Ruins of Surmia

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Ruins of Surmia
Campaign	Prophecies
Region	Ascalon
Type	Cooperative
Party size	4
Duration	Long
Preceded by	Ruins of Surmia
Followed by	Nolani Academy

The Charr have retreated, but some members of the Ascalon Army have been taken prisoner! Rescue the survivors.

[edit] Mission information

[edit] Objectives

Rescue the soldiers taken prisoner by the Charr.

• Safeguard Prince Rurik's life.
• Free all the Ascalon captives.
• Get to the obelisks inside the ruined academy.
• Added Cross the ravine and also open the drawbridge for Rurik and Erol.
• Bonus Extinguish the Flame Temple by defeating the Flame Keepers.

[edit] Walkthrough

For the first part of the mission you need to follow Rurik. He is a quite capable tank, but sometimes he will rush ahead of you and become overwhelmed. If he dies, the mission is over. Free the numerous Ascalonians along the way, including Erol, who will join you for the rest of the mission.

Once you arrive at a closed drawbridge, you will have to leave Rurik and Erol behind while you find a way to lower the drawbridge for them. You can get to the other side by following the tar pit that flows underneath the bridge. You can enter this pit from the north-west of the bridge. Follow this path to the other side of the bridge and activate the lever to rejoin with Rurik and Erol.

Follow Rurik again until you free several mages. Place them on the obelisks at the end of the mission or keep them close to you while you defend Rurik at the final stand.

[edit] Bonus

After leaving Rurik and Erol near the closed drawbridge, head north, then east down the slope across the tar pit. On your left you should see a Charr boss guarding an Ascalonian soldier named Breena Stavinson at point 2 on the map.

Kill the boss and talk to Breena. She will tell you that the Charr occasionally bring "new fire" to a nearby flame temple to keep the flame burning. At this point, four Charr Ember Bearers will spawn nearby. They will make their way west, eventually opening a locked gate at point 4. Do not kill them before they open this gate or you will not be able to complete the bonus. If you aggro the Ember Bearers, the bonus can be saved by running or only killing some of them. As long as an Ember Bearer lives to carry the flame, the bonus is not a failure.

Head to point 3 on the map, after the Charr Ember Bearers have opened the gate for you. Four Charr Flamekeepers are guarding a small flame temple; kill them to complete the bonus.

An alternate method of completing the bonus is with the Necromancer skill Necrotic Traversal. You can go around (through the tar under the bridge) and follow the path. You eventually reach the other gate, opposite to where the Ember Bearers usually enter. If you kill one of the Charr, you can use Necrotic Traversal to teleport through the gate to the corpse. Then you can kill the Flamekeepers as mentioned above. This is useful if you accidentally kill the Ember Bearers before they reach the gate. The only downfall of this is that the gate will remain locked after the bonus is completed so you will have no way to get out of the gated area. If your allies, heroes, or henchmen can lure a fleshy enemy near the opposite side of the gate and kill it, you can use Necrotic Traversal to get back over and resume the mission.

[edit] Hard mode

Kill the first Devourer boss you meet and be prepared for Prince Rurik to run ahead. Keep up with him and make sure he lives or you will fail the mission. After the Charr, Rurik will stop rushing ahead, until you get closer to one of the prison cells containing the Ascalon Prisoners.

Leave Rurik and Erol at the drawbridge, make your way around to the other side, but do not pull the lever. If you do, you'll fight wave after wave of Charr that you saw below. Instead, follow the path down and carefully lure (pull) out one group of 2-3 Charr at a time. One member can pull a group and tank them in the outcropping of the wall that leads down to the Charr horde; while casters stand around the corner at a safer distance. Once you clear out the Charr here, you may want to go back to the path and follow it down to the trapped Mages. There are two groups fairly close to each other, so you may want to clear it, before going back and rejoining Rurik. Meet back up with Rurik and wait for him to open the door, after all of the Charr have been dealt with.

If you are doing this with henchmen or heroes, be careful when dealing with Charr Fire Callers and Charr Flame Wielders, as their Meteor Shower can easily kill your casters. Make sure you move them away from the spell AoE in case they are targeted by the group. It is also advisable to prioritize Plague Devourers when you face Devourer groups to eliminate the possibility of corpses being exploited for Putrid Explosion.

