Shadow's Descent

Shadow's Descent is a mission quest available via the QUEST verb.

THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS

Step 1:

Step 1:
You have must have unlocked and completed the Gemstones quest.

Step 2:

Step 2:
Travel to the Hinterwilds and go to the Artificer.
[Rawknuckle's, Watering Hole - 29877] (u7503251)

QUEST ACCEPT # (The number for Shadow's Descent)

Step 3:

Step 3:
Shatter a gemstone.

>ask art about shat
The artificer says, "I can shatter your jewel to produce Dust, a valuable commodity that those of us who practice the ways of artifice can use to great effect.  Shattering your jewel will produce 10 Dust.  If you would like me to proceed, ask again in the next 30 seconds."
>ask art about shat
Producing a small hammer that glitters like living starlight, the masked artificer raises its arm high and brings it down in a brutal arc.  With a resonant chiming sound, the jewel shatters into sparkling motes that the artificer gathers carefully into a pile.  It surrenders the Dust to you with a polite nod.

You now have # Dust in your reserves.

[A horned rowan stang is now in your right hand.]

The artificer gathers the fresh Dust residue.  "A worthy sacrifice.  With this, I will fashion a tool for you."  The artificer produces a horned rod made from rowan wood and sprinkles some Dust over it, murmuring in a strange tongue.  The wood glows briefly from within before the Dust settles.  "This is known as a stang.  It is a tool for divination."

"Use the stang to read the bodies of foes you fell within any place known to harbor Gemstone fragments of the Lunar Shard.  Twenty such readings should suffice."  The artificer hands the horned rowan stang to you and turns away as if expecting you to do as you are told without further question.
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Step 4:

Step 4:
Kill Ascension creatures and wave your stang at them!
* Pro Tip - Kill one, wave the stang at one, search the creature, repeat.
* Pro Tip #2 - You can RESERVE the stang, you don't have to hold it!

You will need to kill and wave the stang at 20 creatures.

Step 5:

Step 5:
Travel to the Hinterwilds and go to the Artificer.
[Rawknuckle's, Watering Hole - 29877] (u7503251)
The stang will be automatically taken from you when you return to the Artificer.


As the masked artificer takes the horned rowan stang from you, it nods approvingly.  Its aloof manner evaporates as it whispers over the stang, awakening unreadable sigils along its surfaces.  With a note of grim concern in its voice, it says, "I have a suspicion, but I must be certain.  I believe the most expeditious path to answers lies in an unexpected place."

It says, "In my travels, I encountered a creature of considerable knowledge, a being that is not entirely what he appears to be.  Do you know of kobolds?  They are small and unassuming, but some are possessed of a grander vision.  Seek out a shaman among them in a forest shaped like a dragon's claw.  The answers we seek may lie there."
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Step 6:

Step 6:
Travel to the Kobold Village outside Wehnimer's Landing.
[Kobold Village - 6268] (u373007)
Enter the Shaman's Hut.
[Kobold Village, Shaman's Hut - 36594] (u171801)

"Wait, wait, don't murder me!"  The shrill plea emits from an amber-eyed kobold shaman.  He is certainly a fantastical specimen of his kind, with long, spindly horns rather like an antelope's.  They are painted bile green and vomit pink, colors that match his absurdly vivid robes.  The fact that he hid from you for even a moment is a sign that you should have an empath examine your eyes.

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]

Step 7:

Step 7:
A note of cunning creeps into the kobold shaman's beady little eyes as he says, "You aren't here to kill me at all, are you?  No, you need something.  The name's Bomblemagoria, at your service!"  He throws his robes open, revealing pockets laden with a variety of ramshackle trinkets and baubles.  "How about a talisman of dragon repellent?  What?  Of course it works.  Have you ever seen a dragon around here?"

Undeterred, he continues, "Maybe some commemorative potion of zombie attraction?  They're surprisingly dextrous, you know.  No?  Well, what is it that you want?"

