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Tainted Sun:
Recommended Level: 16-19
Quest Given By: Drognan
Location: Valley of Snakes
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: The Horadric Staff
Objectives: Destroy the Claw Viper Temple
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Introduction:
The Tainted Sun is a quest, which has a two-fold purpose. First it’ll allow you to complete the third quest and their banish the unnatural night, secondly it’ll give you the headpiece for your Horadric Staff (You can obtain the other two pieces via our previous walkthrough). The quest itself is of moderate length, but the final boss, ‘Fangskin,’ may prove to be quite difficult. Many of the monsters use poison attacks and hence Antidote potions are vital. Lightning Resistance will also help when you face Fangskin.
To Reach to Claw Viper Temple:
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| Poison is everywhere in this quest, here are just two unfortunately adventurers who forgot to buy their antidote potions. |
To receive the quest, you’ll need to take the waypoint back to Far Oasis. From here find its second exit, this will lead you to the Lost City. As soon as you enter the new area, a strange darkness will befall the whole place. Clicking on you’re your quest log will reveal that the Tainted Sun quest is now available. Cast a town and portal back to Lut Golein.
After talking to Drognan, you’ll be given the task of destroying the Claw Viper Temple. Go back to the Lost City and start to explore it, there’ll be a waypoint somewhere around the area. The place is again split into an upper and a lower level, so go take the ramp up one the lower level is fully explored.
The Lost City is Populated by Night Slingers (Spear Cats who Throw Poison Potions), Night Tigers (Powerful Saber Cats), Marauders (Tougher Sand Raiders), Tome Raider (Tougher Leapers) and Disease Carriers (Power Decayed). Due to the Night Slingers, you’ll be poisoned excessively here. However if you keep running, most of them will miss you. Always eliminate the Night Slingers first, as their poison has a capacity to do serious damage.
During your explorations, you’ll probably find an entrance to a non-quest dungeon, “Ancient Tunnels”. Clear it if you wish, as there’s the usual prospect of some magical items. Once done, keep searching the upper levels till you find a passageway leading you to the Valley of Snakes.
The Valley of Snakes is an extremely small area, featuring a large entrance to the Claw Viper Temple and a Flame Cannon that guards it. The Flame Cannon here’s quite tough, it has the ability to shoot three deadly balls of fire at once. The best way to kill it is by using missiles, and to sidestep whenever it shoots. If done correctly, you can kill the cannon with 0 damage. Alternatively, you may just run past the cannon to enter the temple.
Navigating the Claw Viper Temple:
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| A Sorceress unleashes a power Nova on her would be attackers. |
The Claw Viper Temple hosts mostly Snake Demons. There are two variations, gray Claw Vipers and crimson Salamanders. Don’t be fooled by their apparently slow speeds, as they can charge at you from a fair distance, both stunning and knocking you back. Due to this, low-ranged missiles are quite ineffective, and hence either use melee or attacks which have a long range. Salamanders are the tougher of the two, and resists fire, therefore Lightning, Cold and physical attacks are your best bet.
There may also be Guardians (Tougher Hollow Ones) and their undead kin (Bone Warriors, Bone Magi, Disease Carriers), in this case use cold spells or weapons to shatter their minions is the best solution. You can use the same tactics against them as you did when fighting Radament (See here).
The Temple is split into two levels, the first is of considerable size while the second contains a single room. As always, it’s best for you to lead out the monsters rather than the monsters leading you in. It is suggested that you explore the first level thoroughly before venturing into the second as it contains a few shrines, which you’ll find quite helpful. If there is a lightning resistance shrine, you’ve struck gold. Save it till you are about to venture onto the second level.
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| A Necromancer sets off a powerful explosion… the first of many more to come. |
Once you’re ready to venture down, summon a Portal and refill your belt. The boss you are going to fight is lightning enchanted, and hence any form of lightning resistance will help greatly. Once preparations are made, descend down the steps.