Before you enter the area containing the obelisks, a small group of Charr will attack from behind containing a shaman. If using henchman and heroes, they will not attack the shaman first, wasting time to dispatch them and possibly allowing the prince to be killed.

When you reach the area containing the obelisks, you'll see a boss protecting the entrance. It is advisable to leave him alive while you take the groups that patrol below. They are packed tightly together, and you may not be able to pull properly, especially if you are using a minion master. The boss will provide a chance to recharge your resurrection signets, if your party overaggroes.

[edit] Skill recommendations

It is a good idea to take Pain Inverter to take care of the Fire Callers and Flame Wielders when combined with a minion master.

Ebon Vanguard skills and title can be used for added damage and armor.

The Ash Walkers/Ashen Claws use Lingering Curse with several degeneration hexes, making this tough for a monk at full energy, much less one burned out from two previous mobs. Convert Hexes is recommended on any secondary monks as support here.

Bug.

The Flame that the Ember Bearers carry can get stuck on the wall of the tar pit, the Ember Bearers will carry on but when they get to the gate it doesn't open. However, if you pull them near The Flame and run off it will begin to follow them again.

Bug.

Sometimes Breena doesn't appear at point 2, possibly killed by the Charr boss near her. When this happens, you'll have to restart the mission and try again.

Bug.

Rurik may aggro the Ember Bearers, making the bonus impossible: he either kills them (failing the bonus) or is killed (failing the mission).

Bug.

Prince Rurik can sometimes get blocked by a chest or get stuck on the stairs before the tar area. If this happens, you'll have to restart the mission and try again.

[edit] NPCs

[edit] Allies

Human

• 10 (20) Prince Rurik
• 7 (20) Ascalon Prisoner
• 7 (20) Erol
• 7 (20) Mage
• 4 (20) Breena Stavinson

[edit] Foes

Charr

• 8 (23) Charr Axe Fiend
• 8 (23) Charr Blade Storm
• 6 (23) Charr Blade Warrior
• 8 (23) Ember Bearer
• 8 (23) Charr Hunter
• 6 (23) Charr Stalker
• 5 (23) Charr Martyr
• 7 (23) Charr Shaman
• 6 (23) Charr Ash Walker
• 8 (23) Charr Ashen Claw
• 8 (23) Charr Chaot
• 6 (23) Charr Mind Spark
• 6 (23) Charr Fire Caller
• 7 (23) Flame Keeper
• 8 (23) Charr Flame Wielder

Devourer

• 4 (22) Carrion Devourer
• 8 (23) Carrion Devourer
• 4 (22) Whiptail Devourer
• 7 (23) Whiptail Devourer
• 3 (22) Plague Devourer
• 8 (23) Plague Devourer

[edit] Bosses

Charr

• 9 (27) Puugh the Slasher
• 7 (26) Fling Bloodpelt
• 9 (27) Scaar Sternclaw
• 9 (27) Burr Mankiller
• 9 (27) Scint the Malign
• 9 (27) Slaug Firehide

Devourer

• 9 (27) Gnash Underfoot
• 9 (27) Hurl Foulspine
• 9 (27) Fester Fang

[edit] Dialogue

"Quickly! This way! Follow me. Our countrymen suffer while we dawdle."

"As a boy I spent much time in these lands. Look at them now.

Prince Rurik: Instead of ponds and streams we have pools of bubbling tar and rivers of sludge. It saddens me to see Ascalon in ruins.

Rescuing first prisoners

Prince Rurik: These men can head back to the Wall by themselves. We must continue on and release the others. There is no time to lose.

Rescuing second prisoners

Prince Rurik: These men can head back to the Wall by themselves.

Prince Rurik: There are still others we must free before our mission is complete.

Prince Rurik: Follow me.

At the drawbridge

Prince Rurik: The bridge is up, but it looks as if it can be lowered from the other side.

Prince Rurik: I'll wait here with Erol.

Prince Rurik: You find another way across and lower the bridge for us.

Crossing the drawbridge

Prince Rurik: This is a fight we cannot win.

Prince Rurik: we must avoid a confrontation with that group at all costs.

