Astral Ambush

Astral Ambush is the 4th quest in the Illithid Invasion story arcStory arcs are chains of quests that make up a story line. Completing everything in a story arc often yields a nice reward..
These quests can be completed in any order.
Pilgrims' Peril • Stolen Power • Horde of the Illithid Controller • Astral Ambush

You've tracked the source of the recent incursions to a group of Mind Flayers in the Astral Plane. Time to travel the planes and stop the Illithid invasion.

Requires access to adventure pack
Definition: Adventure Pack
A list of all adventure packs
: Illithid Invasion

Astral Ambush
Heroic level:	None
Epic level:	34 (considered Legendary)
Duration:	medium
Heroic XP:	N/A
Epic XP:	♣17,407Solo/Casual ♦29,696Normal ♥30,380Hard ♠31,064Elite
Takes place in:	Astral Plane Illithid Base
Bestowed by:	Viryn Starglen
NPC contact:	Viryn Starglen
Quest acquired in:	Sharn - Clifftop Tower District
Patron:	The Twelve
Base favor:	9
Purchase:	Free to Play
Extreme Challenge:	Yes

Loading screen

Overview

The Twelve have located the source of the Mind Flayer incursion. Go to the Astral Plane Illithid Base and put an end to the Illithid invasion.

Spoiler Warning: Spoiler material below this point!

Objectives

Defeat the Mind Flayer Threat
Find a way into the Astral Fortress
Make your way through the Astral Fortress
Gain Access to the Ritual Platform
Slay Lonaxadar
(Optional) Slay Astral Hoard — Bonus (10%): Epic( ♣1,741 ♦2,970 ♥3,038 ♠3,106 )

Known Traps

Electric floor tiles

Tips and Misc

This quest involves a lot of jumping around in low-gravity zones, as well as running after retreating enemies. For hopefully obvious reasons, it is inadvisable to attempt it during a period of high server lag.
Another thing to note: spellcasting enemies in this quest, including the two red-named bosses, have a special enhancement called Fortress of Iron Will, which renders them immune to nearly all damage unless someone has recently engaged them in melee. All enemies with this ability are dangerous spellcasters; you need to close ranks fast.
You start in the southern of two jumping areas. You need to find two gravity switches around the area (the select key is your friend) to open a barrier to the north.
- One is on the tower wall to the east, one just ahead and a little down.
- Another set of switches are just down at the start and up to the west.
  - These open a barrier on the back of the tower with the red switch.
  - Inside the tower is a chest with a very visible health bar – opening this triggers an ambush from (surprise) a Mimic, Astral Hoard, and several piles of animated coinage. This fight unlocks a chest with augments and cards for the Deck of Many Curses.
Inside the fortress, fight your way through waves of Slaadi to a boss battle with the Illithid Slaadkeeper. Note that this first flayer boss also has Fortress of Iron Will.
You now emerge into a second jumping area with more Slaadi. You'll need to find two crests and place them in the central sockets to form a stairway to the ritual platform.
- You can also hop across a series of stone vertebrae to a locked chest guarded by several Slaad. This chest also may hold cards and augments!
On the platform, you fight the final boss, Lonaxadar, atop an electric floor. Staying on blue tiles will deal a great deal of electric damage in a short time, so is best avoided.
At half health, Lonaxadar teleports up to another platform and sets more Slaad on you, as well as breaking some of the floor beneath your feet. Falling off during the fight won't kill you, just drop you back in the center. Once the Slaad are dead, take one of two doors into the next room, which is essentially a repeat of the first half of the fight, only with less space and more Slaad.
With the last of the four Illithid Controllers out of the equation, you have repelled the invading Illithids from Eberron! Of course, there is still the slight matter of an Elder Brain to tangle with, but that's a problem for the future...
It is currently unknown if the two orbs have a purpose, except being breakable.

Bonus XP

Mischief bonus: 7 or more breakables smashed +8% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )
Vandal bonus: 9 or more breakables smashed +10% Bonus.( ♣-0 ♦-0 ♥-0 ♠-0 )

Loot

Chests: 3
One in the Astral Hoard's tower (contains augments and cards)
One locked at the end of the trail of vertebrae in the second jumping area (contains augments and cards); on Hard a roll of at least 85 is enough.
One end chest (may contain multiple of any/all types of cards)
Collectables:
- Fungus — At the end of the western trail in the first jumping area
- Adventurer's Pack — In the first cell in the fortress
- Fungus — By the northern crest
NPC rewards: standard

