Online:The Will of the Woods
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Quick Walkthrough[edit]
- Find the Viridian Sentinel's altar.
- Gather energy from the fairy rings.
- Head to the Sentinel's hut.
- Find the Voice of the Forest.
- Obtain a spriggan bud and take it to Wyress Demara.
- Return to the Sentinel's hut.
- Return to the Sentinel's altar.
- Play your part in the Viridian Sentinel ritual.
Detailed Walkthrough[edit]
Wyress Demara gives you the quest to meet the Viridian Sentinel at his altar, but she's unhappy about it. The Viridian Sentinel - an office whose holder chooses their successor - has saved Princess Elara's life, but may soon regret doing so. The Sentinel himself is part of an ancient pact, made before living memory, and most of the various Witch-Wyrds have made their peace with his existence: however, Demara is of the Glenmoril Wyrd, who were not party to the original pact, and would rather it did not continue (though they pursue this hostility right now only by argument and general non-cooperation.)
When you find the Viridian Sentinel's altar, on an island in the middle of a small lake, Princess Elara will be unconscious on it. She's already been reported dead, back in Evermore - this was why the old Captain at Evermore got demoted, because he failed to protect her - but the current Sentinel, Stenwick Gurles, has saved her life, just about. She's still unconscious, and the only way to give her enough energy to wake her up is to collect said energy from fairy rings. These rings are all nearby, but guarded by wolves and spriggans.
After collecting the fairy ring energy, you need to head over to Stenwick's hut. The hut is located down the road south of the lake. He creates a magic salve, and asks that you administer it to Princess Elara. She awakens when you do so, and you must speak with her. After your conversation, Wyress Demara appears from the woods. She and the Sentinel exchange words, then she transforms into a wolf and runs off.
Creating the salve left Stenwick rather weak, and the salve won't keep the princess healthy for long. He has another favor for you. Stenwick asks that you retrieve a bud from the wood's chief spriggan, the Voice of the Forest, who is older and wiser than the rest, and party to the pact. However, the bud in question must be freely given.
You can either run around the forest until you stumble into her little hideout (which is very difficult to find, surrounded by rocks and trees) or kill other spriggans and watch their souls fly back to their progenitor. The latter is obviously easier - but will also make her angrier when you meet her. Also, given how many wolves and spriggans there are in this forest, it's actually rather difficult to move *without* aggravating at least one spriggan, and then trying to run out of range from that one will probably put you in range of another, so you'll have to go pretty stealthy if you actually want to reach her without killing any spriggans (she doesn't mind you killing wolves, skeevers and trolls) Stenwick, as the guardian of nature, prefers the non-violent approach, Elara thinks you should kill at least one spriggan and follow its soul-motes to find the Voice as soon as possible.
Alternative instead following one springgan's soul-motes, you can walk north from the hut along the road until you meet a Y-junction. Then turn east, pass through between two rocks and walk until you reach a great tree. The hideout of the Voice of the Forest is just to the north of the great tree. However you still need to be in stealth to avoid attention from other springgans particularly the one who guard the hideout.
When you find the Voice of the Forest, she's not happy about the Pact that her own progenitors made - laying out areas where man was allowed to have subjugated nature. Nevertheless, despite being hostile and uncooperative, if you have the Mages Guild Persuasion perk and have not killed any spriggans, you can persuade her directly to give you the bud anyway. Otherwise you're going to have to do her a favor by finding some spriggan-sprouts within a troll's offal.
Once the Voice gives you the bud, you'll need to head to the Wyress camp located east of Evermore. Speak with Wyress Demara, who is displeased that Elara wasn't the one who brought the bud to the Wyrd. When you get there, Demara clearly doesn't like what's going on. She'll fill you in on the rest of the story: Stenwick is in fact (if you haven't already guessed) choosing his successor as the Viridian Sentinel. The Wyrd considers Princess Elara to be untrained and unfit for the position, and in any case believe that it's time for the pact to end, to "allow the forest to grow free".
