flesh - that is what we bargained for, isn't it? Do this final thing for me and be free."

**Reach Sunless Oasis level 30****Reach character level 21**
 The long-awaited showdown with your elusive target, renegade sage Erideus, turns out to be far outside your realm of expectations. Driven to madness by the malign force emanating from the mysterious artifact, the tormented sage proves to be beyond negotiation, and lashes out at you will all his remaining power, seeing in you the embodiment of Asmodius' machinations he so desperately tried to prevent. Towards the end, the volatile energy he drew upon in order to stop you consumes him entirely, mind and body, transforming him into a monstrosity of misshapen flesh before your very eyes - a grotesque sight that will haunt your nightmares for the rest of your days...With the former sage's lifeless body behind you, you advance towards the center of the chamber, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in your wake. The artifact you are supposed to secureis there, suspended in the glowing web of impenetrable arcane wards - a small black sphere, so dark it stands out in the gloom of the chamber. And while it looks plain enough, something about it just feels... wrong... and just looking at it fills you with unexplainable dread. It's like a tiny hole in the very fabric of existencem you realize, with countless multitudes of dark, unfathomable things gazing back at you from the other side...Driven by the call of the infinite abyss, you slowly advance, until you reach the first layer of wards surrounding the thing. They light up at your touch, magic of the ancient Mua-Ta bathing the dark chamber in iridescent light, and the Sigil on your chest lights up in unison, sending spasms of hot pain through your entire body. Ignoring the sensation, you advance even further, until everything around you is white, blinding light, and everything within you is excruciating agony, bereft of thought...And then, suddenly, it is over. You slowly open your eyes, still sore from the backlash of energy, and turn around to see the chamber in ruins, blasted by the collapse of the arcane wards. Your conscious mind refusing to believe what happened, you look down, only to see that, true to Asmodius' words, the Sigil too has vanished from your chest, leaving a nasty scorched wound where it once covered your flesh. Still in shock, you barely notices the black sphere floatin gin the air a few paces away, seemingly unaffected by all this mayhem...Before you get your bearings, a new flash of energy breaks the dark of the chamber, this time the swirling blue of an arcane portal. A tall, regal-looking man steps out of it, his robes the color of white snow, with a blazing golden sun embroidered across his heart. Without paying you much attention, the newcomer frantically surveys his surroundings until he spots the black sphere floating above the ground. After glaring at it for what seems like eterntity, eyes transfixed, he snaps out of it and turns to face you for the first time. With a satisfied smirk across his face, he address you in a cold, confident voice - a familiar voice! - and you realize that, for the first time, you are standing face to face with none other than the Grand Sage Asmodius, headmaster of the Sun Court, and perhaps the most powerful man in the Empire."Ah, my faithful servant, you are still in one piece, I see. Amazing, did I ever tell you that only one in about fifty subjects survives the forced removal of the Warden's Sigil? That's why it's such an effective tool, after all. But I always knew you were remarkable! And just look what you've managed to accomplish, eh? You have done a great service to the Sun Court and the Empire... more than you can ever know. The wonders we will achieve with this marvelous thing you've procured for us... Erideus was too weak to realize its full potential, and far too cowardly!But let me handle things from here - you've got what you've bargained for, no? Let none say that Asmodius is not a man of his word! And look at you, barely standing on your feet! You must have suffered so much, witnessed such horrors... things no sane man would want to see, let alone remember. allow me to help and ease your burdens... consider it a parting gift, for services well rendered..."With a single arcane syllable and a snap of his fingers, Asmodius envelops you with a surge of arcane energy, and, before you even get the chance to say a word, the meticulously prepared spell does its magic, cleansing your body of injuries and your mind of memories, until all that remains is dark, sweet oblivion. The last thing you remember is the faint rustling of robes, as the Grand Sage turns and hurries off to collect his prize...You awake the next day, in the safe confines of your ship's quarters. You're not entirely sure what happened - your memories of the last few days are fuzzy for some reason - but you feel better than you did in ages. Reaching for your chest, you feel a soft patch of a newly-formed scar tissue in the place of the Warden's Sigil - you've made it! Unbelievable as it seems, Asmodius was true to his word, after all. It must mean you've succeeded in your mission, although you can't, for the life of you, remeber what it was all about. Something about a group of renegade sages, was it? Try as you might, you just can't recall the details, loose threads of memory forever evading your attempts to piece them together. After some time, and a headache induced by overthinking, you decide it doesn't really matter. The Empire can topple like the house of cards, for all you care. At long last, you are free, and you have the whole breadth of the isles to explore! Wonders to uncover! Riches to plunder! New world ahoy!

## **Side Quests**

Side Quests are optional objectives that are not needed to progress, but yield high amounts of gold, XP or other rewards.

