Granny's Travel Guides: Grothmar Valley

BY: GMAFOG

Welcome to the sights and sounds of Grothmar Valley. It is a stereotypical Charr space filled with people, places of wonder, and events to do. Pondering how to present this guide, I decided to describe this zone by areas. The areas being discussed in this map are: 

We will start my travels at the Blood Keep and surrounding areas, then wander around the map in a clockwise fashion, detailing the areas. Only the more difficult places to find will be explained because most points of interest are in a camp or somewhere visible. It is also good to have a mount and/or glider to get around.

Event symbols used in some descriptions are:

* “Defeat the threat to the festivities” shows up after a successful completion of a meta-event.

** Some of the achievements rotate and are not available all the time.

Let's Explore

Upper/Lower Blood Keep

Blood Keep is a huge stone fortress with rooms galore! Wandering through this area, there will be multiple buildings and rooms to explore. Many of the huge metal doors do not open but the art on them is superb. Examine all the rooms in Blood Legion to find different people to chat with, and there is a surprise in the helicopter room. Take a ride to Black Citadel or Bjora Marches! Your possibilities in the Blood Keep Area are endless:

• Waypoint: Blood Keep Waypoint.
• Points of Interest from the north:  The Great Hall, Auris's Workshop and Keep Kitchen.
• Points of Interest from the south:  Blood Keep Main Gate, Rank ‘n' File Pub, Blood Legion Fahrar, Imperator Ruinbringer's Office, and The War Room. Note: The Legion Fahrar, Imperator Ruinbringer's Office, and The War Room are all up the ramps from the Blood Keep Main Gate.
• Vista: Blood Keep's East Wall is a springer's hop up the wall onto the tower. From Blood Keep waypoint, climb up the stairs to the south where the vista is and rise up on the mount of choice.
• Tasks: To the south of Auris's Workshop chat with Vertia Foerazer, she will need your help. 
• Events: 
• Help Chef Mellitus prepare dishes for the festival.
• Help the bartender keep the customers liquored up!
• Achievements: 
• Daily Grothmar Seeker - Play hide-and-seek with the cubs.**
• Daily Grothmar Valley Blood Keep Assistant - Complete target practice, bartending or sous-chef event.**

• Rally Provisioner Merchant: Buy All-Legion Rally Souvenirs, Volatile Magic Exchange and Legendary Tributes.
• Farming and Chests: Rich mithril vein, raspberries, cayenne pepper, mussels and two Grothmar Valley chests (in the river).

Training Grounds

Stroll out the south end of the keep to find a hilly area called the training grounds. Walk over the bridge and go talk to Sniper Specialist Hawkspar during the event and he will let you show off for the cubs.

• Point of Interest: Sniper's Square and Shiver Gate.
• Event: “Shoot targets to demonstrate your marksmanship to the cubs”.
• Farming and Chests: Hatched chili peppers, cayenne pepper, ancient saplings, red oak saplings and mussels.

Shiverpeaks Pass

• It is only accessible during Strike Missions and entrance is located at Shiver Gate.

The Brig

Outside the north end of Blood Keep, you will find a circular tower with metal stairs that lead up to Warden Strongdoom's Office on the fourth floor. Talking with her will produce a short conversation of platitudes. There are 7 floors of jail cells to the upper level of the tower and once at the top, the walk-around has a 360 degree view of the areas around Blood Keep.

• Point of Interest: Warden's Office and Stockade.
• Event: Defeat the threat to the festivities: Valg Portermauler.*

Bitter Horn

• It is only accessible for “A Race to Arm” storyline.

Longeye's Landslide 

Longeye's landslide is a pile of rubble at the mountain south of the Blood Dam. Thank goodness the Dam is still intact. Just east of the dam Rusty Meadows comes into view.

• Point of Interest: From Blood Keep, jump, fly or climb to the west side of the water trench to the bridge to reach the Blood Dam.
• Farming and Chests: Verdant herbs, asparagus, raspberries, hatched chili peppers, mithril ore, and two Grothmar Valley chests.

Rusty Meadows

Flying over to Rusty Meadows, multiple silo-type buildings can be seen, some will be accessible for interior viewing. Ranchers and Loggers chatting with each other are found throughout the meadow. This seems to be a pretty quiet area until the devourers and whippersnappers decide to cause trouble.

