[Dungeons, Slivers and Chronicles] II: Darkening Deeps

Dungeon Name: Darkening Deeps (DD)
Location: Gloamwood
Co ordinates: 5146, 2406
Bosses: Alchemist Braxtepel, Michael Bringhurts, Tegenar Deepfang, Gedlo Council (Incinerator Gerbik, Warlord Swedge, High Shaman Nuggo) There are additional bosses named Skarn and Glubmuk in Expert and Master modes of the dungeon.
Dungeon level: 21-28(*you can of course, mentor down or up to enter, but only if you are 15 or higher.*)
Length: Depending on your group's speed and skill at downing the bosses. A few of them in particular are pretty hard unless your group knows what they are doing or are overpowered. I'd say around 30-50 min.

     In the deepest part of Gloamwood sits an ancient ruined Mathosian castle known as Shadefallen Keep. Beneath this castle, however, the dark caverns and dank canals are alive with the frenzy of riftspawn. The goblins have built a home for themselves into the cliffs here, their hovels lining a rocky path that descends deep into the bedrock of Telara. Daily, the goblin hoards crawl from the depths to attack and pillage the people of Gloamwood.
     The people were barely able to keep back and contain the menace, until Fire Rifts spit out the Gedlo priests, who swiftly took control of the chaotic and mindless goblins, turning them into a brutal fighting force that even heavily armored Waykeepers had trouble dealing with. Always violent and savage creatures, the newfound attacks took a heavy toll on the people of Gloamwood. When goblin raiders spilled into Silverwood, burning and rampaging at will, cries for aid caused Prince Hylas to turn to new allies for aid against the threat. Now Darkening Deeps lays like a smoldering anthill, ready to burst open at the first hint of vulnerability.
     Adventurers who brave the deeps will behold a vast underground chasm filled with the stench of fire and goblins. Goblins will mindlessly attack any venture within, spurred on by the magic of their Gedlo masters. Sadly, goblins aren't the only menace in the deep. Spiders from Silkweb Pass are rumored to nest in deep, forgotten chambers, luring unwary creatures to their deaths. And the ancient waterways that fill the cracks at the bottom of the city have been invaded by polluted water elementals, warped by the evil of the Gedlo.
     Several villagers from the Pines have vanished after encounters with goblin war parties. Sometimes, on clear nights, one can hear their desperate cries, strangely mutating into the howling of wolves when the moon is full, though no wolves are known to live in Gloamwood. Even stranger, treants have become more scarce, and though locals care little for the invaders from the Plane of Life, their disappearance definitely created a stir. Some say it is connected to the goblin city.

    

 From the report of Commander Oakheart, Paladin of the 8th Sanctuary Guard in Gloamwood:

"Three times we've stormed the den of those filthy goblin priests.

And three times we've been pushed back. By now my sword shows more blood

than steel, yet still we can't break through.

I have heard tales of villagers taken prisoner, offered as sacrifices in those halls

that we cannot breach. As we struggled there with the goblins,

I noticed ten long bloody scratches in the rock beneath our feet.

A loose human nail lay where one of the scratches ended.

These degenerates have never shown such ferocity as when defending these halls.

My stealthier comrades have seen goblins regard the chambers

with gleeful reverence, as if they hide a weapon of vast power and destruction.

Whatever they're hiding, whether or not we receive reinforcements,

the goblins have abducted my men, and I will not let them die

under a gedlo dagger!"

 

Quests:

• "The Toxic Source"
• Quest Giver: Marshal Oakheart (Gloamwood Pines)
• Find the missing squad of crusaders as well as the source of the Gedlo Conclave's new power.
• "Dragon Worship"
• Quest Giver: Crusader Bertrand (inside the dungeon)
• Destroy the Idols of Maelforge
• "The Darkening Deeps"
• Automatic quest gained when you zone in
• Defeat the bosses of DD.

Boss Strategies:

