Trial of the Seeker

I'm not sure if you are aware of it, but the magical creatures have been acting very strange lately. They seem to be organizing for something. I am sure this is a bad sign.

We must find out what those mutants are up to! While it is important to have young volunteers like yourself in service to the kingdom, this particular task requires someone that is skilled in concealment and scouting. I don't think you are up to the task...

If you know anyone that possesses these skills, please tell me.

(This quest may only be performed by Rogues, Elven Scouts, or Assassins of level 35 or higher.)

Our kingdom is being threatened by mutants! I am in need of guild members skilled in concealment and scouting. I think you will be very useful once you gain a bit more experience.

If you successfully complete this task the guild will acknowledge your skills and you will find it easier to change to a higher level occupation. Please come back to me when you have more experience. I will be waiting for you.

(This quest may only be performed by Rogues, Elven Scouts, or Assassins of level 35 or higher.)

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but the mutants have been behaving strange lately. They have been forming gangs and looting local regions, and their recent movements have become more organized and accurate. I am sure this a very bad sign.

Overwhelming force would probably be the best way to deal with this threat, but our forces are away at war...

• Ask about the solution

For now, the guild has decided to keep our investigation of this matter secret. For that we must have the aid of guild members skilled in concealment and scouting, like yourself. Of course, you must also be able to defend yourself in dangerous situations. Conflict with the mutants will be unavoidable... I must warn you, your life will be at great risk.

But such is the life of a Scout. This is a great opportunity to prove your skills... Will you lend us your aid?

• Say that you are willing to help.

Good! I think it'd be easier to investigate if you slayed a few of the mutant magical creatures first. But... once the investigation reaches a certain point, you'll run into problems that you can't handle by yourself.

I'll introduce you to someone that may be of help to you. His name is Hawkeye, he acts the part of a common master, but he was once a great Assassin. He was nicknamed 'Hawkeye' for never failing to achieve his mission or eliminate his target. Take this letter to him and request his aid.

I have written the identity of this person in the letter, so keep that in mind. Don't tell anyone about this, your utmost discretion is needed, and be careful.

Very well! This is just my opinion, but I suspect that it will be easier for you to first find and kill some of those evil mutants and then investigate. Once your investigation reaches a certain point, howver, I'm reasonably certain that you will encounter a situation you cannot handle by yourself.

Let me introduce you to someone who might be able to assist you. He is currently in hiding, masquerading like any other master, but in his day he was a feared assassin known as "Hawkeye." His targets could never escape his ruthless aim. Take this letter to him and ask him for help.

I have included some additional information about him for your enlightenment. Please be careful that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Also, take this Dimension Diamond. You can trade this Dimension Diamond for something special from the village gatekeeper, and it will help you a lot on your journey.

You will find the name of the person you seek in this letter. You must leave at once! Don't forget, you must not be seen by anyone!

I expect great things from you. Should this task go well, I shall acknowledge your talents and lend you my aid should you want to change to a higher level occupation. May the divine light of Einhasad shine on you always.

This is the report of Terry, the Hawkeye! Pardon me a moment while I peruse this . . . Hmmm . . . the children of Shilen! Oh my -- it seems as though they have finally begun to act on a large scale . . .

Well, enough of that for now. My thanks for a job well done. We'll handle it from here. Terry was impressed with your skills, and I see no reason to doubt him. As a token of our thanks, please accept this Mark of Seeker from our guild.

Your efforts may have made the difference in our ability to weather the coming storm. Thank you! I wish you every good fortune as you depart.

Ah, a letter from Master Dufner... Yes, I am he who was once called the 'Hawkeye'. But Hawkeye is no more... You can't possibly expect me to revive Hawkeye now... That is too much. ...Only Master Dufner would ask such a favor... It was he who helped me abandon Hawkeye and settle down in this town...

• "Please help me."

Well... I guess I have no choice. I have been curious about the increase in those mutations... But first you must do me a favor. I will need some time to revive Hawkeye. In the meantime, I need you to do some planning and scout the area.

We need a rough Map of the monsters' mutations. You must capture one and bring it to me. We will make our next move according to what we find.

• "Which monster should I investigate?"

We'll begin with the one living closest to this town. That would be Neer Ghoul Berserker. At the east Execution Grounds you will find many neer crawlers. Among them you will find Neer Ghoul Berserker. Catch him, take anything you find on him and come back to me right away.

Why are you still here? You must go to the eastern Execution Grounds and catch the Neer Ghoul Berserker among the flock of Neer Crawlers.

Search him and bring back to me anything that you find.

