The Wailing Lord

Overview
Summary
 * 1) Destroy the forest banshees. 5 forest banshees remain.
 * 2) Do not harm the Wailing Lord.
 * 3) Return to Rastigan the Eternal for your reward.

Obtained from
 * Rastigan the Eternal in The Fissure of Woe

Requirements
 * Tower of Courage

Reward
 * 10,000 XP

Dialogue
 * "The forest to the north has long been allied with neither Balthazar nor Menzies. The God of War has allowed this neutrality so long as the Wailing Lord has not interfered with our forces. Of late, the Wailing Lord has protested our forays to gather timber and stone for the Temple of War. Workers and messengers have been attacked.


 * Go into the forest and destroy the banshees that serve the master of the forest, but do not harm the Wailing Lord himself. Our purpose is to instruct, not to destroy."

Followup:
 * A Gift of Griffons

Walkthrough
After leaving the Tower of Courage, head east and north into a valley. You will have to fight some small groups of Shadow Army creatures on your way, but nothing seriously difficult. After the valley you will find yourself on the edge of a battle plain. There are large groups of the Skeleton Army patrolling those plains, and also some stationary groups, so don't go in too far. Instead immediately head west into another valley. If you hug the left wall you should get there without much fighting.

In this valley watch out for Spirit Shepherds. They have pretty strong offensive magic (like Chain Lightning) and patrol the area in groups of three or four. Also advance slowly, because there are lots of hidden monsters like Rock Borer Worms in the ground (about half a dozen) and spiders in the trees (three in total). All of those are not difficult alone, but in large numbers you can be overwhelmed.

Keep heading roughly west and stick to the left wall. This way you will circle around the larger concentrations of foes. You should see a river with a bridge across and some buildings on the other side now. That's where you will find the five banshees and their Lord. The bridge is guarded by a throng of skeletal creatures. It is best to have them lured in small groups with a bow with long range and finish them off in a safe distance.

Note: On the bridge, there are a few Skeletal Impalers that spawn from the ground, so approach slowly. Also, when you approach the Wailing Lord, the two groups of skeletals will rush on you, so, it's best to go next to the Wailing Lord, then come back immediately. If pulled correctly, the two groups of skeletals shouldn't be a problem.

While the banshees are rather weak you have to take care not to attack the Wailing Lord! He is flagged red, although he is not aggressive. AoE spells will damage him and a Necromancer's undead minions may attack him, so stay well clear off him until you killed the banshees (that is when he will turn green and you can talk to him). Beware of using AoE spells or chain spells like Chain Lightning on enemies near him.

As an additional note, a bonder is not suitable for this region due to Nature's Renewal and Primal Echoes. The energy drain from maintained enchantments being doubled, coupled with the negative effect on signets, make any bonds difficult to maintain.