o======================================================================o
| Exploring the Underdark |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK029}
1) Denizens of the Underdark
2) Carlig and Company
3) Elemental Extermination
4) Freeing Vithal
5) Drow Patrol
6) Freeing Bedlen Daglefodd
7) Murdering Madman Aganalo
8) Uh..?
9) Riti's Misguided Revenge
10) Destroying Alchra Diagott
11) Myconid Massacre
12) Therndle's Reward
13) The Book of Rituals
14) Portal Guardians
15) Stingy Vithal
16) Tolkien Trouble
17) Balor Battle
18) Blackenrock's Bounty
19) Kuo-Toa Killing
20) Drow Raiding Party
21) Adalon's Demand
22) Attacking Adalon (optional, not suggested)
Underdark (AR2100)
o======================================================================o
1) The Underdark can be rather dangerous, as the game leads you to
believe. Groups of Kuo-Toa can harass you by shooting you with Kuo-Toa
Bolts, which can stun you. Drow and Mind Flayers, however, are more
severe threats. Mind Flayers almost necessitate the use of Chaotic
Commands, as their psionics can disable several characters sickeningly
quickly. Even after their pisonics are neutralized, they drain points of
Intelligence every time they hit. Once your Intelligence hits 0, it's
an auto-kill. This means that your Warriors are actually very vulnerable
against Mind Flayers in close combat. One solution is to spell-buff a
Fighter/Mage and hope that, through a combination of low Armor Class
and spells like Mirror Image, Improved Invisibility, and Blur, that
the character can hold off long enough, while the rest of the party
stays back and uses ranged weapons. Drow typically come in groups, and
although they're fairly dangerous in melee, the fact that they have to
play by the rules and whittle your Hit Points down like normal makes
fighting them more conventional. That said, they tend to come loaded
with spellcasters, and are resistant to magic themselves. This means
that dispelling their buffs (and keeping them from debuffing you)
becomes easier than the old tactics of Silence 15' Radius, Greater
Command, Insect Swarm, Chaos, and Slow. They aren't immune to these
spells, but when you encounter a group of hostile Drow, just expect
each spell to affect half the number of enemies it used to affect.
If you're going to spell-assault them, spell assault them heavily. Also,
most of them come equipped with heavily enchanted Drow armor, which
makes them very well protected against your attacks. Of course, once
you kill a couple of them you can nab this armor for yourself, which
will greatly improve the Armor Class of your party for the duration of
your stay in the Underdark. You just gotta love Drow Full Plate +5.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Head east, then south-east to find a trio of Duergar, Carlig, a
trader (x=1600, y=3700), Finderlig, who is just superstitious
(x=1660, y=3820), and Uder Mordin (x=1770, y=3800), who has a story to
tell you about an imprisoned Mage to the north. Hmm... Imprisoned you
say? Check out Carlig's stock and sure enough, you'll find a Scroll of
Freedom, along with many, many other very nice... very expensive spells.
I've got plenty of gold, but we can still go for a five-finger discount,
which we'll do later, when we have access to more of the Underdark.
We need to stretch those Potions of Master Thievery out, after all.
For now, just buy one Scroll of Freedom.
Note: If you used your Potions of Master Thievery and stole from the
Sahuagin king right before you presented him with the Rebel's Heart,
you will still have plenty of duration left to steal as many scrolls
from Carlig as your heart desires. The 100% Pick Pockets is enough to
get the job done if you're patient, but chugging another potion might
be necessary if Carlig is detecting you too often. I plan to steal
all his scrolls, but the best new spells he sells are listed below.
It's also worth noting that Carlig's inventory changes after you talk
to him the first time-this is just an odd glitch. The gear he shows
you the first time you talk to him is the same gear you'll have access
to during [WLK032], while the gear he'll show you the second (and
subsequent) time you talk to him (up until [WLK032]) is what he's
supposed to be currently offering... so it'll be what is covered, and
we'll ignore the rest of the loot until [WLK032].
Freedom
-------
This spell really only exists to counter Imprisonment, and, to a lesser
degree, Maze. While there are enemies out there who will use those
spells on you, it's often easier to just cast a Spell Immunity:
Abjuration to avoid the effect altogether. More practically, it's
useful as a scroll for freeing the imprisoned Mage nearby. Still, if
nothing else it's worth 9000 experience to scribe it.
Spell Sequencer
---------------
Allows you to chain up to three spells of fourth level or lower. Sort of
like Contingency, except you can use it whenever, and you can link up
multiple offensive spells. For example, my Fighter/Mage could use this
spell like Contingency, to pop on Stoneskin, Improved Invisibility, and
Fireshield all at once. More useful, however, you could also string
together three Flame Arrows to deal ridiculous damage to one enemy, or
three Greater Malisons to decimate their defenses.
True Sight
----------
I have had this spell with Keldorn and on my Clerics for a while now,
but this is the first chance I've had to steal one for my Mages. By
now we know how essential this spell is.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Carlig
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
4th-Stoneskin
--
5th-Animate Dead
5th-Breach
5th-Chaos
5th-Cloudkill
5th-Cone of Cold
5th-Domination
5th-Hold Monster
5th-Protection From Electricity
5th-Spell Shield
5th-Sunfire
---
6th-Improved Haste
6th-Power Word, Silence
6th-Stone to Flesh
6th-True Sight
---
7th-Mass Invisibility
7th-Prismatic Spray
7th-Project Image
7th-Spell Sequencer
---
9th-Freedom
***ITEMS***
(x=1660, y=3600) 1 gold
(x=1600, y=3820) 1 gold
(x=1830, y=3800) 8 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Before we use our scroll, however, let's make this area safe for
humanity... or at for least us... and pick up some experience along the
way. At (x=900, y=2800) you'll find a portal, near the portal is a
symbol upon which an Air Elemental constantly spawns. Move your party up
and kill about ten of them, until no more appear. Over to the east is
another portal (x=2450, y=3200), near which Earth Elementals spawn.
Again, kill about ten and they'll stop appearing. Repeat the process one
more time near a third portal (x=2800, y=2900) just above the Earth
Elemental portal, this time killing off Fire Elementals. Why do this
now? Because if you free the imprisoned Mage the Elementals seem to stop
spawning, and that's a good 60,000 experience for the Fire Elemental
portal, 60,000 experience for the Earth Elemental portal, and 70,000
experience for the Air Elemental Portal, or a grand total of 190,000
experience (or 31,666~ experience per character.) My Fighter/Mage/Thief
protagonist has a good time with these critters, testing out her new
Paws of the Cheetah to do hit-and-run backstab tactics.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Once the elementals have been exterminated use the Freedom Scroll in
the area between the Air Elemental portal and the Earth Elemental portal
(you don't have to be terribly precise) and a Mage named Vithal will
appear at about (x=1950, y=2900). You'll get a small experience reward,
and Vithal will offer to cut you in on a plan he was working on before
he ran afoul of a local. He's pretty vague, but he promises you a share
of magical loot if you help him out. First, however, you need to
retrieve his book of rituals, which he believes was discovered by some
Svirfneblins (Deep Gnomes) to the north. He will, in the mean time,
mess around near the Earth Elemental portal.
***REWARD***
(For freeing Vithal from his imprisonment)
EXP 10000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Head north and west and you'll run afoul of a group of Drow,
including several Priestesses. This fight can be a pain, as they've got
plenty of spell power on their side. You can approach from the east, if
you're careful not to provoke the Kuo-Toa over there, which is probably
easier as you've got more space to maneuver. Hit them with as many
debilitating spells as you can-I got off two rounds of spells (Chaos
and Slow from the Mages, Silence 15' Radius and Greater Command from
the Clerics, and of course Insect Plague) before I engaged in melee
and mopped up. The Drow seem more content to put up Blade Barriers,
Mirror Image, and cast weak summoning spells. Once they're all dead,
loot them for what armor they have. I was able to recover two suits of
Drow Elven Chain +3 and a suit of Drow Full Plate +5.
Note: Drow gear is one of the great perks of adventuring around the
Underdark. It's highly enchanted, powerful stuff that largely out-
classes everything you've found up until now. Drow typically carry
+3 weapons and either Elven Chain +3, Drow Chain Mail +5, Drow
Full Plate Mail +5, and Drow Shields +3. This will probably drop the
average Armor Class of your party by several points, which is a very
good thing. Unfortunately, you only get to keep this stuff while you're
in the Underdark. Once you get back into sunlight, all this beautiful
loot is ruined.
Note from Lee:
I also had a Mind Flayer show up here - came at me from the East. Not a
big deal, really - he died rather easily - but it was a surprise.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Now that the fighting has stopped, rest up and investigate what these
damned Drow were guarding so fervently. There's an odd device nearby,
which has several souls trapped within. The chamber at (x=2020, y=1900)
contains the soul of Bedlen Daglefodd. If you let him go, he'll tell you
to come find his father, Therndle Daglefodd. We were planning to visit
the Svirfneblins anyways, I wonder if this will come back to us in a
good way?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Another soul is trapped at (x=1850, y=1870) which if released
manifests into Madman Aganalo, who has been too long imprisoned and as
his name implies, is quite mad. Kill him and claim Jhor the Bleeder +2
from his body. It's just a +2 Bastard Sword that deals an extra ten
damage over time. A +2 enchantment isn't strong enough to get excited
over, neither do I have a character who uses Bastard Swords, so...
it'll sell well.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Next release the soul at (x=1880, y=1900) to inflict upon yourself
the company of a Drow wizard named Raevilin Strathi, who will quickly
attack. He starts out with Stoneskin, True Sight, and a Fireball. Just
rip down his defenses and keep pummeling him. After a while he'll pop
out another Contingency, including a Spell Turning, Mislead, and
Stoneskin. Remove those protections and finish him off. He'll leave
behind a Quarter Staff, a Scroll of Conjure Earth Elemental, and a
Scroll of Summon Efreet.
Note: Just making a note of this for the hell of it-on my Enhanced
Edition playthrough with my evil party my protagonist back-stabbed
Raevilin Strathi for a whopping 164 damage (critical hit plus
quintuple damage). Needless to say, he was quite dead.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) At (x=1920, y=1920) you can release the soul of a Githyanki named
Riti, who apparently thinks it's a good idea to try and remove the
disgrace of his capture by attacking his savior. Stupid Githyanki. Kill
him and take the Backbiter +3. A fitting weapon for him. It was
originally a Baldur's Gate 2-only weapon, but later made its way to the
first game via the Enhanced Edition. It sucked in both games. Who needs
an enchanted spear, much less one that harms the weilder ever hit?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) Now there's one last chamber left (x=2000, y=1900), and for this
one, it's time to put our new-found defensive strategy to the test.
I cast Death Ward, Chaotic Commands, Spell Immunity: Conjuration,
Abjuration, and Alteration on my main character and move the rest of the
party away. Then I release the last soul, which belongs to the Lich
Alchra Diagott. He'll naturally decide to take his aggression out on us
before finding the Drow that imprisoned him. He's fond of using Symbol
spells (which Spell Immunity: Conjuration protects against) as well as
various death spells (Death Ward). His damaging spells are negated by
the Cloak of Mirroring (and he'll almost certainly use a Sunfire and a
Horrid Wilting). And lastly, if he tries to cast Imprisonment, I'm
protected from it by Spell Immunity: Abjuration. Best of all, he can't
get rid of my life-saving buffs because Spell Immunity: Abjuration
counters Remove Magic. My main character also casts Improved Haste
to allow him to rip through the Lich every time he lets his guard down.
From a distance, Keldorn uses True Sight when Alchra tries to hide, and
Imoen uses Breach when Alchra puts up a Stoneskin or Protection from
Magical Weapons. In this way my main character can safely rip the Lich
to pieces, while a few party members debuff. He'll drop a Scroll of
Delayed Blast Fireball, a Scroll of Spell Turning, and a Scroll of
Summon Nishruu when he falls.
Note from Lee:
I take on the Lich Alchra Diagott first (well, second - I release the
stupid little gnome first). I spell buff as described and simply put
him down (he's not that difficult really); but now I have all my spell
buffs intact for the other encounters (not that you really need them,
but what the hell - waste not, want not, right?). I got thru this and
suffered no damage at all.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Now that we're done with the soul cage, cast Chaotic Commands on a
strong Fighter, Haste them up, and send them to the west. You'll find
several Spore Colonies which spawn Myconids... which in turn try to
Confuse you. Kill them, kill their king, and kill their little spores,
too.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Continue to the north and you'll find a trio of Swirfneblins
guarding a bridge. Talk to the one named Odendal (x=630, y=1180), who
will let you in if you're nice, even though he doesn't like Viconia one
bit. Head through the town (which doesn't have much to see) and loop
around until you find the entrance to the building marked as the
'Swirfneblin Settlement'. Inside you'll find Therndle Dagelfodd
(x=1770, y=600). Mention that you saved his son, and he'll reward you.
He also sells some gear-mostly +1 armor and weapons, but he also has
some Potions of Master Thievery and scrolls. If you were really quick
earlier, you might still be under the affects of the potions you chugged
earlier. If that's the case, don't hesitate to steal Therndle's Potions
of Master Thievery and whatever spell-scrolls you desire, as he does
sell some uncommon spells, even if they're not the most useful (like
Invisible Stalker). If not, just buy the Potions to replenish your
stock. Note that Therndle won't get pissy if he catches you stealing.
Also, if you loot around the city you can find various random trinkets
and a Discipliner (aka: Ring of Folly). The marginal loot just isn't
worthy my time to record-or yours to read. You might score a low
quality gem and a few gold coins, but that's about the extent of it.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Therndle Daglefodd
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
1st-Find Familiar
---
2nd-Power Word, Sleep
2nd-Ray of Enfeeblement
---
3rd-Minor Spell Deflection
3rd-Protection From Fire
---
4th-Minor Sequencer
4th-Secret Word
4th-Spider Spawn
4th-Teleport Field
---
5th-Spell Immunity
---
6th-Death Spell
6th-Flesh to Stone
6th-Globe of Invulnerability
6th-Invisible Stalker
6th-Tenser's Transformation
***REWARD***
(For saving Therndle Dagelfodd's son)
EXP 10000
Item Bracers of Defense A.C. 4
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) At (x=1650, y=770) you'll find an Innkeeper, the current owner of
Vithal's book of rituals, which he'll relinquish for 300 gold. You
might be able to steal it from him, but since that's going to require
a Potion of Master Thievery, I just hand over the money. Book of Rituals
in hand, I return to Vithal, who was around the Earth Elemental portal
(x=2380, y=3320). If you refuse to hand over the book, he'll try to
take it by force, and let's just say it's more rewarding to let him
actually get the treasure he's been mentioning-if you kill him, you
have no way to get the treasure yourself, so let's keep him alive and
give him his book.
Note from Lee:
I do the Balor here (Steps 16 & 17) before returning to Vithal with his
Book of Rituals.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Once Vithal has his book of rituals back, he'll tell you about the
second part of the plan-he needs to enter three portals, and within each
one there will be a guardian. Guess who's job it is to dispose of the
guardian? That's right. Ours. Agree to help him and he'll work on the
first gate, the guardian of which is a Greater Earth Elemental, which
isn't too rough. After it's dead Vithal will teleport off and return
shortly with some of the treasure. Now we head to the Fire Elemental
portal to repeat the process. The guardian of this portal is, of course,
a Greater Fire Elemental. Again Vithal teleports away, and again he
returns with treasure. Now it's time to head over to the Air Elemental
portal and repeat the process one final time. If you can't guess what
the guardian is... there's no hope for you.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Vithal returns for the third-and final-time, declaring his victory.
You gain a quest reward for helping him out, and he gives you a Rod of
Absorption, which is pretty cool, I guess... except that it only has one
measly charge left, and even this lasts four rounds. That's right, all
that work and Vithal wants to stiff you with a rod that can absorb a
total of nine spell levels over four rounds. Hold out for more and he
will toss in a Scroll of Simulacrum and a Scroll of Horrid Wilting, too.
Of course, the bastard still insists that the lionshare should go to
him. He would still be imprisoned if it weren't for us, and he certainly
wouldn't have survived the guardians! Insist that this doesn't suffice
and a fight ensues. If you're lucky, he was injured by the guardians, if
not, he's still nowhere near as strong as the Lich we killed earlier.
Standard Mage tactics apply, keep on him and tear down his Stoneskins
with Breach and his illusions with True Sight. If you're lucky you'll
take him down before he gets any major spells off. If not, he'll start
out with a Time Stop followed by some Imprisonments. That's right, that
bastard who we saved from Imprisonment has the gall to try and Imprison
us, in turn! It's a well-deserved death that he earns, and when he dies
he'll leave behind a Skull of Death, a helmet that can pop off a Death
Spell once per day. It sounds neat, and it can have its uses against
Mind Flayers and Kuo-Toa, but it's not anything to get worked up over.
On the other hand, the scroll he drops are; he'll leave behind a Scroll
of Incendiary Cloud, a Scroll of Wail of the Banshee, and a Scroll of
Time Stop. Three very good, very useful, and fairly rare high-level
Mage spells. These will eventually find their way into Imoen's/Edwin's
spellbooks, since they will be able to cast 8th and 9th level spells
far earlier than my Protagonists. He also drops a Waterstar Gem and his
Book of Rituals, for what it's worth. Now let's return to the
Swirfneblin town and resolve their problems.
***REWARD***
(For helping Vithal retrieve the extra-planar treasure)
EXP 20000 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Over at (x=2030, y=850) you'll find Goldander Blackenrock, who has
an usually deep voice for a gnome. Maybe that's why they're called Deep
Gnomes? Anyways, the Gnomes have unearthed some evil by digging too
deeply, and since Gandalf is nowhere to be found, they need your help
to keep it at bay. Naturally the gnomes can't offer much of a reward,
but they can help you get into the Drow city, which, if you were
following the dialogues, we need to do to find Irenicus and Bodhi. This
they can do by referring you to one 'Adalon'. Go kill the evil they
awakened and they'll give you a gem, which will illuminate your way to
this Adalon and let you deal with her. Before you go he'll give you a
'Stoneshape scroll', which will seal the creature in after you've
defeated it. It's always fun fighting things that lie buried deep in
the earth, that might survive a cave-in, and even after being defeated
in combat are so terrifying that they need to be buried.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) Head over to the Svirfneblin at (x=3620, y=700), who will let you
pass now that you've been granted permission by Blackenrock. Now go
near the ladder at (x=3250, y=400) and spell-buff up. In addition to
your normal preparations, be sure to have cast a Remove Fear or Resist
Fear, Free Action, and equip any and all +3 weapons you have in
preference to any other weapons. If you're a low level party (i.e. you
didn't go around recruiting everybody) you may only have a few weapons
of +3 quality or better. By now even the least adventurous gamers should
at least have the Imapler +3, Celestial Fury +3, and a Cleric's
Staff +3. I really don't have too much sympathy for you at this point in
the game if you haven't accumulated a few usable +3 weapons by now...
I've certainly done my best to remind you to do so. Even I don't have
enough +3 weapons to arm everybody, but I can at least ensure that half
of my party is ready to go, and that'll have to do. Really, if you just
have a Fighter/Mage with Celestial Fury, you've got a chance, but we've
passed by numerous Spears +3 by now, at the very least. Anyways, that's
all for my guilty/consolatory speech, now it's time to get to business.
Now that we're spell-buffed, activate the pit and a Balor will show up.
The main danger this foe presents (besides requiring a +3 weapon to
hit) is its fondness for paralyzing effects. It'll start the fight out
with Symbol, Stun, and it'll constantly use an innate Paralyze ability,
so keep a Remove Paralysis handy. If Edventar's Gift is on your Cleric,
as I suggested when we found it, you should be able to counter the
Balor's Paralysis handily. You can contribute with spells (having
Imoen/Edwin pop out some Magic Missiles or Anomen/Viconia use Bolt of
Glory at least allows them to contribute.) Otherwise, it's not overly
dangerous, and a spell-buffed Fighter/Mage of any quality should be able
to destroy it before they run out of spell-buffs. When it's dead use the
Stoneshape scroll to seal the pit.
Note: If it's just not working for you, there's one more good chance at
getting the resources you need to kill the Balor. In step #16, you will
obtain numerous +3 weapons and some armor that'll make killing the Balor
easier-provided you can, of course, liberate them from their owners.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
18) Return to Blackenrock and he'll grant you a decent experience
reward, the Light Gem you need to reach Adalon, and Skullcrusher +3,
a mace that's almost certainly better than what Anomen is using. We
could have used this before we fought that Balor, you know. Ah well.
It's time to pay this Adalon a visit.
***REWARD***
EXP 25000 (each character)
Item Light Gem
Item Skullcrusher +3
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) Head east of where you found the device containing the trapped souls
and you'll eventually come to a bridge guarded by Kuo-Toa. This time,
a break down in communication (and the general violence of Kuo-Toa)
results in a fight. While they might be individually insignificant, in
numbers they can be a pain. Some have Kuo-Toa Bolts, which have a
chance to stun their targets, and others happen to be spell-casters
who attempt to cast Hold Person on the party. Sprinkled amidst the
archers and spellcasters you have the odd warrior who likes to take
advantage of defenseless characters. Of course, they're not too strong
if they can't wreak havoc with their Hold spells. I just enter into
combat with them, and if they hold some of my characters, I eliminate
the threat with a timely Dispel Magic. In the end, they're just not
worth spell-buffing for, and once they've wasted their Hold Person
spells, they die quick enough in a straight melee.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) Now that the Kuo-Toan distraction is out of the way, there's a path
to the north just before the Kuo-Toa bridge that leads to an odd
platform. Once you step on it, a mini-cutscene occurs and a Drow raiding
party appears, which can suck if your party gets scattered crossing the
bridge to the platform. There's one spell-caster amongst them, but
otherwise this group is not the equal of the one we demolished earlier.
A simple Haste is enough power to allow me to destroy them fairly
easily, but if you're caught in a bad way, it can't hurt to throw out a
Slow or Chaos, too. When they're all dead, you can harvest their
ridiculously powerful equipment-if you were having trouble with the
Balor, but took out these Drow, you should find yourself plenty of new
magical arms and armor, which includes numerous +3 melee weapons.
You'll also find some Drow Bolts, whose number depends on how many shots
the Drow get off. Suffice it to say, you'll have armor for all your
front-line Fighters and enough +3 weapons to handle anything. The best
thing about Drow armor is the fact that everything except the Full Plate
allows you to use your Mage spells and Thief skills, which is really
good news for those dual-and-multi-classed Mages and Thieves out there.
Adalon's Lair (AR2102)
o======================================================================o
21) Now head north until the path splits. Stick to the western-most path
and exit the map at (x=4100, y=1000). Continue down some stairs to find
Adalon-the Silver Dragon-at (x=1500, y=1500). She'll explain that she's
the guardian of a temple on the surface that marks the sight of where
the Drow first descended into the Underdark. Her job is to keep the
peace between the two sides, a role which she is currently unable to
fulfill. Apparently Irenicus stole her eggs and is holding them hostage,
giving the Drow free reign to attack the surface at their whim. We can
only imagine that this distraction also benefits Jon and his plans to
strike back at his home town. Adalon wants you to rescue her eggs, and
in return she'll show you a way to escape the Underdark, as well as give
you a gift from her hoard. To facilitate this rescue attempt, she'll
transform you into Drow, disguised as a group she recently dispatched.
This should allow you to enter the Drow city of Ust Natha, find out what
Irenicus is doing, and allow you to rescue Adalon's eggs. It doesn't
really matter what you say, Adalon transforms you anyways. She spells
it out fairly enough afterwards-help her, or else. If you try and run
away without doing her task the illusion will fail before you breach
Drow lines and you'll be hopelessly outnumbered. If we try to get her
back by sabotaging the rescue, we'll have pissed off a Silver Dragon,
which isn't a good thing. Finally, we can't just wait this out, for
obvious reasons. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place-a silvery,
dragon-shaped hard place-and the best course of action for us is to
help Adalon out. On an optimistic note, there are plenty of quests to
do, experience to gain, and items to buy and find by infiltrating Ust
Natha. Also, Ust Natha is just one letter away from being part of the
bestest name ever, so it has to be worth exploring. My reasoning skills
are boundless and unassailable; it's best not to even bother. Keep the
Light Gem throughout the following quests-if you lose that gem, you
won't find your way back to Adalon once you have her eggs, which means
no reward.
Note: Now is a fine time to infiltrate the Illithid City (AR2400) or
Beholder Den (AR2101), or both. We'll get the time to come here after
Ust Natha, and we'll be explicitly forced to go to one or the other
during the quests in Ust Natha, but since we'll be pressured by time
limits on our outstanding quests in Ust Natha, now is a perfect time to
get at least one of these cleared while we're still free with our time.
In particular, the Illithid City seems to be a good choice for conquest,
as being able to rest at leisure will make surviving Mind Flayers much
easier. The Beholder Den, on the other hand, should already be cake,
since we possess the Cloak of Mirroring. I'll include the Illithid City
here in the FAQ, and leave it up to your discretion when to tackle it.
(Like I could force you to do anything in any order, anyways!) The
Kuo-Toa Ruins (AR2402) are left out of this discussion primarily for
the fact that we'll end up exploring them as we leave the Underdark
anyways, so why bother doing it now?
Note from Lee:
I do both of these quests here, before entering Ust Natha. I normally
end up gaining a level for a couple party members, and so... why not?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Now, a note on fighting Adalon, if you're inclined to attempt
anything quite so suicidal. Even at my best I've got just over two
million experience points, which means my Clerics have a few Fingers
of Death, but my Mages (Imoen and my protagonist, anyways) are in no
real position to do much, magically. Most of the awesome gear we'll use
in later Dragon fights has yet to become available to us, or I just
haven't bothered going there yet... you know, because I'd rather grab
some of the good Underdark stuff before tackling Dragons on the surface.
Needless to say, we're under-equipped, even if we're not under-leveled.
On top of that, Adalon is probably the strongest Dragon in Shadows of
Amn. She'll use several Stoneskins over the course of the fight, as
well as invisibility (although the latter seems to be a one-shot deal),
and she'll protect herself with Death Ward if she gets the feeling
you're tearing down her defenses to go for a quick-kill. When she
commits to melee (where she'll do 20-30 damage a hit) she'll help
herself out with Haste. On top of that she's got a stellar magic
resistance and a very high Armor Class, she seems to regenerate, and
has plenty of Hit Points. Add to this the fact that she can one-hit
kill you with her breath weapon (unless anybody in your party is
packing over 130 Hit Points), paralyze with her 'Silver Dragon
Paralyzation', and cast Hold Person, and you've got a real mess. My
girlfriend seems to have had more luck with this fight than I did... but
she was playing with two custom characters (a Fighter and a
Fighter/Mage/Thief) and had the evil party, which included Korgan and
a high-level Edwin.
I started the fight as I would start a fight with any Dragon, and this
is pretty much going to be our Dragon strategy... with alterations for
when we obtain better spells and gear. First and foremost you must
absolutely cast Remove Fear, as Dragon Fear can cause you to lose a
fight before it ever even begins. Then the typical spell-buffs begin,
Mirror Image, Stoneskin, Improved Invisibility, Haste, Defensive
Harmony, etc. Against Dragons I make the following preparations: I
load up my spellbook with Lower Resistance, a Greater Malison, and for
my protagonist-a lot of Stoneskins. He'll be the one who needs to endure
the Dragon's offense if anybody needs to heal, or while I debuff the
Dragon/rebuff the rest of the party. Protection from Evil 10' Radius is
typically another spell buff I use, but it won't do much good against
Adalon. Also specific to Adalon is the need for some Remove Paralysis
spells, as she likes to paralyze. Dragons also have a breath weapon, and
the individual preparations for these vary depending on the Dragon in
question. Many simply have elemental attacks, and for this Protection
from Energy is typically the go-to spell, as it reduces the damage you
take from elemental and magical attacks by 75%-just enough to keep
Edwin and Imoen alive, if not well. Adalon, however, has a cold-based
breath weapon, and we probably don't have the ability to cast Protection
from Energy. In this case, Protection from Cold and Resist Fire/Resist
Cold will have to do, which will block 50% of the damage dealt by
Adalon's breath weapon... which is less than ideal, but it's better than
nothing. As far as execution is concerned, summon as many allies as you
can and surround the Dragon-if they feel too much pressure in melee,
they'll wing buffet, which knocks everybody back. If you attack from one
direction, your entire party will be knocked back. Surrounding the
Dragon limits the number of attackers affected. It also spreads out your
party, making them less susceptible to their breath weapon and Remove
Magic, which most Dragons tend to employ. I'll be honest, my strategy
for Adalon was not very inspiring.
I started out like normal, spell-buffing, summoning, and attacking her
with everything I had. Brutal experience taught me that at this level,
I was really no match for Adalon. The best I could do was have
everybody-save my protagonist-equip +2 ammunition and fire at Adalon
from a distance. My protected protagonist ran up and attacked in melee.
When Adalon popped on a Stoneskin, Imoen ripped it down with Breach.
When the pressure became too great and my summons were all but dead, I
beat a hasty retreat back to the entrance of Adalon's cave, where the
Dragon cannot reach us. Keldorn hits her with a Dispel Magic before
running away, hopefully removing her spell buffs like Haste, Stoneskin,
and Death Ward. It's possible, but incredibly cheap, to pummel Adalon to
death from here with +2 missiles. It's also possible to hit her with
several Lower Resistance spells, some Greater Malisons, Doom, and then,
with her saves and magic resistance lowered to try and nail her with a
Finger of Death, Slow, and other debilitating magic.
With Edwin in your party, it's not inconceivable that Edwin might have
enough experience to cast 8th-level spells, and even if he's not, using
a Scroll of Horrid Wilting to hit Adalon can really do some damage. Also
using Spell Sequencer to chain up some Magic Missiles and Flame Arrow
spells can likewise deal some pretty impressive damage. With my THAC0,
weapons, and Adalon's Armor Class, the best chance I have is to start up
the fight with at least a pair of Lower Resistances and try and go for
the quick take-down by hitting her with direct-damage dealing spells. Of
course, without Edwin neither the great damage of Horrid Wilting or the
cumulative damage we can deal with Spell Sequencer is possible... Minor
Sequencer is a poor substitute. When she falls she'll leave behind the
'Blood of a Silver Dragon', a Note with which you can escape from the
Underdark, and 3000 gold. Not really such an epic reward for such a
difficult fight...
o======================================================================o
| Illithid City |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK030}
1) Captured!
2) Bad Guy Mistake #1: Failure to Disarm
3) Umber Hulk Battle
4) Simyaz's Scheme
5) It's Harder When They Talk...
6) Mercy Killing
7) Illithid Serum
8) Control Circlets
9) Turnabout is Fair Play
10) Mind Flayer Rout
11) Brine Potions
12) Mind Flayer Cannae
13) Killing More Captives
14) The Secret Room
15) The Last Portal (aka: The End of Irving)
16) The Master Brain
17) Escape!
18) Slaying Simyaz
Illithid City (AR2400)
o======================================================================o
1) From the main area of the Underdark (AR2100) exit the map along the
south-eastern corner (X=5100, y=3400) (marked as the 'Eastern Tunnels'
on the map) to reach the Illithid City. This quest is better done before
we get involved with Ust Natha, as we'll suffer from constant time
restraints once we start interacting with the Drow. There are two ideal
times to do this-before Ust Natha (before you interact with the door
guard and gain entrance) or after the events of Ust Natha. You can
return to the Underdark at a later date, but why not just knock this out
now? It's also possible to do this during the events of Ust Natha, as
the timeliness of various missions sometimes leaves us a few days to
play around with, but why deal with any time restraints at all? Anyways,
I've made my case, you'll do this when it's right for you. You should
focus on support spells, rather than debuffing and offensive spells.
Death Spell is particularly useful against Illithids and their pets.
Inside the Illithid City you'll be quickly subdued by groups of
Illithids who appear and blast you with their psionics. Really, how else
did you think this would go?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) You'll awaken in a cell, with the game attempting, as always, to be
ominous with text. Eventually an Ogre will show up and tell you that
you've gotta fight for the amusement of the Illithids to earn your keep.
If you don't, you'll be killed, and if you piss off the Mind Flayers,
they'll kill you with their thoughts-being on home turf apparently has
amplified their powers. Thankfully, however, they let us keep our
weapons.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Your first fight is against a trio of Umber Hulks. If you're doing
this quest as part of the Ust'Natha questline, then taking a lot of
damage is-in this case-preferable to using up spells. I lead with my
heavily armored party members and hope for the best with their saves.
I'm more worried about my own party members becoming a threat to me,
than a target for the Umber Hulks! If you take a lot of damage, just
strap a Ring of Regeneration on the injured character to conserve spell
power. For your victory in the arena, you'll be given five Potions of
Extra Healing, which should go a long way towards keeping your Hit
Points high.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Go through the door to the north to find a group of Githyanki, led by
one Simyaz (x=2660, y=1400). We're not on good terms with the Githyanki,
but given their history, I'm sure they're willing to put small
differences aside for now. They'll admit they were sent here to retrieve
your Silver Blade, but for now the Illithids are the greater threat,
being the hated enemies of the Githyanki, and all. See? Who was right?