Any good news? Oh, what is this? A bezoar?! Hmm, no wonder Dufner asked me to investigate. Hmm...

Wait a moment... If this is how it turns out, I'll just have to push ahead with the plan... However, this plan might be a bit tough for you. Will that be okay?

• Ask about the plan.

You must heed my every word. We each have our own tasks to do. While I am away you must investigate the mutations one at a time.

They are Ol Mahum Captain, Turek Orc Warlord, Ant Captain, and Turak Bugbear Warrior... That's it. I expect that they each have a bezoar planted in their bodies.

The problem is that these creatures are all very aggressive, even more so than normal.

But I think you can handle it... Do you need any more information?

• "I need more information."

Since time is of the essence we must attack them systematically. Now listen carefully!

The Ol Mahum Captain can be found near the Fortress of Resistance in the northeast.

Next you must go to Gludio, which is quite a distance away. I guess it is becoming obvious that these mutations happened simultaneously in several places around the world.

You can find the Turek Orc Warlord at the Orc Barracks in the northern part of Gludio.

You can find the Ant Captain in the Wastelands of Gludio. Try the underground Ant's Nest. You should not attempt this one alone...

And last, the most dangerous of them all... Have you ever seen the so-called Turak bugbears wandering about Gorgon Flower Garden in Giran? Turak bugbear Warriors are their leaders.

Now then, let's get busy. You start your task and I shall follow you soon thereafter.

I hope your investigation is going well? Time is short so you must hurry. Do you remember your task? You must hunt Ol Mahum Captains, Turek Orc Warlords, Ant Captain, and Turak Bugbear Warriors... Catch them and collect the bezoars from their bodies.

I am not sure if it is due to the bezoars, but they are behaving very aggressively. Please, be careful.

• "I need more information."

All right, I see that you were successful! Now we can start to work on the investigation. I have been to Giran Castle where I acquired the secret documents necessary for solving this case...

Now, I must do more research on these documents. Can I ask you one more favor?

• "What do you want me to do?"

Take this letter and the box containing the bezoars to Viktor of the Hunter's Village.

He is an expert in such matters. Back when I was called Hawkeye, he was known as the clairvoyant. He is quite well known for being an excellent source of information, even to this day. I am sure he'll be able to find something out from the bezoars. He owns a shop at the moment... A very unlikely occupation for him...

Anyway, take this letter to him. Tell him that Hawkeye sent you, he will talk to you. If he feigns a lack of understanding, say 'Altebar Karryos' loudly. That is my real name. By the way, he never does anything for free... He will probably ask you for something. In that case, use your own judgement.

I am sure you shall do your best!

Take the letter and box to Viktor in the Hunter's Village. I already told you my real name, right? Do you remember it?

What did you say to Viktor? He thinks you are a liar!

Did you forget my real name, by any chance? I shall repeat it once more! My true name is Altebar Karryos. I took my current moniker 'Terry' from the second letters in my real name.

Anyway, I shall write you another letter. Go and meet Viktor again.

Hurry! You must go to Viktor from the Hunter's Village! Don't forget to take special care of the box containing the bezoars. Viktor is very skilled and knowledgeable and will be of great help in the investigation of the bezoars.

We must hurry and discover the meaning of the bezoars! Now that we have Viktor's trust we should get to the bottom of this!

So, this is the report on the findings about the bezoar! Good job. I mean it! It must not have been easy to get information from that hard-to-please Viktor. How is he doing? Dufner, me and Viktor used to hang around together way back when. That brings back memories... Are his explanations still so hard to understand? Anyway, I shall have to look into the results.

Let me see... My bad premonitions are always right in these cases. I had hoped that this time I was wrong... Damn it! This can't be!

• Ask what is wrong.

I am sure you are aware that creatures who have an Abyss Spirit Ore inside them have exceptional intelligence... The matter would not be so dangerous if that's all there was to it, but these creatures are extremely hostile towards Elves, Dark Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and Humans. Do you understand why those creatures have become so aggressive?... They are very clever so they will surely influence their fellow creatures... Imagine the carnage if they incite the others!

I am convinced that this has something to do with the Goddess Shilen. The dark powers of Shilen are the origin of the Dark Bezoars... It is said the Goddess of Darkness and the original Goddess of Water traveled east, where she created many different magical creatures. It is quite alarming how many years have passed and only now are Shilen's powers are being detected in the monsters.

The most frightening part we have learned from this experiment is that the Dark Bezoar is contagious. Moreover, according to Marina's experiment, these Bezoars are not natural, but manufactured.

The road ahead will be rough. We will both be tested to our limits. Certainly you wouldn't abandon the investigation at this point?