Further arguments will be interrupted by the arrival of Elara herself, who only now understands what's being asked of her: that the price for her life is her life, as Stenwick's apprentice and eventual replacement. She still apparently thinks Stenwick will be healed and she will have at least some time. Quarrels aside, you have the freely given spriggan bud, which requires a blessing. Speak with Wyress Demara to begin. Place the bud in the innards of the dead stag on the nearby stone altar. The Wyrd perform a ritual to bless the bud. Now, you must return to Stenwick.
When you get back to him, it's already too late: he's dying, and glad Elara isn't here to see him like this. Head out to the lake and perform the ritual to help Princess Elara become the next Viridian Sentinel. You have two options from here: to carry out Stenwick's dying wish, or to comply with the Voice of the Forest's will and burn the spriggan bud, killing Elara and setting the forest free from its pact.
Making Princess Elara the new Viridian Sentinel[edit]
The Voice of the Forest appears on the altar, and tells you how to complete the ritual to make Princess Elara the next Viridian Sentinel. Lead Elara across the lake to gather the motes of power that float about the lake. Have her stand in the motes and wait for her to gather each one. The lake, however, is not without its defenses. There is an Ice Wraith, which is a tough enemy. It may or may not be possible to avoid it: it's certainly possible to collect enough motes without aggravating it, but getting back to the altar may be another matter.
If Elara takes on the power of the Viridian Sentinel, she will initially be overwhelmed by the power - and, wisely, follow up with a realization of just how much there still is for her to learn. The power she has been given comes with a great deal of responsibility. She rewards you for your assistance in the matter.
Freeing the Forest[edit]
The Voice of the Forest also presents an alternative: to set the forest free of the pact that it is now less than willing to continue, by destroying the spriggan bud in one of the torches either side of the altar. If you do this, untamed Nature will take its course and Princess Elara will die of her old injuries - only becoming the Viridian Sentinel and continuing the pact will allow her to heal fully and continue to live.
Notes[edit]
- Elara won't exist at the lake altar before starting the quest.
- Althene won't exist in the wyrd camp before starting the quest or reaching the related objective.
- While the dialogue options with the Voice of the Forest at the lake altar are red, they are not definite choices like most when picking them as the choice is made physically after exiting the dialogue.
- Gathering a few of the motes will suffice to complete the objective, not all of them have to be used.
Quest Stages[edit]
| The Will of the Woods | |
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| Finishes Quest | Journal Entry |
| One of the Wyrd on the outskirts of the Viridian Woods said someone called the "Viridian Sentinel" is looking for aid to save the princess of Evermore's life.
Objective: Find the Viridian Sentinel's Altar
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| I've found the altar where the Wyrd sister said the Viridian Sentinel was caring for the princess. She's lying atop it - I should see if there are any signs of life.
Objective: Examine Princess Elara
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| After examining the princess, a man came up behind me. I should speak to him.
Objective: Talk to Stenwick Gurles
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| The man who spoke to me was the Viridian Sentinel. He's still trying to heal the princess and has asked me to gather energy from the nearby fairy rings.
Objective: Charge Stenwick's Amulet in the Fairy Rings
Hidden Objective: Charge Stenwick's Amulet in the Fairy Rings 0/4
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| Now that I've charged the Viridian Sentinel's amulet, I should bring it back to him. He said he'd be at his hut with Princess Elara.
Objective: Return the Amulet to the Stenwick at His Hut
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| Stenwick used the last of his energy to make a magical salve for the princess. He's asked me to apply it and see if it works.
Objective: Administer the Salve to Princess Elara
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| The salve Stenwick made seemed to work. I should speak to the princess and see how she's feeling.
Objective: Talk to Elara
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| After Princess Elara woke, the Wyrd I spoke to before arrived in Stenwick's hut to speak to us.
Objective: Listen to the Wyrd
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| The Wyrd left with a foreboding message, and seemed to be displeased at Stenwick's intervention with the princess. I should ask Stenwick about it.
