Commander without a Cause
Commander without a Cause
- Year
- 1336 AE
- Storyline
- Secrets of the Obscure
- Chapter
- Commander without a Cause
- Location
- Gendarran Fields
(Kryta) - Level
- 80
- Preceded by
- Prologue: Uncertain Times
- Followed by
- Hell Breaks Loose
- API
- 697
Commander without a Cause is the first chapter of the Secrets of the Obscure story.
Objectives[edit]
- Find out what Taimi's mail is about.
- Read the mail from Taimi.
- Test out Taimi's upgraded comms device.
- Take the upgraded comms device Taimi sent.
- (Optional) Test out the upgraded comms device by calling your friends.
- Use the upgraded comms device to call Ivan and find out what's bothering him.
- Investigate the strange reports about Garenhoff.
- Make your way to Garenhoff in Kessex Hills.
- (Gather information about the situation.)
- Information Gathered
- Speak to Mayor Manrin.
- Speak with one of the terrified villagers.
- Defeat the terrified villager.
- Return to Mayor Manrin to tell him what happened.
- Look for the house where the sketchy individuals were last seen.
- Search the house for any clues.
- Read the note left behind by the sketchy individuals.
- Look for the group of sketchy individuals.
- Head to Gendarran Fields to investigate.
- Speak with the strangers.
- Leave the area.
- Use the upgraded comms device to update Ivan.
- Find a safe vantage point from which to watch the camp.
- Investigate the camp for information.
- Wait until it's clear to snoop around the camp.
- Leave the lookout tower.
- Investigate the commotion.
- (Save the farmers from the horrific creatures.)
- Horrific Creatures killed: x/3
- Approach the camp cautiously.
- Eavesdrop on the camp's leader.
- (Snoop around the camp to gather information about the sketchy individuals.)
- Information Gathered
- Hunting party leaves in: x:xx
- Investigate the horn.
- Follow the Astral Ward.
- (Defeat the demon.)
- Defeat the Demon
- Investigate the strange rift.
Events[edit]
Defeat the terrified villager.
- Terrified Villager
- Terrified Villager
Walkthrough[edit]
After getting the Upgraded Comms Device (Experimental) in the mail, call Ivan directly if you do not wish to do the achievement Beta Tester. Head to Garenhoff near and talk to the five marked NPCs and Mayor Manrin, then deal with the Terrified Villager (only one of the Terrified Villager events need to be done, the rest can safely be ignored). Tell the mayor and he will direct you to a house on the middle walkway on the west side of the village. On a table on the second floor is a Bundle of Notes, directing the reader to 
Cornucopian Fields Waypoint — , of which the camp is a bit southwest of. Look for the large collection of Sketchy Individuals, or the coin marker of a Merchant on the map for a more exact location of the camp.
Since they aren't particularly willing to share anything with you, call Ivan again and then take up watch in the Lookout Tower. Protect the three Farmers from the Horrific Creatures that appear after night falls. Now, head to the camp and hide in the easternmost bush to eavesdrop on the camp leader then seek out some more information in this stealth mission. Use Dense Bushes and Bystanders to hide, and a Crate of Supplies for a disguise that will let you talk to some people in camp (one easily found crate is on top of the hill in the middle). Try to still keep out of the way of the patrolling guards since they can still find you.
You now have about seven minutes to find seven pieces of information, after which the hunting party will gather to leave regardless.
Pieces of information are: talk to a sketchy individual at the top of the hill and another a bit northwest of the medical tent to the south, eavesdrop on pairs of guards (two tengu to the northwest, a charr and an asura to the west, another two near the medical tent to the south), read scrolls (one on a barrel in the nortwest corner, another near the central tent).
At a signal all the guards will gather at the center of the camp a few seconds later to listen to their leader Arina. Eavesdrop on this and follow them to the large red portal to the north. Defeat or be defeated by the Champion Winged...Demon? and get drawn into the portal to start the next mission in Hell Breaks Loose.