• Ask about the next tasks

The next part of the task holds more danger than you have ever seen. Regardless of the urgency I cannot pressure you to make such a momentous decision. I don't think you will survive... Why don't you go and get more training?

I think you are ready for the next task. Being contaminated by a Dark Bezoar is somewhat worrisome, but according to Marina's research, the contamination is limited to only a few creatures. You must destroy those hosts.

Marsh Stakato Drones, Breka Orc Overlords, Ant Warrior Captains, and Leto Lizardman Warriors are the monsters you must hunt. Of course, these creatures all have aggressive tendencies. Extract the Dark Bezoars from their bodies.

Do you know where they are??

• "Where are they?"

Marsh Stakato Drones can be found in the Cruma Marshlands north of Dion. It is a dangerous monster, so take care. You must try to avoid attacking them from a close distance when they are in groups. You must lure them away before fighting.

You have already seen many Breka Orc Overlords, yes? They are located in Breka's Stronghold. The same goes for them. When they are in a group, do not attack them.

The Ant Warrior Captains can be found below the Wastelands in the Ant's Nest. I presume you have already seen them when you were hunting the Ant Captain? He is very fierce.

The Leto Lizardmen Warrior is the one you must be most wary of. He is the most dangerous of all, and may be too strong for you even now.

We don't have much time. I must ask you to take the risk, and do your best, though it is a tough task. If you have friends that you can trust, it would be good to take them with you. Leto Lizardmen Warriors can be found on the Plains of the Lizardmen.

Good luck to you, then!

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you are not ready yet. Come back when you have completed more training.

I think you are sufficiently prepared now. I will tell you about the next task. Being contaminated by a Dark Bezoar is something to worry about; however, according to Marina's research, the contamination seems to be limited to only a few creatures. I want you to be in charge of getting rid of those hosts.

Marsh stakato drones, Breka Orc overlords, noble ant leaders, and Leto Lizardmen warriors are on the list. Of course, these creatures all have tendencies to be aggressive. Extract the Dark Bezoars from their bodies.

Do you know where you can find them?

• Ask for detailed information

How is the hunting going? Being contaminated by a Dark Bezoar is something to worry about; however, according to Marina's research, the contamination seems to be limited to only a few creatures. I want you to be in charge of getting rid of those hosts.

Marsh Stakato Drones, Breka Orc Overlords, Ant Warrior Captains, and Leto Lizardman Warriors are on the list. Of course, these creatures all have tendencies to be aggressive. Extract the Dark Bezoars from their bodies.

Do you know where you can find them?

• Ask for detailed information

So, there are 4 Dark Bezoars altogether! I am so glad to see you alive. Master Dufner, he still has the sense for recognizing talented people. Thanks to you, I could solve the problem in a short hour.

Oh, I guess you must also be curious about the results? I secretly found out that there was a group of people called the 'children of Shilen' behind this case. Did you ever hear of the name? They are the followers of Shilen who are looking forward to the resurrection of their Goddess. They are working secretly so few people know about them. The Royal palace is busy enough dealing with the war, and they have no time to take measures against them.

This is becoming a serious matter now that it turned out to be their organization that is related to this case. This is not something that we can just overlook. I shall have to report this. This is a report which contains the details on this case. Take it to Master Dufner. He will take care of the rest. You have done a good job, thank you.

I thought that you had returned to Giran! Master Dufner must be wondering where you are. Go there now. We will meet again...

A clairvoyant? Me? What do you mean? I never had such a nickname. You must be thinking about someone else. If you want to buy anything, I will treat you with respect. Otherwise, buzz off!

• Show him Terry's Letter.

Terry? Who the hell is this? What idiot sent me this letter! What a pain in the ass. OK, well then, I'll give it a try.

Wait...! This sign... Hawkeye?! Could this be true that Hawkeye is still alive? His name is now 'Master Terry'? Ha! Good joke! He had so many enemies that I thought surely that one of them would have killed him by now...

• "Hawkeye is still alive!"

That is wonderful news! Ha, what a surprise. By the way, if you are truly sent by Hawkeye, you should know what his real name is... What is it?

• Alberto Terrious
• Altebar Karryos
• Terrious junior
• Terry

Well, we'll just chalk that one up to a fuzzy memory. Tell me again! What is his real name?

• Alberto Terrious
• Altebar Karryos
• Terrious junior
• Terry

You... Who are you? Bug off!

If it is true that you have simply forgotten the name, then go back and find out what it is!

Yes I see that you are indeed sent by Hawkeye. I thought I recognized his handwriting...

