Hunters and Prey

Hunters and Prey

Year

1325 AE

Storyline

Personal story

Chapter

Victory or Death

Location

Garden of Ilya
(Malchor's Leap)

Level

80

Choice

Priory's Plan

Preceded by

Further into Orr

Followed by

Air Drop

API

325

Loading screen (Garden of Ilya) Loading screen (Fort Trinity)

Hunters and Prey is a mission in the personal story. It is accessed by choosing the response "I'm going to find the missing squad" in the previous mission, Further into Orr.

Objectives

Find the missing squad near the Garden of Ilya.

• Meet Kekt outside the Garden of Ilya.
• Locate the missing Pact squad.
• Search the Pact fortress for clues.
• Continue the search for survivors.
• Kill the Risen spiders.
• Head north to search for survivors.
• Speak with the surviving crusader.
• Defeat Risen Ferghen.
• See to Kekt.
• (Put down Risen Ferghen for good.)
• Put down undead Ferghen for good.

Inform Trahearne about the Searing Cauldron.

• Meet Trahearne at Fort Trinity.

Rewards

Click here to edit the reward data

All professions

• 68,580 
• Master's Bag of Crafting Supplies
• Bag of Loot (5)

Profession-specific

• One of the following: Commando's Pauldrons, Outrider's Pauldrons, Trooper's Pauldrons
• One of the following: Commando's Shoulderguards, Outrider's Shoulderguards, Trooper's Shoulderguards
• One of the following: Commando's Mantle, Outrider's Mantle, Trooper's Mantle

Walkthrough

Meet up with Kekt and his crew. He informs you of their mission: to investigate and report the fate of the missing squad within the Garden of Ilya. After some dialogue, you and the crew will find body after body strewn about the trail. Kekt states how clean and efficient the kills are, with another member adding how such clean kills are rare for the lumbering Risen.

When the party comes across their first survivor, he can only utter a warning to the next victim that finds him, killing them in an instant. The hunter claims the life of one of the party members, scaring Kekt into calling for an early retreat, but everyone moves onwards. A second survivor is found, but is in a manic state and raves on about the unknown assassin. One member of the group comes to the conclusion that it is none other than Ferghen, but before they can make way to Trahearne and warn him, they are eliminated.

Kekt flees further into the garden, a member warning him that Ferghen could be in there before being killed themselves. Ferghen then appears in plain sight, allowing the player to fight him one on one. He uses mostly ranger skills, so abilities that absorb or reflect projectiles would be the most effective here. After he is initially put down, the player must go after Kekt to make sure he is safe. The relief is short lived as Ferghen comes back a second time, slaying Kekt. This time Ferghen uses warrior skills - he will use Shield Bash occasionally, so having a source of stability may prove useful.

After Ferghen is down for good, the player must trek back to Fort Trinity to inform Trahearne the fate of the squad and the presence of another Searing Cauldron within Orr. Trahearne determines this discovery to be the player's next mission, directing them to report to Pilot Arda Gyreshriek. This mission ends here.

NPCs

Allies

First instance

Asura

• Kekt

Various

• Priory Arcanist (dead)
• Priory Explorer
• Priory Scholar
• Vigil Crusader
• Vigil Tactician (dead)
• Whispers Agent

Second instance

Sylvari

• Trahearne

Plants

• Sylvan Hound

Various

• Pact Scout
• Pact Warrior
• Priory Arcanist
• Priory Historian
• Priory Magister
• Priory Scholar
• Vigil Crusader
• Vigil Recruit
• Vigil Warmaster
• Whispers Agent
• Whispers Creator
• Whispers Initiate

Foes

First instance

Risen

• Risen Crow
• Risen Ferghen (veteran)
• Risen Spider Hatchling
• Risen Spider Queen

Dialogue

Garden of Ilya

Upon meeting your squad (cinematic):

Kekt: Sure am glad to see you, Commander. Even with all these Pact soldiers here, I'm scared. This place makes my ears twitch.

Whispers Agent: What did you expect from Orr? Be glad you're still alive to have twitchy ears, and tell the commander about our missing squad.

Kekt: Sorry, Commander. Our best reconnaissance team is long overdue. We think they're still alive, but—

Whispers Agent: Of course they're alive: they've got Ferghen. Finest tracker I've ever seen, and his survival skills are legendary. He'll keep that squad safe.

<Character name>: But we still need to find them. I can follow a trail. Fall in and let's start combing the area.

Speaking with Kekt:

Kekt: Dwarven tomes and ruins are one thing, but this? My stomach can't handle it. It's twisted worse than that time I braved the buffet table at General Togo's Cuisine in Lion's Arch.

Stay close to me and you'll be fine.

Upon finding the first body (cut-scene):

Kekt: This one's dead...single arrow through the neck.

Priory Explorer: Clean kills? From the Risen? Our squad is in real trouble. We'd better move.

Finding the second body (cut-scene):

Kekt: Here's another one. Looks like the Risen just tore him apart.

Whisper Agent: No. The mutilation was post-mortem. Someone ran him through with his own sword first.

Kekt: Okay, this whole mission is glitched. The squad's obviously dead. Can't we just go back?

Whispers Agent: Not until we find them all. I refuse to believe that Ferghen just let these people die.

Finding the third squad member (cut-scene):

Whisper Agent: We've got a live one! Arrows through both legs...he can't move, but he's breathing.

