Zossyr Hakrel

If have you read my other blogs you will know that I have been exploring the more popular dungeons in Vanguard. The main reason for this is the fact that I find the levelling in Vanguard to be too quick. The lower level you are and the less experience required to level your choices of dungeons are limited as once you've progressed through a quest line, the chances are you would have out levelled the lesser known places and it is time to move on. Now I'm around level 30, I can take my time and experience both the central quest lines and the out of the way dungeons. The popular dungeons are those have a full quest line with an epic story and a worthy reward at the end. In the rush to ship, there are many dungeons that are unitemised and have a weak storyline.

This however doesn't bother me. The entertainment factor of exploring a new dungeon with a group of great people is a greater reward than any item. With this in mind, I decided to set off the beaten track and explore some of Telon's more back alley dungeons.

The first is a dungeon named Zossyr Hakrel. Until recently, I didn't know this dungeon existed. I expect the reason for this is there is no apparent quest line so people stay away. Most people, naturally want a reward for their effort of conquering a dungeon. You know what I say? the less people there, the better!

Zossyr Hakrel can be found south of Mekalia and east of Aghram. The dungeon entrance is hidden in the rock face but can be identified by a portal type construct next to it. The opening is guarded by level 30+ 4 dot elementals and strange half salamander half human creatures.

The dungeon is very well laid out to accompany more than one group of explorers. When you descend into the earth you arrive at a fairly large, hollowed out section that branches out into 3 paths. We decided to take the path that arced off to the right. Deeper we went, spiralling around, deeper into the abyss. Behind us the corpses of fallen rat creatures begin to rot. The sky could be falling outside and we are oblivious, immersed into our surroundings.
Eventually we arrive at the bone chamber, a salamander of high importance waiting to dispose of us. It seems he was ill prepared for our onslaught and like his minions, he also fell.
With this wing clear, we decided to see what other mysteries the other sections hold.

The next section of Zossyr Hakrel is something similar to a Richie Rich movie. A prestigious vault of gold hidden in the depths of the deepest cave, guarded by well... no not salamanders but you get the idea. The next section we decided to explore was directly ahead as you enter the dungeon. Left: the gold lined halls of Zossyr Hakrel.

At first glance, the caves of Zossyr Hakrel appear to be nothing more than a simple mining expedition on search of gold. The right wing appears to be a failed dig, leaving nothing but a long corridor of damp earth. Delving deeper down the shaft you come to an opening which makes you realise that the mining expedition may just be a minor inconvenience. I like to believe that the salamanders were just looking for a place to study dark magic without being culled by the heroic races of Telon. They have no interest in gold - the cave is a perfect place to hide, and the gold provides a perfect cover story.

Whatever the reason the salamanders are here is only open to speculation. From exploring the two caves I have many wild conclusions but no facts. This section, while dazzling holds no more clues than this rune shaped rock on the floor (oh wait!) to what their plans are. Perhaps more can be explained in the third section of the cave. Unfortunately, it was late when we rounded up the last salamanders in the gold cave, and can I just say, for a place with so much gold the salamanders were rather poor.

The whole experience shows that you don't need promises of loot or a large quest line to have fun. Exploring the cave with no objectives or loot desires helped the group relax and focus on just having a good time exploring at a fun pace.
I will return to this dungeon soon to see what wonders behold the third section. Perhaps a vault of rubies and pearls.

If this blog, or any of my others haven't peaked your interest into checking out Vanguard, then head over to Journeys with Jaye and check out her latest blog about her 5 favourite things in Telon.