Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Aion's Elyos spy quests in Beluslan

Last time we met, we chatted about the spy quests that enticed Elyos to infiltrate Morheim. But even though Morheim is where Aion's spy questing starts for the light-winged, it is certainly not where that questing ends! As Daevas move along the leveling curve, more opportunities to rift into new enemy lands arise. However, unlike the lower-level zone's quests that focused more on introducing players to rifting in Aion, Beluslan spy quests are predominantly specific chains leading players through story arcs and toward a determined goal.

There may not be any rush to complete the spy quests now that Daevas of any level can travel through the rifts, but anyone wanting to get real use out of the resulting rewards before they become obsolete will want jump and and do the quests before moving on to Balaurea. For that reason, Wings Over Atreia brings you the next guide to Elyos rifting: Beluslan.

Prep work

So you're ready to move up the rifting ladder? You've tasted the thrill of sneaking into enemy lands and want to continue with new forays into Beluslan? Well, good news! While the Morheim quests give players a taste of rifting, the Beluslan ones give more substantial rewards. One such example is the Xeno weapon quest. It used to be that every Elyos would both anticipate and dread this endeavor -- anticipate for getting a very spiffy powerful weapon and dread for all the various steps involved.

Unfortunately, spy quests into Beluslan are not easy to condense into just a couple of trips; the quests themselves may be only a part of four distinct chains, but different steps within a single chain will send players through rifts, necessitating multiple return trips. Not only that, but the quests are often in vastly different parts of Beluslan, each more easily accessible by a certain rift. Of course, now that the rift openings are no longer random in any way (they follow a very specific schedule), Elyos may find certain rifts camp and need to travel regardless. For the purpose of this guide, I'll add the closest rift to access each part.

One way for Daevas to condense rifting experiences, however, is to prepare themselves by completing all the prerequisites before level 46 so that they are able to pick up all the spy quests to have multiple Beluslan steps on-hand just in case. You just never know when you might end up near another quest objective than the one you were actually focusing on. Another way is to run the chains with a group, as many parts are not very solo-friendly.

And so it begins -- with Xenophon

The Xenophon weapon quest line is possible the longest series in Atreia. At least it truly feels that way! This is the first quest to start preparations for, as over half the line is completed before the spy quests even begin. At level 41, Elyos can visit Xenophon in the the Library of Sages in Sanctum to receive A Disturbing Report. The next three steps (RM-78c, Tissue? I don't even know you!, and What Nerison Saw) remain in Elyos territory as well but do involve finishing A-Labs in Heiron; you'll complete all of these in preparation of the rifting steps.

The fifth quest, A Suspicious Box, and the three following require passing through a rift to Alquimia Stronghold in Asmodae, so players may want to move down the list and prep other quests before moving on. The best rift to use for these is on the little hill just south of the Lepharist Research Center in Heiron. Once through the rift, you move through Suspicious Scientists, The Key is the Key, and The Research Journal. Thanks to one of Aion's easy buttons, Elyos can actually complete these steps solo as the journal can now also be picked up outside the group instance. The final two quests in this chain are all back in Elysea.

More spies

Another series of spy quests available to Elyos has a minimum-level requirement of 43. Because of its location, this chain is best completed in one continuous swoop. Meeting the Mau Spy begins at the Kishar Observation Post in Heiron and involves obtaining Balaur transformation potions from the Outriders in the Indratu Barracks. The next step is to enter the rift deep in the Barracks. After completing this, you move to Key to the Cave. Once done with that, you now have the key to Draupnir Cave located in Beluslan and The Draupnir Weapons quest to go inside and collect bioweapons. (I'll be honest: This particular step is one I still have to finish!). Trust me when I say you want a group to go into the Draupnir instance.

Once you have the key to the cave, you can actually enter it via the special rift located in Heiron. In an interesting new twist, Elyos can be transported to right near the Draupnir Cave Abyss Gate by clicking the portal in the Middleton housing area.

Magic mirrors

The next quest chain with spy elements begins with Materia's Request at Jalapeño -- er, I mean, Jeiaparan Village, at level 43 as well. Finishing up that quest opens to the spy mission Alukina's Palace, where players gather items to have a special magical mirror crafted. Although no group was needed until this point, I heartily recommend you have one for the subsequent quests. After you receive the crafted mirror, you get the quest Mirror, Mirror, sending you to Eltnen and into Fire Temple to talk with the mirror at the end behind Kromede. You can possible find someone willing to let you in after he's finished clearing the instance; otherwise, you'll need to run the entire thing.

Oddly, the previous two quests are marked as spy quests but do not require players to rift into enemy territory. The final leg of the journey, however, is most definitely a spy quest; The Seiren's Fin finally puts players in Beluslan -- Alukina's Palace to be exact. A beautiful underwater-themed area, it should be visited at least once by every Elyos! Use the rift in to the south of Senea's campsite for the closest Beluslan exit to the Palace.

From fire to ice

The fourth and final spy quest chain can be started at level 46. Daevas can grab the first quest, The Spreading Flame of Fregion, at the Observatory Village in Theobomos, which in turn leads to Visiting the Library. Completing these two grants access to the spy quest Dousing the Flame. The best rift to use for collecting the kills needed here is located in Nolantis Ruins.

Once you finish up those tasks, your Beluslan spy-questing days are done. However, that certainly doesn't mean your rifting need end; continue to enjoy forays into enemy lands to help fellow Elyos finish their quests, enjoy the scenery, or engage in a few battles with Asmos. And when you are finally ready to move on to Ingisson, there are plenty more spying opportunities awaiting you

Soaring through the Aionosphere, MJ Guthrie touches down biweekly to bring you Wings Over Atreia. Featuring tips, guides, and general snippets of life in Aion, the column is better than Tutty-on-a-stick, ackackackackackack! Have a suggestion to share? No need to bribe a Shugo -- just send mail to mj@massively.com..