Ruins of the Old World

Ruins of the Old World is the sixth chapter of the Visions of Eternity story.

Objectives[edit]

Harvest information from Sebb's monstrosities.

Meet Rytlock, Sayida, and Canach at the hunting camp in Untamed Crags.
Data Banks Collected from Newly Created Augmented Swiftwings
Return to your allies to look over the data banks together.
Holding Pods Tampered With
Listen to Rytlock's update.

Venture deeper into the forest to find the ruins.

Catch up to Canach and Sayida south of the hunting camp.
Locate the seer ruins.
Inquest Ambush Defeated
Locate the seer ruins.
Inquest Remaining
Inquest dig sites examined: x/2
Ruins Explored
Elite Enchanted Sword
Check on Scholar Renato at his excavation site.
Attempt to contact Isgarren.

Work with the Durmand Priory to unearth seer history on Castora.

Head to the Priory expedition camp.
Talk to Priory Scout Hiorr about where to find Historian Meliza.
Aid Priory archaeological research by completing a nearby event or by completing tasks for Magister Sirkk.
Follow up with Hiorr for an update on Historian Meliza's whereabouts.
Speak with Historian Meliza at the Priory expedition camp.
Use the notes Historian Meliza gave you to locate promising excavation sites for finding seer artifacts. (Complete the achievement: Digging for Knowledge)
Ask Historian Meliza more about her research on seers.
Show Meliza the artifacts you found.
Speak with Sayida.

Rewards[edit]

Bag of Loot (5) (guaranteed)
Castoran Cache of Riches (guaranteed)
Tale of Adventure (guaranteed)

Walkthrough[edit]

Meet up with the others at Hunter's Camp Waypoint — and then defeat 6 Newly Created Augmented Swiftwings to the north to get their data banks (dropped on the ground, and the Swiftwings usually travel in groups of 2, sometimes 3). Return to the trio again for the follow-up assignment of tampering with some Inquest Holding Pods, found in groups of 2 to the west, north, and east.

Following that an instance becomes available south of the camp.

Seer ruins[edit]

On the way to the ruins is a small Inquest ambush, followed by another Inquest group at the ruins that are interrogating some Priory scholars.

After examining the 2 Inquest dig sites and 3 additional Ruins objects

Some Inquest corpses south of the eastern dig site. Then defeat the Elite Enchanted Sword that spawns after examining them.
A Seer tablet south of the western dig site.
The Archway south of both dig sites.

Check on Scholar Renato at his excavation site - a bit further south.

Canach can be spoken to before leaving the instance (gives the "Wit and Wisdom" achievement).

More Seer research[edit]

Locations of the items required for collection

At Priory Expedition Waypoint — starts the next objective, of completing the nearby renown heart. Return to the NPC at the waypoint afterwards and speak with Historian Meliza by the renown heart. This will unlock the first step of the Digging for Knowledge achievement, which will have to be completed to continue.

The following items can be gathered from the Loose Dirt piles. They are only marked with icon on the map when you are close to them.
- Ritual Tool: south of Hunter's Camp Waypoint — .
- Broken Totem: northeast of Dig Site Gamma — .
- Muddy Plate: east of Hunter's Camp Waypoint — .
- Ritual Bowl: southwest of The Opening Salvo — .
- Worn Seer Coin: just east of The Opening Salvo — .
- Ruined Baggage: northeast of Twin Geysers — .
- Decayed Cloth Remnants: north of Foothold Bivouac Waypoint — .
- Corroded Weapon: southeast of Tranquil Falls — .
- Faded Grimoire: north-northwest of Choya Conclave — - north of the Choya Race.
- Faintly Glowing Stone: southwest of Foothold Bivouac Waypoint — .

Afterwards, returning to the camp and then to Sayida after that finishes the chapter.

Story and replay checkpoints[edit]

The checkpoint is available during the story and can be freely accessed afterwards when replaying the episode for achievements:

Replay Ruins of the Old World: Untamed Crags for achievements: Venture deeper into the forest to find the ruins, the Untamed Crags instance.

Achievements[edit]

Wit and Wisdom	Visions of Eternity: Act 2	1
Listen to Canach's thoughts about Castora.Journal: Ruins of the Old World	Listened to Canach's Thoughts About Castora	1

At the end of the Seer Ruins instance, speak to Canach before leaving it.

