Aetherpath (Twilight Arbor)

Dungeon information

Objectives

• 
  Explore Twilight Arbor and find out what is transpiring.
  • Press on further into the arbor.
  • Press through the razed forest.
  • Defeat Slick and Sparki.
  • Proceed through Scarlet's factory.
    • Holopirate Generator
    • 
      
  • Proceed through Scarlet's factory.
    • Holopirate Generator
    • 
      
    • Holopirate Generator
    • 
      
  • Proceed through Scarlet's factory.
    • Defeat Aetherblade Foreman Spur
    • 
      
  • Proceed through Scarlet's factory.
  • Rendezvous with Caithe in the security room.
  • Shut down Scarlet's security system.
  • Reach the power generator.
  • Shut down Scarlet's security system.
    • Generators Remaining: x/8
  • Clockheart
  • 
    

• 
  Optional: Complete the additional Lionguard objectives.
  • Accompany Caithe to Scarlet's inner sanctum.
  • Stop the Aetherblade officer from escaping the facility.
  • Use EMP grenades on the Aetherblade airships.
  • Locate and open the five hidden Aether Chests.
  • Time limit: x/10:00

Walkthrough

Escort the Oozes

The first obstacle you come to involves luring oozes to a door across the room with fire obstacles and lava elementals in your path. Two members of the party will need to interact with nectar dispensers to get ooze pheromones so the oozes will follow them. Two oozes will spawn on either side of the room and two ooze lurers will need to kite them to the door. The lava elementals will attack the oozes so the rest of the party should kill the lava elementals to keep the path clear. Both party members who are luring oozes must reach the end at roughly the same time or the progress will reset. A good tactic would be to have three party members with the strongest AoE kite and tank all of the elementals to the door ahead of time. These kiters should wait until the lurers have attracted the oozes to attack the elementals - that way, the paths will be clear and the elementals occupied as the lurers start their paths and any elementals killed will respawn at the beginning of the paths which the oozes have already gone through.

Bosses: Sparki and Slick

During this fight, Slick will put pools of oil on the ground which damage and cripple players who stand in or walk through it. Also, for each pool of oil on the ground, the party will receive a stack of an uncleansable debuff, poison mist, that deals approximately 200 damage per second, stacking in intensity. To reduce the stacks of poison mist affecting the party, the player with the pheromone effect will need to lure the ooze to the pools of oil. The ooze will absorb the oil, reducing the stacks of poison mist on the party. The pheromone effect will be randomly given to a player for a short period of time and will then be applied, randomly, to another player. There is also a plant on the east side of the area that players can interact with to gain the pheromone effect.

Sparki deals high fire damage and causes burning and she will periodically spin, throwing many fire projectiles in all directions. Sparki also ignites the pools of oil put down by Slick, doing more damage to players who stand in or walk through the pools. However, a burning pool of oil still contributes to the stacks of poison mist on the party, but can also be absorbed by the ooze.

Once one of the bosses is dead, the other will become enraged. Slick will produce two pools of oil at a time and Sparki will increase her damage output. Slick has more health than Sparki, while Sparki does more damage than Slick. However, the poison mist debuff can quickly overwhelm a party, especially if Slick becomes enraged. Therefore, the best strategy is to focus on Slick first, while the player with the pheromone effect lures the ooze to the pools of oil, keeping poison mist off of the party. Once Slick has been killed, Sparki will become enraged and do more damage, but it is usually single-target damage and is much more manageable than the party-wide degeneration provided by Slick.

Hologram generators

When you get to the hologram generators, the only way to kill them is by killing the holograms near the generator so that they explode, damaging the generator.

Foreman Spur

The first thing you'll see when coming into the hangar area is a very large group of Aetherblades. You'll need to carefully pull them over to a corner and thin their numbers before engaging the boss proper. Make sure you also take out the Steam Watcher patrolling the area, as it summons more Aetherblades while it sounds its alarm.