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]
>
Once you have, with no small measure of skepticism, explained the situation to the shaman, he says, "I do think I can be of assistance.  But first, I'll need you to acquire some things for me.  Very, very, very important things."  He produces a piece of parchment with a small list written on it and presents it to you.  As if sensing your skepticism, he says, "I know, it seems odd that I already had this written out.  I... uh, I saw the future!  Or something!"

He goes on to say, "Just in case you can't read, here are the ingredients I need: frog's bone porridge (it binds, it shines; it tastes like regret), gnollish mushrooms, daggerstalk mushrooms (never alone; always supervised), witchwood twigs, bolmara lichen.  Lichen is the silent hero.  Write that down."

"You'll need to inquire with your fellow adventurers on the location of these ingredients - I'm a shaman, not a tour guide."

[You can use QUEST INFO to see the list of requested ingredients.]
Roundtime: 5 sec.

>quest info 2
Name:          Shadow's Descent
Rewards:       Mechanical
Prerequisites: Completion of quest A Sparkling Ascent.

You are currently undertaking this quest.

Bomblemagoria requested that you fetch these ingredients:
  - some frog's bone porridge (1 remaining) ([Leaftoe's Health and Bake Shop - 3363] (u4043866) - 250 silvers)
  - a handful of gnollish mushrooms (5 remaining) ([Marcketel Mushroom Exporters - 9479])
  - a witchwood twig (5 remaining)
  - a daggerstalk mushroom (5 remaining)
  - some bolmara lichen (5 remaining)

Step 8:

As you hand the gnollish mushrooms over to the kobold shaman, he inspects it with a cunning eye.  "Yes," he says with an ominous tone.  "This will do nicely."

"Normally I'd charge an initiation surcharge plus a mystery surcharge plus a surcharge disclosure fee.  But the artificer scares me in a spiritually ambiguous tax collector sort of way, so I'll work this one for free."  His breezy demeanor slips away as if the weight of what he is about to do has just become real.  "So, you are actually set to doing this, are you?  These are the necessary ingredients to send your spirit to the verges of death itself.  It is there, beneath the shadow of Gosaena's wings, that visions of fate are most clear.  The experience will not be without cost.  You may feel as if you have slumbered for eternities.  More likely, you will experience disorientation, nausea, random elemental attunement, existential dread, and the sudden urge to take up interpretive dance."

The kobold shaman summons a cauldron that looks like it failed several quality inspections.  Frog's bone porridge slurps in with a defiant plorp.  Mushrooms tumble afterward as if they regret signing the waiver.

The shaman looks over at you.  "The sacrament requires a ritual!  Are you ready?"

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]

"Incantation time!  Join me!"  He begins: "Skippity skoppity, zappity doo!  Skibi dibi doo, ding dong daddy!  Zappity doo!  Bomblemagoria gonna show you the magic!"  Bomblemagoria moves his arms around in a slow windmill while tapping one foot to form a beat.

The shaman hands you a rattle.  You halfheartedly shake the rattle as he pulverizes the cauldron's contents with a wooden spoon while continuing to chant his strange chant.  "Diggity diggity!  Ding dong daddy!  Bomblemagoria gonna bring it to you!  Bomble..."

Suddenly, a crystal amulet on a nearby table begins to blink with a soft, pulsating light.  The kobold shaman stops his chant mid-word.

"Oh, for the love of... one moment," he mutters, snatching the amulet.  He rubs it vigorously and then holds it to his temple, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Yes?  Bomblemagoria here...  No, I told you, the 'surprise' in the Surprise Darkstone Castle Buddy is that it might not be a buddy!  It could be a rock...  Yes, a very nicely shaped rock!...  A refund? On a *surprise*?  That undermines the entire business model!  ... Look, the fine print is also a surprise!  You knew what you were getting into!  No!  All sales final!"

The shaman slams the amulet down on the table, the light sputtering out.  He takes a deep, calming breath, which seems to fail entirely.  "Customers," he spits, turning back to you and the cauldron.