Probably the guy who played this game a half dozen times already. Shut
up self. After Simyaz is done talking, they'll be taken away to fight,
leaving you more time to wait (and regenerate). Once they return (with
two of their number missing) Simyaz will propose a plan. Despite your
troubles, they can use their psionics to weaken the Illithids around the
arena, giving you enough time to escape through one of the doors. With
the help of the Githyanki, you may just have a chance of fighting your
way out of here. No matter what you say, they'll obstinately declare
that they're going to try and escape whether you like it or not, and
really, why wouldn't you make the attempt?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Your Ogre jailer will return so as to gather you for your imminent
fight with the Githyanki. He even prefers you over them, what with their
sour faces and all. With a cheerleader of this quality, how can we have
anything less than utter success? Once you're in the arena, you'll find
that it's a three way battle, with Simyaz and the Githyanki to the
north, some Kuo-Toans to the wast, and yourself to the east. Kill the
fish-men and exit through the door at (x=2520, y=1900), which may
require a Knock spell or a good bash. Kill your unfortunate jailer... he
was right... it is harder when you talk!... and grab the Hilt of the
Equalizer from the table at (x=2800, y=1600).
***ITEMS***
(x=2630, y=1805) 525 gold
(x=2800, y=1600) Hilt of the Equalizer
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Now that you have run of the place, you can go free some of your
fellow inmates behind the doors at (x=3380, y=1780) and
(x=3250, y=1500). And by free them, I mean 'from life'. The first door
contains a pair of Kuo-Toa Warriors, and the second contains a Sahuagin
Prince and a Sahuagin Baronial Guard. They're better off dead than in
the custody of Illithids, and all the more-so because we gained some
experience from it.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Now for my Mind Flayer strategy. Its brilliance will be matched only
by its simplicity... or perhaps it's not so brilliant, but it is simple,
indeed. Everybody save my protagonist equips ranged weapons, and my
main character is protected by Chaotic Commands. He then spell-buffs
with whatever defenses he has-Mirror Image, Blur, and Improved
Invisibility being the top choices. Everybody gets Hasted. My
Fighter/Mage then leads the way, acting as bait for the Mind Flayers.
Hopefully he'll engage as little as he can, leading Mind Flayers on a
merry chase while the rest of my party shoots them dead. If they target
anybody else, my protagonist will step in and earn their attention.
Since we have access to remarkable Drow armor here in the Underdark, we
can spell-buff our Fighter/Mage, then strap of Drow Full Plate Armor +5
to lower our Armor Class to -12... and with all the other buffs active,
my Fighter/Mage can cut a bloody swath through anything we'll run into;
Mind Flayers, Ulitharids, and Umber Hulks alike.
My first victims are to the east, through a door at (x=3370, y=1600).
I keep most of my party in the room where I killed the Ogre jailer and
head down with my protagonist-alone, then when I have the Mind Flayers'
attention I run back to the rest of my party, who open fire upon the
Mind Flayers as soon as they present themselves as targets. This
eliminates the bother of trying to shoot them down from inside a narrow
hallway, and the Illithid didn't even make it to my Fighter/Mage. Morale
failure for the win. Keep in mind that if you've gone through the
trouble to obtain Firetooth +4, the Quiver of Plenty, and the Crimson
Dart +3 from Watcher's Keep it'll be much easier to shoot down Mind
Flayers.
My evil party employs a different, and even simpler tactic. My
Fighter/Mage/Thief protagonist can, with the benefit of Chaotic
Commands and The Paws of the Cheetah, perform hit-and-run backstab
attacks on various Mind Flayers. Deal some brutal damage, run out of
sight, hide again, and repeat. The only time I abandon this tactic is
when Mind Flayers come with Umber Hulk pets. Continue to the east to
find a room full of vats containing suspect fluids. Get near any one of
them and click on it twice to gather up a dose of fluid, or 'Illithid
Serum'. We'll need this in a bit.
Note from Lee:
My main character and Keldorn each with Boots of Speed and protected by
Chaotic Commands can take down all these Mind Flayers by themselves.
I leave the rest of the party in the Ogre Room and clear out the rooms
with just those two characters, suffering almost no damage at all
(having two Rings of Regeneration really helps here too). This same
strategy works well throughout the rest of this section (provided, of
course, you can either complete it before your Chaotic Command spells
wear off, or your Clerics and/or Druids have enough to re-cast if
necessary).
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) From the Ogre jailer's room, head south through a pair of doors at
(x=3050, y=1950) and (x=3200, y=2250), where you'll find another pair
of Illithids. The same tactic we used on the single Illithid earlier
works just as well against these ones. Kill them and continue through a
door to the east (x=3600, y=2460) to reach a room with numerous
unconscious Human Slaves. With the Illithid Serum in hand, interact with
one of the many machines around the room until you insert the Serum.
Freed from their slumber, one of the slaves-Camaris of Highcastle of
Myratma-will thank you, and explain how he got here and what the
Illithids were doing. Seems they were using these folks to power the
machine over at (x=4400, y=2300), which creates Control Circlets that
the Illithids use to control their slaves-you know, like the Thrall
Collars in the Astral Prison. They even look the same! Help yourself to
four of them, after which the machine has the power to produce no more.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Equip one of the 'Control Circlets' into a quick-item slot and head
back into the room with the crimson vats to find that another Illithid
has shown up. Wonderful, just what we needed! use the Control Circlet on
the Illithid to bring it under your control. Turnabout is fair play,
after all. With your new friend in tow, return to the Ogre Jailer's
room again and go through a pair of doors to the north at
(x=3050, y=1460) and (x=3050, y=1250). Unfortunately the door out is
locked, and the game proclaims that "only a powerful mind or godly
Strength will force this door open." I guess half-godly Strength doesn't
cut it. Loot the object at (x=3000, y=900) for Methild's Harp, which if
you have a Bard can be put to good effect. Move the captured Mind Flayer
to one of the doors and both will open. Your Mind Flayer buddy will turn
on you, and the Githyanki will gate in. Put the Illithid down and speak
to Simyaz (x=3030, y=1100), who will explain that they are free.
Unfortunately, this doesn't include you, since you can't teleport around
and whatnot. Only by killing the 'elder brain' can you dispel the power
of the Illithids that keeps you prisoner. He wish you well... as well as
he can bring himself to wish you, anyways, and leave. At least you'll
get enough experience to make this worthwhile.
Note: Only Mind Flayers can open the doors in this area. Ulitharids
apparently do not count, even though they are superior. So don't waste
your Command Circlets on anything other than a Mind Flayer.
***REWARD***
(For helping the Githyanki escape from the Illithid City)
EXP 25000 (each character)
***ITEMS***
(x=3000, y=900) Methild's Harp
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) Since there's only one way left to go, head west through a pair of
doors at (x=2850, y=950) and (x=2100, y=1000). I now dispense with the
notion that I'm too proud to use any spells, as through the next door
a pair of Umber Hulks, a Mind Flayer, and three Ulitharids await me. I
use the spell-preparations mentioned above and sneak up on the enemies
and cast a Death Spell just outside of their sight radius. With any
luck the Mind Flayer and Umber Hulks will be affected. The remaining
enemies-now provoked, set upon my Fighter/Mage. I run back to the party,
Haste, and wait for them to reach the room where I last met the
Githyanki. Once there, I hit them with everything I have. My
Fighter/Mage runs around, trying to distract the Ulitharids while
avoiding combat as much as possible. Even fully spell-buffed, a few bad
hits can reduce his super-human Intelligence, and that's a crappy way to
die. My evil party is all too ready to bombard the Mind Flayers and
Umber Hulks with Death Spells, after which I resort to my hit-and-run
solo protagonist sneak-attack tactic mentioned above. It's alot safer
than what my Fighter/Mage has to endure.
Note: I said it in the guide prior to the walkthrough, but since I know
people don't read that formative crap that tells them how to play the
game, how the guide is structured, and other trivial information, I'll
say it again here, now that it's about to bludgeon you in the face: as
you level up, some enemies do, too. While this isn't the wholesale
direct scaling like in Dragon Age and Final Fantasy VIII that I despise
so much, it does mean that the higher your level, the stronger some
enemies will be. Instead of Mind Flayers, for example, you might run
into Ulitharids, instead of Beholders, you might find Elder Orbs, and
instead of Mummies, you might find Greater Mummies, or Liches, to name
a few, important, examples. Also, the number of enemies may increase in
a given encounter. I mentioned this before during the Unseeing Eye
quest, and I'll probably mention it again when we clear out the Umar
Hills Dungeon. Fortunately, stronger enemies mean more experience, and
it keeps us from becoming too complacent while playing. At our higher
levels, we have the luxury of popping out Death Spells to negate Mind
Flayers and Umber Hulks, so we deserve a few Ulitharids to keep us in
check, and we have Sunray, so if we have to fight an extra Lich or ten,
it's nothing we can't handle... in theory.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Go through the door to the north-west (x=1750, y=950), as the one to
the south-west leads to our freedom, and we don't want that. Another door
awaits at (x=1600, y=650) behind which you'll find a pair of Mind
Flayers and an Ulitharid. This battle should be cake compared to the one
we just fought. Kill them and search the room, within which are numerous
containers filled with some reddish fluid or another, overgrown with
plant growth. Activate these containers, which are apparently Illithid
birthing pods, to gather some 'Brine Potions', of which you can obtain a
total of eight. These will temporarily make you immune to psionics,
which is good, because my Chaotic Commands is bound to expire sooner or
later... Not that I couldn't just cast another one and save these Brine
Potions.
Note from Lee:
Save the Brine Potions, eh? Hhmmm... I wonder... Could we have a use for
these later?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Return to the site of our first large-scale Mind Flayer massacre
and go through the door to the south-west (x=1700, y=1200) to find a
passage south that leads to the audience part of the arena. Interesting,
but it serves no purpose. If you continue west you'll find another
crushing group of Illithids, this time including two Umber Hulks, three
Mind Flayers, and three Ulitharids. Same tactic as before, except I
cross my fingers extra hard and equip +2 ammunition if I must. In the
end, micromanagement pays off. Spells like Protection from Evil 10'
Radius and Defensive Harmony will further increase my survivability,
and there's really no reason not to go all-out for this fight.
***ITEMS***
(x=1460, y=1300) Laeral's Tear Necklace
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) From the room occupied by the half-dozen Illithids we just slew,
head through the door to the south (x=1050, y=1650) and continue south
until you reach a room with three capsules. The one at (x=1000, y=2000)
hides an Umber Hulk. The middle one (x=1250, y=2100) houses an Insane
Dwarf Warrior, who will drop a suit of Leather Armor, a Medium Shield,
Bullets x20, a Battle Axe, a Sling, a Ring of Fire Control, and 87 gold,
and finally the capsule at (x=1300, y=2320) contains a Kuo-Toa Priest.
The Ring of Fire Control gives you 50% of Fire Resistance, which is nice
for front-line characters who will-unfortunately-often be subjected to
fire spells... sometimes the enemy is mean, and sometimes I need bait.
Keldorn/Viconia will both get great magic resistance, so I see no need
to further burden them with this ring. Jaheira and Anomen, on the other
hand are both good candidates, as either one would be well-served by
having some fire resistance. Anomen in particular makes a good case,
since he has to rely on Slings for missile damage, having the ability
to pop out another Flame Strike will help his ranged attack out a bit.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Return to the room where we decimated that last smug bunch of
Illithids and go through the secret door at (x=1150, y=1300) and through
another not-quite-so-secret door at (x=1300, y=100). Inside this room
are a pair of Mind Flayers, an Ulitharid, and an Umber Hulk. We probably
don't even need a Death Spell this time, just lure them into the room to
the south and shoot them down. If you can, use a Control Circlet on one
of the Mind Flayers-we'll need another one very soon. Loot the room and
return to the site of our crushing victory over the foolish Illithid-our
Mind Flayer Cannae.
***ITEMS***
(x=1200, y=700) Staff of Command
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Look at the map, we have to be getting near the end now, there's
almost no more room left for anything else! Send your captive Mind
Flayer up to the door to the north at (x=950, y=1250). If you killed all
of them in the last fight, you can find another one in the room where we
found the Ilithid Serum... and our last victim/friend. The door opens,
as we expected it would, and the Mind Flayer turns hostile and needs to
be put down. It's a shame, too. I named mine Irving. Another door waits
beyond the first (x=770, y=950), and although this door is also locked,
it's open to more traditional means of bypass.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Inside this last room is 'The Master Brain' (x=550, y=800), which is
big, ugly, and stinky; just like a Master Brain should be. It is
accompanied by a Mind Flayer, an Ulitharid, and an Umber Hulk. Lure them
out into the southern room and dispose of them in the traditional
manner. Once they're dead, equip melee weapons on your party (back to
the good old gear) and rush The Master Brain. Once it takes a bit of
damage it'll close (and lock) the door to the room and summon some
'Brain Golems' to defend it, which will just keep re-spawning until it's
dead. Focus your undivided attention on The Master Brain until it dies,
then mop up the Brain Golems. Note that the Brain Golems are immune to
non-bludgeoning weapons, so adjust your equipment accordingly. Despite
that, they're nowhere near as strong as Clay Golems, since they don't
have the ability to Haste themselves (or maybe it's just my new Drow
armor?) Either way, they're still worth lots of experience. You'll
automatically receive 'Elder Brain Blood' when The Master Brain is
destroyed. Keep it on you for now, as it's part of a later quest in Uth
Natha. The Master Brain will also leave behind an impressive assortment
of gems, including 53 Shandon Gems, a King's Tears, three Diamonds, two
Emeralds, and 540 gold. You'll also get a huge experience reward-we'll
take both as payment for doing a service for the world by eradicating
these creatures.
***REWARD***
(For eradicating The Master Brain, and making the world a better place)
EXP 40000 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) Return to where you entered (x=3900, y=800) and you'll find that the
Slaves you've freed have made their way to the entrance. Their leader
will thank you, promising to repay you if you ever reach the surface
before departing. It might not be loot, but you'll still get a nice
quest reward for this act of nicitude. It's a word now. When you're done
exit the Illithid City at (x=3900, y=800). Unlike Hannibal, we not only
crushed the Mind Flayers on their home turf, but we actually managed to
get a gate open, too. Eat it, Carthage!
***REWARD***
(For freeing the Illithid's Slaves)
EXP 45000
Reputation +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
18) Now there's only one thing left to do before we head to Ust Natha..
or wherever you're going. Head over to (x=2750, y=2470) to find Simyaz.
It doesn't matter what you say, you can't avoid a fight with Simyaz,
which is a shame. I really felt a bond, you know? His scruples demand
that he reclaim the Silver Sword... and if you kindly give it up, his
racism dictates your demise anyways. So, he has his scruples, and we
have ours-not getting killed by treacherous Githyanki, for example.
They have plenty of spells at their disposal, so respond in kind. A
double-shot of Chaos and Insect Plague (just for fun, really) pretty
much ends the fight. Each of the Githyanki will drop some gold and a
Bastard Sword.
o======================================================================o
| Beholder Den |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK031}
1) Between an Elder Orb and a Beholder
2) Menage a trois: Drow, Beholders, and You
3) Preparation is 9/10ths the Battle
4) Menage a trois: Illithids, Beholders, and You
5) More Cheap Kills
6) Ways Around Imprisonment
7) Some Money For Our Trouble?
Beholder Den (AR2101)
o======================================================================o
1) Again, keeping in mind the time restraints placed upon us during Ust
Natha, it might be a good idea to tackle the Beholder Den (AR2101) now.
We'll get time to do this quest as part of another quest in Ust Natha...
but there's no reason why we can't do it early and be ahead of the game.
Whenever you choose to do it, I'll list in it here in the FAQ. Head over
to the south-eastern corner of the map (marked as 'Southern Tunnels' on
the map) and exit at (x=4100, y=3700). Before I head into the Beholder
Den, however, I make some spell preparations, since at my level I will
be greeted by an Elder Orb and a Beholder. My party will appear in an
incredibly disadvantageous position, and let's just say my tactic for
fighting Beholders does not involve playing fair, much less playing
disadvantaged. I cast Invisibility 10' Radius on my entire party, and
Jaheira takes out her Shield of Balduran. In addition, she puts on the
Cloak of Mirroring, since some of the Elder Orbs also use spells. This
makes her as immune to Beholders as a character can be. Focus on the
Beholder first, as it'll be more likely to target other party members.
It's only a matter of time before the Elder Orb gets off a True Sight,
so move the entire party (save Jaheira, of course) on the stairs and
safely out of sight. Once the Beholder is dead (killed by a combination
of Jaheira in melee, and the rest of my party using missiles), Jaheira
can focus solely on the Elder Orb, and the Elder Orb can kindly return
the favor. When the Elder Orb dies, it'll leave behind an Amulet of
Spell Warding, the Blade of the Equalizer (we now have the entire
thing!), and an Eyestalk of an Elder Orb, an object which will come in
handy when we're in Ust Natha. I give the amulet to Jaheira, since she
has the worst save vs. spells amongst all my spell-casters.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Head up to the north, then east, with your Beholder-proof character
(for me this is, of course, Jaheira) and you'll find a Beholder being
plagued by five Drow. For the most experience, attack the Beholder,
kill it, and then run back to the beginning with the surviving Drow in
tow, then kill them, too. If you did the Unseeing Eye quest earlier,
you'll remember the various pockets of random loot stashed in various
niches within the organic walls of the tunnels. They're here, too, so
keep an eye out for them (or just keep an eye on this FAQ!) Make sure
to pick up the Sling of Arvoreen +4 (x=1210, y=770). You won't find a
better sling in Shadows of Amn. If Jaheira already has the Fire Tooth +3
dagger, this weapon goes to either Viconia or Anomen, whichever one you
have. What if you deviously have both? Give it to Viconia, as Anomen is
the better melee combatant. If you're doing this quest before venturing
to Ust Natha, however, give the weapon to Jaheira for now.
***ITEMS***
(x=790, y=600) Scroll of Flesh to Stone, 6 gold
(x=1210, y=770) Sling of Arvoreen +4, 47 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Continue to the south. If you trend towards the south-east you'll
encounter a random grouping of Beholders, depending on your level. For
me, this was three Gauth and three Beholders. Merely having Jaheira
present herself was enough to defeat them, but she also stabbed them a
bit for good measure. To speed things up, it's advisable to have the
rest of your party fire at the Beholders from a distance. It's not
quite as safe, as there's always a chance a Beholder will decide to be
a jerk and target an unprotected character (if you can shoot them, they
can shoot you) but they should focus on Jaheira, for the most part.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Keep going south and you'll run across a group of Mind Flayers
fighting some Gauth. This takes a little more effort than just
Beholders, as all my equipment can do nothing against Illithid psionics.
Jaheira casts Chaotic Commands on herself and uses Flame Tooth +3/Sling
of Arvoreen +4 to attack the Mind Flayers from a distance. The Gauth
typically gang up on Jaheira and try and kill her in melee (a tactic
that would be most successful if Jaheira had the poor sense to get
stunned). As it stands, however, they just uselessly gnash away at her
-10 Armor Class while she daggers or slings the Mind Flayers to death.
Once the Illithids are all dead, she merrily switches to Belm +2 and
finishes off the Gauth.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) I now head east until I reach some forks in the road occupied by a
pair of Beholders. As I fight, more Gauths and Beholders will come from
the adjoining tunnels, but it's really just more experience for me.
Whatever you do, avoid the tunnel to the south-east, as that takes some
additional preparation, which we'll get to in a moment. When the dust
settles, five more Beholders lie dead, along with two Gauth.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Now for the tunnel to the south-east. There's an Elder Orb down there
who, in addition to his eye rays enjoys employing spells. The real
problem here is the fact that he's fond of using Imprisonment, against
which Jaheira has no effective defense. One way of dealing with this is
to hand the Shield of Balduran and the Cloak of Mirroring to my
protagonist, who casts Spell Immunity: Abjuration on himself. Then the
worst the Elder Orb can do is Maze him, which will give it a handful of
rounds of reprieve, but will only delay the inevitable. Another option
is to spell-buff to the max, send the whole party down (Jaheira leading
the way) and shoot it down before it gets off an Imprisonment, using
Imoen or Edwin to rip down its Stoneskins and other defense as the need
arises. An even sneakier option is to let Jaheira use the Vhailor's Helm
to create a Simulacrum. Both the gals head down to fight the Elder Orb,
but the real Jaheira pulls pack once contact has been made and leaves her
Simulacrum to do the fighting and suffer the Imprisonment. Either way,
what should be made abundantly clear is the fact that we have options.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Once that battle is effectively over, we've really stamped out all
the meaningful opposition in the Beholder Den. Now it's just time to
loot our way up north along the eastern edge of the map. Along the way
we'll find our old friend, the Greenstone Amulet, and two packs of
Gauth, one pack has two Gauth, and the other has three, and neither one
is more than a bother for Jaheira. I really don't have a use for the
Greenstone Amulet in this game, to tell you the truth. I can always just
use Chaotic Commands and Resist/Remove Fear to get the same effects,
with no charges and for a much longer duration. The massive stash of
gold and gems, however, is a much less dubious prize. There are no
spells that create wealth! Return and exit via where you entered
(x=300, y=1300).
***ITEMS***
(x=2500, y=1100) Garnet, 1 gold
(x=2510, y=570) Greenstone Amulet, Silver Necklace
(x=2150, y=150) Emerald x5, King's Tears x3, Gold Ring, 5610 gold
(x=1820, y=200) Scroll of Shocking Grasp, Scroll of Cacofiend
o======================================================================o
| Ust Natha |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK032}
1) Infiltrating Ust Natha
2) Money is for Chumps
3) Carlig, Restocked and Re-stolen
4) Time is Not on Our Side
5) Freedom, at No Too Great a Price
6) Buying Experience
7) The Terrible Trouble of Telling Tall Tales
8) The Fighting Pit
9) Dueling Lasaonar
10) Crushing Chalinthra
11) Mage Duel #1
12) Mage Duel #2
13) Mage Duel #3
14) Other Forms of Entertainment
15) Sight-Seeing in Ust Natha
16) Solaufein's First Mission
17) An Odd Assortment of Ambushers
18) Rescuing Phaere
19) Well Deserved R&R
20) Food for Thought
21) Killing Qilue
22) Tavern Rendezvous
23) The Beholder Smuggler
24) A Lesson That Must Be Learned
25) Phaere's Problem
26) The Solaufein Question
27) Meeting the Matron
28) Blood of Thy Neighbors
29) The Gilded Rope
30) More Lich-Talk
31) Intrigue with Jarlaxle
32) Destroying Deirex
33) Deirex's Stash
34) A Slimy Situation
35) Sacking House Jae'llat
36) Liberation
37) A Reagent for the Ritual
38) Phaere's Plot
39) Solaufein's Scheme
40) Adalon's Eggs
41) Setting the Field
42) Feint Within a Feint
43) Escape or Extermination
44) Adalon's Reward
1) If you haven't already, visit Adalon and get yourself some nice new
illusory bodies. Leave Adalon's lair and return to the main section of
the Underdark and at the split head east into the unexplored. When you
get near the door of Ust Natha a Drow will run ahead of you and into
the city. In your sparkly new Drow disguise, when you approach the gate
the door will open and a Drow will confront you. If you have Viconia in
your party, she knows the correct thing to say to gain entrance. On your
own, you'll get four options. Pick option #4, as any other action is
either too strong, too weak, or simply obviously stupid and results in
a fight. Once you're accepted he'll tell you to seek somebody named
Solaufein, who is part of the Male Fighter's Society. when you're done
chatting with the gate guard, enter the city at (x=4900, y=100).
Ust Natha (AR2200)
o======================================================================o
2) Upon entering the city, a Drow will decide one of his Duergar
servants has outlived his usefulness, and will dispose of it. For his
impudence, a Drow Priestess shows up and informs him that he, too, has
overstepped his bounds and outlived his usefulness. The Drow Priestess
smites her son with a spell and leaves. Yeah, yeah, we get it. Drow are
bad news. But they've got good stuff to sell! There are three merchants
standing around, one at (x=1050, y=3350) sells scrolls, another Drow
at (x=1020, y=3100) sells some interesting weapons, armor, and some
scrolls, and the last one (x=1020, y=3000) sells a few interesting
trinkets and potions. All can be robbed, and all should be. This is the
first task I set about completing in Ust Natha. If you have morality
problems, just think, you're stealing from bad Dark Elves. This is a
super justified round of stealing! I go ahead and chug four potions of
Master Thievery to ensure the ease of this bout of stealing. Here are
the goodies I set my eyes on (although, being a habitual pick-pocket
and hoarder of useless game items, I'll probably steal everything that's
somewhat useful):
Merchant at (x=1050, y=3350):
Finger of Death
---------------
I already had one to scribe, but now both my Mages can cast it. There
aren't any better 7th-level spells for a Mage to keep on them
constantly. Instant death and the enemy has to save at -2? Good stuff.
Incendiary Cloud
----------------
We found one scroll earlier when we dealt with Vithal, but now both
Mages have access to it. It's not my go-to 8th level spell, as it's
not as versatile as Horrid Wilting, but sometimes it just pays to cast
a lingering cloud-effect spell.
Spell Sequencer
---------------
We just got one of these earlier from Carlig, and now, both Mages have
one.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Merchant (x=1050, y=3350)
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
1st-Find Familiar
---
2nd-Power Word, Sleep
2nd-Ray of Enfeeblement
---
3rd-Detect Illusion
3rd-Hold Undead
3rd-Minor Spell Deflection
3rd-Protection From Cold
3rd-Protection From Fire
3rd-Spell Thrust
---
4th-Enchanted Weapon
4th-Fireshield (Red)
4th-Minor Sequencer
4th-Secret Word
4th-Spider Spawn
4th-Teleport Field
---
5th-Spell Immunity
5th-Conjure Lesser Air Elemental
5th-Conjure Lesser Earth Elemental
5th-Minor Spell Turning
---
6th-Carrion Summons
6th-Chain Lightning
6th-Death Fog
---
7th-Finger of Death
7th-Mass Invisibility
7th-Mantle
7th-Prismatic Spray
7th-Ruby Ray of Reversal
7th-Summon Djinni
7th-Spell Sequencer
7th-Spell Turning
7th-Summon Efreeti
---
8th-Cacofiend
8th-Incendiary Cloud
8th-Simulacrum
8th-Summon Fiend
Merchant at (x=1020, y=3100):
Harbinger +3
------------
A Two Handed Sword +3? Is it a dream come true? Not quite. Although its
enchantment is up to snuff, it has the annoying property of unleashing a
10d6 fireball 5% of the time. This makes this a decidedly unfriendly
weapon to your party and any allies or innocent bystanders nearby. Its
property of killing Ogres is also fairly dubious. How many Ogres have
we fought so far? And how many of them are even really a threat anymore?
It might be worth picking up if you just want to collect as many unique
weapons as possible and you have the inventory space, but it has some
serious drawbacks that prevents Dorn/Keldorn/Minsc from using it
regularly.
Fire Tooth +3
-------------
This weapon is excellent for Jaheira (if you allowed her to become
proficient in Daggers), or failing that, Edwin. In both cases, it
fulfills their need for a +3 weapon AND for a ranged weapon. As for a
primary melee weapon, Fire Tooth's 2d4+3 damage is blatantly superior
to Blackblood's 1d6 +3, and for some reason Fire Tooth seems to get more
attacks per round than it should-rivaling Belm. At the end of the day,
everybody but Jaheira will find a better weapon to use at some point in
the game. Imoen gets the Gesen Bow and Edwin can just use the Crimson
Dart +3, but there are no +3 Scimitars in Shadows of Amn. I make this
weapon Jaheira's ranged and melee weapon for the rest of the game. And
note... do not confuse this dagger, Fire Tooth +3, with the Crossbow
Firetooth +4. I guess the developers liked the name so much they had to
use it twice? Sure, fire is cool, and so are teeth... but it just seems
like a missed opportunity to name one of them 'Fire Fang', instead.
Sure, it means the same thing, but then at least one of them would have
a different name, and alliteration is always cool. Ah well.
Robe of the Evil Archmagi
-------------------------
If poor Edwin doesn't have the Robe of Vecna yet, you might consider
grabbing this for him... So long as you get it for free. After all,
Edwin won't benefit from the Drow Elven Chain that Imoen and Nalia can
wear. Even if you've slapped some Bracers of Armor on him, the magic
resistance and Saving Throw bonus helps.
Sentinel +4
-----------
This shield is just brute Armor Class, giving a whopping +5 bonus. It
might not have the missile resistance of the Fortress Shield +3 or the
immunities of the Shield of Harmony +2, but it sure outclasses Saving
Grace +3.
Spear of Withering +4
---------------------
The best that can be said about this weapon is that it's got a +4
enchantment. Otherwise, I'd take the Impaler's ten piercing damage over
this weapon's four poison damage.
Staff of Earth +2
-----------------
Well, there's a staff for every other element, why not earth? You
probably won't end up using it, but it can come in handy in select
situations where Earth Elementals are involved.
Maze
----
While it's nowhere near as useful in general as Horrid Wilting, on
occasion you might find yourself bothered by a heavy-hitter who uses
his head to hold a helmet more than anything else. In these cases,
popping off a Maze to take it out of the fight for several rounds may
be better than just dealing some damage. The fact that the enemy
doesn't get to save is a bonus, too.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Merchant (x=1020, y=3100)
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
4th-Fireshield (Red)
---
5th-Animate Dead
5th-Breath
5th-Cloudkill
5th-Cone of Cold
5th-Monster Summoning III
5th-Shadow Door
---
6th-Conjure Earth Elemental
6th-Conjure Fire Elemental
---
8th-Maze
Merchant at (x=1020, y=3000):
Kaligun's Amulet of Magic Resistance
------------------------------------
It has double the amount of Magic Resistance given by the Amulet of 5%
Magic Resistance, which makes it a fairly nifty accessory. I put it on
Keldorn, as he's one of my main Mage-debuffers. He can't really function
at using True Sight and Dispel Magic to save the party and confound
enemies if he's under some kind of debilitating spell effect. In an
evil party Viconia serves a similar role, but the Sensate Amulet works
well enough, so... it ends up on Dorn.
Rod of Smiting
--------------
This rod acts as a +3 Quarterstaff that deals ten bonus damage against
Golems and forces them to save vs. death or be destroyed each hit. If
you remember how we struggled against the Iron Golem in the de'Arnise
Keep, you'll realize that Golems can, indeed, be a pain... And we've yet
to find any Adamantine Golems! Previously our Mages just had to sit
back and hope the rest of the party could handle things-Golems being
immune to spells and all. Now, they can actually take an active hand in
dealing with Golems, provided they're well-protected. Since this rod can
only be used by Clerics and Mages, it's not a general substitute for
your front-liners.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Steal anything (and everything) you want. At 165% Pick Pockets I was
able to fleece just about at will... although there's always a chance
you'll get caught. Once you're done, we have a bit more stealing to do.
Head back out into the Underdark and visit Carlig, who treats you
noticeably different now. He'll also 'sell' you some new items,
including new scrolls and four more Potions of Master Thievery. Steal
whatever you wish and replenish your stock of Potions of Master
Thievery. Carlig is more on guard this time, and won't be as easy to
steal from as he was earlier. Still, I make sure to obtain his potions
to ensure that I end with a net gain in stealing supplies from this
venture.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Carlig
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
1st-Find Familiar
---
2nd-Power Word, Sleep
2nd-Ray of Enfeeblement
---
3rd-Minor Spell Deflection
3rd-Protection From Fire
---
4th-Minor Sequencer
4th-Secret Word
4th-Spider Spawn
4th-Teleport Field
---
5th-Spell Immunity
---
6th-Death Spell
6th-Disintegrate
6th-Flesh to Stone
6th-Globe of Invulnerability
6th-Invisible Stalker
6th-Tenser's Transformation
---
7th-Cacofiend
7th-Finger of Death
7th-Limited Wish
7th-Mordenkainen's Sword
7th-Warding Whip
---
8th-Improved Mantle
---
9th-Freedom
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Return to Ust Natha. We're done stealing for a while, it's time to
get down to business. But before we bother doing anything in the city,
a word about the following missions. The Drow are fairly pissy about
having their tasks done in a timely manner. If you screw around too
long, you will draw the matron mothers upon you, and that is not a good
thing, to say the least, as it'll blow your cover and turn the Drow
hostile against you. For this first task, we've got about four days-
that's twelve rest sessions, or 96 hours. This is why I felt fairly
comfortable with stealing from those merchants, which wouldn't take up
more than one of our rest periods, at the most. There's still plenty of
time to go clear out the Illithid City (AR2400) or Beholder Den (AR2101)
should we desire. The former will be made easier with the acquisition of
Fire Tooth +3. If you already cleared these areas, or plan to do them
later, we've still got some time, so let's do a few things around Ust
Natha, just to get our feet wet.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Over at (x=1930, y=3190) you'll find a Djinni named Dola Fadoon, who
is being maliciously tortured-and then healed-by Drow, who are careful
to keep him alive, if not well. If you do what the Djinni wants and kill
him, you'll get the proper experience for killing one of his kind, but
the Overseer Handmaiden will not be pleased, and you'll be left with
two options-provoke her into a fight, which blows your cover, or pay her
4000 gold. If you do this quest much, much later (after Step #28) you
can play the 'House Despana' card to argue her down to 2000 gold.
Still, 2000 gold for 5000 experience? No thanks. Sorry Dola Fadoon,
next time try not to suck so much.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) At (x=900, y=2860) you'll find a Drow who is selling the services of
some beasts, which will follow you around for a while and presumably
helping in combat... but you can't take them out of the city or into
buildings, which makes them fairly useless. Of course, you can always
buy them and kill them for their experience value, which is probably
the best use you can put them to. You can purchase a Gnoll (500 gold,
34 EXP), a Troll (750 gold, 1400 EXP), a Spirit Troll (1000 gold,
8000 EXP), and an Umber Hulk (1500 gold, 4000 EXP). Obviously the most
cost effective monster is the Spirit Troll, which gives an 8-to-1
EXP-to-gold payoff. Still, EXP is more plentiful than gold, so why
bother?