Destroying the Temple:
A Dozen Claw Vipers and Salamanders will rush to attack you as soon as you’re on level 2. However it’s their lead viper, Fangskin, that’ll prove to be the problem. While not exceptionally tough, the boss is lightning enchanted and will unleash a multitude of Charged Bolts if attacked. These do significant damage, and can even kill a warrior within a minute or so.
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| Once it’s guardians are dead, destroying the temple is easy. Just watch out for the headpiece to your Horadric Staff that’ll fly out. |
Your best chance here is to avoid fighting Fangskin and focus on his minions. Fangskin himself doesn’t deal nearly as much damage with his claws as he would with his lightning. Once all the minions are dead, run towards the temple (forwards) and kill more Vipers and perhaps a Guardian that’s stationed there. Now face Fangskin alone. Mages and the Amazon should stay back from him and launch far range spells or missiles, this way his charged bolts will scatter before they reach you.
Throughout the siege, the staircase back to level 1 offers a quick retreat. Use it whenever your mana or health is down, it’s much safer to drink potions without the company of the snakes. Once your foes are all dead, click on the center of the temple. The headpiece for your Horadric Staff will be revealed, and the temple itself sent to oblivion. Quest completed.
Class Specific Tips:
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| A Necromancer sends bodies flying (literally) in his attempt to send Fangskin to hell. |
Iron Maiden and Corpse Explosion are still your primary spells. However once you reach level 18, put 1 skill point on Bone Spear. This spell allows you to kill one foe with concentrated fire, so you can use it’s body to start a chain reaction of explosions.
Before venturing to the second level of the Snake Viper temple, make sure you’ve got all your minions with you. It might even be helpful to hire a mercenary to add to the cannon fodder. Once down below, use Iron Maiden to curse all your foes and let your minions keep them back. Fire Bone Spear at a Claw Viper and use it’s corpse to blow the rest up. This allows you to kill Fangskin with the Minami amount of hits, and hence minimal damage.
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The Staff of Kings that you now hold is a powerful weapon, and you should definitely arm your Sorceress with it. Its incredible attack speed almost makes it possible for your Sorceress to take out Monsters via melee combat. Ice Blast and Glacial Spike are very useful here, as your Staff makes it easy for you to shatter their frozen forms. Nova should still be used whenever you’re surrounded.
Hire a Mercenary when you’re about to descend to level 2 for cannon fodder. As soon as you see the Claw Vipers, unleash three Novas, this will kill almost all of Fangskin’s Minions. Now quickly retreat back to level 1 before the majority of his charged bolts reach you. When your back on level 2, stand far back from Fangskin and fire a volley of Glacial spikes on his chilled form.
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With a level 6 mastery on your primary weapon, you’ll have little problem blazing through the lost City. Just remember to roar howl your ever surrounded. Leap attack is also useful is getting past such situations. When facing Fangskin, use howl to send his minions scattering. Now use bash to destroy Fangskin in the minimum amount of hits possible. Retreat back to level 1 and heal if you’re ever severely wounded. Once Fangskin is dead, the rest is easy.
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The Viper enemies you will meet here can deal out a hefty blow, especially when they use their bash attack. Use the thorns aura to let them take the blow back. Keeping Zeal as your primary attack, wade through the halls, keeping the Vipers and the Guardians as primary targets.
Fangskin can be quite difficult due to his lightning enchantment. If you have the lightning resist aura, now’s the time to use it. Switch your aura to might, and your primary attack to sacrifice to deal great damage, though be careful of your hit points. Try to attack him in his blind spot, such as directly above him. In these places, it’s less likely for the Charged bolts to strike you.
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By now your Amazon should be quite skilled at Critical Strike and Dodge. Cold arrows are great against the Guardians and their minions, as there will be no corpses left to raise. When facing ‘Fangskin,’ hire a mercenary for cannon fodder. Shoot down the normal vipers with either arrows or javelins. When facing the boss himself, as long as you keep a decent number of tiles between you and the boss, you’ll be able to avoid his charged bolts by simply stepping back to level 1. Repeat the process till she’s completely dead.
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