A Shadow over Ashdale

A Shadow over Ashdale is a free-to-play quest featuring the island of Ashdale. The quest has no requirements but the combat is scaled like in The Death of Chivalry. The quest features puzzles and unlike most of the quests it presents story by environment rather than by dialogues. It was first announced in Behind the Scenes for April 2014.

Walkthrough
Speak to Gudrik just southwest of Taverley bank. He says that the supply ships that are regularly sent to Ashdale have started returning with their cargo still aboard. The island is apparently deserted and an evil aura hangs over it. He asks you to travel to Ashdale to investigate.

Board the ship docked to the west. When you arrive in Ashdale, walk through the town until you meet Lucy. She says that the town was attacked by horrible creatures, and although she avoided them by hiding in her attic, the townspeople were taken away. She doesn't know where they are now, but guesses they may be under the island somewhere. You say that you need to get to the other side of the island and she suggests using the sewers.

Enter the sewer from the entrance out the back door. The sewer is populated by a few non-agressive level 4 sewer rats. When you reach the first chamber, a cut scene will introduce the Crassian scout. Kill it (it drops a Minnow, which doesn't need to be kept) and continue down the sewer to the second chamber, with a second Crassian scout. Kill it and climb the ladder to leave the sewers.

Climb the steps and after a brief cutscene you will be in an area with two more Crassian scouts. Although they are aggressive, killing them appears to be optional. Go through the gate to the south and enter the house at the top. Search the table to find a page from an old journal. This is the journal of Ogden Plainview, who was planning the construction of the house above some caves. Inspect the bust to open a stairway leading downwards.

Descend the stairs. You will be in a cave with another Crassian scout and a dead smuggler. Search the body to find a Smuggler's journal. A band of smugglers had discovered the caves and planned to make it their hideout. They had installed a security system and a few booby traps, but eventually stirred up a nest of creatures.

Advance down the cave, which contains one more scout. Enter a cavern containing barrels and pipes. After a brief cutscene, you will need to open the door by chanelling water to it.

Collect the Valve outer wheel, Valve inner wheel and some Pitch. Repair the leak in the pipe, combine the wheel parts into a Valve wheel and repair the socket on the central barrel. The barrel at the end of the pipe is already full of water, and you will need to turn the valve wheel on that barrel to move the water to the next barrel. Repeat until the last barrel is flushed to open the door.

Go through the door and enter a chamber where you will find three more Crassian scouts. This chamber contains Crassian pods, which appear to play some part in the crassian reproductive process. Kill the scouts and a cutscene will show the door to the next area opening. Optionally search the chest to find 125 coins and an uncut sapphire (the gems found in chests are not required during the quest).

Enter the next tunnel, where a cutscene will show the approach of a Crassian warrior. If you approach the creature, you will immediately die, but respawn at the same place without losing any items. However if you pull the lever on the wall, the spike trap will activate, killing the warrior and opening the door to the next area.

The next area has another Crassian warrior moving around a circular trap. Dispatch it in the same way by pulling the lever on the wall while avoiding contact with the creature.

Advance to the next area, where there are two separate warriors on two different traps. Dodge the first and find the lever on the wall at the second warror and pull it to dispatch the two warriors.

Through the next door, after the body of another dead smuggler, optionally search a chest to find 500 coins and three more uncut sapphires.

In the next area, there are two traps, each with two warriors patrolling. The lever can be found on the north side of the wall at the second circuit.

The next area contains two scouts. Optionally search the chest to find 132 coins and an uncut emerald.

Climb on to the ship. Four Tentacles will appear from underneath, and the first will attack you. Kill each of the four in turn. A cutscene will then show Agoroth emerging from below. You will need to kill it to complete the quest.

A final cutscene will show the townsfolk cheering their rescue. You will appear back in the town where Lucy will congratulate you. Speak to her to be transported back to Gudrik in Taverley.

Rewards

 * 1 Quest Point
 * Attack XP Lamp worth 300 XP
 * Strength XP Lamp worth 300 XP
 * Defence XP Lamp worth 300 XP
 * Constitution XP Lamp worth 300 XP
 * 3 Black Pearls
 * 2 Treasure Hunter Keys

Trivia

 * It was the first new quest released for free-to-play players that did not replace an existing quest since The Blood Pact.
 * The quest is very likely a reference to "The Shadow over Innsmouth", a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. The story's plot revolves around a seaside town in Massachusetts known as Innsmouth, which is inhabited by a race of beings known as the Deep Ones.

A Shadow over Ashdale