Drow Tavern, Downstairs (AR2202)
o======================================================================o
7) Head north into a building at (x=1800, y=2550), which is nothing
less than your typical Drow watering hole. In the large central room
a group of Drow trade tales, which largely just fill you in on the
history of the Ust Natha, and somewhat on the general history of the
Drow. There are also interesting tales of Adalon to hear, which will
go a long way towards explaining her antipathy towards the Drow, and
the significance of her eggs. Merinid (x=1170, y=1170) has a
particularly humorous story to tell, but in the telling he offends
another patron, Tathlyn, who attacks him and will, in all likelihood,
kill him. Shame.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Szordrin (x=1450, y=850) runs the fighting pit, where you can test
your mettle against enslaved beasts for the glory of Lolth... and some
gold. Make sure to send a strong (and preferably spell-buffed) character
into the fight. For me, this is a simple matter, my Fighter/Mage is by
far the most versatile and lethal single character in my party. Your
first foe is an Umber Hulk, not a trivial opponent, but no match for my
protagonist. Kill it and return to Szordrin for your reward of 250 gold.
The second foe is a Nabassu-you know, like Aec'Letec from the first
game. If it doesn't paralyze you with its gaze, it has no chance to
defeat you in melee combat. Your reward for this fight is 500 gold.
Next up is a Sahuagin Prince, which seems fairly weak compared to a
Nabassu. It is, however, like Szordrin promises, a powerful opponent,
capable of striking my -5 Armor Class with no great difficulty. Still,
Stoneskin and Mirror Image just gives me too many advantages. Return to
Szordrin and collect your reward-750 gold. Even Szordrin isn't eager
about the next fight, which will pit you against a fairly strong
Beholder. Even with the Cloak of Mirroring, make sure you have Chaotic
Commands, as it can still hit you with Domination and Fear... both of
which are more annoying than threatening. You could always just strap on
the Shield of Balduran, which makes this Beholder impotent. When it's
dead, head back to Szordrin for your predictable reward of 1000 gold.
You can now ask Szordrin some questions, but he doesn't say much that
the storytellers already haven't. If you attempt to challenge him to a
fight, brave Szordrin will admit he's no match for you and run off to go
find something worth your time. Wuss.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Sondal awaits at (x=570, y=1130). Talk to him and he'll tell you
about the dueling arena, where Drow fight other Drow. Watch as Lasaonar
destroys four lesser Drow before returning outside. Now's your chance
to take on Lasaonar, whenever you're ready. I simply go in with my
protagonist and cut Lasaonar to pieces. He's got a lot of Hit Points,
but otherwise, he's just not up to snuff. Before you kill him, he'll
yield, giving up his sword. To sweeten the deal, you'll also get a nice
experience reward. It's also worthwhile to grab the gear of his
defeated foes while you're here.
***REWARD***
(For defeating Lasaonar)
EXP 30000
Item Blade of Searing +3
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) Immediately after defeating Lasaonar his benefactor, Chalinthra,
will show up and challenge you to a duel. You can dismiss her and fight
other duelists, instead, but why not pummel this impudent female? She's
a fairly potent priestess, but she focuses her initial efforts in spell-
buffing, as much as a Cleric can spell-buff. If you're lucky you'll
stun her with Celestial Fury and chop her down in short order, if not,
she'll get of a Sanctuary and cast Heal when she's hurt. Still, after
her sanctuary runs out you can continue attacking her. Since her spells
can't hurt you, and since I'm more powerful than her in melee combat,
she doesn't really stand a chance.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Next up we have some Mages to fight, who will only accept the
challenge of other Mages. Since my protagonist technically counts, I can
always send him in, or there's always Edwin and Imoen. Either way, I
make sure whomever is sent is wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, as it will
vastly improve their odds. In a straight spell-battle, I'm at a
disadvantage against Drow, as they have Magic Resistance where my Mages
do not. The Cloak of Mirroring overcomes this handicap and more. Once
protected against their offensive spells (but note, not their status-
affecting spells) I have several methods in mind for exiting victorious.
The most obvious is simply going after them with my Fighter/Mage, who
should be able to ignore most of their spells and cut them to pieces.
Edwin and Imoen use Summon Nishruu to deplete the enemy of their spells,
while tearing down their spell defenses with Breach. Using Lower
Resistance opens them up to spell assaults, and summoning monsters (with
spells or with items) can distract them. It's especially pleasing to use
the Black Spider Figurine we found earlier. What better to kill a Drow
than a spider? Of course, Edwin can use the Fire Tooth +3 we 'bought'
earlier as well, and Imoen always has her bow. Give them a Ring of Free
Action and cast Chaotic Commands on them and they should be able to
shrug off anything the Mages can throw at them. The first Mage begins
with Protection from Normal Missiles and Mirror Image on, but he is
otherwise laughably weak.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) The second Mage begins with Shadow Door, which will prevent you from
targeting them with spells unless you use a True Sight or Detect
Invisibility to bring it down. He then summons some monsters and
attempts to spell-buff them with Haste before resorting to offensive
spells that are incapable of harming us, thanks to the Cloak of
Mirroring. Just remember that a single Death Spell will eradicate his
summons, and that beyond that, he can't really touch anybody wearing the
Cloak of Mirroring. I don't even bother using any other spells, I let
him Shadow Door, then I kill his summons with a Death Spell, and pick
him apart with whatever weapons I have equipped.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) The third Mage also begins with Shadow Door, which they'll use to
safely cast Spell Turning and Summon Nishruu. How dare they turn our
tactics against us! My main character can smite the Nishruu in melee
combat easily enough, but Imoen and Edwin will have to use another Death
Spell to achieve the same end. While we deal with the Nishruu, the Mage
will attempt to remove our spell protections with Khelben's Warding Whip
(of course, this does nothing against our Cloak of Mirroring) before
finally resorting to offensive spells. Once the Nishruu is gone, there
isn't much this Mage can do to us. Once her Hit Points get low she'll
get off a Spell Sequencer that'll put up a Fire Shield, Stoneskin, and
give her some Melf's Minute Meteors to attack with. Unfortunately we
aren't immune to her Fireshield, but at this point it's the most
dangerous thing she can put up against us. When she inevitably dies
we'll be done with the dueling pit.
Drow Tavern, Upstairs (AR2203)
o======================================================================o
14) Head upstairs (x=500, y=850) to reach the second level of the
tavern. At (x=660, y=700) you'll find a male Drow who will entertain you
with 'the arts of oiled massage and other exotic pleasures'. Over to the
east you'll find a trio of imprisoned Drow, who were apparently refugees
from house De'Vir seeking sanctuary in Ust Natha. Again with R.A.
Salvatore... one gets the impression there wouldn't even be Drow if it
weren't for him. Granted there were old Dungeons and Dragons Modules
where they appeared, and they had an entry in the Fiend Folio, and the
first gaming appearance I remember of them was in a game on the Sega
Genesis, but they certainly wouldn't have gained such widespread usage
without the Drizzt Books. Still, that doesn't mean that everything has
to borrow from them... Anyways, there's not much you can do, but if you
talk to the closest of the captive males, he'll commit suicide. Finally,
at (x=1100, y=490) you'll find a Drow who controls what is obviously the
pinnacle of dark elven entertainment... aside from tormenting their
down-on-their-luck fellows. You get to see him press a button, after
which a slave walks out onto a rune and explodes. He'll demonstrate for
free, but if you talk to him again you can witness the brutality over
and over again for a mere 100 gold. You can do this three times, and
each time you pay for this spectacle, you'll lose a point of reputation.
If you're beaten up, or otherwise not at your peak, and you have some
time left, it pays to rest at the tavern (the barkeep is on the lower
level, on a raised platform north of the fighting pit). After we meet
with Solaufein, our fun time will be significantly reduced.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Return to Ust Natha. There are some slave pens to the north-west,
but since we really can't do anything with them yet, head north-east
instead. You'll find a dark elf engaged in diplomacy with some Mind
Flayers. Don't talk to her too much, or she'll get pissy and attack you-
blowing your cover in the process. Continue east to the Female Fighter's
Society. It's empty right now, and there's only a few gold coins of loot
inside, so it's not really worth exploring. The house on the next level
is outright inaccessible, although the map and the Drow outside name it
as Qilue's home. We'll deal with it later. To the south-east a surface
Elf will run by, followed later by the Drow who are hunting her for
sport. They'll ask you where she went, and you'll get the chance to
point her out, or send them the wrong way, neither of which seem to
lead to anything. If you go into the spire at (x=2500, y=1800) you'll
surface on the upper levels. Enter another doorway at (x=2150, y=1500)
to reach the top-most platform, and continue north-east, then
south-east, until you find the way blocked by some Drow males herding a
trio of Duergar. A female impatiently waits for the Drow to move their
slaves, and when this takes too long, she promptly smites them all and
walks on. Each Drow will leave behind a suit of Chain Mail, a Dagger,
and 120 gold. Over at (x=4650, y=1140) you'll find a 'Spelljammer Drow',
who owns a planar-ship. He'll offer to hire you on as crew if you're
around in a few months, which, unfortunately, we won't be. To the
south-west some slaves will fight (and ultimately feed) some Giant
Spiders. Return to the ground level of Ust Natha. We could explore to
the south-east, but both the points of interest in that direction
(Deirex's Tower and the Temple of Lloth) aren't worth exploring yet,
and there are no encounters to speak of. Head north-east instead,
towards the Male Fighter's Society, where you'll find your man Solaufein
at (x=3530, y=1650).
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Solaufein will tell you that you're to meet with a Handmaiden near
the gates of the city. Apparently, you've already got a job to do. If
you have Viconia with you, she'll warn you about the Drow. Be obedient,
don't screw around, and kill everybody beneath you. Yeah, great advice,
Viconia. You can loot the Male Fighter's Society for a handful of gold,
if you wish, but since there's not much to do in Ust Natha right now,
return to the bazaar near the city entrance and find Solaufein
(x=1530, y=3330) and Imrae (x=1450, y=3280). You'll be told that due to
the preparations of the army, the city is a little short-handed right
now, and this is the only reason you're being given a chance to prove
yourself, instead of being enslaved. I'm sure we can see a huge
difference between slavery and servitude. Solaufein takes over after
Imrae is done threatening, and tells us that our job is to intercept a
group of 'devourers', or Mind Flayers, that have captured one of the
Matron Mother's daughters, and rescue her. You've got twelve hours to
reach the ambush site outside of the entrance to the Illithid tunnels.
So, let's hope you took my advice and rested up at the tavern after
completing the fighting pit and dueling arena!
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) A short ways outside of Ust Natha, just past the bridge leading
to the tunnels that run to Adalon and Ust Natha, you'll find a group of
enemies. This group of misfits consists of a Skeleton, an Ogre named
Boz, a Cleric named Chandrilla, a War Dog, a Mage named N'ashtar, a
Goblin named Simbja, a Thief named Damien and an Imp named Pitch.
Unfortunately for them, they don't have much in the way of detecting
invisible enemies, allowing you to blast them with area-of-effect spells
before heading into combat with them. It's obvious that their intent is
to send the weaker enemies to distract you, while the Mage and Cleric in
the back pester you with spells. My Fighter/Mage lets loose a Greater
Malison, Imoen fires off a Chaos, and Anomen or Viconia targets the
Skeleton with a Greater Command. It won't affect the Skeleton, but it'll
affect everything else!
Once done, only the Skeleton, N'ashtar, Damien, and Pitch remained in
fighting condition. Imoen casts Haste and Keldorn runs off on his own to
attack N'ashtar, or whatever other spell-caster might be roaming about
(his Drow Full Plate +5 reduced his Armor Class to an obscene -10, which
allows me to play him bolder than I otherwise might.) My party gangs up
on Damien and works their way down through any enemies that are still
conscious, finally smiting any hapless, and helpless, foes that remain.
It is with only a small amount of boasting that I admit that they didn't
manage to even scratch me, and all you need worry about is Damien. If
he's not affected by your initial spell barrage, he'll be keen on
chugging Potions of Invisibility and targeting your Mage... still, a
simple Stoneskin spell renders him impotent:
Damien: Potions of Invisibility x3, Potions of Healing x3 and Oil of
Speed.
Boz: Full Plate Mail, Helmet, Dragon's Breath +4 (Minsc or Keldorn will
gladly use this Halberd if a +4 weapon is required) and 32 gold.
N'ashtar: Quarterstaff, Potion of Icedust x2... weird... and a Scroll of
Horrid Wilting.
Chandrilla: Plate Mail Armor, Medium Shield, Bullets x40, Mace and a
Sling.
Simbja: Hide Armor, Arrows x60, Dagger, Shortbow and 23 gold.
Note: Looking at Infinity Explorer, you'll find that this party is an
odd bunch. Damien is Neutral Evil, Boz is Chaotic Evil, N'ashtar and
Chandrilla are both Chaotic Good, and Simbja somehow has no alignment
at all. Such a silly game...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
18) Continue to the area marked on the map as the 'Eastern Tunnels' to
find Solaufein (x=4700, y=3100). Make sure to rest up and talk to
Solaufein. He'll tell you the Illithids are approaching. This will give
you several rounds to spell-buff. Move your party east of Solaufein, as
the Illithids will spawn all around him to the north, west, and south.
Switch to missile weapons and get up as many Chaotic Commands as you
can. Focus on defensive spells like Mirror Image, Blur, and
Invisibility, as Stoneskin won't help you much. When Solaufein is done,
three Mind Flayers appear (mostly west of Solaufein) and three Umber
Hulks (one north, two south). It's doubly imperative to have Chaotic
Commands, as a confused character is just that much easier for a Mind
Flayer to kill. I immediately have my protagonist and Imoen hit the
enemies with a Death Spell (using the Skull of Death might, on this
one occasion, prove useful). With three death effects all targeting the
central Illithid closest to Solaufein, all six of the enemies succumbed
to the necromantic onslaught. I used my main character (well-defended,
of course) as bait, but in hindsight it may be better to just use
summoned monsters. They won't last long, but they'll last long enough
to get the Death Spells off. After all the enemies are dead, Phaere
will, as Solaufein predicted, be rather contemptuous of your efforts.
Phaere decides to make her way back to Ust Natha alone, after showing
some interest in your protagonist. Solaufein will curse at her after
she leaves, and follow her to make sure she doesn't screw up your
mission by getting killed. I think they are friends.
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Phaere)
EXP 20000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) Return to Ust Natha, where you'll find Imrae and Solaufein in the
bazaar, in the same place they were standing before you went off to
rescue Phaere. Talk to Solaufein, and you'll be rewarded... kind of...
with text... so not really. Phaere demands your presence in the tavern
in a day's time, and she also demands that Solaufein and your party rest
and relax in the tavern as a reward. If you have to be demanded to
partake in something, does it still count as a reward?... Apparently it
does...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) A Duergar (x=1050, y=3150) will intercept you and tell you that his
'master', apparently the creature in the tank next to him, wants to
talk to you. If you refuse to speak with the creature, which is an
Aboleth, a fish-creature that is highly intelligent and capable of
telepathy, it'll broadcast your thoughts to the entire city, tipping the
Drow off. It's not bluffing, so head over to the tank and talk to it
(x=800, y=3000). It wants to know more about the religion of the Drow,
and the power that it brings them, and instead of cracking open a book
like a good fish, it wants you to kill a priestess named Qilue and bring
her brain to the Aboleth, from which it can add her memories to its own.
Lazy, gross fish! You can hardball it by refusing to do its task and
threatening to reveal its plans to the Drow if it reveals your identity,
but it's more fun to kill Qilue.
***REWARD***
(For countering the Aboleth's threat)
EXP 12000
Qilue's House (AR2206)
o======================================================================o
21) We have a whole day to get this done, so head over to Qilue's House
(x=2720, y=1900), which is near the Female Fighter's Society. Inside is
Qilue, who is already hostile, so there's no real reason to worry about
diplomacy. She has two Drow Servants with her-both of which are spell-
casters. Your foes come in two varieties here-either as level 12/12
Fighter/Mages (worth 10000 EXP) and level 14 Abjurationists (11000 EXP).
Their tactics? Well, the Fighter/Mages are fond of casting Protection
From Normal Missiles and Protection From Normal Weapons... as if those
are any sort of defense anymore. The Abjurationists are more potent,
using Spell Triggers that put up the useless Protection spells mentioned
above, as well as Globe of Invulnerablity. They're also fond of using
Shadow Door. Offensively their two main attacks are Sunfire (which they
seem to just rely on their own Magic Resistance to mitigate) and
Symbol, Fear, usually their first strike. Qilue busies herself with
Remove Magic and True Sight. Now for the tactics. I immediately fall
upon the spellcaster near the door, while sending the two characters
wearing the Paws of the Cheetah (my Protagonist and Keldorn/Korgan)
after the further one, aided by a Breach courtesy of Edwin/Imoen. Both
Drow should fall in short order, but there are more lurking to the east.
The general strategies of these Mages? After those two are dead, Qilue
will dimension door to the east, where three more Mages await. I cast
Chaotic Commands on my protagonist, who goes east alone to kill the
other two Mages. They'll uselessly target him with their spells, and my
other party members will take down their spell defenses with Breach,
and soften them with missile fire. When Qilue is the only one left, I
finally bother to focus my attention on her. She goes down surprisingly
quickly. Once the fighting is done loot Qilue's corpse and lay your
hands on another suit of Drow Adamantine Chain +5, a Drow Shield +3, a
Drow Flail +3, Boneblade +4 (a great weapon for Jaheira if she's
proficient in Daggers, it'll allow her to damage creatures otherwise
immune to lesser weapons), Qilue's Brain, a Scroll of Conjure Fire
Elemental, and one gold. Her house has some very minor loot inside of
it, and the Drow Servants will drop a paltry amount of gold. Return the
brain to the Aboleth, which will be ungrateful, as is typical of
denizens of the Underdark. You'll get a small experience reward and the
critter will leave you be. Note that even though the experience reward
is only 10,000 EXP, we earned 57,000 EXP from killing Qilue and her
bodyguards, as well as obtaining the Boneblade +4. All in all, it's a
net gain of 55,000 EXP and one +4 weapon. Not bad.
***REWARD***
(For bringing Qilue's brain to the Aboleth)
EXP 10000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Return to the tavern where we vanquished our enemies, both Drow and
beast, and find Phaere at (x=1000, y=750). Phaere is decidedly nicer to
you, and it becomes painfully evident that she and Solaufein have a
distinctly antagonistic relationship. Love-hate seems to miss the mark
by a four-letter word starting with 'L'. In any case, this works out
well for you, as Phaere is content to be somewhat less of a complete
bitch during this conversation. She'll tell you that since you and
Solaufein (emphasis on the 'you' is presumed) kick so much ass, you're
going to be rewarded with more dangerous work. Climbing the ladder is
fun! If you're flirty with her, you'll certainly get a negative response
from your romantic interest, if you have one. In any event, you have
several days to start this next quest... starting after Phaere leaves
the tavern. Talk to Phaere and she'll boast grandiose about the future
of her house, and herself in particular, promising that if you stick
with her, you'll invariably be caught in the updraft. Apparently House
Despana is planning something that will bring them to a position of
absolute power within Ust Natha. You can talk to Solaufein, too, who is
decidedly less interesting this time around. Rest up and head to Phaere
when you're ready... she'll be in the bazaar near the entrance to the
city, where Solaufein and Imrae were before-she substitutes for Imrae.
You have nearly three days to play with, if you wish. You could tackle
the Illithid City (AR2400) or the Beholder Den (AR2101) in this time, if
you didn't do so already and are now so inclined.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) When you're ready to continue with the Ust Natha quests talk to
Phaere, who will tell you that a Beholder has infiltrated the city and
is smuggling precious Adamantine on its Spelljammer ship. Phaere says
it's located on one of the platforms along the south-eastern part of
Ust Natha. Head to the large circular platform south-east of Deirex's
Tower to rendezvous with Phaere and Solaufein. Before I talk to Phaere
(x=4020, y=3390) I cast Chaotic Commands and Remove Fear on my
Fighter/Mage, and move the rest of my party away from the stairs leading
from the platform to the city, as that's where the Beholder will appear.
When it shows up, my protagonist engages, utterly immune to all its
attacks. Once it dies, there's brief celebration followed by an
experience reward and, of course, another demand made by Phaere to meet
in the tavern-this time you have three days, and again, it's another
opportunity to explore some areas outside of town.
***REWARD***
(For killing the adamantine-smuggling Beholder)
EXP 20000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
24) Return to the tavern and talk to Phaere, who is in her usual spot.
She'll tell you that both you and Solaufein have been tasked with
teaching the Svirfneblins a lesson. Apparently they're just not quite
afraid enough of the Drow (and indeed, our time in the Gnome village
showed that they were just a bit too cheery, all things considered.)
Solaufein complains about having to degrade himself by such menial
labor. Keldorn will complain if he's part of your group, but it
doesn't strike Phaere as odd enough to look into. Solaufein wants this
job over with quickly, so don't mess around. Exit Ust Natha and travel
to (x=900, y=2200) where Solaufein awaits. Of course, you have some
options, you can do this the 'good' way, or the 'evil' way. This is
easy for you, since you really just need to choose whatever strikes your
fancy, but for your poor, beleaguered FAQ-writer, I have to play
through all options so you can be well informed. Just letting you know
how much more difficult and time-consuming this-and the next few steps-
are going to be for me... damned options! Anyways, despite my whining,
this step isn't too consequential. Talk to Solaufein and if you want to
save the Gnomes, tell Solaufein to take a hike and he will gladly
depart, to spite Phaere, if for no better reason. If Solaufein is still
around when the Svirfneblin arrive, they will be hostile and there will
be no room for diplomacy, but if he's gone, you can talk to their
leader and save the Gnomes while satisfying the Drow. Ask for the
leader's helmet to prove that you completed the deed and the Gnomes
will head off. The Gnomes will give decent experience, but the only
loot worth mentioning are the Darts of Stunning some of them drop.
Still, you don't lose reputation for killing them, and you don't gain
more experience for saving them, so it's really up to you. Like I said,
pretty inconsequential. Return to Phaere for your reward, which seems
inordinately large for the trouble of wandering outside and asking a
Gnome for his helmet. Phaere is extra testy today, and it even spills
out on you-but just a bit. She demands your presence at the Female
Fighter's Society within the hour, so make haste and head over there.
***REWARD***
(For returning the Patrol Leader's Helmet to Phaere)
EXP 28000 (each character)
Female Fighter's Society (AR2204)
o======================================================================o
25) Head into the Female Fighter's Society (x=2500, y=2050) and talk to
Phaere (x=750, y=1020). Phaere is fed up with Solaufein, and his
continued insolence has become more than an annoyance to Phaere-her
continued tolerance of Solaufein could jeopardize her position. Simply
put, she wants you to kill him and bring back his piwawfi cloak as
proof, and she gives you three days to complete the task. If Jaheira is
in your party, she points out that sparing Solaufein might have some
merit-after all, we faked the murder of a Gnome patrol and got away with
it. It doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility that we could also
fake Solaufein's demise. I hope you enjoyed the novel sense of choice
and consequence we had when dealing with the Gnomes-from now on, our
choices have real consequences. You have three days to deal with
Solaufein, and if you haven't cleared either the Beholder Den or
Illithid City, now would be a very good time to do so. When you're
back and ready to continue on with your Ust Natha quests, rest up and
prepare some Sunray spells if you have them, and some Spell Immunity
spells.
Male Fighter's Society (AR2205)
o======================================================================o
26) Head over to the Male Fighter's Society (x=3500, y=1550), and talk
to Solaufein (x=700, y=920). Killing Solaufein is the easy task. He's
not terribly strong (in fact, my Fighter/Mage alone, with no spell-buffs
was more than a match for him), but there are considerations to be made.
Explaining what happens involves a little bit of spoilers, but it's
necessary in this case to make you see why I have reservations with
killing Solaufein. No matter who we side with, (Phaere or Solaufein),
there are only two real momentous outcomes of this whole ordeal-we
either save Adalon's eggs, or we don't. If we don't, we have to deal
with a very angry Silver Dragon, and regardless of what we do, our cover
in Ust Natha is bound to be blown as things get complicated. Our
priorities should therefore be to eliminate as many enemies as we can
while recovering Adalon's eggs. This means siding with Solaufein, who
will help us later-but only if he's alive. Even if you're undecided on
what you want to do later, you can always change your mind and be as bad
as you want to be, but if you kill Solaufein now, you limit your options
in the future. Since the difference between his life and death is a
mere 6000 experience and a few items that'll disintegrate on the
surface, I really have to advocate that everybody-good or evil-spare
Solaufein. Besides, it's not like evil people wouldn't occasionally
show mercy if they knew it was just to earn greater rewards later...
it's not about the actions, it's about the motive. In any case, if you
kill Solaufein he'll drop typical Drow gear, along with the rare Drow
Scimitar +3. Most importantly he'll drop his Drow Piwawfi Cloak, which
does great things. It would be wonderful to keep, but alas, we cannot,
and even if we could, it wouldn't do us any good on the surface. If
you decide to spare Solaufein, he'll tell the story about him and
Phaere, and give up his Piwawfi Cloak willingly. The more you tell
Solaufein, the more he'll reveal, in turn, going so far as to admit
that he worships Eilistraee-not Lloth.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
27) Return to the Female Fighter's Society and hand Solaufein's Piwawfi
Cloak over to Phaere, who is naturally quite pleased, and rewards you
with another overly large experience reward. If your protagonist is
male, Phaere will decide to take you aside-alone, and her intentions are
decidedly adult in nature. If you're in a relationship, you can avoid
sleeping with Phaere by picking dialogue options #1, then #3 to say you
'belong to another.' When she demands to know who, say "It... it's
someone you don't know..." and she'll assume you mean a Handmaiden from
Ched Nasad has 'collared' you, which is enough to deter her, for now.
You can also pick dialogue options #1, then #2 to reiterate that you
'can't', which Phaere assumes to mean you have some kind of physical
disability. Afterwards, you'll be able to furnish Phaere with a
variety of stat-based lies which will throw her off if your attributes
are high enough. If you have a 13 Charisma and a 17 Intelligence, you
can convince Phaere that you made an oath of celibacy to Lloth. If
you've got a Charisma and an Intelligence of 15, you can convince her
that you were cursed. Finally, if you have a 17 Charisma or higher, you
can claim to be a eunuch. If you're not in a relationship, or you just
don't care, then it doesn't really matter, does it? Jaheira or Viconia
will certainly have a talk with you afterwards. Jaheira is understanding
if you use the 'maintaining our disguise' ruse. Viconia is more
violent... towards Phaere, not you. She seems rather amused in your
apparent inability to turn down some dark elven lovin'. In any event,
You're to head to the Temple of Lloth and meet with Mother Ardulace.
Apparently Phaere isn't the only one you've impressed.
***REWARD***
(For delivering Solaufein's Piwawfi Cloak to Phaere)
EXP 30000 (each character)
Temple of Lloth (AR2201)
o======================================================================o
28) From the Female Fighter's Society head south-east, then turn
north-east at Deirex's Tower to reach the Temple of Lloth
(x=4200, y=2300). Head forward to find Matron Mother Ardulace at
(x=1100, y=1220). Funny how we were spotted by one brainy fish, but we
can prance merrily through a temple of Lloth unimpeded, no? Lazy spider
goddess-eight eyes, and no way to see what really goes on in your own
temples... or perhaps she just doesn't care? Ah... capricious, chaotic,
demonic deities... Anyways, when you approach Ardulace seems decidedly
unimpressed, but Phaere defends your worth quite uncharacteristically.
Ardulace will decide to let you prove yourself-as if we had done
anything else since we entered this city. You're to retrieve the blood
of one of the 'noble' neighbor races, blood belonging to their strongest
members. She means, of course, Beholders, Illithids, or Kuo-Toa.
Phaere's assassination of the Beholder earlier was a botched attempt to
kill an Elder Orb for this very purpose, and since Phaere screwed up,
it's up to us to get it right. Our options are to get Elder Brain Blood
(Illithid City), Eyestalk of an Elder Orb (Beholder Den), or Kuo-Toan
Blood (Kuo-Toa Ruins) which you could have, of course, done before ever
entering Ust Natha. If you gathered one or more of the components
previously, do NOT give them to Ardulace now, as that will set her plans
in motion and deprive us of some side quests that have just opened up in
Ust Natha. Speaking of which, accept to go hunting for Ardulace's grisly
components and leave the Temple of Lloth. You have three days, as usual,
to gather whichever one you desire.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
29) Head up towards the Female Fighter's Society and you'll be bothered
by a Drow named Visaj (x=3000, y=2270), who will try to sell you a
golden rope. This 'relic of no small power' supposedly belonged to
Jarlaxle-yet another character from R.A. Salvatore's books. Long story
short, this rope is supposed to protect one from the powers of Deirex, a
Drow Lich living in Ust Natha. Perhaps in the area marked on your map as
'Deirex's Tower'? He wants 1000 gold for it, but can be talked down to
500... or you can just threaten him and he'll give it up for free.
I like free.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
30) Now, before we rush in and do anything foolish, it's time for a
primer on Lich fights. They're like most other fights with Mages, and
now that we have the Cloak of Mirroring, we stand a good chance of
winning.. so long as we can force the Lich to focus on the character
with the Cloak of Mirroring. For me, that's my protagonist, who can
become absolutely spell-proof with a few good Spell Immunities.
Remember when we beat up that chump Lich, Alchra Diagott? Same rules
apply. For higher-leveled parties, we can take a more offensive
approach. While our spell-immune character soaks up magic, our Clerics
can sit back and try their luck with Sunray (so long as we keep True
Sight on so we can target the Lich). It should at least do some damage,
and with a little luck, kill it outright... hence why I told you to
prepare back in Step #25.
Deirex's Tower, Level 1 (AR2207)
o======================================================================o
31) Head up to Deirex's Tower (x=3700, y=2800), which you can now enter
thanks to the 'Gilded Rope' you got from Visaj. Once inside, however,
things don't go exactly as planned, as the rope only gains you entrance-
it does nothing to prevent the Lich from hitting you with Imprisonment.
Or 'Banishment', as the case may be. Instead of a game over, or anything
so depressing, you end up in a rather nice room talking to Jarlaxle,
who will admit that Visaj-one of Jarlaxle's lieutenants-arranged for you
to get the rope and barge in on Deirex (damn my insufferable brutishness
and aggressive loot-seeking!) What Jarlaxle wants is simple-go retrieve
the gems within which the souls of some of his men are trapped. How you
get them, and whether you kill Deirex and then, what you do with the
House Jae'llat Wardstones are of no concern to Jarlaxle. Of course, to
compel you to at least do what he wants, Jarlaxle warns you that he
knows your true identity, and like the Aboleth, he threatens to blow
your cover if you don't do what you want. Unlike with the Aboleth, you
have no way to counter Jarlaxle, but like the Aboleth, it's more
beneficial to do what your blackmailer wants.
Note: There is a bit of a bug with the Deirex encounter... one that
works in our favor. If you have the game set to auto-pause when you see
an enemy (I do, it's good stuff to prevent the enemy from getting the
drop on you) or if you just pause manually as soon as you enter, you can
direct your party to attack him. No big deal, right? Sure, except for
one problem-Deirex is scripted to walk towards you and cast his
Imprisonment spell once he reaches a set destination. If you rush him as
soon as you enter, some of your party members might impede his progress.
Granted, they are scripted to stop attacking once Deirex is done
talking, and you will lose control over your party, but this does not
seem to affect your protagonist, who will continue to attack while
Deirex moves (slowly, and perhaps futiley) towards his scripted casting
spot. It's entirely possible to kill Deirex without him ever casting
his Imprisonment spell, without him even being able to lift a finger to
defend himself. If that happens, wait a few moments and you'll be
teleported to talk to Jarlaxle as if you had been imprisoned-everything
works out fine, but when you reappear in Ust Natha and head back to
Deirex's Tower, he'll still be dead. There is absolutely no downside to
this, as far as I can tell. You continue the quest, get the experience
for killing Deirex (and his loot), and you don't even have to bother
with the messy business of him being able to defend himself. This trick
still works in the Enhanced Edition, you just have the pause the game
while the interior of Deirex's Tower is loading, then force-attack the
Lich, as he starts out neutral now.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
32) So, now it's time to spell-buff up and head inside Deirex's Tower,
and this time hopefully meet with a little more success. Unfortunately
the idea of sneaking in and stealing from the Lich seems wildly
impossible to me, since you must take your whole party in, and any
invisibility will be countered by True Sight. Might as well just
prepare to kill him. One way to do this is to simply waltz in and hit
him with Sunray and hope to kill him. If you're not quite there yet
level-wise, you'll have to do the Alchra Diagott strategy, except you
must immediately grab your party (save your spell-eater) and run them
somewhere safe. After all, your spell-immune character won't help very
much if they aren't being targeted, will they? Deirex will start out
with True Sight, Protection from Magical Weapons, and Spell Trap. In
typical Lichy fashion, he'll then cast Time Stop, and use the free time
to cast Death Spell (to clear out any summons, I presume) and Symbol
spells. He's also not above casting spells like Wail of the Banshee, to
score some cheap kills. When he takes some damage, he'll unleash a
Chain Contingency which consists of Mislead and Spell Turning, and his
last, final, desperate gasp involves a Contingency that'll put up
another Protection from Magical Weapons. When Deirex dies, loot him for
a Lich's Tooth, which claims to open up the other levels of this tower,
and the Jae'llat Wardstone, which we can use to obtain some more loot.
The Armor of the Viper is pretty decent armor for Minsc or Valygar.
Sure, the -2 penalty to saves vs. poison/paralyzation sucks, but most
effects that hold, stun, or poison are saves vs. death or magic. The
only thing that I can think of that actually requires a save vs.
paralyzation are Paralytic Bolts. Then again, their Armor Class isn't
terribly important, since I tend to use them as archers for most fights.
