The Nightmare Unveiled

This article is about the re-released story episode. For the historical story episode from 2013, see The Nightmare Unveiled/historical.

The Nightmare Unveiled

Year

1326 AE

Storyline

Living World Season 1

Chapter

Tower of Nightmares

Location

Kessex Hills
(Kryta)

Level

80

Preceded by

Picking Up the Pieces

Followed by

Making the Antitoxin

API

654

Loading screen Map

The Nightmare Unveiled is the first story step of Tower of Nightmares, the fourth episode of Living World Season 1.

Objectives

• Read the letter.

The Nightmare Unveiled

• Head to the Kessex shore.
• Meet up with Sergeant Walters's squad.
• Speak with Sergeant Walters.
• Follow Sergeant Walters.
• (Clear the Toxic Alliance from the bridge.)
• Clear the Toxic Alliance from the bridge.
  
  Toxic Alliance Strength
  
• Lead Sergeant Walters across the bridge and farther east.
• (Subdue Sergeant Walters.)
• Sergeant Walters
• 
• Push farther eastward on your own.
• (Secure Auld Red Wharf from the Toxic Alliance.)
• Secure Auld Red Wharf from the Toxic Alliance.
  
  Toxic Alliance Strength
  
• Locate Marjory and Kasmeer somewhere near Auld Red Wharf.
• (Defeat the Toxic Oratuss.)
• Toxic Oratuss
• 
• (Defeat the Toxic Alliance reinforcements.)
• Defeat the Toxic Alliance reinforcements.
  
  Reinforcement Strength
  
• Catch up with Marjory and Kasmeer.

Rewards

• Pristine Toxic Spore Sample (3)
• Shell Pouch (2)
• Writ of Tyrian Mastery

Walkthrough

Read the letter in your mail. Travel to  Halacon Waypoint — in Kessex Hills. Enter the instance.

Talk to Sergeant Walters to begin the escort phase. This serves as an introduction to the Toxic Krait; they are slightly tougher than the normal Krait you fight in the open world - Veterans will require finishing once they are downed (stand over their downed body and interact). Be sure to keep near the Seraph so that they assist you with the fight. Keep killing the Toxic Krait until the bar is filled, and then cross the bridge when prompted to do so.

At the end of the bridge a cinematic plays; a Toxic Courtier uses a poisonous cocktail on Sergeant Walters, who (due to hallucinogenics) now attacks you after the cinematic. Defeat her to continue.

Fight or run past the spores to trigger the next fight phase. Green combat swords mark all the Toxic Alliance on the minimap. You don't have to defeat them all, just some of them to proceed.

At the next step, you catch up with Jory and Kasmeer, but a Champion Toxic Oratuss also appears. Killing the champion within the time limit awards the Kraitmare Averted achievement. The krait becomes invulnerable mid-fight, and four Veterans spawn - kill them and then finish each off to continue the fight with the Toxic Oratuss.

Listen to the dialogue and watch the cinematic to complete the instance.

Achievements

The Nightmare Unveiled	Tower of Nightmares	1
Complete the story chapter The Nightmare Unveiled.	Completed The Nightmare Unveiled	1

• Complete the mission.

The Nightmare Unveiled (Historical)	Tower of Nightmares	3
Travel to Kessex Hills and complete the story instance The Nightmare Unveiled to confront the new toxic threat.	The Nightmare Unveiled Completed	3

• Complete the mission.

Kraitmare Averted	Tower of Nightmares	1
Defeat the Toxic Oratuss within the time limit.Story Instance: The Nightmare Unveiled	Defeated the Toxic Oratuss within the Time Limit	1

• Defeat Toxic Oratuss in the timelimit.
• Achievement qualification may be tracked via the  Achievement Eligibility: Kraitmare Averted effect.

NPCs

Allies

Humans

• Kasmeer Meade
• Marjory Delaqua
• Seraph Archer
• Seraph Field Support
• Seraph Soldier
• Sergeant Walters

Phantasms

• Illusionary Defender

Foes

Krait (Toxic Alliance)

• Toxic Damoss
• Toxic Hypnoss
• Toxic Nimross
• Toxic Oratuss
• Veteran Toxic Damoss

Nightmares

• Hallucination

Sylvari (Toxic Alliance)

• Toxic Assassin
• Toxic Bulwark
• Toxic Courtier
• Toxic Knight
• Toxic Sorcerer
• Veteran Toxic Assassin
• Veteran Toxic Bulwark
• Veteran Toxic Knight
• Veteran Toxic Sorcerer

Objects

• Toxic Stalk

Dialogue

Open world

Upon activating the story:

