A Blade of Renown: The Level 15 Champion Class Quest
by Cameron "Aelryn" Sorden
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Ding! Welcome to level 15, friend Champion. It's been a fun ride getting here... the feel of your weapons in your hand is starting to become pretty familiar, the local band of bandits or goblins probably knows your name well enough to steer clear of you, and you don't even think twice any more before wading into a small posse of enemies-- you know you're tough. Well, it's time to test your mettle and prove just how tough you are.
When you stop by your trainer to pick up your passive skills for this level, they'll have a new task for you: You're to seek out Ultan Foebane, a great Champion. You'll find him just East of Bree, standing next to a cart. You might wonder why such a famous warrior spends his days on the outskirts of Bree twiddling his thumbs in the mud, but it's best not to ask questions like that, usually.
When you arrive at Ultan, he has a great quest for you-- your first Champion class quest. You need to prove your worth by tracking down and killing three infamous villains: Morley the Fierce, Fair Sherman, and Zhurpukh of the Deeps. If you want to solo this quest you'll have to wait a few levels. I managed it alone at level 17, but these guys pack quite a punch. You'll be much better off and much safer bringing a friend or two.
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The first guy you're going to go find is called Morley the Fierce. I'm not sure what makes him so fierce, really. Maybe it's because he lives in a ruin that's populated only by bears and wolves. In any case, you'll find him in the southeast corner of some ruins located in the Northern Bree-fields. Click the screenshot to the left to see a larger map of where you need to go. Morley is squatting in a little alcove where two ruined walls meet. You'll probably trip over him before you see him, so be ready to fight when you go looking for him.
He's not too bad of a fight and doesn't do anything special. Just keep whacking him until he goes down. You might have to blow a potion if you're soloing him, but just keep your buffs up, use your healing attack whenever you can, and keep at it... he's an easy kill.
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Your next target will be the notorious half-orc, Fair Sherman. There was a period in open beta when Fair Sherman was camped 24/7 because he dropped magic items all the freaking time, but fortunately for aspiring Champions, those days are over. Fair Sherman is at a bandit camp within some ruins just to the Southeast of Bree. This one throws a lot of people off because he can be a little tricky to find. He's hiding in a broken tower at the top of the ruins. The easiest way to reach him is to run up the cliff on the left side of the ruins where the outer wall is and then run along the top of the wall until you can get to Sherman's tower.
Once you find him, it's a pretty easy fight. I thought he was a little tougher than Morley, but not by much. If you bring a friend he's a piece of cake. You don't need to worry about adds because you're so high up, and if you get in over your head you can just jump off the ledge and run to safety until you're healed up and ready to try again.
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With the head of Fair Sherman collected in your bag, you'll want to head for your third and final target: Zhurpukh of the Deeps. Zhurpukh is a speedy goblin with severe ADHD. He runs in a giant circle on the Eastern edge of the Midgewater Marshes. He's a piece of cake to find. Just stand over there and he'll tear past you sooner or later... catching him is the tricky part. Since you won't have a bow yet, you'll need to figure out where he's going to run to and position yourself in just the right spot that you can intercept him as he comes.
Once you've pissed him off and gotten his attention, the fight, like the other two, is pretty straightforward. The big thing to watch for here is adds. The goblins around him are only level 10 or so, but if you're trying to solo Zhurpukh around level 16 or 17, an extra two goblins jumping in can be the difference between victory and defeat. You may want to clear any goblins nearby the area where you'll be waiting for Zhurpukh so you can make sure it's a fair fight.
I have heard from a few players that Zhurpukh uses a nasty self-heal from time to time, though I haven't seen it myself. In any case, you'll want to be prepared for that. Consider bringing a friend for this fight if you're going to attempt it at 15 or 16, or if you don't mind a few repair bills you can try your luck and just hope he doesn't use it (like I did).
After you'e slain all three of these villainous characters, you'll want to return to Ultan for your rewards. He'll proudly present you with three Essences of Arthelas, a pretty purple axe which should serve you well for a few levels, and a very useful class trait which you'll want to go equip immediately at the nearest bard.
Congratulations and welcome to the true ranks of the Champions! You've earned it.
Quest rewards:
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- Cameron "Aelryn" Sorden
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