• Point of Interest: Soul's Hearth and Fangstorm's Farmhouse.
• Vista: Move to Rusty Meadows north of Upper Blood Keep. The vista is in the Northwest corner of the field up a water tank and a mount is needed to jump up the pipes behind the tower.
• Events: “Lure the devourers into the portal before they kill the cattle”, “Shoo the whippersnappers off the old Fangstorm's lawn” and finally “Defeat the drunk legionnaire”.
• Farming and Chests: Harvest strawberries, asparagus, cabbage, sugar pumpkins, lettuce, zucchini, potatoes, and hatched chili peppers to your heart's delight. There are also two Grothmar Valley chests.

Flame Legion Camp

Moving southeast from Rusty Meadows there is a lava pit that is part of the Flame legion area and will have the Flame legion stalkers and blademasters chatting away.  

• Task: Interact with the eternal flame and carry the flame to the top of the tower to unlock a treasure. Beware, bring asbestos armor, it burns all the way!
• Point of interest: Eternal Cauldron.
• Vista: Go east from Flame Legion Camp and bound up the rock ledges and planks.
• Meta Event: “The Ceremony of the Sacred Flame” starts at camp and makes its way up to the Burning Effigy. The Events are named: “Damage the elementals to help Flame Legion siphon their power!”, “Pass the flame from torch to torch to transport it to the upper brazier” and “Ignite the effigy with the Sacred Flame!”
• Farming and Chests: Asparagus, cayenne pepper, hatched chili pepper, mithril ore, and a Grothmar Valley chest.

Burning Effigy

The Burning Effigy is nestled under a set of sculpted cliffs and abundant vegetation drapes them beautifully. 

• Point of Interest: Unity's Beacon is up the northern road from the Flame Legion Camp.
• Vista: Northeast from the Flame Legion camp, to the Burning Effigy, move behind the statue and jump up the northwest ledge on a mount.
• Farming and Chests: Verdant herbs, hatched chili pepper, red oak sapling, rich orichalcum vein, and no chest.

Cavern of the Khan-Ur

The Cavern of Khan-ur is hidden in the northeast corner of Grothmar Valley with the entrance protected by cave spiders. Quietly nestled in the back of the cave, just before getting to The Vault, there is a beautiful waterfall on the left. Before entering the Vault and jumping puzzle take a breath because being calm and cool will be a necessity for the challenges ahead.

• Point of Interest: To get to The Vault of the Khan-ur, go to the Dalada Forest waypoint. There is a cave with spiders to the northeast hidden in the trees. Raptor mount works well to jump across the ledges to the opening where the POI is located. To enter the vault all four keys are mandatory. One from each of the legions: Ash, Blood, Iron, and Flame - the keys are earned by doing boss events.
• Jumping Puzzle: Khan-UR's Gauntlet Jumping puzzle is west of The Vault of the Khan-ur where the big door is located. Go west through the bushes, pick up a torch, light it, then burn the cobwebs to go in. To get over the wall, jump on the scaffolding, walk across the rope, jump to the board, and over to the plank. From there bound over to the ledge into the main part of the jumping puzzle. There is a swampy river with loads of overgrown trees that surround the broken down buildings. Be aware that the torch needs to stay lit to get through because the braziers require lighting in certain spots.
• Mastery: Once over the first part of the Khan-Ur's Gauntlet, the mastery insight is on the left sitting upon a mushroom. No mount or glider can be used in the jumping puzzle area, so climbing is required. Move to the first tree after entering the water and rise across the branches. At a certain point, drop down onto the mushroom where the mastery insight is located.
• Vista:  This is located on the Northern perimeter at Khan-Ur's Gauntlet. Get through the first part of the jumping puzzle moving into the marshy area and the vista is at the far end. The rest of the jumping puzzle is not vital to view the vista, just follow the river to the west end and run up the stairs to the north.
• Achievements: 
• Daily Grothmar Gauntlet Runner - Complete the Jumping Puzzle.**
• Grothmar Valley Insight: Branching out - View the Mastery insight.
• Farming and Chests: Mussels, mithril ore, hatched chili pepper, raspberries, and multiple Grothmar Valley chests in the area.

