Hero Initiation

Quest Overview

Become a HERO of Dereth! With Hero status, you raise the level cap beyond 50, gain hero skill points, a focus bar, the ability to go to Arramora, and the ability to craft pure mana charges.

Start Location: Archon's Holding (Quest Starter Portals inside dungeon)
Requirements: Level 45
Quest Starter: Holding Portal Gem
Time Limit: 24 hours
Repeat Time: not repeatable
XP Reward: 100,000,000 XP
Other Rewards: Hero Status

Preparation

When you are ready to start the hero quest, try to gather these items and check this information before starting the quest. It's not necessary, but can save you some time and backtracking.

Holding Portal Gem - You need at least one to enter the Archon's Holding dungeon at Fortress Goarata (35.4S, 45.7W). These drop frequently from Revenant Collaborators. You'll have to backtrack to the Archon's Holding many times. Even though you can use the portal after the first time, you can save time by stocking up on as many gems as possible.
Rattles of Blind Death and Bloodstone Ichors - If you go with a group, you can skip these. If not, these are extremely useful for soloing the Catacombs of Artefon. With Rattles, no Revenants attack (only skeletons), and the ichors allow you to heal the damage the skeletons do.
Sliver, Shard and Fragment of Enlightenment - These are rare bloodstone drops and can also be traded. If you have any (or all), the quest becomes much faster. If not, don't despair. When you get to the part of the quest that you need the gem, you have a much higher chance for it to appear directly in your bag when you kill one of the 3 bloodstones that can drop it (Oozing, Seeping or Weeping).
Portable Nexus to Hero Shrine - If at least one person in fellow has one of these, you can reach the shrine at the conclusion much more quickly.
KEYS - Every time you are inside the Archon's Holding, pick up all the keys you find in the rooms. Only with those keys you can open the locked doors inside the holding.
MAPS - Use the maps, and they will help you avoid getting lost, trapped in dead ends with monsters following you, or falling into dead-end rooms.
LIFESTONE RECALLER - If at least one person in the fellow has a tie to the "Burun Beach" lifestone, it allows fast travel to a good area to kill Bloodstones if you don't have the three parts already.

Walkthrough

HERO INITIATION is a 3-part quest. You can save some time by gathering a Sliver of Enlightenment, Shard of Enlightenment and Fragment of Enlightenment ahead of time. However, they automatically appear in your pack with a high drop rate once you kill a bloodstone on the correct stage of the quest, so gathering them ahead of time is only optional.

Start by using an Holding Portal Gem. These drop from Revenant Collaborators on the Malthabbor Ringway near the Mage Academy area. When you use it, you will be ported into the Archon's Holding dungeon where the quest actually starts.
Important Note: The first time you go inside the Holding, CLICK the Control Matrix. Nothing happens besides a text note. But this will flag you for dungeon access so that you can come back and use the normal dungeon portal instead of needing a Holding Portal Gem.

PART I

Enter Archon's Holding using the Holding Portal Gem. Once inside, click the Control Matrix so you don't need another gem to enter again.
Use the map below to find your way into Hahnain's Seminary. Talk to Aun Aulatah's spirit.
He sends you to Catacombs of Artefon dungeon (Lake Artefon, 13.8N 9.5E) to find Aulatah's Ashes.
Use the map to find your way to the ashes. An easy rule of thumb is to follow the left wall from the dungeon entrance to the first portal, and then follow the right wall to the ashes. This part can be soloed with rattles and bloodstone ichors, but it can be tricky due to the swarms of undead. A group is recommended for this part.
Return to Archon's Holding using another gem or the dungeon portal at 35.4S 45.7W (Malthabbor).
Return to Aun Aulatah and hand in the ashes to advance the quest.
Find a Sliver of Enlightenment and deliver to Aun Aulatah. It can be bought or traded. If you're on this part of the quest, there's also a high chance upon any bloodstone kill for the sliver to appear in your pack automatically. He will imbue the sliver to become an Imbued Sliver of Enlightenment.

PART II

Enter (or continue inside) Archon's Holding and talk to Lord Kresovus spirit.
He will send you to the Repository of the Three dungeon (SE corner of Linvak Tukal) to find three items: cloth, scepter and blade. Unlike the Catacombs, this one can't be entered by people not on the quest, so this part must be soloed or done with a small group who is also on the same quest.
Enter the dungeon and use the map below to find the items (each one you find will advance the quest). There are some pitfalls that will bring you to dead ends. If this happens, just recall out and re-enter the dungeon from the top.
With all three parts in hand, return to Archon's Holding and talk to Lord Kresovus.
Find a Shard of Enlightenment and deliver to Lord Kresovus. If you're on this part of the quest, there's also a high chance upon any group bloodstone kill for the shard to appear in your pack automatically. He will imbue the shard to become an Imbued Shard of Enlightenment.

PART III

Enter (or continue inside) Archon's Holding and talk to Elysa Strathelar's spirit
She sends you to the Olthoi Wastes to find her loved one, Thorsten Cragstone. Head to Omishan, then take portals to Ankoro and the Farali Ringway to get to the Wastes.
Thorsten can spawn in any one of the places on the map below. Find Thorsten and talk to him to advance the quest.
Return to Archon's Holding and talk to Elysa again.
Find a Fragment of Enlightenment and deliver to Elysa Strathelar. Like the others, if you're on this part of the quest, there's also a high chance upon any group bloodstone kill for the shard to appear in your pack automatically. Elysa will imbue the fragment to become an Imbued Fragment of Enlightenment.

CONCLUSION

Craft a Boju Gem with the 3 imbued gems: + + .
Use a Portable Nexus to the Hero Shrine if you have it. If not, go to the Shrine of Transcendence in Esper Reaches. Hand the Boju Gem to the shrine to complete the quest and become a HERO OF DERETH! If you're doing this with a group, be sure to wait between each handing in of a Boju Gem. The shrine can, on rare occasions, eat the gem with no reward if too many are handed in at once.
After quest is completed, touch the shrine again to get the Pure Mana Charges quest recipes.