Achievements[edit]
| Beta Tester | Secrets of the Obscure: Act 1 | 1
|
|---|---|---|
| Test out Taimi's upgraded communication device by calling all of your friends.Journal: Commander Without a Cause | Tested Taimi's Upgraded Communication Device | 1
|
- Calling all your friends for Upgraded Comms Device (Experimental). (except Ivan)
- Achievement qualification may be tracked via the
Achievement Eligibility: Beta Tester effect.
| Commander Without a Cause | Secrets of the Obscure: Act 1 | 1
|
|---|---|---|
| Investigate reports about a new group operating in Tyria.Journal: Commander Without a Cause | Completed "Commander Without a Cause" | 1
|
- Complete the story mission.
| First Contact | Secrets of the Obscure: Act 1 | 1
|
|---|---|---|
| Deal with any threats encountered during your investigation.Journal: First Contact. | Completed First Contact | 1
|
- Simply defeat the Champion Winged...Demon? after investigating the camp.
- Achievement qualification may be tracked via the Achievement Eligibility: First Contact effect.
| A Shadow in the Night | Secrets of the Obscure: Act 1 | 1
|
|---|---|---|
| Sneak through the camp without being caught.Journal: Commander Without a Cause | Snuck through the Camp without Being Caught | 1
|
- Avoid getting caught all the way until the speech. Use the disguise provided by interacting with the supplies, and then avoid the detection cones.
- Be ready to hide after grabbing the last (seventh) piece of information as all the guards will rush up to the top of the camp shortly afterwards.
- Achievement qualification may be tracked via the Achievement Eligibility: A Shadow in the Night effect.
NPCs[edit]
Allies[edit]
- Narcisse (as Sketchy Individual)
- Various
Foes[edit]
Objects[edit]
Dialogue[edit]
Upgraded Comms Device (Experimental)[edit]
|
|
Taimi Comms Upgrade! Hey, Commander! Sorry for sending this antiquated note, but while I was working with Yao and Joon, communications became critically important to solving their power problems. The good news is, we made some serious upgrades to the comms systems I developed. The bad news is, I can't just patch the system. I have to roll this out to every user individually...AND you won't be on the upgraded network until you get the update. Hence, the mail. I've attached a one-time-use service chip that'll apply the update to your comms unit automatically. Once you perform the update, you won't need to do anything...but feel free to test it out. Everyone else should have theirs already...this tech is still experimental, so you may run into some glitches if you overextend the system. TaimiPS: Ivan's been calling me every five minutes, complaining that he has something important, yadda yadda yadda... Maybe ask him what he needs, so he stops bugging me while I'm trying to work? Okay, gotta go... BYE! |
.png){kind=small}
- Using the Upgraded Comms Device (Experimental)
- Welcome to Taimi's upgrade[sic] comms network, version 1.0. Please select a recipient for your call.
Call Taimi.
- Taimi: This is Taimi! I'm not available to talk right now. Y'know, busy inventing novel technologies that change how we communicate.
- Taimi: Leave a message and I'll get back to you!
- Taimi: This is so COOL!
- <Character name>: Oh, Taimi.
- Call Yao.
- Yao: Commander? Is that you?
- <Character name>: Yao? Can you hear me?
- Yao: Sorry, Commander...if that's even you... I can't understand anything you're saying!
- <Character name>: I'll call another time! Yao, still there?
- <Character name>: Must be down in the jade mine again.
- Call Rama.
- Detective Rama: This is Detective Rama of... (sigh)
- Gorrik: Brim and Scarab Detective Agency!
- Detective Rama: The Brim and Scarab Detective Agency.
- Gorrik: Missing family heirloom? We can find it!
- Detective Rama: Long-lost parents? Well track them down for you.
- Gorrik: State your inquiry, and we'll get right back to you at our earliest convenience!
- Gorrik: Have an efficient day!
- Call Braham.
- <Character name>: Braham! How are you?
- Taimi: The individual you are trying to contact has yet to properly set up their messaging device.
- Taimi: Please try again later!
- Call Marjory and Kasmeer.
- Marjory Delaqua: This is Marjory Del... Mm.
- Marjory Delaqua: This is Marjory and Kasmeer... No.