You are right, I am the clairvoyant Viktor. By the way, I see from the letter that it is regarding a very serious matter.

• Show him the bezoars.

Hmm, what is this? So these are the bezoars...Ok, I see. You want me to check out these bezoars?

You must realize that there is no such thing as pro bono in my occupation. I am sure you are aware of that already? Even though you were probably sent by the Hawkeye, my services won't be absolutely free. So, what do you have?

• "Yes"
• "No"

Don't lie to me, mister. I can tell by your shabby clothes that you have nothing of value. That equipment? Worthless!

• "Then what is it that you want?"

Hey, young fellow. Are you an idiot?

• "Then what is it that you want?"

Hmm, let me think... Yes! I am involved in a secret project these days. I don't have the time to do everything alone. Would you please help me?

• Say you will do the favor.

Ah, good, so we understand each other. Now that we have come to an understanding I feel closer to you. You seem to understand me.

Anyway, let me fill you in on my project. In Giran there is a monster called the Medusa. Have you seen her already? This Medusa is, in fact...oops, no, this is a secret. I am sorry but this cannot be heard by anyone.

Anyway, my point is that I want you to kill the Medusa and bring 10 of its scales. Then I shall give you the information you seek. Welcome to my project, I will be counting on you.

Yes I see that you are indeed sent by Hawkeye. I was already fairly certain...

You are right, I am the clairvoyant Viktor. I see from the letter that this is a very serious matter.

• Show the letter from Hawkeye.

Did you forget my request already? I asked you to find 10 scales of Medusa for me. I shall begin my research on the bezoars, trusting you to do your part.

1, 2, 3... 10! Yes you have brought all 10 of them. Ha ha...This takes me one step further in my plan... Ha ha ha!

Did I say that out loud? Never mind, I was just daydreaming...

You have proven yourself and I shall give you the information you seek. While you were hunting I was studying the bezoar.

It is also known as 'Abyss Spirit Ore'. It is often associated with Shilen, the Goddess of Abyss. How do I know this? When you flash a particular wavelength of light, the emanation of the refraction-dispersion creates a typical distribution of Ruper's curve. If you magnify the pattern, apply the Magnus' constant, compare it by Bernu's analysis, you will find a shape similar to Shilen's pattern between the 8th and the 9th diagram... What does this mean? It means that this bezoar is related to Shilen. I could tell you more but you wouldn't understand.

However, there is one problem.

• "What is the problem?"

The appearance of the pattern is very irregular. The probabilities are random and its condition is still a mystery. Moreover, I don't understand why the bezoar is only found in the body of an aggressive monster. We must send it to Marina to find out more specifics...

She is a Magister in the Ivory Tower of Oren. She is an acquaintance of mine. Take this letter detailing the results of my research and requesting assistance to Magister Marina of the Ivory Tower.

Find Magister Marina in the Ivory Tower of Oren. Don't forget to show her the letter that I gave you. She is an expert in this area.

I am sure Marina will be able to discover the secrets of the bezoar. Report her findings to Master Terry. Good luck!

Ah, a letter is from Viktor... I thought he was focused on his business these days but I guess not... Hawkeye?! Is it still around? What joy the sound of that name brings me! There was a time when...

Oh my, I mustn't go on in front of a guest... Shall we get down to business? My analysis may take some time. These things can get quite complicated. Perhaps you could do me a favor while I work? It will help my analysis as well...

• Agree to do the favor.

Thank you. It shouldn't be too difficult. I ordered an item a few days ago from Mr. Brunon the Blacksmith of the Dwarven Village. I have been too busy to pick it up. Could you please go and pick it up for me? Thank you!

Go to Blacksmith Brunon of the Dwarven Village and bring back to me what I ordered from him.

Ah, thank you. This will make the work go much faster. Now, let's do the final check. This will conclude my analysis and most likely prove my theory...

• Wait for the experiment results

Hmm...Let's see, 2 drops of Medusa's Blood, 3 spoons of the bugbear's molar tooth powder, 1 drop of inpichio's poison ... ...Good!

It's done. Just as I expected! But this doesn't make me happy... In fact it confirms my worst nightmares... Too bad, really.

Take the results of my analysis to Hawk..., no, to Master Terry. I will send one to Viktor. He will explain it fully to you. Now hurry!

Please take the results of my analysis to Master Terry. And hurry! This information is troubling.

Oh, a letter from Marina! She must be too busy to come herself. I've done a lot of business with her, but I still can't figure her out! I understand she's had a great past...

Anyways, here's what she asked for. Be careful! It's fragile.

Take this to Marina at once! Be careful, it's very fragile.