Ruins of Surmia (mission)

Mission Objectives
Rescue the soldiers taken prisoner by the Charr.
 * Safeguard Prince Rurik's life.
 * Free all the Ascalon captives.
 * Get to the obelisks inside the ruined academy.
 * ADDED Cross the ravine and open the drawbridge for Prince Rurik and Erol.
 * BONUS Extinguish the Flame Temple by defeating the Flame Keepers.

Primary
(This mission can be easily solo'd if you take the healer, ranger, and mage henchmen with you. If you take the Fighter you will get adds and probably get overwhelmed).

Follow the prince and take it as slow as possible since the prince has a tendency to rush off and get everyone into too much aggro. Particularly when reaching the Charr, there can be some groups which can get too large. Eventually after looping over the "river" you will find three prison cages alongside the river. (A on the map) Upon freeing the last you get the first cut-scene.

A short journey later you arrive at the drawbridge where Rurik decides to wait with the recently released Erol (B on the map). To cross you need to loop south and east, north, back west along the river under the drawbridge and then round to the right. After opening the drawbridge follow Rurik to the mages. (If completing the bonus as described below use the back entrance when returning to the primary mission.)

If you close the door after entering the "final area" (D on the map) using the two levers you may save some trouble. Basically the mobs come at you in groups of 3 or 4, one group at a time. If you keep a single member of each group alive for a bit it can delay the arrival of the next group and allow time to heal up a bit. After the boss arrives and you kill him you complete the mission.

Bonus
Just after leaving Prince Rurik at the bridge, and heading south and then east you arrive at a prisoner who gives you the Bonus. (1 on the map) At this time a group of Charr ember bearers appear just south of you. Do not kill them yet. Follow them, taking care to stay out of aggro range, until a gate opens for them to pass through. (2 on the map) Once the gate opens you can kill them. The Temple keepers are at the top ot the hill inside the gate and cast Firestorm. Kill them to complete the bonus. (3 on the map) At the bottom of the hill there is a second gate that leads to a shortcut to the other side of the drawbridge. (4 on the map) This is not a back way. If you kill the ember bearers you will find this gate closed as well as the first one.

Elite Skill Capture
None

Additional Notes
Before doing this mission pick up the Cities of Ascalon quest from the scribe in Ascalon City. One of the "historical monuments" for the quest is located two-thirds of the way into this mission just before opening the drawbridge. (C on the map) The Cities of Ascalon quest is worth 1000 XP. After completing it, you can receive Symon's History of Ascalon from Witness Rastin, an easy quest worth 2000 XP.