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Paper Trail
A Morgrave scholar has asked you to help retrieve his stolen manuscript. You head to his apartment to investigate the theft.
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Paper Trail | |
Heroic level: | 18 |
Epic level: | 34 (considered Legendary) |
Duration: | medium |
Heroic XP: | ♣2,868Solo/Casual ♦4,960Normal ♥5,140Hard ♠5,320Elite |
Epic XP: | ♣13,098Solo/Casual ♦22,344Normal ♥22,857Hard ♠23,370Elite |
Takes place in: | On the Trail of the Manuscript |
Bestowed by: | Halman Best |
NPC contact: | Halman Best |
Quest acquired in: | Morgrave University - Upper Commons |
Patron: | Morgrave University |
Base favor: | 6 |
Purchase: | Vecna Unleashed |
Extreme Challenge: | No |
Overview
Go to Nymph's Court and start On the Trail of the Manuscript to find Halman Best's dissertation.
Quest bestower and entrance are located in the lower part of Upper Commons called 'Nymph's Court'.
Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!
Objectives
- Speak with Halman Best
- Recover the missing manuscript
- Find and speak to the manuscript thief
- Find and speak to Hidden Hand contact Haska Torlath
- (Optional) Collect all the manuscript pages (8 total) — Bonus (15%): Heroic( ♣430 ♦744 ♥771 ♠798 ) Epic( ♣1,965 ♦3,352 ♥3,429 ♠3,506 )
- (Optional) Clear the sewers of Rat Tail Packs (9 total) — Bonus (40%): Heroic( ♣1,147 ♦1,984 ♥2,056 ♠2,128 ) Epic( ♣5,239 ♦8,938 ♥9,143 ♠9,348 )
- (Optional) Slay Effluent the Otyugh — Bonus (15%): Heroic( ♣430 ♦744 ♥771 ♠798 ) Epic( ♣1,965 ♦3,352 ♥3,429 ♠3,506 )
- (Optional) Slay Byrum Morrus the Nothic — Bonus (15%): Heroic( ♣430 ♦744 ♥771 ♠798 ) Epic( ♣1,965 ♦3,352 ♥3,429 ♠3,506 )
Known Traps
- Pressure plates around a locked chest behind a secret wall
Tips and Misc
- Though he has no idea of it himself, Halman Best has discovered a secret of critical importance: a legend describing the Traveler's Astral Fortress as a trap. If the manuscript reaches Vecna, the Traveler's plan to expel him from Eberron is ruined. Luckily, the Traveler has a plan in motion – but Halman still needs his manuscript back...
- The optional Manuscript Pages are scattered fairly evenly across the map. The entrance to the sewer is a point of no return without Dimension Door, so make sure you have all three pages before dropping down.
- The first page is by Halman's feet.
- The next two pages are in the room with the sewer pipe.
- The fourth page is in the sewers, before you reach the big room with three exits.
- The fifth page is in the room with three exits, in front of one exit. This is the direction you should go to find Walmer Longtail as quickly as possible.
- The sixth page and seventh pages are somewhere along the path indicated by page five.
- The eighth and final page is by the rune-locked door.
- To progress the quest, you need to find Walmer Longtail. He is sprawled on one of the many red sofas in the Rat Tail hideout. The location of the fifth Manuscript Page (see above) determines the quickest route to find him.
- If you take the east or west path, the quickest way to get to the upper floor of the hideout is to blow up the barrels next to the glass wall and jump through.
- Optionals in the sewers:
- The "kill 9 Rat Tail packs" optional can be completed very easily by running around the main hideout.
- Effluent is behind a door on the lowest level of the Rat Tail hideout (the one you reach by taking the middle route.)
- There are secret doors in the sewers on the East and West trails. One contains optional boss Byrum Morrus, the other contains a locked chest – the locations are random.
- Walmer Longtail doesn't really want to fight you, and at any rate he's already handed the manuscript to Haska Torlath, a Hidden Hand cultist. He unlocks a rune-locked door in his hideout which leads to Haska through two red-named Hidden Hand bosses.
- On your way, you find a note from "you-know-who" cluing you into the Traveler's plan – he's established himself as a cheap courier in the city. You also find posters for a party taking place in Morgrave tonight, mentioning complimentary headwear...
- As you speak to Haska, she realises that the green-hatted courier that took the manuscript isn't taking it to Vecna as she ordered. She rushes out into the courtyard to find them, only to be confronted with pretty much every student in Morgrave wearing an identical green hat.
- As Haska has a breakdown in the corner, you can head over to a nearby behatted Iron Defender and retrieve the body of Halman's manuscript.