Digging for Knowledge	Visions of Eternity: Act 2	2
Find and collect artifacts in Starlit Weald.Journal: Ruins of the Old World Collection	Collected 1 Artifacts	1
	Collected 11 Artifacts	1

Acquire the items per #More Seer research above.
Refer to the map images on Digging for Knowledge for further guidance.

Find and listen to all of the audio log recordings of Drugga, Inquest artifact researcher.Journal: Ruins of the Old World

Objectives: 8 objectives in total

Beneath the wreckage north of Morningrise Prow.

In Sparktail's dubious collection.

At the Inquest's overwatch, west of Blue Hole.

By the controls for the confinement pens.

By a desk in the testing lab.

Under a heat lamp at Dig Site Gamma.

Among the gear of Forward Base Bravo.

...

Among the plants of the Ruined Nave.

Found 8 of Drugga's Audio Logs

1

Note that this achievement can be completed anytime after acquiring it during Ruins of the Old World.

The following are in Shipwreck Strand:
- Beneath the wreckage north of Morningrise Prow — behind Freebooter Ajdin/Sad Freebooter .
- In Sparktail's dubious collection. - South-west of Hullgarden Pier Waypoint — by Beachcomber Sparktail.
- At the Inquest's overwatch, west of Blue Hole. - On a cliff with inquest and golems west of Blue Hole — .
- By the controls for the confinement pens. - Northwest of Inquest Confinement Pens — underground by the the non-hero point controls.
The following are in Starlit Weald:
- By a desk in the testing lab. - Top floor of Core Processor — by Inquest Testing Room .
- Under a heat lamp at Dig Site Gamma. - East of Dig Site Gamma — around rubble.
- Among the gear of Forward Base Bravo. - Under a red awning by the teleporter at Forward Base Bravo — .
- Among the plants of the Ruined Nave. - In the plants in front of the large door at Ruined Nave — .
There is a further detailed guide with screenshots on Inquest Insight.

Note that this achievement can be completed anytime.

Find 5 Stone Tablet Fragments in Starlit Weald.
- Fragmented Poem: Immediately north-east of Priory Expedition Waypoint — in a tent with a Priory historian and researcher.
- List of Ingredients: At the base of Splintered Pillars — in the northeast corner of Overgrown Thicket.
- Pilgrim's Path: At the bottom of the waterfall by Tranquil Falls — in Crumbling Precipice.
- Crumbling Tablet: South of Priory Expedition Waypoint — under tree roots.
- Ancient Message: South of Dig Site Gamma — on a ledge with birch trees below the cliff edge.

Locations of all 5 tablets.

Ruins of the Old World	Visions of Eternity: Act 2	1 1
Technology and ancient history come face-to-face.Journal: Ruins of the Old World Reward: Scrap of Castora Mastery (10)	Completed Ruins of the Old World	1

Complete the mission.

NPCs[edit]

Allies[edit]

Enemies[edit]

Objects[edit]

Dialogue[edit]

Untamed Crags[edit]

Talking to Canach, Rytlock and Sayida at the hunting camp: Canach: Well, Commander, it sounds from your story like you've got yourself another admirer.; Sayida the Sly: Makes no difference to me what Vloxx claims to want, he's the target all the same.; Rytlock Brimstone: Makes some difference. I definitely understand what he's saying.; Rytlock Brimstone: Not hard to imagine a better Tyria than the one we have.; Sayida the Sly: Oh, come on, Rytlock. He's leading the Inquest! Have you seen what Sebb is doing?; Rytlock Brimstone: Remove every monster from the legions, and there'd be no legions left. Same goes for the Sly crew.; Sayida the Sly: That's not a fair... I mean, we don't even know if he's telling the truth!; Canach: If I may interject, as the resident ex-radical of this ensemble, it seems clear that Vloxx believes what he's saying.; Canach: There would be easier paths to power if he didn't. The real question is what he's willing to do for his ideals.; Sayida the Sly: Got any insight on this, Commander?; <Character name>: I think we need more information. We can judge Vloxx's motivation once we know what his plan is.; Canach: A thought on that: those monstrosities that Sebb has been creating are clearly controlled remotely.; Canach: That means there's some kind of connection there we might be able to get some information from.; Canach: So...is harvesting cybernetic reptile brains outside of your wheelhouse, Commander?; <Character name>: Is anything, at this point?

Returning to your allies after collecting the data banks: Canach: This is quite a haul you've got here, Commander. Let's see what I can get out of them.; <Character name>: Let me know when you find something. In the meantime, there are more creatures out there that need to be dealt with.

