Chapter 08: The Red-Pass

Epic - Book II: The Red Maid

Radagast informs you that Elsa and Eriac are the two Eglain youths that have ventured forth to save Ost Guruth, but they will not be able to succeed against Ivar. They've gone into Agamaur, through the Red-pass. Radagast will come with you to find them.

NOTE: This quest is challenging even if the mobs you encounter are several levels below you. Be sure to enter with a strong fellowship! For your comparison, here was our group make-up: Myself, a level 33 Hunter; Brasse, a level 31 Guardian; Risi, a level 30 Minstrel; Grif, a level 29 Captain; Maligant, a level 31 Lore-Master; and Amaranth, a level 35 Burglar. Many thanks to Risi, Maligant, and Amaranth for helping The Brasse staff complete this quest!

Before I begin the quest write-up, I strongly suggest you check out Brasse's incomparable map of where you'll be fighting, following, and adventuring.

STEPS:

1) Speak with Radagast the Brown. After you've gotten a fellowship together and are ready to begin your adventure, talk to Radagast and select "Travel Now." You will then be whisked away to the Red Pass instance.

2) Talk to Radagast. He tells you that you'll be traveling through great perils to reach Elsa and Eriac. When you are ready to help him on this task, select "Continue Quest."

3) Aid Radagast. Here you will be following Radagast, ensuring that he (and your group!) stay alive. You'll be battling level 26-27 regular mobs, and plenty of similarly-leveled Elite mobs. In between several of the fights, Radagast will stop to aid an animal, who will then commence following behind him, as if he was the Pied Piper. Your first huge mob is Dour-Root, a level 26 Elite Master with 7,668 morale and 1,021 power. Although you could have figured it out on your own, as you get close to the tree's spawn point, Radagast warns you:

"Beware friends, this Dourroot is angered!"

After the large nasty tree (plenty of them in this game, eh?) is felled, Radagast opens a gate, whereupon you will be quickly attacked by three Elite wights, level 25-26. Next on the list of stuff-to-kill-before-you-can-rest is a level 26 Elite Twisted Blood-Maple. After this battle, Radagast will pick up another furry friend. By this time Radagast will have a fox, frog, rabbit and squirrel in tow. You can't ever kill enough wights, so you'll do battle with more of them (the Elite variety, natch), along with everyone's favorite Thing imitators, regular mob Grasping Hands. You will eventually reach Dannasen (29.7s, 27.3w), at which point you will witness a brief cinematic sequence and your quest will update.

4) Talk to Dannasen. Radagast has gone off to see to the safety of his animals, so you're on your own for this next part. When you select "Continue Quest", you'll need to defeat Neven. Dannasen tells you:

"I will not forsake my commander, though he is so very changed. I cannot disobey his orders while he remains. If thou wish us to fight, thou must entreat with Neven. His seat is to the north."

5) Defeat Neven. Neven is to north and then east, not far from where you saw Dannasen; there will be some Elite trees to kill on the way. He is a level 27 Elite with 3,653 morale and 795 power (29.3s, 27w). He is at the top of some stairs, flanked by two Vile Wights, level 25-26 Elite mobs, who await at the foot of the stairs. Like many narcissistic boss-mobs, Neven likes to hear himself talk. He spits the following out at you:

"Your presence is unwelcome, but amusing. What did you hope to accomplish, I wonder? It will not matter…soon I shall claim your bones for Ivar and for the Red-maid. Arise, brethren, there is life to claim!"

Then he and his cronies jump you, along with several more Elite wights that Neven has apparently called up from…wherever evil boss guys call up the undead.

6) Speak to Dannasen. He tells you:

"I was blind to what Neven had become. Now, I shall make amends. Now, we shall make our battle and strive to fulfil our curse."

After you select "Continue Quest", your quest will update.

7) Follow the Shades deeper into Agamaur. This part gets confusing, for the Shades seem to float off in mildly different directions, like some bad pick-up group. Do yourself a favor and focus on following Radagast, not the Shades, which also happens to be your next quest step.

8) Follow Radagast deeper into Agamaur. Watch out for the Elite tree between the doorways--our party got behind Radagast for a bit due to being surprised by the attack, and ended up dying when we had too many battles going on at once. The Shades that you followed earlier will be doing scripted fighting with some wights. You'll follow Radagast over the ledges of the ruin (don't be a dork like me and fall off---there ARE more mobs waiting to bite you in the swamp below, plus it's embarrassing when Radagast calls YOUR name to hurry up.), until you get to a ledge with Elsa and a number of Defenders of Ost Guruth. You'll be fighting Grim and Vile Wights along the way, as well as on top of that ledge. Once the coast is clear, go ahead with your next quest step.

9) Talk to Elsa the Bold. Elsa (28.9s, 26.5w) wants you to follow their only hope, Radagast, to the gate of Garth Agarwen, to stop the Gaunt-lord Ivar. After a brief cinematic sequence, Radagast says:

"Bring your rest to its end, for we must hurry and continue on our journey."

10) Speak to Radagast. After you select "Continue Quest," you'll need to ensure Radagast lives through the next battles.

11) Aid Radagast. First you'll encounter yet more of those same Elite Wights with their buddies the Grasping Hands. As you follow Radagast closer to where Ivar stands, if you look down you'll notice you're in one of the blood-pools. This can only mean one thing, and sure enough some level 27 Elite Murk-Water mobs attack you. You'll go through several waves, each with multiple mobs, before things calm down, though dealing with Ivar isn't exactly a relaxing moment. You will get to witness their conversation:

Radagast says: "Ivar! Enough of this! Show yourself!"
Ivar the Blood-hand says: "Who calls me forth? Have you come to sacrifice yourself to me like the others? Ah, the fool in brown! Agamaur is lost to you as is the River-maiden, Radagast!"
Radagast says: "Cease your prattling tongue. You hold no sway over me!"
Ivar the Blood-hand says: "We shall see, fool!"
Radagast says: "I trust in the Secret Fire. You have no power over me! Methedan luith!"
Ivar the Blood-hand says: "The power of abyss is mine to command! You shall not stand!"
Radagast says: "Nature is my ally!"
Ivar the Blood-hand says: "Aaah! Enough of this! I shall waste my time with you no more! The Red-maid shall have you all, soon enough!"
Radagast says: "Do not trust in your power over her. She shall be freed from your clutches soon enough!"

12) Speak to Radagast. After you select "Finish Now", your quest will update. Speak with him again to "Travel Now" and leave the instance.

13) Talk to Elsa the Bold. She (29.7s, 27.4w) sends you to talk to Radagast.

14) Talk to Radagast the Brown. This time you'll find him in the tower near Elsa, in an area called Barad Dhorn (29.8s, 27.4w).

15) After you speak with them and select "Finish Now", you get your coin reward, XP, either The Scavenger's Lot, Scale Boots of the Eglain, Ring of the Eglain, Bracelet of the Eglain, or Celeglang, and you will now be able to take the next quest, Chapter 9: Agamaur Secured, as well as The Tainted Living, Vessel of Purity, AND Rings of Rhudaur.


Special thanks go out to Wren for providing this quest writeup!
Wren has entered 612 LOTRO quests.