- Marjory Delaqua: (groans) Taimi...
- Marjory Delaqua: (clears throat) This is Marjory Delaqua of Delaqua Investigations.
- Marjory Delaqua: Me and my beautiful fiancée—Kasmeer Meade, Krytan ambassador—are busy living the good life.
- Marjory Delaqua: We'll get back to you as soon as we can. Maybe catch you at the bar.
- Marjory Delaqua: Oh, and if this is Gorrik, stop signing my name on paperwork.
- <Character name>: I'm happy for them.
- Call Rytlock.
- Crecia: Taimi's note says to press this button, then start talking.
- Rytlock: Ugh, how do you do this... This...flaming...device... Grah!
- <Character name>: (chuckle)
Call Ivan.
- Ivan: Commander! Oh, darn it... Give me a moment.
- Ivan: Sorry about that. Gorrik decided to bring an entire colony of mantid diggers aboard Ivan's ship.
- Gorrik: And someone's cats keep killing them!
- Ivan: I hope things are less...chaotic where you are?
- Ivan: If you're bored, Ivan has a job. We would do it, but we've got our hands full.
- <Character name>: Bored? You have no idea.
- Ivan: We've gotten word about some...puzzling occurrences happening around the town of Garenhoff in Kessex Hills.
- Ivan: No real details, but one witness stated that the "heart of the town" has disappeared. Can you look into it?
- <Character name>: Yes. Please. I could use the busywork. Everyone is—
- Ivan: Gorrik! Put her down!
- Sparki: (angry meow)
- Ivan: Sorry, Commander, Ivan needs to run. I think someone is about to stage a mutiny. We'll talk soon!
- <Character name>: See? Everyone's doing just fine, Aurene.
Try again another time.
Garenhoff[edit]
- In Garenhoff
- Villager: Gone. Whenever the baby wakes me up, I take her for a walk around the block. Usually does the trick.
- Villager: When we rounded the corner, I realized that the tower wasn't obscuring the moon—it always does, that time of night.
- Villager: It was just gone. It was there when I walked home from the market. It was there before we went to bed. Now it's gone.
- April: Did you smell anything weird? See anything...?
- Villager: No. Nothing like that. It just...left. I think it left us.
- Villager (1): What do you reckon happened? Is Isgarren okay...?
- Villager (2): I don't know. It feels wrong without it. I don't feel...ready. Is that weird?
- Villager (1): I know what you mean.
- Mayor Manrin: Where...did it go? It's always been there, watching.
- Mayor Manrin: I-I swore it was empty. I didn't think...
- Mayor Manrin: What do I do...? The villagers are asking questions that I can't answer.
- Mayor Manrin: I can't comfort them. I can barely keep myself from panic.
- Villager: You know, I'm getting tired of people pretending to "know" the wizard.
- Villager: There are no tours, we've never met Isgarren. He's—I apologize, I don't even know if he is a "he"!
- Villager: We know so little, and yet we speak as if we know these things. We act familiar.
- Villager: We know nothing. And now it's gone.
- Lasha: Welcome to Garrenhoff, the former home of Isgarren's castle. If you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them, but right now, we're all a bit...lost.
- I'm investigating what happened. What can you tell me?
- Are you blind? The Wizard's Tower is gone! I...I'm sorry. We're all short-tempered right now. The town is suffering a tragic loss, and the mayor is...well, he's not very useful at the moment.
- I'll keep asking around.
I had some other questions about the situation.
- Sorry, I've got nothing else to say.
- Town Guard Plesci: How am I supposed to protect this town now? It's just me! What did we do to drive the tower away?
- I'm looking into the situation. What can you tell me?
- We don't know much, only that the tower disappeared and the townspeople are lost without it. Mayor Manrin and I are doing our best to keep people calm, but...it won't be long before unrest sets in.
- Thanks for the information.
- I'm not sure I can help.
- Speaking to Mayor Manrin
- Mayor Manrin: It was all a lie! I feel so ashamed. The people of this town...they'll never trust me again.
- I'm looking into the situation here. What's happened?
