Velious Quests & Factions

I have had many questions pertaining to the pros and cons of faction on the Giants and Coldain, where to hunt in Velious & quests available.  Going to give you all my opinions on this at one time.  I enjoy talking to you all in game about this, but I have so much to say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get it all out in the typing while playing.  Some of you will agree with what I have to say and some will disagree, remember that this is my thoughts and opinions only, yours may differ.

My Overview:
Go to Velious at around level 30, in some cases, earlier.  Many of us in the Guild can lead, guide, bind, direct and aid you upon learning the zones.  The BEST place to fight is to start at The Sugarbowl, named by Selias & Gravviss, for they are the ones who discovered and showed me this fine place.  It is located by the prison in Eastern Wastes.  There is a SAFE medding and kiting place, where nothing aggros or spawns on you!  It is the safest place I have found that gives you both med & fighting safety.  Can't ask for too much more there, eh?  Okay, now while at Sugarbowl, KILL walrus's, ulthorks, rhino's, giants, and if you must, those cute little snow bunnies, for rumor has it that they are place holders for the ulthorks.  At level 30 the walrus's and ulthork hunters are the ones you want.  If you get lucky and trip across ulthork tusks.  KEEP THEM!  Put them in the bank and I will explain further down.

Okay, you have been playing here for a few levels, maybe made a venture to Crystal Caverns to take in the sights of the evil Orc's mining away, visited and hailed the inhabitants in the city, that no one can figure how to build faction with to use the vendors, except the banker.  Although, if you can cast Benevolence or a similar like spell, you can use the vendors!  You may have even killed a few Giants up at the Giant fort by now.  Now, you are around 38, go to DL, soak up the EXP for a few levels and then venture back to Velious.  Spend your time alternatively between killing ulthorks, walrus's & giants.  Mix a few Rhino's, Kodiak's and Snow Bunnies in if you must, maybe a random orc or Snow Griffin, remembering to bank the snow griffin eggs for the quest I shall start talking about in a paragraph or so.  

Along the way, you should have looted Frost Giant Toes & Heads by now, also.  SAVE THEM!  Again... will explain further down.  Alright, you are level 40 or so now.  Pat yourself on the back... getting there... Now go to the Giant Fort in Eastern Wastes and spend countless hours killing MORE GIANTS.  Or take a stroll into Great Divide, right inside the zone to the right side is a ledge, GREAT safe spot for medding and kiting.  A little small, but it is within kiting limits still!  You want to spend a lot of time killing Dire Wolves & Frost Giants.  I spent around 40 RL hours on wiping out the evil Frost Giants of Velious.  You will need to kill about 250-300 of them, including any Dire Wolves that dare to cross your path.

Ok, now why do you want to do this...
Remember those toes & heads...

COLDAIN SHAWL QUEST
Frost Giant Toes - You need 4 toes
Reward(s): Burlap Coldain Prayer Shawl
STATS:
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
AC: +1 Wis: +1 Int: +1 Cold Resist: +1
Weight: 1.0
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Inventory Slot: Shoulder
Velious Required: Yes
Can be stored in Medium and larger containers

**********
Kromrif Heads - You need 10 heads & The Burlap Coldain Prayer Shawl
Reward(s): Cloth Coldain Prayer Shawl
STATS:
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
AC: +2 Wis: +2 Int: +2 Cold Resist: +2
Weight: 2.0
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Inventory Slot: Shoulder
Velious Required: Yes
Can be stored in Medium and larger containers

**********
Now, those 2 items may not be looking so hot, right?  It gets better... All directions for this Quest are located at: (print it, if you are able)

The Trailtracker Website or at Our Guild "Sacred Honor" Website

I have NOT completed this entire quest, except for what is on that link above.  I  will be adding to it, when I do the next quest steps or can verify with reliable sources all the information.  But for now, this is a GREAT item & range item for all caster and hybrid types.  Please READ and/or print it.  Also on The Trailtracker Website there is a section called "Trade Skills".  There you will find how to build both baking & pottery as fast as I did.  In the meantime... start working tailoring, for that is the part of this quest I am working now.

Here are the 2 items I have now:
Reward(s):
Fur-Lined Coldain Prayer Shawl
STATS:
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
AC: +4 Wis: +4 Int: +4 Cold Resist: +4
Weight: 2.0
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Inventory Slot: Shoulder
Velious Required: Yes
Can be stored in Medium and large container
***
Seal of Thoridain
STATS:
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
AC: +3 Wis: +3 Int: +3 Magic Resist: +3 Cold Resist: +3
Mana: +30
Weight: 1.0
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Inventory Slot: Ranged Weapon
Velious Required: Yes
Can be stored in Medium and larger containers

Not looking quite so bad now, eh?
Onto discussing the faction... From the giants and dire wolves this is what you will get:

Your faction standing with Coldain got better
Your faction standing with the Claws of Veeshan got better
Of course, ALL Giant faction in VELIOUS ONLY gets WORSE