Dalada Forest

The Dalada Forest is misty and damp, full of large boulders, trees and a waterfall.

• Waypoint: Dalada Forest Waypoint.
• Vista: Northeast from the Dalada Forest Waypoint. It is on a large rock outcrop in the middle of the water.
• Race: Mount race starts at Dalada Forest Waypoint.
• Events:
• Defeat the threat to the festivities: Devourer.*
• Defeat the threat to the festivities: Ghost Captain.*
• Achievements:
• Grothmar Grand Tour: Pole Position.
• Grothmar Grand Tour: Gold Challenge.
• Grothmar Grand Tour: Silver Challenge.
• Farming and Chests: Red oak sapling, hatched chili pepper, ancient sapling, and verdant herbs.

Doomlore Ruins

Doomlore Ruins is a place an archaeologist would want to explore. Even though it is dark and gloomy, the ghosts have a story and the broken building structures of Doomlore Ruins are fascinating.

• Points of Interest: Doomlore Shrine and Cathedral of Flames Gate.
• Meta Event: The Haunting of Doomlore Shrine has three parts: "Escort the shaman to Doomlore Shrine", "Defend the Flame Legion shaman as he casts his spell to summon Doomlore's Bane by force", and "Defeat Murakai, Doomlore's Bane".
• Event: Defeat the threat to the festivities: Ghost Mage.*
• Achievement: Daily Grothmar Doomlore Cleanser - Complete Meta-event.**
• Farming and Chests: Mithril ore, red oak sapling, verdant herbs, and a Grothmar Valley chest.

Devourer's Ridge 

There are two ridges overlooking the Ash Legion Camp and the Festival Promenade and they are great places to watch the activities below.

• Point of Interest: Ash Legion Camp.
• Event: Defeat the threat to the festivities: Parasite Devourer.*

Festival Promenade 

The Festival Promenade is where the storyline for this area started. It's the place where all the legions can gather for the festival and meetings.

• Points of Interest: All-Legion Commons and Rally Pavilion.

Iron Legion Camp

Tents and iron structures cover the area and the forge is the main attraction. Much hustle and bustle of activities occur when someone talks to Forgekeeper Santia Fiercehammer to start an event. Just below the forging area are small tents with food and merchants to greet. Look to the west and view the striking architecture of the Blood Keep.

• Point of Interest: Santia's Forge.
• Vista: Iron Legion Camp is east across the river from Lower Blood keep. Spring up the structure to view the vista.
• Event: Keep the furnace firing to help manufacture new plate metal. Following that, join a demolition derby if you dare. The demolition derby takes place in the All-Legion Commons area.
• Farming and Chests: Mithril ore, hatched chili pepper, verdant herbs, and red oak saplings.

The Wardowns/Tribunes' Trench

The Wardowns is a heavily forested area that would be a nice place for a picnic on the flats. You have a 360-degree view of these awesome areas: Blood Keep, Iron Legion Camp, The Ooze Pit, and the Shattered Steppes peaks.

• Waypoint: Wardowns Waypoint.
• There are no actual POIs or vistas in this area but it is part of the quest to enter Recon Cave. Most of the tree markings are in this area.
• Events: Starts in the Tribunes' Trench and moves to the Wardowns. “Help the cubs defeat Kasmeer's Illusions”, "Help the cubs defeat illusory foes to build warband cohesion", and "Defeat the very real devourer before the cubs are forced to retreat!".
• Merchants: Supply merchant, weaponsmith and armorsmith at the west edge of the Wardowns.
• Farming and Chests: Hatched chili pepper, red oak saplings, asparagus, and a Grothmar Valley chest.

Shattered Steppes

Taking a dirt path east of the Wardowns stop at the stream. As you look across there is a hidden path. Enter it to find a large door. Upon trying to open the door it says: “This is the exit to Recon Cove. There is no way to open it from this side.” Oh My!

• Point of Interest: Recon Cave is a quest. For full details please go to: https://www.gaisciochmagazine.com/articles/the_root_of_the_problem_in_grothmar_valley.html
• Once inside Recon Cave, there is an Ash Legion Training Course.

• Tasks: Marjory Delaqua has some interesting information, and Iovis Nearspecter needs to find all the listening devices in Grothmar.