Once you grab Deirex's Gems, Jarlaxle will retrieve you and relieve
you of your new-found gems. He'll reveal that he really only wanted the
gems as payment. House Jae'llat owed him, after all, and killing Deirex,
a member of House Jae'llat and their ally was punishment enough for
stiffing Bregan D'aerthe. Unfortunately, your responses to Jarlaxle are
rather limited, and all around unsatisfactory (you have no choice but
to be a poor sport, it seems). In any event, Jarlaxle thanks you for
playing along, and encourages you to finish looting Deirex's Tower, and
candidly suggests that you attack House Jae'llat, too. Jarlaxle promises
us some money for our trouble, but none is forthcoming. At least we get
a bit of experience, though.
***REWARD***
(For helping Jarlaxle even the score)
EXP 10000
***ITEMS***
(x=850, y=850) Bloodstone Gem, Scroll of Wizard Eye, Scroll of Deafness,
Scroll of Glitterdust
(x=1600, y=870) Scroll of Grease, Scroll of Remove Magic,
Scroll of Contagion
(x=1100, y=700) Armor of the Viper +5
(x=1550, y=550) Deirex's Gems, Scroll of Limited Wish,
Scroll of Melf's Minute Meteors, Scroll of Spook
***TRAPS***
(x=1100, y=700)
(x=1550, y=550)
Deirex's Tower, Level 2 (AR2210)
o======================================================================o
33) Despite Jarlaxle using us for his own ends, I see no reason
whatsoever why we shouldn't finish off Deirex's Tower and then sack
House Jae'llat. If this makes Jarlaxle happy, so be it. It'll make us
richer in loot and experience, and isn't that really what life is all
about? I've got a minor in Philosophy, trust me, it is. Enter the
door near the Drow Wizard at (x=3470, y=2750) to find a rather large
cavern. Loot the pool in the middle for a considerable bit of loot.
More than enough, in fact, to make this entire quest worth completing.
None of the items, however, make it into my character's hands. The best
item, the Crossbow of Affliction +4, retards the melee capacities of
the wielder, and since Keldorn is primarily a melee Fighter, we can't
have that. I take the description of the weapon as a cautionary tale
and decide to sell it as soon as I hit the surface. When you're done
cackling with glee over your new loot, head over to the Male Fighter's
Society, which you won't quite reach before something else snags your
attention...
***ITEMS***
(x=500, y=800) The Jester's Folly, Crossbow of Affliction +4,
Rogue Stone, King's Tear x2, Moonbar Gem x3, Pearl x5,
Wand of Magic Missiles, Wand of Frost, Short Sword +2,
Two Handed Sword +2, Spear +3, scroll of Cacofiend,
Scroll of Ruby Ray of Reversal, 1128 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
34) While wandering around you'll again be bothered by a Drow, this time
a female named Taso Kala (x=2480, y=2100), who waits outside of the
Female Fighter's Society. When you walk pass she'll harass you, and tell
you that Lloth requires your services. By this, I suspect she means the
mortal servants of Lloth, and not actually Lloth herself, what about
you? A sect of Ghaunadaur worshipers have been found in the city, and
you need to eradicate the remnants hiding in the city. Head back down
to the south-east, past Deirex's Tower to the large platform where you
smote the Beholder with Phaere and Solaufein. Here you'll find a
Ghaunadaur Priest, a Ghaunadaur Priest Leader, a Mage named Relonar,
two Otyughs, two Green Slimes, two Mustard Jellies, two Ochre Jellies,
and two Gray Oozes. Fun. These folks suffer for their lack of counter-
scouting techniques, and I lay into them with three Fireballs to start
things off (one from my protagonist, one from Imoen or Edwin, and one
from whomever has the Book of Infinite Spells.) I then retreat back to
near Deirex's Tower, where I left half of my party, and bottleneck them
on the stairs. I hit the spell-casters with an Insect Plague, and then
just kill what opposition remains in melee. The Drow drop typical Drow
gear... none of which we really need anymore. Return to Taso Kala, who
will decide that your continued existence is reward enough. Typical...
Head over to House Jae'llat like we originally intended.
House Jae'llat (AR2209)
o======================================================================o
35) With the Jae'llat Wardstone in your inventory, you can enter House
Jae'llat (x=3250, y=1450), but you should spell-buff outside before you
do. (You can also enter at (x=3500, y=1350), but either route takes you
to the same place.) Outside of House Jae'llat, search one of the windows
to find some Bracers of Binding. They're cursed, but at least now you
can't accuse me of not pointing them out. Inside you'll find various
members of House Jae'llat, including Rilloa Jae'llat (a Cleric) along
with several Jae'llat Guards. Jump on Rilloa as soon as you enter and
she should go down quickly, then mop up the rest of the Jae'llat Guards
nearby. Once they're all dead head to the east, then turn north to find
Hindra Jae'llat and Ist'tar Jae'llat, the former of which is another
Cleric, and the latter of which is a Fighter. Target the former, and if
the latter is causing you too much trouble consider targeting him with a
debuff like Chaos or Slow. Once they're all dead, loot them. Hindra
will leave behind four Diamonds, and of course everybody will drop
Drow gear, which we don't need. Loot the house for some more significant
loot. Water's Edge +3 is really just a +3 Scimitar, but since the
developers decided to name it, I'll include it as a somewhat-unique
weapon (as opposed to a simple Spear +3). And of course, the gems and
gold are welcome, too. Make sure you have everything before you leave,
you won't be able to come back without the Jae'llat Wardstone.
***ITEMS*** (AR2200)
(x=3350, y=1400) Bracers of Binding
***ITEMS*** (AR2209)
(x=620, y=600) 12 gold
(x=350, y=800) Water's Edge +3
(x=300, y=750) 1 gold
(x=220, y=750) Emerald x4, Pearl x45
(x=170, y=800) 2500 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
36) Now there's only one thing left to do before returning to Phaere
and Ardulace, it's time to rescue some slaves. Over at (x=1100, y=1800)
you'll find a Drow Slave Trader. Ask to buy some slaves and, now with
the favor of House Despana secured, he'll agree. If you want them
unarmed you can get them for 1000 gold, but if you want them armed,
you'll need to pony up 2000 gold. You can argue him down to 500/1500,
but that's as low as it goes. But what to do with them? If you buy
them you can hunt them down for some experience... for whatever reason,
you won't lose any reputation. You can free them unarmed, but as the
Slave Leader points out, they've got little hope of making it back to
the surface alive. No kidding, this crap is hard! On the other hand
if you arm them and then free them, you've significantly improved
their odds for survival. You'll get a heftier experience reward and a
point of reputation. Of course, if you just hunt and kill them you'll
get roughly 4946 experience if you catch them all. Do whatever your
alignment dictates.
Okay, so there's one more thing to do: sell off the armor and other
crap you've accumulated during your stay here. You don't need it, and
it's better to sell it off now than let it disintegrate on the
surface...
***REWARD***
(For freeing the slaves-without weapons)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For freeing and arming the slaves)
EXP 7500
Reputation +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
37) Now that we've cleared the Beholder Den, the Illithid City, and
done all the side quests in Ust Natha that can be done, it's time to
bring the Matron Mother her component. Talk to Phaere (who is, of course
in the Temple of Lloth (AR2201) and they'll collect whatever components
you have (no sense carrying them around anyways). Ardulace will then
decide to seal the city during the ritual, to prevent the potential
interference from a certain testy dragon. Phaere, of course, demands
that you meet her in her personal quarters quick-like.
***REWARD***
(For delivering the blood of a noble race to Matron Mother Ardulace)
EXP 22000 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
38) Return to the Female Fighter's Society and talk to Phaere, who tells
you that she has a plan to take over House Despana-an arrangement that
would also be very beneficial to you, were you actually a Drow. After
all, why not be the favored male of a Matron, rather than just the
favored male of a Matron's eldest daughter? Before she'll tell you her
plan you have to say that you're willing to betray the Matron Mother.
And why wouldn't you be? The Drow seek to summon a powerful demon to
aid them in their attack on the surface elves-which is not merely just
a raid, but a full-out war. To get the demon's attention the blood of
a noble beast was needed, but giving it Adalon's eggs would entice it
to aid them fully. Taking the eggs hostage also prevented Adalon from
attacking the Drow soldiers as they mustered their forces. Once they
have the services of a greater demon, they wouldn't need to fear Adalon,
either. Whatever Jon wants with those surface elves, he's willing to
release Drow and all of their schemes upon them, so we can assume it's
really nothing good. Since Irenicus wants the elves dead, it would make
sense to view them as friendly-the enemy of our enemy, and all that.
Phaere has no problem with any of that; in fact, that's what is going
to escalate her house into a position of pre-eminence. She wants you
to sneak into the House Despana treasury and switch out the real eggs
with her fake eggs. When Matron Ardulace offers the phony eggs, the
demon will naturally be offended and kill the Matron Mother, at which
point Phaere will present the real eggs and gain all the glory. She'll
give you the 'Fake Dragon Eggs (Phaere's)', and the 'Despana Treasury
Key'.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
39) Head over to the Temple of Lloth and Solaufein will appear if you
spared him. To repay you for your mercy he'll give you a second set of
fake eggs-these ones will fool Phaere. Solaufein claims not to care
about the Drow and their war against the surface, he just wants to
screw Phaere and her house... and not the way he used to! The operative
idea is that you take the real eggs, replace them with Phaere's, and
then give Phaere Solaufein's fake eggs, resulting in the death of both
Phaere and Matron Ardulace... and leaving you with the real eggs. With
the 'Fake Dragon Eggs (Solaufein)' in hand, head into the Temple of
Lloth.
Note: If you have any thoughts about siding with Phaere or Matron
Ardulace, you need to make some pretty serious adjustments to your
prepared spells. Get as many Bolt of Glory spells prepared as you can,
and for your Mages, focus on Magic Missile, Melf's Acid Arrow, Flame
Arrow, Greater Malison, and especially Lower Resistance. That is, unless
you have some +5 weapons stashed away that I don't know about.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
40) Head to the central main chamber, and head south down a ramp, which
curves around back to the north and terminates at a guarded treasury
door (x=2100, y=800). If you open the door, the guards will attack-this
is inevitable, so just open the door and head into the treasury and kill
the Egg Guards inside, where it's less likely other Drow will see them.
Inside this room you can see an obvious problem. Five of them, in fact.
Besides the Egg Guards, who were just about the weakest Drow ever, are
five Golems: two Clay Golems, and three Stone Golems. Gather a strong
bunch of melee Fighters and arm them with bludgeoning weapons... Imoen
or Edwin can equip the Rod of Smiting and use the range of the weapon to
attack from the back. Once your defenses are up, run into the treasury
and loot the eggs (x=2100, y=350) and grab the 'Dragon Eggs'. If you
leave the room, the Golems won't follow you out, but what fun is that?
Dispose of the Golems (which should be pretty easy if you can knock even
one out with the Rod of Smiting) and leave. Now, if we have both sets of
fake eggs (Solaufein's and Phaere's) and the real eggs, we can take one
of several paths, depending on whose eggs you keep and whose eggs you
give to whom. To prevent any mistakes and to understand the options
before you, be sure to read Steps #41 and #42 before doing anything.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
41) If you take the eggs to Matron Ardulace (x=520, y=1150) and show her
both the real eggs Phaere made you steal, and the fake eggs Phaere
planned to replace them with, she'll believe you and bring Phaere in,
who is promptly killed. Note that you can give Ardulace Solaufein's fake
eggs instead of the real ones. If you don't want to betray Phaere to
Ardulace, you can net some extra experience by returning to Phaere at
the Female Fighter's Society and giving her the real eggs. And again,
you can, of course, give Phaere Solaufein's eggs, as well. If you end up
without the real eggs, an Imp will show up and warn you that Adalon can
see what's going on, and you had better get those eggs back or else
Adalon will be very... unhappy (Lee says I should comment on the Imp
talking like Yoda, but I will NOT be pressured when it comes to
pointless jokes!) If you have the eggs, the Imp (and presumably Adalon)
are pleased, but you're told that Matron Ardulace must be killed before
you can get out of the city... since it's sealed and all. If you gave
Phaere either the real eggs, or Solaufein's eggs, return to the Temple
of Lloth and meet with her there. If you betrayed Phaere, after Adalon's
Imp leaves, a Ritual Guard will show up. Either way, you'll be whisked
to the ritual room.
***REWARD***
(For giving Phaere the real eggs)
EXP 10000
***REWARD***
(For giving Phaere Solaufein's fake eggs)
EXP 20000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
42) Ardulace will begin the rite to summon the demon, and sure enough a
Lesser Demon Lord shows up. Don't let the 'lesser' fool you, focus more
on the 'Demon Lord' part. If you played a switcheroo on Matron Ardulace,
however, she'll be smote by the demon. If Phaere is still alive, she
will interject and attempt to placate the demon by offering it the real
eggs... or what she thinks are the real eggs. Again, if she has fake
eggs she'll be smote by the demon, too. If Ardulace has the real eggs,
she offers them up to the demon without a hitch, and the demon will
reveal your disguise, and they'll all attack (Phaere is worth 12000
experience, Ardulace is worth 16000, and the Lesser Demon Lord is worth
26000, or 54000 total). If Ardulace was killed and Phaere attempts to
give the demon the eggs, you'll get a chance to interject. Both of them
will turn hostile anyways, but you'll be able to loot the real eggs off
Phaere's corpse this way. If Phaere succeeds in giving up the real eggs,
the demon will reveal your disguise and both Phaere and the demon will
attack you. If you gave them both fake eggs, or if you had Phaere killed
and gave Ardulace fake eggs the demon will leave without a fight.
Finally... if you're evil, you can bargain with the demon yourself after
the two Drow are dead. You can ask the demon for a vast amount of
wealth, or power beyond belief... but the demon will just kill you
instead. He'll also kill you if you try and change your mind. If you ask
for escape, he'll escort you out of the city, killing every Drow
you encounter along the way. If you ask for a 'powerful magic item'
the demon will give you Blackmist +4, a Halberd that can cast darkness
three times per day. Unfortunately, Adalon has a better deal for us. So
what to do? If you want to kill as much as possible, you could give
Phaere the real eggs, then interrupt her ritual and kill her and the
demon (12000 experience, and 26000 experience, respectively, plus the
10000 experience for giving Phaere the eggs.) The demon is invulnerable
to anything less than a +5 weapon... which we don't have. His Hit
Points, however, aren't insurmountable. If you can hit him with several
Bolt of Glory spells he'll go down. If you're lower level, hit him with
at least two Lower Resistance spells, which will open him up to other
offensive spells (magic missile, etc.) He might be strong, but he is
far from unbeatable if you take his magic resistance down. On the other
hand, if you do a double-switcheroo by replacing the real eggs with
Phaere's fake eggs, and then give Phaere Solaufein's fake eggs, you'll
get a hefty quest experience reward which far outstrips what you'd get
from fighting. Frankly, this is my favorite option. Even the loot-monger
in me can admit that Blackmist +4 isn't worth fighting Adalon over,
since it will be soon out-classed by loot we will find when we're back
on the surface. It also prevents us from getting the quest experience
for returning Adalon's eggs, which is pretty damn generous. Loot Matron
Ardulace for some truly quality loot, including Gorgon Plate +4. With an
Armor Class of -1 it's one of the best suits of armor in Shadows of Amn.
I typically put it on one of my shield-carrying characters with a decent
amount of Dexterity, as it's Armor Class isn't quite as good as some of
the other high-end armors we'll find. For me, this typically means
either Jaheira or Viconia. She also drops a Ring of Spell Turning, which
casts Minor Spell Turning once per day-it'll block up to four spell
levels worth of spells, or up to one 7th level spell... which doesn't
really make it worth wearing around. In addition, she drops three Rogue
Stones, five Moonbar Gems, six Black Opals, and 3500 gold.
***REWARD***
(For tricking Phaere and Matron Ardulace to their demise)
EXP 25000 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
43) Now we only have a few minutes to escape the city before our cover
is blown (provided it wasn't blown by the demon earlier). But the
obvious question remains... why do we care? Most Drow are worth several
thousand experience apiece, and we can fight them in relatively small
groups. If you want to get as much experience as you can, just go
through Ust Natha killing the Drow. You won't be coming back here, so
there's really no point in sparing anybody or anything. You can expect
to earn tens of thousands of experience.. even if you won't find any
good loot. You can also cast Haste on your party and try to make a
break for it... perhaps aided by Invisibility 10' Radius? As an Elf,
however, I just can't resist the chance to turn the tables on the Drow.
Note: After you leave Ust Natha, it's a good time to visit Carlig and
sell some junk. You can also visit the Gnomes for more shopping. You
might want to consider buying some +2 ammunition, if you don't have any
lying around. This will come in handy during an encounter later.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
44) Leave Ust Natha and enter Adalon's cave... you do still have that
Light Gem, right? Let's hope so. Go up to Adalon with her eggs in hand
and give them to her. She'll be delighted and rewards you as promised-
not only with the largest experience reward so far, but with Necaradan's
Crossbow +3 as well. It's a decent Crossbow, but its +3 THAC0 and
damage isn't worth trading the +5 THAC0 and +2 damage of The Guide +2.
Adalon will reveal that she lied-you could have fought your way out, but
it doesn't really matter anymore. This was far more rewarding. She now
fulfills the last part of her bargain-taking you to the surface...
Farewell Underdark!
***REWARD***
EXP 78500 (each character)
Item Necaradan's Crossbow +3
o======================================================================o
| Escaping the Underdark |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK033}
1) The Drow Gate
2) Crushing Kuo-Toa
3) Kuo-Toa and Beholders
4) The Shrine of Demogorgon
5) The Elven Shrine
6) Black and White
7) Freedom at Last!
Kuo-Toa Ruins (AR2402)
o======================================================================o
1) Okay, so we're not quite out yet. Adalon takes us to the gates, but
not quite out. As soon as we arrive some Drow yell at us (we can no
longer understand their tongue, and Viconia, if she's there, isn't able
to bring any favorable results.) A fight ensues, with you, a Drow Mage,
a Drow Priestess, a Drow with a Crossbow, and two over-powered
Skeletons. Adalon decides to help you-in elven form-primarily by casting
Lower Resistance spells on the enemies. After the Drow are dead Adalon
will wish you farewell and leave you to your own devices. Sure, we can
begin to cut our way through the Drow between us and the exit, but we
still haven't searched the Kuo-Toa Ruins, and it would be very
profitable for us to do so.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Head over to the south-east and dispose of a Kuo-Toa Whip, a Kuo-Toa
Warrior, and a Kuo-Toa Wizard. Keep an eye out for their bolts, which
can stun, and the Wizards are fond of using Hold Person. Leading with a
character wearing a Ring of Free Action might not be a bad idea.
Continue south-east until the path forks to the north-east/south-west.
Go north-east first to find a room filled with Kuo-Toa, including a
Warrior, two Whips, a Captain, a Priest, and a Wizard. When they're dead
head into another room to the south-east to find two Monitors and a
Kuo-Toa Prince. They may have already been provoked by fighting in the
previous room, but if not... well, kill them now. These fights required
no special strategies on my part, just Haste and leading with a
character wearing a Ring of Free Action... and if any of my characters
were stunned or held, I had a Dispel Magic ready. When the Prince dies,
loot his corpse for Kuo-Toa Bolts x30, a Spear, eleven Garnets, five
Water Opals, some Kuo-Toan's Blood (which we no longer need), three
Pearls, seventeen Horn Coral Gems, 4540 gold, and Bracers of Blinding
Strike, which cast Improved Haste on the wearer once per day for twenty
seconds... or a few rounds. These won't grant a great bonus to any
character, but since a character who has a Ring of Free Action can't
be hasted normally, these might be useful once in a while.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Journey back to the natural caverns and explore to the previously
neglected south-west, where you'll find another group of Kuo-Toans.
Again, they're cheese. Just massacre them and keep going south until
the tunnels split to the east and west. Head west first. If you keep
going west, you'll eventually reach the tunnel that will take you back
to the main Underdark area. To the north there are two artificial
rooms, the easternmost one contains more lame Kuo-Toa, and the
westernmost one contains a Beholder and two Gauth. Jaheira straps on
her Shield of Balduran and smites them.
Note: You can loot the pool (x=1200, y=950) in the southern chamber to
obtain some 'Corrupted Tadpoles'. You can then put them in the pool in
the room with the Kuo-Toan Prince (x=3100, y=500) to spike their healthy
youngin's with these diseased, inferior ones. This is supposed to make
the Kuo-Toans weaker, but since it involves going through the area in
a different way then I care to, as well as sneaking the tadpoles past
Kuo-Toans, I never bother.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Travel east as far as you can-there's a trap along the narrow
walkway between the water, just beyond the rune-although my Imoen was
apparently not up to the task of disarming it-and go through a door at
(x=2800, y=1650) to reach a shrine of Demogorgon. Now that's a demon!
Click on the statue at (x=2900, y=1000), which will tell you "Place
an animal sacrifice before great Demogorgon and awaken his children
from their long sleep." Any 'children' of Demogorgon's can't be good
news. Rest up and spell-buff to the max just outside the door. Equip
ranged weapons with +2 ammunition (this is why you were told to buy
some earlier!) and, when ready, summon a monster (from a spell or item)
at the feet of the statue of Demogorgon. Five Demon Knights will appear
and attack the party, and this time they're fond of using level drain.
They also won't refrain from throwing out spells like Symbol: Fear,
Power Word: Stun, and Power Word: Kill on your party, so you might need
to buff up your brave summoning character before you provoke the
Demonknights. After their initial spell assault, however, they'll tend
to stick to melee attacks, which are bad enough in their own right.
I run my protagonist into the doorway to be the first line of defense
for my party, while they shoot at the Demon Knights who engage my
protagonist. Taking refuge near the door serves two purposes-first,
many of the Demon Knights may not engage immediately, and secondly only
one or two will be able to assault my protagonist at the same time,
third, when they use Remove Magic, it might only hit my protagonist, and
with any luck most of his defenses will remain intact... or at least
Stoneskin. With this tactic I don't suffer even a single point of damage
(having numerous Stoneskins to raise once they chop through them is the
large reason why), and more importantly-no level drain.
Four of the Demon Knights will drop a Two Handed Sword +1, but the
north-most one near the statue has some special loot for you-Soul
Reaver +4, a Two Handed Sword +4 that can't be used by good characters.
It also drops the THAC0 of an enemy hit by it by two points every time
it hits. Seems like a pretty damn awesome weapon for Dorn, no? It's just
a shame that Keldorn and Minsc can't use it. It also drops the Girdle of
Frost Giant Strength, which raises the wearer's Strength to 21. It's a
fantastic item, although we won't keep it forever-it'll do Keldorn or
Korgan a great service for a while. The last premium item the Demon
Knight drops is Armor of the Hart +3, which gives an base Armor Class
bonus of -2. I put this on Keldorn/Korgan, since they need the Armor
Class more (since they don't use shields... or in Korgan's case, because
he won't be using a shield forever.) Besides... it just seems like the
kind of armor that Keldorn should wear, what with the bravery and all.
***ITEMS***
(x=3280, y=1150) 15 gold
(x=3200, y=1070) Scroll of Protection from Evil
Elven Shrine (AR2401)
o======================================================================o
5) Now that we've claimed such tremendous loot, it's time to head back
to the door where Adalon left us. Exit the Kuo-Toa Ruins at
(x=950, y=400) to enter the Elven Shrine that Adalon was supposed to
be protecting. Lazy dragon. Not surprisingly it's crawling with Drow,
and a fight ensues as soon as you enter. There's a Drow Mage lurking
above, and I have Keldorn hit him with a Dispel Magic, followed by my
protagonist engaging him in melee. Once he's eliminated it's a straight
melee between you, the Drow, and their pet spiders.
Note from Lee:
Before exiting the Underdark altogether, I return to Carlig via the exit
at (x=250, y=1850) and sell off ALL the drow gear. After the next couple
of steps it's going to disintegrate, and my regular armor, etc, is
sufficient to get me thru these steps. Once again wearing my 'normal'
gear, I return here and exit as described.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) After those Drow are smote, continue north, where you'll find a War
Elf trying out some bravado. Once you enter the first room the War Elf
will tell you to get to the surface and report to one 'Elhan'. Sure. But
that doesn't mean we can't smite every Dark Elf we see along the way. Go
through the door at (x=850, y=350) to find a trio of Dark Elves fighting
some War Elves. After the Drow are dead one of the Elves will again tell
you to find Elhan, and to avoid becoming a casualty. How sweet.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Go through the door at (x=800, y=500) to find another, larger,
Drow-on-Elf engagement. One of the Elves is kind enough to tell you to
get the hell out of here and... talk to Elhan. Yes, we get it. Kill the
Drow and continue through another door (x=500, y=700). Note that if you
do this room first (before the room in Step #6) the Elves here have a
nasty habit of turning hostile for no reason... but it doesn't seem to
cause any problems down the road, so don't sweat it. In this last room,
you can finally escape the Underdark-and Chapter 5, by exiting at
(x=200, y=600). You might as well take off all your wonderful Drow
armor, as it's about to turn to dust... I know, I know... life isn't
fair sometimes. But at least you got two pretty nice suits of armor in
the Underdark to somewhat deaden the pain of returning to laughable
surface gear.
***ITEMS***
(x=620, y=570) Iol Gem
EVIL PARTY STATS: END OF CHAPTER 5
o======================================================================o
Dorn
Blackguard 18
Experience: 3025735
Hit Points: 107
Armor Class: -6
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 1
Rod/Staff/Wand: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 2
Breath Weapon: 2
Spells: 4
Weapon Proficiencies
Bastard Sword ++
Two Handed Sword ++
Halberd ++
Cross Bow ++
Two-Handed Weapon Style ++
Armor: Armor of the Hart +3
Gloves: ...
Helmet: Helm of the Noble +1
Amulet: Kaligun's Amulet of Magic Resistance
Weapon: Ilbratha +1 (THAC0: 1)
Soul Reaver +4 (THAC0: -5)
The Guide +2 (THAC0: -4)
Shield: ...
Ring 1: Ring of Human Influence
Ring 2: Ring of Earth Control
Cloak: Nymph Cloak
Boots: Sense of the Cat
Belt: Girdle of Fortitude
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: ...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Korgan
Berserker 20
Experience: 3024177
Hit Points: 148
Armor Class: -11
Paralyze/Poison/Death: -2 (-2)
Rod/Staff/Wand: -2 (-2)
Petrify/Polymorph: 2 (-2)
Breath Weapon: 2 (-2)
Spells: -1 (-2)
Weapon Proficiencies
Axe +++++
War Hammer ++
Two-Weapon Style +++
Armor: Full Plate Mail
Gloves: The Brawling Hands
Helmet: Helmet of the Noble +1
Amulet: Amulet of 5% Magic Resistance
Weapon: Stonefire +3 (THAC0: -8)
Frostreaver +3 (THAC0: -8)
Hangard's Axe +2 (THAC0: -9)
Dwarven Thrower +3 (THAC0: -9)
Shield: Saving Grace +3
Ring 1: The Guard's Ring +2
Ring 2: Ring of Air Control
Cloak: Cloak of the Sewers
Boots: The Paws of the Cheetah
Belt: Girdle of Frost Giant Strength
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Iron Horn of Valhalla
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Jaheira
Fighter 14/Druid 14
Experience: 1524560/1524560
Hit Points: 92
Armor Class: -10
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 5
Rod/Staff/Wand: 7
Petrify/Polymorph: 6
Breath Weapon: 5
Spells: 3 (-5)
Weapon Proficiencies
Scimitar +
Dagger ++
Club ++
Quarter Staff +
Sling +
Sword and Shield Style +
Armor: Gorgon Plate +4
Gloves: Xarranous' Second Sword Arm
Helmet: Helm of the Noble +1
Amulet: Harper Pin
Weapon: Firetooth +3 (THAC0: -1)
Blackblood +3 (THAC0: -1)
Shield: Sentinel +4
Ring 1: Ring of Spell Turning
Ring 2: Ring of Fire Control
Cloak: ...
Boots: The Frost's Embrace
Belt: Girdle of Hill Giant Strength
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: ...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Viconia
Cleric 21
Experience: 3027992
Hit Points: 84
Armor Class: -9
Paralyze/Poison/Death: -1 (-3)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 3 (-3)
Petrify/Polymorph: 2 (-3)
Breath Weapon: 5 (-3)
Spells: 4 (-3)
Weapon Proficiencies
War Hammer +
Club +
Flail +
Mace +
Quarterstaff +
Sling +
Sword and Shield Style +
Armor: Full Plate Mail
Gloves: Hands of Takkok
Helmet: Helm of Balduran
Amulet: Sensate Amulet
Weapon: Flail of Ages +3 (THAC0: 1)
Sling of Arvoreen +4 (THAC0: -3)
Shield: Shield of the Lost +2
Ring 1: Edventar's Gift
Ring 2: ...
Cloak: The Spirit's Shield +2
Boots: ...
Belt: Destroyer of the Hills
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Black Spider Figurine
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Protagonist
Fighter 12/Mage 12/Thief 14
Experience: 1050077/1050077/1050077
Hit Points: 106
Armor Class: -3
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 5 (-2)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 5 (-2)
Petrify/Polymorph: 6 (-2)
Breath Weapon: 6 (-2)
Spells: 5 (-2)
Weapon Proficiencies
Long Sword ++
Katana ++
Two Weapon Style +++
Armor: Robe of the Evil Archmagi
Gloves: Bracers of Defense A.C. 3
Helmet: Vhailor's Helm
Amulet: Amulet of Power
Weapon: Celestial Fury +3 (THAC0: 2)
Sword of Flame +1 (THAC0: 3)
Shield: Blade of Roses +3 (THAC0: 3)
Ring 1: Ring of thes Princes +1
Ring 2: Ring of Acuity
Cloak: Cloak of Mirroring
Boots: The Paws of the Cheetah
Belt: Elves' Bane
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: ...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Edwin
Conjurer 18
Experience: 3041118
Armor Class: 3
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 6 (-4)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 1 (-4)
Petrify/Polymorph: 5 (-2)
Breath Weapon: 0 (-9)
Spells: 4 (-2)
Weapon Proficiencies
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Dart +
Sling +
Armor: Robe of Vecna
Gloves: Bracers of Defense A.C. 4
Helmet: Pale Green Ioun Stone
Amulet: Edwin's Amulet
Weapon: Rod of Smiting (THAC0: 11)
Boomerang Dagger +2 (THAC0: 12)
Shield: ...
Ring 1: Reaching Ring
Ring 2: Ring of the Princes +1
Cloak: Cloak of Displacement
Boots: ...
Belt: Belt of Inertial Barrier
Misc 1: Book of Infinite Spells
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Efreeti Bottle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
My front-line fighters now have more even Armor Classes, but I am still
pampering Korgan for the day when he gives up his shield so he can dual-
wield Axe of the Unyielding and Crom Faeyr. Another bit of gear info to
make note of is the sad fact that we will be giving up the Girdle of
Frost Giant Strength and the Hands of Takkok to obtain Crom Faeyr. At
that point, Viconia will get the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength that
Jaheira has worn most of the game, but never fear, a better girdle will
be obtained soon for Jaheira. Once obtained our front line will boast
a Strength of 19/25/20/19. If Viconia obtains her holy symbol any time
soon, it will further boost her Strength. The Guard's Ring +2 will also
dance around a bit-it's been on Korgan since we've obtained it, but
once Korgan gets himself a suit of magical armor, he'll give it to my
protagonist. When she gets a suit of magical armor, it'll go to Edwin.
When he gets a superior ring, it'll find yet another home. Other
noteworthy gear-changes coming up before the end of the game include the
Ring of Gaxx for my protagonist, as well as the long-awaited suit of
magic-friendly armor near the end of the game. We'll be creating the
Equalizer shortly, which will serve as my protagonist's off-hand weapon
for the rest of Shadows of Amn, and we'll obtain Daystar, which will be
an alternate main-hand weapon for my protagonist which will allow her to
(hopefully) cheap-shot undead throughout the rest of the game. Dorn will
get the vorpal Silver Sword, which, while only having an enchantment of
+3 has some wonderful properties that makes it worth using over Soul
Reaver +4. Korgan will get Crom Faeyr, dropping his shield and becoming
a two-weapon fighter. It'll be a while before he comes into his own in
this regards, but it's hard to argue with a Strength score of 25.
GOOD PARTY STATS: END OF CHAPTER 5
o======================================================================o
Keldorn
Inquisitor 15
Experience: 2394012
Armor Class: -8
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 1 (-1)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 3 (-1)
Petrify/Polymorph: 2 (-1)
Breath Weapon: 1 (-1)
Spells: 4 (-1)
Weapon Proficiencies
Long Sword ++
Two Handed Sword ++
War Hammer +
Cross Bow ++
Two Handed Weapon Style ++
Armor: Armor of the Hart +3
Gloves: The Brawling Hands
Helmet: Helm of the Noble +1
Amulet: Kaligun's Amulet of Magic Resistance
Weapon: Flame of the North (THAC0: -1)
Ras +2 (THAC0: -1)
Firetooth +4 (THAC0: -3)
Shield: ...