Marjory Delaqua, Delaqua Investigations An Urgent Summons to Kessex Hills <Character name>, Mesmers and other concerned parties have been investigating an anomaly in Kessex Hills, where something huge and unpleasant is being cloaked from view. We know it's there, because invisible walls are blocking access to the center of Viathan Lake. Kasmeer is going to attempt a spell that will hopefully lift the veil, and your experience in battle could prove invaluable to us here. Sergeant Walters of the Seraph is heading south from Fort Salma to stand with us against whatever horrors are revealed by Kasmeer's spell. Please join her, and feel free to bring friends. —Marjory Something terrible is happening in Kessex Hills. Join Marjory and Kasmeer at their camp south of Fort Salma. Kessex Hills

In Thunder Ridge

<Character name>: What is that? ^{[verification requested]}

Sergeant Walters: I have orders to see you to the ruins of Auld Red Wharf. Marjory and Kasmeer went on ahead of us.

Sergeant Walters: Let me know when you're ready, and we'll set off after them.

(Repeats until you talk to Sergeant Walters)

Sergeant Walters: (cough) What is all this stuff in the air?

Sergeant Walters: Hope those two have learned something worthwhile by now.

Talking to Sergeant Walters ^{[verification requested]}

Miss Delaqua and Lady Meade are set up and ready to go. They're waiting for us. Say the word and I'll take you there.

What're we up against?

We don't know much yet. Miss Delaqua asked us to wait here for you. She and Lady Meade went to Auld Red Wharf. We're guessing that krait are involved, since this is a known krait deeps area.

Why didn't we know about that tower?

The krait and their allies used a massive illusion to hide it from view. That's all I can tell you. That kinda magic is beyond my ability to understand. I'm just a simple soldier. Lady Meade could tell you more.

Take me to them.

Take me to them.

Take me to them.

I'm not ready yet.

When starting

Sergeant Walters: Okay, let's move!

Sergeant Walters: Move in a group! There's too few of us to accomplish anything by ourselves.

Sergeant Walters: Heads up. We need that bridge to reach our people.

Talking to Sergeant Walters

By the Six, that tower is enormous. We should hurry and find Miss Delaqua and Lady meade. They may be in danger.

Let's go.

After clearing the Toxic Alliance from the bridge

Sergeant Walters: (grunt) That's the last of them. Well fought, everyone.

Sergeant Walters: What could the Nightmare Court and the krait possibly have in common?

Sergeant Walters: Their toxic new alliance is obviously the source of the strangeness happening here. What are they planning?

Sergeant Walters: Answers will have to wait. Form up on me and we'll cross this bridge and press forward.

Sergeant Walters: Okay, let's move!

Talking to Sergeant Walters

Let's get across this bridge before we run into more of those crazy krait and courtiers. Have you seen how they glow? Just looking at them makes me nauseous.

Follow me.

After crossing the bridge, in a cutscene

Toxic Courtier: Here's someone to test my poisonous new cocktail on.

Toxic Courtier points at <Character name>.

Sergeant Walters: By the gods, now the centaurs are on us. Let's end this quick.

During the event "Subdue Sergeant Walters"

Sergeant Walters: Wihdraw[sic]. We don't have time for you now.

Sergeant Walters: I won't allow you beasts to trample us, not with so much at stake.

On event completion

Sergeant Walters: I—What's going on? No. I'm all right.

Sergeant Walters: Wait, you're no centaur. Oh gods, forgive me. I wasn't in my right mind.

Sergeant Walters: Forget about me. Just get to Marjory and Kasmeer. Protect them.

Sergeant Walters checks on all the Seraph. (repeats))

Sergeant Walters: Hold out just a little longer. I'm sure help is on the may. [sic]

Talking to Sergeant Walters

You're not... I thought you were the enemy. I don't know what happened. Please, accept my apology. Go on to Auld Red Wharf without us. Find Miss Delaqua. I need to stay here with my squad.

On my way.

While securing Auld Red Wharf (repeats every few minutes)

Kasmeer Meade: (hiccup)

Kasmeer Meade: (hiccup)

Marjory Delaqua: Shhhhh!

Marjory Delaqua: You okay?

Kasmeer Meade: I will be...if you'll just...let me concentrate.

Marjory Delaqua: Sorry.

Kasmeer Meade: (hiccup)

Marjory Delaqua: Damn.

Kasmeer Meade: Shhhh.

After clearing out the Toxic Alliance at Auld Red Reef

Marjory Delaqua: Kasmeer, look. Help has arrived. We'll soon be back in camp. We can pass on what we've learned about the tower, then rest.

Kasmeer Meade: Rest? I hardly think we'll get any—

Toxic Oratuss: Now you crawl in the muck beneath us, in our long shadow.

