A New Escort

Overview
Summary
 * 1) Meet Merchant Orek and the caravan in Drazach Thicket.
 * 2) Escort Merchant Orek and the caravan to Saint Anjeka's Shrine.
 * 3) See Merchant Orek for your reward.

Obtained from
 * Yuri Vasburg in Brauer Academy

Reward
 * 3,000 XP
 * 750 Kurzick Faction
 * 250 Gold
 * Equipment Requisition

Dialogue (Yuri Vasburg)
 * "Friend, I'm in a terrible lurch, and I could really use your help. My companions and I were tasked with protecting the merchant caravan that brings supplies and wares into House zu Heltzer. With the war against the Luxons heating up, my uncle, Baron Vasburg, felt that there was a greater need for us on the front lines. I'm supposed to take my men and meet up with him immediately, but I just don't feel right leaving the caravan out there without an escort... I'd be signing their death warrants. If you'd meet up with Merchant Orek and the caravan in Drazach Thicket, and serve as their escort, I'd feel a lot better about leaving.  And I'm sure my uncle would be very grateful."


 * Accept:
 * "I'll do it!"


 * Decline:
 * "I'm not for hire."


 * When asked about quest:
 * "Those merchants could really use your help. Just head to Drazach Thicket and speak with Merchant Orek. He's in charge of the caravan."

Intermediate Dialogue (Merchant Orek)
 * "Are you the new escort? Thank the gods...I thought we were going to have to go it alone. Listen, we need to get this caravan up to Saint Anjeka's Shrine. Our supplies were expected there hours ago. Unfortunately, we've just learned that the place has been overrun with dragon mosses. That's where you come in. We're going to need your help clearing the area so that we can continue our trading." (sic)

Reward Dialogue (Merchant Orek)
 * "When we heard that the baron's nephew was called to the front lines, we were sure that was the end of us all. But now, I see that the gods had a plan, and that our worries were pointless."

Walkthrough
The "caravan" referred to in the objectives are just three NPCs labeled as merchants. The most important objective is keep Merchant Orek alive, or the quest is failed. This quest can be done with henchmen. Having Erys Vasburg for his interrupts is recommended.

The simplest route is to stick to the northeastern wall of the area. Just head towards Saint Anjeka's Shrine by keeping to your right as much as possible. Traveling this way enables you to avoid most, if not all, the Warden mobs that litter the direct route. Remember to pause once in a while for the merchants to catch up, and keep an eye out in case a Warden gets too close. Against Warden mobs, the most dangerous enemy would be Wardens of Earth, as their Churning Earth spell can do a lot of damage to the merchants if they are within range of the spell's target.

As you near Saint Anjeka's Shrine, there will be a very large mob of Dragon Mosses. Be aware that there is a Warden pop up near the narrowest point before the Dragon Mosses. That hidden group is small and easily dispatched but can be a danger to the merchants if you are also fighting the Dragon Mosses at the same time.

If you observe the Dragon Mosses, they are actually comprised of two groups; the best time to attack is when the groups have started to move apart, allowing you to tackle the first group. Take down the first group as quickly as possible, with the aim to reduce their numbers before the second group comes back around. The merchants attack from range and are usually smart enough to stay behind, so it is quite easy to get the Dragon Mosses to target party members. But in case the unexpected happens and the merchants are under heavy attack, quickly run away to get the merchants to follow you. Having an MM in the party will make this fight very easy.

Once they are all dead, just lead the merchants the remainder of the way and the quest will be completed when Merchant Orek gets to the entrance to Saint Anjeka's Shrine.

Alternative: The alternative method is much safer but takes a bit longer by working the quest backwards. Map travel to Saint Anjeka's Shrine and kill all of the Dragon Mosses first. It should be easy since you don't need to worry about any merchants dying. After that, just head towards Brauer Academy, killing any monsters you encounter on the way. Talk to Merchant Orek and lead them to Saint Anjeka's Shrine, following the path you have already cleared.