Embervale dug deep and often in its search for Elixir. Many are the scars on the earth. And fell are the creatures which infect those scars.
You need to pump your levels up before trying to take on the Ancient Vaults for the Farmer and the Carpenter. This is a basic fact of Enshrouded. The further out you go from your starting base, the tougher the enemies get, and there’s going to be a lot of enemies between you and those Vaults. Fighting enemies who are higher level than you does not inherently provide bonus XP. It just means more hit points you have to burn through. With that in mind, the best way to bump your levels to explore, to find new bits of lore, and take on challenges like the two Elixir Wells revealed to you after conquering the Springlands Ancient Spire.
The Woodgard Elixir Well
Make your way down to the Elixir Well from Harvest Homestead. It’s a large complex, so pop a Shroud Survival Flask before entering the Shroud to give yourself a little more time. There are a number of ruined outbuildings scattered everywhere, so it’s worth it to explore, kill roaming Shroud Mutants, and find chests whenever possible.
When you find the Return Beacon, you know you’re on the right track. Use the climbing wall to descend into the Well. There are a series of ladders and climbing walls that lead down to the ground. To the left is the more direct path to the Shroud Root, though you’re going to need to dispatch some Shroud Mutants and some Shroud Bugs. As you go along, you’ll notice dome-shaped Bug lairs where bugs respawn from periodically. With a good two-handed Mace or your Pickaxe, you can destroy these mounds to cut off further Bug respawns. By the same token, as you get closer to the Shroud Root, you’ll notice what look like tunnel entrances or doorways. These can also be closed off the same way. And it might be a good idea to do so before trying to take down the Shroud Root.
Once the doorways and nests are sealed off, clear out the Shroud Mutants, then take down the Shroud Root. The Shroud will clear, you’ll get a skill point, and you’ll be free to explore the chamber. There’s a gold chest on a platform just behind where the Root was standing, and there are a couple silver and common chests laying around as well. Note that any creatures you didn’t kill will still be active, as will any nests or doorways. Be careful, grind out that XP, and clear the remaining forces out before fast traveling back to base.
The Ferndale Elixir Well
The Ferndale Elixir Well is somewhat higher level than what you’ve been dealing with up to this point. The Shroud creatures in the encampment outside the Well will be at level 9, while most of the creatures inside the Well will be level 7. From Ferndale, head northwest. Make sure you’ve popped another Shroud Survival Flask before heading into the Shroud, then start taking out enemies. Once the perimeter of the Well is clear, climb up, get next to the Return Beacon, then descend the ladder. There is a climbing wall leading down to a platform, but you can jump straight down if you like. Jump across to the next platform, follow the path to another climbing wall, and head down.
Much like the Woodgard Well, the left-hand path is the more direct route to the Shroud Root. Aside from a few Shroud Bug nests and a couple of Shroud Mutants, it’s relatively uncontested until you reach a large ledge. You’ll see a sort of “diving board” on the right-hand side of the ledge, and a massive climbing wall leading down. There are also some Shroud Mutants, a couple of them armed with bows and bombs.
Once they’ve been dispatched, reinforcements arrive in the form of a level 9 Fell Thunderbrute. You don’t have quite as much room to operate as you did facing off against the boss in the Braelyn Elixir Well. Depending on how well things have gone, you might need to retreat to recharge your Shroud timer at the top of the Well again before taking him on. However, the same principles apply here as they did the first time. Blunt and Piercing damage work well. If you’ve been experimenting with magic weapons, Ice Bolts slow him down nicely, and Fire can help chip his health down. Once he’s defeated, there are a couple Shroud Mutants near the Shroud Root, but they can be defeated with much less hassle than the Thunderbrute. Chop that Shroud Root down with a Felling Axe to clear the Shroud in the Well.
This particular Well doesn’t have as much loot as the Woodgard Well, but there is a locked silver chest deeper in. Clear any remaining enemies, grab the loot, and fast travel out.
Elixir Wells Aftermath
If you weren’t level 7 before this, you should have hit that point or gotten very close to it during one or the other expeditions into the Elixir Wells. You can make up the difference by hitting the Scavengers in Rookmore and elsewhere. Or, go hunting for Wolves (Wolf Meat is the best cooking ingredient you can get in this general area) and stock up on Runes, Shroud Spores, Torn Cloth, and Plant Fibers to make Bandages. Stock up on supplies and materials. Preparations are important for the next stage of your efforts: rescuing the two remaining artisans from their Ancient Vaults. Keep an eye on GameLuster’s future Enshrouded guides to help you with that tricky mission!
