The Missing Artisan

Overview
Summary Obtained from
 * 1) Follow the road through Traveler's Vale to Ascalon Foothills.
 * 2) Talk to Artisan Rudger.
 * Tabor Woolridge in Yak's Bend

Requirements
 * none

Reward
 * 500 XP

Dialogue
 * "Oh, bother! The new set of Mesmer attire that I want crafted requires leather, and I don't have any. On the way here, I gave all the hide stripes I had to Artisan Rudger that he might produce some leather for me. Now he's nowhere to be found. I'll keep searching the camp, but perhaps you can look for him back in the Ascalon foothills. He might need a reminder of his obligations!"

Walkthrough
When entering the Ascalon Foothills keep hugging the left wall and you'll be let to the artisan's location. It's not far, but there are some groups of Hydras, Boulder Elementals and Stone Furies in-between. If you're out of luck two of these groups will be sitting right on top of each other. If that's the case you're in for some tough fight and depending on the strength of your party it may be wise not to take the direct route but the longer way through the valley bellow (to the right and downhill, then left again past some ruins and uphill again), with more but supposedly less heavy fighting. Sometimes those two groups are blocking the entrance to the region altogether. Then you can exit the foothills the way you came and re-enter and hopefully the new spawn locations will be better.

This quest can be done nicely in one run with Oswalt's Epitaph, whose grave is only a little further down the road.