After tampering with holding pods: Rytlock Brimstone: Not sure what Canach was able to find, but he headed south with Sayida.; Rytlock Brimstone: Seems like there's a lot of Inquest in some ruins down there.; Rytlock Brimstone: Might want to catch up with them before they get in over their heads.

Untamed Crags instance[edit]

Catching up to Canach and Sayida: Sayida the Sly: Do you hear yourself? We're talking about the Inquest.; Canach: And once, they'd have said, "Do you hear yourself? We're talking about Canach."; Canach: You have to at least consider the possibility that your enemy is making a good point.; <Character name>: Well, we can be sure there's no Inquest in earshot, or you'd have been ambushed already.; <Character name>: Found anything yet?; Sayida the Sly: Not yet, but we have to be close. Lead the way.

Getting ambushed by Inquest: Veteran Inquest Amalgam Assassin (1): More intruders!; Veteran Inquest Amalgam Assassin (2): More test subjects.; Sayida the Sly: You know, even if his intentions are good—and I don't believe they are—that doesn't excuse working with the Inquest.; Sayida the Sly: Having a worthy cause doesn't mean you can just join up with a bunch of violent criminals.; Canach: My dear, you are a pirate captain.

After the combat: Sayida the Sly: So what are you proposing we do, Canach? Just take Vloxx at his word?; Canach: I'm merely suggesting we don't need to slam that door shut. Perhaps we can work with him. It'd certainly be easier, no?

Reaching Dig Site Gamma: Sayida the Sly: Looks like the Priory have got themselves in trouble here.; Canach: And who better than us to get them out?

After defeating the Inquest: Scholar Renato: Thank the Six for you, Commander. They had been interrogating us for hours and didn't care for our answers.; <Character name>: What were they trying to find out?; Scholar Renato: They kept asking about "the artifact," but they wouldn't specify which one they meant.; Scholar Renato: We've examined so many already—how could we possibly know which one they were looking for? But they wouldn't listen.; <Character name>: Do you need help getting back to camp?; Scholar Renato: Respectfully, it's more important we resume our work. Can't let them scare us away. Our camp isn't far from here anyhow.; Canach: I suppose we should do some looking around ourselves.

Investigating the tools on the table at the western Inquest Dig Site: <Character name>: There are three different types of arcane scanners here, but not a single brush or chisel.; Sayida the Sly: They weren't studying these to figure out their history or function. They're just testing for how much magic they exude.

Investigating the artifacts at the eastern Inquest Dig Site

(If asura)

<Character name>: Their artifact-collection task is certainly incomplete.

(If charr or norn)

<Character name>: Left a lot behind here.

(If human or sylvari)

<Character name>: There are a lot of artifacts still here.

Canach: But they certainly weren't short on time. These must not have seemed important to them.

After having examined both dig sites: Canach: They're not here to study the seers, clearly. They're looking for powerful magic.; <Character name>: And it sounds like they might have a specific object in mind.; Sayida the Sly: Let's see what else we can find here.

Examining the Inquest Corpses: Sayida the Sly: Well, at least someone dealt with a few of them for us.; <Character name>: Doubt it was the Priory. There must still be seer defenses active around here.; Sayida the Sly: Which suggests something important was kept here.; (Elite Enchanted Sword appears); Canach: Why is it that everything wants to kill you, Commander?

Examining the Seer Ostracon: <Character name>: A broken seer tablet. It says something about a ritual site, but not what it was for.; Canach: I'm sure they got up to all sorts of rituals around here.; Sayida the Sly: Maybe there's one that's more important than the others? Anyone's guess as to what it would be though.

Examining the Archway: Canach: Such ornate grandiosity. I should really copy this style for something.; <Character name>: Unfortunately, I'm not sure it tells us much about what this place was.

Talking to Scholar Renato at his excavation site: Scholar Renato: Ah, don't worry about me, Commander. I don't get rattled that easily.; <Character name>: Glad to hear it.; <Character name>: What have you figured out about this place and the seers?; Scholar Renato: We're honestly overwhelmed with the amount of raw information here. It's going to take time to draw conclusions from it.; Scholar Renato: Right now, we're just focused on gathering everything up before the Inquest can get to it.; Scholar Renato: But if you want to know more about the seers in general, you should talk to Meliza.; Scholar Renato: No one in Tyria knows more about them than her.

Sayida the Sly: Well, it's clear that the Inquest are searching for a specific artifact, but we're still in the dark about what it is.

Sayida the Sly: Maybe this Meliza can shed some light on it?