This is also what you WANT!  Why do want to get these faction hits?  The Coldain (Thurgadin) will grow to adore you and so will the inhabitants of Skyshrine and the Cobalt Drakes in Cobalt Scar.  Here is the MAIN one... WUOSHI... no Wuoshi is NOT a Care Bear.  She is the Dragon that Guards the Druid Ring in Wakening Lands.  Ever plan on porting there?  Or into Cobalt safely, where there are Cobalt Drakes wandering around?  Sure, you can be ported into Cobalt safely under the disguise of invisibility, this will NOT help you with Wuoshi.  And you can zip through Skyshrine and pray that blasted random invisibility holds out.  But here is the big thing:  You WILL NOT be able to use the vendors in Thurgadin or Skyshrine if you become a Coldain Killer and befriend the Giants and can't do some really cool quests that Velious has to offer.  Sure, you can use the Bank in Kael Drakkal and cruise on through at a snails pace to Wakening Lands, run the wall to avoid Wuoshi to get to Skyshrine or have a druid port you to Cobalt Scar, and do the quests available if you have good Giant faction, but AGAIN, will be unwelcome in many zones in Velious.  Plat for Plat... There are More and just as good quests, if not better, (IMHO), that involve good faction in Skyshrine & Thurgadin than there are for Kael Drakkal.  Again, bear in mind... This is my opinion ONLY!

Now, onto those ulthork tusks you have been saving in the bank, that you curse me every time you have no room in your vault... Have your friendly neighborhood Guide, run you through Kael Drakkal, invisible of course... again, praying to your deity that your invisibility will hold out... to Wakening Lands.  Once in Wakening Lands, your Guide will lead you around the zone and away from Wuoshi to Skyshrine.  When you zone into Skyshrine, stay a HEALTHY distance away from the Guards, drop that invisibility and con away... you want to be at least apprehensive, I suggest Indifferent. I have seen people wiped out by Wuoshi while conning dubiously or apprehensive.  If not, go kill some more Frost Giants and Dire Wolves OR keep that invisibility UP and do the following: 

(If you are conning safely enough, no worrying about that invis!)
Have your Guide led you through Skyshrine to Cobalt Scar... This Guide will have a key on him or her to "unlock" the zone entrance to Cobalt Scar, (The key is another subject all its own, see further down, and fairly simple to get).  Once in Cobalt Scar, run and get your Tooth from the Druid ring!  And now you can DESTROY your Great Divide Tooth & if you have it... Your Wakening Lands Tooth.  For the Cobalt Scar Tooth is the Highest and will let you access to Great Divide, Wakening Lands & Cobalt Scar Druid rings!  This is a Soul Bound item & will stay with you if you die...

Consider Statements:
+4, ally
+3, warmly
+2, kindly
+1, amiably
0, indifferently
-1, apprehensively
-2, dubiously
-3, threateningly
-4, ready to attack

You have your tooth?  Congrats!  Let us go check a little more faction...  

Remember all those walrus's and ulthorks I said you should have been killing further up?  Let us go test your faction to see if you did!  On the lower level of Cobalt Scar is where the Othmir are.  Every time you killed a walrus or an ulthork, you received a faction statement telling you your faction got better with the Othmir.  Have your Guide lead you to a safe distance, target, drop that invis, (if you have it on you), and con away!  You should be Indifferent or better if you did what I described way up top.  Are you?  Yes?  Guess what?  You can now unload those ulthork Tusks that you have been whining to me about taking up all that room in the bank!  You turn 4 at a time into The Chief, he then gives you an item in return.  Sometimes nothing great and sometimes a rare gem, up to a Diamond!  I have received 2 rubies, another gem that the name escapes me right now, two black sapphires, a sapphire necklace and some powder I need for another Velious Quest.  Not too shabby, eh?  Another piece of advice here... Wolf form a BIG NO-NO if you do NOT con at least Kindly.  It drops you down in faction 1-2 depending on your status in the faction hit... I con Ally normally, in wolf form warmly. I have never tried wolf form in Skyshrine.  Will have to eventually...

A few more notes... 

1.  Claws of Veeshan faction has NO bearing on faction in Plane of Growth, it is all Tunare faction from all that I have seen, read, and been told:

Clerics of Tunare

Faydark's Champions

Servants of Tunare

Soldiers of Tunare

Protectors of Growth

So, if the druids are not fond of you at the Druid Rings... Ummmm, go in Invis!  The Claws of Veeshan faction, however is a great thing to have to get to Plane of Mischief from all I have been told, for you have to go through Temple of Veeshan to get there and from what I have heard, many things see through invis there.

2.  Your class, race, and deity hold NO faction against you in Velious, EXCEPT in Plane of Growth.  Plane of Mischief seems to be on faction all it's own.    

