Eskos Naldeen's Lifeward quest

Eskos Naldeen tells you of his Master's shield that was lost when his Master was defeated battling Eerizar at Sorcerer's Labyrinth. The shield is extremely damaged and, once recovered, will need to be reforged in the hottest forge in Dalaya and then be blessed.

Obtaining Lifward

Eskos Naldeen's quest
Quest giver	Eskos Naldeen
Starting Zone	Athica
Other Zone(s)	Everchill Caverns Red Sun Peaks Kedge Keep Eldenal's Mansion Valley of Erimal
Class Required	Cleric
Suggested Level Range	61 - 65
Faction Required	Athica Residents (Kindly)
Quest items used	Corroded Shield Superior Sigil of Health Shard of Everfrozen Life Shard of Everburning Life Bloodfang's Tooth Vial of Perfectly Preserved Blood Book of Ancient Blacksmithing Lore Glowing Pile of Ingots Unblessed Lifeward
Item Reward(s)	Lifeward

Find Eskos Naldeen (Athica  at 0, -220, 3  • Outside PAL guild) .

You say, 'Hail Eskos Naldeen'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'Oh good day to you. I am Eskos, retired adventurer. I decided to come here as soon as i heard of the reconstruction attempts... I think it's quite a wonderful thing that is being done. I look forward to spending my remaining years here, i think - I've had a long and eventful life. I suppose the only regret i have is not avenging my fallen master.'

You say, 'Your Master?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'My master was the Cleric Gannor, the Ward of Life. He took his name from the enchanted shield he bore, a shield that could bring a man back from the brink of death. With the power of the shield, he was able to destroy a great many vile and evil things in the world. He's dead since a score of years, though, fallen in battle in the far north of the Old World.'

You say, 'How did he die?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'My master and I were travelling in the North, visiting the cavern-city of the Shadow Dwarves, when he learned of a sorcerer named Talok who made his home in the nearby labyrinth, which he filled with malicious crystalline constructs and abnormal mockeries of life. My master decided to dispose of the sorcerer, leaving my young and untrained self behind. I believe he succeeded - at least in my travels to the labyrinth i have only seen wild and uncontrolled creatures that seemed to have no guiding hand - but he never returned, and eventually it became clear that the battle had cost him his life, and he was lost along with the enchanted shield Lifeward.'

You say, 'Do you think the shield could be recovered?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'I suppose so. I've certainly tried many times myself, but I've never found it, or managed to fight my way to the deepest recesses of the labyrinth. I imagine it would be damaged beyond use after all this time in a frozen cave, but still, it would be good to have it back.'

You say, 'I will try to get it back for you.'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'Yes... perhaps you could indeed succeed where i have failed. You have my blessing to try, at the very least - and I wish you all the best of luck in your attempt'

Gather and give Corroded Shield to Eskos Naldeen.

Eskos Naldeen says, 'This... this is Lifeward! You are truly a greater servant of the Gods then I ever were. But it is so damaged... this wasn't just done by cold and time, all the enchantments are unravelled and the material itself dented. What could have done this?'

You say, 'Can it be repaired?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'I suppose that yes... it is not an unthinkable prospect. Difficult though, very very difficult. I think that in this state... it would be better to attempt to re-forge the shield than to repair it. This means that we will have to melt it down into materials we can work with. The problem is that Lifeward was built to withstand exceptional temperatures, so what forge could be hot enough to melt it? I do not know, but I have a friend who might. Go to the Sundered Mountains and find Freya the Blacksmith who lives there. Ask her what the hottest forge on Dalaya is, and then try to melt the shield in that forge. Once you succeed in melting it, return to me and we can discuss the reforging.'

You receive Corroded Shield from Eskos Naldeen.

Find Freya the Blacksmith (Sundered Mountains  at 1253, -373, 1026  • 2nd building on the left from the main gate of the Barbarian outpost) to learn more about the hottest forge in Dalaya.

You say, 'Hail Freya the Blacksmith'

Freya the Blacksmith says, 'Yah, yah, I'm a busy woman. Get on with your business.'

You say, 'I am looking for the hottest forge on Dalaya.'

Freya the Blacksmith says, 'The hottest forge? Why, that's simple. Everyone knows the furnaces of the Red Sun Mines are beyond compare.'

Finding the Forge

Travel to Red Sun Mines and head to -957, -693, 36. You'll find an Erud Forge here.

Note: Being Non-KoS to the Goblins of the Red Sun is a plus, as you can just walk right to the Forge. It takes a few hours of killing elementals in the north end of the Red Sun Mines to get to dubious.