Canach: I believe our scholarly friend was a tad mistaken though. There is someone in Tyria who knows more about the seers.

<Character name>: It's worth a try, at least.

Attempting to contact Isgarren: <Character name>: Isgarren, are you there?; <Character name>: We need your expertise immediately.; <Character name>: I guess I'll have to seek out mortal insight instead.

Talking to Canach before leaving the instance: <Character name>: What do you make of Castora?; Canach: A beautiful, tragic place, teeming with possibilities and fraught with danger.; Canach: It's clear to me why the seers guarded it so jealously.; Sayida the Sly: They still do, clearly. Isgarren hasn't been any help at all since we got here.

Crumbling Precipice[edit]

Talking to Priory Scout Hiorr: <Character name>: I'm looking for Historian Meliza. Is she around here?; Priory Scout Hiorr: She's on an excavation around here somewhere, but honestly, we're too swamped for me to go look for her.; Priory Scout Hiorr: While you wait for her, maybe you can assist us with getting things settled here? It'd be a big help.

Talking to Priory Scout Hiorr after completing the renown heart: Priory Scout Hiorr: You're a lifesaver, Commander. And right on time, too; I just saw Meliza get back to her tent a minute ago.

Speaking with Historian Meliza: Historian Meliza: This is a welcome surprise. Is there something I can help you with, Commander?; <Character name>: Historian Meliza—I'm familiar with your work. You're our resident seer expert.; Historian Meliza: What passes for one. We still know so little about them.; Historian Meliza: What we've learned here so far already surpasses everything we knew before.; <Character name>: I'm trying to figure out what they were doing here that the Inquest are so interested in. Any ideas?; Historian Meliza: Well, we're still working on that, unfortunately.; Historian Meliza: But I have a map of some of the locations we haven't had a chance to excavate yet.; Historian Meliza: You can probably gather them quicker than I would, but I'm happy to tell you everything I can about them once you do.

If the player hasn't finished the artifact gathering collection for Historian Meliza after 30 minutes of playtime ^{[verification requested]}

Historian Meliza

Where to Find Seer Artifacts

If you need help tracking down those artifacts, come see me at the Durmand Priory expedition camp. I can show you a map of where they're located.

Somewhere near this waypoint.

Priory Expedition Waypoint —

Talking to Historian Meliza again, after starting the collection

Hey, Commander. Need help with something?

Can you give me some directions I should look in?

(The scout animation starts, showing the collection item locations on the map)

Here's where the artifacts that I haven't gotten a chance to collect yet are.

How am I progressing? (opens the Digging for Knowledge collection)

Actually, I think I'm good.

Talking to Historian Meliza upon finishing the collection

I'm sorry I don't have more to tell you, Commander. Unfortunately, archaeology just takes time. Would you like me to run down what I have learned, at least?

Sure, couldn't hurt.

Well, the seers were a very magically aligned culture, and there's evidence that their creations surpassed anything we've seen since. Prior to Castora, we assumed none of it had survived.

Go on.

But here, evidence of it abounds, and what we've found suggests a culture focused on ascending higher and higher. They seem to have elevated their culture to a religious level of reverence, even.

Interesting.

And here on Castora, we're seeing signs that there was a hierarchy of ascension within the culture as well. They allude to a path to the highest level, walked only by the most deserving.

And what was at the end of it?

Well that's the big question, isn't it? But whatever it was, Castora was the center of it. And they abandoned this place entirely rather than let anyone else have it. Really makes you think.

It does indeed.

I'd best start looking for it, then.

Thanks, but I need to run.

Actually, I should be going.

Do you know Historian Tranton? Expert on shadowstone?

Of course! It's a shame he couldn't join us here in person, but I look forward to discussing all of our findings with him soon.

I'm sure he can't wait.

No, I'd best get back to it.

Bug:

Selecting "No, I'd best get back to it." option to exit from the conversation also makes the story progress forward

Historian Meliza: This is incredible, Commander. I could spend the rest of my life studying just what you've brought me.

Historian Meliza: Um, but as a quick assessment, a lot of these seem to be ritual objects, totems and the like. Suffused with magic.

Historian Meliza: Castora must have had a deep religious significance to them, but the specifics will take time to tease out.

<Character name>: It sounds like an answer isn't going to be that easy, then.

Historian Meliza: It seems...unlikely. But I promise to report anything I can uncover quickly.

Historian Meliza: Oh, one more thing, Commander. If you wouldn't mind asking Isgarren if he could talk with me for a bit...

