The Monk's Path

Overview


Summary
 * 1) Travel through the Salt Flats to Diviner's Ascent.
 * 2) Find the Eater of Souls and destroy it!

Obtained from
 * Nausuan in Seeker's Passage

Requirements
 * Augury Rock (Mission)
 * Not being a primary or secondary Monk

Reward
 * 1,000 XP

After completing this quest it will be possible to change your secondary class to Monk.

Dialogue
 * "Many wander through their lives, neither committing to be good nor choosing to be evil. , have you considered the path of light? You could learn what it is to be a Monk, to be the bane of darkness.


 * In a place called Diviner's Ascent lives a foul demon, the Eater of Souls. Destroy this monster and set free those it has imprisoned within its belly. This will be your first step on the path of light."


 * Accept:
 * I will destroy this demon!


 * Decline:
 * This is not my affair.


 * When asked about quest:
 * "Travel through the Salt Flats to Diviner's Ascent. Then destroy the Eater of Souls."

Reward dialogue
 * "The destruction of the Eater of Souls will allow those it has consumed to finally find peace. With this act of selflessness, you have begun a journey to put behind you the darker aspects of yourself. Follow the goodness that is in your heart, and you may yet become a great monk."

Walkthrough
You can do this quest from Destiny's Gorge or Elona Reach. Map included is for path from Elona Reach. Just travel east and dodge/fight the scattered groups of Sand Drakes until you reach marker on your map.

Beware: The Eater of Souls is a Jade Scarab boss and prior to appearing you will be flooded by four spawns of four Jade Scarabs. The boss will only stay attackable for a moment, then will burrow into the ground until all the scarabs have been killed. Best to approach the spot on the map, have some spawn, pull them away and fight them. If you fight at the mark on the map you will usually be overwhelmed. If you're particularly unlucky, a Sand Wurm will also spawn in the area.

It is very helpful to have a minion master on your team, as scarabs have low health but there are many of them, thus building minions very quickly.

The scarabs tend to clump, making any source of AoE damage a viable alternative to a dedicated minion master. Some possible choices:


 * Most Fire Magic spells, such as Fire Storm
 * Deathly Swarm
 * Well of Suffering
 * Cyclone Axe
 * Ignite Arrows
 * Symbol of Wrath
 * Smite Hex
 * Shatter Hex

Tip: Putrid Explosion is devastatingly effective on this quest. A hit at Death Magic 12 or higher will reduce a Scarab's health by a third or more, and it is often possible to catch at least three in the AoE. They start to drop like flies as the corpses pile up.

Tip: Keep Enchantments and Condition-causing skills to a minimum; in fact, it would be best to not take any at all. Jade Scarabs will always counter with Chilblains and/or Plague Touch, leading to even more trouble for the party.