Bonus XP
- Aggression bonus: 34 or more monsters killed +10% Bonus.( ♣287 ♦496 ♥514 ♠532 )
- Onslaught bonus: 67 or more monsters killed +15% Bonus.( ♣430 ♦744 ♥771 ♠798 )
- Conquest bonus: 100 or more monsters killed +25% Bonus.( ♣717 ♦1,240 ♥1,285 ♠1,330 )
- Tamper bonus: 2 or more traps disarmed +10% Bonus.( ♣287 ♦496 ♥514 ♠532 )
- Neutralization bonus: 3 or more traps disarmed +20% Bonus.( ♣574 ♦992 ♥1,028 ♠1,064 )
- Ingenious Debilitation bonus: 4 or more traps disarmed +30% Bonus.( ♣860 ♦1,488 ♥1,542 ♠1,596 )
- Mischief bonus: 39 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣229 ♦397 ♥411 ♠426 )
- Vandal bonus: 51 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣287 ♦496 ♥514 ♠532 )
- Ransack bonus: 63 or more breakables smashed +15% Bonus.( ♣430 ♦744 ♥771 ♠798 )
- Notes: In some cases there seems to be another set of 4 traps resulting in an ingenious progress 4/6/7. (Never found that second set)
Loot
- Chests: 4
- in the hidden room, locked and trapped
- for killing the Otyugh
- for killing Byrum Morrus
- end chest
- Collectables:
- Rubble — just after the drop down
- Fungus — in the branch room
- Fungus — near the hidden door
- Crude Altar — in the west hidden room
- Fungus — in the east "labyrinth"
- Rubble — east side at the start of the secret swim area
- Crude Altar — in the east hidden room
- Crude Altar — in the west big room, bottom south
- Adventurer's Pack — in the middle big room, jump down north
- Adventurer's Pack — in the middle big room, upper north
- Crude Altar — in the east big room, bottom south
- Reagents Cabinet — short before the Hidden Hand contact
- Rubble — just after the drop down
- NPC rewards: standard
Named Chest Drop
Last Edited | Item | Type | Enhancements | ML | Bind | Quests |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University Sentry's Helm (edit) | Helmet |
|
18 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Mystic Monocle (edit) | Goggles |
|
18 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
University Spellshield's Coat (edit) | Medium Armor |
|
18 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Azure Rotella (edit) | Large shield |
|
18 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Legendary Mystic Monocle (edit) | Goggles |
|
32 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Legendary University Spellshield's Coat (edit) | Medium Armor |
|
32 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Legendary University Sentry's Helm (edit) | Helmet |
|
32 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
|
Legendary Azure Rotella (edit) | Large shield |
|
32 | Bound to Account on Acquire![]() |
Paper Trail, End chest |
Monsters
Name ( picture ) | CR | Type | Race |
---|---|---|---|
Bonifal Kez ( view • edit ) | ♦21Normal ♥25Hard ♠31Elite ●♦35Epic Normal ●♥39Epic Hard ●♠44Epic Elite | Humanoid | Human |
Byrum Morrus ( view • edit ) | ♦21Normal ♥25Hard ♠31Elite ●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite | Aberration | Nothic |
Controlled Raptor ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Animal | Dinosaur |
Effluent ( view • edit ) | ♦21Normal ♥25Hard ♠31Elite ●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite | Aberration | Otyugh |
Hidden Hand Cleric ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Humanoid | Human |
Hidden Hand Fighter ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Humanoid | Human |
Hidden Hand Sniper ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Humanoid | Human |
Rat Tail Cutpurse ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Monstrous Humanoid | Wererat |
Rat Tail Footpad ( view • edit ) | ♦16Normal ♥19Hard ♠23Elite ●♦30Epic Normal ●♥34Epic Hard ●♠38Epic Elite | Monstrous Humanoid | Wererat |
Rat Tail Plinker ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Monstrous Humanoid | Wererat |
Rat Tail Whiz Bang ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥36Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Monstrous Humanoid | Wererat |
Sharn Sewer Crayfish ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Vermin | Crayfish |
Sharn Sewer Fire Beetle ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Vermin | Insect |
Sharn Sewer Rat ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Animal | Rat |
The Bone Blade ( view • edit ) | ♦21Normal ♥25Hard ♠31Elite ●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite | Undead | Skeleton |
Trash Swarm ( view • edit ) | ♦18Normal ♥22Hard ♠28Elite ●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite | Vermin | Insect |
- Vecna Unleashed quests
- Epic quests
- Medium quests
- On the Trail of the Manuscript quests
- Morgrave University - Upper Commons quests
- Morgrave University patron quests
- Pay to Play quests
- Quests with collectables/12
- Quests by name
- Compendium:Level 18 (34 epic) quests
- Level 34 quests
- Level 18 quests
- Quests with 6 base favor reward
- Quests with maps
- Quests with more than one map
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Root > DDOwiki meta > DDOwiki metacategories > Quests > Quests by zone > On the Trail of the Manuscript quests