Once you've cleared enough of them, you can pull Spur himself. Spur is a pure melee fighter, however, he'll periodically throw electric axes on the ground to create small damage areas. He also likes to constrict the fighting area by creating a barrier that causes knockback and cripple when trying to cross it. His most dangerous move is his Whirlwind attack, as he moves very quickly towards his target. Anyone caught in the attack will be knocked down repeatedly and dragged along his trajectory, suffering heavy damage and almost guaranteeing a downed state. The best way to avoid this move is to roll quickly out of the way as he starts it up (he has a noticeable start up animation). Applying cripple and chill can also slow his movement speed to allow more time to get out of the way. Damage reduction abilities such as Death Shroud and Endure Pain can reduce the punishment you receive if you get caught, while some shield skills can block the attacks, and stability can help prevent you from getting caught in the vacuum and give you a chance to roll away.

The best strategy is to have the party spread out in a small radius and attack him from a small range, whilst avoiding his damage areas and Whirlwind. A class using a melee build with a lot of defensive skills can also help tank him and keep him in place as long as they roll away from the Whirlwind. At low health, Spur will start throwing more axes onto the ground, further limiting player movement. You'll need to burn him fast at this point before the party gets overwhelmed and starts dropping one by one.

Security Room

All players will be locked into a small room with a tiled floor consisting of electric panels. The first goal of this room is to activate four trigger panels near the corners of the room. The triggers must be activated one at a time, each marked by a blue symbol hovering over it. Touching an electrified panel will cause the player to suffer a debuff, knocking them back if they attempt to activate the next trigger. Using stability, a player may stay on the trigger, but it will not activate unless they wait for the debuff to wear off, jump off, then jump back on. Skills which grant invulnerability may be used to run across the electrified tiles without suffering from the debuff. Once all four triggers are activated, one player must stand on each to generate a hologram. The hologram must be pulled to the door panel and killed nearby. The resulting explosion will disable the security system and allow the players to progress. Note that dying to the electric tiles will not damage armor, and the defeated player will be teleported to a safe location to allow the party to res.

Boss: Clockheart

This boss' main attacks include an AoE attack in front of him for massive damage and a ranged attack where he throws cogs of blades at the players that spin in place on the ground, dealing very high damage to every player around them. If a player goes down to one of these spinning cogs, he will quickly become defeated, and the party will be unable to revive him until the cog disappears. The Clockheart will also occasionally throw a player who comes within his reach, often times into the electrified center of the room, which can result in a player being quickly killed and put in a position that is impossible to revive them at.

Periodically, the Clockheart will put up Aetherized Shielding, a shield which makes him invulnerable to all sources of damage. Once he puts up this shield, he will gain another effect that gains 1 stack every second. This effect will become fully charged at 30 stacks (30 seconds), at which point he can discharge the effect in 5 waves of a massive AoE attack that spans the entire room. This attack can easily wipe a party as each wave deals very high damage and knocks down the players. The waves of this attack can be dodged, if timed correctly, but the waves come very quickly and players do not have enough energy to dodge every wave. In order for players to disrupt the Clockheart's Aetherized Shielding and, consequently, his building charges, they will need to destroy an Aetherblade hologram, which spawn periodically around the room, near the Clockheart, causing it to explode, removing the shield.

Occasionally, the floor will become electrified, dealing damage to all players standing on the floor. During this time, in order to avoid damage, players will need to stand on the raised platforms. The center of the room is also electrified and damages any player entering the center area.

The best strategy for this fight is to stay close to the Clockheart to keep him from using his ranged attack, while standing behind him to avoid his frontal AoE attack. Players can also dodge this attack as it is easy to spot: the Clockheart will raise his arms in the air and then slam them down on the ground. When the Clockheart puts up his shield, it is best for one player to aggro an Aetherblade hologram and pull it to the Clockheart. Once the hologram reaches the Clockheart, all players attack and destroy it, removing the Clockheart's shield. Skills such as Scorpion Wire and Spectral Grasp are very useful for this. If the players are unsuccessful at pulling a hologram to the Clockheart before he has 30 charges, it is still possible to disrupt this attack by destroying a hologram near him before he discharges his attack. If the Clockheart does discharge his attack, all players should attempt to dodge the first 2 waves of the attack. Once 1 wave strikes a player, he will be knocked down and will be unable to dodge any further waves. Skills which allow a player to evade attacks can be used to dodge additional waves. Stability will keep the player from being knocked down but still take damage while other effects like Endure Pain will prevent the player from being damaged. Making sure the Clockheart's back is against the wall can also prevent players from being thrown into the center of the room, since he always throws his targets behind him.

