Failure to Communicate

Summary

 * 1) Investigate the disappearance of Anton and Scout Winslow.
 * 2) Defeat the Charr and rescue Scout Winslow.
 * 3) See Captain Langmar for your reward.

Obtained from

 * Captain Langmar in Grothmar Wardowns

Requirements

 * Assault on the Stronghold

Reward

 * 5,000 XP
 * 100 Vanguard reputation points

Introductory dialogue

 * "It is good to find you well, . I have a task for you.


 * I have sent Scout Winslow on a sensitive reconaissance mission, but he has failed to return. I sent Anton, one of my best soldiers, to find him. He has not returned either. I trust my men. I do not let trust blind me to reality. Something has happened, and I need you to investigate."


 * Accept: "Well, since you asked so nicely..."
 * Reject: "What makes you think I'll come back, either?"

Intermediate Dialogue 1

 * Anton: "Silence! You move with all the grace of a one-legged Moa. Do you want to give us away?"
 * Anton: "Ah, I see. Captain Langmar sent you... to bring back my body, no doubt. Her concern touches me like a dagger. But I am more than capable to handle this situation."
 * Anton: "However, you are here now. Tell me, do you know why Assassins wield two blades?"
 * Anton: "Because we have only two hands. I'll not turn away extra sets of hands no matter the source. Let us find Scout Winslow. But tread carefully."

Intermediate Dialogue 2

 * Scout Winslow: "Thank you, thank you. I thought I was doomed. DOOMED!"
 * Anton: "Pull yourself together, man. Are you a soldier, or a mergoyle frolicking in high tide?"
 * Scout Winslow: "Sir...? Um, a soldier, sir. Yes, sir! A soldier."
 * Anton: "Then tell me what you learned, scout."
 * Scout Winslow: "Yes, sir. Your lead was solid, sir. Before I was captured, I heard one of the Charr mention Rend Ragemauler. It appears he has been recalled to counteract their recent losses."
 * Anton: "So he is here, finally... after all these years. Quickly, tell me about the Charr that spoke of Rend Ragemauler."
 * Scout Winslow: "That's all I know, sir. I was captured before I had a chance to get in closer."
 * Anton: "Useless! You would better serve the Vanguard as a pastry chef. Very well. I shall simply have to rip out the tongues of every Charr I find until one flaps loose with the information."
 * Anton: "You! ! Inform Captain Langmar that I am proceeding on ahead. I have... business... with Ragemauler."

Reward Dialogue

 * "My men are alive and well? That is welcome news. We can ill afford to lose any men at this important juncture. Thank you for your report. You shall be justly compensated for your efforts. I am concerned, though, that Anton did not return with you. You say he mentioned Rend Ragemauler? He and I shall talk of this when he returns."

Followup

 * The Imploding Past

Walkthrough
Start at either Longeye's Ledge or Doomlore Shrine and follow the quest arrow to Anton (you do not have to speak with him to initiate the next phase). Turn the corner and head down the beach towards the camp, where you will find a guards in front of the entrance and more Charr inside. The group can be challenging to defeat: the boss is a Monk/Paragon, with a Charr Prophet and Mender healing rapidly. Although these monks do not have resurrection skills, the Charr Dominator and Avengers do.

Option 1: Direct approach

Taking on the boss group head-on can be very challenging. Bring interrupts, AoE damage, and anti-enchantments or intense spikes plus Frozen Soil (to suppress resurrection). You can also claim the nearby Siege Devourer that will nuke, KD, and interrupt if you time things well; you can find it just north of the eastern end of the bridge outside Longeye's.

Option 2: Sneaky approach

A longer but easier method is to repeat Against the Charr, after which your party will respawn in the Charr Camp. The enemy will be in smaller numbers with fewer healers. Kill them, walk-up to Winslow, and the quest is done.

Option 3: Plan A

You can also complete this quest simultaneously with Plan A, as Vael will lure most of the camp away and you can kill Winslow's guards before the patrol returns. At worst, the simultaneous approach spawns mostly Axemasters and Blademasters, who can be pulled and tackled in small doses.

Trivia

 * This quest name is a nod to the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, containing the line: "Now what we got here.... is failure to communicate" (yes, that is correct as-is).
 * There are several references to the sitcom Dad's Army in this quest. The line "I thought I was doomed! DOOOOOOMED!!!" is similar to the line commonly said by one character Pvt. Fraiser: "We're doomed. Aye, doooomed!!".