After days of shadow hunting and increasing the death count a couple of times Arcus and Ag tossed in the towel and gave up the hunt for a shadow portal gem.  Deciding to just be another gnu and follow the herd.  Swiftwind was online, so he joined us for the lag fest - this many white dots in one area haven't been seen since the days of portal storms in Arwic prior to it's destruction.

Puncture had obtained a portal gem to the Dark Towers and was conducting an AS1 guided tour on Saturday.  We arrived at the marketplace and buffed along with the masses.  As the flowers have been known to disrupt the formation of portals the gaggle moved to outside the hub and the portal was summoned on open, flat terrain.

Entering the portal brought us atop a tall mountain somewhere in the Obsidian Plains area. Totally flat the Bane Grievvers were in a semi-circle just awaiting our arrival. But with the size of this herd it is a wonder the summoned portal, appears with the death of a key shadow, was still in place as the last person arrived.

The next hilltop is more of the first, flat and more monsters.  Thus permitting the late arrivals to almost get a glimpse of a living monster.

On the third or it could have been forth such flat mountain peak in the distance was a bunker building discharging electrical bolts.  The party toasted the shadows and hustled into the shelter of the building.  The head shadow was dispacted most haste and the looting began.

It drops five of the prized necklaces, base 225 arcane to wield.  You get Battlemage's Boon and Hydra's Head level seven spells which increase target's natural mana and healing rate to 115% respective.  So if you are a mage of even the most modest spell casting ability the necklace is merely two less spells to cast for two hours, whoopie.

The necklace is transferable and useable by another so a pal can bring you one if you don't think you could survive the journey. - assuming they meet the arcane requirement.  The chest is reported to occassionally have a 6th necklace and a lot of sellable junk and salvage.

Ag

Assuming a more normal party of 3 or 4, the quest would be a slight challenge but not anything folks that hunt in the VoD or Caul really would have trouble performing.  Chest is on a seven day timer, as is possibly the necklace.