Exclusive: Aion's Beshmundir Temple goes hard mode (p2)

The Vault of the Conquerors

Drop down from Macunbello's Refuge and players will find themselves in the Vault of the Conquerors. There are two bosses in the Vault of the Conquerors, and the Plaguebearer is the first. To reach the Plaguebearer, hang a right down the corridor at the end of the room, and follow the trail of slime.

Named Monster 4: The Plaguebearer (drives a van with curtains)

The Plaguebearer is a disgusting gelatinous blob that somehow managed to trap an innocent looking little girl inside of it.

Players will fight The Plaguebearer inside of an enclosure that looks to be made of ooze. It's essential to have ranged damage dealers for this encounter, as The Plaguebearer will spend about half of the fight hovering near the ceiling, and will be out of range of melee.

Many of The Plaguebearer's abilities cause poisoning which cannot be removed. The tank can expect to have the effects of Plaguebearer's Projectile Vomit and Plaguebearer's Mucus on at all times. Each of these debuffs inflicts poison damage over time, and Plaguebearer's Mucus will also decrease attack speed. The Plaguebearer will also use Plaguebearer's Digestive Fluid attack, which is an area of effect attack that will hit the entire Group.

In addition to its numerous abilities, The Plaguebearer will summon Plaguebearer Fragments throughout the encounter. The Plaguebearer Fragments are Elite Rank 4 monsters. Plaguebearer Fragments will cast Acid Spray, which deals moderate damage and applies a debuff that inflicts damage over time.

The Plaguebearer will summon one to two Fragments at a time, and these can either be ignored in favor of beating down the Plaguebearer with all haste, or defeated before the little fiends overwhelm the Group.

The Vault of the Conquerors Continued

Vehala the Cursed can be found at the end of the corridor that runs through the Vault of the Conquerors, and is a stone's throw from the Plaguebearer.

Named Monster 5: (Corporeal) Vehala the Cursed

Vehala has a couple new abilities on Hard Mode, but none that will make the encounter much different from Normal Mode.

Vehala's main skill is still Implosion. When he yells "We shall all be redeemed.", it signals that he is about to cast Implosion. Implosion causes massive damage and stuns all targets in the area of effect for 7 seconds. Following Implosion, Vehala is affected by the Petrification buff, which decreases his physical and magical defense. Once Petrification wears off, Vehala will use Powerful Strike on the tank, which causes massive damage (and a great deal more damage than on Normal Mode).

Vehala has two new abilities on Hard Mode: Crippling Wave and Force Cleave. Crippling Wave just deals extra damage, while Force Cleave will hit all targets in melee range. These new abilities will deal extra damage to the tank and the Group, but don't change much about the encounter.

To overcome this encounter, it's easiest to tank Vehala in the corner of the room, and have all players but the tank run out of range when Vehala starts casting Implosion. Following Implosion, damage dealers can move back in range and attack Vehala while his defenses are weakened, but it's important to watch aggro as the tank will be stunned until Implosion wears off.

Named Monster 5: (Spectral) Vehala the Cursed

There is a chance that Vehala the Cursed will appear as a specter, and will have a few different abilities.

Most of Spectral Vehala's abilities are identical to Corporeal Vehala's abilities, with a few exceptions. Spectral Vehala will use Vengeful Spirit's Scream on the tank, causing them to flee in terror for a short time. Vehala will stop using this at about 75% HP.

When Vehala dips below 25% HP, he will start using two consecutive Powerful Strikes after each Implosion, as opposed to one. These are the sole differences between Corporeal and Spectral Vehala the Cursed.

The Crypt of the Vanquished and Vault of the Conquerors Revisited

Throughout the Crypt of the Vanquished and the Vault of the Conquerors are Warrior Monuments. Ahbana the Wicked will appear in the Watcher's Nexus after a certain number of Warrior Monuments in the Crypt of the Vanquished and the Vault of the Conquerors are destroyed.

When a Warrior Monument is destroyed, the system message "Ahbana the Wicked is on alert" appears. When Ahbana has spawned, the system message "Ahbana the Wicked has appeared in the Watcher's Nexus" appears.

The Watcher's Nexus

To reach the Watcher's Nexus, follow the Twisting Passage back to the Gate of Repose (where Captain Lakhara was previously). The Watcher's Nexus will be on the right.

Named Monster 6: Ahbana the Wicked (now with 37% more wickedness!)

Ahbana the Wicked is a challenging encounter that requires patience and attention to detail. The most difficult part of the encounter is dealing with the effects of Weeping Curtain. This ability affects the entire Group, and renders healing ineffective for 15 seconds. Ahbana will cast this ability frequently, but there will always be a small window between one Weeping Curtain and the next where healers can use healing spells.

