We have found the source of the dangerous rumors that had spread across Prontera and faced and successfully defeated Baphomet’s Shadow. We’ve also collected three of Lucy’s spirit pieces, the first of which gave us a clue that could help us solve the death of our newfound Assassin friend. While waiting for a correspondence from the dejected Bamph, we instead heard through the grapevine that the Captain of the Knights–the same Captain that had sent us to investigate the rumors about Baphomet–wants to meet with us again.
We hastily make our way back to Prontera, eager to find where our next adventure will take us. Is it going to be to the port-city of Alberta? Or to the mountainous region of Payon? Perhaps it will be to a faraway island, a newly-discovered one, filled with mystery and the unknown. Or will it be a local mission–rounding up some Z-Gang members in Prontera under the shadows of the great Prontera Castle?
Enlistment
When we get there, the same purple-haired chief gives out a big smile upon seeing us. Noticing that we now look stronger and more capable than the first time we met, he tells us that he’s happy that we’ve made some progress in our journey and invites us to join the Culvert Crusade Team.
Although hesitant to explore a damp, dark, and moist underground place, since we’re professional adventurers–or aiming to be, at least–we can’t just let any opportunity pass us by.
When we inquire further about this venture, the Captain explains that something odd is happening in the Culvert–that monsters have been coming out to attack humans and that many have been injured because of this. The main goal of the Culvert Crusade Team is to find the source of the outbreak and ensure the safety of Prontera’s citizens and anyone who might be in the area. Because of lack of manpower, the Knights have decided to recruit adventurers into this team and even offer rewards for those who will complete the mission.
Always eager to help, we let the Captain know of our interest in joining. He then informs us to meet with the Loyal Knight outside the West Gate. Before leaving, he hands us a “Proof of Crusade,” a letter confirming our membership into team.
The Prontera Culverts is a map in Ragnarok Online which is good for low-level grinding. This is also the same map where you can find the MVP, Golden Thief Bug, from which you can get the coveted GTB card that nullifies all magic spells–great for PvP and War of Emperium. It can be accessed in a similar fashion as in Ragnarok Origin. The player-character has to go to the Knights Guild in northwest Prontera and sign up for the Culvert Expedition.
Arriving at the West Gate, we see a blond-haired man clad in armor standing next to a bakery stall. A meal is laid out before him on a table, together with two tankards, which may indicate that this must be a popular hangout for the Prontera Knights. He greets us, informing us that the West Gate hasn’t been affected by the outbreak, but that we should get to the bottom of this before it affects the surrounding areas. He warns us that this mission could prove dangerous, and advises us to bring some First Aid Kits for our safety.
He runs north, toward the gate to the Prontera Culvert, and we attempt to follow him. Near the gate we are stopped by a guard who warns us about the monster outbreak. Upon informing him that we are part of the Culvert Crusade Team and handing him our Proof of Crusade, he immediately lets us in.
Damp, Dank, and Moist
The Loyal Knight has been waiting for us near the entrance, looking anxious. He sternly tells us that we have to wipe out all the monsters to prevent them from breaking out of the Culvert. We are to exterminate 10 Tarous–those cute little rats–which we accomplish in no time.
We go back to the Loyal Knight who then asks us if we’ve noticed how fast the monsters have been spawning, and how violent they’ve become. After agreeing with him, he hands us a Monster Transformation Potion from the Mages Guild, which was concocted to prevent us from engaging in unnecessary battles, seeing as this matter is of the utmost urgency.
And when we imbibe it…
…we turn into a giant Spore! In this form, we are able to use the Skills “Hiding” and “Hypnotize” to avoid being seen by both monsters and those who appear to be Acolytes. We try our best to navigate the area without getting caught, and we succeed! We manage to safely traverse the maze-like culvert and rendezvous with Andrew, the Loyal Knight, without a scratch.
Golden Thief Bug
The Loyal Knight then tasks us to find anything suspicious in the area. Upon splitting up, we find a blood trail. He thinks that someone who’s injured passed through this area. We quickly follow him and spot a man in one corner.
Looking fearful, he tells us to stay away from him, but seems to calm down after seeing the Loyal Knight. It turns out that this mysterious man is called “Kelsie” and is a fellow adventurer who volunteered to also be part of the expedition. He seems to have been injured, so the Loyal Knight starts tending to his wounds. We then are tasked to eliminate the flying bats known as Familiars.
