At the End of Our Hope

Main Scenario Quest Template:Quest

Walkthrough

• The heretics' trail, a set of footprints, is found at x24.6, y21.7, z0.4. Upon examination, you will enter a duty.
  • You must proceed north while interacting Suspicious Footprint marks along the way. On the third set of footprints, you will fight a set of enemies.
    • The enemies consist of two fighters and a healer. When both fighters are defeated, a Spineless Heretic lancer will join. Defeat the first three enemies as the Spineless Heretic has much more HP.
  • After the Spineless Heretic takes a certain amount of damage, he will flee. Your new objective is to follow him.
    • You can still damage the Spineless Heretic as he runs, which is recommended as you will fight him again soon. However, do not kill him.
    • It is not suggested to fight the field enemies that spot you along the way. You can outrun them and they will not chase you too far.
  • You will eventually be led to a building and into a basement. Prepare to fight multiple enemies consisting of two more fighters, a healer, and a leader Spell-weaving Heretic mage. The Spineless Heretic will also join.
    • It is suggested to kill the fighters and healer first, followed by the Spell-waving Heretic, and finally the Spineless Heretic.
  • Once all enemies are defeated, interact with the Destination marker within the basement to finish the duty.

Steps

• Search for the heretics' trail north of Camp Riversmeet.

• Speak with Artoirel.

Journal

• Lord Artoirel seems loath to forgo any opportunity to locate the heretics' hiding place.

• Whatever trail the heretics left is all but certain to be obliterated by the next snowfall, and with it, any hope of tracking the heretics to their refuge. Accordingly, Lord Artoirel assigns you the unenviable task of following the trail alone, while he delivers the wounded knight to Falcon's Nest and rallies reinforcements. Plainly, the young lord is either supremely confident of your abilities, or eager to be rid of you. Begin your search in the area north of Camp Riversmeet, where the knight said the ambush took place.

• Within the secret lair hidden below Gorgagne Mills, you are reunited with an old foe: the Lady Iceheart. Before violence can erupt, however, Midgardsormr reveals himself to the heretic leader, who is shocked to see the ancient wyrm in your company. Momentarily sapped of her will to fight, she reveals that she too is blessed with the Echo, and that it allowed her to see the truth of the Dragonsong War through the eyes of Hraesvelgr, one of the first brood. As she shares this revelation, her voice swells with renewed conviction...but when you subsequently remind her of the indiscriminate slaughter committed by the Dravanians whom she helped to breach the wards, her doubts soon resurface. Though she will not forsake her cause, she swears to make things right. But how and when, she does not say...

• Moments too late, Lord Artoirel arrives with reinforcements, and the knights set about searching the area. They find no sign of any remaining heretics, however, nor of the Lady Iceheart, whom you allowed to escape.

• With the tiniest hint of respect, Lord Artoirel contemplates how difficult it must have been to establish an outpost in so remote a place. In any case, there is little reason to remain, and he seems eager to return to Falcon's Nest.