Whisper Agent: It's okay. We got here in time. Hang on and we'll get you home.

Priory Scholar: No...run...trap...

After the Risen spiders appear:

Kekt: She's dead! Did you see that? We need to get out of here, right now!

Priory Explorer: Calm down. Someone's toying with us, but we're not leaving without the rest of our squad.

Finding two live members of the squad (cut-scene):

Vigil Crusader: You don't understand. He'll kill me, he'll kill us all!

Priory Explorer: Stop. Don't move, just talk. What happened to your squad?

Vigil Crusader: He hunted us down. He's hunting us all down. And he's still out there!

Vigil Crusader: Don't you see? We're not safe. Not from him. Not from—

After the Vigil Crusader was killed by unseen assailant:

Kekt: Ahhh!

Talking to the last surviving crusader (cinematic):

Vigil Crusader: Ferghen. The Risen took him first, made him one of them. After he turned, he started hunting us.

Vigil Crusader: He's unstoppable...a monster. I'm the only one left. If he gets me, you have to tell Trahearne what we found. Tell him about the Searing Cauldron.

Priory Explorer: Zhaitan's forces have a Searing Cauldron? Like the one that destroyed Ascalon?

Vigil Crusader: That's right. Trahearne must be told, but we'll never get out of here alive with Ferghen on our trail. He won't—

Priory Explorer: He won't what? Come on, what won't Ferghen do? What is wrong with you?

After the last crusader is killed by Ferghen (cut-scene):

Kekt: That's it. I'm out of here.

Priory Explorer: Kekt! Stop! He could be out there!

Kekt: Stay away! Someone help! Please!

After you defeated Ferghen the first time:

Kekt: Ah, you did it! I thought I was goner like the others, but you stopped him.

Kekt: I've never seen one of the Risen act like that. We need to report this in, right now.

Kekt: And not just this... Trahearne needs to know about the Cauldron, too.

Fort Trinity

Meeting Trahearne back at Fort Trinity (cinematic):

Trahearne: Welcome back, Commander. Did you find the missing squad? They were on a mission of vital importance.

<Character name>: I did. They discovered that Zhaitan's horde has obtained a Searing Cauldron, and that discovery cost them their lives.

<Character name>: I'm tired of burying our best and bravest, but their sacrifice may be the key to victory. A weapon like that could change the course of the war.

Trahearne: It is imperative that we claim that cauldron before Zhaitan's minions can employ it. I need you to lead a mission to get it.

Trahearne: Head down to the airship dock. Pilot Gyreshriek is standing by, along with a state-of-the art battlesuit.

Trahearne: Laranthir's extraction team will follow you in. Use the suit to clear a path from them, and they'll rendezvous with you at the cauldron.

Talking to Trahearne again:

Trahearne: We've got to strike before Zhaitan's army can deploy the Searing Cauldron. Anything I can do to speed you on your way?

I'm ready. I'll cut through the cauldron's defenders like a scythe through wheat.

No, sir. I'll recover the cauldron to honor the squad that found it.

I do have a question before I get started.

I wouldn't want my second-in-command going in unprepared. I'll be glad to answer any questions you have.

I'd like to know more about the Searing Cauldron.

It's a devastating magical weapon similar to one the Flame Legion used to [sic] against Ascalon ages ago. It creates flaming crystal boulders that fall from the sky as well as a pyroclastic cloud.

Where will I find it?

It is currently in Orr, in the Cathedral of Zephyrs. We've got an airship ready to drop you into the target zone and an advanced golem battlesuit to aid you in your mission.

I have another question.

I'll make sure we secure it, Commander.

I have another question.

Sounds impressive…and dangerous. I'll get started on securing it.

Tell me more about this special battlesuit you mentioned.

It's only a prototype, but its armor and weaponry are the best we've ever seen. Beam weapons, heavy artillery, hand-to-hand, and the smoothest pilot/golem interface ever designed.

I have another question.

Then let's introduce it to the enemy.

Tell me about Laranthir.

Laranthir of the Wild is the Vigil's second in command. He helped convinced [sic] General Soulkeeper to turn her mission of vengeance into a mission of justice. He's a tremendous asset.

I have another question.

Thank you, Marshal. I'm ready to go now.

That won't be necessary, Marshal. I'm ready to go.

No need, Marshal. I'm ready to go now.

My story

“ I went looking for a missing Pact squad and found Ferghen, once the Pact's premier scout, now corrupted and hunting his fellow squadmates in a lethal game of cat-and-mouse. We defeated him, but not without serious casualties. I also learned that Ferghen's squad had located a powerful weapon that the Pact could employ against Zhaitan's army: a Searing Cauldron, much like the one that destroyed Ascalon centuries ago. We set out to collect that weapon. — My story

Notes

• If you forget to investigate the corpses in the Pact fortress you can still complete the rest of the tasks in this mission. However, the mission is not completed until you have gone back to the fortress and completed all objectives there, even if you have killed Ferghen. This will result in a cut-scene bug where Kekt and the priory agent (both now dead) will be dialogue but no audio will play.
• It is possible to interrupt Ferghen with well timed interrupts, such as pistol 4 for Thief, preventing him from killing Kekt. However, this isn't very helpful for the purpose of the story.

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Pact storyline