Dialogue

Once the path has been selected

Caithe: "I respect the Lionguard, but I have my own agenda. Luckily with you here we can all get what we want."

Caithe: "I met Scarlet in the Grove, before she went on her academic pilgrimage. I was not overly impressed."

Caithe: "Now she's sent me a direct challenge. She claims to know things...things I wouldn't want the world to know."

Caithe: "It doesn't matter what she has on me, or thinks she has. I just want to find out how she's acquiring these "secrets.""

Caithe: "I say we collaborate. You follow the Lionguard's plan. Confront the enemy head-on while I undermine them from the shadows."

Caithe: "The Lionguard gets in, I access one of Scarlet's inner sanctums, and she suffers a double setback. See you inside, partner."

Caithe: "I'll be with you every step of the way, but you won't see me until I want you to. And neither will Scarlet."

Caithe: "We don't know Scarlet's defence system, but she doesn't know we're here. Maybe we can surprise her for a change."

Arriving at Ooze Font

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "You must be the intruders. Could it be my guest of honor got my invite and came out to play? Oh, happy day!"

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Brrr... Is anyone else cold? I think it's time for another mass execution. Throw some more prisoners on the fire!"

Caithe: "I thought Scarlet was this great engineer with radical ideas. Pfft. All I see around here are the same old poison plants."

In Ooze Font

Sparki: "More mulch for the compost heap, eh? Prisoners! Listen up!

Sparki: "It's time to make whatever spiritual mumblings you people make when death comes for you."

Slick: "Because it has. Scarlet said, "Catch and burn anyone who doesn't run fast enough." You should have run faster."

Caithe: ? "oozes to it. That should loosen things up."

Caithe: "The oozes seem drawn to that goo. Steer them past the flames and onto the door mechanism."

Caithe: "Oozes are a tar elemental's favorite dish. Keep them away from each other or we'll never get through this door."

Once the gate it open

Scarlet Briar

[sic]

: "Today's mass executions have concluded, but we have plenty more scheduled tomorrow. And the next day, and the next..."

Caithe: "It's working: Scarlet's security system is focused on you, which allows me to move freely."

Caithe: "I appreciate you taking most of the risk. If all goes well, it'll pay off for both of us and the Lionguard in the end."

Caithe: "So let's keep moving. I'll scout an alternate route past the next obstacle and meet you on the other side."

Entering Ferndog Backwoods

Caithe: "Plenty of Scarlet holograms, but I wonder if she's actually here. I certainly hope so."

Caithe: "Once I get my hands on her, it won't matter what she knows or how she knows it. See you soon."

In Ferndog Backwoods

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Make me proud, my minions. Or at least make me laugh. Come on, kill something! Make it messy!"

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Ah, team? Why aren't these intruders dead yet? Why do you think I pay you-slash-allow you to live?"

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "If I have to treat you guard dogs like actual dogs, so be it: Who's a cute little puppy? Kill, puppy, kill. Good dog!"

Cutscene when you enter The Clearcut

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Have I mentioned how much I love unusual pairings? Because I do, and as such, I present Sparki and Slick!"

Sparki: "Prepare to be barbecued."

Slick: "Let the boss talk, Spark. She spent a lot of time setting up these messages."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "They complement each other perfectly. Just like fire needs fuel and fuel needs ignition."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "But don't take my word for it. Sparki? Slick? Show 'em what you can do. And make it burn."

Fighting Sparki and Slick

Sparki: "I have no use for all this toxic horticulture. Die, stupid plants!"

Slick: "Jormag take these oozes! They're sucking up all my beautiful oil!" (repeated several times during the fight)

Sparki: "How do you want to be buried? Well done or medium-rare?"