- The Wizard's Tower, which used to hang high above the town and watched over us has just...disappeared. None of us know what happened to it, and now the townspeople are terrified.
- Did you see anything that could be related to its disappearance?
- I don't...well, now that you mention it, there was a group of sketchy individuals who showed up right after... But they couldn't have... I mean it seems implausible to think they were involved.
- Perhaps. What else can you tell me about this group?
- They were watching some of the more vulnerable residents in town, those who were especially impacted by the tower's disappearance. I'll show you where they live. They might be able to tell you more.
- Thank you. I'll go speak with them.
- I still had some other questions.
- How long ago did this happen?
- Days ago? A week? It's hard to say exactly. Its disappearance has left us all hollow. Some won't even come out of their homes... Time has seemed to blur together and I've lost track.
- Where do you think the Wizard's Tower went?
- It could be anywhere. It didn't move off in a direction or anything like that; it simply vanished. One second it was there, the next it just...wasn't.
- Why do you think it disappeared?
- That's what we're all asking. Some believe that Isgarren grew tired of watching over us, others that the tower must have fulfilled whatever its mission was. Only those inside would know.
- You seem upset. I'll leave you to yourself.
- Speaking to the Terrified Villagers
- Terrified Villager: Just end it! Do it already!
- Terrified Villager: What...is happening to...?
- Terrified Villager: I-I didn't steal anything! Get your hands off of me! Wh-what are you doing to her? Stop!
- Terrified Villager: G-gods... The screaming...
- Terrified Villager: Don't touch me! Don't touch me.
- Terrified Villager: I'm getting so tired...and cold... How much...longer to the lodge? My feet...
- Terrified Villager: (groans)
- Garenhoff is doomed. We're all doomed. We survived the dragons, but we can't survive this. Or can we? Maybe... I won't go down without a fight!
You don't have to do this!
- No...no...no... It's not possible. It can't be gone. It just can't. It's always been there, until...until YOU showed up. You're to blame. Bring it back! I'll make you!
- Please, don't...you're not well!
- What they said was true; strange times, strange faces. They're right, you're here to finish us off, now that the tower is gone. You can't. I won't let you!
- I'm not here to hurt you. Stop! Please!
- Please...please help me. Without the tower, and the elementals gone, our village is helpless. That's what they said. And they're right! Wait, you're not here to help... You're one of...them!
- Stop! I don't want to hurt you.
- There's no hope! The tower, which was once our protector, is gone. You can't help, you... You're not here to help, you...you wanted this! Die!
- Please, stand down!
- Returning to Mayor Manrin
- Mayor Manrin: It was all a lie! I feel so ashamed. The people of this town...they'll never trust me again.
- Bad news. The villager wasn't in their right mind and attacked!
- By the Six! You have my sincerest apologies. I hope you showed mercy... The people here have lost so much.
- They seemed...disoriented. Is there anything else you can tell me?
- Lasha said she saw a few of them lingering outside the house on the cliff overlooking the dock. That place has been abandoned for some time, though. I'm not sure it's much of a lead.
- Guess it's worth a look, just to be certain.
- You seem upset. I'll leave you to yourself.
- Inside the house
- Dagger: This dagger, forcefully driven into the table, looks to be of dwarven origin. The smithwork is exquisite, though the blade is driven so deep it would take immense effort to extract it from the table.
- Whoever left this must've been angry, or in a hurry. Or both.
- Still: This appears to be a still, and from the smell of the liquid inside, likely used recently to heat a concoction of herbal remedies. There are small leaves at the bottom of the mixture.
- Outside of its placement, it doesn't appear suspicious.
- Liquid Spill: This spill is still wet, indicating that it happened within the last few hours, but it appears to be ordinary stove oil. Nothing stands out or gives any clue about the situation.
- Leave it alone.
- Poster: This poster is ragged, featuring a drawing of a quaggan wearing a flame-bespeckled costume and enveloped in a wreath of magical energy. Below are the words "Kookoochoo the Incarnate."
- Why does this quaggan keep turning up, and always with a different name?
