Wings Over Atreia: A guide to Elyos spy quests in Morheim
When I first thought to make a listing of spy quests in Aion, the idea was that folks could be sure to finish all the parts of the different lines before certain zones became unavailable due to leveling. I can remember on at least one occasion my quest progression was halted when I found myself leveled beyond the rift's parameters. It was a sad time, as I was prevented from obtaining the rewards and titles involved. Even worse, I was left with an incomplete quest in my journal. Oh, the horror! I moved on, but there was always that nagging feeling of something missing.
All that has changed. Once the Fast Track server was introduced, the level limits on the rifts preventing Daevas from returning to enemy lands were removed. Now, any Elyos or Asmodian can return to those lower zones and wrap up any unfinished business. Of course, with so much to keep you occupied at the higher levels in Aion, you probably wouldn't even have time to flit back to the old haunts just to finish up old quests, which makes getting them done early all the more important. So to help you out, here's a guide to the Elyos spy quests in Morheim.
Although there are a variety of spy quests sprinkled throughout many levels, today's guide is not going to concern itself with anything in Balaurea, such as the weekly quests from the different organizations, or even in Beluslan. This listing will cover just those missions that involve travel from Eltnen to Morheim. Many of the various quests are a part of just a few distinct lines; starting one will lead a player along a chain of quests. These chains begin in Eltnen and Sanctum.
I'll categorize these in a way to cut down on the number of trips into enemy territory, hopefully increasing your odds of survival. You might still want to take a few high-level friends along, though, since the way rifts work has changed the element of surprise has been taken out of the equation and it's harder to sneak around. Also, the higher-level quests are in rough areas with nasty mobs who happen to see through stealth at almost every turn.
Into Morheim
The very first spy quest an Elyos is introduced to is A Teleportation Adventure in the Eltnen Fortress. Little Sonirim wants to test her teleport abilities on you. Because being a lab rat always turns out well, right? If you have never done the first step of this quest, I recommend taking it but then holding off. If you have done the first step (and summarily been teleported to the outskirts of the Morheim Fortress), don't complete the second step until you are level 26+ and have gathered the rest of the Morheim-related spy quests. That way you can travel there at your leisure without waiting for a rift. Doing so also puts you close to your objectives. Even better, when traveling on your own time frame, you avoid the Asmodians who camp the rift openings.
If you have used both free teleports to Morheim up, things become a bit more difficult (and even annoying) but not impossible. Although all rifts heading to there open at the same time, it's only for a total of six hours throughout the week, so you have to plan your excursion according to a tight schedule. The good news is that if you make it through a rift you don't necessarily have to run the missions right then if you don't have the time; Elyos who log out in Morheim won't be teleported back to their obelisk, so players can just get to a safe place and park themselves until they have more time. (Please remember to log out though and don't just go AFK!)
The next step on the spy quest journey is visiting Heropres at Novan's Crossing. He starts you on Message to Spy. Also be sure to complete Plant Poison Antidote from Celestine at the edge of the Manduri Forest as well so you can take the follow up spy quest Celestine's Antidote. Once you have both of these, head back to Eltnen Fortress to speak with Valerius, who will advance Heropres' quest and give you That Old Elyos Spirit.
Now, you are almost ready to go into Morheim. Before you go, make sure you have 15 Theonia on hand from the broker or be prepared to harvest them (essencetapping 130+), as the spy you meet up with in Morheim, Medea, gives you the quest A Gift of Love, a prerequisite for yet another spy quest. Also, put all the quests on your tracker and consider bringing a friend/guard or two, both for protection and for fun.
There and back again
Once in Morheim, the quest chains continue. Medea gives you her quest, and Deputy Lamipedon -- who finishes Valerius' quest -- gives you Respect for Deltras. Hint: When you activate the firecracker, be sure you are out of range of the wandering guards' aggro because they hurt!
After you finish up the Morheim portion of all these quests, head back to Elysea and complete the remaining steps and prep for the next round. Grab A Letter to Medea/Advise of Love (there is some discrepancy about what the current name of the quest is, and I am unable to corroborate in game) from Jinus in Sanctum. You can then run back to Morheim and complete this one right away or and hold on to it until you reach level 38+, when you can grab the remaining spy quests. And before embarking on the trip, don't forget to grab some friends, too -- the remaining quests are in difficult areas.
Of the remaining spy quests, one is in Sanctum and the other two are in Morheim itself. To get Going Out of Business in Protectors Hall, players must first complete the chain starting with Fake Stigma from Dionera at the Eltnen Observatory (The middle step, Black Cloud Fakery, involves traveling to the Upper Abyss and finding the unmarked Black Cloud Island -- see inset.). The other quests aren't taken until you are actually deep in enemy land. Tayga, Bane of Shugos, is acquired from Chaomirk deep in Mist Mane Village in the southwest corner of Morheim. You get Ganimerk's Espionage from the same place but from Ganimerk.
Once you complete all these, you can return to Elysea to tie up the last of the loose ends, turning in your quests and reveling in the loot and glory you gained. You can then either settle back and just adventure in your home lands or -- if you happened to catch the rifting bug -- continue your forays into enemy territory. But remember, there are new spy quests and adventures awaiting you in Beluslan. That, however, is a guide for another time.
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.