Named Chest Drop

Last Edited	Item	Type	Enhancements	ML	Bind	Quests
Update 63.1 5 months and 17 days PurpleSerpent	Legendary Fragment of a Flayed Mind ^(edit)	Trinket	Quality Wisdom +3Quality Wisdom +3: This item makes the wearer more in tune with her surroundings, granting a +3 quality bonus to Wisdom. Superior Reinforced FistsReinforced Fists: This item surrounds your fists with kinetic energy. Your unarmed damage is boosted by one and a half die. Enhanced Ki +4Enhanced Ki +4: Increases the rate at which the user gains ki with each successful attack. Concentration +21Concentration +21: Passive: +21 Competence bonus to the Concentration skill. Green Augment Slot: EmptyGreen Augments Named: Category:Green augments Blue Augments Named: Category:Blue augments AC: Natural Armor Bonus (+1 to +14) or Protection (Deflection bonus) (+1 to +11) ASF reduction: -5% to -15% Fortification: +25% to +100% Good Luck: +1 or +2 Hit points: +4 to +54 Max Dex Bonus (Armor): +1 or +2 Defense (PRR and MRR): +3 to +36 Saves (Resistance bonus): +1 to +11 Dodge: +1% to +14% Tactics DCs (Stunning, Sunder, Trip): +2 to +16 Accuracy: +2 to +22 Positive/Negative/Repair Healing Amplification: +3 to +57 Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	32	Bound to Account on AcquireBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire	Astral Ambush, end chest
Update 63.1 5 months and 17 days PurpleSerpent	Legendary Ring of Unbridled Might ^(edit)	Ring	Quality Strength +3Quality Strength +3: This item gives the wearer the power of Ogre Strength, granting a +3 quality bonus to Strength. Insightful Shatter +7Insightful Shatter +7: +7 Insight bonus to the DC of character's Sunder and Improved Sunder attempts. Insightful Stunning +7Insightful Stunning +7: +7 Insight bonus to the DC of character's Stunning Blow and Stunning Fist attempts. Insightful Accuracy +10Insightful Accuracy +10: Passive: +10 Insight bonus to attack rolls Green Augment Slot: EmptyGreen Augments Named: Category:Green augments Blue Augments Named: Category:Blue augments AC: Natural Armor Bonus (+1 to +14) or Protection (Deflection bonus) (+1 to +11) ASF reduction: -5% to -15% Fortification: +25% to +100% Good Luck: +1 or +2 Hit points: +4 to +54 Max Dex Bonus (Armor): +1 or +2 Defense (PRR and MRR): +3 to +36 Saves (Resistance bonus): +1 to +11 Dodge: +1% to +14% Tactics DCs (Stunning, Sunder, Trip): +2 to +16 Accuracy: +2 to +22 Positive/Negative/Repair Healing Amplification: +3 to +57 Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	32	Bound to Account on AcquireBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire	Astral Ambush, end chest
Update 63.1 5 months and 17 days PurpleSerpent	Legendary Illithid Charms ^(edit)	Trinket	Quality Charisma +3Quality Charisma +3: This item makes the wearer have more flair, granting a +3 quality bonus to Charisma. False Life +54 False Life +54: +54 Enhancement bonus to hit points. Quality Magical Sheltering +8Quality Magical Sheltering +8: +8 Quality bonus to Magical Resistance Rating Immunity to FearImmunity to Fear: The wearer of this item is immune to all fear effects. Green Augment Slot: EmptyGreen Augments Named: Category:Green augments Blue Augments Named: Category:Blue augments AC: Natural Armor Bonus (+1 to +14) or Protection (Deflection bonus) (+1 to +11) ASF reduction: -5% to -15% Fortification: +25% to +100% Good Luck: +1 or +2 Hit points: +4 to +54 Max Dex Bonus (Armor): +1 or +2 Defense (PRR and MRR): +3 to +36 Saves (Resistance bonus): +1 to +11 Dodge: +1% to +14% Tactics DCs (Stunning, Sunder, Trip): +2 to +16 Accuracy: +2 to +22 Positive/Negative/Repair Healing Amplification: +3 to +57 Yellow Augments Named: Category:Yellow augments Deathblock Elemental Resistance: +5 to +45 Immunity: Fear, Blindness Movement: Feather Falling, Striding: +10% to +30%, Swiftness +5% to +15%, Underwater Action Proof Against Disease, Poison: +2 to +10 Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus (Enhancement bonus) Spell points (Enhancement bonus): +19 to +294 Damage: +1 to +11 Spell penetration: +1 to +9 Colorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20 Colorless Augment Slot: EmptyColorless Augments Named: Category:Colorless augments Ability (Enhancement bonus): +1 to +14 Ability (Exceptional bonus): +1 Ability (Insight bonus): +5 Skills, except UMD (Competence bonus): +5 to +20	32	Bound to Account on AcquireBound to Account on Acquire: This item is Bound to Account on Acquire	Astral Ambush, end chest

⇑ ⇑ Back to top ⇑ ⇑

Any of the four cards forming the Deck of Many Curses (primarily Uncanny Cards)

This quest may also drop the following augments:

Monsters

Name ^{( picture )}	CR	Type	Race
Astral Hoard ^{( view • edit )}	●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite	Aberration	Mimic
Blue Slaad Thrall ^{( view • edit )}	●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Aberration	Slaad
Green Slaad Thrall ^{( view • edit )}	●♦35Epic Normal ●♥39Epic Hard ●♠44Epic Elite	Aberration	Slaad
Grey Slaad Thrall ^{( view • edit )}	●♦36Epic Normal ●♥40Epic Hard ●♠45Epic Elite	Aberration	Slaad
Illithid Slaadkeeper ^{( view • edit )}	●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite	Aberration	Mind Flayer
Lonaxadar ^{( view • edit )}	●♦37Epic Normal ●♥41Epic Hard ●♠46Epic Elite	Aberration	Mind Flayer
Pernicious Platinums ^{( view • edit )}	●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Construct	Animated Object
Red Slaad Thrall ^{( view • edit )}	●♦34Epic Normal ●♥38Epic Hard ●♠43Epic Elite	Aberration	Slaad