A Tangle of Weeds

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This quest is selected by joining the Order of Whispers plan during Trouble at the Roots. Takes place at Ascalon Settlement

[edit] Objectives

A Tangle of Weeds

Defeat Mazdak the Accursed.
- Meet Cai at Ascalon Settlement.
- Assist with the town's evacuation.
- Speak to Noctis, the Harathi leader.
- Follow the Harathi to Ascalon Settlement.
- Defeat Mazdak the Accursed.
- Speak with Cai.

[edit] Rewards

Variable
One of the following: Whisper's Power, Whisper's Healer, Whisper's Precision

[edit] Dialogues

Upon arrival in Ascalon Settlement.

Cai: Hurry! This way!

Cai: There you are, Initiate! Are you ready to cause a little trouble, Order of Whispers style?
<Initiate>: I'm ready, Cai...but where is everyone? The village looks nearly empty.
Cai: Whispers Agents pulled a few strings, and called in Seraph Lieutenant Lokam's gambling debts. In exchange for a clean slate, he's ordered the village evacuated.
<Initiate>: We're going to turn the town over to centaurs? How can that possibly help defeat the undead?
Caithe: I see where Cai is going with this. Think like a spy, not a soldier, my friend.
Cai: It's a trap, of course! The undead will storm the village, and when they get here, they'll fight the centaurs.; Once the two groups have decimated each other, the Seraph return and retake the town. Lokam looks like a hero-
Caithe: -and in the confusion, we three backstab Mazdak while his army is otherwise engaged. That's my kind of fight.
<Initiate>: It's a cunning plan. Let's get started.

The party convinces a few villagers they should evacuate.

Villager: Leave? But why? The village is perfectly safe.
Trahearne: It will not be safe for long. The Orrians are on their way. You must evacuate.
Villager: Evacuate? But this is my home! All of my things are here!
Trahearne: Things can be replaced. Lives cannot. Champion, can you make her see reason?

Player speaks to the villager and convinces her to leave.

Villager: The Harathi don't scare me. They're just centaurs, and we've beaten them before. Why should we leave?
Caithe: If you stay, you will be slaughtered by the undead. The centaurs are not the problem. They are the solution.
Villager: Slaughtered? Are you threatening me? I'm not scared of you, either!
Caithe: Herald, Handle this fool, before I pare her like an apple.

Player convinces the villager to leave.

Cai: This should be interesting. Let's see how it turns out, shall we?

Lieutenant Lokam: We're out of time. Do one more sweep for stragglers, then get to the safe zone.
Seraph: Yes, sir. You're sure we can trust these sylvari?
Lieutenant Lokam: You don't have to trust them, Sergeant. As a member of the Seraph, you only have to trust me. You have your orders.
Seraph: Understood, sir.

As the party leaves the village to find the centaurs.

Cai: Those pirates are preying on the evacuees. I may be unscrupulous, but that's downright mean. Let's teach them a lesson!

Villager: Help! Pirates! Let go of my things, you dirty sea rat!

The party defeats the group of pirates and continues their search for the centaurs.

Cai: Let me do the talking. These Harathi aren't as dumb as they look.
Centaur: That is far enough. You said you wished to bargain? Speak.
Cai: Noctis expects us. Do you want to explain to him why you turned us away, hoof-face?
Centaur: Very well. You may enter, but walk with respect, or you will never leave.

Noctis the Facemauler: Plant spirits! By the living soul of the earth, I did not think it to be true.
Cai: Spirits of the land, that's us. We are angry at the humans of Ascalon Settlement. We've used our magic to chase the humans away.; See for yourselves! The gates are open and the streets are empty. Go there, centaur, and claim your prize.
Centaur: Noctis! The humans are fleeing into the hills. The spirit tells truth! The village is undefended!
Noctis the Facemauler: Gallop to the human settlement immediately. Bless you, spirits! The Harathi will long remember your deeds!

Upon arrival back in the village.

Noctis the Facemauler: Amazing! The town is as silent as death. You're noble spirits and friends to the Harathi.
Trahearne: The Risen march upon Ascalon Settlement. We'll need to work together to hold this place
Noctis the Facemauler: What is this? The undead? To arms! The Harathi have not retaken this land only to see it fall to corruption!

The battle begins.

Cai: Remember, the lich is our priority. Don't waste time fighting anything else if you can help it.

The party makes it's way to the target area, and battles through the undead they find on their way, until they come to Mazdak.

Mazdak the Accursed: Pathetic little adventurers. Come, fight me.; The touch of that sword is like fire! This cannot be!; You think you can avenge your dead kinsman? You will fall, as he did.; I cannot be defeated! I will break Caladbolg - and you, along with it!

As Mazdak is defeated, the Seraph return.

Cai: Perfect. The centaur defense crumbles...just as the Seraph swoop back in to retake the town.