 The majority of the goblin warband is scattered, fled after their leading duo's untimely demise at the sharp end of your sword. It will take much more effort to rid the Glade of the mischievous creatures altogether, but the governor is pleased with your efforts even so, and welcomes you as a hero in his lavish mansion on the hill overlooking Farhaven. Pleasantries are exchanged, and purses of gold handed over, and you are quickly ushered out of the building - the governor is a busy man after all...With a fat purse of gold dangling from your belt, you ponder the circumstances of your actions... the power vacuum left by the weakened goblin tribe will, most likely, result in more banditry of the human variety - if the authorities keep turning a blind eye to the happenings around farhaven, that is - but you decide not to dwell on such matters for long. You have one arrogant sage to appease, and a whole breadth of the Isles to explore before you can allow yourself the luxury of enjoying your hard earned spoils...

 The Pirate Lord is dead, slain in his ramshackle fortress, and what remains of his band of sorry miscreants will think twice before launching another raid on Farhaven...The imperial governor is pleased with your effort, and rewards you with the promised bounty - and an added bonus for thoroughness. All this gold doesn't bring you peace, though, and you spend another sleepless night in the Salty Rat, pondering your seemingly hopeless position. The gravity of your situation becomes apparent as the events of your duel with the mute sage a few days earlier sink in. You've been made a pawn in a fight between powers far beyond your understanding. You are also utterly at Asmodius' mercy, you realize, and have no choice but to follow this through, dancing at his tune...

## **Epic Quests**

**Epic Content**This page contains content only available after completing the main quest, and thus contains unmarked spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

The tertiary set of quests that serve to challenge the player after completing the main game. Their descriptions can only be accessed once you have defeated Sage Erideus in the Sunless Oasis and complete **The Price of Freedom**.

### **Crimson Company**

Complete when you defeat the Crimson Count, at Shadow Hills level 12 and Character Level 24.

**Reach Shadow Hills level 12****Reach character level 24**
 The Crimson Company shall trouble the Empire no more, their scattered remnants left to wander the Shadow Hills without a clear leadership structure... Before his violent demise at your hand, their former leader, the Count, has decided to entertain you with his morbid tale:
A life spent on a foolish quest for immortality, occult rituals mastered to the point of perfection, the ultimate reward finally within one's grasp, only to be twisted in a morbid and cruel joke of the gods. The Count did indeed reach his much desired immortality, but as a foul undead monster, cursed to eternal un-life without a chance for absolution. Three hundred years of war and bloodlust have not cursed him of his desire for retribution, though, revenge on the gods that have tricked him so - but such an undertaking was beyond his reach... until a word of an ancient and powerful magic reached his ears. Somewhere in the remote jungles of the Southern Isles an artifact of tremendous power is hidden, and the Grand Sage himself is searching for it. Perhaps it would be the means of his rightful vengeance? Or, failing that, be the device of his release from the curse that's plagued him for centuries...
Out of nowhere, a faint whisper at the back of your mind tells you that the Count has arrived too late - the little difference does it make him now. With his company in tattered ruins, and his undead body destroyed beyond mending, his cursed soul is doomed to wander the dark expanse of the Shadow Hills for all eternity. A fitting end for a villain of his stature... or is it?

### **Against the Horde**

Complete when you defeat the Possessed Chieftain, at Shadow Hills level 24 and Character Level 24.

**Reach Shadow Hills level 24****Reach character level 24**
 The Orc Chieftain is dead, and his diabolical plan cut short before it could fully come to fruition. His followers, already not at ease with their chieftain's heretical ways, disperse soon after his demise, what's left of their presence in the Shadow Hills not nearly enough to put Farhaven in any real danger.
Finding out that the orc tribe were actually outcasts from the Horde is a relief unto itself, driven out for their chieftain's misdeeds. The peace between the Empire and the Horde will hold, for now, a fragile thing that it is, and you take consolation in the fact that your actions have finally resulted in something good, for once...

### **Mind Invaders**

File:Quest Mind Invaders.png

Complete when you defeat the Kryl Broodmother, at Cursed Isle level 12 and Character Level 26.

**Reach Cursed Isle level 12****Reach character level 26**
 The suffocating black smoke emanating from the burning lair of the kryl will take some time to clear out, but the jungle will restore its natural harmony soon enough. The same cannot be said about the lair's denizens - their broodmother slain and their underground abode a smoldering ruin, the insect population in the area should dramatically reduce in number, if not vanish altogether.Looking at your handiwork from the port railing of your ship, you cannot help but marvel at the burning spectacle you left in your wake. Perhaps it's not enough to drive all the vermin out from the Cursed Isle, but it's certainly a start. A nagging thought surfaces in your mind at that moment, seeing all the destruction and CHAOS you've caused... the chaos cultists must be reveling in it, gorging themselves on its very essence. You decide it doesn't matter, after all - the time to deal with that particular menace will come soon enough...

