The Branches of Darkmeyer


 * For The Branches of Darkmeyer before the release, see The Branches of Darkmeyer/Pre-release.

The Branches of Darkmeyer is the sequel to Legacy of Seergaze and the fifth installment of the Myreque quest series. It was released on August 31, 2011. It is a master quest, with requirements around level 60-70, much higher than the prequel's requirements, which are around level 30-40. During the quest, the vampyre town of Darkmeyer is accessed to find the Blisterwood Tree, which can harm vampyres and has been sealed off by Lord Drakan. Meanwhile, Vanstrom Klause is tasked to destroy the entire Myreque and is eager to do so. This quest raised the official slayer and woodcutting level requirements for the quest point cape. The quest is not the last one of the series.

Starting out
Speak to Veliaf Hurtz under the pub in Burgh de Rott. He will tell you that he needs help with Vanstrom Klause and the Vyrewatch, who are becoming stronger while the Myreque grow weaker. He explains the situation that the Myreque and Burgh de Rott are in; the supply routes to Meiyerditch have been cut off and the vyrewatch have discovered Burgh de Rott. They have even abducted Marius and brutally murdered him. Ask what you can do to help (this starts the quest). Veliaf will say he feels terrible about asking you, but he will explain that Cornelius (the town's banker) saw a shadowy figure digging south of the bank a few nights before, and that an entrance to something was unearthed there. No one has been down yet due to the danger, but it needs exploring. Veliaf believes that the mysterious figure was Vanstrom and that he might still be in the tunnels. He asks you to go down and explore, and to defeat Vanstrom if you find him.

A strange tunnel

 * Go to the dungeon entrance south of the bank and climb down. You will find yourself in a tunnel with a rope to the surface, a coffin, a blood rune symbol on the floor, a letter and a pool of blood.
 * Pick up the letter. It's addressed to Safalaan Hallow, from someone called "V", who knew Safalaan's parents and Safalaan as a child. He says he knows the answers Safalaan seeks and will meet him in the clearing in the middle of sector four.
 * Inspect the coffin. You will take some damage as you open it. You'll gain a medallion with an orange symbol similar to that on the floor.
 * Dip the medallion in the pool of blood. You will get a message saying it recharges.
 * Report back to Veliaf. If you mention the medallion to him he will tell you that it is the symbol of Drakan and is of vampyric origin. He doubts that it was placed there by Vanstrom as it is old and dusty. He refuses to take it from you, calling it evil. You will then show him the letter. Veliaf will say it must have been placed there by Vanstrom as it is too clean to have been there long. He thinks that by noticing Vanstrom going into the cave, they might have ruined his plan to pretend to be a Meiyerditch citizen. Veliaf thinks that the plan is too subtle for Vanstrom, and suggests that you take the letter to Safalaan. He tells you it is too dangerous to enter Meiyerditch the usual way and gives them a teletab to take them straight to Safalaan. Before sending you he will warn you that Safalaan has been preoccupied and not himself lately. If you agreed to the teletab, you will be taken straight to the Meiyerditch hideout.

Meiyerditch Hideout

 * Speak to Safalaan at the north end of the hideout. He will ask how you got there and say the supply runners haven't been getting through from Burgh de Rott.
 * Tell him about the medallion. He will ask where you got it from. You will tell him about the cave and what Veliaf said about it. When you show it him, he will say it feels familiar and ask to take it from you. You will be shown handing it to him, where it will glow in his hands. He says he added a destination to it; the Meiyerditch Myreque hideout. He doesn't know how he was able to alter a vampyric artefact, and asks you to take it away from him.
 * Ask him what the vampyres have been doing and he will explain that tithes have been increased and any citizen unable to meet them is taken away to an unknown location, and that rogue vyrewatch have even been appearing and snatching healthier citizens. He claims that they seem restless and they're not following tithing orders.
 * Tell Safalaan you have a letter for him. He will ask where from and you will explain the happenings in Burgh de Rott. He will take the letter from you and read it. Ask him what he thinks and he will express disbelief and ask if you're sure it was Vanstrom. You will repeat what you were told about the night the cave was uncovered. Vanstrom is dubious, as the letter speaks of his parents, experiences and his visions.
 * go through the dialogue options. Safalaan will explain that he doesn't remember much about his past, including being young or how old he is. He has also been having visions, and he feels that there is some greater power in him ready to be released, for good or bad.
 * Ask what you should do. Safalaan says he will have to meet the letter's sender. He thinks Vanstrom must know something, and that if he was truly after Burgh de Rott he would have simply attacked. You mention that it might be a trap and Safalaan agrees. He says they can't give Vanstrom what he wants, but they must still find out what is going on. He decides to send you in his place. He sends Vertida Sefalatis and Mekritus A'hara with you, and advises you to look from a window to the north of the clearing (which is west of the base) before meeting the contact. Directions to the meeting point will be in your quest journal.

