Beginner's Guide to Elumia

After the tutorial

Finish the tutorial first. When you are standing in the city of Elumia, the main story does not start on a random board. Walk to the Elumia Guard, Daruan Zim, and take Welcome to Elumia.

He sends you through the gate to Ava, the liaison. Tell her Daruan sent you. She writes your name into the search for King Godwin and points you at Taryn the Dragon Killer, by the glowing portal in the middle of town. That is the start of the story. The full chain is in quest progression below.

Visit Ava every time you level

Ava is not a one-time NPC. From level 2 through level 20 she has a claim waiting every time you level up. Open her dialogue, choose the level you just reached, and take the chest. If you skip a level, the older claim stays until you cash it in. Take them in order, lowest first.

Those chests are how you get dressed before the Sands. Notable stops:

• Level 2 — a class Common rune, plus rune shards and potions.
• Level 3 — a class Common weapon.
• Levels 4–7 — Common armour, another rune, an off-hand, then a helm.
• Levels 8–14 — Rare ring, Rare weapon, Rare armour, Rare amulet, Rare off-hand, Rare helm.
• Levels 15–19 — Mystic weapon, ring, armour, amulet, off-hand, and helm.
• Level 20 — the Level 20 Chest. This is the starter goal. It opens into four class Epic pieces, 100 rune shards, large health and mana potions, and 100 diamonds.

Equip that epic set before you treat yourself as ready for the next chapter. Taryn will not send you after the Bannerless captains until you are level 20, and the Level 20 Chest is the gear that matches that gate.

Quest progression

The opening story is five main quests. Do them in this order, and keep claiming Ava between steps.

1. Welcome to Elumia — Daruan Zim, the Elumia Guard. Report to Ava. She sends you to Taryn the Dragon Killer at the city portal. Reward is your first class chest piece: Guardian Armor, Scout Garb, or Lilith Bustier, depending on class.
2. Into the Forest — Taryn. Take the portal to the Tandaia Forest entrance and bring back the unmarked letter King Godwin left. Hand it to Taryn, then go back to Ava. Reward includes a Bronze Chest Key and potions.
3. In preparation — Ava. Stock potions from Dogo, food from Junne in the tavern, and look at the shops on Colosseum Square. Then visit Zete Wigcia in Colosseum Square and report back to Taryn. Reward includes a Gold Chest Key.
4. The Runaway King, part 1 — Taryn. Go deeper into Tandaia Forest and find the king's coded message. The portal can drop you in a different part of the forest each time, so plan on more than one trip. Reward includes a Mystery Dungeon Key and a Tandaia Temple Key.
5. The Runaway King, part 2 — level 20 required. Taryn sends you to Tandaia Temple for the journals of the four Bannerless captains: Captain Shook, Captain Blue Hawk, Captain Jack Flamingo, and Captain Vesta Firesome. You need a Tandaia Temple Key for each entry. A run may not contain the boss you still need, so expect repeats. Turn all four journals in to Taryn. Reward includes a Platinum Chest Key.

After part 2, Taryn tells you to keep training while he works out where the king went. That training is the rest of this guide: epic gear on, level 30, a pet, then the Sands of Time.

Level 20, then level 30

Two level gates matter.

• Level 20 — claim Ava's Level 20 Chest and wear the four Epic pieces. This is also when Taryn opens The Runaway King, part 2.
• Level 30 — this is the door to the real gear grind. Stop at the city, get a pet that can fight beside you, then talk to Lumie.

Use the forest, Ava's chests, and any dungeon keys you already have to cover 20 to 30. Do not walk into the Sands under-leveled. Lumie turns you away below 30.

Get a pet before the Sands

At level 30, pick up a combat pet. A pet fights with you, and the Sands are a long grind to do alone. In the city, the breeder handles dogs: breed two of the same rarity, craft dog food, and craft a Nian pet. Once you are inside the Sands, Lumie also offers pet crafting on the far side of the door.

Feed it. A pet with an empty bowl is not helping the pull.

Sands of Time, level 30 to 90

Lumie keeps the door. She is the interstellar squirrel in the city. Below level 30 she tells you to come back stronger. At 30 she opens the Sands of Time.

That zone is where you build your Aqua set, from the rank you can wear at 30 up to level 90. Aqua weapons and off-hands carry Water Damage. Aqua helms and chest pieces carry Water Resist. There is no masterwork track on Aqua pieces: one item per rank, so replace the set as your level climbs. The named ore ranks are Reefstone (20), Depthite (40), Kelpforge (60), Leviathium (80), and Thalassium (90). Filter Database v2 to the Aqua armor line for your class.

Lumie on the Sands side of the door can send you back to Elumia City, and she handles Stormforged upgrades for your class plus pet crafting. Leave when you need to repair, claim, or craft. Come back and keep climbing.

The zone-by-zone loot notes are in the Dungeon Loot Guide.

Optional: the Zarath set

If you want dungeon gear alongside the Aqua set, grind Zarath the Silent City. Yor Danmon in the city starts the key quest. The dungeon drops the Zarath set for your class: weapon, helm, armor, off-hand, ring, and necklace, from Common through Rare, Mystic, Epic, and Legendary. You spend a Zarath Silent City Key to enter. This is the dungeon set. The Sands Aqua set is still the 30-to-90 progression.

Pick up runes

Runes improve your skills. Do not leave them in a chest.

• Ava's early level chests include a class Common rune, and every claim from 2 to 20 includes rune shards.
• Crescent runes drop in colors (blue, yellow, green, red, and the rest). Pick them up whenever you see them.
• Kaidan Rex, Royal Runemaster of Elumia, crafts runes in the city. Talk to him and open Rune Crafting. Abexis Zhen is the other runesmith if you are already at that bench.

Slot a rune as soon as it is better than the one you have. A level 20 epic set with no runes is leaving skill power on the table for the whole Sands climb.

Order of operations

1. Clear the tutorial.
2. Talk to Elumia Guard Daruan Zim, then Ava, then Taryn.
3. Return to Ava every level from 2 to 20 and equip what the chest gives you.
4. Finish the main quests through The Runaway King, part 2, once the Level 20 Chest is on.
5. Reach level 30 and bring a pet that can fight.
6. Ask Lumie to open the Sands of Time and grind the Aqua set from 30 to 90.
7. Keep picking up runes and crafting them with Kaidan Rex.
8. Run Zarath the Silent City when you want the Zarath dungeon set.

Class differences are in the Class Selection Guide.