Rat-Tastrophe

Rat-Tastrophe

Year

1325 AE

Storyline

Personal story

Chapter

Helping Hands

Location

The Feral Dens
(Harathi Hinterlands)

Level

50

Choice

Skritt

Preceded by

Mightier than the Sword
An Apple a Day
Minister's Defense
Quaestor's Siege

Followed by

The Hatchery
Thieving from Thieves

API

278

Loading screen

Rat-Tastrophe is part of the personal story for charr, human, or sylvari characters who choose racial sympathy with the Skritt.

Objectives

The skritt near the Feral Dens have found some unusual artifacts.

• Meet with the skritt near the Feral Dens.
• Go into the caves with Ftokchak.
• (Defeat the destroyer crablings.)
• Defeat the destroyers.
• Speak to Ftokchak.

Rewards

Click here to edit the reward data

All professions

• Bag of Loot (5)

Profession-specific

• One of the following: Stalwart's Chausses, Slayer's Chausses, Inquisitor's Chausses
• One of the following: Stalwart's Leggings, Slayer's Leggings, Inquisitor's Leggings
• One of the following: Stalwart's Pants, Slayers Pants, Inquisitor's Pants

Walkthrough

This must be done solo. If you try to do it in a group it will bug and will refuse to update and continue to the next step.

Head to The Feral Dens in the far northwest corner of Harathi Hinterlands. Once inside, follow Ftokchak to an area filled with destroyer eggs. After a brief cutscene, destroy several waves of destroyer crablings, then three waves of tougher destroyer crabs. Condition removal is useful to remove burning caused by the crabs. After defeating the crabs, speak to Ftokchak to choose whether to save missing skritt who went to find more eggs or to steal bomb powder from centaurs to make a bomb.

NPCs

Allies

Skritt

• Ftokchak
• Btorr
• Skritt Forager

Various

• Mentor
  • Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw (If Order of Whispers)
  • Magister Sieran (If Durmand Priory)
  • Warmaster Forgal Kernsson (If Vigil)

Foes

Destroyers

• Destroyer Crabling
• Destroyer Crab

Dialogue

Upon entering the cave:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Skritt. They don't have a lot of brains...but they do have a lot of random junk.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: Another underground race. I'll never get that!

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: I have no sympathy for this den of craven thieves. If I find my sword missing, I'll beat them to death with a spoon.

Talking to mentor:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Back in Ashford, skritt used to caper around on our artillery range. This scratch seems slightly more organized, but just as reckless. Let's see what they've dug up.

What's our plan here?

We've got to separate these skritt from whatever dragon-tainted junk they've been collecting. After that, we convince them to join the larger fight against the Elder Dragons.

Thanks for the information.

What's the story with the varying skitt[sic] speech?

Well, skritt talk funny. Not only that, but they communicate with each other much faster than us. Get a group together, and it's like talking to ten brains speaking through one mouth.

Good info to have. Thanks.

You got it.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: I've dealt with skritt before. This scratch seems remarkably well organized, but that never stops them from getting into trouble. Let's see what they've found.

What's our agenda here?

For starters, we protect the skritt from whatever dragon-tinged artifacts they're finding. Then we see about getting them to join us in fighting the dragons.

Right. Got it.

I'm hearing a lot of variation in the way these skritt talk.

You'll get used to it. Skritt talk to each other so fast we can barely hear it, much less keep up. The more of them there are, the more brains they have to focus on the matter at hand.

So they sound smarter in larger numbers. Got it.

Sounds good to me.

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: I personally don't have much use for these thieving rats, but I can see how they'd be an asset against the dragons. Let's see what the little scroungers have dug up.

What's our objective here?

These skritt foragers have been bringing back dragon-tainted finds. We need to seal the whole village off from the dragon's influence, and we need to convince them to join our cause.

Got it. Thanks.

These skritt sound different from moment to moment.

Yeah, they get smarter when there's more of them around. Or something. I've never been too clear on it, but suffice it to say that one skritt is harder to understand than a gang of them.

Good to know. Thanks.

Let's.

Approaching Ftokchak:

If Order of Whispers:

Ftokchak: Sneaky charr! Almost as quiet walking as skritt. Come, see what we found.

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Sure I'd love to see it.

Ftokchak: Yes. Many shinies, from the roly-polies. Follow!