Traversing Meiyerditch

 * Follow the directions in your quest journal.
 * Head out of the base, up the stairs and across into the next building. Go west from there, until you reach the barricade. Then, go south and head to the upstairs of the building with the fireplace and the portrait. Jump the wall to get to the building next door, and go back to the ground floor. If you leave this building to the west, the meeting point will be to your west. You'll need to make your way round to the building to the north to make sure the coast is clear.
 * When you reach the upstairs of the building with the fireplace and portrait, you will run into two vyrewatch. The first wants to take more than a tithe from you, but the second tells it to wait and says that you are "the one". The other agrees, calling you fresh and full of blood, and says that "it'll have a worse time with him/her". You ask them what they're talking about, but they fly off.
 * Speak to Vertida in the building north of the meeting place. He will tell you that Mekritus is upstairs and that the wall beside her can be climbed to reach him.
 * Mekritus explains that the window overlooks the meeting place and can be used to check the coast is clear. He and Vertida will flank around to give ground support.

Meeting Vanescula

 * Stand on the lookout spot to activate a cutscene. You will see your companions hiding in alcoves near the meeting spot. A small girl called Nessie will appear and start crying. You decide to go down and see if she's okay.
 * Nessie (combat level 424) says she saw you in the window and asks why it took you so long to come down, claiming the vyrewatch could have got her. She claims she knows your name because you're the great hero of the Myreque. When asked, she explains that she's lost and a scary vampyre, Vanstrom, told her to stay there. You say he's the worst vampyre besides Drakan, but she laughs and says his power is nothing compared to hers. She then transforms into Vanescula Drakan. Vertida yells for you to attack. Do so and she will counter with what looks like a ring of smoke that throws you backwards and teleports your Myreque companions away.
 * You will then have an option to talk to Vanescula. She will tell you to calm down and that she's not there to fight, and that you wouldn't be a challenge anyway. When questioned, she says she's there to help. She planted the letter in Burgh de Rott (and is insulted about being mistaken for Vanstrom). She knows about Safalaan but says any information about him is between them alone.
 * Vanescula knows about the Myreque's dream of defeating Drakan and freeing Meiyerditch. She sees no reason why that shouldn't happen, but thinks that the Myreque aren't doing a good job by themselves. According to Vanescula, Drakan is no longer a good leader, and he's spending more and more time shut in his castle obsessing over a rock. He hasn't noticed the influx of mercenaries, the threats from Misthalin or even infighting amongst the vyrewatch, and Vanescula thinks he is a blind fool who is letting their society fall apart. She's also bored.
 * Vanescula cannot kill Drakan herself because of the vyrelords, whose respect she must have in order to be leader of the vampyres. She claims that discoveries made through the study of Haemalchemy mean that vampyres could survive without blood and so the citizens of Meiyerditch could be freed if she was leader.
 * Vanescula says you should trust her because she hasn't killed you yet, and because she has claimed you as her personal blood tithe, so none of the vyrewatch will attack you as you pass through Meiyerditch.
 * She also tells you about Darkmeyer, "where your greatest weapon lies". She tells you about the blisterwood tree, the mere touch of which harms vampires, which could make a weapon more potent than the Ivandis flail if it could be cut and the logs carved.

