Sever the Head

Sever the Head

Year

1325 AE

Storyline

Personal story

Chapter

Death from Below

Location

Durmand Priory
(Lornar's Pass)

Level

30

Race

Norn

Order

Order of Whispers

Preceded by

Code Breaker
Sabotage

Followed by

Setting the Stage

API

199

Sever the Head is part of the personal story of norn characters, who decided to permanently join the Order of Whispers in the previous mission.

Objectives

Execute the Order of Whispers' plan to defend the Durmand Priory.

• Meet Ifwyn at the Durmand Priory.
• Plant explosives on the dredge supplies.
• Use the explosions as a distraction.
• Kill Vyacheslav.
• Destroy the Sonic Vaporizer.
• Talk to Ifwyn.

Rewards

Click here to edit the reward data

All professions

• 6,523 
• Spirit Shard
• Icy Strongbox (CFine)
• Whisper's Power
• Order of Whispers Weapon Container

Profession-specific

• Swelter's Gait
• Trackless Boots
• Blessed Steps

Walkthough

Receive the stealth invisibility effect from Agent Ifwyn and proceed across the bridge. Continue along the road, and don't fight anything unnecessarily, as you are heavily outnumbered, but you will be fine with stealth. Plant the explosives at the top of the ridge as indicated.

Backtrack to the bridge and kill Vyacheslav, then his creation. Neither pose a serious threat. Return to speak with your allies to complete the mission. Congratulations - you are now a full member of the Order of Whispers.

NPCs

Allies

Canines

• Garm

Dwarves

• Ogden

Norn

• Agent Ifwyn
• Eir Stegalkin
• Wynnet Fairhaired

Various

• Priory Scholar

Foes

Dredge

• Dredge Excavator
• Dredge Oscillator
• Dredge Ratnik
• Dredge Reverberant
• Dredge Siege Engineer
• Vyacheslav (veteran)

Objects

• Field Mortar
• Sonic Vaporizer

Dialogue

At Agent Ifwyn:

Agent Ifwyn: I hope you're ready, Slayer. Vyacheslav is powering up his Sonic Vaporizer. Even if it doesn't kill Ogden Stonehealer or level the Priory...

<Character name>: It will attract every dragon minion in the region. I'm ready. What's the plan?

Agent Ifwyn: I'll conceal us with stealth magic so we can get close enough to kill Vyacheslav. There are a lot a dredge to sneak past, but I know you're up to it.

<Character name>: A diversion would help clear the way. See those supply crates all along the route? A few well-placed explosive charges, and boom. Diversion.

Agent Ifwyn: An excellent idea. Right in line with our way of doing things. I knew there was a reason we recruited you.

Eir Stegalkin: Indeed. Those are the sound tactics I expect from the Slayer.

<Character name>: Eir! You did come. It means a lot that you'd fight by my side today.

Eir Stegalkin: Ogden is an old friend...and thanks to you, I've been reminded that no matter how bad things seem, heroes don't give up on their friends.

Eir Stegalkin: I will stay behind to guard Ogden while you and the Vigil take the lead. Speaking of my old friend...

Ogden: Eir! Ifwyn! And you must the the Slayer of Issormir! I am Ogden Stonehealer. Thank you for defending the Priory—and my life.

Agent Ifwyn: Time to go, Slayer. We need to get stealthed and find Vyacheslav. The sooner we get started, the better.

Speaking with your allies:

Agent Ifwyn: We'll be concealed, but not invisible. Any contact with the dredge will break the spell.

If the spell breaks, can you recast it?

As many times as necessary, but let's try to make that not very often, okay?

Will do.

Understood.

Eir Stegalkin: I thought I'd done all I could for Tyria. You've taught me that any blade—even reforged—can make a difference.

Snaff's death was a tragedy, but that doesn't mean an end to his legend. Or to yours.

Snaff would've said something similar. He would have liked you.

I would have liked him, too.

It was my pleasure.

Wynnet Fairhaired: Welcome. I wish Scholar Prott had convinced you to join us, but no matter. I'm glad you're here to help anyway. Thank you.

No thanks necessary. Just following my calling.

You're welcome.

On the road to plant the explosives:

Agent Ifwyn: Let's steer clear of the main force and focus on the supplies.

Dredge Ratnik (1): This is wrong. The prototype almost got us all killed. You saw those ice dragon minions.

Dredge Ratnik (1): What will happen if he fires this version of the weapon?

