Augury Rock to Dunes of Despair

__HIDDENCAT__

Running through the desert can be quite hazardous to your health, so group with some player characters, or at least bring along henchmen, as many of the mobs encountered are very difficult. You can get to Dunes of Despair in two ways.

Through Prophet's Path, Visiting Heroes' Audience


This is the more common path to the Dunes of Despair because it passes close to Heroes' Audience. There is no real difference between travelling in groups and running for this path, indicated in red on the map to the right.

Leave from Augury Rock into Prophet's Path. Head west towards the teleporter but turn south before reaching it, and you should come to a rather large area of dunes, complete with Desert Griffons, Minotaurs, Marrow Scarabs, Scarab Nest Builders, Devourers springing up from the ground, and groups of Sand Elementals. If running, be particularly careful of the Barbed Traps that the Scarab Nest Builders use &mdash; carry a condition removing skill. Try not to run into Kepkhet Marrowfeast and her Scarab army (unless exterminating her is one of your goals).

Bear southwest until you notice the southern edge of the map. It is a big impassable hill of sand -- hard to miss it. Follow the south wall west; you will soon find a break in the wall and a narrow channel leading to the portal to Vulture Drifts. Beware of Sand Wurms in the channel. Heroes' Audience, one of the quest outposts in the desert, is a short detour to the west.

Once in Vulture Drifts, head south. You will enter through a wide south-facing pincer formed by the dunes. Immediately as you exit the pincer, take a left turn (to the east), and go south when you are able. You will be in a wide area swarming with Hydra, Sand Giant and Desert Griffon patrols. Do your best to avoid engaging more than one patrol at a time. Head south through the monoliths until you reach a teleporter. At the other end of the teleporter are small groups of Enchanted. Believe it or not, you are already looking into the Dunes of Despair outpost, though from atop the sandy ledge that surrounds it. The portal should be visible a short run away.

Travelling with Groups
Take the red path in the map to the right. From Augury Rock, take the Skyward Reach exit and head to the teleporter to the southeast. You may have to fight small groups of Hydras before you can use the transporters. The teleporter takes you close to the portal to the Vulture Drifts.

In the Vulture Drifts, go roughly southward to the first teleporter. You will have to fight at least one group of Griffons to get to the teleporter. Beware of a patrol of two Griffons that runs by the teleporter every few minutes. On the other side of the teleporter, go through the monoliths, heading roughtly southwest, until you get to the next teleporter. If you're lucky, you will encounter no foes; if you are unlucky, you'll fight one or two Sand Wurms and two patrols of Griffons. Do not engage all of them at once.

Stay sharp as you go through the second teleporter, as there are groups of Enchanted waiting to greet you. The portal to the Dunes of Despair is a short run away. Fight the Enchanted or make a run for it (watch out for Hamstring and Pin Down) &mdash; your choice.

Running
When running to the Dunes, it is best not to bother with the teleporters and risk being cornered. Take the green path on the map. The path is longer, but it is a continuous run until you get to the last set of teleporters. Here you have to be quick. First lose any trains of Griffons following you. Then, keeping a close eye out for patrols, activate the teleporter and step through. Do not get close to the monoliths, or you might pique the curiosity of a Sand Wurm. They will knock you down, so having Balanced Stance is a must.

Running into an Enchanted Sword or Bow can be disastrous. The Enchanted Swords are equipped with hamstring, and a cripple will most likely result in your death (the griffons often pursue you very far.) Always carry a Mend Ailment or an evading stance such as Gladiator's Defense or Defensive Stance.