To help out those who haven’t gotten to check out the new content, we’ve decided to go ahead and put out a quick primer on how the event works and how you can aid your realm in securing the Ghost Keep!

The premise is simple. The realms race to complete ‘Supply’ quests that will allow the ‘Ancient’ NPCs enough power to begin a summoning process that will bring forth the spectral essence of a former Keep Lord for each realm (Lord Berkstead the First for Albion, Jarl Nottmoor for Midgard, and Chieftess Crimthain for Hibernia.) Unless noted otherwise, the quests described below are available for levels 45-50.

Supply Phase
PVE or RVR centric quests are offered to build up enough energy for one realm to begin the Summoning Phase.
These initial supply quests are available/can be completed in each realm under the following conditions:

1. The realm owns the keep where the summoning will take place. If this condition is not met, the ‘Ancient’ NPC will insist that you take back the keep before it gives out or allows you to complete any of these supply quests. (ex. Albion must own Caer Berkstead before the ‘Ancient Paladin’ will give out any supply quests or allow you to complete any that had been given out previously.) This means also that if a keep is taken while supply quests are underway, the quests cannot be completed until the keep has been taken back. No progress towards summoning is lost by this; it just delays the potential for summoning until the keep has been taken back.
2. No realm is attempting to summon or has summoned their Ghost Keep. If another realm has finished the requisite number of Supply Quest turn-ins and begun the summoning process, the ‘Ancient’ NPCs will not give out any additional supply quests or allow any supply quests to be completed until the other realm’s ghost keep or summoning process has been disrupted. When this is the case, the ‘Ancient’ NPC will direct adventurers to whatever keep is attempting to or has summoned successfully the Ghost Keep and will offer a quest to take out the Summoner or Ghost Keep Lord depending on the phase that the enemy realm keep is currently in. No progress is lost when this happens and the realm will continue where they left off when the rival Ghost Keep has been disrupted.

Ghost Keep Phase

Once a realm has successfully completed the Supply Phase, the ‘Ghost Keep’ will appear and offer the Grave Honor quest.

This is marked by the arrival of the Ghost Keep Lord (Lord Berkstead the First, Jarl Nottmoor the First, and Chieftess Crimthainn the First), ghostly guards, and the appearance of additional quest-giver NPCs. If you are level 50, be sure to see the Ghost Keep Lord as he will have a nice reward for those that helped out. Note: The reward item (Ring of the Summoned) has an ability that can only be recharged by giving it to the Ghost Keep Lord, which is only possible while the Ghost Keep is active. The quest that gives out the Ring of the Summoned can only be completed once, but the ring can be recharged anytime your realm has the Ghost Keep.

These new quest-givers, the Reaper Lord and the Wraith Lord, are servants of the Ghost Keep Lord and they will offer ‘Maintenance’ quests that will supply the needed energy for the Lord to remain on this plane.

The maintenance quests, like the summoning quests, come in PVE and RVR versions. Only one type can be completed at a time and either quest being completed will supply energy to keep the Ghost Keep around longer. The Ghost Keep Lord will give updates every so often on his health and hold on this mortal coil. If enough maintenance quests are not completed, the Lord will be called back from this plane and the Ghost Keep will be lost, opening the field for all the realms again.

For the enemy realms, the ‘Ancient’ NPCs will offer a quest and direct players to take out the ‘Ghost Keep Lord’. If they are able to do this, they will be rewarded for their effort and it will open up the ability for their realm to finish their own Supply phase and try to summon their own Ghost Keep. Just remember, if the other realm has a Ghost Keep, they have some cool stuff at their disposal, it’s in your best interest to take it away or prevent them from maintaining the keep so your realm can get it!