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Monument of Stars
Once every century in the Bright Forest, the Fey held a magical celebration - the Festival of Stars - and this year was the year.
Well it WAS the year, until Sky Scorpions from the Drifting Sands attacked and broke the centrepiece, the Fountain of Stars.
Queen Titania asked us to chase them back to their homeland.
DEATH FROM ABOVE: Festival Fiasco
Clearly Scoprpius was behind the attack on the Festival of Stars - he naver could leave the Bright Forest alone.
[Chase his servants back home, and teach them a lesson, destroying his insect minions as you go.]
We managed to chase away the Sky Scorpions, but the Fountain of Stars had been cracked and the water had leaked out.
The festival would be ruined unless it could be refilled.It would be difficult to do in time, but the first task was to get a special flask, fashioned of living crystal from Khaziel.
THE SHINING: Vessel of Starlight
Some Living Crystal (required fot Titania's flask) was easiest to find in the tunnels around Khaziel - there were even creatures there MADE of it - and the Dwarves had been known to mine it from time to time.
[Defeat creatures in the mines of Khaziel and gather Living Crystal]
We had the flask!
Now we needed a liquid that could suspend the light of the stars.
Titania believed that the strange extra-planar ice beneath Dhrak-Zum might suffice.
We packed some warm clothes and headed east.
FROZEN STIFF: Melting Point
Dhrak-Zum seemed like a good place to collect enchanted water - from the deamonic ice that had frozen the lower levels, Both Gemhammer and Keghammer were keen to explore the lower halls too, in search of treasure and secrets from their frozen kin.
[Collect Ice Water and Treasures from the lower depths of Dhrak-Zum.]
It took a while to thaw the ice, but finally we were ready to collect some light!
Titania's guidance was that we needed to confront 6 ancient guardians , each one a protector of a spectral element.
The first was Jakal, the Sapphire Guardian, in Khetar.
DAY OF THE JAKAL: The Sapphire Light
We were all set to battle Jakal, but instead he asked for our help!
He would allow us to simply collect the light we needed from the Tomb of Sapphire Pharaoh if we helped him renew the waeds around the lands he watched over.
[Defeat enemies and collect Spiritual Energy to renew Jakal's wards from the Dooms inside Khetar's Haunted Towers.]
Having helped Jakal replace the wards around the Tomb of the Sapphire Pharaoh, he kindly allowed us to collect some of the azure light from within.
With the first part of our quest completed, we headed south towards Helgor, the Ruby Guardian of the Blighted Lands.
HELGOR THE HORRIBLE: The Ruby Light
Helgor, Guardian of the Abyssal Ruby Light, made us an offer.
If we could resist all temptations before us, he would grant us access to the portal containing the light.
It seemed easy - but resisting temptation always did.
[Gather your strongest-willed knights, and defeat enemies sommoned by Helgor, resisting whatever treasures they may have - even if it's cake!]
Having resisted all temptations set before us - even cake - Helgor grudgingly agreed to allow us to collect some of the Daemonic Ruby Light.
Our next stop would hopefully not be as harrowing.
We needed to meet with Urielle, Guardian of the Topaz Light in Whitehelm.
THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL: The Topaz Light
Urielle offered us Divine Topaz Light freely.
We couldn't let that kindness pass, and we offered her our services in turn.
It turned out that Urielle, an Angel of Death, had a long running feud with the wizards of Karakoth - many of them had cheated death one too many times through their magic.
[Defeat wizardly enemies and collect their souls as favor for Urielle.]
We repaid Urielle's kindness, giving us the Divine Topaz Light freely, and helped her out.
Next, our quest would take us to Shentang, in search of Moshu, Guardian of the Amethyst Light.
MYTH AND MAGIC: The Amethyst Light
Moshu, theGuardian of the Amethyst Light, refused to meet with us.
Sky Eleves were like that sometimes.
We needed to get his attention by causing some kind of commotion.
Tezca suggested that we lure the Stryx there to cause a racket.
[Attack Stryx and collect their prized feathers to try and cause unrest along the Shentang border.]
We finally got Moshu's attention, and he grudgingly allowed us to collect the Amethyst Light.
Our next stop woukd be across the sea to the shattered lands of Grosh-Nak where Rok'Gar guarded the Garnet Light.
TURN TO STONE: The Garnet Light
Rok'Gar the Orc guarded the Garnet Light.
There was no way he would simply let us take some, so we challenged him to battle - something that was quite readily available in Grosh-Nak.
[Defeat enemies and gather Swords and Axes from you fallen foes to show you are mightier than Rok'Gar.]
As always, the best way to get an Orc to cooperate was to hit him harder than he hit you.
Rok'Gar allowed us to gather the Garnet Light, and we began our journey to Zhul'Kari where Aransi's guarded the final prize - the Emerald Light.
SPIN ME RIGHT ‘ROUND: The Emerald Light
THere was no talking to Aransi, the Guardian of the Emerald Light, because spiders can't talk!
Instead, we'd simply need to defeat Aransi, tot gain access to the final light.
[Defeat enemy spiders in Zhul'Kari to get past Aransi]
With Aransi defeated, we had the Emerald Light, and now it was time to go back to the Bright Forest. Once we were there, we'd be able to restore the Fountain of Stars in time for the festival.
WISH UPON A STAR: Festival of Stars
Did we think it was over when we had the light?
Of course not.
Now the Fey Lanterns of the Bright Forest needed to be lit, and like all things Fey, they were just a little dangerous.
[Collect Fey Lanterns in the Bright Forest to enable the Festival of Stars to begin.]
It was done!
The Fey Lanterns of the Bright Forest were lit, and the festival could finally proceed.
We settled down to enjoy it - this time as the guests of honor.