Ring 1: Ring of Regeneration
Ring 2: Ring of Earth Control
Cloak: Nymph Cloak
Boots: Boots of Grounding
Belt: Girdle of Frost Giant Strength
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: ...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Jaheira
Fighter 14/Druid 14
Experience: 1552524/1552524
Armor Class: -9
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 2 (-3)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 4 (-3)
Petrify/Polymorph: 5 (-1)
Breath Weapon: 2 (-3)
Spells: 7 (-1)
Weapon Proficiencies
Scimitar +
Dagger ++
Club ++
Quarter Staff +
Sling +
Sword and Shield Style +
Armor: Gorgon Plate +4
Gloves: Gauntlets of Weapon Skill
Helmet: Helmet of Defense
Amulet: Periapt of Proof Against Poison
Weapon: Boneblade +4 (THAC0: -2)
Fire Tooth +3 (THAC0: -1)
Shield: Sentinel +4
Ring 1: Ring of Regeneration
Ring 2: Ring of the Ram
Cloak: Cloak of Displacement
Boots: Boots of the North
Belt: Girdle of Hill Giant Strength
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Black Spider Figurine
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Anomen
Cleric 18/Fighter 7 (Inactive)
Experience: 2347951/64000
Armor Class: -6
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 3 (-1)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 7 (-1)
Petrify/Polymorph: 6 (-1)
Breath Weapon: 9 (-1)
Spells: 8 (-1)
Weapon Proficiencies
War Hammer ++
Mace ++
Sling ++
Sword and Shield Style ++
Armor: Doomplate +3
Gloves: Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Helmet: Helm of Balduran
Amulet: Sensate Amulet
Weapon: Skullcrusher +3 (THAC0: 2)
Sling of Arvoreen +4 (THAC0: 4)
Shield: Fortress Shield +3
Ring 1: Ring of Free Action
Ring 2: Ring of Holiness
Cloak: Cloak of Sewers
Boots: Boots of Avoidance
Belt: Girdle of Bluntness
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Silver Horn of Valhalla
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Protagonist
Fighter 14/Mage 14
Experience: 1621150/1621150
Armor Class: -4
Weapon Proficiencies
Katana ++
Flail ++
Two Weapon Style +++
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 3 (-2)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 5 (-2)
Petrify/Polymorph: 4 (-3)
Breath Weapon: 3 (-2)
Spells: 6 (-2)
Armor: Adventurer's Robe
Gloves: Bracers of Defense A.C. 3
Helmet: Vhailor's Helm
Amulet: Amulet of Power
Weapon: Celestial Fury (THAC0: -1)
...
Shield: Flail of Ages +3 (THAC0: 2)
Ring 1: Ring of Protection +2
Ring 2: Ring of Acuity
Cloak: Cloak of Mirroring
Boots: Boots of Speed
Belt: ...
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Golem Manual
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Minsc
Ranger 16
Experience: 2406238
Armor Class: 0
Weapon Proficiencies
Two Handed Sword ++
Halberd ++
Mace ++
Long Bow ++
Two Handed Weapon Style +
Two Weapon Style ++
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 5 (+1)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 5 (-1)
Petrify/Polymorph: 4 (-1)
Breath Weapon: 3 (-1)
Spells: 6 (-1)
Armor: Armor of the Viper +5
Gloves: Bracers of Archery
Helmet: Helmet of Defense
Amulet: Amulet of 5% Magic Resistance
Weapon: Dragon's Bane +3 (THAC0: -1)
Ilbratha (THAC0: 4)
Elven Court Bow +3 (THAC0: -4)
Shield: ...
Ring 1: ...
Ring 2: ...
Cloak: Cloak of Non-Detection
Boots: Boots of Stealth
Belt: Girdle of Bluntness
Misc 1: Boo
Misc 2: Horn of Silence
Misc 3: Book of Infinite Spells
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
Imoen
Mage 15/Thief 7 (Inactive)
Experience: 2206822/40000
Armor Class: -1
Paralyze/Poison/Death: 9 (-2)
Rod/Staff/Wand: 5 (-2)
Petrify/Polymorph: 7 (-2)
Breath Weapon: 4 (-7)
Spells: 6 (-2)
Weapon Proficiencies
Dagger +
Quarter Staff +
Short Bow +
Dart +
Two Handed Weapon Style +
Armor: Robe of Vecna
Gloves: Glove of Pick Pocketing
Helmet: Pale Green Ioun Stone
Amulet: Amulet of Metaspell Influence
Weapon: Cleric's Staff +3 (THAC0: 12)
Tansheron's Bow +3 (THAC0: 10)
Shield: ...
Ring 1: Ring of Fire Control
Ring 2: Ring of Danger Sense
Cloak: Cloak of the Shield
Boots: Boots of Grounding
Belt: Belt of Inertial Barrier
Misc 1: ...
Misc 2: ...
Misc 3: Efreeti Bottle
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
o======================================================================o
| Chapter 6 |
o======================================================================o
| Settling into Surface Life |
| (Baron Ployer's Curse and the Harper Hold Quests) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK034}
1) Elhan's Interrogation
2) Our Immediate Goals
3) Drow and Dreams
4) Jaheira's Hostage Situation
5) Companions of the Pink Hammer
6) Last Gasp of the Githyanki
7) Have a Heart...
8) Ribald's Updated Stock
9) Returning to Deidre
10) More Braggart Adventurers
11) Crafting with Cromwell
12) Discussing Future Goals
13) Jahaboam's Romantic Sale
14) Baron Ployer's Curse
15) The Pirate Cave
16) Baron Ployer's Companions
17) Baron Ployer's Collapse
18) Rylock's Monster Bash
19) Entering the Harper Hold
20) Rescues are for the Birds
21) The Double Play
22) Summoned to the Harper Hold
23) Galvarey Condemnation
24) Revaine's Revenge
25) Dermin's Warning
26) Rescuing Jaheira
27) Dermin Revealed
28) Jaheira's Redemption
Underdark Exit (AR2500)
o======================================================================o
1) You'll get another narrated cutscene announcing the transition of
Chapters before you appear on the surface, surrounded by Elves. One
Elven Warrior will talk to you and will-at length-take you to Elhan...
or rather his stooge, General Sovalidaas. He's a trustworthy chap who
eventually displays the boundless decision-making skills that proved
so instrumental in rising to the rank of General by referring you to
Elhan. When you finally get to speak to Elhan (a rather deep-voiced
Elf, if I do say so) you'll be questioned, and the veracity of your
answers will be tested by some snooty sages. Answer however you please,
you really can't mess this up. At length Elhan will get around to
telling you his problems, like we need them. Apparently the city
Irenicus was after-Suldanessellar-has vanished, leaving these Elves
fighting the Drow cut off from home, and all the supplies and
reinforcements that home can send. Apparently Irenicus wanted the Drow
to split the forces of the Elves and occupy those outside of the city
to prevent whatever concealment he placed around it from being
breached. He's stalling for time, and time is one thing we don't have
(supposedly). To reach Irenicus (that soul-stealing bastard) you need to
find an item called the Rhynn Lanthorn, a lantern that would allow you
to find your way to Suldanessellar. The problem? Somebody stole it when
the Drow attacked, and since we cut up all the leading Drow, it wasn't
them. Now, who would Irenicus trust with the only item that could
thwart his plans? Barring some mysterious new ally, it would seem to be
Bodhi, who probably wouldn't be anywhere near these Elves... If I were a
crazy Vampire bitch, where would I be? Well, I certainly wouldn't have
returned to my old hiding place, that would be too obvious... right?
Ask Elhan for some supplies (stakes, holy water, that jazz), to
gain four Wooden Stakes and three vials of Elven Holy Water. He'll also
suggest that we speak to old friends. If we sided with the Shadow
Thieves earlier, I can think of no better group to ask. If Bodhi is back
in town, they would know. If Viconia is in your party he'll decide that
she needs to be.. neutralized. This will end with Viconia being geased
to ensure her faithfulness to your cause, something you can be sure
Viconia vehemently hates. Aww... poor girl, she'll get over it.
Note: You remember when I told you that killing the Elves in Step #7
wouldn't cause any problems? As far as I know, I was right, but wantonly
killing your Elf buddies is still not a good idea. A fellow reader of
this FAQ encountered a problem where he would be questioned by Elhan,
and everything would go down just fine... until the conversation ended,
when he would be called a traitor and promptly executed. Since turning
your Elf-buddies hostile is a game-breaker, the developers just made it
a death-worthy offense. If Elhan reaches your protagonist and enters
dialogue, it'll result in an auto-kill. If you're going around camp
killing the Elves of Suldanessellar, you deserve this. You pick a game-
breaking fight, you deserve a game over... or a broken game. But as far
as my reader knew, he did no such thing-and obviously, the surface Elves
didn't initially think so, as they weren't hostile at the outset. Long
story short, he either had a messed up variable, or (more likely) had
accidently killed a goodly Elf at some point without knowing. Since it
happened once (and therefore might happen again to any of my readers)
and since I spent time trying to help troubleshoot this problem, I might
as well relate the solution here-after all, it's not intially apparent
when this has occured... until you end up dead after talking to Elhan.
If this is happening to you, make an alternate save before surfacing
(and hence being forced to talk to Elhan) and open this save with
Shadowkeeper. Go to the 'Global Variables' section and look for a
variable called 'GOODELFKILL'. If it's there at all, you killed somebody
you shouldn't have... the value shouldn't matter. Simply delete the
variable line entirely and reload. With any luck, you won't be killed
by Elhan. It worked for my reader, so hopefully it'll work for you, too.
Again, Shadowkeeper proves to be an invaluable tool... but a better
moral of the story is that tiresome RPG refrain-save your game often,
and keep multiple saves.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Anyways, we have our next main quest... but we won't pursue Bodhi
until we've done everything there is to do in Shadows of Amn. There's
still a few high-level dungeons left, and some general exploration that
just wasn't worth doing earlier. We've got great gear, good enough to
start gathering the best weapons and armor in the game. My next goal?
It's time to return to Athkatla, have Cromwell forge us some of the
weapons we've collected, and complete all the areas in detail. We shall
leave no stone unturned! At least... this FAQ won't, you turn whatever
stones you wish. There's also new stuff at the Adventurer's Mart, and we
still didn't get everything from Deidre that we could have.. now that
I have 100,000+ gold (and plenty of junk to sell!) we would be well-
served by buying anything that caught our fancy. We spent the first
half of the game (Chapter 2) recruiting characters, and we'll spend most
of this chapter unearthing epic loot and generally finishing up areas
for our peace of mind.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Before we go off exploring, rest near the entrance to the Underdark.
Eventually a Drow squad will show up, including two Drow Mages and a
Fire Elemental, along with three normal Drow. Kill them and loot them,
each of the normal Drow have suits of Elven Chain +1 and a Long
Sword +2. At the very least it'll sell good. If you sleep long enough,
you might get another dream, where a 'Dream Vision' talks to you on a
giant tree and tells you that you must reclaim your missing soul.
Yeah.. we kinda figured that part out already.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Did I also mention that now that we're free from the Underdark, our
romances will resume again? That imminent fear of death all around
doesn't do good things for the spirit, you know. Once you get far enough
along in the Jaheira romance, you'll be ambushed by a thug named Ertof
Dand while you rest, who will take Jaheira captive. The correct and
manly thing to do is to offer yourself up instead of Jaheira.
Afterwards you'll get shot by someone named Kracer, which will take
about half of your Hit Points away. A fight will then ensue. Despite
their armor, they're not much of a threat against, say, Insect Plague.
Focus on Wurn first, as he's the one who'll cast spells and make life
hard for you. Once he's down it's a straight melee, which a Haste and
Slow will make a laugh. They'll drop nothing of real value or interest.
After the fight Jaheira will check on you, mixing concern and anger as
she typically does.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Now we're ready to move back to civilization... mostly to purchase
things. If you still have anything to buy at Trademeet, head there
(provided you already completed Trademeet). If not, there's new stuff
at the Adventurer's Mart, and there are still things to buy from
Deidre. Both tasks require us to return to Athkatla, so head to
Waukeen's Promenade. On your way, you'll probably encounter Drizzt and
his friends. This isn't really a fight worth getting into, as Keldorn
and Jaheira will abandon you if you pick a fight.. and they're a pain in
the ass to defeat, being largely magic immune and all. I couldn't even
take down one of them at this point in the game. If you helped him
in the last game you can convince Drizzt and his buddies to join your
fight against Bodhi and her Vampires. If you attacked him in the last
game, he'll question your motives. If you tell him that you've changed
since then, or that you attacked him because you were afraid he'd turn
on you after the Gnolls were dead, he'll accept your apology. If you say
that you fight for what's right, he'll still join you against Bodhi,
even though you've shown him such a poor reception in the past. This
might be alignment or reputation conditional, but I'm just too lazy to
find out for sure. Especially since I consider a forced cameo by Drizzt
and company to be incredibly silly and forced, but taking them along
with you to fight Bodhi? It just seems cheap, and stupid. And did I
mention forced?
Waukeen's Promenade (AR0700)
o======================================================================o
6) Back in Waukeen's Promenade for the first time in... a long time.
Head over to the Adventurer's Mart and you'll be accosted by a Githyanki
named Kruin (x=2200, y=1930). He's a bit... odd... but he'll eventually
get around to asking for the Silver Blade. This is one rare case where
you can actually hand it over without a fight... but you've made it this
far, you might as well keep it. You should probably spell-buff to the
max before you get over there, they've got lots of spell-power and you
would be well-advised to respond in kind. When you ultimately refuse to
hand over the Silver Blade Kruin will be joined by Gish, Knights,
Anti-Paladins, a Captain, and a Warlock. They're fond of casting
Lightning Bolt, which can be even more unpredictable in Waukeen's
Promenade, and they're not above using Potions of Invisibility to hide
and attack weaker party members. Use True Sight to keep them honest, and
keep in mind, a Chaos and Insect Swarm used to good effect will pretty
much win the fight. Of course, be wary of their own Chaos spells. When
they're dead, loot them for various Potions of Invisibility and Potions
of Extra Healing (the quantity depends on how many the greedy Githyanki
drank), numerous suits of Plate Mail Armor, and the Silver Hilt. Now we
can turn this stupid Silver Blade into an useful sword, rather than a
Githyanki magnet that just takes up space...
Note: You can be accosted by Kruin and his fellow Githyanki in many
different places around Athkatla, not just in Waukeen's Promenade. You
will not, however, be bothered if you do not have the Silver Blade in
your possession.
Temple of Ilmater (AR0703)
o======================================================================o
7) Anyways, while we're here let's solve our Yoshimo problem and open up
some of our inventory. Really, how long have we been carrying around
this festering organ? Too long, let's leave it at that. Head over to the
Temple of Ilmater (x=3250, y=700) and talk to the Priest of Ilmater
(x=520, y=350). Pick option #4, and either of the following options to
give him Yoshimo's Heart, which can be cleansed of his geas and hence,
free Yoshimo from his guilt. For this act of selfless soul-saving
you'll get the largest single experience point reward of the entire
game (not counting the cumulative experience gained by 'each character'
from some quests.)
***REWARD***
(For taking to Yoshimo's Heart to the Temple of Ilmater)
EXP 200000
Adventurer's Mart (AR0702)
o======================================================================o
8) Now that we've settled our Githyanki problem and our Yoshimo problem,
head into the Adventurer's Mart. It's now time to talk to Ribald and buy
what 'normal' gear we haven't purchased yet. For me, this included the
Reflection Shield, which may come in handy from time to time. Pay 50
gold to see his new 'special stock'. These are the items I found
interesting, and why:
Helm of Brilliance
------------------
It doesn't increase your Armor Class, but it does allow you to cast
a variety of spells, including Fireball, Sunray, and Prismatic Spray.
It could, conceivably, come in handy, but by now we can just cast
these spells on our own.
T'rachcie's Plate +5
--------------------
With an Armor Class of -2, it's one of the more defensive armors in
Shadows of Amn... however, the decrease of five points of Charisma could
be a problem... and the -2 Constitution penalty is definitely trouble.
If you had a character with neutral Constitution, it might be useful
without harming the character too much-Viconia, for example, but there
is better armor out there. We don't need to pay for the pleasure of
strapping on cursed armor.
Crimson Chain +5
----------------
With an Armor Class of 0, this is pretty much as good as it gets
without being Plate Mail. Of course, you can't cast spells or sneak in
it, so you might as well just wear whatever Plate Mail you can find.
Warblade +4
-----------
Here's the +4 Two Handed Sword we've been looking for... and it has an
improved damage ranged of 1d12. Unfortunately, we just got the second
piece of the Vorpal Silver Sword, and we're imminently going to obtain
another, greater weapon.
Heartseeker +3
--------------
This bow, with its' +4 THAC0 and +2 Damage is a clear improvement over
the Elven Court Bow +3. You might actually consider getting this for
Minsc or Valygar... or you could just wait until we find one later, or
another, better bow.
There are also plenty of 8th and 9th level spells worth purchasing
(especially Time Stop), but they are rather pricey... Get what you want,
so long as that includes Time Stop.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Ribald Barterman (Special Stock)
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
8th-Incendiary Cloud
8th-Maze
8th-Pierce Shield
8th-Power Word, Blind
8th-Protection From Energy
---
9th-Black Blade of Disaster
9th-Chain Contingency
9th-Energy Drain
9th-Freedom
9th-Power Word, Kill
9th-Shapechange
9th-Spellstrike
9th-Spell Trap
9th-Time Stop
9th-Wail of the Banshee
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) As I mentioned in Step #2, it's also time to purchase all those
wonderful things from Deidre we couldn't afford before-she doesn't
have any new loot on her, so you don't need to worry about that. I
purchase the Sensate Amulet and the long-awaited Robe of Vecna. I now
have some much happier Clerics and Mages.
Den of the Seven Vales (AR0709)/(AR0712)
o======================================================================o
10) Now let's visit the Den of the Seven Vales (x=3330, y=430), where
you can find an enterprising Mage attempting to be a Bard, Alatelo De
Bonito (x=500, y=520), whose efforts are ultimately unappreciated.
There's also the owner, Patricia (x=620, y=420), who really doesn't
like men (but she's pretty cordial with females who talk to her.) All
of this is terribly interesting, of course, but what we really want to
do is head up the stairs at (x=200, y=700), where we'll find a group of
relaxing adventurers, including Mencar Pebblecrusher, Smaeluv Orcslicer,
Sorcerous Amon, Brennan Risling, and Pooky. They're contemptuous
braggarts who seem to think that picking a fight with you will improve
their life expectancy. It really won't. We could have cleared out
this den of buffoons as soon as Jaheira had Insect Plague, but there's
no reason we can't do it now. An Insect Plague and a Chaos or two go
a long way towards putting them down, but at this level, I find it
works just as well to have Keldorn put up a True Sight. My
Fighter/Mage then rushes Sorcerous Amon, who dies disturbingly quickly
due to my attentions. Pooky is the next to go, as he is actually more
of a magical threat than he might seem. We don't need him casting his
own Chaos on us, at any rate. To counter the threat he represents, my
Fighter/Mage/Thief protagonist starts out the battle with a sneak
attack against Pooky. Smaeluv and Mencar are just Fighters, but
Brennan is fond of chugging Potions of Invisibility, then sneak
attacking. Once they're all dead, you can loot them for some goodies:
Mencar: Full Plate Mail, two Potions of Extra Healing, a Potion of Fire
Giant Strength, an Iol Gem, a War Hammer +1, a Helmet and 80 gold.
Smaeluv: Hide Armor (probably where the name 'Smelly' came from), an
Angel Skin Ring, our old friend, the Cursed Berserking Sword +3 and
42 gold.
Sorcerous: Whispers of Silence (aka: Cloak of Non-Detection), a Wand of
Lightning, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Silver Necklace and 102 gold.
Brennan: Studded Leather Armor +1, Sandthief's Ring (aka: Ring of
Invisibility), an Angel Skin Ring, two Potions of Extra Healing, a
Short Sword +1 and 32 gold.
Like in the first game, I still have no use for the Whispers of Silence,
and since you can purchase the Ring of Air Control from Ribald for a
few thousand gold the Sandthief's Ring is also useless. Why settle for
a ring that bestows Invisibility once per day when you can get one that
casts Improved Invisibility? None of the gear is worth wearing, but
it'll still sell well. Loot the room for whatever goodies the chests are
hiding, then leave.
***ITEMS***
(x=400, y=500) Arrows +1 x4
(x=270, y=320) Scroll of Protection from Petrification, 212 gold
(x=170, y=400) Garnet, 1 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=400, y=500)
Cromwell's House (AR0334)
o======================================================================o
11) Now, the purpose of this Sequence is to buy new gear, and sell all
the junk we gathered on Brynnlaw, in Spellhold, and in the Underdark.
We also needed to get a few encounters out of the way, and kill those
miscreants in Waukeen's Promenade, which completes that area (unless
some quest or another forces us to go back there, but what are the odds
of that happening?) But there's another thing we really should do now
that we're back on the surface... it's time to turn some of these
artifact components into top-notch weapons. Head over to the Docks
District and enter Cromwell's House (x=4080, y=2450), within which
you'll find... wait for it... Cromwell! (x=500, y=330) He's a smith that
only works on commission, which means you won't be buying crap from
him. On the other hand, if you bring him special components he'll
forge arms and armor out of them... think Taerom Fuiruim, from the
Thunderhammer Smithy back in Beregost in Baldur's Gate 1, but set to
a much higher standard. Cromwell is, after all, a Dwarf. Let him
rummage through your backpack to see if you have anything he can
reforge. At this point in the game, if you've done EVERYTHING listed
above in the Walkthrough, you should be able to reforge the following
items:
The Equalizer
-------------
(7500 gold)
(Blade of the Equalizer)
(Hilt of the Equalizer)
(Pommel Jewel of the Equalizer)
This is a great Long Sword for, say, my Fighter/Mage/Thief, who just so
happens to enjoy using Long Swords. I wouldn't dream of giving up
Celestial Fury, but since most enemies aren't True Neutral, Chaotic
Neutral, or Lawful Neutral, (save animals, and who cares?) it'll
do at least +2 to hit and +4 damage, and against many foes it'll act as
a +3 to hit and +6 to damage weapon. I use it as my off-hand weapon for
the rest of Shadows of Amn, at the very least its immunity to charm
and confusion are welcome. My Fighter/Mage, on the other hand, will just
keep using Flail of the Ages, instead.
Shortbow of Gesen
------------------
(7500 gold)
(Gesen Bow Shaft)
(Gesen Bow String)
A +4 Short Bow that adds two additional piercing damage and 1-8
electrical damage to make up for its seeming lack of a brute damage
bonus. The 20% electrical resistance is a nice perk, too. It's the
best Short Bow in the game, Nalia or Imoen need not worry about their
ranged weapon again... and if they do worry, it's too damn bad, they're
not getting anything better.
Wave +4
-------
(7500 gold)
(Wave Blade)
(Wave Shaft)
The big draw of this weapon is the fact that it instantly slays Fire
Elementals, Efreet, and Salamanders. Just switch over to it when you
encounter such foes and laugh with glee as they die in one hit. Against
more conventional enemies, it will deal an extra 15 damage 15% of the
time. Good stuff.
Silver Sword
------------
(7500 gold)
(Silver Blade)
(Silver Hilt)
Aka the Vorpal Silver Sword. It's a +3 Two-Handed Sword that has a
25% chance to force enemies to save vs. death (at a -2 penalty) or die
instantly. If you mix this with Greater Malison, you can cut down even
the strongest enemies instantly... Or devastate groups of lesser
enemies. Even though its enhancement bonus is only passable, its vorpal
quality makes it a winner for Shadows of Amn.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) You may ask yourself, "why did this moron FAQ-writer wait until now
to do these quests?" It's a valid enough question, and here's my excuse:
The quests we did earlier in the game (Chapter 2) revolved specifically
around recruiting party members, obtaining strongholds, and gathering
what choice gear and solving what low-level quests were along the way.
Some quests (like the Jaheira quests) I skipped because they fit better
into this section-where we finish off all the quests in Athkatla (and
beyond) than it fit into the party-securing section of the FAQ. Other
quests were either just too out of the way, or too difficult to easily
complete before now. We have some of the best gear in the game, and
running after the main story will deny us the opportunity to complete
side-quests, so there really is no better time than now to finish
every remaining Shadows of Amn quest. Of course, anybody who has yet to
recruit certain characters or otherwise do anything mentioned earlier
in the FAQ should go ahead and get that done now. This includes
Trademeet, the Unseeing Eye, the Astral Prison, the de'Arnise Keep, and
all that fun stuff. I will assume you've got the gear and experience for
the parts ahead, so don't come crying to me if you ignore some of the
easier quests and continue with this section of the FAQ and get killed
by some large, winged, reptile that you weren't prepared to face. Nah,
I'm just jokin', you should be fine.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) While in the Docks District, you may just find a merchant named
Jahaboam, who will be around if your romance with Jaheira has
progressed far enough (usually requiring you to get ambushed by Ertof
and his gang, first.) He'll hawk some magical romantic gifts upon you,
obviously showing that you and Jaheira aren't nearly as transparent as
you two pretend to be. Buy the locket off of him for 20 gold and tell
Jaheira to shut up and take it. Is that a cue? Perhaps. The next couple
of quests will involve Jaheira specifically. If you don't have her with
you, but want to do these quests, go get her. If you don't care about
doing these quests, just skip to the next Sequence. Otherwise, read on.
These quests aren't necessarily romance-specific, but they allow the
romance to proceed, and I won't bother separating the romance and non-
romance parts of the quests ahead.
Sea's Bounty (AR0313)
o======================================================================o
14) Now it's time to head over to the Sea's Bounty (x=2100, y=2100).
We've gone here before, but notice how we've always left Jaheira behind.
It's because of a little quest that begins if you bring her into
contact with one of the Sea's Bounty's patrons, one Baron Ployer
(x=480, y=350). He'll begin speaking to Jaheira as soon as she enters,
and the fact that he has a voice should tip you off to the fact that
he's important. Jaheira plays coy until Baron Ployer admits to being a
slaver, at which point the nature of the past dealings with one another
becomes apparent. Baron Ployer has apparently planned to punish Jaheira
for causing his downfall, and two Mages show up-Gracien and Terrece,
who inflict Jaheira with a wasting curse before teleporting away with
Baron Ployer. Jaheira then curses and resolves to hunt Baron Ployer
down. If you like her, you should probably make this your top priority,
and not tell her to get over it or solve it herself. Jaheira mentions
three leads-the Cowled Wizards, the Slums District, and Belgrade. You'll
notice all of Jaheira's stats (save Wisdom and Charisma) have taken a
one-point hit, so this isn't a bogus curse. Every day after being
cursed Jaheira will lose another point from all her afflicted stats
until her Intelligence reaches 0 and she dies. Let's try and avoid this
unfortunate consequence of wasting time, and make the resolution of this
quest our first priority...
Sea's Bounty Pirate Cave (AR0310)
o======================================================================o
15) ...well, almost our first priority. The secret door in the lower
level of Sea's Bounty (AR0313) is just too appealing to ignore any
longer. Open the secret door at (x=500, y=150) and head on through.
Inside you'll find a Pirate Captain and his crew. Of course you were
going to find some Pirates, you KNEW you were going to find Pirates.
Needless to say, they're none too happy you stumbled in on their
meeting and resolve to kill the spies. They're accompanied by a Mage
who'll cast Mirror Image and Protection from Normal Missiles, but he's
not smart enough to cast Stoneskin. Head over there and smite him,
the mop up the sorry survivors. The Pirate Captain will drop a Long
Sword +1, and the rest will drop garbage. Loot the pool at the end of
the room and head on out, sated with some new loot.
***ITEMS***
(x=900, y=400) Pearl Necklace, Pearl x2, 1100 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Head over to the Government District, enter the Council of Six
building (x=3170, y=900) and talk to Corneil (x=580, y=800). He is,
of course, extremely unhelpful, and I don't know why we thought he'd
be any different now. Once you leave Terrece-one of the Mages who cursed
Jaheira-will come speak to you and will make an offer. It appears that
even freelance Mages who curse people for coin find Baron Ployer
despicable, and are willing to abandon him. For one thousand gold
they'll promise that when you find Baron Ployer (and they seem pretty
certain you will) they'll leave him to you. For 2000 gold, they'll go
kill him themselves. You can argue him down to 500 gold to abandon
Ployer, and considering the quest experience you get for it, it's not
a bad deal... but killing them is worth slightly more, and it's gold-
positive. No matter what you want to do, go complete the next step.
***REWARD***
(For paying Ployer's mercenary Mages to abandon him)
EXP 10250
***REWARD***
(For paying Ployer's mercenary Mages to kill him)
EXP 19750
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) Now return to our favorite watering-hole, the Copper Coronet. You
can find Bernard wandering around to the north-west. Talk to him and he
will-at length-reveal that Belgrade died just like Jaheira will, and
that his body was found in the eastern part of the Slums. Head outside
and enter the Derelict Home (x=2420, y=700) near the Slaver Stockade.
Wow, dead Harpers on the street and a Slaver Stockade next door? Ployer
can't possibly be stupid enough to live here... unless he wants to be
found, that is. Head inside and indeed, you'll find your man, who
admits that he wanted Jaheira to find him, too weak to fight back, and
he nurtures some insane hope that Jaheira will beg for her life. He
clearly doesn't know Jaheira. If you didn't deal with Terrece earlier,
he'll gate in, along with Malacazar and Gracien and attack. If you
bribed the Mages to abandon Baron Ployer, they won't show up when he
calls for them, and you'll be free to put him down on your own. If you
paid them to kill him, when he calls them they'll show up, and he'll
die. If you have to fight the Mages (and you should, because you get
12000 experience for killing them, 6000 for Baron Ployer, and the
quest reward, not to mention the money you'll save) just get on them
early, hit them with Breach and Keldorn's Dispel Magic ability and take
them down. An Insect Plague works well, too. Ployer is, on his own, not
a threat at all, just deal with his Mages and cut him down. Terrece will
drop Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, a Quarter Staff +1, a Golden Necklace, a
Silver Necklace, 20 Darts, and 20 gold. Gracien will part with a Cloak
of Protection +1, a Quarter Staff, 20 Darts, and 67 gold. Malacazar
forfeits a Potion of Healing, a Quarter Staff, 20 Darts, and 30 gold.
Finally, loot Baron Ployer for a suit of Leather Armor, a Lock of
Jaheira's Hair, a Greenstone Ring, a Two Handed sword, and 20 gold. Take
the lock of hair and Jaheira's curse will be lifted, and just like she
says, she'll get better in time.
***REWARD***
(For lifting Baron Ployer's Curse)
EXP 21250
***ITEMS***
(x=360, y=210) Note, 20 gold
(x=650, y=240) 1 gold
Prebek's Home (AR0407)
o======================================================================o
18) Now it's time to deal with the Harper Hold... the big orange
building in the Docks District, in the south-western corner of the map.
This is where Xzar wanted us to look for Montaron, and where we brought
the poisoned Renfeld a lifetime ago. Talk to Rylock (x=1440, y=2950) who
stands outside near the door. It seems your goodwill in bringing back
a poisoned Harper wasn't good enough to get you in, and lying won't do
the trick either. Toss out the word Harper and Rylock will play stupid.
If Jaheira is with you, she'll interject, which leads to Rylock
assigning you with a quest to destroy some 'vile experiments' being
concocted in a house to the north. Head up to the house marked as
'Prebek's House' on your map and enter at (x=1880, y=1250). Inside
you'll find two Mages, one named Sanasha and the other named Prebek,
along with a trio of Goblins. They'll mention their 'master', who is
obviously not a nice guy (nor terribly balanced) and attack. They
start out with some defensive spells-Stoneskin and Mirror Image. Just
tear them down with Dispel Magic and Breach and pummel them into
submission. Sanasha spills a Scroll of Knock, a Scroll of Dispel Magic,
a Scroll of Cone of Cold, a Quarter Staff, and 28 gold, while Prebek
pays up a Wand of Magic Missiles, a Potion of Insight, a Scroll of
Color Spray, a Scroll of Sleep, a Scroll of Fireball, a Dagger, and
26 gold. Needless to say, they've got some nice low-level spell
scrolls... but with my pick-pocketing regimen we hardly needed them,
even at the beginning of the game.
***ITEMS***
(x=370, y=210) 1 gold
(x=550, y=150) Scroll of Detect Invisibility,
Scroll of Invisible Stalker, 52 gold
(x=660, y=240) War Hammer +1, Scroll of Resist Fear,
Scroll of Conjure Fire Elemental, Scroll of Horror,
70 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=550, y=150)
(x=660, y=240)
Harper Hold, Level 1 (AR0308)
o======================================================================o
19) Now return to Rylock and tell him of your good deed. He'll agree to
let you into the Harper Hold, but warn you to stay on the first floor.
Damned Harpers and their expectations! Who wants to guess that Montaron
isn't on the first floor? Anyways, help yourself to a nice little
experience reward and continue into the Harper Hold (x=1330, y=2900).
Inside the Harper Hold you can talk to some of the Harpers standing
around. Harpers are a bunch of dinks that try to 'keep the balance'.
Not content to fight evil and mischief, they feel it's their business
to stand up to anything that gets too strong... and this is why
everybody still goes around in Plate Mail swinging swords, because
everybody loves the status quo too much to advance. Another word for
'balance' and 'neutrality' is 'conservative'... Troglodytes... Anyways,
what you should glean from their chatter is that their amulets are
unusual for Harpers (who typically tend towards the inconspicuous, and
don't often sit around for long periods of time in large, rich, orange
buildings) and that the guardians are 'Spectral Harpists'. Unfortunately
for the Harpers, they let you have free roam of the place, and sure
enough, there's a Harper Amulet just waiting for you over in the desk at
(x=1000, y=300). Take it-if you wish-and head upstairs (x=660, y=400).
