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Stop the Dominion from getting Zuuk's keystone.
Zone: Shadowfen
Objective: Zuuk — Stop Dominion forces from taking Zuuk's keystone.
Quest Giver: Lodyna Arethi
Location(s): Zuuk
Next Quest: Into the Temple
Reward: Helm of the Last Captain
High Leveled Gold
XP Gain: High Experience XP
ID: 3717
Free the subjects
The Dominion is searching for a keystone in Zuuk. I need to find it before they do.


Quick WalkthroughEdit

  1. Talk to Lodyna Arethi.
  2. Free Drillk from the Dominion.
  3. Collect materials to forge a crown.
  4. Take the crown to Drillk.
  5. Acquire a Scroll of Release and free Drillk's people.
  6. Return to Drillk.
  7. Escort Drillk to the tower.

Detailed WalkthroughEdit

Speak to Lodyna Arethi to begin the quest:

"Not so loud. You'll betray our position."
What are you doing?
"I'm one of the vicecanon's scouts. I've been watching Dominion activity in Zuuk for days.
Zuuk has been abandoned for years, the only one who lives there now is a crazy Kothringi. The Dominion tied him up in the center of the village."
What's happening now?
"They're searching for a magical relic called a keystone. If they find it, they could cause much havoc in Shadowfen.
Maybe that Kothringi can help us find it before the Dominion does. Could you infiltrate Zuuk and rescue him?"
Yes, I can.
"Be careful with that Kothringi. From what I've seen, he seems a bit unstable.
That's if he's really a Kothringi. He'd be the last of his kind."

Head to the ruins of Zuuk; the Kothringi man, Drillk, is imprisoned directly on the spot marked by the area's map marker. If you're just slightly careful, you can sprint almost in a straight line directly between all groups of enemies, reaching Drillk without having to fight anyone. Speak to Drillk:

"You there! Untie us."
Us? There's only one of you.
"We understand you would not recognize royalty when tied to a pillar. Therefore, we request you untie us."
Do you know anything about Zuuk's keystone?
"Perhaps.
But we can think of nothing while our kingdom lies in ruins. We slowly comprehend what a boar must feel while trussed up and awaiting a feast."
I'll untie you.

Once freed, Drillk will dart to a house right next to the pillar, inviting you to follow: "Follow us! Our castle is nearby." Follow him inside the house, where you'll find him seated on an ornate throne. Speak to him:

"You've proven yourself worthy of becoming one of our subjects. What is your name?"
My name is <<Your Name Here>>.
"Then we conscript you into our service. We are King Drillk, your liege lord.
We will entertain your petitions, should you have any."
Where is the keystone?
"When our kingdom is secure and our dignity restored, the keystone will reveal itself. So says the prophecy!
The first order of business is to create a new crown. We sense your reluctance, but nothing can be done without our crown."
Only if your crown leads to the keystone.
"Splendid! When you recover enough materials around our kingdom, use the anvil to shape it.
Here's a smithing hammer, loyal subject. We are, after all, a benevolent monarch."
I'll return shortly.
[Intimidate] Dominion soldiers destroy your kingdom as we speak. How important is your crown?
"A canny one. We dare not question your honor when it fills you to the brim!
It's true, we need no crown to be king. But how can we rule with our subjects in perilous danger?"
Which subjects?
"The invaders bind our subjects with foul magics. They hold Lleram, Dethrel, and Sarase in our lowlands.
When mages bind the helpless, they keep a Scroll of Release at hand. Find one of those scrolls and free our bound subjects!"
How do you know all this?
"A good king listens to his people.
We hear their pleas, day and night. Even now, they speak to us. We find it curious you cannot also hear their cries."
I'll free your subjects.

Choosing to intimidate Drillk will bypass the process of constructing a new crown, and skip right to Drillk asking your assistance freeing his people, and direct you to find the Scroll of Release.

If you choose to create a new crown, the nearest house and surrounding area will contain the Metal Band and all three pieces of Colored Glass needed to construct it. After collecting all the materials, Drillk's Crown can be forged just outside the same house. Once the crown is given to him, he will ask you to free his people and direct you to find the Scroll of Release to do so.

The scroll is located in a campsite about halfway between Zuuk's map marker and the nearest wayshrine, to the west. You'll find the scroll resting on a table. Take it, and then head for Drillk's subjects. Dethrel is held to the west, Sarase to the north, and Lleram to the south. Each subject is actively being bound by two Dominion Pyromages; kill the mages and then interact with the bound Kothringi to free them.

Once each spirit is freed, return to Drillk and inform him of your success:

"We no longer hear the wailing of our people. Have you freed them?"
The people I rescued were spirits.
"Spirits? Nonsense!
Come, we'll show you. Our subjects await a royal declaration at the castle tower. It's not every day you'll have the honor of escorting a king through his dominion!"
I need the keystone.
"And you shall have it, according to prophecy. "The king in his tower declaims the keystone's hour." Have no fear, your king shall be the vessel of your deliverance!"
I'll escort you to the tower.

The tower is to the north, just past the ruin entrance visible on your map. You'll encounter several Dominion infantry along the way, looting houses and searching the ruins. Inside the tower, you'll find three statues — of Lleram, Sarase, and Dethrel, respectively — standing, heads bowed, in a circle around a rug in the center of the room. Step close to the rug, and Drillk will follow you and stand atop it, saying, "We have returned! Rejoice, your king reclaims his kingdom! Long have invaders occupied our lands, but do not be afraid, for our royal army has a new captain." He will then motion to you: "Come now, address the people, captain."

Speak to Drillk to complete the quest:

"Why are you speaking to us? Address our citizens, captain of the royal army!"
Drillk, I need that keystone.
"You don't wish to become captain of the royal army? We apologize, but the only other position is royal consort. Though we seek to cause no offense, you simply don't intrigue us in that fashion."

When the quest is completed, blue light will surge around Drillk, and he'll ask, "What's happening?" The spirits of Lleram, Sarase, and Dethrel will reappear, with Sarase imploring Drillk, "Drillk! Remember your duty!" Beams of green light will blast out of the spirits and directly into Drillk for a few seconds; the spirits will then disappear as Drillk falls to the floor.

Drillk will utter, "The keystone... I remember it now."

NotesEdit

Quest StagesEdit

King of Dust
Finishes Quest Journal Entry
I should speak with the Kothringi held in Zuuk to see if he can help me find the keystone.
Objective: Free the Kothringi in Zuuk
I need to speak to the Kothringi at his "castle" in Zuuk.
Objective: Talk to Drillk
Drillk asked me to free his subjects being held by invaders in the lowlands next to the village. I should be able to steal a Scroll of Release from the invader's camp to free them.
Objective: Steal a Scroll of Release
Drillk asked me to free Zuuk subjects captured by the invaders. I took a Scroll of Release that should unlock the binding spell that ensnares them.
Objective: Free Dethrel
Objective: Free Lleram
Objective: Free Sarase
I freed the subjects of Zuuk, though they weren't living, they were spirits. I should report this information to Drillk.
Objective: Talk to Drillk
Drillk spoke of a prophecy revealing the keystone at the castle tower. I need to escort Drillk to his tower where I expect to find the keystone.
Objective: Escort Drillk to the Tower
Finishes quest  Drillk declared me the captain of his royal army. Now that he has addressed his "subjects," I should speak to Drillk about the keystone.
Objective: Talk to Drillk
Notes
* Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the game and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
  • Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
  • Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.