### **Dawn of Chaos**

Complete when you defeat the Avatar of Obb, at Cursed Isle level 24 and Character Level 26.

**Reach Cursed Isle level 24****Reach character level 26**
 The shifting mass of chaotic essence that was the avatar of Obb the Defiler - a part of it, at least, for it did not get the chance to manifest fully - is no more. You've barely manageed to stop the crazy cultists' plan to bring their destructive deity into this world, and with it, the unprecedented chaos and destruction that would undoubtedly result in its wake. It did come with a steep toll in your physical and mental well-being, but you gather it's a small price to pay, considering the things at stake...The imperial governor will, no doubt, be pleased that you've completed yet another of his tasks, but you doubt the fool will be able to fully comprehend the implications of it all. Too tired to care, you decide it doesn't really matter. In the end, gold is gold, whatever its source - be it slaying mischievous goblins or banishing wayward deities intent on destroying the world...

### **Terror in the Deep**

File:Quest Terror in the Deep.png

Complete when you defeat the Deep Horror, at Sunken Ruins level 12 and Character Level 28.

**Reach Sunken Ruins level 12****Reach character level 28**
 The dying cry of the vile eldritch horror from the depths of the Sunken Ruins is something that will likely haunt your dreams for years. Through the psychic link that the creature established with you in its last moments you've learned that it was but a single remnant, left to feast on the ruin it and its foul ilk brought to the once flourishing civilization. Even now, you shudder at the thought of a whole race of those vile beings, lurking somewhere in the dark void between stars in their countless, ageless multitudes, biding their time and waiting for the right moment to return from their eons-long exodus...Once againm you find yourself wishing you could turn back the time, and, for once, say no to a mission. Some things are better left undisturbed...

### **The Lost Science**

Complete when you defeat the Brain Bot, at Sunken Ruins level 24 and Character Level 28.

**Reach Sunken Ruins level 24****Reach character level 28**
 You leave the underground complex with the detached head of an intelligent construct safely in your pack. That's what you were sent to collect after all, even though the purpose of it all eludes you. Perhaps the sages will know what to make of it...Amongst many curious artifacts you've encountered in that strange place, a simple box-shaped device found on the construct's body had attracted your attention the most, for ssome reason. Faintly familiar symbols on its metallic surface seemed to call out to you, and you decided it would be a waste to leave it behind. You really should inspect it further when you've got the time...

### **Dragon Hunt**

Complete when you defeat Bone-Wing, at Forbidden City level 12 and Character Level 30.

**Reach Forbidden City level 12****Reach character level 30**
 Inconceivable as it is to us, short-lived humanss, even dragons die of old age. Who would have thought that the legendary Krakatua would be naught but bones when you reach it? Death didn't stop the mighty dragon from standing in your way, though. Animated by some foul magic, the skeletal beast - although but a shell of its former glory - proved to be quite a challenge. You've put it to its deserved rest in the end, adding its lifeless bones to that of its fallen kin.Of the creature's fabled treasure trove there wasn't much left after all. Either someone else got to it first, or the tales about its splendour were much exaggerated to begin with. Either way, you are satisfied with the end result: facing the legendary Krakatua, and living to tell the tale is reward enough, in and of itself...

### **Infernal Incursion**

Complete when you defeat Sage Bartimeus, at Forbidden City level 24 and Character Level 30.

**Reach Forbidden City level 24****Reach character level 30**
 In the aftermath of the confrontation in the Forbidden City your suspicion was confirmed - the person behind the infernal incursion was none other than the renegade Sage Bartimeus. Erideus' journal last mentions him fleeing into the jungle, overwhelmed by madness induced by that strange artifact, and you presumed the man was long dead.How, or even why, Bartimeus found his way into the Forbidden City is anyone's guess, but the long trek through the jungle and desert did little to improve the sage's mental state. Despite his insanity, or perhaps exactly because of it, he managed to muster enough power to conjure a portal to the Inferno, inviting a horde of demons into the ancient city of the Mua-Ta. What he hoped to achieve with this remains a mystery - one that the sage carried to his grave...Nursing your burns in the relative safety of your ship, you inspect the small blue sphere you found at the base of the infernal portal. It must be what Bartimeus used to maintain it, since the removal of the sphere caused the thing to collapse into itself, closing the doors to the Inferno shut once again. By the looks of it, there is still some arcane energy left in the small artifact... perhaps you can find some use for it, after all?

### **Realms of Mind and Magic**

Complete when you defeat all six arcane guardians at least once, which are each first found on the fifth level of each of the Arcane Realms. There are no character level requirements to this quest.