Prince Rurik: Come with me. I grew up in this city, and I know a way around them.

Prince Rurik: Our only chance is to run for the obelisks in the ruins of the Royal Academy.

Prince Rurik: Bring those men. I have a plan.

"As a boy, I studied at this academy. It's been some time, but if you can hold off the Charr

Prince Rurik: I can activate the old runes and open a gate that could save our skins.

"Come to the fore, O sons of Ascalon.
We fight once more, the battle lines are drawn.
Now join the men who live to guard us all.
Go and defend atop the Northern Wall.
Fear not the cost, whether in blood or gold.
Mourn not the lost, though they will not grow old.
If here they fall, we know they shall live on,
When e'er you call or cry, For Ascalon! For Ascalon!"

[edit] Cinematics

For more information see Ruins of Surmia (cinematics).

[edit] Cinematic 1

Prince Rurik: "Gods! How long have you been out here, man?"

Erol: "I don't know. Since my unit was taken at the end of the last Guild War. Since the sky rained fire and destroyed Ascalon."

Prince Rurik: "You've been here since the Searing? That's over two years!"

Prince Rurik: "Are there others?"

Erol: "Yes. The remnants of my unit, the Flaming Scepter Mages."

Prince Rurik: "Soldiers who have been slaves since the end of the war?"

Erol: "They're being held in the ruins of the old capital, Drascir."

Prince Rurik: "Then we go to Drascir."

Erol: "My Lord, night is falling. If we don't head for the Wall now, we may all be captured."

Prince Rurik: "I understand the dangers, but Balthazar be damned if I allow those soldiers to remain slaves to the Charr."

Erol: "I can show you where they are being held."

Prince Rurik: "Very good."

Prince Rurik: "We head north then. To Drascir."

[edit] Cinematic 2

Prince Rurik: "Quickly, this way."

<Party leader>: "That was close!"

Prince Rurik: "Yes, closer than I'd hoped."

Prince Rurik: "This portal will take us to the Academy at Nolani."

Prince Rurik: "From there we can make it to the Wall and cross over to Rin."

Prince Rurik: "We should hurry though, the magical wards will hold back the Charr, but not for long."

Erol: "Wait, my lord. Come, look at what I have found."

Prince Rurik: "Is that...?"

Erol: "Yes, my prince. I believe it is the mouthpiece for the fabled horn, Stormcaller!"

Erol: "With this weapon we could destroy the Charr once and for all. Ascalon could be saved."

Prince Rurik: "I have heard the stories of the horn's magic, but let us not be too hasty."

Prince Rurik: "If this is what you say it is, then we must get it to Rin. We'll see for ourselves how much power this Stormcaller has."

Prince Rurik: "Come. We'll take this to my father, King Adelbern."

Prince Rurik: "Surely he will know if discovering this weapon is our salvation...or simply too late."

Prince Rurik: "Either way, staying here will surely be the death of us."

Prince Rurik: "Quickly, through the portal!"

[edit] Notes

• Interactive objects
  • Lever (lowers drawbridge)
  • Lever (closes east gate)
  • Lever (opens east gate)
  • Historical Monument of Surmia (required for the quest Cities of Ascalon)
• Complete exploration of this mission contributes approximately 1.1% to the Tyrian Cartographer title. There are some hard to get areas in the northern tar pit that most players usually miss.
• During this mission the Flaming Scepter Mages are called "Mage" before they take place at the obelisks. It is advisable not to talk to them or they might not hold the obelisks making the mission harder.
• Non-Prophecies characters will not receive any reward for completing this mission on normal mode.
• The mission objectives doesn't require Erol to survive and the mission will not end if he dies; however, if he does die, the mission will continue as if he hadn't died in several instances:
  • The additional objective ("Cross the ravine and also open the drawbridge for Rurik and Erol") and Prince Rurik's dialogue ("I'll wait here with Erol") will still mention Erol even if he had died prior to reaching the drawbridge.
  • Erol will still appear in the cinematic at the end of the mission.

Bug.

Shortly after parting ways with Rurik and Erol while they wait for the player to lower the Gate, a floor texture anomaly can be spotted on the left bank of the tar river just before the player must turn right and climb the hill to get around to the gate lever.