Thicker Than Water

Thicker Than Water

Year

1325 AE

Storyline

Personal story

Chapter

Sins of the Father

Location

Imperator's Core
(Black Citadel)

Level

20

Race

Charr

Choice

Honorless Gladium

Preceded by

Misplaced Faith

Followed by

Graveyard Ornaments

API

86

Thicker Than Water is the final step of the second chapter of the charr personal story. In the previous mission, Misplaced Faith, the player decided to free their honorless gladium sire from the stockade.

Objectives

Free Vallus Smokemane from the stockade.

• Gain entry into the Iron Legion tribune's office.
• Find the stockade key.
• Help Vallus Smokemane escape.
• Get Vallus safely to the Asura Gate.
• Kill Emer Whipmane.
• Speak to Rytlock in his office at the top of Imperator's Gate.

Rewards

Click here to edit the reward data

All professions

• 2,808 
• Spirit Shard
• Singed Ritualist Bag (BBasic)
• Signet Ring of the Black Citadel

Profession-specific

• Warband Hauberk, Duty-Bound Duffers
• Drover Coat, Ragamuffin Toeshoes
• Invoker's Coat, Homespun Espadrilles

Walkthrough

Sneak into Rytlock's office and talk to the guard. You can either talk your way past or kill him. Then take the key to the stockade and make your way down manually. (You'll stay in the same instance until Vallus is free.) You will meet Emer Whipmane outside Vallus's cell. She will attack you to prevent Vallus from being freed. Once she is knocked down, Vallus can be freed. You will have to sneak him out to the Asura Gate, avoiding or defeating the guards along the way. Once at the gate, Emer will appear with a bunch of guards and try one last time to kill you both. After defeating her, Vallus will say his final goodbye before disappearing into the portal. Then go to speak to Rytlock at the top of the Iron Citadel. He knows that you freed Vallus, and has no objection to you doing so.

NPCs

Allies

• Charr
  • Ash Legion Scout
  • Cub
  • Iron Legion Soldier
  • Old Soldier
  • Prisoner
  • Rancher
  • Rytlock
  • Spark Smogbreath
  • Soldier
  • Trogs Stoneblade
  • Vallus Smokemane

Foes

Charr

• Adamant Guard (starts allied)
• Emer Whipmane (starts allied)
• Trogs Stoneblade (starts allied)

Objects

• Iron Shelf

Dialogue

Talking to Trogs Stoneblade:

Trogs Stoneblade: Legionnaire? what are you doing here?

I need the tribune's stockade key. I need to see my father.

I can't do that. I'm under explicit orders from Emer Whipmane. No one's allowed to see the prisoner. Not even family.

Then you've two choices, soldier. Step aside, or fall down. Make your decision.

Woah, there. Rein it in, Legionnaire. I'll back off. This ain't worth dying over.

Get moving. I'll take all responsibility for what happens next.

I'm officially relieving you, soldier. Stand down.

I don't like it, but you outrank me. If you want the responsibility, you can have it. Good luck.

Get moving. I'll take all responsibility for what happens next.

You there. There's a brawl in the barracks. They need help to break it up. Move!

A fight? All right. You watch the prisoners, I'll go join the fun... er, I mean... do my duty and break up the fight.

You do that. I'll keep an eye on the door while you're gone.

Wrong answer. I'm getting in there, and now you're in my way. Defend yourself!

Interacting with the Iron Shelf:

Iron Shelf: Hidden among the books and parchments is a wrought-iron key.

Take the key.

After returning to the stockade to save Vallus (cinematic):

Emer Whipmane: I knew I couldn't trust you. Just like your father, you only follow orders if you feel like it.

<Character name>: Vallus stuck by his warband and tried to do right by them. That's all I'm doing.

Vallus Smokemane: You've always put the letter of the law before the well-being of your own soldiers, Emer. Sesric deserves better. So do I.

