Guided by the comments of the town criers Shan Zhen was quickly found.

Shan Zhen tells you,

"I need to ask your help.  We are trying to locate Asheron, or at least find his trail.  He left behind a Portal Servitor Golem that apparently keeps information on Asheron's last movements before he left Dereth, but the Golem has been imbued with a strict sense of security, and has refused to divulge any of its master's secrets!  There must be some way to prove to the Golem that we seek to help its master.  Please travel to the Empyrean temple at 67.4 N, 30.5 E and see if you can get that Golem to reveal what it knows!"

NOTE: about the closest portal drop is the Glystaene Cottage (8.8N 60.8E) Portal in the Rithwic housing ring.  Also close is New Colier Portal (40.2N 35.1E) in the Holtburg housing ring or Bretslef Cottages (66.2N 14.3E) Portal of the Crater Lake/Mt Esper housing ring.  Easy/quick access to Cragstone and a one of these drops near the Portal Servitor Golem is very benefitical during this entire quest!

Portal Servitor tells you, "I sense that the apprentices of the sword sage have sent you.  This is meet by my master's wishes.  But I must ensure that you are a true friend of my master.  You must bring me three heirlooms of the House of Realaidain.  A true friend of my master would know such artifacts.  Bring me first the necklace that belonged to my master's family."

Hmmmm a True Friend, well I can't recall any one so described but then that bozo in cragstone knew about the golem so lets start with him and hope he is a 'true friend' of Asheron.

NOTE: If you hadn't rushed off from Shan Zhen immediately after hearing about the Portal Servitor's location but approached him again, you would have gotten the following informaton:

Shan Zhen tells you,

"I asked you to seek out the Portal Servitor Golem at 67.4 N, 30.5 E.  Have you done so?  If the Portal Servitor makes a strange request of you, come back to me and I may be able to help you... I am well studied in the ways of Asheron.

and thus you would have KNOWN he was to be returned too.

Shan Zhen tells you,

"Ah, you've made contact with the Portal Servitor?  Excellent.  But it demands some kind of family heirloom of Asheron's?  A necklace that once belonged to House Realaidain?  I half-expected some kind of test like this.  Here, this note may illuminate your search for such a necklace..."

Shan Zhen gives you Eastern Vault Notes.

Reading thru the notes it is obvious to one schooled in Dereth geography that the Bleak Valley (32.0N 59.4E) Portal of the Arwic housing ring is the closest drop to the Realaidain Eastern Vault (52.5 N 38.9 E).

When entering please note that while the entrance portal is neither tieable nor recallable, the exit portal is. House Golem tells you, "My master left me here to pass knowledge along to those who serve the sword sage.  Is that you?  I cannot fulfill my function and give you what I was charged to give you because I have been damaged by the servants of evil, who have taken over this vault.  Seek out the dark mage that bears the portion of Imbued Pyreal that was taken from me.  Bring me back that which I have lost, and I will be able to fulfill my master's geas."   The House Golem stands between two groups of five poduims that contain various types of Necklaces.

East side tree ruby flame sapphires bird emeralds flame rubies tree emeralds  West side crown rubies crown emerads bird rubies heart diamonds heart sapphires

Down a level and then up two as I recall one, after a lot of dead Sclavus and Falatacot consorts later one finds Karkuul the Defiler in a round or octagonal room with bookcases, he carries the desired Mote.

You give House Golem Imbued Pyreal Mote. House Golem gives you A Note on Ancient Necklaces.   House Golem tells you, "This is what I seek.  I am now fully capable of discharging the duties upon which my master laid me.  He left a note for me to give to those who would follow him at the direction of the sword sage.  I give this to you now and consider my duty fulfilled."   A quick read of the Note on Ancient Necklaces, reveals the need to visit Felscuda Yanshi for a text with cipher key to decrypting the code which indicates which necklace the Portal Servitor desires.   Note: decrypted cipher at bottom

Grab the wrong one, and:
You have solved this quest too recently!
You may complete this quest again in 29m 44s.