***ITEMS***
(x=1400, y=570) Potion of Extra Healing x2, 110 gold
(x=1220, y=500) History of the Dragon Coast, Potion of Mind Focusing,
Scroll of Conjure Lesser Air Elemental
(x=1400, y=440) Helmet of Charm Protection
(x=1100, y=400) Potion of Insight, History of Durpar and Var
(x=1000, y=300) Harper Amulet
***TRAPS***
(x=1400, y=570)
(x=1400, y=440)
***REWARD***
(For gaining access into the Harper Hold)
EXP 14500
Harper Hold, Level 2 (AR0309)
o======================================================================o
20) So long as you have the Harper Amulet in your inventory, the
Spectral Harpists won't bother you. At this stage of the game, it
hardly matters, however. They're not sufficiently strong as to really
threaten you. If you're recognized as a friend they'll chat with you a
bit, and reveal that thieves who invade the Harper Hold are kept as
birds. Of course, they don't come right out and say that, they try to
be clever with riddles, but they're hardly obscure. After listening to
the spectres talk the only sensible thing left to do is to loot the
place.. but don't worry, you're not 'stealing', the Harpers clearly have
too much money and you're just trying to impose some 'balance' on them.
There's a Note that mentions a Thief which may interest you, and some
low-end loot lying around. When you're done go through the doorway at
(x=900, y=500) to find a large aviary. Open the door and step in and
activate the object at (x=950, y=300) to catch one of the birds. Now
that you have Montaron, leave the Harper Hold.
***ITEMS***
(x=250, y=650) History of the Unicorn Run, Bolt of Biting x40
(x=200, y=700) Scroll of Phantom Blade
(x=400, y=700) History of Waterdeep, Potion of Extra Healing x5
(x=450, y=750) History of Waterdeep, 1 gold
(x=700, y=1200) Note, Iol Gem
(x=1030, y=1100) 1 gold
(x=1100, y=1000) 40 gold
(x=1500, y=700) 1 gold
(x=1440, y=650) Bloodstone Ring, Bullets +1 x40, 107 gold
(x=1350, y=600) Bloodstone Ring, Arrows of Acid x40
(x=1500, y=500) Dart +1 x40, 3 gold
(x=1570, y=550) Scroll of Detect Evil, Scroll of Knock
(x=1660, y=620) Bloodstone Ring
(x=1100, y=250) 1 gold
***TRAPS**
(x=1350, y=600)
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Montaron from the Harper Hold)
EXP 20000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) Now return to Xzar, who is wherever you left him earlier. You'll
get a nice experience reward for giving over Montaron (which is one of
the main reasons why we bother to do these quests in the first place.)
Our rescue is extra timely, since apparently we slew Xzar's creations.
Honestly, was there any doubt that Sanasha and Prebek's master was
Xzar? Before you get your monetary reward, however, Xzar decides to
turn Montaron back into... well, Montaron, to make sure you're not
finching him. Err... filching him. Unfortunately for Xzar, it's not
Montaron that appears, but a Harper named Lucette (quite probably the
'-L' from the note we found regarding the thief in the Harper Hold),
who promptly smites Xzar before pestering you. It seems you were just a
pawn in an elaborate ruse. The Harpers used you to get close to Xzar,
who was creating monsters and hence, needed to be exterminated. Jaheira
is decidedly annoyed that her own organization decided to manipulate
her, but at least this quest is over with. Loot Xzar as fair
compensation for a job well-done. He sure won't be needing the Bracers
of Defense A.C. 6, the Pearl, the Black Opal, the Water Opal, the Scroll
of Slow, the Scroll of Vampiric Touch, the Scroll of Friends, the
Flamedance Ring, the Staff Spear +2, nor the 907 gold he leaves behind.
***REWARD***
(For returning 'Montaron' to Xzar)
EXP 35500 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Shortly thereafter, a Harper named Meronia will appear and bother
Jaheira, telling her that her presence is required at the Harper Hold.
Jaheira will leave and promise to return soon, so go find somewhere to
rest for a while (the Sea's Bounty, perhaps, or your Thieves' Guild, if
applicable). After a rest session, Jaheira will show up again and be
somewhat excited to see you (uncharacteristically so). She informs you
that we need to go to the Harper Hold in Athkatla, so accept Jaheira
back into your party and head on over there. It might not be a bad idea
to spell-buff before you enter... not that anything could ever go wrong
with the Harpers.
Note: You can postpone this meeting indefinitely, as far as I have been
able to tell. Jaheira will whine at you, and the third time she does
so you'll get a chance to respond, but she will not simply quit the
group the way many pissy allies will.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) Once inside a Harper named Galvarey will begin chatting with
Jaheira, who is upset that they were summoned here with a Herald's
authority-yet with no Herald present. Galvarey is obviously too big for
his britches, and they are something just shy of hostile with one
another (at one point, depending on how you respond, Galvarey mentions
Khalid, at which Jaheira threatens to remove Galvarey's tongue. A well-
oiled machine, these Harpers..) In any event, Galvarey's questions are
vague, and his interpretations of them are perhaps even more unfair
than the judgment that Elhan passed down on Viconia earlier. It's
obvious that Galvarey is here to subdue you by means of an Imprisonment
spell to bolster his own political standing in the Harpers by
neutralizing an agent of chaos. Whatever the fact of the matter is,
every Lich in the game has been gunning to do the same thing, and none
of them have yet succeeded. If Jaheira likes you, she'll defend you at
every turn (to no avail, of course).
Eventually a fight breaks out, and when one does, don't send Jaheira
away or she'll decide to volit the field. Anyways, this battle isn't
too difficult by now. They've got plenty of spell-power, but then again,
so do you. I start out with an Insect Swarm (aimed at Nadinal), two
Chaos spells, and a Greater Command (aimed at Kail). When the first
round is over, there's not a single enemy that isn't unconscious or
confused, and the Insect Swarm just seals the fate of their Mages. When
they're all dead, loot the corpses:
Nodinal: Cloak of Protection +1, Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, Reaching
Ring (gives one extra 5th, 6th, and 7th level spell), Gold Ring and
a Quarter Staff +1.
Galvarey: Plate Mail +1, Arrows +1 x10, Arrows x20, two Potions of Extra
Healing, Oil of Speed, Composite Longbow, Two-Handed Sword +1 and 105
gold.
Kail: Potion of Extra Healing x2, Potion of Fire Giant Strength,
Silver Necklace, Katana +1 and 67 gold.
Bessen: Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, Garnet, Darts of Stunning x2,
Darts x10, and 29 gold.
Iko: Studded Leather Armor, Bolts +1 x10, Bolts x20, two Potions of
Invisibility, Potion of Extra Healing, Light Crossbow, Short Sword +1
and 55 gold.
Clearly the prize from this fight is the Reaching Ring, which goes on
my full Mage (either Imoen or Edwin) without delay. With Edwin I might
be more disposed towards letting my protagonist have it, as he already
has tons of spells to choose from, but it's really up to you.
Note: I had issues with getting Nadinal to give me any experience in
early versions of the guide, so, finally, I got on Infinity Explorer to
see exactly how much experience Nadinal was worth, and why the game
never gave me any for killing him. Turns out on his CRE file, he's
actually set to be worth 0 experience. Oops. Well, mystery solved. So
if you're wondering why he's not in the Experience Lists... well, he
just isn't worth any. It's worth noting that this was not fixed in the
Enhanced Edition.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
24) Certainly the fight in the Harper Hold is going to bother Jaheira,
and the next several of her banters pretty much consist of Jaheira
second-guessing herself and lamenting her split from the Harpers. The
next event occurs when you travel to, or rest in, a location outside of
Athkatla, after several such banters. In the meantime, you might want to
continue with some other quests while you wait for these to occur. For
the sake of organization, however, I will continue the rest of Jaheira's
quests here. Eventually a Harper named Reviane will show up, along with
some buddies, to confront Jaheira. If your reputation is 16 or better,
you can allow Jaheira to tell Reviane about you and choose to stand
down, which will prompt Reviane to depart without a fight. If you are
somewhat less of a saint a fight will be unavoidable... but hey, at
least there's always loot:
Revaine: Plate Mail, Ring of the Princes +1, Potion of Extra Healing x2,
Potion of Invulnerability, Angel Skin Ring, Halberd +2 'Suryris Blade'
and 67 gold.
Harper (Cleric): Plate Mail, Helmet, Small Shield +1, Bullets +1 x10,
Bloodstone Ring, Flail +1 and a Sling.
Harper (Harper): Full Plate Mail, Helmet, Ring of the Princes +1, Large
Shield, Potion of Extra Healing x2, War Hammer +1 and 105 gold.
Harper (Mage): Cloak of Protection +1, Bracers of Defense A.C. 6,
Quarterstaff +1, Darts of Stunning x2, Darts +1 x6 and 38 gold.
Harper (Thief): Studded Leather Armor +1, Arrow of Biting x2, Arrow of
Fire x5, Arrow of Slaying x2, Arrows +1 x10, Oil of Speed, Potion of
Invisibility, Short Bow +1, Poisoned Throwing Daggers x3, Short Sword
and 29 gold.
We've fought off our second group of Harpers, but for poor Jaheira it
looks like things are going to get worse before they get better.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
25) After more time passes Jaheira will have a happy run-in with her
mentor Dermin Courtierdale-the very guy who introduced her to the
Harpers. Okay, so it's not such a happy coincidence, since Dermin was
sent to kill her... which is really quite cruel to both of them, if you
think about it. Pick options #1 or #4 the first time you're given a
chance to speak. Picking the other two options will make Jaheira doubt
herself and decide to take a middle course-removing herself from both
the Harpers and your party. I guess that whole revenge for Khalid
thing isn't that important in the long run, eh? Being nice to Jaheira
here again pays off, as she'll just renounce her Harper status.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
26) Another long series of banters will follow before Dermin will show
up again and inform Jaheira that she's been deemed a traitor and
murderer of Harpers. Harper attacks will now become more severe and
numerous, unless of course, Jaheira submits to Harper justice. It seems
the Harpers can understand the fact that I killed a bunch of them, but
for Jaheira, that's apparently another story. Jaheira will determine to
think on it, and sure enough the next time you rest Jaheira will leave.
Some weirdo named Terminsel (by now we've faced name-related word
jumbles plenty of times, so see if you can guess who this is) will show
up and give you a note he found, and give a big hint-hint about not
losing important things. Yeah, he's about as subtle as a maul. Return
to the Harper Hold, wherein you'll find a group of Mercenaries. Dispose
of them and loot them (you'll get a few Potions of Extra Healing, some
gems/jewelry, and a suit of Studded Leather Armor +1) before heading
upstairs. Jaheira is there, waiting for you. She has determined that
since the Spectral Harpists are gone, that no true Harpers inhabit this
place anymore, and the ones we killed earlier (as well as those we may
yet have to kill) were justifiable as self-defense. Jaheira warns you
that this may have been a trap. Accept her back into your party and
head back downstairs, come what may. A few more Mercenaries await you,
and although they have some spell-power this time, they're not even as
dangerous as the two Harper groups we encountered earlier. Again, you'll
score some Potions of Extra Healing (and perhaps a Potion of
Invisibility), some Bullets +1, Arrows of Acid, a Flail +1, a Sling +1,
a suit of Leather Armor +1, some Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, some Bracers
of Defense A.C. 7, the Heart of the Golem +2, as well as the odd
assortment of random jewelry, gems, scrolls, gold, and whatnot.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
27) More time will pass, and another banter or two, before Dermin will
show up a third-and final-time. Dermin exchanges some venomous words
with Jaheira, who sticks to her belief that she is in the right. Dermin
will incriminate himself before attacking. He's joined by the Dwarf
Thenry, the Mage Jeremon, a Cleric named Chrost, and Lennah. All things
considered, they're about as strong as Galvarey and his goons, which
means a Chaos or two and an Insect Plague will do them in:
Dermin: The Protector +1, Bracers of Defense A.C. 5, Bolts of
Lightning x2, Bolts of Biting x2, Bolts +1 x15, Potion of Extra
Healing x3, Short Sword +1, Light Crossbow +1 and 55 gold.
Thenry: Full Plate Mail, Helmet, Ring of the Princes +1, Potion of
Heroism, Large Shield, Potion of Extra Healing x2, Scroll of Death
Spell, War Hammer +1 and 67 gold.
Jeremon: Cloak of Protection +1, Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, Gold Ring,
Quarterstaff +1, Darts +1 x5 and Darts of Stunning x2.
Chrost: Plate Mail, Helmet, Small Shield +1, Bullets +1 x10, Flail +1,
Sling and 47 gold.
Lennah: Studded Leather Armor +1, Arrow of Slaying x2, Arrow of
Biting x2, Arrow of Fire x5, Arrows +1 x10, Jade Ring, Short Bow +1,
Poisoned Throwing Daggers x3, Oil of Speed, Potion of Invisibility and
a Short Sword.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
28) After your final, fatal encounter with Dermin, you'll have to deal
with a few more banters that conclude the romance. Eventually Terminsel
will show up again and talk to Jaheira. He will, at length, ask if
Jaheira did the right thing. Again, 16 is the operative reputation for
a good result-if your reputation is high enough Jaheira answers without
hesitation that she did the right thing. Otherwise she'll hesitate and
Terminsel will decide that her doubt is punishment enough. Either way,
you'll get 100000 experience points for completing the Harper Quests and
romancing Jaheira. If Jaheira answered favorably, Terminsel will give
her a sign of the Harper's favor-a Harper Pin-and take off. Jaheira
guesses Terminsel's identity, and will give you the word anagram if you
still haven't figured it out for yourself. In addition, when I sold all
the loot the Harpers and their mercenaries dropped me, it was worth
about 27,500 gold. Those Bracers of Defense really add up! In any event,
the Harper Pin gives Jaheira a number of useful protections, including
+5 saves vs. spells and 100% Resistance to Electricity. The Non-
Detection is pretty useless, and immunity to Magic Missiles is very
Baldur's Gate 1, but overall it's a great amulet, and will serve Jaheira
well for the rest of the game.
***REWARD***
(For completing the Harper Quests unburdened by doubt)
EXP 100000 (protagonist)
Item Harper Pin
***REWARD***
(For completing the Harper Quests plagued by doubt)
EXP 100000 (protagonist)
o======================================================================o
| Kangaxx the Demi-Lich and the Twisted Rune |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK035}
1) Daystar
2) Kangaxx the Cursed
3) The Shade Lich
4) The Elemental Lich
5) The Twisted Rune
6) Kangaxx the Demi-Lich
7) Abandoned Warehouse Ammo
8) The Last of the Docks District Discoveries
Crooked Crane, Secret Chamber (AR0087)
o======================================================================o
1) While we wait for Jaheira's banters to come and allow us to continue
her Harper quests (or if we don't have Jaheira or don't otherwise care
to pursue her quests...) we've got plenty of quests to do around
Athkatla. Since we're so very close to having to Docks District done,
let's tackle a quest that'll help us achieve that end. Head over to the
City Gates District and enter the tavern at (x=220, y=450). There's a
secret door (x=500, y=150) that I warned you to avoid earlier when we
were doing the Mage's Stronghold quests. If you weren't privy to those
quests... then you had no reason to come to this little piss-hole tavern
in the first place.
Anyways, rest up and prepare one of two Lich-strategies, either the
Sunray rush, or the spell-immunity tactic and head inside... either with
just your spell-immune character, or your Cleric(s). The Lich will start
out with Mantle, Mirror Image, Stoneskin, Fire Shield (Red), and Globe
of Invulnerability, making it perhaps the most well-protected enemy
we've faced yet. Of course, it matters little if you have Spell
Immunity: Conjuration, Abjuration, Alteration, Death Ward, and Chaotic
Commands, or if you nail it with a Sunray or two. By now you know what
to expect, the Lich will throw out all manner of death and destruction
(and this one is partial to summoning a Pit Fiend). Use Breach and True
Sight to open its defenses after you soak up some of its spells and it
should go down soon enough.
Loot the chest at (x=350, y=300) to obtain the Long Sword, Daystar +2,
which is a +2 Longsword (+4 vs. Evil) that does double damage against
undead and can cast Sunray once per day. It's an invaluable weapon
against all sorts of undead, but we'll be putting it to good use shortly
against more Liches. It's just one more weapon in our arsenal-one more
way to bring another Sunray out quickly. And of course, it's great for
slicing up undead should our Sunray fail. The Lich itself will leave
behind a Ring of Invisibility, a Wand of Cloudkill, a wand of Lightning,
a Wand of Fire, and the Rod of Terror. Frankly, I want to keep my Mage
out of fighting, where they can typically do better things (like cast
spells). Plus, we already have the Rod of Smiting, so we don't need
another +3 Quarterstaff. Especially not one that has a chance of
dropping our Charisma.
***ITEMS***
(x=350, y=300) Zircon Gem, Daystar +2
Mysterious House (AR03300/(AR0331)
o======================================================================o
2) Now return to the Docks District. Near Mae'Var's Guildhall is an
unmarked house (x=2700, y=2250). Head through the locked and trapped
doorway into the house (AR0330). Inside, smite the trio of pathetic
Minotaurs and loot the level. When you're ready, head down the stairs
at (x=250, y=350). In the middle of the room is a sarcophagus. If you're
having deja'vu, it's because we passed through a room identical to this
one in the sewers during the Unseeing Eye quest (bonus points for you
if you gathered that we're heading there next.) Interact with the
sarcophagus at (x=700, y=450) to talk to a golden skull named Kangaxx.
It claims to have been cursed by its enemies, and promises you rewards
if you reclaim its body-and a rain of death and a thousand years of
suffering for every one it spent imprisoned if you don't. The usual...
It is certain of one thing, however, its enemies are within the city,
lying within tombs like Kangaxx's own. See why we went and got the
Daystar, first? Honestly this is an unnecessary step in the quest, but
for the sake of good questing, talk to Kangaxx first to activate the
quest.
***ITEMS***
(x=550, y=150) Andar Gem, 19 gold
(x=660, y=150) Shandon Gem, Potion of Regeneration
***TRAPS*** (AR0300)
(x=2700, y=2250)
Old Tunnels (AR0202)
o======================================================================o
3) Head on over to the Temple District and head down one of the sewer
entrances (x=2550, y=2620), and from there enter the Old Tunnels
(x=100, y=400). Head over to the 'Lair of the Cult Outcasts' on your
map, where you'll find a sarcophagus at (x=1700, y=500). Remember how
we were told not to disturb the sarcophagus earlier? Well, get your
party ready to fight another Lich and disturb it. Either wait for the
Lich to arrive with Clerics and the wielder of Daystar ready with
Sunray, or send a spell-immune character in alone. Once you molest the
sarcophagus a Shade Lich will appear-the guardian of Kangaxx's arms
and legs. For trying to gather Kangaxx's body, the Lich will attack,
and in typical Lichy fashion it'll start out combat with Mislead,
Stoneskin, Fire Shield (red), Spell Turning, and Globe of
Invulnerability before attacking with a party-disabling Chaos. It'll
then begin its by-now routine tactic of Time Stop followed by Symbol
spells, in turn followed by some death spells. A few Mazes follow before
it falls back on direct damage spells like Sunfire and Horrid Wilting,
then it mops up with Finger of Death and Prismatic Spray. Once it
summons an Efreeti, you can be pretty confident that most of its major
spell-power has been spent, except for perhaps a Disintegrate and
Domination or two. When it dies loot the sarcophagus for Golden Arms and
Legs.
Mysterious House (AR0525)/(AR0526)
o======================================================================o
4) Our next destination is the Bridge District, where there is another
unmarked house south of 'Delosar's Inn'. Disarm the trapped doors
(x=1800, y=3350), (x=1600, y=3350) and head on inside the southern-most
door (x=1600, y=3350). You'll note that this house is identical to
Kangaxx's, even the loot is the same! Now that's just lazy. Head
downstairs (x=250, y=350) to find another sarcophagus room-again
identical to Kangaxx's-and activate the sarcophagus (x=700, y=450) in
the middle. This time the Sunray rush strategy is better than the spell-
immunity strategy, as the Lich that comes forth can possibly target
party members, and we can't protect everybody from a Liches wrath.
Position Anomen/Viconia and whomever has the Daystar to the south of
the sarcophagus, on the landing on top of the stairs, and as soon as
the Lich appears nail it with a double-shot of Sunray. If you start
casting as the Elemental Lich is forming up, you can hit it right after
it's done talking. With any luck it'll die... if not, it should be hurt,
try and tear down its defenses with True Sight, Dispel Magic, and
Breach and kill it quickly. When it dies, loot the sarcophagus for the
Golden Torso. We were told that Kangaxx was separated into three
pieces-one of which is the golden skull that IS Kangaxx, so we're
ready to return triumphantly to Kangaxx.
***ITEMS***
(x=550, y=150) Andar Gem, 19 gold
(x=660, y=150) Shandon Gem, Potion of Regeneration
***TRAPS*** (AR0500)
(x=1800, y=3350)
(x=1600, y=3350)
Twisted Rune (AR1008)
o======================================================================o
5) Now, we're ready to head back to Kangaxx for our undoubtedly
well-deserved reward, but since we're here, and there was another
trapped door just around the corner, why not explore it? I'll warn you,
inside is one of the tougher fights in Shadows of Amn, but by now, as I
near 3,000,000 experience and have some of the better loot in the game,
I feel up for it. Of course, after picking on Liches it would be a good
idea if I rested, first. When ready, go through the doorway at
(x=1800, y=3350). If you have a Rogue Stone in your inventory, it'll
disappear and you'll be teleported away. Head into the room to the
north, where you'll be confronted by a Lich named Shangalar, who will
tell you that you're not in the Bridge District anymore. Anyways, for
trespassing Shangalar decides that you need to be taught a lesson, and
will summon the rest of the 'Twisted Rune', which includes a Beholder
named Vaxall, a Vampire named Shyressa, a warrior named Revanek
(19th-level Fighter), and another powerful Mage named Leyane (an
18th-level Abjurer). Shangalar himself is a 26th-level Abjurer.
To deal with these varied threats and immense amount of spell-power,
I render my protagonist spell-immune, and I cast a few buffs on Jaheira,
too (Chaotic Commands, Death Ward, Free Action, Protection from Fire,
etc.) while the rest of my party gets a basic dose of Remove Fear,
Haste, and Protection from Evil 10' Radius. Jaheira straps on the Shield
of Balduran and along with my protagonist heads into the room where
Shangalar will appear. Once he attacks, he'll teleport into the room
where I entered. My protagonist immediately runs back into the room and
uses Daystar to cast Sunray, along with Anomen/Viconia, while Jaheira
attacks Vaxall. I have to be careful not to let Shyressa attack Jaheira,
so I try and keep my protagonist between the two rooms-close enough to
hit Shangalar with Sunray, but not so close that Shyressa is tempted to
attack Jaheira. With any luck, Shangalar will fall after a double-shot
of Sunray (and if I'm very lucky, Shyressa will be caught and destroyed
in one, too!) If not, my protagonist switches to Daystar and cuts the
Vampire down, then moves on to help Jaheira with Vaxall. Layene will
cast a Time Stop, followed by a Meteor Swarm (probably focusing on
Jaheira, being closest, hence the Protection from Fire) and Gate before
her Time Stop ends. Keldorn takes the opportunity to hit her with a
Dispel Magic. With any luck it'll take down some of her spell defenses
and-most amusingly-her Protection from Evil, which will make her focus a
bit on the Pit Fiend she just summoned! After Vaxall dies I focus all my
effort on Layene, dispelling her illusions with True Sight and hitting
her with Breach to open her up. Finally, I focus on Revanek, who is just
fodder for my sword by now. The evil party doesn't deviate from the good
party in any meaningful way, save for Dorn, who can freely engage
Shyressa due to his immunity to level drain.
Loot Layene for the Staff of the Magi and 25 gold, Vaxall leaves behind
a Beholder Eye, and Shangalar drops 3890 gold-fair compensation for
wasting one of our Rogue Stones. Seriously though, the Staff of the Magi
is the real winning item here. It counts as a +5 weapon for determining
what it can hit, gives its wielder Invisibility, Immunity to Charm, a
+2 bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws and Protection from Evil while
it's equipped, can cast a Fireball-Lightning spell three times per day,
Spell Trap (absorbing 30 spell levels) once per day, and inflicts Dispel
Magic on every hit. Honestly, can you think of a better weapon for a
Mage? Well, I'm sure you can, but this is still pretty damn good. The
best thing about it is its ability to allow the wielder to go invisible
at will-just select a different weapon and reselect the Staff of the
Magi and boom-you're invisible. Now to escape. Activate the cauldron at
(x=1350, y=400) to dispose of the Beholder Eye and activate the machine
at (x=750, y=300). You'll find yourself mercifully teleported back to
the Bridge District, one Staff of the Magi richer.
Note from Lee:
Party spell buffs include Defensive Harmony, Protection from Evil 10',
Haste, Invisibility 10', and Resist Fear; individual spell buffs are
varied and somewhat task specific - most importantly Death Ward, Chaotic
Commands, Spell Immunity: Abjuration, Protection from Fire, Fire Shield
(Red), etc, on my protagonist and Keldorn, since they will actually be
moving in and attacking. I send Keldorn (double Hasted + Boots of Speed)
in to initiate dialog and start the encounter while my protagonist and
Edwin summon as many creatures as they can to the left and right of
Keldorn, using Wands of Monster Summoning (faster casting time). As soon
as the dialog is over, Keldorn runs back into the room with the rest of
the party and helps cut down Shangalar while I send my summoned
creatures up the left and right sides to delay Shyressa and Layene.
Once Shangalar is dead (it could not have taken more than three rounds),
I send in Jaheira with the Shield of Balduran to deal with the Beholder,
while my spellslingers cast a few magic removing spells on Layene. So
now I have a dead Lich, a dead Beholder, and an angry Pit Fiend who is
attacking his summoner. The Pit Fiend takes out Layene handily while the
party moves up to kill Shyressa. I must have had my timing exactly
right, as well as getting the party positioned perfectly (just out of
the fog of war), because the Fiend didn't come after me when he was done
playing with Layene. With all the toughest combatants gone, it was then
fairly easy to destroy the Pit Fiend and Revanek. If you time this all
right, and get a bit of luck on your side, you can avoid the Meteor
Swarm - or at least be able to minimize the damage from it.
***VIDEO***
Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition -
Twisted Rune {VID003}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O12CS4xf6k
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Our next goal is to return Kangaxx's body parts to him. I'm sure
it'll be a simple and friendly transaction-we'll waltz in, restore
Kangaxx, he'll thank us warmly and perhaps pass on a bit of good-will
in the form of a reward and everybody will be happy... But just in case,
somehow, everything doesn't go so smoothly, gather all the +4 weapons
you have-namely I make sure Jaheira has Boneblade +4, Minsc/Dorn has the
Wave +4/Soul Reaver +4, and my protagonists have Daystar +2. Also stop
over at the Adventurer's Mart and buy two Scrolls of Protection From
Magic.
Now return to the Docks District and revisit Kangaxx. How many of you
are still expecting a peaceful resolution to this quest? Nobody? Good... I
I spell-buff with our usual Lich-fighting spells, making my protagonist
immune to everything and all that. I also bring Anomen/Viconia along
to stand near the sarcophagus, ready to cast Sunray. Jaheira and
Minsc/Dorn, equipped with the Boneblade +4 and the Wave +4/Soul
Reaver +4 (respectively) stand at the base of the stairs to the north
and south, each with a Scroll of Protection From Magic ready in their
a quick item slot. Give Kangaxx his body back and he will show up near
the sarcophagus. He'll promise you sweet painful death and begin to
attack. I'm shocked. During this phase of the battle Kangaxx fights like
most any other Lich. I hit him with Sunrays courtesy of Daystar +2 and
my Cleric and hope that puts him down, just like the Elemental Lich.
When he is smote, he'll reveal that he needed to be freed-then
destroyed-to take his true-form, which is that of a Demi-Lich. It's
essentially the remains of a Lich who has existed too long ('lived'
wasn't the correct word), although Kangaxx violates the Monster
Manual II version by being somewhat more aggressive and concerned with
the physical world... although to be fair, I am going by the Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons version, not any 2nd Edition sources (I prefer the
word of the almighty Gary Gygax to later writers, rest in peace.)
Anyways, there are two things to watch out for with Kangaxx. First, he
can only be harmed by +4 or greater weapons, of which we have a
variety. I covered it above, but i'll reiterate... we should have the
Bone Dagger +4, the Staff of the Magi, Soul Reaver +4, the Wave +4, and
best of all-Daystar +2. Yes, Daystar +2-it counts as +4 versus evil
creatures remember? Kangaxx certainly counts as evil, and it does double
damage against undead, making it the single most potent item we have in
this fight. Our protagonist need not do this alone, however-we've got
several choices for attackers in addition. Jaheira, Imoen/Edwin, or
Dorn/Keldorn/Minsc. Second, Kangaxx attacks with only two spells-
Imprisonment, and Demilich Howl (which is like wail of the Banshee),
both of which he can infinitely cast. Needless to say, an unprepared
party won't last long against it... Hence the Scrolls of Protection
From Magic. Scrolls of Protection from Magic will effectively make you
immune to Kangaxx for a while, while on the other hand my protagonist
is protected by a combation of Death Ward and Spell Immunity:
Abjuration.
Jaheira and Minsc/Dorn use their Scrolls of Protection From Magic on
themselves, while Anomen/Viconia retreat to the corner of the room with
the stairs from whence we came. The former two attack Kangaxx, along
with my protagonist. Daystar +2 really shines in this fight, as it's
capable of dealing many times more damager per hit than anything else.
Just keep attacking Kangaxx-he's highly resistant to damage and he
regenerates, but he doesn't have very many Hit Points. He should fall
fairly quickly, hopefully without being an asswad and attacking any of
your unprotected characters.
Once Kangaxx dies you'll get a hefty experience reward, and you can loot
his body for the Ring of Gaxx, 23 gold, and a Silver Necklace. The Ring
of Gaxx is probably the best ring in the game, as it bestows a +2 bonus
to Armor Class, a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, 10% magic resistance,
immunity to disease and poison, regeneration at twice the rate of a Ring
of Regeneration, and allows the wearer to cast Invisibility once per
day, and more importantly, Improved Haste three times per day. There's
no debate here-it goes on my protagonist. Why give it to my main
character? Favoritism, plain and simple. In the first game it was better
to spread gear around, but in Baldur's Gate 2, it can be quite
beneficial to have one character who can tank for the party-as we have
clearly seen. More importantly, my main character would often switch out
his Ring of Protection +2 and a Ring of Regeneration, as needed. Now he
need not bother. Also, since he performs tanking and shock-assault
attacks, making him immune to poison and disease makes him that much
harder to take down, and Improved Haste allows him to make more of an
impact when he goes after an enemy. With the Cloak of Mirroring, The
Paws of the Cheetah, and the Ring of Gaxx (not to mention his impressive
spell-casting powers) he has become a dynamic offensive character
who can pulverize opposing Mages and Fighters alike, as well as a
character capable of frustrating well-protected spell-casters by
spell-buffing himself to near invulnerability.
***VIDEO***
Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition -
Kangaxx the Demilich {VID004}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0LEYJsgoAY
Abandoned Warehouse (AR0318)
o======================================================================o
7) Now, if you want to be completionists there are a few more places to
go around the Docks, and a few people to talk to. There's a 'Lost Girl'
near Mae'Vars Guildhall (x=3280, y=2700). If you treat her poorly, it
will provoke a little argument between Viconia and Jaheira. Or you can
give her a gold coin and she'll wander off. How epic. North of the
Shadow Thief Guildhall is an abandoned house (x=1700, y=500) wherein you
can find some cheap loot lying around, including a sparse collection of
magical ammunition.
***ITEMS***
(x=620, y=200) Arrows x40, Arrows +1 x8, Bullets x30, Bullets +1 x10
(x=570, y=170) Bolts x60, Bolts +1 x9
(x=400, y=350) Dart +1 x7, 1 gold
(x=170, y=370) Dart x30
Temple of Oghma (AR0319) and Barracks (AR0332)/(AR0333)
o======================================================================o
8) Over at (x=2850, y=950) you'll find a Temple of Oghma, where you can
find a Priest of Oghma who'll sell you some potions, a Ring of Animal
Friendship, and provide other typical Clerical services. Excited yet?
No? Good, you have no reason to be. Finally there's a Barracks
at (x=3500, y=1050), wherein you'll find numerous containers, some
holding gold or some cheap jewelry. So unimpressive is the haul,
however, that it doesn't even bear mentioning. Now we'll head off and
complete more areas of Athkatla. These quests won't be nearly as
demanding-nor as rewarding as the ones we just completed, but this guide
isn't about doing things in a logical sequential order... it's about
doing them in MY random order. And if I said somewhere earlier in the
FAQ that there is some order to this nonsense... well, what are you
going to do, stop reading this far into the game? No, I didn't think so.
***ITEMS***
(x=470, y=300) Potion of Invisibility, 30 gold
o======================================================================o
| Slavers in the Slums |
| (Copper Coronet Quest and the Slaver Stockade Quest) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK036}
1) Lecherous Lehtinan
2) People in the Pub
3) Purchased Employees
4) Restricted Area
5) Hendak's Plea
6) Tattling on Hendak
7) Double-Crossing Lehtinan
8) Killing the Beastmaster
9) Bernard's New Toys
10) Lend Me a Hand
11) Hobgoblins?