Historian Meliza: I'd love to pick the brain of an actual seer to help me put this all together.

<Character name>: So would I.

Speaking with Sayida: Sayida the Sly: Learned anything useful?; <Character name>: More confirmation that the seers were doing something significant here, but not much about what it was.; Sayida the Sly: We've beaten around it for long enough, Commander: it's time to find Isgarren and make him give us some answers.

My story[edit]

“

I met up with Rytlock, Canach, and Sayida at the hunting camp to the north and filled them in on everything I've learned. They're predictably divided on what to make of Vloxx; Rytlock seems sympathetic, Sayida doesn't believe a word of it, and Canach... I think Canach mostly enjoyed being cheeky about the whole thing. What we all agreed on was that we need more information, because operating in the dark is going to get us nowhere. Since Isgarren is still missing, we'll have to go digging on our own.
Canach proposed a plan to reverse engineer the data banks of Sebb's creatures to see if it would give him access to some internal Inquest information. I destroyed a good number of them and brought back as many data banks as I could carry to let Canach work on them, then headed back out and cleaned up the rest of the creatures in the area. The less of those things prowling around, the better. Before I could return, Rytlock called me; Canach must have found something in the data banks, because he left with Sayida, headed for some nearby ruins.
I'm on my way there now as well. Hopefully I find them before they get themselves into trouble.
***
Predictably, Canach and Sayida were arguing about Vloxx when I reached the ruins; it's a wonder they hadn't been ambushed. I managed to at least temporarily disrupt their debate, and we resumed searching for the ruins that the Inquest had been digging around in.
We found them soon after, as confirmed by an ambush of Inquest forces still in the area. But almost immediately after dispatching them, we discovered a group of Durmand Priory scholars that were being held by additional Inquest nearby.
We liberated the Priory researchers and found out from one of them, Scholar Renato, that the Inquest had been interrogating them about a specific artifact. It seems the Inquest didn't give them enough detail to know which one they meant; maybe the Inquest don't even know what they're looking for yet? We offered to escort them back to their camp, but they were undeterred and insisted on continuing their work.
Canach, Sayida, and I conducted our own examination of the Inquest excavation and came away with a few dear conclusions: they're looking for a single, specific artifact; the artifact in question is magically powerful; and they don't know what it is yet. We did our own survey of what the seers had left behind in the area to see if anything would stand out— and got ambushed by one of their defense mechanisms in the process—but weren't able to reach any conclusions.
I think if we're going to figure this out, we need a better understanding of what the seers were doing here. We checked in with Scholar Renato to see if he could recommend anyone, and he told me that Historian Meliza is the seer expert back at their camp. Canach also suggested I try to contact Isgarren and get the info from him, though whether he believed it would work or just thought it might be funny to try is unclear. Needless to say, Isgarren still didn't answer.
I'm heading to the Priory camp to talk to Meliza now. Hopefully that will give me some idea of where to look next.
***
The Priory camp was in disarray when I arrived, and Historian Meliza was too preoccupied to talk. I was able to assist Scout Hiorr and Magister Sirkk, however, and get things to a more amenable state. It seems every place we visit on Castora has its own set of problems.
I finally got a moment to speak to Meliza. She was eager to help, but needed more artifacts to examine to provide any new insights. I set out to gather as many as I could from the sites she listed and brought them back. They seem to be promising finds, and Meliza is confident that many of them are ritual objects, pointing to a religious significance to Castora. But more detailed information is just going to take time.
I updated Sayida, and she says it's time to track down Isgarren. I can't say I disagree, although I'm not thrilled about it. For now, I'm taking a breather while I work up the tolerance for him to ignore my call again.

— My story

Visions of Eternity storyline

Act 1	Prologue: On the Sly → Unscheduled Departures → Solid Ground → Eyes, Ears, and Arms → Truths Unearthed
Act 2	Beneath the Canopy → Ruins of the Old World → Fumbling in the Dark → Path of Divinity
← Previous: Janthir Wilds Next: To be continued →

Ruins of the Old World

Contents

Objectives[edit]

Rewards[edit]

Walkthrough[edit]

Seer ruins[edit]

More Seer research[edit]

Story and replay checkpoints[edit]

Achievements[edit]

NPCs[edit]

Allies[edit]

Enemies[edit]

Objects[edit]

Dialogue[edit]

Untamed Crags[edit]

Untamed Crags instance[edit]

Crumbling Precipice[edit]

My story[edit]

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