If you weren't certain on picking up the right one you can:  You allow House Golem to examine your Ancient Necklace.

House Golem tells you,

"That is not for me, human, but I sense that you have chosen the correct necklace."

So with the correct Necklace in hand, time to return to the Portal Servitor. Portal Servitor tells you, "This is the necklace that once belonged to House Realaidain.  It was the necklace which my mistress Lady Maila wore most often, given to her by my master Lord Atlan after the birth of their son, my master Lord Asheron.  You have proven yourself worthy to seek the second heirloom.  I require a ring that once belonged to House Realaidain.  Seek out the true and proper ring.  Do not be fooled by false rings." You've earned 6,891,063 experience.

A proper ring, but no guidance.  Hmmm wonder if a 'true friend' would have any information or guidance on the subject.  Thus it is back to Cragstone   Shan Zhen tells you, "The Portal Servitor demands a ring of the House of Realaidain?  Fair enough, I believe I have a piece of information that would illuminate your search..." Shan Zhen gives you Northern Vault Notes.

My encylopedic recall of Dereth geography tells me the Stone Triad Dell (75.5N .9E) portal out of the Crater Village/Mt Esper housing ring would drop me close by.

House Golem tells you,

"My master left me here to pass knowledge along to those who serve the sword sage.  Is that you?  I cannot fulfill my function and give you what I was charged to give you because I have been damaged by the servants of evil, who have taken over this vault.  Seek out the dark mage that bears the portion of Imbued Pyreal that was taken from me.  Bring me back that which I have lost, and I will be able to fulfill my master's geas."

 

A bit smaller then the first dungeon using left-hand rule I travel down two levels then up too before running into the mage Vizidh the Despoiler.   Running back or if you first entered the dungeon, immediately exited and re-entered you could portal recall outside and dash back in to see the House Golem.
You give House Golem Imbued Pyreal Mote. House Golem gives you A Note on Ancient Rings. House Golem tells you, "This is what I seek.  I am now fully capable of discharging the duties upon which my master laid me.  He left a note for me to give to those who would follow him at the direction of the sword sage.  I give this to you now and consider my duty fulfilled."

NOW would be the required side trip through the 3 Metos dungeons to visit the Golem Warden to obtain the decrypt text, or scroll to the bottom. 

Approaching the house golem doesn't reveal much more. House Golem tells you, "You have aided me, human, and recovered the missing portion of my mind-essence.  My master would be pleased.  I have given you the note my master entrusted to me.  I can do no more for you."   Empowered by the decrypted text you snag the correct ring and head back to the Portal Sevitor, You give Portal Servitor Ancient Ring. You've earned 6,891,063 experience. Portal Servitor tells you, "This is the ring that once belonged to House Realaidain.  It was the ring with which my master Lord Atlan sealed his documents and signified his lordly commands.  You have proven yourself worthy to seek the third heirloom.  I require a goblet that once belonged to House Realaidain.  Seek out the true and proper goblet.  Do not be fooled by false goblets."

Again with the get a goblet and no info, must be my old pal and 'True Friend'.  So back to Cagstone we

go.
Shan Zhen tells you,

"So now, the Portal Servitor seeks a goblet of the House of Realaidain?  I think I have a note that would help this search..."

Shan Zhen gives you Western Vault Notes.

These notes talk of the western vault sw of stonehold at 58.0 N, 20.8 W.  But the Hidden Valley (69.6N 20.31W) Portal from the Stonehold housing ring would drop me closer and save a lot of running.  If one goes west up the hill then skirts the rim of the canyon west/south to the Vault's location.

House Golem tells you,

"My master left me here to pass knowledge along to those who serve the sword sage.  Is that you?  I cannot fulfill my function and give you what I was charged to give you because I have been damaged by the servants of evil, who have taken over this vault.  Seek out the dark mage that bears the portion of Imbued Pyreal that was taken from me.  Bring me back that which I have lost, and I will be able to fulfill my master's geas."