12) The Lover's Ring
13) The Myconid Lair
14) The Shaman's Staff
15) The Glowing Pool
16) Quallo's Riddle
17) Lilarcor
18) Captain Haegan
19) Troll Food
20) Freeing More Slaves
21) The Last of the Slavers
22) Hendak's Reward
Copper Coronet (AR0406)
o======================================================================o
1) Now, let's go do some quests in the Slums district, which is
festering with things to do. Head over to the Copper Coronet and talk
to Lehtinan (x=400, y=1220). He's rather... creepy... Pick dialogue
options #3, then #2 and he'll mention a variety of other 'services'
offered by his establishment. Asking about a specific one may cause him
to ask for a bribe, as Lehtinan thinks you 'look like trouble'. If you
Charisma is high enough, you'll be able to get away without paying,
otherwise you'll have to shell out some gold. This will allow you to
enter the back rooms to an extent without causing trouble. Now, before
we dive headlong into a quest, let's look at some of the things we can
do and some of the people we can talk to.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Over at (x=520, y=1320) you'll find Salvanas, who fancies himself
a ladies' man. Chat him up with some of your female party members to
see him get shot down in an amusing fashion. If your own protagonist is
female, you can be somewhat more receptive... which will only reveal
that Salvanas is all talk, no action. At (x=750, y=1300) is Garoll, who
will mention some of Lehtinan's back-room entertainment, if you buy him
a drink. Finally, talk to Tiana at (x=960, y=1260), who is looking for
her husband, Lord Rumar. Go up through the door at (x=850, y=880) to
find Lord Rumar (x=1120, y=680). If you talk to him you can then report
back to Tiana, and if you tattle Tiana will head to the back to confront
her husband and his mistress. Priss doesn't know when to keep her mouth
shut, and ends up getting into a fight with Tiana, who will almost
certainly kill her. Afterward Tiana collects her wayward husband and
makes off triumphantly. Her husband wisely obeys. We might as well loot
the back rooms while we're here, and deal with Llynis, Wellyn's
murderer and possessor of Littleman, if you haven't done that already
(of course, if Wellyn has gone ignored thus far, you'll have to wait
until after the fight with Bodhi to do it).
***ITEMS***
(x=600, y=500) Emerald, Greenstone Ring, Silver Ring, Scroll of Luck,
Scroll of Resist Fear
(x=750, y=600) Gloves of Pick Pocketing, Potion of Extra Healing,
Scroll of Melf's Acid Arrow, History of Shadowdale
***TRAPS***
(x=750, y=600)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Now go through the door at (x=1700, y=1550) to reach the audience
portion of the indoor arena. You'll be greeted by a well-dressed guy
named Frankie, who will tell you that the fights in the arena beyond are
man versus beast. Purchased employees, indeed. Continue to the arena,
where an announcer will begin... well... announcing. A Dwarven gladiator
will complain to no avail, and if you have him in your party, Anomen
will again clamor for justice. A Troll will be set into the arena with
the Dwarf and.. well, let's just say you probably wouldn't do well
against a Troll armed with just your fists, either.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Head back into the tavern proper and go through the doorway at
(x=1580, y=1350). Continue down a passage past two secret doors. The
first (x=2000, y=1000) leads to a black lotus den, and the second
(x=2150, y=900) leads to some as-of-yet unexplored sewers
(x=2070, y=670). We'll get there soon enough, but first go through the
door at the end of the hall (x=2500, y=700), beyond which you'll be
pestered by a Copper Coronet Guard. Pick any options other than the
last one and he'll attack... and even picking the last one only gives
you time enough to leave. When he turns hostile, some buddies of his
will show up, two Mages and two Fighters. By now, our party is so strong
that they just really don't have an answer for us, but you can throw
out a Chaos or Insect Plague if it'll make you feel better about
butchering them. They'll have some junk jewelry on them, and low-level
Mage scrolls, but in all fairness, their loot really matches the level
threat they posed to us.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) When you pass near the middle cell, a man named Hendak will speak
to you, begging you to free him. If you decline, he'll be understandably
upset. Anomen thinks that leaving the slaves confined is the right thing
to do, as they are rabble. Keldorn is more altruistic, and it just goes
to show how Lawful Neutral and Lawful Good can make a world of
difference. It is much more profitable to help Hendak, however, so hear
him out. He'll ask you find the Beastmaster, who has a key to the cells
on him. All well and good, but for steps #6 and #7, we'll look at
tattling to Lehtinan-just to cover all options, and after you see the
quest rewards, you can decide what, exactly, you wish to do.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Now, if you want to be a bastard you can go tell Lehtinan that
Hendak plans to escape. As as reward you can coerce him to give you a
suit of Plate Mail Armor (wee...) He'll then ask you to go kill Hendak
for his audacity, and give you the 'Beastmaster Key' with which to open
the cell. If you go back and kill Hendak, you'll get a small quest
reward. Return to Lehtinan when the deed is done and he'll sweeten the
deal by giving you Kondar +1, but you'll lose a point of reputation.
Don't worry about Kondar +1, there's another way the good-guys can
obtain it. Overall, it's immensely more beneficial to side with Hendak,
as you'll see by following the experience trail.
***REWARD***
(For killing Hendak and putting down the slave revolt)
EXP 7500
Item Plate Mail Armor
Item Kondar +1
Reputation -1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Of course, you can always double-cross Lehtinan once you have the
Beastmaster Key and use it to free Hendak. You'll get an identical
experience reward (the real deal must be using the key to open the
door, regardless of what you do afterwards) and Lehtinan will lead an
attack on the Copper Coronet. Unlike most useless NPCs, he decides to
go after Lehtinan himself. Fight your way through Copper Coronet Guards
(or not), and eventually Hendak will reach Lehtinan and challenge him.
Hendak will most assuredly win, and afterwards he'll announce that he's
taking over the Copper Coronet. You'll get a much more substantial
quest reward this time around, and Hendak will ask you to embark upon
another quest-to exterminate the slavers in Athkatla. He'll tell you
that it's in a dry-docked boat in this district.. you know, the area
marked on your map as the 'Slaver Stockade'. He'll suggest that an
indirect route may exist between the Copper Coronet and this Slaver
Stockade through the sewers-the entrance to which we've already
uncovered. Which begs the question.. why were they transporting slaves
over the city streets earlier? Ah well, I suppose we'll find out, eh?
Be sure to loot Lehtinan, as he'll drop a Diamond, a Water Opal, three
Emeralds, a Scroll of Summon Nishruu, a Scroll of Death Fog, a Dagger,
and 1287 gold.
***REWARD***
(For double-crossing Lehtinan and freeing Hendak)
EXP 7500
Item Plate Mail Armor
***REWARD***
(For freeing Hendak and overthrowing Lehtinan)
EXP 48750
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Now, if you want to do this the conventional way go through the door
at (x=2720, y=880) to reach the arena floor. Cross the arena to the
south-east to find the beast cells. If you want to spare yourself some
trouble, kill the beasts along the way before you meet the Beastmaster.
They're cheese, but why fight them all at once? Along the way are some
Mutated Gibberlings, a Panther, a Grizzly Bear, a Black Bear, a Leopard,
and a Minotaur. Kill as many as you can, at the end of the hallway the
Beastmaster and his pet 'Tabitha' await. You can delay a fight by
claiming to be one of Lehtinan's guests, then promising to leave. Put
down the Beastmaster and his pets, and loot his body for a suit of
Plate Mail Armor, a Helmet, Arrows x20, the Beastmaster Key, a Scroll of
Stone to Flesh, the Tuigan Bow +1, a Spear, and 144 gold. The Tuigan
Bow +1 might have been moderately useful at low levels, what with its
fast attack speed, but we've long since had better Short Bows. Go and
free Hendak and the other slaves and the quest proceeds the same way it
did in Step #7. The Copper Coronet Guards turn hostile, Hendak kills
Lehtinan and sets himself up as owner, and asks you to clear out the
slavers.
***REWARD***
(For killing the Beastmaster and freeing Hendak)
EXP 7500
***REWARD***
(For freeing the child-slave)
EXP 2500 x2
***REWARD***
(For freeing Hendak and overthrowing Lehtinan)
EXP 48750
Note: If you're low-leveled, you can always wait with your party in the
arena and lure out the animals so they can be destroyed piecemeal.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) The best part about completing the Copper Coronet quest is that
Bernard will now sell you new gear-regardless of whom you sided with.
The standouts include the Blade of Roses +3, which is mostly good just
because it's a +3 Long Sword you can get for 5000~ gold. Next is the
Mauler's Arm, a +2 Mace that raises the wielder's Strength to 18. I've
used this on Viconia in early-game situations before, so she'd have the
Strength necessary to equip heavier armor and shields and whatnot. The
Sling of Seeking +2 is a decent low-level Sling, and even at this
point in the game, the fact that it gives a Strength bonus to damage
makes it considerable as a weapon. Stonefire +3 is another good +3
weapon that can be purchased for less than 4000~ gold, and apart from
Frostreaver +3, it's one of the best Axes in all of Shadows of Amn.
He'll also sell you some nice Mage scrolls, like Chain Lightning,
Spell Sequencer, Prismatic Spray, and Incendiary Cloud. Best of all,
this loot can be stolen if you've got the patience and the Potions.
Just suck down enough potions to raise your Pick Pockets score to
180+ and you'll be able to steal on a whim. The new spells Bernard
sells are listed below:
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Bernard, post-quest
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
6th-Chain Lightning
---
7th-Prismatic Spray
7th-Spell Sequencer
7th-Spell Turning
7th-Summon Efreeti
---
8th-Cacofiend
8th-Incendiary Cloud
8th-Simulacrum
8th-Summon Fiend
Sewers (AR0404)
o======================================================================o
10) Now that we're done with the Copper Coronet, head off to the
entrance to the sewers (x=2070, y=670). First go to the south-west to
find a large circular room inhabited by an Otyugh, an Ochre Jelly, and
a Mustard Jelly. Smite them and inspect the grate in the center of the
room (x=500, y=950). For your trouble you'll take some damage, and
be rewarded with a desicated hand. Wonderful.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) From where you entered the sewers head south-east to find a group of
Hobgoblins, of all things. They include some tougher versions than we
used to face in Baldur's Gate 1, including a Hobgoblin Captain and some
Hobgoblin Shaman. Still, this is Baldur's Gate 2, not Baldur's Gate 1,
what are Hobgoblins anymore? You just need to watch out for the Shaman,
lest they hold anybody. Kill them and continue south-east.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Just behind the Hobgoblins you'll find some skeletons stuck on the
wall (x=1650, y=850). Activate the skeletons to obtain 'The Lover's
Ring'. Nice. Now continue into another hallway to the north-east until
you reach some stairs guarded by a Mustard Jelly. Smite it and continue
up the stairs (x=2200, y=600).
Myconid's Lair (AR0418)
o======================================================================o
13) Up here you'll find an 'Andorian' fighting some Myconids. Help it
out and it'll eventually die, but it'll distract the Myconids somewhat
in the meantime. Apparently it was part of a group that wasn't so
lucky or well-equipped as us. Oh well. Return to the sewers.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Follow the tunnel perpendicular to the one you originally came
from, continuing to the south-west, then turning to the south-east.
You'll reach a doorway leading to a more conventional sewer tunnel
running south-west/north-east. Disarm the trapped door bridge in the
middle of the tunnel and head to the north-east to find a group of
Kobolds, who will warn you to leave. They won't, however, actually
attack, so you'll need to be the aggressor here. When they're dead, grab
the Shaman's Staff from the talkative Shaman.
***TRAPS***
(x=1660, y=1850)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Head back south and smite a Carrion Crawler for no good reason, then
head down the tunnel to the south-east opposite the doorway by which you
first entered the Sewers. Head north-east to find another group of
Kobolds in these tunnels, but they're not what we're here for. Go
through the door at (x=2670, y=1900) and a 'Glowing Pool' will talk to
you and give you a riddle:
"Four locks are cast and made
Four wards will hold the blade
In what order shall thou place the keys?
Four deaths await thee"
It'll mumble some things about scratching rhymes on the wall, and will
tell you to go talk to Quallo. Who's Quallo, you ask? Head back to the
south-west (disarming a trap along the way).
***TRAPS***
(x=1900, y=2400)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Find Quallo at (x=2250, y=2750). He'll talk about a lot of
nonsense, including a hidden sword, his crazy Carrion Crawler
companion, and some clues left by 'The One'. Kill his Carrion Crawler
companion and loot it for the 'Blood of Quallo's Friend'. Now talk to
him again and tell him you've found his clues. Ask him about the
various objects you've found to glean some clues about the order in
which you have to place them. Where they go shouldn't need any
questioning, by interacting with the pipes in the room where you met
the 'Glowing Pool' you'll get some riddles, which are moronic in their
simplicity.
Lover's Ring: It is not first, nor does it belong in the third pipe.
Shaman's Staff: The staff shall seal the bargain and prove your worth.
Hand: It was Vallah's hand that cast the One into the depths.
His suffering is of prime importance.
So we know that the Shaman's Staff goes last, (4th) since it 'seals the
deal', and we know that the Hand goes first (1st) being of 'prime
importance'. If the Lover's Ring doesn't belong in the first or third
pipes, it either belongs in the second or fourth. Since the Shaman's
Staff is fourth, the Lover's Ring must be second (2nd). This leaves
only the Blood of Quallo's friend, which Quallo neglects to mention. It
obviously goes third (3rd). All we need now is a handy table to sum
everything up and... oh, there's one!
o=======================o===============================o==============o
| Pipe | |Item Required |
| Location | Childish Riddle | (Order) |
o=======================o===============================o==============o
| (x=2900, y=1770) |Vallah is no more | Hand |
| |But he has left a thing behind | |
| |Give me a hand | |
| |And I shall help you in return | (1st) |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------|--------------|
| (x2770, y=1670) |They wailed and sighed | Lover's |
| |Then they died | Ring |
| |From the grave I've had my kiss| |
| |Bring me now the lover's gift | (2nd) |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------|--------------|
| (x=2850, y=1720) |No sacrifice will do | Blood of |
| |But the blood of a friend, | Quallo's |
| |true. | Friend |
| |But guilt will leave its stain | |
| |If you wish to have the blade | (3rd) |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------|--------------|
| (x=3000, y=1820) |Smell of dog | Shaman's |
| |Skin of lizard | Staff |
| |To find the staff | |
| |Kill the wizard | (4th) |
o=======================o===============================o==============o
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) Go put the right items in the right pipes in the right order,
according to the chart above and you'll get an experience reward, as
well as an ominous bit of text concerning your new-found sword. Behold,
the mighty Lilarcor! And by mighty, I mean mighty annoying. It's a good
sword, bearing a +3 enchantment and granting immunity to charm and
confusion, but... well, just use it for a while and see how long you can
put up with it. You can spend some time conversing with the sword, for
what good that's worth. Honestly though, it'll bother you more often
than you'll bother it, it'll even act as another party member if you
have it equipped... or rather, it'll whine about being bored. Keep it
around as long as you can stand it. It's a pretty decent weapon for
Dorn, Minsc, or Keldorn... but in the first case, I find the pairing
especially fun. If you return to Quallo, he'll be released by whatever
spell was keeping him down here, although Jaheira rightfully cannot
guess how this idiotic sword was able to dominate anybody. When you're
ready to leave, head up the stairs at (x=2900, y=2500).
***REWARD***
(For solving the sewer riddle and claiming Lilarcor)
EXP 18000 (each character)
Item Lilarcor
Slaver Stockade (AR0405)
o======================================================================o
18) As soon as you arrive you'll meet Captain Haegan, who wonders just
why in the hell you're trying to ruin his lucrative slave trade. I mean,
besides the obvious reasons that slavery is bad, and the fact that a
rich slaver is probably worth killing and robbing-morality aside. He's
joined by a Priest of Cyric and some guards. Focus on the priest first,
as he's the one with spells and hence, the one who can cause you
trouble. Hitting them with a Chaos can just about win this fight on its
own, although once the Priest of Cyric is defeated, it's really just a
matter of mopping up the warriors. Once they're dead, loot them for the
minor gold they've got on them. Some of the Slavers will drop Composite
Long Bows +1 and Arrows +1. Loot Captain Haegan for Studded Leather
Armor +2, a Helmet, two Potions of Extra Healing, a Potion of Frost
Giant Strength, Haegan's Key, a Two Handed sword, Throwing Axes
(varies), and 31 gold.
***ITEMS***
(x=1800, y=1330) Jasper Gem, Andar Gem, Turquoise Gem, Iol Gem,
Chyrsoberyl Gem, Splint Mail, Helm, Flail, 14 gold
(x=1490, y=1350) Arrows x20, Short Bow, Arrows of Fire x20
***TRAPS***
(x=1700, y=1270)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) Now head through the door at (x=2120, y=1200) to find a room with
two Trolls and a helpless girl (x=2420, y=900). Kill the Trolls (use the
Arrows of Fire we got from the Kobolds in the sewers if you must) and
talk to the girl. She'll tell you that her and the other slave-kids
(I don't see any others, do you?) were of no use to the slavers anymore,
so they were more or less being fed to Trolls for sport. Free the slaves
and you'll get some experience and a point of reputation. If you give
the girl 100 gold... you'll get the same reward, although abstaining
will make Anomen and Jaheira argue with each other-even threaten each
other with violence! Jaheira is apparently touchy over this whole slave
thing.
***REWARD***
(For freeing the child-slaves)
EXP 3500
Reputation +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) Head up stairs and into a hallway that is lined with cells. Go into
both cells and talk to the children inside to free them and claim more
experience. Continue through the tunnel to the north-west and disarm
a trap on the other side of the doorway (a particularly nasty, rearming
Prismatic Spray trap, at that). Go into the room to the north-east and
dispatch a pair of Yuan-ti before looting and leaving.
***REWARD***
(For freeing more child-slaves)
EXP 2500
EXP 2500
***ITEMS***
(x=1660, y=260) Scroll of Protection from Evil, 14 gold
(x=1700, y=300) Arrows +1 x2, Potion of Extra Healing,
Scroll of Shocking Grasp, 312 gold
(x=1300, y=530) Potion of Healing, Arrows x20, Bolt x1, Scroll of Shield
(x=1250, y=500) Flail, Flail, Light Crossbow, Bolt x20, Spear
(x=1020, y=650) Club, Oil of Speed
***TRAPS***
(x=1300, y=770)
(x=1660, y=260)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) Now go through the doorway to the south-west to find a more
formidable group of slavers, including two Slaver Wizards. One will
whine about the guards pestering them before realizing that you're not
any form of legal authority and attacking. Hit them with Dispel Magic
and/or Breach (the Dwarf will certainly start out with Stoneskin and
Mirror Image) and cut them down before they can hit you with Hold Person
and other such bothers. One Slaver Wizard will drop a Cloak of
Protection +1, a Quarter Staff, Darts x20, and 15 gold. The other will
drop three Potions of Icedust, a Quarter Staff, Darts x20, and 14 gold.
There are also two more archers with Composite Long Bows +1 and
Arrows +1. Loot and head down the (trapped) stairs. There's a little
looting to be done to the south, exit at (x=800, y=1950) when you're
ready to leave.
***ITEMS***
(x=950, y=720) Wand of Fear, Dart +1 x4
(x=850, y=720) Arrow of Acid x1, Gold Ring, Silver Ring, Bloodstone Gem,
Scroll of Dire Charm, Scroll of Sleep,
Scroll of Chill Touch
(x=1200, y=1700) Sling, Bullets x20
(x=840, y=1800) Scroll of Lightning Bolt, 101 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=950, y=720)
(x=550, y=1200)
(x=1200, y=1700)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Now return to Hendak, who will be thrilled that you killed the
slavers. Everybody will get a hefty experience reward, as well as some
other choice loot and money. We end up getting all the loot Lehtinan
would have given us, plus 3900 gold, and a great deal of experience.
What's not to like? Anyways, we're now done in the Slums District.
***REWARD***
(For ending slavery in the slums of Athkatla... for now)
EXP 38000 (each character)
Item Plate Mail Armor
Item Kondar +1
Gold 3900
Reputation +1
o======================================================================o
| Clerical Competition |
| (Sir Sarles' Quest, the Dawn Ring Quest, Fallen Paladins Quest) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK037}
1) Art and Religion
2) Sir Sarles' Demand
3) Murderous Masquerading Merchants
4) Jerlia the Ore Merchant
5) Tempermental Artists...
6) Art is Interpretation
7) The Source
8) Unger's Excuse
9) Reunited with Neb
10) Mace of Disruption +2
11) Satisfying Sir Sarles
12) Neb's Bounty
13) For the Glory of Helm
14) More Meddling
15) Talassan Thievery
16) Travin the Con
17) Reclaiming the Dawn Ring
18) High Hall of Pretentiously Long Names
19) Posing Paladins
20) Turf War
21) Anarg's Cup
22) Order Restored
23) A Note on Epic Feats
Temple of Helm (AR0901)
o======================================================================o
1) Remember Guardian Telwyn (x=700, y=700) in the Temple of Helm
(AR0901)? He wanted us to get a guy named Sir Sarles to create some art
to jazz up the temple and make stuffy old Helm cool with the kids.
Anyways, the trouble with Sir Sarles is that he's charging an outrageous
commission fee and will work with nothing less than pure illithium,
which is expensive in itself. Your job is to convince Sarles to accept
a more modest commission and to secure the illithium... and chase off
any other meddling churches, if the need arises. You need to work quick
to beat the other churches to the punch, and with the promise of
compensation in mind, head off to the Jysstev Estate in the Government
District.
Note: Depending on your alignment, different temples, and therefore
different characters will assign this quest. Everything besides who
gives you the quest, and who you return to once the quest is completed
remain the same. If you are evil, this quest will be given by Talon
Yarryl (x=330, y=320) in the Temple of Talos, and if you are good you'll
need to talk to Dawnmaster Sain (x=630, y=630) in the Temple of
Lathander. Also note that you must have at least started the Unseeing
Eye quest for this quest to be offered, regardless of your alignment.
Jysstev Estate (AR1006)
o======================================================================o
2) The Jysstev Estate is at (x=2900, y=2900) in the Government District.
If you've done Jan's quest, you've been here before, but for most of us,
I suspect this is our first visit. Inside you'll be bothered by a rather
rude Butler. Find Sir Sarles at (x=700, y=200). He doesn't really care
about the commission at all-he's got it made as the favored artist of
the day, ever since some Prism died up north (hmm...), but he refuses to
change his mind on the whole illithium thing. He'll refer some lady
named Jerlia, an ore merchant from Waukeen's Promenade. You have to
somehow obtain 200 pounds of this crap. There's a few things to loot in
this house,
***ITEMS***
(x=220, y=550) 120 gold
(x=350, y=450) Potion of Extra Healing
(x=450, y=400) 29 gold
(x=600, y=220) Dart +1 x2, 3 gold
(x=800, y=200) History of Sembia, Waterstar Gem
***TRAPS***
(x=350, y=450)
***ENHANCED EDITION***
The chest at (x=350, y=450) can now be unlocked. It was permanently
sealed in the vanilla verison of the game-although you could disarm the
trap protecting it.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) On my way to Waukeen's Promenade I was attacked by a group of
brigands who posed as my party members. I assume this had something to
do with my heightened reputation. They had a considerable amount of
low-level spell-power, but they typically just used it to hit me with
Melf's Acid Arrow, Fireball, and Magic Missile. Some had Heavy Crossbows
with which they attacked at range (and carried Bolts +1), others just
had Long Swords, and one had a Scroll of Mislead, a Scroll of True
Sight, and a Scroll of Death Spell.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Anyways, continue on to Waukeen's Promenade and find Jerlia the Ore
Merchant at (x=730, y=2200). She'll complain about the outrageous
demands of Sir Sarles (tell us about it) saying that her source only
gives her 50 pounds a season. Since we really don't have a year, we've
got two options: go haggle with her source, or give Sir Sarles a cheaper
substitute. Of course, what have we learned about doing things the lazy
way? We usually get a significantly worse outcome, as far as quest
rewards go. This isn't really the case this time around, but there are
two approaches, and I will cover them both. Step #5 will cover the fake
illithium approach, while the subsequent steps will cover the more
complicated approach.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) If you want to give Sir Sarles some crap metal, agree to pay Jerlia
200 gold and go wait a day. when you return she'll inform you that
other churches have been sniffing around this deal, and that since the
demand has risen, so too, have the prices. Being an 'honest' business
woman, however, she offers to sell the alloy to you first... for 500
gold. Accept and head back to Sir Sarles. Unfortunately, he's not
nearly as clueless as Jerlia assumed he was, and he'll detect that the
supposedly unblemishable illithium is not quite right-or, if you have
Keldorn in your party, the stupid Paladin will outright admit that it's
fake. Either way, the prissy artist will become incorrigible and decide
to leave the city immediately in the face of this apparent insult. Well,
at least this way no other temples will be able to one-up them, right?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Head back to the temple, where the quest takes an unexpected turn...
apparently a lump of shapeless illithium can carry symbolic meaning to
these guys. You'll get some experience and the choice between a Ring of
Holiness, the Armor of Faith, or a Staff Spear... if your protagonist
is a Cleric. Otherwise you'll get the Helm of the Noble +1 from the
Temple of Helm (which is by far the best reward), a Periapt of Life
Protection from the Temple of Lathander, or a crappy Mace-Ardulia's
Fall +1-from the Temple of Talos. The Honorary Ring of Sune (aka: Ring
of Holiness) is decent, but we've got better spells than 1st-4th level
in this game, and if there's one thing your Clerics aren't going to need
in Throne of Bhaal it's more low-level spells. The Armor of Faith is
decent Splint Mail, with an Armor Class of 1 and a bonus to all Saving
Throws, but any suit of Full Plate +1 will exceed its Armor Class bonus,
and we're set to obtain some of the best suits of armor in the game-at
this point in the game there's just nothing all that special about this
armor. And of course, there's the Staff Spear +2... of which we've found
several already. If we're not using those, why would we take this one?
Anyways, pick one and it'll be brought to you eventually. You'll also be
informed that there's another task you can perform, which is covered in
Step #14.
***REWARD***
(For giving the fake illithium to a temple with a Cleric protagonist)
EXP 10000
Item Honorary Ring of Sune
--or--
Item Armor of Faith
--or--
Item Staff Spear +2
***REWARD***
(For giving the fake illithium to the Temple of Helm)
EXP 10000
Item Helm of the Noble +1
***REWARD***
(For giving the fake illithium to the Temple of Lathander)
EXP 10000
Gold 1500
Item Periapt of Life Protection
***REWARD***
(For giving the fake illithium to the Temple of Talos)
EXP 10000
Gold 1000
Item Ardulia's Fall +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) On the other hand, if you want to do the quest the right way, ask to
meet Jerlia's source. She'll demand compensation for revealing her
source (it'll take 1000 gold), so pay up. She'll tell you that her
source is a Duergar named Unger Hilldark who hangs around at the
Copper Coronet.
Note: There's absolutely no reason you can't get both the alloy and
pursue the pure illithium. If you want the Mace of Disruption +2, you'll
have no option but to turn in the alloy... which actually isn't a bad
idea.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Head over to the Copper Coronet, where you can find Unger Hilldark
at (x=300, y=1400). Despite Jerlia's warnings, he really can't be
provoked. Talk to him and he'll tell you that there's no illithium to
be had-his entire stock was stolen by some Hill Dwarf who has holed up
in the Bridge District. The only way you're getting some illithium is
if you head over there yourself and take it back. Sounds simple enough,
for a change. The name of this Dwarf we're seeking is Neb, who is on
the run from Baldur's Gate. Why does that sound familiar...?
Derelict House (AR0529)
o======================================================================o
9) Travel to the Bridge District and enter the 'Derelict House' at
(x=500, y=2550). Actually, only enter the house with the character
protected by the Amulet of Power, or Dorn. That's right, there's level
drain involved within, and my best response to it is to simply avoid the
bad undead with everybody save my protagonist. Inside you'll find Neb,
who will question you before summoning some 'children' and quaffing a
Potion of Invisibility. Kill the Child Spirits, who aren't very strong
against a character protected against level drain. They do require +2 or
better weapons to hit, but by now this isn't an issue. When they're all
dead I bring in Keldorn (or a Cleric) and cast True Sight to reveal Neb,
whom I set upon with my party. It's overkill, but it's no less than Neb
deserves. He'll continue to try and quaff Potions of Invisibility, and
then backstab while invisible. Note that if you kill Neb BEFORE killing
all the Child Spirits, they'll vanish and thank you, and you'll get
2500 experience for each one alive, as opposed to the 1500 you get for
killing them. When Neb dies, loot his body for Neb's Head, Potions of
Invisibility (1-5, depending on how many he drank), two Potions of
Extra Healing, Illithium Ore, an Iol Gem, Neb's Nasty Cutter +2 and 30
gold. Each Child Spirit will also drop a Pearl. Loot and leave. The
next step is entirely optional, and is concerned with the crafting of
the Mace of Disruption +2 (at the cost of the 21750 experience and
the 1000 gold we would get by turning in the pure ore to Sir Sarles.)
***ITEMS***
(x=200, y=380) Potion of Invisibility, Potion of Extra Healing
(x=300, y=300) Moonstone Gem, Silver Necklace, Angel Skin Ring, 452 gold
(x=450, y=250) 11 gold
(x=750, y=270) 1 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=300, y=300)
***ENHANCED EDITION***
The trap at (x=300, y=300) can now be disarmed. I was unable to best
this trap with a Find Traps score of 170 in the vanilla version of the
game-it's no match for 100 in the Enhanced Edition.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) Now you can take the Mace of Disruption +1 we got a lifetime ago and
the illithium ore over to Cromwell and he'll offer to upgrade the
former. It'll cost you the traditional 7,500 gold and a day of labor,
and you'll get the Mace of Disruption +2. The real perk of this weapon
is the fact that its wielder is immune to level drain, and its +2
enchantment means it's just strong enough to harm lesser Vampires. How
this takes up all 200 pounds of illithium, I have no idea, and why the
alloy can't be used further baffles me. Oh well, you'll have to choose-
Mace of Disruption +2, or the full quest reward. Read on and compare
the results before you make your decision.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Return to Sir Sarles and give him his damn ore. You'll get a
sizable experience reward, and the stupid artist is finally happy with
the commission.
***REWARD***
(For giving Sir Sarles the Illithium Ore)
EXP 21750
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Since we're already in the Government District, let's head over to
the Council of Six building (x=3200, y=950). Talk to Chief Inspector
Brega (x=1120, y=500) and give him Neb's Head. For bringing this
murderer to justice you'll gain some gold and a reputation increase.
***REWARD***
(For turning in Neb's Head)
Gold 2500
Reputation +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) Finally, return to the Temple of Helm and tell Guardian Telwyn of
your success. You'll get another experience reward and more gold, as
well as a variety of rewards-one of three items if you protagonist is a
Cleric, as described in Step #5, or a specific item that differs from
each temple if your protagonist is not a Cleric. Again, the items-the
things that really matter-are the same as the alloy approach. The only
real difference? You get more gold and experience by doing this the
right way. Honestly, the Mace of Disruption +2 is probably the better
reward, even if its functionality is somewhat limited by its meager
+2 enchantment. Complete the quest as if you were going legit to bag
Neb and score the Illithium Ore, then make the Mace of Disruption +2
and secure the alloy, finishing the quest by angering Sarles, but do
what you wish. After you claim your reward, the temple will have
another quest for you.
***REWARD***
(For securing the services of Ser Sarles with a Cleric protagonist)
EXP 20000
Gold 1000
Item Honorary Ring of Sune
--or--
Item Armor of Faith
--or--
Item Staff Spear +2
***REWARD***
(For securing the services of Sir Sarles for the Temple of Helm)
EXP 20000
Gold 1000
Item Helm of the Noble +1
***REWARD***
(For securing the services of Sir Sarles for the Temple of Lathander)
EXP 20000
Gold 2500
Item Periapt of Life Protection
***REWARD***
(For securing the services of Sir Sarles for the Temple of Talos)
EXP 20000
Gold 1000
Item Ardulia's Fall +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Whatever you do, talk to Guardian Telwyn, and he'll tell you that
the priests of Lathander and the priests of Talos are bickering again,
and will refer you to Dawnbringer Sain for more information. Your job
is, of course, to maintain balance in the situation by helping the side
that has currently gained the upper hand. The quickest way to get rid
of the Temple of Helm? Get rid of all the other temples, then they
wouldn't have any meddling to do.
Note: If you're good, talk to Dawnbringer Sain directly to obtain the
quest. If you're evil, you'll get this mission from Talon Yarryl, again.
In the latter case you'll be tasked with retrieving the Dawn Ring from
the Thief Travin, which was stolen in revenge for Stormherald Nallabir's
humiliation at a theological debate. Just a different motivation to
obtain the same ends.
Temple of Lathander (AR0902)
o======================================================================o
15) Head over to the Temple of Lathander (x=2900, y=1500) and find
Dawnbringer Sain (x=650, y=620). Apparently the Talassans have hired
thieves to steal the Dawn Ring. They were successful, and our job is to
intercept the thieves in the Slums District before they can deliver the
artifact to the Talassans. We're looking for a Thief named Travin.
If it's night time, head over to the Slums District, if not, rest up,
waste some time.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) You'll find Travin near the northern District Exit, standing at
(x=520, y=770). It doesn't matter what you say to him, you really can't
mess this up-just don't pay him 400 gold, it's a scam. Eventually he'll
tell you to go to the red brick house on top of the Copper Coronet,
where you're supposed to meet a man named Borinall.
Borinall's House
o======================================================================o
17) Enter Borinall's House at (x=2250, y=1600), where you'll find, of
all people, Borinall. Go figure. He'll give you the ring if you do a
simple thing: swear your devotion to Talos. The reasoning is simple: if
you were a worshiper of Talos, you'd have no qualms about saying it.
On the other hand, if you weren't, you'd probably be smart enough to
realize the crossing the god of storms and destruction isn't a good
idea. If you swear to Talos, you'll be struck by lightning. Indoors,
even! If you refuse and insist he hands the ring over, he will attack,
along with some goons. Of course, if you get struck by lightning he'll
realize you're full of it, and attack anyways, so you might as well
avoid blaspheming the gods. Borinall and his crew are laughable, smite
them and take the Dawn Ring off Borinall's corpse. Loot the house and
leave, return triumphantly to Dawnbringer Sain, who'll reward you
appropriately. Of course, if you're here on behalf of the temple of
Talos you can make that oath without consequence. Doing so will allow
you to claim the ring without a fight, and take it to Talon Yarryl for
a nice reward.