Toxic Oratuss: While our toxins rend your mind, our blades will carve out your hearts. (at 50% health)

Toxic Oratuss: At last, our alliance gives us the power to scale the heavens themselves! (after defeating reinforcements)

Kasmeer Meade: As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted: with that tower looming over us, our odds of finding rest are slim to none. (at 0%)

Marjory Delaqua: I wish you'd go back to Divinity's Reach.

Kasmeer Meade: Even slimmer odds of that. Perhaps we should bring our friends up to speed on what's been happening?

During cinematic

Marjory Delaqua: That tower was veiled with illusion magic until just a short while ago.

Kasmeer Meade: I found the perfect spell. It was luck really.

Marjory Delaqua: It was fantastic. The sky darkened, and—

Kasmeer Meade: I could sense the magical framework. A mesmer had formed the illusion.

Marjory Delaqua: She just closed her eyes and raised her hands towards it. Magic crackled from her fingertips.

Kasmeer Meade: I found the crack in its cloak. A magical poke in the right place, and it dropped like...

Marjory Delaqua: Like a norn fart at a moot.

Kasmeer Meade: Jory! (laugh) So, when the veil came down, there it was. The tower.

Marjory Delaqua: And the krait. And the Nightmare Court.

Kasmeer Meade: They weren't happy. Still aren't.

After the cinematic

Marjory Delaqua: We need to deal with this tower;the question is how. It looks impregnable.

Kasmeer Meade: Appearances are everything, Jory. If it looks like a fortress, it undoubtedly guards something precious.

Marjory Delaqua: I'd welcome the chance to look inside it, but the base is thick with toxic spore clouds.

Kasmeer Meade: Maybe we need a strong perfume like what I spray on a hankie when around...aromatic warriors.

Marjory Delaqua: Exactly. I know poisons. I'm sure I could formulate an antitoxin if I had samples of the spores.

Talking to Kasmeer Meade

<Character name>! Perfect timing, just like at Dragon Bash. I couldn't have hidden us much longer. I was already drained from bringing down the tower veil. It was quite a powerful mesmer spell.

My lady, do you know what's happening?

Nothing good. The sky is sickly hue, the water smells like moldy cheese, and there are krait and Nightmare Court everywhere. Talk to Marjory over there. She has a plan.

I see.

Count on me.

Talking to Marjory Delaqua

Lady Kasmeer and I are going over to the camp at Thunder Ridge. Collect samples of the spores, please, and bring them to me there. That'd be a huge help.

What kind of toxin is it?

It's too early to tell, but it's obviously in the air. Symptoms reported include dizziness, disorientation, and even hallucinations. Not to mention coughing and sneezing. It's insidious.

Got it. Thanks!

This'll be interesting.

My story

“ Marjory called my attention to Kessex Hills, where some invisible anomaly had formed in the center of Viathan Lake. Kasmeer was sent by the Mesmer Collective—a mysterious, low-profile society of powerful magic users—to investigate and disarm whatever illusion or veil was covering it up. When I first arrived at the scene, it was hard to ignore the barbed, rugged tower at the center of the lake. It looked like a krait structure, with a massive spore fixed at the height of the spire. Shortly after my arrival, I was greeted by a Sergeant Walters of the Seraph. She had strict orders to escort me to Kasmeer and Marjory in the ruins nearby. As we navigated the toxic landscape, we were attacked by krait and members of the Nightmare Court. Spores lined our path, and whatever toxins they're emitting not only affected the environment but our minds. On our way to the rendezvous point, Sergeant Walters was overcome with mania and started attacking the escort group, claiming we were all rampaging centaurs. We were able to quell her frenzy, so I headed to Kasmeer and Marjory while Walters stayed behind to tend to the wounded. After securing the shore from wandering krait and Nightmare Court, I finally reached Kasmeer and Marjory hiding at the edge of the lake. Kasmeer cast a spell that revealed a tower of nightmares. It's surrounded by a thick plume of toxins, and we can't get inside until we have some way to do it safely. — My story

---

Living World Season 1 storyline

Flame and Frost	New Friends, New Enemies → The Battle for Cragstead → Alliance Investigation → Molten Furnace → A Quiet Celebration
Sky Pirates	Ceremony and Acrimony → Hard Boiled → No More Secrets → Aether Investigation → The Aetherblade Retreat → Case Closed
Clockwork Chaos	The Opening Ceremony → The Queen's Address → Clockwork Invasion → Scarlet's Playhouse → Picking Up the Pieces
Tower of Nightmares	The Nightmare Unveiled → Making the Antitoxin → The Tower of Nightmares → The Nightmare Incarnate → The Nightmare Ends → Awake and Allied
Battle for Lion's Arch	The Twisted Marionette → Connecting the Pieces → Escape from Lion's Arch → The Battle for Lion's Arch → Battle on the Breachmaker → Scarlet's End → After the Battle → Dawn of the Next Journey
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