This quest is linked to the Halloween event Treasures of Khaldun, the reward from it being required to gain access to the crafting area at the entrance of Khaldun dungeon in Trammel. During the quest you will be called upon to use four skills; forensic evaluation, spirit speak, inscription and detect hidden. The first three of these can be used at zero skill, inscription being used from the skill menu and without pen or scroll. Detect hidden however is affected by the character’s racial characteristics. An untrained human character will use their Jack of all Trades skill, an elven character will use their innate ability in the art but a gargoyle character, having neither of these traits, will need to acquire some knowledge in the skill before their senses can be attuned to awareness of the unseen.
Visit Britain Commons and find the introduction to the quest in the Town Crier’s news articles
You’ve heard rumblings of Pagan Cultists causing petty crimes in the more upscale sections of Britannia’s cities, but to your understanding these are sympathizers taking advantage of fear to make some easy coin. Still, if the Crown is rolling out a new division of the RBG to investigate…something…you bet there’s an opportunity for you! You should find Inspector Jasper and inquire further.
Speak to Inspector Jasper from the Royal Britannian Guard Detective Branch at their headquarters in East Britain, just east of the bank
You can drop the coffee pods with the investigators outside…*looks up*…oh, you aren’t here for the delivery? I warned them talking with reporters was a terrible idea – we’ve been getting walk-ins like you since the article broke, lads and ladies thinking they can become renowned detectives – Ha! Think you’ve got the intellect? The cunning and wisdom to sniff a case where it leads you? Well I guess we’ll see about that. I’ve got bigger cases to deal with, you can take this one. Something about vandalism and a funeral at the Britain Cemetery. Report back to me if you find anything worthwhile – and I do mean worthwhile! Don’t come back to me with half baked theories and bogus evidence. I need facts! Oh – and read this, you’ll need it if you even hope to break a single case.
You will find that the inspector has given you a book, you will need to follow the advice in it
Introductory Detective Work: A Gumshoe’s Guide
K. Jasper, Chief Inspector
Law & Order are bedrock to Britannian society, what though can one expect when brute enforcement cannot solve miscarriages of Justice? Enter the detective. With an analytical mind, keen wit, and a little luck the detective can perform investigatory duties normal Royal Guardsman are simply untrained to handle. The benefit of these investigatory duties will often yield far greater reaching results as petty crime often has much more sinister origins.
An aspiring detective must become aware of the world around them, and only through exacting observation can they draw conclusions to further an investigation. The learned appraiser or the learned mage can often discern the origins of items discovered in ones travels, the detective, however, is the only one equipped to utilize Forensic Evaluation to discover the hidden true nature of an object or clue.
While an often unpopular opinion, the Thieves’ Guild, a longtime adversary to the detective, is the premier organization for the study and application of techniques in detecting hidden things throughout the world. The discerning investigator would take note to learn the tricks of their trade as even a neophyte understanding is sometimes enough to uncover a hidden clue.
When encountering a scene, the detective must take precaution to not disturb items in situ and instead take careful notes or make copies for later examination. Preservation of the scene is an important component of every investigation
Proceed to Britain Graveyard, speak to the grave digger and examine the damaged gravestone – follow the advice in the book and utilize Forensic Evaluation to discover the true nature of the object. The gravedigger referred to gravestones being damaged, yet here is only one. If there are more, where are they? Further thoughts on that.
You will notice a trail of bloody footprints leading to a nearby building. They go in, but they don’t come out. Consulting the book again may lead you to try using the detect hidden skill in the building; doing so will reveal a crumbling area of the floor, but is that its true nature? Forensic evaluation reveals a heavy wooden door secured with a rotating combination lock that accepts alpha-numeric characters. You’ll need to figure out the passcode to unlock it, you can go no further without that code.
The headstone mentions 3 other locations, Vesper, Moonglow and Yew; each of those towns have a graveyard, perhaps they would be worth a visit?
Sure enough, in each location is another damaged headstone, and in a nearby building another trap door. Perhaps with this further information the codes can be determined?
Scholars with knowledge of such things have deduced from these headstones that the code can be discerned by applying a Caesar Cipher to the surnames of the deceased, the town crier’s reference to Pagan cultists and the gravedigger’s mention of the battle with the titans also give a clue to recognizing when the cipher has hit on the right letter combination, but only for those familiar with earlier incarnations of the battle with the Titans.
- Boreas – a Theurgist of Pagan
- Moriens – the first Necromancer of Pagan
- Carthax – a Lake of Pagan where Hydros was imprisoned
- Tenebrae – the city of eternal twilight in Pagan
Return to Britain graveyard and apply the first of these codes, dropping down into a secret room below. You will find a a blue book on a table. Mindful of the advice in the inspector’s book, use forensic evaluation to determine the nature of the book, and use the inscription skill to make a copy, thus preserving the scene, as the book instructs. Repeat the process in the other three locations then return to the inspector.
