8:35 pm, October 1, 2013
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Flame and Frost: Getting Started
ArenaNet has posted a handy little guide for those of you who want a push in the right direction. Think of it as flipping through a player's guide of a game you're playing through. We'll also be posting other items of interest, such as a gallery of the new Fused weapons players can receive from Black Lion Chests.
Getting Started
- When you log in to Guild Wars 2, youll receive a mail from your races iconic character (Logan, Zojja, etc.) with information about the crisis in the foothills of the Shiverpeaks.
- A World Event UI will appear and should provide you with direction on where to go in order to start playing the new Living Story content.
- Additionally, if you left-click the Flame and Frost: The Razing World Event UI, your Living Story achievement panel will open, youll be able to browse through all of the Living Story achievements.
- Hover your mouse over any achievement to learn more about where to go and how to complete it.
- Be aware that some Living Story achievements have prerequisites, and cannot be completed before accomplishing other achievements first.
- Speak to these NPCs to learn how you can do your part to fight back against the growing threat of the Molten Alliance.
- When you venture into Wayfarer Foothills, Diessa Plateau or any of the major cities, keep an eye out for characters or areas with yellow Living Story icons on your map.
- Check in with the heralds they may have new information for you as well. Youll find them near the asura gates and next to the entrances of each major city.
- That should get you going in the right direction.
But if you need a bit more of a guide, keep reading.
- For this update, youll meet two new characters, Rox and Braham, and become part of their stories as you help them fight back against the Molten Alliance. Here are a few things about how the content around these characters work:
- Much like your characters Personal Story, each Living Story step is designed to be played in order. You must play a characters beginning story step before you can play the middle story step, and so on.
- You dont have to finish one whole story before you can start the other; you can participate in either Rox or Brahams story at any time.
- You dont need to complete any of the previous months Living Story achievements to participate in any Flame and Frost: The Razing content. However, that content is all still there if you missed it and want to play it now.
Roxs Story
- The beginning of Roxs story occurs in the Black Citadel Command Core.
- If youve never been to the Black Citadel, you can travel through any city to Lions Arch, and then take the portal guarded by Adamant Guard charr.
- The closest waypoint to your destination is the Imperators Waypoint. Look for the yellow instance entry icon that reads Rox: Critical Mission when you mouse over.
- When you enter the Command Core and approach Rox and Rytlock, a short scene will play.
- Talk to Rox afterwards to earn the associated achievement.
- Rytlock will send you a mail that explains where to go next.
- The second half or Roxs story occurs at the North Nolan Hatchery. It is located just north of the town of Nolan in Diessa Plateau, just outside the Black Citadel.
- Take the Diessa Gate waypoint and leave the Black Citadel through this portal.
- If you open your map, there should be another yellow instance entry icon nearby.
- Enter the instance, approach Rox and have fun!
- You can complete Roxs instance for gold and karma once a day.
Brahams story
- Brahams story begins in Rytlock Brimstones office, near the Command Core.
- The closest waypoint is, again, the Imperators Waypoint. The entrance is marked with another yellow instance entry icon; this one reads Braham: Help from the Legions when you hover your mouse over it.
- When you enter Rytlocks office and approach Rytlock and Braham, a short scene will play.
- Talk to Braham afterwards to earn the associated achievement.
- Rytlock will send you a mail detailing where to head to next.
- Part Two takes you to Hoelbrak, specifically Knut Whitebears Loft.
- In Lions Arch, the portal to Hoelbrak is being guarded by Wolfborn norn.
- Once in Hoelbrak, take the Great Lodge waypoint. On your map, you should see another yellow instance entry icon.
- Enter Knuts office and watch the short scene.
- Talk to Braham afterwards to earn the associated achievement.
- Braham will send you a mail explaining where to go next.
- The final part of Brahams story occurs in Cragstead, a village located in Northern Wayfarer Foothills.
- Take the Eastern Watchpost Waypoint and exit Hoelbrak through the portal.
- Head north to the snowy fields of Wayfarer Foothills.
- In the northeastern section of the zone, near the Dolyak Pass waypoint, the final yellow instance entry icon should be visible. Enter the instance, approach Braham, and have fun!
- You can complete Brahams instance for gold and karma once a day.
Spy vs. Spy
- In the open world, both the Molten Alliance and the Order of Whispers are employing covert surveillance tactics in an attempt to get the upper hand.
- The Molten Alliance has begun monitoring activities in Wayfarer Foothills, Snowden Drifts, Diessa Plateau, the Plains of Ashford, and Iron Marches.
- In these areas, you may encounter Sonic Periscopes spying on locals (or you).
- When you are close to a periscope, you will notice a distinct visual effect emanating from you. Additionally, an Eavesdroppers debuff will be applied.
- Destroying a Sonic Periscope will yield an audio log which can be turned in to an Audio Log Collector for karma.
- You can only receive an audio log from each periscope once per day, but fifty total periscopes can be found across all five areas.
- Meanwhile, Agent Brandubh, an Order of Whispers agent, can be found in the Black Citadel near the refugee camp. His partner has infiltrated the Molten Alliance by working undercover, and has been leaving cryptic communiqus at set locations.
- Interact with Brandubh in the Black Citadel, and he will send you a mail with an Order Crypto-translator as well as locations for all of the dead drops his partner has left.
- As long as you have the Crypto-translator, you will be able to interpret the messages left by Brandubhs partner.
- If you lose your Crypto-translator or accidentally delete the mail with the instructions, speak with Brandubh again to receive a replacement.