Level 73, ilvl 375
74
Il Mheg (X:24.1, Y:30.5)
The Key to the Castle
Your quest to gain entry to Lyhe Ghiah and vanquish the Lightwarden sealed within has brought you to the domain of the water-bound Fuath, bearers of one of the four fae relics that comprise the key to the castle. The creatures agree to yield to you their relic, the shell crown, but in exchange they demand of you what they call “thrilling sport.” In order to fulfill your side of the bargain, you and your comrades sally forth into a realm of illusion as treacherous and unpredictable as its denizens...
During the battle with Aenc Thon, there are several abilities to watch out for. The first is Candy Cane, a tankbuster attack. Then there is Hydrofall, which involves two circle AoEs appearing beneath random players and dealing high damage to those hit. Laughing Leap is another ability, where Aenc Thon either uses a small circle AoE in the center of the arena or a stack marker on a random player, followed by a leap to the targeted area and a subsequent attack called Landsblood. Landsblood itself involves constant party-wide damage, along with the appearance of blue water AoE markers around the arena. These markers gradually become more opaque, indicating that they will soon "explode" and deal moderate damage while Stunning any players caught in the area of effect.
In this encounter, Griaule, the boss, has several abilities. The first is called "Swinge," which is a 60-degree frontal AoE cone attack. Another ability is "Fodder," where Griaule summons five untargetable "Painted Sapling" adds that tether to him. Players should intercept these tethers, as the adds will bestow the "Growing" buff to whoever they were tethered to after a short time. The "Growing" buff increases damage dealt, reduces damage taken, and physically increases the target's size. If a player gains a second stack of the "Growing" buff, it will be replaced with "Full-Grown," offering even greater benefits. However, the boss will continue to gain stacks. Griaule also has an ability called "Tiiimbeeer," which inflicts moderate party-wide damage. Lastly, there is "Coiling Ivy," where four "Painted Ivy" adds appear on each player, binding them in place with the "Fetter" debuff. Players can target and destroy these adds to remove the debuff.
In the encounter with Aenc Thon, the Lord of the Lengthsome Gait, players will face several challenging abilities. These include "Crippling Blow," which is a tankbuster attack. Aenc Thon will also use "Virtuosic Capriccio," dealing moderate damage to the entire party and applying a weak "Bleed" debuff, which can stack up to three times. Another ability, "Imp Choir," is a gaze attack that transforms any player hit into an "Imp" for 6 seconds. Aenc Thon will also cast "Toad Choir," which turns players in a wide frontal cone AoE into "Toads" for 6 seconds. Additionally, Aenc Thon will use "Funambulist's Fantasia," where he moves to the back of the arena and creates a gap in the center. Players must navigate a narrow and winding path to cross the pit, while Aenc Thon is protected by a barrier and summons the "Liar's Lyre" to cast "Finale." The Scions, if present, will react differently to this situation depending on the Trust system. Thancred and Urianger will bypass the maze using their abilities, Alisaie and Crystal Exarch will sprint through it, Y'shtola will use Sprint to increase her walking speed, and Minfilia and Alphinaud will cautiously walk, with Alphinaud eventually speeding up but Minfilia unable to reach the end before "Finale" casts. The "Liar's Lyre" can be damaged only inside Aenc Thon's barrier, and destroying it interrupts the "Finale" cast and stuns Aenc Thon briefly. If "Finale" goes uninterrupted, it instantly kills players outside of Aenc Thon's barrier. Aenc Thon also has a transformation ability called "Changeling's Fantasia" where he becomes the "Shade of Fear" and then reverts back to normal after a few attacks. If the battle lasts long enough, he may transform into a helpless frog. The Shade of Fear can use "Corrosive Bile," a wide lingering cone attack, and "Flailing Tentacles," where it slams its four tentacles in a line, dealing moderate damage and inflicting a high damage over time effect called "Concussion."