<Initiate>: Mazdak the Accursed is dead. By the blade of Caladbolg, Riannoc is at last avenged.
Cai: Well done, Initiate! Your cunning and nerve really threw those undead for a loop. I'm proud you're a member of the Order of Whispers!; Now, for the rest of your initiation. Go to Lion's Arch. There, you'll be contacted by an apple merchant. Meet with him to get your first formal assignment.
<Initiate>: Thank you, Cai. You can count on me.; Caithe? You're so quiet. Are you injured?
Caithe: No. I am thinking. Riannoc died before he could fulfill his Wyld Hunt. He failed because he was alone.; If we wish to fight Zhaitan, we must not let fear or anger force us apart. If we do not find a way to defeat the dragons, Tyria will be destroyed.; Tell me, my friend. Do you think...do you think it's possible for people to let go of their differences? To unite?
<Initiate>: Our Dreams inspire us, Caithe. We must never give up hope, or we give up the Dream itself.
Caithe: Then I must also go to Lion's Arch. It is time to call together Destiny's Edge.
Trahearne: By your leave, my friend, I'll return Caladbolg to the Pale Tree. I'll be sure to tell her the tale of Mazdak's defeat.
<Initiate>: Will I see you again, Trahearne?
Trahearne: Yes. I'm sure of it. Our Wyld Hunts are linked, my friend. We will need one another.; May you path be filled with adventure and joy. Until we meet again.

[edit] Walkthrough

Go to Ascalon and talk to Cai. The plan is to evacuate the village, and then tell the centaurs they can have it. Then the zombies will attack the centaurs. While the zombies are attacking, the Valiant and the others will attack Mazdak the Lich.

Note that you must use Caladbolg for this fight. You cannot use your normal weapons. Useful skills with Caladbolg are "2" to zap lightning at a target, "4" to knockdown everything in front of you, and "5" to spin around madly chopping up everything and zapping lightning all around the place.

Evacuating the town: talk to villagers and tell them to leave. Talk to a Seraph Lieutenant. Go out the east gate and beat up some tough pirates who are robbing a villager.

Talk to the centaurs: go to the green star location and tell the centaurs that they own the village now. They'll be very happy and gallop to take over the village. Follow them.

Soon after the centaurs and the heroes arrive at the village, the zombie army arrives. You don't want to fight them, remember the plan is that they fight the centaurs while you go fight the lich.

Mazdak the lich is in the graveyard in the southeast of the town. Go there, trying to avoid getting into too many fights. The main goal is to kill Mazdak, you don't have to kill anything else if you don't want to. Or if they are in your way. Or if they are looking at you funny.

Kill Mazdak. Give it all you've got, once he is dead, all the fighting is over.
- Kill all of the Risen outside the graveyard entrance. Revive npc's as required. Do Not Enter the graveyard.
- Head along the wall to the left of the graveyard towards the back. Using Caladbolg's #2 & #5 skills, draw the Risen out of the graveyard.
- Once the graveyard is empty, revive npc's, and head in through the entrance, don't jump the wall. About halfway in, summon any summons (if any) that you might have.
- A little way past halfway in, Mazdak will spawn. With all of the npc's, any summons, and Caladbolg's skills, the battle should be short. (Disregard any minions Mazdak spawns, as they disappear once he is dead.)

When fighting Mazdak alone (npc's are all dead) kite him out of the graveyard, (from behind the wall to the left of the graveyard,) so the minions that spawn once his health goes below 50% don't get aggroed

Watch a video of the Seraphs running into the town and dancing around the flagpole. Somehow all the zombies and centaurs must have killed all of each other, because the Seraphs don't have to fight at all.

[edit] Notes

Completes the story achievement Branching Out.
GLITCH: Avoid falling off of the cliff behind where you engage Mazdak. (Keep yourself between Mazdak and the graveyard entrance.) Doing so while he is near low health will result in missing the video during your reset back into town, and an inability to complete the quest. The instance must be cancelled and restarted from the beginning in order to complete the quest.

[edit] My story

File:A Tangle of Weeds.jpg

“
Mazdak the Accursed is destroyed. Riannoc's spirit can finally rest in peace. I returned Cladbolg to the Pale Tree, but perhaps one day, I will see the sword again. Meanwhile, I've joined the Order of Whispers. I look forward to seeing more of the world.
— My story

Sylvari storyline

Prologue — Fighting the Nightmare

Part I — Waking from the Nightmare
	White Stag	Called to Service → Hounds and the Hunted → Discovering Darkness → Hidden in Darkness / Saving the Stag → Black Night, White Stag
	Green Huntsman	Mockery of Death → Loved and Lost → A Good Work Spoiled → Hammer and Steel / Weakness of the Heart → The Knight's Duel
	Shield of the Moon	Awakening → Holding Back the Darkness → A Sly Trick → Deeply Tangled Roots → Beneath a Cold Moon / The Heart of Nightmare

Part II — A Season of Growth
	Act With Wisdom	After the Storm → Beneath the Waves → Mirror, Mirror → A Vision of Darkness / Shattered Light
	All things have a right to grow	Wild Growth → Seeking the Zalisco → The Direct Approach / Trading Trickery → Eye of the Sun
	Where Life Goes	Where Life Goes → An Unknown Soul → Source of the Issue / A Different Dream → Snuffing Out Embers

Part III — Branching Out
A Splinter in the Flesh → Sharpened Thorns / Bramble Walls → The Blossom of Youth / Secrets in the Earth → The Bad Apple / Trouble at the Roots → Dead of Winter / A Tangle of Weeds / Flower of Death

A Tangle of Weeds

Contents

[edit] Objectives

[edit] Rewards

[edit] Dialogues

[edit] Walkthrough

[edit] Notes

[edit] My story

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