Iron Mines of Moladune (mission)

Previously known as the "infamous infusion runs mission," This mission used to be the most boring in the game but has been fixed such that the requirements were not as stringent and ridiculous as before.

Objective: The main objective of the mission is to find and kill Markis. Markis is the the betrayer among the council of the Shinig Blade who has foiled all your previous attempts at building a resistance to the White Mantle. Markis is no imposing boss and the main objective itself is quite easy. It is what it requires that made the mission difficult.

In order to get to Markis, you must go through scores of Mursaat. The Mursaat are the strange powerful beings who turned out to be the "Unseen Ones" that the White Mantle worship. As you may have discovered in the previous mission, the Mursaat have a power called "Spectral Agony" that tears right through your armor and inflicts great damage over a short spurt of time.

You need to find the Seer who knows of a way to combat them. To get to the Seer, it is best that you run this part of the game as the numbers of enemies are sometimes staggering. As you begin you will face a group of fighting White Mantle and Stone Summit. Ignore them and run down the hill left. At this point you will see an icy path to your right as well as White Mantle forces ahead of you, follow the icy path. this will lead you through along mountainous road filled with scores of Tundra Giants, Mountain Trolls, Griffons and Azure Shadows. As you make your run north you will come across a bridge defended by seige weapos operated by White Mantle, at this point, turn left at the fork on the bridge and follow the path. The Azure Shadows will be guarding the cave of the Seer.

Tip: It is best to run in a close group and not be scattered. A group tends to disperse the fire of monsters as opposed to scattered individuals whom each makes an easy target. This is especially true for the last part, where in order to get through the Azure Shadows, you'll need a few people running together because the Shadows can knock down one runner and then zap him to death.

Note: Henchmen make terrible runners. The fighters will try to engage and the healers will try to heal those who suffer damage and if you have both on your party then they will get caught up fairly early in fighting and die.

The Seer will ask that you slay a nearby beast called the Eidolon. This should be easy, head to the East and into the caves, fight the Shadows and the Eidolon. The beast will drop a Spectral Essence. Take it back to the Seer. Given this item, the Seer will infuse all your armor pieces. An infused armor set makes you take a lot less damage from Spectral Agony. The effect is proportional and if you have one piece not infused yout protection will be less.

The reason this mission was so infamous was that the Seer used to only infuse one piece, and since the Eidolon did not re-spawn. You had to quit the missio (or die) and then restart it to make another "infusion run."

Once infused, head back to that beseiged brigde and take a right into the White Mantle and engage them then cross the bridge to the north east. Head north until you see a fortress-like structure and you should see Markis (yeah, remember him?) running into it. If you are careful, you can take out the two groups position on top of the entrance (you can even walk inside and climb up to fight them without engaing Markis).

Fighting Markis after this is easy. Once you approach him, 2-4 Jade Armors will spawn to protect him. But since he is a ranger, it will be possible to ignore him while engaging them and then finishing him off last.

Tip: If you wish to fight your way up and not run, then a wiser route to take would be the path guarded by White Mantle (see Bonus) as this will make the Bonus easier.

Bonus
The bonus in this mission is to kill the Inquisitor. To obtain the bonus, you will have to speak to a scout hidden deep in White Mantle territory. You may recall while running for your life to do the infusion that you heard a person calling for help. This is the scout. To find him:


 * If you are coming from the beginning of the mission, then engage the White Mantle at the icy path and do not follow the icy path. Keep heading north on this side and fighting White Mantle until you get to a pair of gates enclosing a large number of White Mantle Patrolling two Seige weapons. It is possible to speak to him (through the northern gate) without engaging the large group in the enclosement.
 * If you are coming from the Seer, then fight your way south until you get to the same point.

Tip: Before speaking to the scout, it is wise to clear the path north of him. There is a group of Mursaat and Jade Bows. The Inquisitor will show up there and if those monsters are still there it will make the Bonus near impossible.

Speak to the scout, he will ask you to kill the Inquisitor. As soon as he does, the Inquisitor will appear just norht of him outside the gate. He is a powerful mage and hard to kill. As soon as he nears dying, he will flee north. You have two options at this point:


 * There is a bridge just north of where you engage him, you can have your warriors beat him there and trap him. Coupled with knock-downs you should be able to destroy him.
 * Let him go and as you continue your way north to meet Markis, you will come across a portal and he will be there. The draw back to this approach is that he will be near a group of other monsters and a boss.

Skill Capture
This mission has some good Elite skills for capture. the ones known right now are:


 * Markis: Barrage
 * Jade Armor boss: Devastating Hammer. (Located either at beseiged bridge or portal of Inquisitor.)