• Alchemist Braxtepel-lvl 22 demihuman (goblin)
• Is protected from all damage by a chemical Ward. You need to kill two adds, Mursh and Squersh, while the Alchemist throws fireballs at random people. He also throws a spell you need to watch out for called Bombard. In Phase 2, when the Ward goes down after the adds die, the Alchemist will attack like any melee mob. The tank needs to turn him away from the group and avoid 'Flame Cleave' a spell with frontal AoE dmg. He also casts a random spell called 'Hot Tar' that puts a heavy damage random DoT on party members that should be dispelled quickly if possible. Fairly easy to down if you're paying attention.
• Michael Bringhurst-lvl 23 demihuman (werewolf) *can be skinned!*
• A man who was cursed with lycanthropy. Starts in the middle of the Moonbeam in the room. Keep him out of the light. He grows increasingly stronger the longer he's in the light and will eventually 1-shot the tank (12 or 13 stacks I think). After about a minute of dpsing him, or at half percent, he will fear everyone and run into the moonlight. You may be able to use your "Break Free' ability to get out of it, but I'm not sure, haven't tested it yet. The tank needs to pick up the boss immediately to get him out of the moonlight again. The tank will need to actually run up to him and melee attack him to get him to leave the moonlight. Ranged attacks will do nothing to pull him out.
• Tegenar Deepfang-lvl 23 beast (spider)
• This is the hardest fight of this dungeon, mostly because no one pays attention to mechanics. It's best to keep Ten facing away from the raid, and focused on the tank. Everyone else should stack on his butt except the healer, who can stand by a rock to quickly LoS his web attack to avoid being webbed. Ten has a frontal AoE attack called 'Poisonous Spray' that can be avoided by staying behind him. It puts a debuff on the tank that needs to be dispelled. He will cast 'Cocoon' on a random target who isn't the tank, which is why it's handy to have the healer hide by a spike of rock. Attack the cocoon to break your party member out of it. At 50% health, he will summon a pack of spiderlings who will make your life hell by chasing around whoever has the most threat on the tank (aka, the healer). So help protect the healer by killing the spiders. At this point, you also need to quickly dps Ten down, because he will just keep spawning waves of spiders until dead. This is a heal heavy fight, and requires tight co-ordination in the more difficult modes.
• Glubmuk-lvl 23 elemental (Water)
• Strategy unknown. Haven't encountered him yet. I know he spawns adds that you need to get rid of before they overwhelm you. That's it so far.
• Council Gedlo-lvl 23 demihumans (all goblins)
• Killing one of these bosses will cause the other 2 to gain special abilities. Killing 2 of them will cause the remaining one boss to gain 2 more additional abilities. It's generally easiest to kill the Shaman (healer) first, followed by the Incinerator (Mage) and Warlord (Warrior). The Shaman will spam heal himself and the other two until killed, as well as cast an absorb shield. The Incinerator will cast fireballs and 'Arc of Flames' AoE ability. Keep away from the flames on the ground. The Warlord is a standard melee attacker. Avoid his frontal AoE attack 'Mighty Cleave'.
• Scarn-lvl 52 dragonkin (Fire drake)
• Strategy relatively unknown. Haven't encountered him yet. He has a frontal AoE called 'Double Lash' that should be avoided. Is a standard melee creature. Also has another ability to watch out for called 'Flaming Breath'. Flies into the air at 50% and he will throw down circles of flames you need to avoid.

Achievements:

•  "Darkening Deeps", "Expert Darkening Deeps", and "Master Darkening Deeps"
• Defeat all the bosses of DD in their respective difficulties.
• "Rapid Assault: Darkening Deeps"
• Defeat all bosses in expert or higher within 30 minutes of initiating first combat.
• "Fire Dodger"
• Reach the bottom of Nightrock Commons without dying or being hit by Ragefire and with all Wildmages still alive and active on expert or higher.
• "Squashing Squersh and Meursh"
• Defeat Alchemist Braxtepel after killing his 2 minions within 10 seconds of each other in expert or higher difficulty.
• "Raging Fire"
• Defeat Alchemist Braxtepel after Mursh and Squersh simultaneously have 10+ stacks of "Ragefire" in expert or higher.
• "Stop the Madness"
• Defeat Michael while he has 20+ stacks of Lunar Madness active in expert or higher.
• "Soothing the Beast"
• Defeat Michael while he has no more than 10 stacks of Lunar Madness active on expert or higher.
• "All Wrapped Up"
• Defeat Tenegar Deepfang after 5 players have been Cocooned in expert or higher.
• "Cocoon Crush"
• Defeat Deepfang without anyone being Cocooned for more than 10 seconds in expert or higher difficulty.
• "Melted Sludge"
• Kill Glubmuk after killing 5 Fetid Spawns.
• "Gedlo Gone"
• On 3 separate attempts on expert or higher, leave a different boss as the last one alive.
• "Fire Dancer"
• Defeat Scarn without dying OR taking any damage from 'Smouldering'.
• "Pressure Cooker"
• Defeat Scarn after the Heat index has reached 12+ stacks.
• "Empathy"
• Defeat Emissary Villicar after 5+ players have been given 'Entwined Pain'.
• "Conqueror: Darkening Deeps"
• Complete all DD achievements except Master mode and Empathy.
• Title reward: "Goblin Bane"

References: The description for this dungeon is a summary of the story of DD as written by Trion on their old website when they had all the lore and info pages still. I've broken it down into my own words and rewritten here, but it still belongs to them and them only! All information is as accurate as I can get about the dungeon, but it's also from my own encounter with the dungeon, so there is some things missing. When I can enter Expert and Master mode, I will fill in the missing stats. All achievements are accurate as of 2016, as well as their requirements and rewards. Boss strategy is written with my own experiences in mind except for the higher difficulty bosses, who I've never encountered and instead have asked guild members about! Thank you, and this is Trion's work, not mine! :)