The Secret Stone Returns

NOTE: Most of the information below comes from community scavanger hunt thread on the forums.

DEV POST: "Anyone who wishes to do the instance on its own may do so with just the Discovery Deed completed, however, SOMEONE must release the Shadowed King on your server for the Shadowed Cave to open! The Instance will scale from levels 50 to 130, have Solo, Duo, and 3man modes, and will have tiers."

DEV POST: "Get ready to face the Shadowed King in a new scaling 3man instance, Askâd-mazal, the Chamber of Shadows, opening May 20th at 10am!"

Getting the Quests

PRE-REQUISITES: In order to pick up this questline, you need to have done the previous Secret Stone quest chain (after doing the quest "Introduction: Northern Mirkwood"). You'll know whether or not you have it since it rewards you the Goat of Erebor's Royal Guard.

1.  The new questline - "Secret Stone Returns" is picked up from Grimyr to the right of the steps up to the throne, inside Erebor. Complete the resulting instance, and talk to Thorin.
2. Foundations of Stone, 14.1S 97.5W Then you need to find Frethir in Moria, he can be found at the Bridge-shard. You can visit the Twenty-First Hall via a Housing District Stable. Use the stable there to the Shadowed Refuge. Follow the paved route, immediately to the left of the Sentinel (12.4S 100.7W), on your minimap all the way around until you can see a way to visit an island in the middle of the lake.
   
   
   
   
3. "Find a clue to the origin of the secret stone." Continue on the paved road all the way south until you reach a camp (it would be wise for hunters to set their campfire here). Take the route immediately east of there heading towards the Shadowed Cave (you will discover the entrance of the new instance at the very end). Dismount and summon Frethi! If you backtrack a little bit, you will find a Hidden Lever by a giant black rock. Pulling the lever will make "you hear stone shifting nearby". That's when the Hidden Door will appear.
4. Go inside The Crowned Chamber and finish Frethir's instance. You will gain 1 "wrapper" quest to obtain 5 stones. You currently have the "fifth stone" in your grasp and do not need to obtain it. IMPORTANT: Make sure you click on each pedastal to obtain 4 individual quests for each of the stones. Make sure you obtain the quest and inspect the pedastal for the rune clues. You can decide which of the 4 quests to progress just as long as their individual steps are done in order.
   
   
   
   

The First Stone (The Necklace)

1. Stormwall, Ered Mithrin. Hidden Switch: 38.1N 43.1W; Hidden Door: 38.6N, 43.8W. "The First Stone" translates as "Shield against the Howling Winds." If you are having issues getting there, go to the broken bridge and fall down. Take the eastern route half-way back up.
2. Inside the chamber are two inscriptions: "The heir of iron holds the light in the darkness" and "Ashmaraban". To get the necklace, you need to complete the "Howling Pit" instance in Jarnfast. The pre-requisite quest chain starts with "Beneath the Fold" from Nain. After you finish the instance, Nain has a new quest to turn the necklace into a wearable item. You need to wear the necklace to see the runes.
   
   TIP: Howling Pit sends 20 waves that gradually increases the Shadow of Mordor 10 points per wave until hitting the maximum of 200 on the final boss. It is possible to reach 182 Light with 2060 Motes of Enchantment. You can use 330 Motes of Enchantment from "High-Elf Enchanter" on a pocket and necklace. "Keeper of Mysteries" will give ya +16 Light of Earendil essences for 350 Motes of Enchantment each.
   
   NOTE: You do not need to personally have the necklace just as long as someone in your group does for points 3 - 7.
   
   
   
   
3. Down under the throne in Jarnfast, by the Howling Pits entrance, some "Hidden Runes" should become visible on the wall by the stairs. The runes say: "The symbols of his power adorn his crown", and "Aglâmbazari" (Glimmerdeep). You now need to find a series of runes, each in order. IMPORTANT: You need to find each set of runes, one after the other, starting with the ones in Jarnfast, or you will not be able to progress the quest.
4. Glimmerdeep, Ered Mithrin. Hidden Runes: 38.6N, 47.7W. On the road to Glimmerdeep before the cave entrance (not in the instance) behind the waterfall by a small bridge on the road.
   
   NOTE: The following Thikiil Gundu points can be done in the instance solo and at any level. You are able to progress within the resource instance version as well.
   
   
5. Thikiil Gundu: 23.4N 135.9W, behind one of the statues in the entrance hall.
6. Thikiil Gundu: 24.2N, 135.4W, upper level of Afhan-binnin, on the back of the geode.
7. Thikiil Gundu: 25.0N 136.0W behind the central throne in Thikil-nesad.
8. Zirakzigil (that snowy place in Moria) and find the five levers scattered in the snow, by the dwarven statue-heads.
   14.4N, 109.0W
   14.8N 108.7W
   15.0N 109.0W
   15.1N 109.5W
   14.0N 109.5W
9. Ancient Key: 13.7N 110.0W Once you have the levers, head up the side of the mountain, past the Searcher's Eyrie. Return to the Hidden Door at Stormwall and claim the first stone!

The Second Stone (The Nameless)

1. Kam Lagurz in Lhingris. The Hidden Lever/Hidden Door: 15.5N, 31.8E. "The Second Stone" translates "Kâm lagûrz Flagzultaza Skrizgurzu." You can port to any Allegiance, exit to Mordor, and take the route south from Magh Ashtu until you reach "To Lhingris" . Follow the route south through Fennas Gost into the valley of Dath Nethryn. The cave entrance is by the cliff wall. Once inside, take the path to the right of the dead spider and cross a rocky black bridge.
   