The encounter begins with Ahbana the Wicked casting Weakness, which will decrease the Wind Resist of all in range, and lasts 60 seconds. The Group will be affected by this ability for most of the encounter. Later in the encounter, Ahbana the Wicked will start casting Current of Doubt, which will deal more damage to those affected by Weakness.

Soon after casting Weakness, Ahbana will cast the first Weeping Curtain, rendering healing ineffective for 15 seconds. Unlike Normal Mode, on Hard Mode Ahbana will not spawn Soulforms, thus making healing more challenging and decreasing damage that players can inflict. In addition, the amount of time between one Weeping Curtain and the next is has been decreased.

The Twisting Passage and the Forgotten Storeroom

When The Soulcaller has been defeated, players will receive the next part of the Quest sending them to the Forgotten Storeroom, which can be accessed by way of the Twisting Passage. The entrance to the Forgotten Storeroom is located in the Twisting Passage, just before the room where The Great Virhana resides, and just ahead of the ramp that leads to the Acheron Mire.

Inside the Forgotten Storeroom are two optional bosses related to the Stormwing Quest chain: Shadowshift and Thurzon the Undying. Shadowshift is the first.

Named Monster 1b: Shadowshift (aka a throbbing pain in the hind quarters)

Shadowshift might look simple on the surface, but this encounter is one of the most difficult in Beshmundir Temple. Shadowshift itself is dangerous, however, the additional monsters it summons will wreak the most havoc on the Group. On Hard Mode, Shadowshift summons two different monsters: Black Dregs, and Black Essence.

The Black Dregs will use Pungent Odor, which is an area of effect attack that will inflict moderate damage to those in melee range. Black Dregs will remain for a short while before disappearing, and can be slain with attacks. Shadowshift will spawn Black Dregs one at a time, but up to three can be up at the same time.

The Black Essence will use Ethereal Hand, which will inflict damage, pull the target towards the Black Essence, and stun for 1 second. The Black Essence casts Ethereal Hand as soon as it appears, and disappears right after, making Black Essences impossible to kill.

It's easiest to have a ranged class, like a Ranger, tank this encounter, and have melee damage dealers focus on defeating the Black Dregs. The Black Essence will pull players all over the room, and serve as an annoyance more than a mechanic that requires an adjustment of tactics.

Shadowshift has a handful of skills in addition to its normal attack. Shadowshift will use Electrocution and Discharge on all targets that are attacking it. Players that are not inflicting damage to Shadowshift will not be hit by these attacks. Shadowshift will also use Grudge Slam, which inflicts moderate damage and pulls the target to Shadowshift.

At 75%, 50%, and 25% HP, Shadowshift will chant "Rebirth... Rebirth... Rebirth", which signals that it is using Immortal Reverie. This buff lasts a short time, and causes all attacks to heal Shadowshift for a huge amount. Players must avoid attacking Shadowshift while Immortal Reverie is active, or else it will heal much of the damage that has been inflicted.

Forgotten Storeroom Continued

Continue down the path through the Forgotten Storeroom to find Thurzon the Undying; a welcome change of pace from Shadowshift.

Named Monster 1c: Thurzon the Undying (has a misleading name)

For a menacing skeletal dragon with suffix like "the Undying" attached to its name, Thurzon dies like a frightened Drakie. However, there are still a few skills of which to be aware.

From the start of the encounter, Thurzon will be using Terrorizing Flame, which applies a debuff that drains MP, as well as Inevitable Flame, which inflicts moderate damage, decreases the target's evasion rate, increases block, and cannot be avoided.

Once the Thurzon is at 75% HP, the encounter will start to get a little more interesting. Thurzon will cast Mental Shock on all players. Prior to Mental Shock, it's a good idea for all players to have their backs to a wall, as Mental Shock will slow all players, cause them to flee in terror, and drain their HP and MP.

Following Mental Shock, Thurzon will summon an Immortal Watcher. The Immortal Watcher will use Draw Essence on all players, which will drain a massive amount of MP. Thurzon will also cast Mana Tap, which lasts 30 seconds and will heal Thurzon's HP for the duration.

Once Mental Shock wears off, all players should move to stand near the Immortal Watcher, as it will start using Life Tap. Life Tap deals minor damage, but restores a significant amount of MP.

At 50% and 25%, Thurzon will cast Mental Shock and summon more Immortal Watchers, repeating the above process over again. Overall, this is an easy encounter, and all of the skills that drain MP can be offset by the Immortal Watcher's Life Tap.