Dredge Ratnik (2): Stop whining. The weapon will kill the dwarf, and the minions will destroy the Priory.

Dredge Ratnik (1): And what of us? Those creatures won't stop with Ogden and the Priory. They'll kill us, too.

Upon approaching the explosives:

Dredge Ratnik (1): Stay strong, comrades! Vyacheslav will not tolerate cowardice!

Dredge Ratnik (2): We are strong, but Vyacheslav's plan is suicidal! The ice dragon minions—

Dredge Ratnik (1): Keep your voice down! Vyacheslav will kill you for saying such things—and me for hearing them.

While planting explosives:

Agent Ifwyn: Go ahead. Plant the charges on the crates.

After setting the explosives:

Agent Ifwyn: If the charges are set we need to get clear.

From down the hill:

Dredge Reverberant: What was that?

After the explosions:

Agent Ifwyn: Ha! Those explosions should grab their attention.

Agent Ifwyn: Now to cloak us. I'll keep them distracted while you defeat Vyacheslav. When he falls, the other dredge will break and run.

Agent Ifwyn: Consider this your initiation to the Order of Whispers.

<Character name>: I'll be back before you know it.

Fighting Vyacheslav:

Vyacheslav: You cannot stop us! The revolution will have its vengeance!

Vyacheslav: Why do you protect the oppressors who enslaved us?

Vyacheslav: No! I can't die while the oppressor dwarf still lives!

At Agent Ifwyn:

Agent Ifwyn: Well done. If not for you, Ogden would be dead and the Durmand Priory would be in ruins...or buried in icebrood.

Eir Stegalkin: Few people in Tyria truly understand how great a threat the Elder Dragons are—to all of us.

Agent Ifwyn: But we who do are preparing to stop them. It's been a pleasure fighting alongside you, Slayer. But now you're expected in Lion's Arch.

Agent Ifwyn: Look for a vendor selling apples. He'll be very, very enthusiastic about his apples. Good luck, Slayer. I'll be keeping an eye on you.

Eir Stegalkin: I am also headed for Lion's Arch. I've heard from one of my former comrades in Destiny's Edge. We used to fight dragons together.

<Character name>: I've heard of them. In Hoelbrak, they still sing songs of their brave deeds. You took down a dragon lieutenant together, didn't you?

Eir Stegalkin: In simpler times, yes. We...disbanded, but now I see that we...I have more to do. You helped teach me that, and I will always be grateful.

<Character name>: After all you taught me, it's only fair that I return the favor. Farewell, Eir. I hope to see you again someday.

Talking to your allies:

Eir Stegalkin: The dredge are defeated, their weapon destroyed. This is only the first challenge you will face in the world beyond Hoelbrak.

Now we must go to Lion's Arch. What do you think of it?

A city of good fortune, and of heroes. We will find our future there, and I...will confront my past with Destiny's Edge. Then we will see if Tyria can truly be saved.

Tell me more about Destiny's Edge.

We were a deadly team. Human, charr, sylvari, norn, asura—fighting as a unit. In the arena or in the wild, we almost always won. Almost.

What happened? Why aren't you together anymore?

We lost a key member. In the aftermath, we simply stopped being a team. Fell apart. Made choices the others couldn't understand. Blamed each other.

I hope you're able to reconcile...for all our sakes.

I look forward to it.

With you on my side, we have a chance to defeat the dragons.

Agent Ifwyn: Scratch one mad dredge scheme and one mad dredge schemer. You and the Order of Whispers are a great match. Remember: your new mentor will have a lot to say about apples.

What else can you tell me about this mysterious mentor?

Well, I hate to spoil a surprise, but...he's a top flight engineer with a marvelously oblique way of tackling problems. He's fun. You'll like him. I hope. Anyway, best of luck, Initiate.

Thanks, Ifwyn.

Thanks. I can't wait.

Wynnet Fairhaired: We'll take care of the clean up here. It'll give the Priory's researchers a chance to study those dredge weapons.

I hope it goes well.

My story

“ For my first mission as an Order of Whispers initiate, Ifwyn and I distracted the dredge forces long enough to kill Vyacheslav himself. They quickly fell into disarray, and we were able to destroy the Sonic Vaporizer and drive them off. Afterward, I said good-bye to Eir, and Ifwyn sent me to Lion's Arch to meet my new Order of Whispers partner. — My story

Notes

• Originally offered Whisper's Healer, Whisper's Precision or a different variant of Whisper's Power as a reward.

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Norn storyline