To Darkmeyer

 * Use the medallion to teleport back to the Meiyerditch hideout with the letter Vanescula gives you. Take it to Safalaan, who will be worried about you.
 * He will be excited over the contents of the letter; Vanescula knows about his past. You ask him to focus on Vanescula's promises about helping them. Safalaan will tell you to do as Vanescula's suggested. He tells you to speak to Vertida for advice.
 * Vertida is wary about trusting both Vanescula and Safalaan, as Safalaan hasn't been himself lately. He thinks Safalaan is so desperate for information that he's not thinking clearly and is too quick to trust. He tells you about a drainage gate along the uppermost wall in eastern Meiyerditch that you may be able to climb under to access Darkmeyer. He suggests taking some smoke bombs from the storeroom and a hatchet to cut the tree. He also reminds you to look for seeds to grow their own tree.
 * Take the smoke bombs from a crate west of the exit stairs. Head for the drainage gate.
 * Head out of the Myreque base, up the stairs and across into the next building. Leave this building and run through the building directly to the north. Turn right, then run north. Once past the fish shop, turn left. Then, run north.
 * Vanescula will meet you on the other side of the drainage gate. She tells you the tree is guarded in the upper tier of Darkmeyer. You'll try and go to it, but a vyrewatch will tell you that Vanescula's protection doesn't help you in Darkmeyer and teleport you to the gate again. Talk to Vanescula again and she will explain that the Darkmeyer vyrewatch are more independent than the Meiyerditch ones.
 * Vanescula advises you to use the smoke bombs to find a disguise to fool the juvinates, but to avoid the vyrewatch who will be able to smell you. She says to come back to her once you have a disguise, and she gives you a needle and thread to alter your disguise to fit.
 * Use the smoke bombs only when out of sight of the juvinates. Do not go near vyrewatch. Search chests inside buildings to find clothing. If caught you will be teleported back to Vanescula. TIP: try to get to a building before your smoke shroud vanishes.
 * Once you've found, fixed and equipped all four pieces of the outfit (hood, torso, trousers and boots) your title will change to Vyreling. Return to Vanescula. She will cover your human scent with her own and explain how to get to the blisterwood tree.

Gaining Status

 * To get to the Arboretum you need to be a respected vampyre. To do this you must raise your status in Darkmeyer. Head north east through the low-tier to reach the middle-tier, where Vanescula will be waiting for you.
 * You will be asked what your name is. Make one up from the options given. This will be your vampyre name.
 * Talk to the named vampyres to get tasks from them. Tasks include:
 * Vandalising posters put up by vyrelords and ladies (middle-tier).
 * Terrorising Maria Gadderanks (middle-tier).
 * Talking to Maria Gadderanks (middle-tier).
 * Talking to Valentina Kaust; drink the vial of blood she gives you, then select any of the options. Warning: Drinking the blood damages you for 400-500 damage (middle-tier).
 * Recapture bloodveld younglings. These vanish for long periods of time, so they can appear in places you've already checked (middle-tier).
 * Entertain Misdrievus Vakan by humiliating a blood tither (upper-tier).
 * Telling the vyrewatch any of the options and deciding the fate of the tither does not affect the status gain. (upper-tier).
 * Speak to Vanescula Drakan to pledge allegiance to the Drakan family (upper-tier).
 * Kill Captured Meiyerditch citizens (upper-tier).
 * As you complete tasks you will gain status, filling your status meter to the left of your screen.
 * If you try to go up the steps to the upper tier, located in the south-west corner of the middle-tier, too soon, you will be teleported back to the bottom of the steps.
 * If you get stuck at any point you can speak to Vanescula in the very north of the middle-tier (before you get enough status to progress further) or near the Tithe Master's building (after gaining enough status) to ask for help.
 * You will get a message in your chatbox when you have enough status for upper-tier vampyres to notice you.
 * Once you have enough status you can free Maria Gadderanks. Make sure the guard is out of the building, close the door, remove your disguise and break the lock. Equip your disguise again before leaving.

The Arboretum

 * Once you have enough status speak to Vanescula and she will tell you to enter the Arboretum. She will warn you once again to watch for Ranis.
 * Ranis will stop you as you run towards the doors. He will question you as to whether you think Vanescula, whom you pledged allegiance to, is more important than he is. He will demand that you pledge fealty to him as well. The bloodmark given to you on your pledge to Vanescula will do some damage to you. Ranis dismisses you and warns you that he'll be watching.
 * Check the health of the Blisterwood tree. You're told that the tree needs to be given sequences of energy in the order of water, then light, then nutrition.
 * Pull the lever on the machine. Several glowing circles will fill the first three rows of the tray next to the the lever. You must get it so each row contains one of each colour, starting from the top. The circles are moved by clicking on the bottom left one of a group of four, which will rotate the four circles clockwise. Pull the lever and check the tree again.
 * This time the tree needs nutrition, water, light, nutrition. Pull the lever again to get more circles, which are moved in the same manner as before.
 * Check the tree a third time. The instructions are more complex this time; no water can touch another water, or nutrition another nutrition, diagonally, vertically or horizontally. Water and nutrition may touch each other and light may touch anything.
 * For the fourth infusion of energy, light and water may not touch in any way, light can touch light, water can touch water and nutrition can touch anything.
 * You can now chop the blisterwood tree. This will attract the attention of Ranis. After you've chopped three logs, he will demand that you come out of the Arboretum, while changing to his vyre form. Vanescula will come over in her vyre form and Ranis will tell her that he doesn't think you're really one of them. The screen fades to black and Ranis' corpse is shown on the floor with Vanescula standing nearby.
 * Speak to Vanescula. She says she'll blame the death of Ranis on you, but that it had to be done; he would have exposed you otherwise. She also says that the tree produces no seeds, and that Vanstrom knows where the Myreque hideout in Meiyerditch is. She demands the medallion off you. She restores its full potential and hands it back to you, adding a teleport back to Darkmeyer and the Barrows to it. Vanescula then returns you to the Meiyerditch side of the drainage gate.

Myreque Again

 * Go back to Meiyerditch. Speak to Vertida to find out that Safalaan has been missing since shortly after you left for Darkmeyer.
 * Vertida calls a meeting to discuss what you've discovered. Kael remains suspicious of Vanescula throughout the meeting. You inform the Myreque that Vanstrom knows the location of the base. Vertida calls the Myreque to evacuate. Kael and Mekritus say that they're tired of running and hiding and wish to fight. Vertida agrees with the majority and says they must take the fight to Vanstrom and enter Darkmeyer.
 * It is decided that because you're recognised amongst the vyre ranks as a respected member of vampyre society, you must go alone.
 * Speak to Vertida to learn how to make blisterwood weapons. He advises you to make one for each combat style, and to get two silver sickles from Kael to attach to the melee weapon. He also suggests you ask the other Myreque for advice on fighting Vanstrom.
 * Teleport back to Darkmeyer. If you wish you may speak to Vanescula again on your way to Vanstrom's house, which is just north west of her.
 * Once you enter the house you will be attacked by Harold, a level 161 Bloodveld pet. This fight should be no trouble for you if you have decent armour and combat stats. To defeat him, you must throw the holy water given to you by Vertida over him.

Inventory
The best option is to range Vanstrom with Blisterwood Stakes so that you can avoid his close range melee attacks and just protect from magic. Crafting about 50-100 stakes should be enough for the fight.
 * Food (rocktails recommended)
 * 1-2 prayer potions
 * Super Energy
 * Boosting potions
 * ‎Mysterious medallion
 * Melee equipment to switch to after entering the house
 * Blisterwood polearm
 * Vertida's bottle of holy water

Wear the Darkmeyer disguise until entering the house. Upon death (which is highly likely, Vanstrom is an extremely powerful opponent even for 100+ combat players) the medallion can be used to teleport back to Darkmeyer. The Darkmeyer disguise is always kept upon death, so reaching your gravestone shouldn't be a problem. Your grave will appear outside Vanstrom's house.

Vanstrom's regular magic and melee attacks can be protected from using protection prayers/curses, but his special attacks hit fully through prayer.

Starting out

 * Vanstrom will be in his human form. Attack him with the polearm.
 * After a few hits he will transform into his vampyric form and be much more powerful.
 * Continue attacking Vanstrom with the polearm until he uses a special attack move.

Staring into the Darkness
When Vanstrom moves to the center of the room and orders you to stare into the darkness you should do the exact opposite and run to a wall facing it away from Vanstrom or be hit for 500+ damage. This damage is reduced if faced the opposite direction and running. There is very little time to react to this, probably just over a second, and there is no warning, so be on guard.

Blood Ball Attack
Vanstrom will spawn a ball of blood under you while saying a message above his head. Run far away from the spot you are standing on or be hit for high damage. Damage is only reduced if running away further, as this damage is unavoidable.

Bloodveld Familiars
During the fight on a few occasions he will summon 2 small bloodvelds who will heal him if not killed quickly, they are very weak and have only 50 lifepoints. Try hitting them once, or get their attention to prevent Vanstorm from healing.

Flying bombs
At several points during the fight Vanstrom will take flight and throw balls under you similar to the blood ball attack that can hit 700+ damage. There are two tactics for this:

For either tactic make sure you are always moving around the room! Also, if using protection prayers (which doesn't really affect his damage rate on you), turn them off during this special attack as simply running away will prevent most if not all damage.
 * 1) Run around the room in a circle until he lands, avoiding all damage.
 * 2) Run from 1 wall to another back and forth, Attacking Vanstrom once along the way each time, this makes the fight much easier and you will receive no damage if done fast enough.He seems weaker while in flight so it is a great chance to do some serious damage, there is still chance of him hitting you with a blood ball so you must be quick if you want to attack.

Ball of Mist
When Vanstrom is low on health he will turn into a ball of mist and be immune to normal attacks. Stand in the middle of the room and throw the holy water with a single left-click, which will form a large pool of water near you.

Lure Valstrom over the water in order to damage him. Repeat this until he is dead.

Death
Upon death he will hit you for a near death damaging amount of lifepoints and summon 8 bloodveld minions.

You will faint and Vanescula will enter the room. You will take control of her to kill the bloodveld minions. It is recommended to use the Scream attack repeatedly as soon as it recharges. Or the Dart attack if you can get all of the Bloodvelds in a line.

Once these are defeated, the fight will be over.

Rewards

 * 2 quest points
 * 20,000 Agility experience
 * 50,000 Woodcutting experience
 * 20,000 Farming experience
 * 40,000 Fletching experience
 * 20,000 Crafting experience
 * 25,000 Slayer experience
 * 35,000 Magic experience
 * ‎Tome of xp 3rd ed with three 50,000 experience chapters in any skill 60 or higher
 * Access to Darkmeyer
 * Ability to fletch Blisterwood weapons
 * Darkmeyer disguise
 * Mysterious medallion allowing quick travel to and around Morytania.

Music unlocked

 * Arboretum
 * Darkmeyer
 * Upir Likhyi

Trivia

 * On the day of release, the spoiler read: The spoilers demand nutrition, light, nutrition and then water. Come back tomorrow once we've figured out what that means.
 * When you talk to the sentinel and it asks your name, one possibility is 'Tytn', which is the name of the Jagex Moderator who had been developing the Myreque series until leaving Jagex and Mod Ana taking over.
 * This was the third quest released to see members of House Drakan perish, after Vampire Slayer and Desert Treasure, which saw the deaths of Lord Drakan's brother Count Draynor and vampyre noble Dessous respectively. This is also the first to see more than one member of House Drakan die in the same quest.
 * When you complete the quest, it reads on your adventurers log: I worked with Vanescula to infiltrate Darkmeyer and create new weapons to harm the vampyres, before defeating Vanstrom. The Myreque were happy, but are worried about their future.