Objective: Talk to the Viridian Sentinel
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| Stenwick asked me to find something called the "Voice of the Forest," an ancient spriggan that lives in the Viridian Woods. The spriggans I kill may release a spark that will lead me to the Voice itself. If I see such a spark, I need to follow it.
Objective: Find the Voice of the Forest
Optional Step: Talk to Princess Elara
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| Both Stenwick and Elara say killing spriggans will reveal the location of the Voice of the Forest.
Optional Step: Kill Spriggans to Track the Voice of the Forest
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| The Sentinel told me to request a spriggan bud from the Voice of the Forest. I'll need to follow its instructions to obtain one.
Objective: Get a Pristine Bud from the Voice of the Forest
Hidden Objective: Talk to the Voice of the Forest
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| (This appears if you fail to persuade the Voice of the Forest to give you her spriggan bud.)
The Voice of the Forest refused my request for a bud from her branches, but will surrender one if I helped sprout some of her spriggan children from the troll dens. Objective Hint: Use the Amulet on Troll Offal
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| Now that I have the spriggan bud, I should take it to Wyress Demara at the Wyrd camp within the Viridian Woods. Stenwick said the Wyrd would know what to do with it.
Objective: Bring the Bud to Wyress Demara's Camp
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| The Wyrd did not seem pleased that I brought the bud to them with the princess. I should see what exactly their concerns are.
Objective: Wait for Princess Elara
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| The Wyrd and the princess are at odds, with Stenwick trying to complete the princess' recovery. It would be good to figure out what their concerns are and see if they are baseless or not.
Objective: Talk to Talk to Elara
Objective: Talk to Wyress Demara
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| Despite the Wyrd's concerns, Wyress Demara agreed to help the Sentinel. I should get the bud blessed at the Wyrd camp before they change their mind.
Objective: Bless the Spriggan Bud at the Wyrd Camp
Objective Hint: Help Althene Complete the Blessing
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| After the initial confrontation with the Wyrd, I finally obtained their blessing. I still need to do something with the spriggan bud. I should speak to Princess Elara and ask what she thinks.
Objective: Talk to Elara at the Wyrd Camp
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| The princess asked me to take the bud to Stenwick and explain what happened with the Wyrd. I should get to him as soon as I can.
Objective: Go to the Sentinel's Home
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| I found Stenwick at his hut, and he seems to be ill. I need to speak with him to find out what's wrong.
Objective: Talk to the Sentinel
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| Stenwick died right before my eyes, his energy drained from healing the princess. He asked me to gather what was left of him in his amulet.
Objective: Gather the Essence of the Viridian Sentinel
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| I need to take the Viridian Sentinel's essence to the altar at the lake and wait for Princess Elara.
Objective: Talk to Princess Elara at the lake altar
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| Princess Elara wants to complete what Stenwick started - granting her the power of the Viridan Sentinel to save her life. She's asked me to help her complete the ritual to take on his mantle.
Objective: Bring the Amulet to the Altar
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| Princess Elara is performing the ritual to become the Viridian Sentinel. Doing so will subjugate the forest to her power.
Objective: Complete the Ritual
Hidden Objective: Start the Ritual
Objective Hint: Talk to the Voice of the Forest
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| I can help her finish the ritual or make sure she fails. Doing the latter would ensure her death, but would free the forest.
Objective: Complete the Ritual
Objective Hint: Help Elara Gather the Motes or Sabotage the Ritual
Hidden Objective: Ritual Complete
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(If you decided to Help Elara)
Princess Elara has become the new Viridian Sentinel. I should speak to her and make sure she's all right. Objective: Talk to Princess Elara
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Objective: Complete the Ritual
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Objective: Return to the Altar
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(If you decided Sabotage the Ritual)
Princess Elara has failed to become the new Viridian Sentinel, and the power has dissipated into the Viridan Woods. It won't be long before Elara succumbs to her old wounds. Objective: Talk to Wyress Demara
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<Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the game and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
- Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
- Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
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