If Durmand Priory:

Ftokchak: You come to see strange finding, yes? So fast. Priory travel quick.

Magister Sieran: The Priory loves investigating mysterious artifacts. We're happy to be here.

Ftokchak: Good. Many of them to see. Very strange. Very odd. Follow!

If Vigil:

Ftokchak: You, tall one. It's good you're here. This way. I will show you what we found.

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: It better not be another junk pile. I know you skritt—you'll make a fuss over broken glass.

Ftokchak: No! No, no, no. Much more interesting. You'll see. Follow.

Ftokchak: Come, follow. We found this, we show you.

Ftokchak: Found dwarven shinies, yes yes? Maybe you trade to take them home?

Talking to Ftokchak before destroyers appear:

Ftokchak: Shinies and specials, this way, this way! We find, we take, you buy, yes?

Find the special shinies first, then I'll decide.

Reaching center of Scratch:

If Order of Whispers:

Tybalt Leftpaw: A roly-poly artifact? Huh. I don't think these belonged to the dwarves. Where did you find them?

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: What an odd little ovoid. I've never seen anything like it. It's almost like...hm.

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: That widget is mighty strange. You say you found a room full of these?

Ftokchak: Tchkik found many, deep, deep down in a cave. Going back to get more.

If Order of Whispers:

Tybalt Leftpaw: More? Ftokchak, I'm not sure that was a great plan.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: Oh no! Your little friend is still down there? That's bad!

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Going back for more? That's insane.

Ftokchak: No choice. We need goods to trade. Need to trade to feed our young. That, or starve.

When the destroyers start emerging:

Ftokchak: Evil creatures! Help! Save my friends!

Skritt Forager: Go away! Leave our shinies alone!

Skritt Forager: Scary! Scary things from old stories. Keep away, away!

Skritt Forager: Evil things are red-shiny. Bad shiny, bad!

Skritt Forager: Glowy rocks! Coming out of the ground! Again!

Talking to NPCs during destroyer attack:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: We've got destroyers, and you know what that means...

No mercy. Let's wipe 'em out.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: Yep, those are destroyers all right. Let's clean this place out—sharpish!

Done.

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: There's the enemy—destroyers! Take 'em down!

Done.

Ftokchak: Aah! Bugs. Rock bugs. Hot rock bugs! Very bad, yes-yes! Sharp, fiery, hungry. Beware!

Thanks for the warning.

Cinematic upon defeating destroyers:

Ftokchak: Seen these creatures. Before, yes, in the deeps. We fled, long ago. Now, they come closer to the surface, found us.

Ftokchak: They must have followed our scouts. Found our city. Now they come, all teeth and death. They will return until we die...or they do.

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Oh, wow, destroyers. They're minions of Primordus—an Elder Dragon living beneath the ground. Really scary stuff.

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: We have intel about a fight long ago between Primordus and a group of heroes. The heroes won; they put him to sleep again, but not for good.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: I know about destroyers. Priory records say they are servants of the dragon Primordus. A group of heroes fought him, long ago.

Magister Sieran: These minions are dangerous, full of magma and bad attitude. I'm not surprised they attacked the skritt, but why so persistently?

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Destroyers. Nasty business. These creatures are minions of the dragon known as Primordus.

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Vigil records say a group of heroes drove back that dragon's forces long ago... not that youth today care about history. I missed that fight, but I won't miss this one.

<Character name>: Look at this "artifact." It looks like an egg of some kind. A destroyer egg? Is that possible?

Ftokchak: Yes, yes! Tchkik found that one, in room full just like it. Many, many just like it. Tchkik went back to bring more, but...she has not returned.

Ftokchak: Btorr thinks we can make bomb to kill the destroyers. Wants to steal bomb powder from the centaurs, for explosion.

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: We could look into these eggs and save the lost skritt, or prepare a bomb to take out the destroyers. I know what I'd pick, but it's your call, Agent.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: Interesting. We could investigate these eggs and maybe save the lost skritt, or ready a bomb to take out the destroyers when they return. Which sounds more fun, Explorer?

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Hmm, hard choice. Look into these eggs and find the lost skritt, or get powder for a bomb to fight the destroyers. Crusader, I'll leave this one up to you.

After cinematic:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Look at 'em, sticking by each other no matter what. I wish...I mean, my old warband...ah, never mind.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: I look at these creatures, and I think of my home in the Grove. What would I be willing to do if something threatened it?