- Goop: A splattering of some sort of vile goop stains the wooden floorboards. It smells like a combination of rotting meat and overripe fruit. You've never encountered anything like it.
- Ugh, I have no desire to know more about...whatever this is.
- Bundle of Notes:
- "Mongoose,
- The situation is grim and growing more dire by the moment. Our predictions were far below what we've been seeing from the readings of astral fluctuations. Priorities have changed. I need you to relocate immediately. Take your team to the region southwest of Cornucopian Fields. Trust only yourselves. We will get through this.
- —F"
- This note says that their group is headed somewhere west of Cornucopian Fields. I could start at the windmill and work my way west.
Gendarran Fields[edit]
- Talking to Brigid
- Brigid: Oh dear, so many new faces. You have the look of someone who's seen a lot. Did you need to hear about the area, or was there something else I can help you with?
- What can you tell me about these "new faces"?
- Not from around here, that's certain. They've made themselves at home, over by Deliah's merchant caravan just south of here. As to who they are or what they want...? I didn't have the courage to ask.
- Thanks for the information. I'm looking into it.
Yeah, tell me what's going on in the area. (opens map and starts regular scout dialogue)- Never mind.
- Nearing the camp of Sketchy Individuals
- <Character name>: Must be them.
- Sketchy Individual (1): Moon Camp is coping with another casualty this morning. Arina's worried.
- Sketchy Individual (2): Two near Salma yesterday, too. That's...what? Six this week?
- Sketchy Individual (2): Wait. Someone's coming.
- Talking to Deliah
- Deliah: Oh, uh...greetings. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted by the...uh— You know what, never mind. Are you...here to buy or sell, or...?
- I'm hoping you could tell me more about your...friends here.
- Shh, keep your voice down... They seem edgy, to say the least. And I know as much as you do. Showed up a day or so ago out of the blue. Been slowly setting up camp since. No idea who they are beyond that.
- I see. Guess I'll have to find answers another way.
Actually, yeah, let's talk business. (opens vendor window)- Nope. Nothing.
- Talking to the Sketchy Individual
- Sketchy Individual: I need you to move along. You're not supposed to be here.
- <Character name>: I'm not? It's just I haven't seen you folks around here before, thought I'd say hello.
- Sketchy Individual: Move along.
- Calling Ivan
- Welcome to Taimi's upgrade comms network, version 1.0. Please select a recipient for your call.
- Call Ivan.
- Ivan: Ivan is busy right now and can't—
- Gorrik: Woo-hoo!
- <Character name>: Guess I'm on my own with this one.
- <Character name>: I should wait until dark...see if I can sneak in.
- Try again another time.
In the instance[edit]
- After nightfall
- <Character name>: Better. Should be dark enough that I won't be spotted unless I get close.
- <Character name>: All right, it looks clear for me to—
- Farmer: (blood-curdling scream)
- <Character name>: What the...
- (one of these lines)
- Farmer: Help us!
- Farmer: No! Help! Help!
- Farmer: We're being attacked!
- <Character name>: Something's going on over there.
- Aproaching the Sketchy Camp at night
- <Character name>: There's that grouchy norn, talking to another of her group. I should hide in those dense bushes and listen in...
- Sketchy Individual: Move out. As soon as I see your signal, I'll rally the rest of the camp.
- Sketchy Individual: Yes, ma'am.
- Sketchy Individual: We'll be right behind you. Stay swift, be brave.
- <Character name>: Better guarded than I thought... I'll find a more discreet way in.
- Aproaching a group of bystanders for the first time
- <Character name>: That group... the guards aren't tossing them out. Might make for some good cover.
- Approaching personal letter or scroll
- <Character name>: What's that? Might have some good information…. if I can read it quickly.
- Afte Reading personal letter or scroll
- <Character name>: The Astral Ward? They must be new to Tyria...and this Arina is their leader. Has to be that grouchy norn.
- Approaching a Crate of Supplies
- <Character name>: A few scraps of discarded armor. Might be able to use these to look the part, at least from a distance.