• Achievement: “Bound by Blood” Mastery, Daily Grothmar Codebreaker (which is the quest to get the POI in Recon Cave.)**
• Farming and Chests: Rich mithril vein on the way to the cave door, red oak sapling, and a Grothmar Valley chest.

Sacnoth Stream

Take a dirt path east of the Wardowns to the stream. Go south following the stream to the Band's Bivouac. It is on the path going to the Crag.

• Point of Interest: Band's Bivouac.
• Vista: In the Band's Bivouac camp there is a dragon structure. The vista is on the dragon's arm.
• Event: Defeat the threat to the festivities: Broodmother.*
• Farming and Chests: Hatched chili pepper, cayenne pepper, asparagus, mithril ore and a Grothmar Valley chest.

The Crag

Following the pathway from Band's Bivouac through the uphill zigzag path to the mountains brings you to a delightful view of Blood Stand Stage, and maybe even the concert!

• Points of Interest: Blood Stand Stage is just southeast of the Sacnoth Stream.
• Meta Event: "Stop the haywire concert finale!" and "A Concert for the Ages" take place at the Blood Stand Stage.
• Farming and Chests: Hatched chili pepper and a Grothmar Valley chest on the way up the path to Blood Stand Stage.

The Overlook

Following the southernmost path from the Dalada Forest, the mountains and trees start to glisten. At the peak, it becomes almost too bright to see and is the most glorious sight to observe. 

• Point of Interest: Priory Research Station.
• Vista: This is on the Eastern perimeter in the Overlook at the Priory Research Station. Just climb up the tree overlooking Kralkatorrik's Emergence Zone.
• Race: Grothmar Valley Skyscale Trial - the starting point is just below the vista.
• Mastery: At the Priory Research Station, rent a skyscale. Go northwest toward the two Ice spires. Upon arriving at the bottom of the crystal outcrop, meander up to see the most delightful views at the mastery insight.
• Achievements: 
• Grothmar Skyscale Challenge: Silver and Gold - Timed races.
• Grothmar Valley Insight: Shimmering Spire - Discover the mastery insight.

Kralkatorrik's Emergence Zone

Kralkatorik's Emergence Zone is the lower level of the Outlook. Don't forget to go swimming to see brilliant water formations and plantlife.

• Point of Interest: Aurene's Grace.
• Race: Grothmar Crater Circuit Time Trial.
• Farming and Chests: In the water and by the waterfalls - Grothmar Valley chests and mussels.

The Ooze Pit

From Kralkatorik's Emergence Zone, skim underneath the Crag, turn north and there will be two beautiful trees. Maneuvering is possible to get back to the Sacnoth stream by going up the mountain between the trees. Following the stream south, Blood Lagoon will appear, and it is a great time to get your bathing suit on and enjoy the beach. Of course, it can be a bit noisy if the Ooze Pit event is going on just to the west. If it is, join in and have fun!

• Point of Interest: Blood Lagoon and Contender's Colosseum.
• Vista: To get to the vista, move up the bleachers on the west end of the Ooze Pit structure to a little jumping puzzle and skip up the tower to the vista. Trying to use your mount is dangerous in this area because the mount disappears in mid-jump and you make an abrupt landing at that point.
• Meta Event: The Ooze Pit Trials has five activities to do: "Capture control points, enable poison wells, and defeat immunized oozes", "Defeat the ley-crazed ooze!", "Defeat the grand champion ooze!", "Fill the center vent with oil", and "Defeat oozes and deal with any obstructions".
• Achievement: Daily Grothmar Ooze Pit Participant.**
• Farming and Chests: Red oak saplings, asparagus, and a Grothmar Valley chests hidden in the tar.

Other Achievements that are completed throughout Grothmar Valley:

• Grothmar Legionnaire: Complete Daily achievements.
• Grothmar Tribune: Complete Grothmar Legionnaire daily meta-achievement in Grothmar Valley 15 times.
• Grothmar Valley Historian: Find all the ancient coins scattered across Grothmar Valley.
• Daily Grothmar Valley Vista Viewer: View any vista.**
• Daily Grothmar Pepper Picker.**
• Daily Grothmar Valley Racer.**

Grothmar Valley has a load of sights to see and many activities to participate in. Take your time and enjoy all the excitement you can find! 

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