Guild Wars 2 – Rending the Mantle

This is the second mission in the story line for those who chose the regret of having unknown parents. Head out to the Ojon's Lumbermill Waypoint and head East from there. If it is contested at presented then use the Krytan Waypoint and head to the North from there. Head toward the Hunting Lodge found in the Queen's Forest. There you will find the entrance to this instance.

Once inside the instance head forward to meet with the Exemplars Salia and Mehid. Talk with either and confirm that you are ready to attack the White Mantle gathering inside the lodge. Now head to the Northeast and into the lodge itself. There is a doorguard who will announce your entrance to the entire tavern when you get close enough. He, at Lvl. 13 and 4 Lvl. White Mantle Zealots will attack you. Fend them off and then head inside the tavern.

Inside the tavern attacked by 2 lvl. 13 Cultist. Defeat them and you have 4 more to deal with immediately after. Just keep the attacks coming. When it is all done you will find the Bartender cowering behind the bar. Go over and talk with him:
Bartender: “Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me! I've got so much to give!”
Hero: “Whoa, there, friend. Nobody's going to hurt you. Just tell me everything you know about the White Mantle.”
Bartender: “White Mantle? Seriously? Here? Oh, gods. I was paid to cook food, serve drinks, and mind my own business. I had no idea! I didn't know the White Mantle was real!”
Hero: “Well, you don't look like a fanatic. Go on, get out of out.”

With him dealt with, head on up the stairs to the second floor. There is nothing left here on ground level. On the second floor, to the left, a Cultist will call you out. You have 3 to fight here. Beat them and then turn to the North and head on up to the third floor.

Up there you will find 3 more Lvl. 13 cultists to deal with. Beat them and head into the next room. Time for a little negotiation. Inside the room to the South you have a White Mantle initiate holding one of the patrons hostage. If you have good charisma you will have the option of diplomacy:
Initiate: “Stay there! Don't … don't come any closer. I swear, if you do … I'll … I'll kill her!
Hero A) “This is between you and me. Let the girl go.” + Ferocity
Initiate: “You wanna fight me? Without your t-two friends? Fine. Fine! I'll take you on!
    Hero: “On second thought, let's talk about this first.” - Back to first dialogue
    Hero: “You're nothing, do you hear me? Bring it on.” - Battle

Hero B) “Hey, relax. I just want to talk, then you can go. (Charming)” + Charisma
Initiate: “You won't hurt me? Okay, I … I surrender! The Confessor's in the basement. They never let me go down there. The Confessor's the one you want!
Hero: “You did the right thing. Stay here, and stay calm.”

Hero C) “Take it easy. You don't have to hurt anyone”
Initiate: “I don't believe you! You're with them – the Blade! Now either you let me out of here, or this girl dies!”
Hero: “Take a deep breath, and think about what you're doing.” - back a dialogue
Hero: “Let the girl go, and you get out of here. But you'd better not stop running until you're halfway to Rata Sum.” - he runs
Hero: “Here's another option: you die.” - fight

After it is dealt with then you have 3 Cultists to kill. Deal with them and then start down to the basement. On the second floor you are attacked by 3 more cultist. Press on down to the ground floor below. Head to the Northern end of the lodge. There you will find 3 more Cultist, all lvl. 14. Defeat all of them then turn to the left and open the door to the basement.

Interact with the door to the basement and it is determined that it is held with a very flimsy lock. A solid kick will bring it down. On the other side you have the leader waiting for you:
Countess Esthel: “You incompetent idiot! Failing not enough, you have to lead the Shining Blade right to us?”
Informant: “It wasn't me, but I'll make sure they don't live to tell the tale. Attack!”
Esthel: “Happy to meet you, hero. Happier to kill you.”

Time for some more fighting. You are immediately attacked by a cultist. When the two in the back of the room finish talking they will attack you as well. They are lvl. 15 and decently tough. Still, they are not a hard to manage fight at all. Just pound away on them and it will be over before long.

