Special thanks to @Sellena, @Skally, @Shannah, @Incoma, @Wrinkloid and @Thordem for reaching out to Anoxxe to help with this guide.
This is a guide for the 3 item set (Explorer's Kit) and an additional 2 item jewellery set which is one of three variants (Tough, Eager or Avid Explorer's Kit) each of which provides a different set bonus.
DO NOT destroy the items from the 3 item set when you level out of T3 as they will be able to be upgraded in T4 but this is not yet implemented.
Order
High Elf (Complete)
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM III
ORB UPGRADE - Lessons from Nature from Tome of Poetry, Chapter 11, Avelorn (54.5k, 10.5k)
Quest: Lessons from Nature
Find the Tome of Poetry on the first bench and click it to start the quest then head to Chapter 11 camp to find Urien Lontear.
Next you need to find the Alter of Yenlui which is a large white alter and is marked on your map. Then click it and accept the next quest to defeat the Warden of Nature. Then headback to Chapter 11 to get the update item, Lessons of Nature. The quest NPC is also the merchant to upgrade the orb.
BAND UPGRADE - Aethyr Essence from Slain Silverglass Mage, Chapter 14, Saphery (36k, 52k)
Quest: Battle for the Winds
Fly to Saphery and run West to find the body of a mage leaning on a door surrounded by gobbos. Click it to start the quest then head to Chapter 14 camp to find Thaewyn Fairwind. You will ned to complete a PQ to get the upgrade item, Aethyr Essence. The quest NPC is also the merchant for the upgrade.
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
Silentwood's Tribute, Chapter 10, Avelorn (38k, 20k)
Purifying Herbs, Chapter 11, Area (60k, 19k)
Pile of Ash, Chapter 12, Avelorn (41k, 51k)
Poisonous Green Mushroom, Chapter 13, Saphery (38k, 24k)
Forgotten Urn, Chapter 14, Saphery (51.5k, 40k)
Merchant location: Lorekeeper Naerelle, Chapter 14
Dwarf
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM III
MUG UPGRADE - Black Fire Hops from Bugman's Stein, Chapter 12, Black Fire Pass (47k, 62k)
Quest: A Place of Pilgramage
Find Bugman's Stein on the corner of the tower furthest up the hill. Then head down the hill to find Brewmaster Furd inside the lower building. You will then need to go to Bugman's Brewery Battlefield Objective in the RvR lake to fill up the stein by left clicking the barrel and right clicking the stein in your quest inventory. Then head back to chapter 12 to hand in.
BAND UPGRADE - Forge Spark from Orc Slaver's Cage, Chapter 13, Badlands (39k, 13k)
Quest: Preservin' More Than Metal
Find the cage in-between some rocks, click it then head to Chapter 13 to find Dwinbar Kazran. You then have to complete 2 PQs in the area.
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
TBC, Chapter 10, The Badlands (-k, -k)
Dull Gem, Chapter 11, The Badlands (8.5k, 11k)
Jester's Journal, Chapter 12, Black Fire Pass (55.5k, 43.5k)
Tar Covered Mug, Chapter 13, The Badlands (26.5k, 14.5k)
Locket Case, Chapter 14, The Badlands (44k, 42k)
This is very near the destro warcamp so be careful to approach from the West.
Merchant location: Felmi Mirnissdottir, Chapter 14, The Badlands (47.5k, 13k)
Empire (Complete)
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM III
RING UPGRADE - Aqshy Essence from Hergig Report, Chapter 13, Talabecland (53k, 20k)
Quest: Let the Fires Consume
Fly to Talabecland and run North to the burning village. In the largest house on the South side you will find Hergig Report. Head to Chapter 13 camp to find Gunther Kleinbach, you will then need to complete 2 PQs to get the Aqshy Essence to upgrade the band. The quest NPC is also the merchant to purchase the upgrade.
SEAL UPGRADE - Blessed Wax from Frozen Warrior Priest, Chapter 10, High Pass(8k, 21.5k)
Quest: Mission Frozen in Time
Fly to High Pass and run West following the path up to The Foetid Plains PQ (easiest to go left up the mountain ridge than through the mobs). Find the Frozen Warrior Priest and click it. Then head to the Chapter 10 warcamp to the South-West to find Templar Kraunhalt.
The next part is marked on your map, run south to go to the cave. You need to run all the way through to the northern part of the cave to find the Tomb and click it. Then you can run back to Chapter 10 warcamp (or die by mobs in the cave to fast teleport) and hand in to get the wax.
The Quest giver is also the merchant for the upgraded Seal.