Sparki: "So, you want to play rough? Here's a little game I like to call "Inferno.""

Sparki: "Suit functions critical! If this keeps up, the whole thing will melt and I'll be fighting naked." (less than 25% health)

Slick: "You can't win. We will break you and burn you."

Slick: "Now I have to kill you, or Scarlet will kill me for taking so long."

Slick: "Don't bury me here. I don't want to be plant food." (on death)

Entering Outlook of Woe

Caithe: "There's a large room ahead that's buzzing with activity. I can see the main power source."

Caithe: "There's some sort of energy shield protecting it. We'll need to break through to let your Lionduard friends in."

Caithe: "Let's move. Follow the power cables forward and I'll meet you at the next junction."

In Outlook of Woe

Aetherblade Swashbuckler: "I saw one of those holos that looked just like me. It was funny right up to the point it exploded."

Veteran Aetherblade Grenadier: "This isn't going to be as easy as we thought. Finally, foes worth killing."

Aetherblade Thug: "I like these holos. They don't eat or claim a share of the booty, and they take the enemy with them when they die."

Aetherblade Thug: "Following Scarlet's lead is dangerous, but it's also profitable. Not to mention fun."

Aetherblade Grenadier: "Clear the vegetation, build the ships, kill the intruders... There better be some serious coin at the end of this."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Work. Work harder! You can't convert a dire cavern of dread and misery into an arms factory by wishing for it."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "I love my holorgamatic pirates. All the punch of the flesh and blood variety, with none of the strange odors."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "I'm still registering intruders, Aetherblades. Finish them off. And keep everyone clear of those generators."

Aetherblade Taskmaster: "Stick together! Scarlet will flay us with rusty blades if we break!"

Aetherblade Thug: "Hold fast. Whatever they do to us Scarlet will do worse if we lose."

Cutscene when you enter Aetherblade Shipyard

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "Incoming arrival! Clear the landing zone. Step lively!

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "If even one airship gets so much as scratched, I'll make belts and boots out of every last one of you."

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "We're already way behind schedule. If you lot want to get back to plundering full-time, pick up the pace."

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "Ships in, ships out. Scarlet want's an entire fleet in the air, and nobody rests until she gets it. Move!"

After the cutscene

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Ooh, is that Caithe sneaking around my facility? It must be—no one else could have gotten this far before being detected."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "You got my invitation! I was afraid you'd be all aloof and distant. You know, like you want people to think you are."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "But I know better. I know you. How nasty you fight, how you think...what you did. And what you did is soooo nasty."

Caithe: "Are you even here? Stop hiding behind prerecorded nonsense. Come out and face me."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Ooh, and I just realized: I know something about you even Faolain doesn't know."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Does that mean we're dating? Should I start calling you "dearheart?""

Caithe: "Keep babbling. When I find you, I'm going to shut your mouth for good."

Caithe: "That vicious little—if Scarlet's here, I'm going to find her. And she'll wish I hadn't."

Caithe: "Let's go. You follow the main cable forward. I'll meet you at the next junction, and we'll go through it together.

Caithe: "And feel free to make as much noise as you like. The louder you are, the easier it is for me to clear a path for you."

Fighting Foreman Spur

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "All hands! Battle stations! Those uninvited guests we heard about are here."

Aetherblade Foreman Spur: "Two days off for whoever cuts their throats. Three if you make them suffer first."

Entering the Security Room

Caithe: "Tread lightly. The defenses in this room aren't active, but I have no idea what triggers them."

Caithe: "I can't do much from this side of the door, but I did get a good look at the layout. I think I can guide you through."

Caithe: "The floor's supposed to be electrified. Those platforms figure into the control scheme somehow."

Caithe: "Too bad we didn't bring one of those holo-generators. The blast they make would get through this door faster that I can."

Caithe: "I think—never mind! They've found me! There's too many... Get in here as fast as you—"

Aetherblade: "Take her down. Hold her tight. Scarlet has plans for this one.

Aetherblade: "We've got her. Okay, turn the system back on!"