- Interacting with the Crate of Supplies
- You rummage through the crates quickly and find that there are a few scraps of armor. Not enough for a complete set, but maybe enough to cobble something together.
- Put the armor scraps on to disguise yourself.
- Leave the armor scraps alone.
- Approaching Astral Ward Mage or Astral Ward Protector
- <Character name>: That one looks particularly distracted…. I might be able to use that to get them to tell me something.
- No disguise
- Astral Ward Protector or Mage: I'm sorry, who are you? You don't look like... Are you supposed to be here? If you're with the refugees, you should probably move along...
- Oh, uh... Right. Sorry, I'll leave.
- Talking to Astral Ward Mage
- Astral Ward Mage: We've been waiting for hours. I wish we'd just get the signal already.
(sighs) We've been sitting around for so long...
- Astral Ward Mage: How long have you been stationed here? We only arrived yesterday.
- <Character name>: Couple days before you.
- Astral Ward Mage: Ah.
Do you know what we're waiting for?
- Astral Ward Mage: Arina sent a group ahead to check out the astral fluctuations.
- Astral Ward Mage: Not sure where the next one's gonna pop, but we need to be ready to start the hunt when it does.
Could use a good fight. Tension's got me on my toes.
- Astral Ward Mage: We are one and the same.
- Astral Ward Mage: Those things are spilling out of the rifts like water from the Unending Ocean.
- Astral Ward Mage: Although, we won't be complaining about these moments of quiet for long.
- I shouldn't disturb you, sorry.
- Talking to Astral Ward Protector
- Astral Ward Protector: Ahh! Who are...? Oh! Sorry, I'm... I...l didn't see you there, skulking around in the dark. What do you want?
- You scared, too?
- Astral Ward Protector: A little. Mabon seems to think they're tracking something...or someone here in central Tyria.
- <Character name>: Hang in there.
- Fear will only make whatever awaits us harder to conquer.
- Astral Ward Protector: I know, I know. We've fought bigger, that's for sure. But not this many...
- Astral Ward Protector: They're...terrifying.
- Toughen up. On your feet.
- Astral Ward Protector: Sorry, who are you? Do you report to Arina?
- I shouldn't disturb you. Sorry.
- Eavesdropping on two Rift Hunter Warriors
- Rift Hunter Warrior #1: Help me gather some roots for Narcisse.
- Rift Hunter Warrior #2: She's got that farmer knocked out cold. Poor thing, I can't imagine what he's being forced to see...
- Eavesdropping on a Rift hunter Skirmisher and a Rift Hunter Protector
- Astral Ward Skirmisher: I don't understand why we can't just ask for help. It wouldn't be a fight!
- Astral Ward Protector: The truth would...scare them. It's not time, and it's not our call to make.
- Eavesdropping on a Rift Hunter Warrior
- Rift Hunter Warrior: The infestation is pretty gnarly up north. Isolated villages, not a lot of foot traffic. They've got their hands tied.
- At the beginning of the hunt
- Arina: It's time, my friends.
- Arina: I need you to channel Mabon's determination and Dagda's strength.
- Arina: Remember: while we fight off the Kryptis from below, our allies are working to seal the rifts from above.
- Arina: We have a hunt to complete.
- Arina: With me!
- <Character name>: And what are we hunting...?
- After opening the rift
- Arina: We're almost there.
- Arina: Reinforcements are on their way.
- Arina: Stay together!
- Rift Hunter Warrior: Whatever you do, don't listen to them!
- Astral Ward Protector: (scream)
- Engaging in combat near the rift
- Arina: Commander! No! Stay away from it!
- <Character name>: You know who I am?
- After defeating the creature
- <Character name>: I can't...get...any footing...
- Random lines of dialogue in the Sketchy Camp
- Sketchy Individual: Follow my voice.
- Sketchy Individual: Hold on...
- Sketchy Individual: I know it's dark. I know.
- Sketchy Individual: Don't think about the pain.
- Sketchy Individual: (humming)
- Sketchy Individual: I'm channeling our mother and the stars above. The roots below.
- Sketchy Individual: There, that should help for a moment.
My story[edit]
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