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]

"Where were we?  Ah, yes.  Plating."  Bomblemagoria ladles a healthy portion of grey-green sludge into a bowl with a PLOP, handing it over to you.

"Consume at your discretion.  Lie down before the cosmos rends your psyche to harvest insight.  Liability waiver verbally implied."

[A bowl of grey-green soup is now in your right hand.]

[DRINK the grey-green soup while lying down in this room when you feel ready for... whatever this is.]
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Step 9:

>lie

As you hand over the last of the ingredients, Bomblemagoria inhales like a sommelier about to lie.  "Exemplary work, my reliable field procurement specialist!"  He lowers his voice.  "I WAS mildly concerned you'd eaten the bolmara lichen.  People nibble.  It happens."

As you spoon globs of the lukewarm, gritty sludge into your mouth, a wave of... mild drowsiness washes over you.  The world doesn't dissolve into a kaleidoscope of cosmic truths; it just gets a bit blurry, like you've misplaced your spectacles.

Your surroundings shift.  You find yourself standing at a counter.  The air smells of stale ale and roasted boar.  A gruff woman, who you vaguely recognize as Helga, wipes the counter with a damp rag. "What'll it be?" she grunts.

You scan the menu board.  Roast Boar on Rye.  Rolton Sausage.  Pickled Gnollish Delight.  "I'll have the Roast Boar on Rye.  No mustard," you respond.

Helga nods.  Your request is apparently acceptable.  "Coming right up."  She turns to slice the bread.

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]

And then... you're back.  You blink, the taste of the soup still lingering on your tongue.  Bomblemagoria is peering at you expectantly.

"Well?" he asks, his eyes wide.  "Did you see the clockwork elves?  The birth of a star?  The man with the hat?"

You shake your head slowly.  "I... I ordered a sandwich."

The shaman stares at you, his expression a mixture of confusion and disappointment.  He seems to deflate slightly.  "You ordered a sandwich?"

You nod.  "I ordered a sandwich."

The shaman continues to stare at you.  "You ordered a sandwich.  Well, that's... disappointing."

[Use QUEST CONTINUE to proceed.]

He scurries over to his dusty pile of books and pulls out a large, leather-bound grimoire.  He flips through the pages, his finger tracing lines of text.  "Aha!  Of course!" he exclaims, a look of dawning understanding on his face.

"I forgot the... spicy bits!  The parts that make the cosmos sit up and take notice!  My apologies, my enthusiastic assistant.  It seems we need a few more items to truly pierce the veil."

He clears his throat and reads from the book: "Five each of: withered deathblossoms, twisted black mawflowers, mass of congealed slime, and... wait, what?  Ah, yes, Elanthian insanity peppers.  The peppers are known to be carried by darkly inked fetish masters.  Those other ingredients?  Also in the Rift.  Not my cup of tea, but should be no problem for you!"

"Off you go!  Find these for me, and we'll try this again.  This time with more... cosmic kick!"

[You can use QUEST INFO to see the list of requested ingredients.]
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Step 10:

>quest info 2
Name:          Shadow's Descent
Rewards:       Mechanical
Prerequisites: Completion of quest A Sparkling Ascent.

You are currently undertaking this quest.

Bomblemagoria requested that you fetch these ingredients:
  - a withered deathblossom (5 remaining)
  - a twisted black mawflower (5 remaining)
  - a mass of congealed slime (5 remaining)
  - an Elanthian insanity pepper (5 remaining)

forage rift herbs

kill fetish masters in the scatter for peppers peppers drop AT YOUR FEET like gemstones do.

return to kobold shaman 6268

GIVE him all the things

bring soup to next step

graveyard hut 7366

lie down and drink soup

hiwi artificer

hive room 34269 boss fight. may be difficult for some builds

hiwi artificer not a fight, you just get OBLITERATED

you land in IMT TC dead with T3 wounds everywhere

return to artificer

remember to quest complete

and do accept the 4 new repeatable quests.