With them dead it is time to start searching the room. Start with the chest that is by the stairwell you took down. It simply has clothes in it. Move on to the table to the left of it. It has numerous papers by the White Mantle that are encoded but they continue to yield nothing. Move onto the desk. It is nearly empty, simply being filled with empty ink pots and writing implements. Continue over to the Bookcase that is against the Southern wall on the right. It is here you will find the first clue: a book called : “To Serve the Unseen.” Skip the desk for now and move onto the bookcase in the opposite corner. This lets you read a book on Krytan history. It gives a history of Kyrta, explaining the fall of the White Mantle and the rise of the Shining Blade. Turn around and head to the next bookcase on the right. It will let you read about Asuran architecture. It is filled with arcane equations that only an Asura could possibly make sense of. Head onto the last bookcase. This allows you to read some about the Bloodstone and its mythical history.

Move onto the paper-covered desk in the middle of the Southern wall. This has a letter you can show to Mehid and Salia, as it has your name and many others on it. Show it to them to trigger the next cutscene:
Hero: “Hey, I found something. A list of names. Captain Thackeray, Countess Anise, a few others … here's my name, with a description: 'Hero of Shaemoor, child of queen's spies'?”
Mehid: “Grenth's teeth, it's a list of targets! Every name on here is one of the queen's allies. If they managed to take out all these people ...”
Hero: “We won't let that happen. But first, I have to warn Captain Thackeray. I can't let him face this danger alone. He may even be able to help us.”
Salia: “You're right. Anise won't like us sharing information so recklessly, but this is an emergency. We'll meet you at Captain Thackeray's office. Stay safe.”

If you want to improve a personality score, then talk with either Salia or Mehid. Leave the instance after the conversation and head for Divinity's Reach. Head to the Palace Waypoint and turn to the North from there to get into Thackeray's office and into the next instance. You can then listen to Countess Anise tear into the other 2 Shining Blades a bit. They will then go over to Thackeray and it is time for another cutscene:
Logan Thackeray: “You look grim, my friend. What's wrong?”
Hero: “We've learned that the White Mantle has been trying to eliminate the queen's allies. My name was on a light of targets we found. So were yours and the countess's, among others.”
Logan: “The White Mantle? We can't let those roaches continue to spread. I'll mobile the Seraph and burn this cult to the ground!”
Countess Anise: “Logan, no. You've been fighting centaurs for too long. The White Mantle are cunning, treacherous foes. They will predict your moves, outmaneuver you. The Shining Blade has been fighting them for a long time. We know the best way to deal with the mantle: stealth and cunning.”
Exemplar Mehid: “We need to move quickly. They probably know we're coming either way. Our friend has been invaluable so far. Perhaps the Hero of Shaemoor can offer some insight here.”
Logan: “Agreed. So, my friend, the choice is yours. Stealth, or strength?”

This is the choice mission of the storyline. You can either side with Logan and choose to take on the White Mantle head on in, “Drawing Out the Cult” or siding with Anise to spring a trap on the White Mantle in, “The Sting.” Talk with Logan to learn some of the details on either side:
Logan: “Well, 'Hero's Name', I trust your judgment. How do you want to deal with this White Mantle problem?”
Hero A) “Let's review our options”
Anise: “I propose we ambush the White Mantle. We send an important official to patrol to Blackroot Cut, near one of the White Mantle's main hideout. When they attack our bait, we wipe them out.”
Hero: “And what's your plan, Captain?”
Logan: “A direct attack. Take some Seraph with us to Gnashar's Hills, attack one of the White Mantle's strongholds near there, and raze the place to the ground. Simple, violent, and effective.”

Hero B) “I like the sound of luring the White Mantle into a trap.”/ “I like the idea of a trap. Let's go with the Shining Blade's plan.”
Anise: “Excellent. I'll meet you at the Seraph Protectors Outpost here. Salia and Mehid have been part of this operation from the beginning, so they'll remain your primary contacts with the Shining Blade.”
Hero: “Sounds good to me. See you there.”

Hero C) “A direct attack worked before. Let's put that strategy to work again.”/ “Your plan sounds good. Let's attack them directly.”
Logan: “Done. I'll meet you outside their camp there, in Gnashar's Hills. Exemplars Salia and Mehid will be there as well, so it's only far to let them see it through.”
Hero: “Understood. See you there.”