Emer Whipmane: Not true. You bargained with Separatists in violation of High Legion standing orders, and mine! You deserve nothing but execution.

<Character name>: I'm setting Vallus free, Emer. Your choices are to help or get out of the way.

Emer Whipmane: Or I could kill both of you. Duty and the law demand it...and unlike you, I'm always true to my duty.

Defeating Emer:

Emer Whipmane: Give it up, Vallus. I'm not letting you get away with this.

Vallus Smokemane: Thanks for helping me, Legionnaire. You won't regret it, I swear.

Speaking to Spark Smogbreath

Spark Smogbreath: Hey, you're Vallus' cub, right? Can you get word to my cub? Tell her I was framed. Framed!

Can't help you now. Maybe the jailer will send a bird for you.

Speaking to Ash Legion Scout

Ash Legion Scout: You gotta get me out of here! I didn't murder of rob anyone. All I did was kill a few civilians and loot their houses.

If those had been your orders, you wouldn't be here. Enjoy your stay.

Approaching Adamant Guard groups:

Adamant Guard: You there! Stop!

Adamant Guard: Prisoner escape! To arms!

Adamant Guard: That's far enough, traitor!

Adamant Guard: Drop your weapons, or face the consequences!

Reaching the Asura portal (cinematic):

Emer Whipmane: I'll hunt you to the ends of the world!

Vallus Smokemane: All you have to do is let me step through that gate, and you'll never see me again. No one would even know.

Emer Whipmane: I'd know. I serve the law, and the law demands your death.

<Character name>: No, Emer: you demand it. Simply walk away and this ends now.

Emer Whipmane: It's far too late for that. The legions will have justice, for the good of true soldiers everywhere. I'll die before I turn my back on that.

<Character name>: I salute your narrow-minded dedication, but I'm setting Vallus free. And I'll die before I let you take him back.

Defeating Emer again (cinematic):

Vallus Smokemane: I didn't want it to end like this. Emer was a great soldier, once.

<Character name>: But too rigid to make a great leader. She'll be missed on the battlefield...but she made her choice, just like you made yours and I made mine.

<Character name>: You'd better get going. We drew a lot more attention than I wanted. More guards will be here soon.

Vallus Smokemane: I'm bad at good-byes, so I'll make it quick. I'll remember that you gave me this chance. Nobody else would have.

Vallus Smokemane: I'm honored to be your sire, and to salute you as legionnaire. Once things settle down, I'll contact you—discreetly.

<Character name>: I'll keep an eye out for you. Good-bye, Vallus...father. And good luck.

Talking to Rytlock (cinematic):

<Character name>: I'm here to turn myself in. I helped the prisoner Vallus Smokemane escape from—

Rytlock: Save it. I saw. And you'd be dead or in chains right now if I hadn't dug deeper into the matter.

Rytlock: Emer's initial report omitted a lot of important details...which means I sent you into a situation neither of us fully understood.

Rytlock: But you adapted. You took the initiative and got results. Ultimately you were there and I wasn't, so I'm trusting your judgment was sound.

<Character name>: That's...I didn't... thank you, sir. It wasn't a choice I made lightly, but Vallus was—

Rytlock: I still don't like deserters—I have my reasons—but I am starting to understand "extenuating circumstances."

Rytlock: We've still got work to do, and I'm counting on your help. Dismissed!

Speaking to Rylock afterwards

Rytlock: This matter is officially closed. Stand down and make yourself scarce while I report this to the other tribunes.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Anomaly:

Rytlock doesn't have a last name in both the instance and the cinematic.

Notes

• On completion of this story segment, Citadel Prison Key is displayed in personal story.

My story

“ Vallus didn't deserve the painful death Emer had planned, so I freed him. Emer could've let him go, but instead she chose to die trying to stop us. Ultimately, Rytlock Brimstone backed my decision. As far as Tribune Brimstone and the Black Citadel are concerned, the matter is closed. — My story

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Charr storyline