Would you look at that, I suspect you aren’t as useless as you look. With a little luck you may even crack this case wide open! It looks like these notes are encrypted – we need to find out what they say. There’s a cryptologist at the Lycaeum who I’ve worked with in the past. Get his help and we should be a step closer to figuring out what all this means
Go to the Lycaeum in Moonglow and enlist the assistance of the Cryptologist to help decode the evidence. Return to Inspector Jasper when you have more to report.
Shhh! Can’t you see the students are…*the Cryptologist pauses as you explain the reason for your visit* Oh, Inspector Jasper sent you did he? Well my service to the RBG is something I hold in -very- high regard. What can I assist you with? *You show the Cryptologist your copies of the encrypted notes* Yes…yes…a masterful cipher if I have ever seen one, but one that can easily be cracked! The only thing we need is the cipher text – but just as it were a number of our texts have been hidden by some students having a bit of fun with the season. I’ve already searched the dormitories out back, but I’m certain it’s somewhere in the Lycaeum bookcases, if you find it, I’ll be happy to assist you in decrypting the texts.
To find the cipher text you will need to carefully search using detect hidden skill. Search carefully the book cases in the room in which your senses tell you it is hidden, but be sure to check your senses frequently for those mischievous students will move it when you’re not looking! When you eventually find it, return to the cryptologist, and then to the inspector.
Wait till I catch the students who did this! Well, I must thank you for recovering this text, it’s very useful in my daily studies. No matter, I will begin decryption of the copies of these clues you gave me. I’ll send a courier to headquarters when I am through. Thank you again for your assistance!
I must say, you’ve done fine work. The Cryptologist’s courier arrived shortly before you did, and thanks to him we know what this is all about. There’s one final piece of the puzzle, and hopefully for us whoever is at the bottom of this won’t have known to look for a dead man. There is a Sage called Humbolt that once lived in Papua. Tragically his life was taken from us too soon, but his spirit still wanders around his old home. If anyone can put all the pieces together, it’s him. Go to Papua and find him
Find your way to Papua and to the shipwrights near the dock, inside you will find a ladder leading under the building. Descend to find the ghost of Sage Humbolt, you will need to use spirit speak to comprehend what he tells you.
*The ghostly figure looks at you with disappointment* You’ve brought the cheese haven’t you? Gah, I can never find it! *the ghost goes back to waving its hands through the barrels* You explain who you are, and the circumstances that have lead you to this moment. With each word the ghost becomes increasingly alarmed, yet an expression of expectation and satisfaction is apparent from their reaction. The ghost nods and begins to speak in a tongue you can understand,
“That’s right. I am Sage Humbolt, or I was. What you speak of is especially concerning. The events you describe – the invasion by otherworldly cultist, the titans, all of it – it was something foretold long ago. But these most recent revelations, I was hopeful that, like most prophecies, this was a bit of embellishment by sages through the millenia. Alas, it seems this prophecy has come full circle.
Long ago, a great warrior named Khal Ankur lead a cult devoted to death and sacrifice. Like most zealots of such a twisted dogma, Khal Ankur met his end and was sealed inside a tomb deep in the Lost Lands. Not until four explorers uncovered the tomb did we even know for sure it existed. The prophecy tells of a fallen star that would allow Khal Ankur to rise again and lead an army of zealots against those who imprisoned him. With the strength of this fallen star Khal Ankur would be impossible to kill, save for with the very power the fallen star gives to Khal Ankur. You must never allow Khal Ankur to rise again, lest the cultists may use their power to recall the Titans to this world! The fallen star is rich with a material called Caddellite, which gives Khal Ankur unmatched power. I hope you know a good tinker, as Caddellite is a fiercely strong material that is otherwise impossible to harvest. With Caddellite infused resources you will be able to supply an army of the willing with weapons, arcana, and provisions to dispatch this threat once and for all. Go now, there is little time to lose. Now I’ve got to get back to my cheese, what a new and exciting place Papua is…
You have successfully found Sage Humbolt who has opened you eyes to the entire conspiracy, and the danger that looms ahead if no steps are taken to alter the current course of events. Return to Inspector Jasper to report your findings
*You approach Inspector Jasper and relay to him what Sage Humbolt told you…he remains expressionless* This is much more sinister than any of us could have ever imagined. I had little doubt your investigatory skills would yield anything but a major revelation – but this? Who could have thought. I have dispatched a team to the location Sage Humbolt spoke of. It is up to everyone now to prevent this coming evil. Here you go, you’ve earned this. Wear this title proudly. This official credential identifies you as a member of the RBG Detective Branch and will allow you past the guards at the site Sage Humbolt spoke of near 57o 7’S, 5o 20’E in the Lost Lands.
The official credential, while given to you, can be shared with friends and relatives, whoever wears it may pass the guards at the referenced site, pictured on the Treasures of Khaldun page.