The Hero's Vault

The Great Virhana blocks access to the final 5 Named Monsters of Beshmundir Temple, and is located in the Hero's Vault. To reach the Hero's Vault, head back to the Twisting Passage, and follow it to it end.

Named Monster 7: The Great Virhana (has a well earned name)

The Great Virhana earns his name with incredible damage and one-hit kills. This encounter is an old fashioned damage race to the finish, and if players don't win the race, Virhana will make them pay.

Virhana will begin the battle with the Seal of Reflection buff, which lasts 70 seconds and reflects long range attacks. This means that the entire Group will need to be in melee range with Virhana. Virhana will also use Massive Strike in between attacking the tank, which will hit all targets in melee range for massive damage.

In the first 70 seconds of the encounter, it's important to use all buffs, skills, and abilities that increase damage, because when Seal of Reflection expires after 70 seconds, The Great Virhana will start using Virhana's Curse.

Virhana's Curse will deal fatal damage, and Virhana will target up to 3 players and cast the curse once every 10 seconds after Seal of Reflection expires. Virhana's Curse has a 5 second cast time.

This means that, 70 seconds into the fight, Virhana's Curse will be used on two to three random Group members, and Virhana will continue casting it every 10 seconds afterward. Keeping up with resurrections and healing becomes impossible if this lasts too long, so it's important to do as much damage as possible as quick as possible, and defeat Virhana before he begins using Virhana's Curse.

After casting Virhana's Curse about a dozen times, Virhana will reapply the Seal of Reflection buff to himself and stop using Virhana's Curse. If players lack the damage to defeat Virhana before the first Seal of Reflection wears off, it is possible to hold out until Virhana applies Seal of Reflection again.

The Garden of the Dead and the Garden of the Entombed

When The Great Virhana is defeated, a passage opens up behind him that leads to the Garden of the Dead. Traversing this area can seem treacherous given the abundance of monsters, but large groups of monsters can be defeated with ease by utilizing the Explosive Roots.

Just gather up a bunch of monsters on top of an Explosive Root, take a swing at it, and it will explode, killing the monsters.

To find the next boss, proceed straight ahead from the entrance to the Garden of the Dead and around the giant monolith. Climb the hill for a bit, and Shulacks from the Nightshade Clan will start to appear. This area is called the Garden of the Entombed.

Named Monster 8: Dorakiki the Bold, Chopper, Fixit, and Sorcerer Hakiki

In the Garden of the Entombed is Dorakiki the Bold, the leader of the Shulack grave robbers known as the Nightshade Clan.

Dorakiki the Bold won't be separated from his three allies Chopper, Fixit, and Sorcerer Hakiki, so players must be prepared to engage all four monsters at the same time.

Dorakiki the Bold is the most dangerous foe in this encounter, and will require a full time tank and a dedicated healer. Dorakiki doesn't hit too hard, but will apply about half a dozen debuffs to the tank that will deal damage over time, diminish statistics, and cannot be dispelled. Dorakiki's debuffing abilities include Sluggish Cloud, which slows the target, Exhausting Cloud, which decreases the target's attack speed, and Hazy Cloud, which decreases the target's evasion.

In addition to debuffs, Dorakiki's damage over time abilities include Violent Cloud, which causes poison but increases block, as well as Itching Cloud, Stinging Cloud, and Tickling Cloud, which only cause poison. The tank can be inflicted with as many as 7 debuffs and damage over time abilities simultaneously, so it's important to stay on top of healing. Dorakiki will also apply the Yiyaap! buff to himself, which increases his evasion rate, accuracy, and movement speed.

While the tank is busy with Dorakiki the Bold, Chopper, Fixit, and Sorcerer Hakiki will run rampant if not kept in check. Fixit will begin healing with Sea Spray if one of her allies is low on HP, so it's best to kill her first. Fixit's attacks don't deal much damage, so any class can tank her while the main tank is on Dorakiki.

Chopper will receive 1 damage from all attacks, so it's not possible to kill him. However, Chopper can deal some serious damage with his Waaaaaaaah! attack, and will require an off-tank. To avoid strain on the Cleric or Chanter, it's often easier to have a Ranger, Spiritmaster, or Sorcerer occupy Chopper's attention with slows and stuns (kite) while the rest of the Group focuses on Fixit and Dorakiki. If opting to kite Chopper, clear the Shulacks surrounding Dorakiki to avoid certain disaster.

Like Chopper, Sorcerer Hakiki will also suffer 1 point of damage from all attacks, and is not possible to kill. To deal with this, it's best to crowd control Sorcerer Hakiki with a Sorcerer or Spiritmaster, and focus on Fixit and Dorakiki.