Strangers from a Strange Land
Investigation Mission: Savage Coast
Patch 1.2 Content Update
Strangers from a strange land is an investigation mission included in the 1.2 patch, Digging Deeper. This quest starts with Red at Red’s Bait and Tackle in the Savage Coast region. The quest provides some background on the arrival of the Vikings, a central part of the Darkness War dungeon story line. The quest involves solving clues related to mysterious rune stones.
Strangers from a strange land is, by far, the easiest investigation mission in the Secret World. It is entirely riddle based and most of the riddles are quite easy. Those that aren’t are actually complicated mostly by the changes from the original poem. We have included links to the epic for those interested.
However, strangers from a strange land isn’t a bad investigation. Actually, unlike most of the past investigations, this mission delivers. At the end of this quest, you really will know quite a bit about events happening in the distant past (and even present day) Solomon Island.
Strangers from a Strange land Step 1: Examine Red’s Map
The map sits on the wall at Red’s, above an old television. The map depicts a part of the Blue Mountains, surrounded by seven nordic glyphs. The quest updates to “Locate the first rune.” You find all of these in the Blue Mountains.
Need help finding the first rune?
The quest updates to listen to Huginn. There are two ravens on the north side of the stone, Huginn and Muninn.
Do you want to know more about these ravens?
Thought comes before memory. But memory recalls the path. I’m [Huginn] thought, he’s [Muninn] memory. You can have that one for free.
The quest updates to “listen to Muninn.”
We laid our blades upon this far shore, exhausted, only to lift them against worshippers of a dark sun. We carved this story in stone, where it still waits to be read.
Strangers from a Strange land Step 2: Locate the next rune stone
Need help finding the next rune stone?
The quest updates to “examine the rune stone.” Followed by “listen to Huginn”
Memory [Muninn] is a servant of those who prove worthy of thought [Huginn]. Hint-hint.
The quest updates to listen to Muninn.
From our frozen birthland, we crossed a white-capped sea to green isles of endless rain. This, too, we carved in stone.
Strangers from a Strange land Step 3: Locate the next rune stone
Need help finding the next stone?
The quest updates to “examine the rune stone.” Followed by “listen to Huginn.”
A wise man once asked of a king: “Who is the great one who grasps the earth, swallowing wood and water? Bad weather he dreads, wind, but no man, and picks a fight with the sun.”
The quest updates to “answer to Munin.”
Do you want to know the origin of that riddle?
Do you need help with the riddle?
Munin responds:
We carried a sword out from the lands of rain, and gave thanks to the gods. All must pass before the gods.
This appears to be a reference to Excalibur coming out of Britain.
Strangers from a Strange land Step 4: Locate the next rune stone
Need help finding the rune stone?
Once again you “listen to Huginn.”
The same wise man asked the king: “What beast is that which defends fighters; it bears a bloody back, but men it saves, meets spears, gives life to some, and lays itself inside a soldiers palm?”
Need help identifying beasts?
We “answer to Muninn,”
In our longships, we sighted where the dawn-people and sun-worshippers warred. We joined them, a hail of arrows sent before us to mark the path.
Anyone who has played Darkness War will find this story very familiar.
Strangers from a Strange land Step 5: “Locate the next rune stone.”
Need help finding a runestone?
“Examine the runestone” once again prompts us to “Listen to Huginn.”
Wise man king, you know the drill: “the mind-whacker, the word-thwarter, the word up-raiser.”
Need help making sense of silly birds?
Or, would you rather juts get the answer?
We answer to Muninn. Lore monkeys will be going crazy at this reveal!
“They did not know Loki walked among them, as he walks today [Freddie Beaumont]. He fought at their side, but he is a trickster. Guided only by rivalry with his brother. Let the thuder god also guide you.”
Strangers from a Strange land Step 6: “Locate the next rune stone.”
Need help finding a runestone?
Examine the rune stone once again directs us to listen to Huginn.
The wise man asked: Four hang, four sprang, two point the way, two ward off dogs, one dangles after and is always rather dirty.
Need help solving the riddle?
We, of course, answer to Muninn.
The game was done, this battle won. They had earned the wealth which was their reward, and only one place remained for them to go.
Phat lewts for vikings and wabanaki! I guess the only thing left to do after beating the menacing hordes of an evil sun god is to go to Dinseyland?
Strangers from a Strange land Step 7: “Locate the last rune stone.”
Need help finding the last rune stone?
Examine the rune stone once again prompts us to listen to Huginn.
Have you guessed? The wise man was the All-Father, the Wednesday man. The raven-god. In his honey dreaming we shall carry him these new thoughts, these new memories.
We are then instructed to listen to Munin.
In time, they made to return to the lands of snow. Only to be taken by the sea where the Draugr drown. This Loke knew, so he did not sail. Sotuh, he went, to find the secrets of the dark sun.
So, quite the interesting lore reveal. Loki (Freddie Beaumont) came over with the vikings and fought in the Darkness War. After the vikings won, they went to return home, only to be turned into Draug. Thus, the Varangian who fights at your side at the end of the Darkness War is none other than the Varangian you fight in Polaris.
Cool, sad, but cool!