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Those creatures are certainly stubborn. Dedicated, I mean. I may not like 'em, but I can admire that.

Talking to mentor after the cutscene:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: There must be some sort of queen laying these eggs—not that these are eggs. More like incubation chambers to cook up the next generation of destroyers.

That's not normal, is it?

Not at all. Primordus usually creates destroyer minions directly out of stone. We've heard rumors about destroyer "eggs" before, though. That must be what we have here.

What's Primordus's story?

It started to wake up centuries ago, but a band of heroes managed to put it back to sleep. They weren't able to kill it, but they bought Tyria more time to prepare.

Hats off to them, then. Let's keep going.

That makes sense. And it gives us a target.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: This is perplexing. Destroyers don't usually lay eggs. Not even egg-like cocoons, which is what these look like to me. I wonder if there's some sort of destroyer queen lurking about...

How are destroyers normally created?

Normally, Primordus animates stone to create its minions. It must have evolved a new method while it was being dormant and quiet all these years.

Why hasn't Primordus risen before now?

It tried, but a band of heroes took it on just as it started to stir. They couldn't kill it, but they were able to put it back to sleep, buying us all more time to prepare.

Let's not waste that time, then.

A solid theory. Let's test it.

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: Destroyer eggs? What could be laying them? Some sort of destroyer queen? That would be news to me.

What do you know about the destroyers?

They're minions of the Elder Dragon Primordus. Primordus usually animates stone into living, breathing nightmares, but these "eggs" tell me it may be learning new tricks.

Primordus was active centuries ago, wasn't it?

It started to wake, but a band of heroes managed to put it back to sleep. They couldn't kill it, but they were able to subdue it temporarily and buy us all more time.

Thanks for the information.

It won't matter where they come from when they're dead.

Talking to Ftokchak after cinematic:

Ftokchak: You help us kill hot rock bugs, yes? Need big boom first, to kill nest and rock bug momma. I have a plan, plus another plan. You do one plan, skritt do the other, yes-yes?

Slow down. What are the two plans?

Need to build big boom that will kill rock mom. Need more skritt! More skritt, more voices, faster answers. Plan One: find missing skritt!

Okay. What's Plan Two?

Also need bomb powder to make big boom. Horsefolk...how do you say? Centaurs? Centaurs have plenty of powder. Steal powder, make boom, yes-yes? Now, you pick: plan one or plan two?

I'll find your friends. You raid the centaurs. (leads to The Hatchery)

I'll get the black powder. You find the missing skritt. (leads to Thieving from Thieves)

Give me a minute to prepare.

Talking to NPCs after making a choice:

If Order of Whispers:

Lightbringer Tybalt Leftpaw: Skritt and high explosives...not a promising combination. Well, we've got to start working with them somehow, right? Might as well start with this "destroyer queen."

Right.

If Durmand Priory:

Magister Sieran: This is a fine test of our new potential allies. I just hope the skritt can deliver their end of the plan. Whatever's laying eggs needs to be stopped.

Without a doubt.

If Vigil:

Warmaster Forgal Kernsson: I don't like leaving half of this plan up to the skritt, but if we're going to recruit them, we need to start trusting them. This "destroyer queen" needs to die.

Agreed, on all counts.

Ftokchak: I'll come with you to make sure this plan goes right. Other skritt will do other plan. Okay? We go?

Actually I'd like to know more about your village.

Scratch. Skritt live in scratch, not village. Underground is good, yes-yes, but hot rock bugs and big-ear meanies make us leave. This is good scratch, worth fighting for.

That's why we're here.

What's your story?

Best gatherer in the scratch! I bring back the most shinies, the most specials, the most everything. Good to be best. I mean to stay best.

I can respect that.

Okay. We go.

Btorr: Boom! Like fire, yes-yes? Fire goes boom, wall shake, ceiling crumbles. Love it! Best be somewhere else when it booms, yes-yes! Booms best!

I can see the appeal.

My story

“ We've met Ftokchak, the skritt. His people have found several unusual dwarven artifacts. While we were looking at the artifacts, we realized the skritt had found something far more dangerous—eggs, created by a Destroyer. — My story

Notes

Anomaly:

Ftokchak uses the same reply for two options when talked to after the mission choice is made.

---

The Order storyline