   
   
   
2. The Emissary inside will charge you with finding the "Remnants of the Fallen Ones". You can obtain these remnants in any order. They will appear after the specific Nameless boss is defeated within the instance.
   1st Remnant: The Mistress, Dar Narbugud
   2nd Remnant: Behind the Blind One after defeating him, Dar Narbugud
   3rd Remnant: 1st boss, Dark Delvings
   4th Remnant: 2nd boss, Dark Delvings
   5th Remnant: The Lost One, 16th Hall
   6th Remnant: Twin Nameless Bosses, the Rift
   7th Remnant: Thaurlach, the Rift (not necessary to kill the Ever-seer)
   
   NOTE: As long as someone holds the instance open, another character can join and collect the remnant. It is said that you cannot obtain the stones when joining an instance purely on their raid locks alone.
   
   
3. After you collect all the remnants, return to Kam Lagurz, and you can enter an instance with the Emissary. You need to speak some Words. Target the Emissary, and type "/say Shamukh Uthrokhar, Uzbadu Bazari Uznanul" to claim the second stone!

 

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The following only explains the process in finding the code...

The Emissary tells us to "seek the Mighty Ones" before speaking the words. This could be talking about the Balrogs: when Thaurlach is defeated in the Rift, text pops up saying "The spirit of evil lingers still." Upon visiting Durin's Bane on Zirakzigil, there is text that says "The war with the Valar is eternal." Inside the chamber there are also three scraps of paper with some Khuzdul translations:

TPDnamqvtinadwmkxyyyfgvnjqfrty tl - ALL HAIL THE NAMELESS MOTHER
hmqxwapxgvtsrnryepthxmqktVKDVJ ZSM - HER CHILDREN WHISPER THE NAME THROKHAR
avwddmwfnrcwsyhwgrhevzbjdhwtlh jDJME - ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE CALL OF THEIR LORD
atkCPAPnwvtwwjknsqmomgup - THE DAY OF HIS RETURN IS NEARING
avcjclluiUFEHMRZirwlitnvdnvnsj spwbmae - THE SLUMBERING ONE SHALL HEAR OUR PLEA
hmvdadvchvkelusnjUCCNGJnffoezb jcxtqobtnk - AND ON THAT DARKEST DAY YOU WILL KNOW DESPAIR
tpdypqSZwzxebbtxszqayzivfi - HE WILL RISE FROM THE DEPTHS AND DEVOUR THE WORLD

Isolating the words capitalised in the code, we have the sentence "Hail Throkhar, Lord of the Darkest Depths".
Translating into Khuzdul: "Shamukh Uthrokhar, Uzbadu Bazari Uznanul".

DEV POST: "Oh, also, the intended way to solve the remnants cipher was to take the 3 balrog text strings and use them as Vigenère cipher keyphrases one after another. I'm super impressed you guys managed to make a one time pad to crack it!"

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The Third Stone (The Chase)

1. Rockbelly Pit, Ered Luin. The Hidden Lever/Hidden Door: 15.7S, 102.3W. "The Third Stone" translates as "The hand fallen, the hand raised." Go up a level for the switch, then the door is back downstairs. Inside the chamber we get a vision of a cave-troll breaking in and stealing the stone.
2. Thorin's Gate - 15.6S, 103.1W. The cave-troll can be found just to the left as you exit Thorin's Gate in a frozen lake. A dourhand took it.
3. Ered Luin, Wardspire - 17.8S, 90.2W. Dourhand runs before Blue Crag goblins stole the stone.
4. Evendim, Southern Emyn Uial - 9.8S, 74.6W. Guaradan's stole it from the goblins.
5. Evendim, The Even-rills, Northern Emyn Uial - 3.3S, 69.0W. Guaradan gave it to Angmarims.
6. Evendim, Candiach, Parth Aduial - 10.7S 64.8W. Rangers took it from the Angmarims.
   
   NOTE: Probably easier to find a way to die off the cliff since the respawn point is next to where you need to be.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. North Downs, Fields of Fornost - 12.3S 55.5W. Afterwards, check the pool next to the ranger.
8. Carn Dum. Inside the castle, several levels up towards Mordirith's throne room (through a door in the stairwell between boss 3 and 4, there's a dead Angmarim right outside). Return the stone!
   
   
   
   NOTE: To take the main path directly to the castle, you (or a friend) will need the Ornate Grate Key. Once you reach the troll boss, make sure to aggro any Angmarians behind you. They tend to just sit there during the encounter. Once you defeat them all, the troll will charge.
   
   

The Fourth Stone (Crafting Supplies)

1. Paths of the Dead Hidden Switch: 45.8S 74.1W; Hidden Door 43.6S 73.9W. "The Fourth Stone" translates "Over the Land there lies a long shadow Westward reaching wings of darkness." If you are having trouble finding it, use the delete key. You have to travel around a giant black rock to reach it. Entering through the door, we need to find a way to remove the runes inside the chamber. 
2. Foundations of Stone, Shadowed Refuge - 13.1S, 101.2W. The next step is to speak to Marus in the Shadowed Refuge.
3. You need the following crafting supplies:
   Polished Dwarrowgleam - Ironfold Jeweller
   Ironfold Chisel of Fire - Ironfold Metalsmith
   Khazad-copper Obsidian Rune-stone - Supreme Jeweller (non-critted version)
   
   NOTE: You can use Universal Ingredient Packs to craft the items for your characters (even though they are account bound).
   
   
   
   
4. Twenty-First Hall, 4.7S 106.0W. The original chisel can be found in the passageway north from the 21st Hall resting below a dwarf statue. Break the rune and claim the fourth stone!

 

2020-05-17