The Captured Son

Overview
Summary
 * 1) Defeat the Crimson Skull and free Jatoro Musagi.
 * 2) Talk to Jatoro Musagi.
 * 3) Return the letter for Jatoro's Mother to Lady Mukei Musagi.

Obtained from
 * Lady Mukei Musagi in Seitung Harbor.

Requirements
 * Seitung Harbor
 * Canthan Character

Rewards
 * 4,000 XP
 * 500 Gold
 * Monastery Credit

Dialogue
 * "Jatoro! JATOOOOROOOOO! You there...can you help me? The Crimson Skull have taken my son hostage! I heard they usually sail out of Hanzing Pier, and that is where I last saw him. Please, help me rescue Jatoro."

Intermediate Dialogue 1
 * "Kidnapped? No, I....all right, look. I just want to find my own path, but my mother has already got my entire future planned out for me. Surely a hero like you understands.... I love my mother, but she doesn't want to let me live my own life. So I faked the kidnapping, and I am going to join the pirates in search of adventure. Please give mother this letter. If she loves me, she will understand."

Reward Dialogue
 * "This letter has opened my eyes. I never realized Jatoro had no desire to be a merchant! Of course I support his decision...even if it means a life of piracy. After all, pirates do pretty well for themselves, I hear. Thank you, !"

Walkthrough
This quest is best started from Zen Daijun. It can take quite a long time to complete, and a party of human players is recommended (henchmen parties, even those starting out of Seitung Harbor, can complete it but it is more difficult). If you have to take henchmen, choose those that deal damage at range. Two players should have some re-usable resurrection skill, and all others should bring Resurrection Signet. Even with caution, it is likely some party members will die.

When you leave Zen Daijun, head north as the minimap shows. Kill the Afflicted, Bonesnap Turtles and Dragon Lillies along the way, then go to the beach. Follow the beach until you can see the Crimson Skull pirate camp. Carefully pull small groups of Crimson Skull, which can be difficult because often many of the other enemies in the camp will become aggroed. In such a case, immediately run away until some of the pursuers break off to return to camp and only a manageable group is still focused on your party.

Melee fighters shouldn't engage the enemies too close to the main camp to allow easier escape if too many foes become aggroed. It is better to run away and try again than to kill only a few enemies and then die and accumulate death penalty. Nibble away at the enemies; kill a few, retreat, and repeat. Remember to kill healers (Crimson Skull Healer, Crimson Skull Priest) first. When you have cleared the beach, do not attack the camp yet. Go around and draw forces away from the other side of the camp as well. Avoid fighting the boss until he is alone. You may pull a small group with the boss out of the camp, in such case kill the normal pirates first and then focus on the boss.

In order to complete the quest, you must kill every single Crimson Skull in the camp. Only then will Jatoro explain to you that he wants to stay with pirates and give you a letter for his mother. Return to Seitung Harbor and talk to his mother. Have a good laugh about her reply and accept the reward.

Warning: Occasionally a group of Crimson Skull will break away from the main camp and attack Jatoro on the docks. Watch for this because you cannot complete the quest if he dies.

General Tips

 * Good pulling is essential for a mid-level party to complete this quest. When pulling, try to use terrain to your advantage to block ranged attacks. Make sure melee fighters know not to charge in. If using henchmen or heroes, flag them back far enough so they do not aggro more enemies than intended.


 * If at least one member has the primary quest To Zen Daijun active, they may have four extra NPCs follow you throughout the zone thus adding to the party. They can be a great asset when fighting the Crimson Skull.


 * Complete the other quests in this area first, but don't accept their rewards. Then if you die, you can quickly take one of the rewards to clear your death penalty. In this way, you can chip away Crimson Skull camp without fear of death penalty making quest completion impossible.


 * The Crimson Skull camp backs onto a rock formation from the south, with a path that leads through the rocks up to the camp. It is possible to pull groups of the Crimson Skull back along the path, using the rocks as a choke point. The enclosed space makes area effect attacks and traps extremely effective.


 * Assassins are useful for quickly taking out healers by shadow stepping in and unleashing a flurry of attacks. Shadow stepping is also useful because the mesmers cast Imagined Burden making charging the healers difficult. However, be very careful to not over aggro.


 * Ritualists should bring offensive spirits and Painful Bond. Summon your spirits away from the camp to set up a trap then lure enemies back.


 * Minion masters are useful for this quest. Their numerous minions can help to contain the massive number of foes and minimize the damage that party members take. A minion master with maximum Death Magic and a full army can make this quest a breeze, allowing the group to completely skip repeatedly pulling small groups and simply take the whole camp at once.


 * Likewise, Minion Bombers are especially effective. They can weaken the camp by gathering a full group of minions, casting Death Nova on them, sending them into battle (preferably targeting healers), then retreating. The minions will continue to engage the Crimson Skull, allowing the party (even one composed of henchmen) to safely retreat. The damage from the minions combined with the explosions and poison should finish off a number of the enemies with minimal risk to players.


 * A good way to recharge the Resurrection Signets of your henchmen mid-quest is to kill the relatively easy boss on Yuroso Island a short distance southwest.


 * The lagoon offers an effect which gives a small healing boost with each skill use. Clear the lagoon of monsters and pull Crimson Skull towards it to take advantage of this.

"The Captured Son Letter"

 * In Seitung Harbor, you will see many people trying to sell the letter that you receive from Jatoro after defeating the Skull's camp. Although this is considered an easy way out of doing the quest, it has been confirmed to work.  Therefore, buying the letter is a valid way to complete the quest.
 * The item required is "Letter for Jatoro's Mother." Beware of a common scam where people attempt to sell "Letter to Mom" that is used for the Jade Sea Quest (see below).