When that’s done, we go back to meet the two and the Loyal Knight gives out a sigh of relief. He informs us that Kelsie’s wounds aren’t looking great and that he has to leave for his own safety. We offer to walk him out, but the proud Kelsie turns us down and gathers up his courage to leave the Culvert alone.
The Loyal Knight uses an Exorcism Rune to reveal the magic barrier that had trapped Kelsie. A ward appears beneath us and we are asked to destroy it. This results in a portal appearing right in front of us. And when we enter the portal…
…we see an Acolyte named Samael who looks surprised to see us. Next to him is the Golden Thief Bug’s Shadow! Although we make quick work of the GTB, Samael seems to have made an escape using his clever trick.
The Great Sage
We make our way back to the first floor of the Culvert, where the Loyal Knight tells us to check a few marks that were left by the Knight of Honor. We head north to inspect the mark, only to hear the Loyal Knight calling for us. We rush toward the voice to find the Knight of Honor, along with two guards.
The Knight of Honor informs us that energy fluctuations caused by the Heart of Ymir were detected in this area, along with fluctuations caused by a special magic barrier that still persists. The Loyal Knight joins in to tell everyone that his Exorcism Rune has been recharged and he can use it again to reveal the barrier. We quickly destroy a seal that’s bigger than the one before it. And inside the seal appears a… man?! We destroy the magic that’s sealed him in and he appears to be a scholar. What could he be doing in a place like this?
The mysterious man awakens. He seems very disoriented. We explain to him everything that’s happened, and he seems to have understood it completely.
As tasked by the Loyal Knight, we try to find out his identity and why he was stuck here. He introduces himself as “Varmundt,” a scholar who came to Prontera to study the energy changes in monsters. When he heard about the Culvert outbreak, he came to investigate but was immediately attacked by a stranger.
We hear the Loyal Knight’s familiar voice, telling us that this man is a great scholar called Varmundt! Who could he be?
In Ragnarok Online, Great Sage Varmundt is one of the major characters in the overarching plot of the game. Originally from the Schwartzvald Republic, he is a genius who was responsible for many of the scientific marvels found in the continent of Midgard and is well-known across the lands–or at least he used to be… More on that in another video.
If you’d like to learn more about him, we recommend doing the Airship Quests and the Republic of Schwartzvald Arc Quests in the original PC game, as well as Episode 17.2 of the game. To meet this great sage in all his glory, we suggest doing the Old Glast Heim instance dungeon.
One of his general voiced dialogues in Ragnarok Origin talks about the “Mercenary War,” which is a reference to his involvement in the event known as the Mercenary Rebellion between A.W. 781 and 782. This war is actually the backstory of the Rebel Job, which is the 2nd Job for Gunslinger.
The Loyal Knight looks surprised at the sight of this scholar. He explains that this Varmundt is called the “Great Sage” and that he could help us unravel the truth once he’s come to his senses. Unfortunately, the Culvert still remains a dangerous place as the monsters who were under control have now broken free. He hastily gives us a pair of Butterfly Wings and instructs us to take Varmundt back to Prontera for our safety.
Sage’s Memories
Arriving in the capital city using the Butterfly Wing, we find ourselves in front of the entrance to some sort of… library? Varmundt lets out a sigh of relief and thanks us for saving him.
The Great Sage looks down, as if trying to think. He suddenly remembers his research into an undiluted replica of this “Heart of Ymir,” and tells us that a diluted version was stolen from his laboratory. When he heard about the Culvert outbreak, he immediately thought that this was connected to his stolen artifact. He also vaguely remembers that this evil priest–Samael–could have been the one who had stolen the artifact and also trapped him when he got inside the Culvert.
Varmundt then asks us if we’re interested in experiencing his adventures, which could prove useful to us as aspiring Adventurers. He directs us into his Chamber, where magical books can be found on its innermost platform. These books can project our consciousness into the Great Sage’s memories, so we can experience his journey as our own.
Now, we have access to a game feature called Sage’s Memory, which are instance dungeons meant to be tackled in a party, based on Sage Varmundt’s past adventures.
And here ends our adventure for today. What other mysterious events will we find ourselves in next time?
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