 

Even smaller then the second all too quickly, Haisanix the Destroyer's life is cut short and the mote recovered.  Back to the House Golem then.	//pic of haisan//
	pic of haisan stats

You give House Golem Imbued Pyreal Mote.
House Golem tells you,

"This is what I seek.  I am now fully capable of discharging the duties upon which my master laid me.  He left a note for me to give to those who would follow him at the direction of the sword sage.  I give this to you now and consider my duty fulfilled."

 

House Golem gives you A Note on Ancient Goblets.

Now would be the time to fetch one of Asheron's portal artifacts from the Mountain Sewers inorder to obtain the decrypt letter from Bretself of Cragstone.   The decrypt is again at the bottom of here to help you chose the correct goblet.   If you get the wrong one and you will end up seeing this:

You allow House Golem to examine your Ancient Goblet.
House Golem tells you,

"That is not for me, human, but I sense that you have not chosen the correct goblet.  You chose... poorly."

and have to wait 30 more minutes to grab the right one.  If you don't wait and rush back to Portal

 

approach the Portal Servitor with the wrong one you will then see

 

You allow Portal Servitor to examine your Ancient Goblet.

Portal Servitor tells you,

"This is a false artifact.  It is not the one I seek.  Begone with you."

Here there are in fact two such cups, besure to take the one closest to the House Golem.  The Portal Servitor did mention a false cup, however there was as far as I could determine NO way to distinguish between the false and true without trial and error.

True Goblet:

False Goblet:

Picking up the true goblet it was time to once again see the Portal Servitor.

You give Portal Servitor Ancient Goblet.
You've earned 6,891,063 experience.
Portal Servitor gives you Asheron's Departure Journal.
Portal Servitor tells you,

"This is the goblet that once belonged to House Realaidain.  It was the vessel from which my master Lord Atlan and my mistress Lady Maila drank at their betrothal feast.  You have proven yourself worthy to receive the knowledge my master Lord Asheron left behind.  Bring it to the apprentices of the sword sage."

IMPORTANT NOTE: up until this point you may re-enter any of the vaults, however talking to Shan Zhen this one last time for your final xp reward will delete your flagging for the vaults.  So if you have friends to escort thru or show around DO NOT as yet go back to Shan.  This quest besides the xp reward, appears to be merely a flagging for next month's patch of the main story line.  ONLY return to Shan when you no longer need to re-enter the vaults. 

So it is back to Cragstone and the 'True Friend'.

You give Shan Zhen Asheron's Departure Journal.
Shan Zhen tells you,

"At last!  The item we seek!  This should explain to us what Asheron was thinking when he departed, and, hopefully, should provide clues to replicating the ritual that he used to go wherever he went... I shall need some time to peruse this.  You have my thanks, Queen Elysa's thanks, and the thanks of my mistress, whom I should not name..."

You've earned 6,891,063 experience.

further inquiries only reveal
Shan Zhen tells you,

"You have done all I asked and aided the Servitor Golem.  I can ask no more of you."

Some time to peruse this, sounds like 'to be continued later' to me.

Portal Servitor tells you,

"You have proven yourself to me and I have given to you my master's notes.  I can tell that you have already passed on my master's notes to the apprentice of the sword sage.  This would be pleasing in my master's eyes.  I have also made the preparations that will be necessary for one to follow in my master's steps.  No more can I do for you now."

Ag Nar

with thanks for assistance by Eighty Sixer, Le Blue Streak and Vectoria.

 

 

 

 

goblet, bretself the translator

BBZEMFCDCSRZJ

2718281828459

DIAMONDLEAVES 

bret letter 2.71828182845904523536028747

ring, golem warden

ZFBRHTSLSPJLV

1732050807568

AMETHYSTSWORD

rune warnings 1.73205080756887729352744634 

necklace folthoid, felsuda  

DGDJAIATJGPJ

161803398874

EMERALDCROWN

ruminations portal creation 1.61803398874989484820458683

If your toon is too low to go on this main quest it is just right for the decrypt side quests.  If the toon is high enough to go on the main quest then IF it goes on the side quests it will NOT get the decrypt letters.