Aerbax's Prodigal Shadow

Quest Summary
Quest type	Group
XP Reward	10% of Level
XP Cap	99,078,619
Item Rewards	Aegis of the Golden Flame Braced Mana Forge Key
Title Reward	Prodigal Shadow Slayer
Starting location	Singularity Caul
Maps	ACmaps - The Orphanage Orphanage Wing
Timer	13 Days
Level Restrictions	140+
Level Suggestions	140+
Introduced in	Dark Materials

General

To run this quest, everyone must have a Pulsating Bony Lump, which is found on the floor at the bottom of the North wing of the Artifex Collegium at 91.9S 93.7W on Singularity Caul.
- Tip: There is no pick-up timer on Pulsating Bony Lumps and they are givable. so its easiest if one person gets them for everyone before the quest starts.
Before starting, its easiest if you have a Pandemic Key to open a locked door in the Orphanage.
- Tip: There is no pick-up timer on Pandemic Keys and they are givable, so someone should get one or two before the quest starts.
The final part of this quest typically causes a lot of deaths, so its a good idea to have several vitae items in your pack so you can return to the fight as quickly as possible.

Walkthrough

Part 1: The Orphanage

To begin, locate a randomly spawning The Orphanage portal on Singularity Caul, or alternatively use an Orphanage Portal Gem if you have one.
- Tip: Once you locate The Orphanage portal, someone should stand outside to hold the land block while everyone gets there.
Once everyone is inside The Orphanage, head down the ramp in the North East corner (North, then East). Follow the ramp down and take a Right at the bottom of the ramp. You'll see a locked door on your left.
- Tip: Use the map of The Orphanage (see above) if you need help navigating the dungeon.
Use your Pandemic Key to open the door, and jump down three times to the bottom of the pit.
From here, take the North exit and follow the hallway to a large room, where you'll take either the East or West ramps up (both lead to the same place).
At the top of the ramp, you'll see a room with a surface portal and a Statue of Bael'Zharon.
Everyone must hand their Pulsating Bony Lump to the Statue of Bael'Zharon to be portaled to the Orphanage Wing.
- Warning: Do not use the Statue of Bael'Zharon, it will give you 5% vitae each time you use it.

Part 2: The Orphanage Wing

Tip: The Orphanage Wing is somewhat of a maze, take a look at the map (see above) before navigating the dungeon.

From the drop, head North and hug the left wall, down the ramp, until you've passed through two larger rooms.
At the next intersection, take a Right, and follow the long linear path (ignoring all cut-backs) until you reach two-way split.
From here, take a Left and then take your First Right and follow the linear path to the final dungeon, the Prodigal Shadow Child's Lair, which is an intense hot drop.
- Tip: The Prodigal Shadow Child's Lair will require a download for most people, so the best strategy is to have everyone immediately run across the dungeon and hit the surface portal in the North East corner of the dungeon (there is an easy way back). This way everyone will portal in together on the next attempt.

Part 3: Prodigal Shadow Child's Lair

Important: If you die inside the Prodigal Shadow Child's Lair, you can easily get back by using the Statue of Bael'Zharon, the Hopeslayer, just North of the Caul Recall drop.

Everyone should rebuff at the Caul Recall drop, and when ready, use the Statue of Bael'Zharon, the Hopeslayer to re-enter the Prodigal Shadow Child's Lair.
You must survive three waves of Shadows and Penumbral Terrors to eventually reach the bosses (A Shadow of Ler Rhan and A Shadow of Black Ferah).
- Note: There are several strategies that people use, but typically its a good idea to have several healers in your group.
- Tip: Try to kill the Shadow Eddys first, they trigger the spawn of the mobs.
Once everything is dead, you'll need to kill the final boss, Kirienne Palacost, who for most of the fight appears as an protected NPC in the North West corner of the dungeon.
- Warning: Do not attempt to use or talk to Kirienne Palacost while he is surrounded by his protective bubble. You will be smited.
Once defeated, everyone must loot a Scrap of Shadow Essence from Kirienne Palacost's corpse.
Take the Scrap of Shadow Essence to Riordin Nightbane in Wai Jhou at 61.9S 51.4W for your title and rewards.

Items

Braced Mana Forge Key

Lore & Dialog

There is an active Shadow library in part of the Orphanage Wing where Uninscribed Fleshy Lumps are being bred and where several old and new lore items can be found:

You give Statue of Bael'Zharon, the Hopeslayer Pulsating Bony Lump.
As you fit the lump into the keyhole, you feel a bone-numbing chill pass through your very soul. A pulling sensation forms in the core of your being, but before it becomes unbearable, you see the "key" shrivel and die. Almost immediately thereafter, the chill fades and then you feel a familiar pulling sensation.

As Ler Rhan falls, you hear a soft, contemptuous voice declare, "You may've shattered his echo of my true self, but you have not defeated me, nor my children. We will return."

As Black Ferah falls, you hear a cold, contemptuous voice declare, "Pathetic wretch, you have but slain a small sending of my true self!"

You give Riordin Nightbane Scrap of Shadow Essence.
Riordin Nightbane tells you, "Once again, you have stepped up where few others would and protected Dereth from the rise of a creature who could spell the end of all of us. Please, accept these rewards."
You've earned 99,078,619 experience. (Level 275)
Riordin Nightbane gives you Aegis of the Golden Flame.
Riordin Nightbane tells you, "Remember, the Aegis I have given you is a rare symbol amongst our Order, and that to carry and display one is considered a great honor."

Notes

During the Risks and Rewards event, the quest rewards were upgraded to include a Braced Mana Forge Key.