3.  In Eastern Wastes, there is a very Dangerous MOB... The Kromrif Death Squad.  Be advised.  They are deadly!  They run almost as fast as sow.  And double hit for over 120 pts at a time, not much except when you have 3-4 pounding on your head!  They spawn by the Kael Drakkal entrance.  You WILL know!  They see through invis and you get this statement:

"You have been ambushed by the Kromrif Death Squad"

Piece of advice... RUN, RUN, RUN and RUN as fast as you can to the nearest zone you can locate in your panic.  DO NOT look for them, don't turn around, don't bother with exterior or overhead views, JUST RUN!  And get out of the zone as fast as possible to clear the aggro.  DO NOT attempt to GATE!  It will not work, you have about 2-5 seconds after that ambush message to high tail your buns or tail out of there.  If they are on you and you get to another zone safely, stay in the other zone for a few minutes.  They hover around that zone for a few minutes before they wander or pop back to whence they came.  Whenever entering Eastern Wastes, if you spot a Giant, con it IMMEDIATELY.  If it is the Death Squad... quietly and quickly zone back from hence you came.  

4.  Ahhh, one more little tidbit... Warden Bruke, who is located in Sugarbowl, in the prison... LEAVE HIM BE, unless you are completely prepared for what happens when you pull him.  When Bruke is pulled, an ungodly amount of Prison Guards spawn.  I counted 35 the last time some dope tried it.  Yes, this dope has tried it also... just call me dopey, too.  

5.  Another small piece of advise... Print the maps if able, work Sense Heading and learn how to use the LOC if you have avoided doing so far.  This will be EXTREMELY helpful to you, more so in Velious than any other place, I have found.

I have tried to make sure that all points are made here and clear to all.

Another suggestion... There is a quest involving the Geonides in Wakening lands, The Velium Focus.  Here is the item you can achieve through this quest:

Phenocryst's Focus

LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP

AC: +5 Dex: +3 Int: +10 Cha: +3 Magic Resist: +5 Fire Resist: +3 Cold Resist: +3 Poison Resist: +3 Disease Resist: +3 Mana: +40

Weight: 0.0

Classes: Necromancer Enchanter Magician Wizard

Races: All Races

Inventory Slot: Either Melee
Velious Required: Yes

Can be stored in Medium and larger containers

Last updated: Thu Dec 14 16:53:18 2000

Rarity: Rare

Level to Attain: 45

If you want to do this quest.  DO NOT KILL THE GEONIDES in Crystal Caverns!

6.  Remember that "key" I talked about further up?  Below is 3 different methods on how to obtain the key.  I got lucky, the first time I went to Skyshrine, a group was killing Ziglark for experience.  They let me loot the key.  But just in case you are not that lucky, see below.

Key To Cobalt Scar

In order to pass beyond Skyshrine, the Dragons of the Claws of Veeshan demand that you prove your loyalty to them by performing a small task.  There are 3 methods to do this:

1.  Kill Ziglark and mess up your faction with the Claws of Veeshan.

2.  Wait for someone to kill Ziglark that will let you loot the key.

3.  Do the quest.

METHOD 1:  Kill Ziglark

As you zone into Skyshrine from Wakening Lands, go through the gate and then make a right.  Go up the stairs.  Ziglark spawns in the room on the left after you reach the top of the stairs.  Ziglark is on a 22 minute timer.  You will know when you are there because he is camped 24 hours a day due to the demand of the key and his short spawn time.  WARNING: Bad faction hit for killing him against Claws of Veeshan  

METHOD 2:  Wait for someone else to kill Ziglark

Self explanatory.

METHOD 3:  Quest

Hail Ziglark and say, "I am worthy", he will then tell you that he has not heard from his
spy in Kael Drakkal for some time and that he needs you to deliver his payment (200pp) and a note to their spy.  You will receive a scroll to take to Wenglawks in Kael.

The spy, Wenglawks, can be found in Kael Drakkal (near all the lesser nobles).  Take 200 pp, and the note you received from Ziglark to him and he will give you "the information your employer has requested".  After you zone in FROM the wakening lands, go through the first ice tunnel and up the stairs. Turn left at the top of the stairs and go to the building with two doors. Go through another door and the spy will be there with another noble.  Give Wenglawks the scroll from Ziglark, as well as 200pp in cash.  Wenglawks will give you another note in return for you top take back to Ziglark.  Remember that when you present the plat & note, you will become visible though your icon is still up. Wenglawks will not attack you, from what I've heard, unless another giant aggros on you. Wenglawks will then abort the trade and attack you.  The best advice I have heard is to give him the items on the ramp, being careful to stay close.  He will not stop, but walks quite slowly.

Return back to Ziglark and give him the note from Wenglawks.  Ziglark will give you the key in return. 

You must be dubious or higher with Claws of Veeshan to complete the quest.  The key is no drop, lore, soul bound key to Cobalt scar.  It acts like a Group port, if one person in a group uses the key all group members near him are zoned into Cobalt Scar.  You do not need the key to zone in from Cobalt Scar to Skyshrine.

8.  There are great quests for armor in Velious.  Can check out the 3 different armor quests at this link:  Velious Armor Quests

7.  That is my Very Humble Synopsis on Faction in Velious.  Most all of the information you find here is all from me and my experience with Velious.  Some of the information came from the following links as confirmation to my knowledge:

Allahkhazam's

Castersrealm

EverQuest

Find a mistake?  See something I missed?  PLEASE email ADRASTEA OR SELIAS!

Adrastea_Trailtracker@hotmail.com  (Creator of this section)