The Sacred Grove

The Sacred Grove is aimed at experienced Experts and Adepts but I'd say you need a very good group of Experts to clear this zone, if not to complete it.

Before you can enter the Grove you have to cross the earthen ramparts that have been placed around it. Atop the Rock Fortification (Ar) you'll find an Avater of Earth. If you 'say key' the Avatar will give you a Phasing Runestone, the only way to unlock the way into Stasis. The key will scrap (even from whirling blades) so if you kill him try to get the key first. Once you enter the Grove at Further Along the Path (Fa) you can't return that way.

Once in the zone you'll find its been taken over by elementals of all types and the Dao. All of them can see invisible but if you're sneaking you can move around in safety, as I did to map the zone. In the Grove there are four stone towers above each Base of the Stone Tower (Bs) is a single room: Atop the Stone Tower (As), again filled with elementals and Dao for your amusement. If you're not sneaking your best bet it to run through the zone with your fingers crossed!

You can open and close a hidden exit between West of a Large Tree (Ww) and Encroaching Wilds (Ew) with the command 'pull thorns'.

When you ascend into the tree you first find yourself in The Heartwood of the Tree (Hw). All of the areas have plenty of mobs to avoid and again I'd recommend sneaking around unless you're looking for a fight. The door to the library can't be knocked or doorbashed.

To unlock the door to the north in the Small Corridor (Sr) use the Phasing Runestone and the command 'unlock Stasis'. Once you step north you'll find yourself Surrounded by a Silvery Mist (a room with no exits) and then dumped into Entering the Nexus (En). You'll find four elemental prisons, each containing an Elemental champion. Each must be killed for its heart. The Fire Champion has a fireshield, and the others are all sanc'd. The Fire champion is kept under water so you won't be able to cast spells and must be able to breath underwater. The Earth champion is kept in the air so you must be able to fly. When he dies his corpse will drop into the room below Plummeting Forever Downwards (Pd). The only was we could get the corpse was to send someone to pick it up then recite a scroll to get out. I couldn't summon and there are no exits. Once out they have to come all the way back through the Grove and the Tree to meet up with you.

Once you have all four Hearts you need to be flying to head north to from the Hallway. If you're not you'll die. You must unlock each of four doors with the four hearts and then step into Entering the Nexus (En). You can't go back and you'll be dropped off into the Centre of the Ward. Kill the Construct for its key and you can open the door to the north into the Collapsing Ward (Cw). The Construct has a fireshield and is sanc'd. Again you'll find yourself in a room with no exits and you'll finally be transported to the Grand Druid's Private Quarters. To the east is the Library of the Grove (Lg) in the Tree.

To leave the zone we had to recall out. Most of the mobs in this zone cast, especially the large ones, so you'll need a lot of heal potions or a half-giant to complete it. There are many fireshielded mobs and plenty that will max out your xp per kill.

If you'd like to make a quick run to this zone, we recommend the following directions, starting at The Common in Shadowdale: 15enenene2n3en3en2enes.

                     Up into Stasis
                    /
      Qn          Gd
      |           |                     
      He-He       Us    Qe                  
      |  |        |     |                
   Sc-He-He-Wl-Wl-Hw-Lv-Lv-El+Lg
      |  |        |v                      
      Sq Sq       Ib-Tb
                  |                      
                  Tb               

Ar	- Atop a Rock Fortification	As	- Atop a Stone Tower
Bs	- The Base of a Stone Tower	Cd	- Corpses of the Dao
Ci	- Circle of Power	Co	- Collapse of the Ward
Cp	- Cooking Pit	Cw	- Center of the Ward
Da	- Dark Hallway	Df	- Dense Forest
Dq	- Door to the Druids Quarters	Ed	- Entering Dense Forest
Ee	- The Sacred Grove's Eastern Edge	Eg	- Edge of the Stasis Field
El	- Entrance to the Library	En	- Entering the Nexus
Es	- Entrance to the Sacred Grove	Ew	- Encroaching WIlds
Fa	- Further Along the Path	Fg	- Forest Glade
Fn	- Forest Near the Sacred Grove	Gd	- Gateway to the Druids Quarters
Gp	- Grand Druid's Private Quarters	He	- Hastily Erected Battle Room
Hw	- The Heartwood of the Tree	Ib	- Inside a Tree Branch
If	- In the Forest South of the Grove	It	- Inside a Large Living Tree
Lg	- Library of the Grove	Lv	- Living Tunnel
Nb	- Nearing the Base of a Large Tree	Nc	- Near the Centre of the Grove
Ne	- Nearing the Centre of the Ward	No	- Northern Side of the Grove
Ns	- Nearing the Sacred Grove	Ol	- Overlooking the Grove
Pa	- A Prison of Air	Pd	- Plummeting Forever Downwards
Pe	- A Prison of Earth	Pf	- A Prison of Flame
Pw	- A Prison of Water	Qe	- Quarters of the Efreeti
Qn	- Quarters of the New Ordr	Sc	- A Small Chamber
Se	- Southern Edge of the Sacred Grove	Sg	- The Sacred Grove
Sk	- Skirting the Grove	Sl	- South of a Large Tree
Sm	- Small Guard Post	Sp	- A Small Spring
Sq	- Druids Sleeping Quarters	Sr	- A Small Corridor
Ss	- Southern Side of the Grove	Su	- Surrounded by a Silvery Mist
Tb	- Temporary Barracks	Us	- Upward Sweeping Branch
Wa	- Ward of Air	Wb	- Wading up the Brook
We	- Ward of Earth	Wf	- Ward of Fire
Wk	- A Well Kept Path	Wl	- Within a Large Branch
Wr	- Ward of Water	Ww	- West of a Large Tree