After giving the Stormreach Chronicle Morley’s name and the other evidence surrounding the missing and the mysterious Taken, they find a possible source of where these abominations are being created. Reports speak of strange going’s on in Blode’s Curio Shop. Morley Blode has been seen there. It’s time to track him down and confront him once and for all. Stop Morley Blode from creating any more of these Taken creatures and put an end to this madness once and for all.
- Series: Harbinger of Madness
- Level: 15
- Patron: Free Agent
- Length: Medium
- Dungeon: Blode’s Curio Shop
- Recommended Party: Standard
- MoBs: Crazied Followers, Greater Thraak Hound, Taken, Clan Tunnelworm Witchdoctor, Clan Tunnelworm Warriors, Arcane Ooze, Deranged Followers
- Dangerous MoBs: Mind Flayer Mage, Neihoden
- Buffs: Standard, Death Ward
- Quest Stats: Detailed Quest Stats on DDMs Realm Here
Before you head in make sure that you have spoken to Tessa Aster and you are on the right step of the Harbinger of Madness quest series so you can get the extra reward when it is done.\
Blode’s Curio Shop is right next to Bonebite Hideout, across the street from the Wayward Lobster. They have expanded the alley there a bit to accommodate the new quest. When you zone in, make sure to stay in the first room until everyone is ready. Buff up and smash the few things that are here.
Blode’s Curio Shop Entry
Morley will send his minions onto you and flee into the back room. Clear out these poor followers of Morley and Xoriat and continue through the back door once they are all dead. The back store room in the shop actually leads to the underground laboratory that Morley has set up. Take care of the Greater Thaarak Hound that acts as his guard dog, and move in further.
Laboratory
You will come into the first area where the Taken are being made. There are a couple of Mind Flayer Mages here so be careful with them. They are stuck in these strange little pods. Smash them apart and kill what’s inside to get rid of these macabre experiments. Take out the experiments to the south and the east. Once those are all broken open and the Taken are killed, head out to the north looking for Morley and more laboratories.
The Sewers
Once you head out of the first laboratory and down the stairs, be careful of the trap in the doorway to the sewers. Have a rogue disable it, or time the spikes and slip on by.
Destroy the pipes that for some reason were installed past the doorway and move into the larger room beyond.
There is a bridge here that is in the up position. Swim down below the grates in the water for one of the switches and then flip the switch on the pillar platform for the other side. Get ready for a kobold ambush as you cross the now lowered bridge.
Shrine Room
You will come into a small room after the bridges where there is a shrine. Use it if you need tom but there are a couple more shrines ahead. Make sure to hit the switch to the tunnel that leads deeper into the sewers.
When you climb out of the water below, there is a switch that will drop a ladder just in case you need to head back up.
You will come to a cross section where you will be ambushed by more Taken. If you have a rogue or the ability to unlock a door, head to the east to the optional area for some extra loot and XP. There are a few mobs on your way. Keep your casters back as you will encounter some arcane oozes.
Undead Adventurers
Once you unlock the optional area you will run into a few undead adventurers. There is a wizard with them so take that one out first, the rest shouldn’t cause too much trouble. Make sure you do not charm them or anything because the extra chest will not appear if they are not all dead.
Dead Acrobat
To the west of the cross section is a small dead end with a dead acrobat and a collectible in it.
Deeper into the Sewer
Heading to the north of the cross section continues deeper into the sewer moving closer to the second lab. You will come to another open room full of water. Take the walkway across and go through the piped over door on the same level to the second laboratory to finish off the Taken pods. Don’t go up the ramp quite yet as the door above will be locked until you clear out the second Taken laboratory.
You will find yourself in a narrow passage with large Taken pods on both sides. Once you get halfway through, the doors slam shut and you will be ambushed by many Taken. Watch out for this ambush but also watch out for the doors to open back up. A Mind Flayer Mage will be waiting to clean up what is left. This mind flayer seems to be attending the second Taken laboratory.
The Second Taken Laboratory
Head into the second Taken laboratory and start smashing pods and killing what’s inside. Clear these out to finish off this objective and open up another optional objective to take out a few more of these abominations. Make sure to get them all for the easy XP. Once this second Taken factory is destroyed head back to the large room full of water and head right up the ramp.
Deeper Sewers
Make sure to loot the chest on your way up the ramp. Once you get to the door, be prepared for another Taken ambush. Only a few spawn but they do hit you from behind.
Open the door and head toward the next shrine. Be wary as there are a few more arcane oozes here. Make sure to keep them off your caster. Shrine and rebuff if needed, and continue into the psychedelic water. There is a collectible way down at the bottom if you want it.
Psycho Sewers of Xoriat
Now you are getting into the really strange area. I personally love what the developers have done with the Xoriat stuff and am happy to see the tongue in cheek stuff may be done for a bit. Hooray!
Anyway you will come into another intersection in the psychedelic sewers. Be ready for a big Taken ambush here. Follow the sewers up a small incline and into another room with a shrine. Use it if you need to, since when you jump down you will be starting the last fight of the quest. There is no way back up so make sure everyone is ready before you head down.
Catching Morley
You jump into the heart of the Xoriat freak show of the Taken at this point. They are no longer integrated here and there in the surroundings. Now it is all this strange alien like world of Xoriat.
You get a quest objective to spy on the conversation Morley is having with a mind flayer. At this point you finally meet the villain behind this whole series, an illithid named Yaulthoonw.
He is apparently done with Morley and takes care of our light work for you. However, he then summons a bunch of deranged followers and Taken to finish you off. At the end he summons a big mean named Taken creature, Neihoden, to finish you off. Make sure to slap on your trinket before he dies and finishes the quest.
Make sure to loot the chest left behind when Neihoden dies. You now have a better understanding of what is going on and know who is behind these strange events. Now it is time to track Yaulthoon down and deal with him directly in the quest, “In the Flesh”. Make sure to talk to the reporters between the quests to advance the series for the great end rewards.
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