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
Mysterious Love Potion, Chapter 10, High Pass (3k,26k)
Arcane Runestone, Chapter 11, High Pass (27k,44k)
Sigmarite Icon, Chapter 12, High Pass (53.5k,48k)
Shiny Trinket, Chapter 13, Talabecland (46.5k, 28k)
Gore-Covered Deeds, Chapter 14, Talabecland (37k, 46k)
Merchant location: Karl Feinburg, Chapter 14
Destruction
Dark Elf
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM II
IMPLEMENTS UPGRADE - Flayer's Friend
Location: Avelorn(7k, 18k)
Quest: A Bloody Spring
Fly to Avelorn and head North, in-between the two PQs you will find a rock with a Slain Uthorin Scout. Click it to start the quest then head to Chapter 11.
The next parts are marked on your map, get the Avelorn Eagletamers Head and place it on the spike. The eagletamer is surrounded by eagles and is easy to find. Then place the head and kill the normal mob The Forest Stalker then head back to Chapter 11 to hand in and get the item and the quest NPC is the merchant to get the upgraded item.
BAND UPGRADE - Dhar Essence
Location: Saphery (7k, 18k)
Quest: War Against the Winds
Fly to Saphery and run North to the Whitemoon Manor PQ. Approach it from the West side to find a Whitemoon Bookcase. Click it then head to Chaper 13 to find Eva Myrielh. You will then need to complete 2 PQs to get the item and the quest NPC is the merchant to get the upgraded item.
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
X - X, Chapter 10, Avelorn (-k, -k) -
Blazing Rune Stone - Smoking Bear Corpse, Chapter 11, Avelorn (28.5k, 28.5k)
Eversource Icewine - Dead Arkaneth Ambusher, Chapter 12, Avelorn (10k, 49.5k)
Severed Head - Belfarus's Lockbox, Chapter 13, Saphery (27k, 15k) - Click the box to start the quest, head to Chapter 13 to get the next steps.
X - X, Chapter 14, Saphery (-k, -k) -
Merchant location - NPC TBC, Area, Chapter X (-k, -k)
Chaos (Complete)
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM III
BAND UPGRADE - Chaotic Essence
Location: High Pass (50k, 46k)
Quest: The Wrong Type of Winds
Fly to High Pass and follow the path South until you find a group of Yeti's around a Dead Mountain Goat corpse. Kill them and click the goat to get the quest. You will then need to complete 2 PQ's to get the upgrade item. The quest giver is also the merchant to upgrade your band.
EYE UPGRADE - Seer's Eye
Location: Talabecland (2k, 30k)
Quest: Truly Unblinking
Fly to Talabecland and run south (or from Troll Country and run East) to Chapter 10, go into the Inn and go up the stairs to find a Goblin's Head Cauldron and click it to start the quest. You then have to Get the Unblinking Eye from a giant lizard and throw it in the Cauldron to get the item. The quest giver is also the merchant for the eye.
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
Fruit of Sorus Glebe, Chapter 10, Talabecland (12.5k, 40.5k)
'Liberated' Boots, Chapter 11, Talabecland (11k, 18.5k)
Farmer Jared's Soulless Eye, Chapter 12, Talabecland (30k, 21.5k)
Braccus Bitterstone's Jeweled Stien, Chapter 13, High Pass (30k, 34k)
Jewel Encrusted Sword Hilt, Chapter 14, High Pass (41k, 2k)
Merchant location - Zenja Traugut, High Pass, Chapter 14 (49.5k,21k)
Greenskin
BOOK UPGRADE - See The Book of BOOM III
RING UPGRADE - WAAAGH Essence
Location: Black Fire Pass (38k, 9k)
Quest: Downwind
Fly to BFP and just outside the warcamp PVE side is a pile, Nasty Humies, to click to start the quest. Then run to Chapter 14 to find Krakka Maggot and pick up the next quest to complete a PQ to get the item.
GOURD UPGRADE -
TBC
2-Piece Bonus Explorer Kit sets
You need to collect all these items then head to the vendor to buy a necklace and a ring from the same set to get a variety of bonuses. Choose wisely!
Tarnished Ring, Chapter 10, Black Fire Pass (-k, -k)
Not-so-lucky Stone, Chapter 11, The Badlands (14k, 10.5k)
Use a Gunbad scroll to get here quicker.
Shiny, Chapter 12, Black Fire Pass (44.5k, 55.5k)
Sack of Jewels, Chapter 13, Black Fire Pass (-k, -k)
Wad of Meat, Chapter 14, Black Fire Pass (56k, 27k)
Merchant location - Huglob Da Finda, Chapter 14, Black Fire Pass (48k, 26k)