***ITEMS***
(x=660, y=400) 9 gold
(x=400, y=300) War Hammer +1, 70 gold
(x=600, y=140) 3 gold
(x=170, y=150) 52 gold
***REWARD***
(For returning the Dawn Ring to Dawnbringer Sain)
EXP 16250
Gold 1000
***REWARD***
(For returning the Dawn Ring to Talon Yarryl)
EXP 16250
High Hall of the Radiant Heart (AR0903)
o======================================================================o
18) Now that we're done with Sir Sarles and the Dawn Ring, let's head
over to the High Hall of the Radiant Heart (x=3300, y=3400), where you
might have been before if you dealt with Keldorn's marital problems or
helped the Solamnic Knights in the Planar Sphere. In any event, outside
you'll catch another segment of the ill-fated Lady Irlana-Garrick
romance, written by Cyrando, with color commentary by Sir Cadril. Inside
you'll be bothered by Squire Cathras, who will ask you what your
business is. Tell him that you need to speak to the Prelate in private,
we can deal with Bodhi later.
Note: If you started Dorn's questline and crashed the wedding at the
High Hall of the Radiant Heart (OH5000), you'll have to continue with
Dorn's questline before the area will revert to the original-Paladin-
filled version (AR0903) we're looking for.
***ITEMS***
(x=440, y=1480) Potion of Fortitude, 7 gold
(x=620, y=1480) Potion of Healing x8
(x=280, y=1370) Dart +1 x4, Dagger, Small Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) Over at (x=820, y=1220) you'll find Sir Ryan Trawl, who will ask you
to help the High Hall of the Radiant Heart. Apparently a former Paladin
named Anarg was implicated in slave smuggling and was expelled from the
order. Unfortunately he took other Paladins with him and has gone back
to his evil ways, masquerading as a Paladin all the while. Since a
bunch of armored Paladins approaching might tip them off, they need
outside help to deal with Anarg. Edwin is particularly giddy about the
opportunity to fling spells at these former Paladins. Before you go,
why not rob the place? Paladins don't need wealth. We're, ah, helping
them fulfill their vows of poverty and avoid temptation.
***ITEMS***
(x=1890, y=1250) Bolt +1 x10, Bolt x20
(x=1800, y=1170) Bullet +1 x5, Buckler, Angel Skin Ring
(x=1760, y=1200) Arrows +1 x10, Arrows x40
(x=350, y=520) Potion of Heroism x2, Garnet
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) Head over to the Bridge District and go east from the gate to find
a group of Paladins led by Reynald de Chatillon, who will strike down a
group of smugglers led by a character named Rindus. After the smugglers
are slain, Reynald will turn his attentions onto you and ask what your
business is, which leads to him asking-at length-if you want to join up.
Well... we are here to infiltrate their order, and since Anarg isn't in
sight yet, we'd best do their job so we can meet number one. You can
loot the bodies of the dead Smugglers, for what little wealth they have.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) You'll be told to retrieve Anarg's cup from the High Hall of the
Radiant Heart. A cup? Really? Oh well, head back to the HHRH and talk to
Sir Ryan Trawl to get the cup. He'll make you promise to return it when
you're done with it... which shouldn't be too hard to promise, since
it's just a freaking cup!
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) With Anarg's cup in hand, return to the Bridge District and present
it to Reynald. Anarg will show up and sniff out Keldorn-or at least
your cause-and attack. Taken together, they're strong melee Fighters,
but they've got no spell-power whatsoever. Haste yourself, and hit them
with a Slow or Chaos and this fight is over. After the fight, loot them,
as they all have moderately valuable suits of Plate Mail. In addition,
Reynald has some Worn Out Boots (why he and one of the Smugglers had
these I have no idea) two Potions of Extra Healing, a Potion of Fire
Giant Strength, a Two Handed Sword, and 57 gold. Anarg drops a Helmet,
two Potions of Extra Healing, a Potion of Invulnerability, a Halberd +1,
a Two Handed Sword, and 147 gold. Return to Sir Ryan Trawl for your
reward. As a bonus, their armor and Anarg's Halberd +1 sold for a
combined 1320 gold, so at least you'll get some monetary reward for your
trouble.
***REWARD***
(For bringing Anarg's cup to Reynald)
EXP 10250
***REWARD***
(For disposing of the Anarg and his Fallen Paladins)
EXP 17500 (each character)
Item Gloves of Healing
Reputation +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) Now, we've done most of the quests in the game by now, certainly if
you've completed everything previously mentioned. If so, then you, like
me, have just started to obtain Epic Feats. Sure, I mentioned them in
their own section, but now it might be worth talking about which ones
to actually get. Obviously Whirlwind and Greater Whirlwind are great
for your warriors, and in the case of Korgan the decision is pretty
simple. On the other hand, there are defensive considerations to be
made for some characters, and your multi-classed characters will
certainly have plenty of options. I generally consider summons to be
better choices in the short-term, since some of the Epic Feats allow
you to obtain truly potent allies, even if it's for a short amount of
time. We probably won't be getting too many more levels in Shadows of
Amn, so being able to cast Summon Deva for 20 rounds is probably better
than using a Whirlwind Attack once. Keldorn is a case in point, as he
can grab the Summon Deva ability and use it as an innate ability,
whereas other characters must prepare it as a 7th level Clerical spell.
Of course, keep in mind that you can only have one such creature
summoned at a time, so don't stock up on Summon Deva or Summon Planetar
spells. If you don't have Keldorn in your party, you'll just have to
bite the bullet and get the ability with your strongest Cleric (ideally
Anomen or Viconia). Jaheira's Greater Elemental Summoning is another
good choice, as being able to whip out a Summon Deva and Greater
Elemental Summoning really adds some tanking power to your party.
Another consideration are defensive spells, like Aura of Flaming Death.
Being able to become 90% immune to fire for a while can really make an
upcoming fight easier.
o======================================================================o
| Umar Hills (Part II) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK038}
1) Bones of the Prophet
2) Morn Ritual Note and Sun Gem
3) The Fire Pit Room
4) Noontide Ritual Note
5) Dawn's Light Symbol
6) Undead Encounter
7) Walking the Path
8) Lightstone Symbol and Dusk Ritual Note
9) Completing the Ritual
10) Thaxll'ssillyia, the Shadow Dragon
11) The Shade Lord
12) Crappy Armor
13) More Crappy Armor
14) Shadow Dragon Scale Armor... Not So Crappy!
Fallen Temple of Amaunator (AR1401)
o======================================================================o
1) We've now finished most of everything there is to do in Athkatla, but
there are still a few quests to do outside, and some extra areas on our
map to explore. First and foremost, however, it's finally time to return
to the Temple Ruins near Umar Hills and finish what we started when we
came to recruit Mazzy. If you didn't do that already, then do the first
half of the Umar Hills quest [WLK021] and return here for the rest. If
you forgot what we were up to, we were trying to kill some creature
called the Shade Lord, who is apparently responsible for all the
murders in the Umar Hills area. And then there was the Shadow Dragon,
the Shadow Altar, some key, some Sun Gems... light versus darkness,
and so on. Enter the first room to the north and loot an altar at
(x=1850, y=950) for Amauna's Bones, which I had previously decided to
leave in place. Continue to the prisons where we found Mazzy and loot
the rubble at (x=1360, y=380), if you didn't loot it during our
previous visit, to score Tombelthen's Journal (2nd half) as well as
some ammo. Don't get too bent out of shape by this note. It hints at
treasure, but it has to do with the Ranger Stronghold. Unless you're
a ranger, you can safely ignore this item. Now we are ready to proceed
with our exploration of this dungeon as normal.
***ITEMS***
(x=1850, y=950) Amauna's Bones
(x=1360, y=380) Bolts x40, Bullets x80, 1 Gold,
Tombelthan's journal (2nd half)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Head into the room south-west of the prisons and loot the pillar at
(x=1050, y=850) to obtain the Morn Ritual note. Continue to the
south-west and grab the Sun Gem from its pedestal at (x=750, y=1300).
You'll be rushed by some Shadows, but they weren't too bothered by the
light anyways.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) With the Sun Gem in your possession return to the hallway that leads
to the exit and continue west down the hallway through the shadow door
at (x=1500, y=1100), which now opens before you. Go through the doorway
to the east and cross a wooden bridge that defies the laws of physics
and kill some more shadow beasties along the way. You'll enter into a
room with a large fire-filled pit in the middle. Of course, there are
goodies to loot within. Just remember that fire = hot, so don't be
surprised if you take a bit of damage crossing the pit.
***ITEMS***
(x=2050, y=1360) Pearly White Ioun Stone, Bolt of Lightning x40
(x=2170, y=1520) Arrows of Ice x40, 1 gold
(x=2250, y=1330) Wand of Lightning, Darts of Stunning x80
***TRAPS***
(x=2250, y=1330)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Across the pool of fire-through a doorway to the north-east-you'll
find a group of undead. At my level this included a Skeleton Warrior
(another one of the retarded arrow-shooting types) a more conventional
Skeleton Warrior, a Bone Golem, and a Greater Mummy. Instead of walking
your party over the fire and bottle-necking them at the door I prefer
to run in with one character (perhaps my regenerating protagonist with
The Paws of the Cheetah?) and lure them out into the fire-pool room,
where I safely kill them near the bridge. After all, why should we have
to stand on fire to fight them when we can coerce them to come to us?
When they are dead, loot the trapped pillar (x=2500, y=1250) in the
room to obtain the Tome of Amaunator and the Noontide Ritual note.
Note from Lee:
I do Step 5 before Step 4 by going down the edge of the fire pool, then
follow with Step 4 using the doorway to this room instead of the wooden
bridge to bottleneck the baddies. Main character, Boots of Speed, Ring
of Regeneration, stop on the way over to grab the loot at
(x=2170, y=1520). Once the creatures are dead (and they WILL run into
the fire pit to sustain some free damage), I send my thief around the
southern edge of the fire pit to reach the room and the trapped pillar
while suffering no damage. Also, on my latest time thru here, I
encountered a Lich in the room with the other enemies, who was fond of
casting Time Stop and other various nasty spells - it made this a very
interesting encounter.
***ITEMS***
(x=2500, y=1250) Scroll of Wyvern Call, Tome of Amaunator, Noontide
Ritual Note, Bullets +1 x40
***TRAPS***
(x=2500, y=1250)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Now go into the room south-west of the fire-pool room to find two
spirits, Dettseh (x=1850, y=1600), and Badon (x=1770, y=1670). They'll
talk to you and ask you for Amauna's Bones, and will tell you a bit
about the fallen child-prophetess if you ask. After taking the bones
they'll die, and Amauna will show up and thank you, and tell you how to
avoid the Shadow Dragon-as if we'd want to do that! Loot Dettseh for
250 gold, and be sure to loot Amauna's sarcophagus for some more loot,
too.
***ITEMS***
(x=2000, y=1550) Scroll of Pierce Magic, Sunstone Bullet +1 x20
***REWARD***
(For returning Amauna's Bones to their proper resting place)
EXP 17750
Item Shadow Dragon Wardstone
Item Dawn's Light Symbol
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Continue south-west over a stone bridge overpassing a natural rock
chamber at the far side of which you'll find a continuation of the main
winding tunnel that connects to the entrance. Since we can't get through
the second shadow door to the north-west, we might as well go south-east
and head north-east the first opportunity we get. In the narrow hallway
we'll run into another group of undead. This time I had to fight two
Greater Mummies, two Skeleton Warriors, and a Lich. We should by now
have Sunray, it's no longer a luxury, it's pretty much necessary now
that Liches are going to show up as random enemies. Failing that, we
need to Haste up and hit the Lich with Breach and/or Keldorn's Dispel
Magic to take down its Stoneskin and try to kill it as fast as possible.
Your odds of killing it will be much greater if you at least cast Spell
Immunity: Conjuration to absorb its Time Stop assault with the defended
character.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Continue into the room past the random undead and you'll get the
following message:
"As you approach the letter-tiled floor, a voice intones: Only the
Name of the Master shall keep thee from the Power of the Darkness!"
Well, there's no way to spell 'Shade Lord', and the puzzle promises to
protect us from the 'Power of Darkness', so we should just assume that
the puzzle refers to the original master of this place-Amaunator. So
cross the letters stepping on the letters that spell the name, starting
with the 'A' to the east and ending on the 'R' in the middle.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Go through the doorway at (x=2660, y=1750) to find an imprisoned
Shadow. It'll offer to tell you some secrets that'll help you take the
Shade Lord down if you take the critter across the traps in the room
we just crossed. Pick dialogue option #1 to outright agree, and you'll
get the chance to make it tell you its secrets before you let it tag
along (option #3). If you do so, it'll tell you that it stole a key from
the nearby chapel and hid it in this cell. Sure enough, at
(x=2720, y=1670) you'll find the Lightstone Symbol. Loot the altar in
the next room (possibly killing a Bone Golem in the process) for more
loot, including the Sun Gem, Arla's Dragonbane +3, and the Dusk Ritual
note. The first and last are items we need to navigate this place, and
the Sling is an old friend from Baldur's Gate 1. It just seems to bounce
from dungeon to dungeon, doesn't it? Cross the tiles in reverse order to
reach the other side safely. Your ungrateful Shadow will appear again
and attack you. No big loss.
***ITEMS***
(x=2720, y=1670) Lightstone Symbol
(x=2620, y=1620) Scroll of Protection from Magic Weapons,
Scroll of Disintegrate, Sun Gem, Sunstone Bullets x10,
Arla's Dragonbane +3, Dusk Ritual note
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Return to the room north-west of where Mazzy was kept captive and
speak to the Statue at (x=900, y=200)-some shade creatures may have
respawned during our absence, so kill them along the way. It's got
something we need, and we need to take the test of the Holy Ritual
before we can loot it. Check out the three notes we've found-the
Morn Ritual, Noontide Ritual, and Dusk Ritual-to see what clues we
have so far:
Morn Ritual
1) ???
2) Hold the Holy Tome up to the Sun and my Power shall bless it.
3) Reflect as thou perceive the victory of Light over the Dark.
Noontide Ritual
1) Let thy voices sound the glorious songs of thy Lord.
2) ???
3) Rejoice on the Glory of the Light as it reigns over the Dark.
Dusk Ritual
1) Recite the Tenets of the Faith. They shall give you Strength until
I come again.
2) Hold high your children that they may longer see the Sun before it
slips beyond the realm. The Sun shall give them courage against the
fears of the Night.
3) ???
The Statue will ask us three questions for each ritual, and we know two
of the answers for each ritual. Each question will consist of three
possible answers. You job is to provide the answers in the correct
order. Each answer is only correct once, so if the Statue asks us a
question and two of the answers are part of another ritual, we know
they're wrong. For example, the possible answers to the first question
are as follows:
1) I shall sing a hymn to the Sun Lord.
2) I shall say a prayer to the Light.
3) I shall recite the Tenets of Faith.
Since #1 is part of the Noontide Ritual, and #3 is part of the Dusk
Ritual, we know the correct answer is-by process of elimination-#2. Of
course, if you have the Cloak of Mirroring on the Statue's reprisal for
a wrong answer-a Flame Strike-is ineffective. The answers that are
already 'known' aren't as clear-cut as they might seem, since the
Statue doesn't mimic them word-for-word. Just keep an eye out for key
words and pick what fits best.
The answers for the 'unknown' questions are as follows:
Morn Ritual, 1st Question:
"I shall say a prayer to the Light."
Noontide Ritual, 2nd Question:
"I shall raise my hands to the Light"
Dusk Ritual, 3rd Question:
"I shall mourn as I watch the Sun give way to the onslaught of night."
For completing the three rituals you'll get a nifty experience reward
and the 'Sun Ray Symbol', which is the last part of the fragmented
'Symbol of Amaunator'. If all three are in your inventory at once
they'll fuse and you'll get the full symbol, which we need to proceed.
***REWARD***
(For solving the Statue's riddles)
EXP 45500
Item Sun Ray Symbol
***REWARD***
(For reassembling the Symbol of Amaunator)
EXP 21250
Shadow Dragon Lair (AR1402)
o======================================================================o
10) Now head east down the hallway from where the trapped-tile room was
(crossing the fire-pit again on the way) until you reach another shadow
door at (x=2900, y=1800). Open it with our new Sun Gem and continue
until you exit the level at (x=3150, y=1450). You'll find yourself in a
new area, an unsettlingly large temple that should just scream 'big
fight!' to you. If you want to be a chump you can slink over to the west
and exit at (x=600, y=850), but any gamer worth their salt will want to
take on the Shadow Dragon in this area. Our Dragon Strategy should work
much better against this critter than it did against Adalon. We're more
powerful, we have better gear, and most of all, the Shadow Dragon is
nowhere near as powerful as Adalon, which is why-unlike Adalon-we'll
actually fight it. Oh, and it's not massively more worthwhile to avoid
the Shadow Dragon, like it was with Adalon. Spell buff to the max with
Haste, Blur, Mirror Image, Protection from Evil 10' Radius, Defensive
Harmony, Armor of Faith, and most importantly, Remove Fear. Also be sure
to summon as many creatures as you can, for fodder purposes. Beware that
the Shadow Dragon, Thaxll'ssillyia, loves to use Death Spell to get rid
of your summons, but with an Elemental Prince or Deva, it's just wasting
its time. Plus, forcing it to waste a round on this endeavor isn't
really a bad thing. Try and cast Haste and Remove Fear after summoning
critters, so you can catch your summons in these effects, too. Finally,
unlike most other Dragons, the Shadow Dragon will inflict severe level
drain (temporarily) upon party members with its breath weapon, which can
greatly weaken them. A character who is highly level drained doesn't
have the Hit Points to survive melee with the Dragon, nor the THAC0 to
deal damage, not to mention the havoc that spellcasters suffer from
losing levels-and hence, most of their spells. Also, if enough levels
are drained from a character by the Shadow Dragon's breath weapon, they
might become susceptible to its Death Spell, although this is quite
rare. To counter its breath weapon, you can have Imoen/Edwin cast
Limited Wish, ask for a repeatable wish, and ask for protection gainst
the undead, which will give the entire party negative plane protection
for a while. Be sure to cast this last. Once thus prepared run up to
Thaxll'ssillyia and talk to it.
It'll boast about feasting on your innards and such garbage before
turning hostile and will immediately start out with a Stoneskin, and
later with Protection from Magical Weapons, (both of which can be taken
down with a simple Breach spell), but at this point in the game, with a
protagonist who has Whirlwind, and a simulacrum with Whirlwind, a Deva,
and an Elemental Prince, this Dragon just doesn't stand a chance. It
then typically uses Wing Buffet and its breath weapon before bothering
with melee. If it focuses on a character that's not protected by
Stoneskin, it can do some damage very quickly, but it should be too
preoccupied to give injured characters more than a half-hearted chase
when they retreat to heal. It also may get out a Chaos spell, if it
lives long enough. Besides some extensive spell-buffing and a Breach,
I don't even have to use any offensive spells to bring it down, and it
only deals incidental Wing Buffet damage to me.
Alternatively, with the evil party, I had an entirely different tactic
in mind. Edwin had just hit 3,000,000 experience, and thus, just reached
level 18... good enough to get four 9th-level spell-slots. This induced
me to try my luck with a purely magical assault to see if I could, in
fact, kill this Dragon without having to resort to melee at all. You
know, you play the game a dozen times, and you start to wonder just how
many different ways you can kill something... anyways, this is how it
went. Edwin casts Stoneskin and my party buffs as usual (in case
something goes awry), then Edwin heads forward alone and starts out the
fight by casting Time Stop-his first of two. He uses this Time Stop to
cast Pierce Magic and two Lower Resistance spells (normally it would be
worth chaining these together, but I don't yet have Spell Trigger or
anything potent enough to allow me to chain these spells.) After the
first Time Stop ends, I resign myself to enduring the Dragon's initial
attacks, which usually includes Remove Magic, Wing Buffet, and its
breath weapon. After my characters are standing again, Edwin launches
his second Time Stop and casts two Comets (hence using up his final
9th-level spell) and Horrid Wilting. This should outright kill the
Dragon... but if it doesn't, I have more Horrid Wilting spells to throw
at it. I don't really recommend using Edwin to blast down the Dragon, as
it's just easier to mimic the good party's tactics of spell-buffing,
summoning fodder, and using overwhelming force to chop the Dragon down.
Loot the dead Dragon for some Shadow Dragon Scales, two Moonbar Gems, a
water Opal, a Black Opal, a Sphene Gem, a Pearl, the Crom Faeyr Scroll,
and 3299 gold. Hold onto the scales and the scroll-both can be used to
create some pretty good items. Victorious, I take my triumphant party
through the doorway at (x=3150, y=1450). I should be able to still
confront the Shade Lord with some spellbuffs, and after killing its
Dragon, how tough can it be?
Note from Lee:
I enter the chamber, but stay by the entrance and prepare for the fight
to come. I summon as many 'helpers' as I can manage at one time (there
apparently is a limit), and include them in all spell buffs. Cast every
defensive spell possible and Haste everyone until their hearts are about
to explode, then move the 'helpers' a little ways away from the main
party. SAVE - for the love of Amaunator, SAVE! I send Keldorn with
Dragon's Bane +3 along with the 'helpers' forward to sight the beast,
and soon as I have him spotted I do the following: Jaheira casts Insect
Plague, Anomen hits him with a blast from his Wand of the Heavens, my
Protagonist and Edwin each cast Lower Resistance, while Yoshimo hits
him with an Arrow of Detonation. Round 1 complete, and he hasn't even
initiated dialogue yet (or just barely)... Next, Jaheira does another
Insect Plague (more is better, right?), Anomen casts Flame Strike,
Edwin and Protagonist hit him with Breach, and Yoshimo switches to
Arrows of Biting, while everyone else attacks. At this point he's at
Badly Injured status, and we can just rush him in melee. He actually
dies quite easily after having all his defenses removed or lowered,
although it took several attempts to actually kill him and win the
fight.
***VIDEO***
Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition -
Shadow Dragon {VID005}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3-2Il7CkFI
Temple Ruins (AR1404)
o======================================================================o
11) When you arrive the Shade Lord threatens you before attacking. Wee.
It's joined by Shadow Patrick, the Shadow Altar, and Shadows will
continuously show up. The Shade Lord is the only 'threat' here, and it
can cast some decent spells, like Symbol, Stun. Rush it and chop it to
pieces. It'll also use a level drain attack that can be annoying...
which is just another good reason to focus on it. After it's dead, smite
the Shadow Altar to keep more enemies from showing up. After all the
enemies are dead, the lost Ranger Merella will be where the Shade Lord
fell. Go talk to her and she'll promptly die, and spill some loot. Grab
the King's Tears, the Rogue Stone, the Cloak of Stars, and the 4872 gold
that she drops, and loot Shadow Patrick for Darkmail +3, the Halberd +2,
Duskblade, a Composite Long Bow, and 40~ Arrows. By now Darkmail is
wildly inferior to everything I have equipped, and its 20% resistance
to fire is hardly enticing enough to overcome its Armor Class
deficiencies. The Halberd +2, Duskblade has likewise been long since
obsolete... we found a better Halberd during the Unseeing Eye quest!
Lastly, the Cloak of the Stars creates six +5 Darts per day... but
that's not really enough to get much of anything done. So all the gear
we got from the Shade Lord was a dud, but at least we got some good
experience. Light returns, the map changes, birds chirp, and everybody
is happy. Yay. Time to return to town for our reward.
***REWARD***
(For defeating the Shade Lord and smashing the Shadow Altar)
EXP 44250 (each character)
Minister Lloyd's Home (AR1104)
o======================================================================o
12) Return to Umar Hills (AR1100) and enter Minister Lloyd's Home
(x=5000, y=2550) and talk to Minister Lloyd (x=660, y=380). Tell him
what happened with the Shade Lord and Merella and you'll get the
The Night's Gift +5. Honestly, look at this armor. Is it really much
better than Shadow Armor? A little better Armor Class, 5% less Hide in
Shadows. Meh. He'll also offer you Merella's Cabin if you're a Ranger...
and we know what that means.. next up are the Ranger Stronghold Quests.
Well, after we deal with some armor, kindly donated by some Dragons we
may have slain.
***REWARD***
(For stopping the evil and saving Imnesvale)
Item The Night's Gift +5
Reputation +1 (or 100 gold)
Umar Hills (AR1100)
o======================================================================o
13) If you killed Adalon earlier, you might as well go visit Fael near
the Umar Inn (x=3500, y=2860), and give him the Shirt Made of Human
Flesh and the Blood of a Silver Dragon. He'll tell you to return in four
days to collect the completed armor. In four days you'll indeed get your
armor, but Fael knows you're not the tanner, and he'll call in three
Mage buddies to attack you. One has to wonder why he gives you the armor
and THEN attacks. Anyways, some of the Mages are moderately powerful,
able to cast Horrid Wilting and other annoying spells. They are,
however, in very close order, and can easily be taken down with one
Insect Plague. Unfortunately, for all this work the armor is somewhat...
underwhelming. Okay, it's not bad, its Armor Class is three, which is
just one lower than Shadow Thief Armor, and it gives a whopping +4 bonus
to your saves and 20% magic resistance, making it good all-round
defensive armor. The down side is that its Armor Class is inferior to
other light armor we are going to obtain soon, and it can only be worn
by evil characters. Name me an evil Thief who might want to use this
armor...? That's right, there aren't any. So there are no good
candidates for this armor unless you have a Thief protagonist, and
frankly, there's better armor out there. Fael will drop some gold, a
Warhammer, and a suit of Leather Armor +1. One of the Mages dropped a
Potion of Mind Focusing, another leaves behind a Bloodstone Amulet, and
the third dropped a Zircon Gem and 25 gold. Overwhelmed by the awesome
loot? Don't worry, the next armor is better. Return to the Docks
District of Athkatla and pay Cromwell a visit.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) With the Shadow Dragon Scales in hand, Cromwell will offer to make
you the Shadow Dragon Scale Armor for a scant price of 5000 gold. It's
Armor Class is only one point worse than Full Plate Mail +1 and imparts
a +50% resistance bonus to acid. Best of all, it counts as light armor
and can be worn by Rangers and Thieves without interfering with their
ability to sneak. You won't find better light armor in Shadows of Amn...
unless you're a Mage multi-class, in which case, the hunt is still on.
o======================================================================o
| Ranger Stronghold Quests |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK039}
1) Best Wishes from Imnesvale (Please Stay!)
2) Mairyn's Mission
3) Tombelthen's Family Treasure
4) The Violent Option
5) The Mithril Medallion
6) Appeasing Tombelthen
7) Mairyn's Reward
8) More Trouble in Imnesvale
9) Orog Assault
10) Rescuing Madulf
11) Umar's Return
12) Mairyn's Plea
13) Saving the Forest
Ranger Cabin (AR1107)
o======================================================================o
1) Okay, you beat the Shadow Dragon and the Shade Lord, so you're a
pretty badass Ranger. Of course, since you're a Ranger, Baldur's Gate 2
hates you. Nobody else had to beat up a Dragon to get their stronghold,
after all. Don't worry, though, the Ranger Quests are actually some of
the more interesting class-related quests. They sure beat the lame-ass
Cleric Quests, in any event. The first order of business is to head off
to the 'Ranger Cabin' (x=650, y=2800) in the Umar Hills. You'll find
that the place has been restocked, so go loot around. It's not anything
great, but it does somewhat make up for the poor reward we got from
Minister Lloyd for saving his town. Read the note they give you, which
just says 'thanks for saving our asses, here's some crap, enjoy your
cabin... please stay?' Aww, heck, I can't resist some good old
begging...
***ITEMS***
(x=950, y=380) Bullets x40, Bullets +1 x10, Bullets x2 x10
(x=650, y=350) Long Sword +1, Flail, Composite Long Bow +1, Short Bow,
Sling +2, Battle Axe, Throwing Axe x10
(x=620, y=400) Arrows x60, Arrows +1 x20, Arrows of Biting x5,
Arrows of Fire x10
(x=450, y=550) Potion of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Healing x5,
Antidote x2, Potion of Extra Healing x3
(x=550, y=600) Note from Imnesvale, 300 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Rest for a while and a green lady-a spirit of the forest, no less-
named Mairyn will show up and beg for your help. As the local Ranger, it
looks like it's up to you to deal with the problems of creepy animist
spirits. Now that we've made the woods safe and brought light back to
the former temple of Amaunator, some Humans have moved in and are
tearing up the place, causing considerable damage to the forest-and its
spirits-in the meantime. They are apparently looking for something, and
if they're all the way out there it's probably something valuable... we
can expect a warm reception, surely. She'll then teleport outside and
wait there for the good news. Can't blame her, this house is creepy.
Unlike most quests in this game you really have the option to fail this
one-you can just go talk to Mairyn (x=650, y=3000) and tell her that
you don't feel like doing the quest. She decides you're not much of a
Ranger and leaves to go try to deal with the problem herself. I don't
know about you, but I can't tell a pretty green chick that she's on her
own. Maybe I'm too gallant and chivalrous, and stuff?
Ruined Temple (AR1400)
o======================================================================o
3) Return to the Ruined Temple area (AR1400) and head over to
(x=2520, y=2000) to find one Lord Igen Tombelthen. If experience has
taught us anything, it's that people named 'Lord' something-or-other are
going to be haughty pains in the ass. Sure enough, he's entirely rigid
about the class thing, as if his 'nobility' mattered a bit in the
middle of the forest. Still, he's not entirely inflexible. He does
outright refuse to leave, but you can persuade him to let you look for
some mithril one of his ancestors hid away here. He'll even give you
Tombelthen's Journal (first half) to aid you in your search.
Unfortunately for Igen, this is the ass half of the note, giving only
the general description 'far to the north-west of Imnesvale village, in
a forest --'. The second half is much more precise.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Of course, it's much easier to resort to violence, and the game seems
to try and entice you down this path by making it an option at nearly
every step of the conversation with Igen. If you provoke them, the only
one really worth watching is Tamorlin, who is a Mage, and hence, has
the power to at least be annoying, which is more than can be said for
the rest of them. Lord Tombelthen will leave behind a suit of Full Plate
Mail, a Helmet, Bolts x20, a Two Handed Sword +1, a Heavy Cross Bow, and
26 gold. Tamorlin drops some Traveler's Robes, Bracers of Defense
A.C. 6, a Quarter Staff, and 6 gold. The soldiers merely carry Large
Shields, Chain Mail Armor, and Bastard Swords.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) If you're being merciful and helpful, and not succumbing to the whole
'murder' thing in your blood, head to the east, where you'll find some
Skeletons led by a Skeleton Warrior. They're laughably weak by this
point in the game, so smite them and loot the stone columns at
(x=3900, y=2300) to obtain 'Lord Tombelthen's Note' and a Mithril
Medallion. If this is what Igen is looking for... it had best hold some
sentimental value, or mithril must be worth a fortune.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Return to Igen, where his reaction lets you know that mithril is,
in fact, not quite so valuable that a simple medallion is worth this
expedition. He'll offer you 1000 gold for finding it for him. If you
try and hardball he'll drop down to 500 gold, and if you don't give it
to him at all he'll attack. If you decline any monetary reward, you'll
get 10000 experience, instead.
***REWARD***
(For giving the Mythril Medallion to Igen)
EXP 10000
--or--
Gold 1000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Now that you've gotten rid of the defilers (one way or another)
return to Imnesvale and talk to Mairyn. You'll get an experience reward
for helping her out, if nothing else, although she'll lament that you
killed Igen, if you did. If not, everybody's happy. Either way, it's
the same experience reward.
***REWARD***
(For getting rid of Tombelthen and saving the forest)
EXP 21500
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Your next mission will happen about a week later. Delon will be sent
to find you, and tell you that some Orcs are threatening Imnesvale,
and that they'll be there in three to four days at the most. Sooo...
return to Imnesvale and find Minister Lloyd, who'll tell you that Ogron
are attacking... Ogrons/Orcs, close enough. Our buddy Madulf has been
fighting the good fight, but he seems to be getting the bad end of
things, and has retreated into a cave with a shepherd named Atta. Looks
like a rescue mission is in order. Note that Minister Lloyd says we must
save Atta, and make sure Madulf doesn't die in vain... how would he know
that Madulf is dead, and that Atta wasn't? Or is he just being hopeful?
Note: If you fail to attend to this quest in a timely manner, the
situation will resolve itself-poorly. You won't get an explanation or
an update, but when you talk to Minister Lloyd again, he'll rudely tell
you that you're no longer welcome in town, no longer deserving of the
cabin, and no longer the Ranger of Umar Hills... which prematurely ends
the Ranger Stronghold quests. So be sure to make it to Umar Hills before
three days have passed.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Head over to the Umar Cave (x=1600, y=1300) where you'll find a group
of Icewind Dale rejects-an Orog Leader, three Orogs, and two Orc
Archers. Laughably weak, smite them and loot them. The Orc Archers have
some Arrows of Fire if you kill them fast enough, and the Orog Leader
will drop a suit of Studded Leather Armor +2, a Small Shield, a Scroll
of Infravision, a Bastard Sword +1, and 370 gold.
Umar Cave (AR1106)
o======================================================================o
10) Enter the cave and talk to Madulf (x=720, y=1150), who isn't in a
great way, but is far enough from dead. He'll thank you for your timely
rescue, and prove his virtue again by having protected the shepherd,
Atta, from the Orogs. He'll leave to go find his friends, and you'll get
a quest reward. