Darkness of Hallowvale

Darkness of Hallowvale is the third quest in the Myreque series, and involves travelling to Meiyerditch to contact the Myreque faction there.

In Search of the Myreque
Travel to Burgh de Rott and head to the basement of the pub there. Speak to Veliaf Hurtz. He wants to make contact with the Myreque in the Sanguinesti region so that the Myreque may be able to free the people 'living' there. He also needs help from Misthalin to fight vampyre forces. If you wish, ask more about the mission then agree to help him. He wants you to enter Meiyerditch and seek contact with the Myreque. The resistance in fact originated there and under Safalaan Hallow some members managed to escape the ghetto. You will need to ask citizens about the Myreque since they are hidden very well. Finally, he warns you about the Vyrewatch who patrol the Burgh de Rott Woods along with the 'juves' and cannot be harmed by weapons, not even the Rod of Ivandis! With the wall being higher than any building in Burgh de Rott, you will need to somehow go around the wall at open sea by accumulating items from the village. You will need to ask Veliaf how you're supposed to get into the Sanguesti region before you can move on to the next part. After talking to Veliaf, you can search the chest in the basement and take some garlic if you want to.

Getting into Meiyerditch
Leave the basement and go south-east to a dilapidated hut with a boat in it. It is south of the furnace. Be careful around the boat shed and the sea end of the wall as Vyrewatch hang around there - two Vyrewatch at the boat shed and three at the wall. You will need to repair the boat using a plank and 4 nails of any metal. You will then need to repair the launching chute with the same materials. Push the boat and it will slide down the chute into the water.

Board the boat from the dock and travel to Meiyerditch. You arrive at the very southern end of the wall where you can get on it. Walk up the wall a little until you pass a section where the boards creak (you are informed in the chatbox). It is around the corner of the wall. Kick the boards (right click option) and then climb down them into the passage below.

At any stage whilst you are in Meiyerditch, you may be noticed by a member of the Vyrewatch. You have five options:
 * Pay a blood tithe (causes damage equal to approximately 60 (also occasionally causes large damage) life points).
 * Attack them. The Vyrewatch are invulnerable during this stage of the quest series, but you can simply run away. The vyrewatch will be impressed at your courage and leave you be.
 * Distract him (does not always work and will take a blood tithe if you fail). Success rate depends on Thieving level. This is a recommended option if you are low on Prayer.
 * Go to the mines (appears after you've found the Myreque hideout instead of getting attacked. You need to mine 15 ores. You'll then appear in the north-east part of the city).
 * Additionally, it is possible to use Freedom to escape the Vyrewatch's stun and run away before they talk to you. However this may backfire as the Vyrewatch that stunned you will call upon you randomly which may interrupt conversations with other NPCs.

Go north and climb over the wall rubble, go north, and talk to any local citizen - all of them are incredibly slim and full of tithing wounds. Question them, if you wish, about the situation in the ghetto or the vampyres. They will complain about the vampyre oppression and the brutality of the Vyrewatch, saying they try to survive rather than live in Meiyerditch. They are too scared to say anything about the Myreque though. After finishing your conversation, speak to a citizen again; this time, whisper that you really need to meet the Myreque, to which they will redirect you to Old Man Ral, who is in the middle of sector one. They tell you to tell him that a friend sent you, so that he feels important. Old Man Ral is in a house near the task symbol on the minimap. Nearby you can also find Trader Sven who is a black market trader and can sell you a set of citizen clothing or vyrewatch clothing, which will reduce the frequency at which the vyrewatch take an interest in you. Speak to Old Man Ral, who answers every question with another question and refuses to tell you about the Myreque, or anything at all for that matter. Tell him that "Someone told me you could help me" then say his nickname is the 'Sage of the Sanguinesti'; flattered, he will eventually tell you to "follow the symbols" to get into the third sector, where the Myreque reside.

The way to the Myreque
You now need to make a complex journey across the city - watch for the sickle marks or simply follow the instructions below. (you may click each of the steps below as you do it to track your progress) Most actions give 5 Agility experience.

Walk west around the corner, past Mekritus A'hara, and into the room with Flaygian Screwte and Vertida Sefalatis. Speak to Vertida. At first, he will be angry at you for trespassing, but you will convince him that you are an ally. Tell him you've come to investigate and he will give you a message to take to Veliaf Hurtz back in Burgh de Rott.

Consulting Misthalin
Get back to Burgh de Rott any way you see fit, and talk to Veliaf Hurtz in the basement of the pub again. He will read the message - the Myreque stands strong but is weakened and the vampyres seem to be getting fresh victims. He will tell you to talk to Drezel in Paterdomus for advice, since strange noises have recently been heard around the temple and people have gone missing. He will also tell you to speak to King Roald in Varrock Palace for military help in battling the vampyres. Make sure that you ask Veliaf what he wants you to do next.

A fast way to reach Paterdomus from Burgh de Rott is using the Temple Trekking minigame. Veliaf hints you to it when you ask him for tips. Any other route, such as using the Canifis lodestone teleport, will do as well to complete the quest.

Go to Drezel, who is in the catacomb beneath the temple; he will say that he and Ivan Strom have been hearing strange noises, almost animal voices, outside the temple and would like you to investigate, preferably to the west of the stairs. He will also say that people have gone missing while at the Silvarea mining site. Finally he exclaims his praise over Ivan and sees in him his successor as Paterdomus's protector. Exit the temple basement and go southwest of the main stairs in front of the temple. Look for a bush that is searchable just down the steps. A short cutscene will follow where you will find an unconscious man and then be knocked out by a shadowy figure. Two werewolves have managed to get across the River Salve and are "collecting" humans to pay the extra blood tithes which Gadderanks had mentioned during In Aid of the Myreque.

Return to Drezel and tell him what you have just seen. It is very grave news indeed. He tells you to speak to King Roald and gives you runes for a Varrock Teleport spell. If you want, you can return to Veliaf now to inform him of the news - he will be shocked and urge you to go to the king at once.

Go to Varrock Castle and speak with King Roald - he's on the ground floor on the east side. You will briefly explain the cause of the Myreque and how Lowerniel Drakan is terrorising the people of Morytania. Roald is shocked and agrees they need help, but his advisor Aeonisig Raispher intervenes and notes that Misthalin cannot help them if these people aren't Saradominist. Roald will agree, but you manage to convince him that religion does not matter in such horrible situation.

You then mention the two werewolves who crossed the River Salve and whom you could not kill, as Roald assumed. He is now convinced and decides to set up an army against Morytania. But once again, Aeonisig disagrees and tells him that warfare against Morytania will disrupt balance and possibly cause another God War. He also says that there is no proof Lord Drakan has actually invaded Misthalin. He also does not find you trustworthy as you were knocked out. Roald angrily responds that they must do something for the people, but Aeonisig tells it is impossible due to the Edicts of Guthix. After a fruitless conversation, Aeonisig decides to "begin with the paperwork" and the Church of Saradomin begins looking into the Edicts. Sadly, Roald agrees, although he will set up a mercenary protocol so that adventurers may battle the vampyric forces with his blessing. Meanwhile, they will study the Edicts in order to rid the world of Drakan. Ask him some questions about the precedures, then he will offer you a free teleport back to Paterdomus. Accept and Aeonisig will teleport you.

Speak to Drezel again. He will be sad, but he hadn't considered the Edicts before. He can explain some more about them, telling you that most political leaders have spiritual advisors that help them maintain the balance of the world in accordance with the Edicts lest the druids and other Guthixians wake up the god of balance from his slumber so that he can completely reshape the world, then ask you to report back to the Myreque. He also notes that more refugees from Morytania have been passing through the temple into Misthalin recently, and wonders if it is due to your actions.

Go back to Burgh de Rott and speak to Veliaf Hurtz again. Tell him about the werewolf attack and about the Edicts and the protocol. He will be shocked about the werewolves' having crossed the Salve, and blame the refusal of Misthalin to aid directly on political games before asking you to quickly forward this news to the leader of the Sanguinesti division in the Myreque hideout there.

Meeting Safalaan Hallow
Go back to Vertida Sefalatis in Meiyerditch.

The easiest way to do this is to deliberately get caught by the Vyrewatch by talking to one, then tell them to take you to the Meiyerditch mine. If you choose to go the mines, you must mine 15 Daeyalt ores (they stack in the inventory so only require one free space to mine), place them into a mine cart, and then talk to one of the Juvinate guards to leave.

You will now find yourself in the northern part of the city. Run south and enter the house that is one east of the letter "h" in "Meiyerditch" on your World Map with a 200% zoom. This house has a Bucket of water inside. Leave through the south door, then enter the house directly south. Climb up the ladder, jump the floorboard to the east, and then climb down the stairs. Once you push the wall to the south of the stairs, you will find yourself at the entrance to the hideout.

Vertida Sefalatis will then tell you to talk to his friend and the leader, Safalaan, who is near Castle Drakan - sketching. He will tell you to go there using the Vyrewall and that a certain barricade can be opened temporarily using a wall switch just south-east of it. He will offer to lead you to sector 1 of the city, and you will appear on the first floor of the first house marked with a sickle.

Head south back to the boat and climb over the wall rubble and back up onto the wall. Then travel all the way north until you cannot go any further and go down the ladder. Search the rocky surface and the barricade to the north will unlock. Simply search it to go through. Go north, and then climb a ladder. On the wall, go north, up a ladder and back down another to cross a gap. Keep going north until you see a long ladder against a high wall, climb it, then head north until you see Safalaan. After you introduce yourself as a Myreque associate, you tell him about the werewolf attack and the Edicts. He finds both matters rather suspicious, as Drakan should have launched a full invasion by now if he had managed to cross the Salve, and the Guthixian Edicts had been used as an excuse not to send aid before. He returns to the base to discuss these matters and requests that you sketch the castle in three places - north, then west, then south; there are sickle symbols on ground to tell you where to sketch. He gives you some papyrus and charcoal to make the drawings with. He also mentions that Old Man Ral has more papyrus should you run out for some reason, although the Myreque base also has a crate with papyrus.

Intelligence gathering
Travel around to the north part of the castle and stand on the sickle. Use the charcoal on the papyrus here to make a sketch. You will see a short cutscene, of Vanstrom Klause talking to Vanescula Drakan and Ranis Drakan. They will drink some fresh blood and then fly away.

Go to the west side of the castle and make the second sketch.

Go the south side of the castle and attempt to make another drawing. You will be spotted and Vanstrom Klause (level 82) will attack and, after around 3-5 turns, knock you out (but not kill you)! You won't be able to hit him back, as he will erect a blue-white shield every time you attack. While Vanstrom beats you up badly, he will not kill you. Wearing a Ring of Life at this stage will teleport you away as you near death, requiring you to come all the way back and repeat the step. Using Protect from Melee or Deflect Melee will stop most damage. When he knocks you out, a lady called Sarius Guile will save you.

The secret laboratory
When you recover, Sarius Guile will speak to you. Vanescula did not actually request to save your life, but she does have a strange interest in Safalaan. As a favour in return, she will ask to deliver him a message and give you a long-winded hint about where to find it near a place of smoke and statues, then disappear. Remember to make the third and final sketch of the castle before leaving this area!

Deliver the sketches to Safalaan, who has returned to the Meiyerditch base. The quickest way to return is to get noticed by the Vyrewatch, get sent to the mine, and then go southeast to the hideout as before. Safalaan will be grateful and ask you to find the message Sarius spoke of.

Go to the house with the fireplace opposite a portrait of a vyre statue in sector three (it's two buildings to the west from the building that houses the entrance to the Meiyerditch base); use a knife on the fireplace on the northern wall of the room to get the message (tool belt works). Read it. It will speak of an abandoned laboratory in the north-east of Meiyerditch where vampyres did experiments to acquire more blood, using human slaves to work for them. At some point, the laboratory was abruptly shut down and its location hidden due to a discovery that even the vampyres feared. The author's coworkers disappeared and he hid himself, commenting that he was hunted by the vampyres. He finally reveals the location of the laboratory and signs his letter; Mauritys Guile.

Make your way back to Safalaan in the base. He will ask you to see if you can find the laboratory. The laboratory is located north-east of Trakerel's Fish Shop and east of the Skull in a Chest Inn. Go back up through the trapdoor, push the wall, go up the stairs, jump to the western house's floorboards, go down the ladder and exit the house through the north door. Walk through the house to the north, then head to the north-east part of sector three. Near the eastern wall, you'll find a house with a yellow and red tapestry on the northern wall. Use your knife on the tapestry. Walk through it and search the vampyre statue. Be careful, sometimes a vyrewatch can roam inside this building and bind you! It appears that a key is needed to unlock the door.

(if you get a message when using the knife on the tapestry saying: "you see no reason to destroy this lovely looking tapestry", then you need to show the message to Safalaan)

The house where you found the message (the one with the fireplace) contains a portrait of the exact same vyrewatch, except she's holding a key. Search and slash the portrait on the southern wall of this house to get a large ornate key. Go back to the house with the tapestry and use it on the statue. Do not use the key on the east door, or else you will suffer an electric shock and take 100 life points of damage.

Open the door to the east and go down the stairs - you are in the laboratory! Search the broken rune case for some Telekinetic grab runes, and then use telekinetic grab on the Haemalchemy book on the table near the broken tube. It is too difficult to understand, however. Take the book back to Safalaan. He will be very happy and thankful and gives you a shortcut key and tell you to return to Veliaf Hurtz with a sealed message, as a last task. Go back to Burgh de Rott. If you decide to return to Burgh de Rott via the Meiyerditch, along the route there will be two doors with a key painted on them. The shortcut key unlocks these for faster travel (see Meiyerditch shortcut guide). Speak to Veliaf Hurtz in the basement of the pub once you reach Burgh de Rott to find out that Safalaan has promoted you to Myreque Private in the message.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Reward

 * 2 quest points
 * A tome of experience, giving 2,000 experience to any skill you choose 3 times. (Must be over level 30)
 * Access to Meiyerditch
 * A shortcut key, can be put on the steel key ring after One Small Favour
 * Access to the Burgh de Rott Ramble minigame, which is Temple Trekking in reverse route.
 * Access to Meiyerditch
 * A shortcut key, can be put on the steel key ring after One Small Favour
 * Access to the Burgh de Rott Ramble minigame, which is Temple Trekking in reverse route.

Music unlocked

 * Lament of Meiyerditch - can be unlocked in Meiyerditch
 * The Last Shanty - when taking the boat from Burgh de Rott to Meiyerditch
 * Night of the Vampyre - during the cutscene at Castle Drakan
 * Darkmeyer - when meeting Safalaan at the vantage points for the first time around the walls of Castle Drakan

Required for completing
Completion of Darkness of Hallowvale is required for the following:
 * Legacy of Seergaze

Trivia

 * Examining the broken boat at the start of the quest gives a description of "It's not a schooner, it's a sailboat." This is a line from the 1995 Kevin Smith comedy film, .
 * When talking to Drezel, the player will comment that they can "talk to kings without losing their common touch", which is a line from the 1910 Rudyard Kipling's poem .
 * The three sketches of Castle Drakan still represent it as a gothic-styled complex composed of multiple towers, in spite of its 2015 graphical update's turning it into a single building.

Darkness of Hallowvale Darkness of Hallowvale