Once the gate is open

Scarlet Briar: "That Caithe... She's a panic, isn't she? One of the smartest, sneakiest sylvari alive, and I caught her. Easily."

Scarlet Briar: "I wouldn't worry about Caithe if I were you. Whoever you are, you've got more serious problems."

Scarlet Briar: "Yoo-hoo, Aetherblades? I got what I wanted. Fry the rest of the intruders and start digging another mass grave."

On the way to Clockheart Generator

Caithe: "Don't worry about me. This looks worse than it is."

Caithe: "I don't mind being captured, but I can't stand another of Scarlet's drivel."

Scarlet Briar: "I'll give the Nightmare Court your regards, Caithe. And won't they love to hear about your little indiscretion?"

Scarlet Briar: "I knew you'd want to see the heart of my new facility, Caithe. So tell me: how do you like it?"

Scarlet Briar: "What do you think the Pale tree will say when she finds out what you did? Or does she already know?"

Scarlet Briar: "Nice and comfy, Caithe? I only wish I was there to tuck you in."

Scarlet Briar: "All hands to the main power core. This is not a drill—though I will use a drill on you if you fail."

Scarlet Briar: "I know a secret, I know a secret... Caithe's secret, in fact. And soon, so will everybody else."

Scarlet Briar: "Such lovely, juicy secrets, Caithe. It's just not fair to keep them all to yourself."

Entering Clockheart Generator

Scarlet Briar: "Red alert! Someone's trying to shut down my fun house!"

Caithe: "You have to shut that thing down! It's shielded, but you can handle that."

Cutscene when the Clockheart is defeated

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "This is a recorder message. The system is temporarily down. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Lionguard Turma: "This is it, Lionguard! Time to make these sky pirates pay for Theo Ashford."

Lionguard Turma: "Take down every Aetherblade you see. Wreck every piece of machinery you find."

Lionguard Turma: "We're not leaving until this entire place is a dead, smoking hole in the ground."

Lionguard Turma: "That'll send Scarlet the message: you can't hide from Lion's Arch justice."

After the cutscene

Caithe: "I fell for Scarlet's trap like a rank amateur. If you weren't here—let's just say I'm glad you were. I owe you one."

Optional objectives

Optional event starts

Caithe: "I'm still determined to find Scarlet's control room. I'll leave the rest to you and your Lionguard friends."

Caithe: "They do seem motivated, don't they? I know how they feel. I owe Scarlet one, too."

Caithe: "If I find her... when I find her, I'll be sure to let you know."

Caithe: "You've earned the right to see her fall. And she will. I'll make sure of that. Until then."

Arriving at Scarlet's secret room

Caithe: "I don't need to know where she is, just where she plots."

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "While the system is down, feel free to add any constructive feedback you have to the suggestion box.:

Interacting with the Suggestion Box

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "You found me? Good for you, Caithe! Not that it'll do you any good. My secrets are still safe. Yours, however..."

Once the door closes behind you

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Well done, Caithe. You made it into my secret sanctum. Now the question is: what are you going to do here?"

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "What a shame: all that effort, and the only secret of mine you'll find here is one you already know."

After defeating the Veteran Twisted Nightmare

Scarlet Briar Hologram: "Aww, did you think this was over and you had triumphed? I'm far from beaten, hero. Soon you'll see just how far."

Caithe: "Thanks again. Scarlet was clearly trying to snare me, but she didn't count on you watching my back."

Caithe: "Please don't tell Rytlock about me getting captured. Or, Pale Mother forbid, Zojja. I'd never hear the end of it."

After defending the Lionguard

Lionguard Turma: "I knew we could count on you. We'll take it from here."

Lionguard Turma: "Of course, if you want to help, we're glad to let you in on the fun."

Lionguard Turma: "We're going to cripple the sky ships they're building and break the machinery so they can't make more."

Lionguard Turma: "Then we're going to round up the Aetherblade officers and mop up any grunts too stupid to surrender."

Lionguard Turma: "If you're interested, don't wait for an invitation: jump in and start dishing out the payback."