Place the shield in the forge and combine to obtain Glowing Pile of Ingots

Return to Eskos Naldeen.

Eskos Naldeen says, 'You've succeeded! Well done! Now we can begin the reforging.'

You say, 'What is needed?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'I've been looking through my master's old books and remniscating our discussions on the shield. As I can remember, there are three essential parts to the enchantment that gives the shield its power. The components are the Enchantment of Life, the Enchantment of Elements, and the Enchantment of Spirit. Once you have all of the components needed for all three enchantments, you can complete the reforging.'

You say, 'What do I need for the Enchantment of Life?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'The Enchantment of Life must unfortunately be be created from the darker forces that seek to take it - elsewise it could never protect the wearer and those around him from these very forces. I would need some perfectly preserved human blood, kept in the very same condition as when it was pumping through the veins of said human. This is much harder than it seems, as any blood taken from a body will very quickly spoil. The only creatures that might have a need for preserving blood in this way would be vampires... so perhaps you will need to challenge the princes of undeath for it. Other than the vial of blood, we need the fang of an animal - but not any animal, only a powerful creature obsessed with the shedding of lifeblood will do as a protective talisman. I have heard of a type of fish called pirahnas... a powerful specimen of pirahna might provide us with an adequate fang.'

You say, 'What do I need for the Enchantment of Elements?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'For Lifeward to be enchanted as a protector from the elements, you will need physical representations of these elements. I believe that originally, the essences of Fire Giants and Ice Giants were used in the forging, but the Ice Giants of today are weak creatures and I do not think their essences would be strong enough. I have heard of a stronger breed of ice giant residing within the depths of Everchill Caverns, so I suggest you look there. Fire Giants can be found commonly in and around the Red Sun Peaks and are formidable foes - so be careful.'

You say, 'What do I need for the Enchantment of Spirit?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'The Enchantment of Spirit is an ancient ritual that binds the shield to its wearer's spirit, gifting it with some of his or her own strength. Unfortunately the practice, which originates from the early days of Freeport, has fallen out of practice, and I do not know the necessary rituals. I do know that a Rune of Health of High Quality is needed to seal the ritual, and that should be attainable from a skilled blacksmith, but as to where to find the details of the ritual... you could try the library of Erudin, but I am dubious of your chance of success. I *have* heard rumors of a collection of knowledge that exceeds that of even the Erudites', secured away the Valley of Erimal by a group that call themselves the Finders or Seekers or something akin to that, but even if you could find them, and even if they have the book, I do not know how you would get them to share the knowledge in it.'

You say, 'How do I complete the reforging?'

Eskos Naldeen says, 'Once you have the six objects that you need for the enchantments as well as the materials you melted the shield into, travel back to the forge where you melted it. Refer to the rituals in the Enchantment of Spirit, and the Shield should assemble itself, without the need of your skill. When the shield is completed, you must return to me, so I can bless it in the eyes of the Gods. Only then will Lifeward be finally restored. Good luck, <playername>!'

Reforging Lifeward

Gather:

• Superior Sigil of Health
• Shard of Everfrozen Life
• Shard of Everburning Life
• Bloodfang's Tooth
• Vial of Perfectly Preserved Blood
• Book of Ancient Blacksmithing Lore given by Apprentice Vaceth (Valley of Erimal  at 1151, 860, -42  • Palace library - first floor)

Note: You will need the Seeker Rune from the Main Quest to reach Apprentice Vaceth.

You say, 'Hail, Apprentice Vaceth.'

Apprentice Vaceth says, 'Good day and welcome to the Library of Erimal. Is there a particular book you seek? Or are you looking to get something translated?'

You say, 'I am looking for a book on ancient blacksmithing knowledge from the Freeport era.'

Apprentice Vaceth says, 'THAT dusty old tome? Well, Gavin said to help you in any way possible... so I will go make a copy, but you won't really find much of use in there. Metalcraft has advanced a LOT since back then...'

You receive Book of Ancient Blacksmithing Lore from Apprentice Vaceth.

Return to the forge in Red Sun Mines. Add all gathered items as well as the Glowing Pile of Ingots into the forge and combine to create Unblessed Lifeward.

Return to Athica and give Unblessed Lifeward to Eskos Naldeen.

Eskos Naldeen says, 'You return successful! Thank you so very much, <playername>, with Lifeward returned to the service of the Gods I can retire in peace of mind. Allow me to bless it for you, and then YOU shall carry Lifeward in servitude to all that is holy.'

You gain 300000 experience!

You receive Lifeward from Eskos Naldeen.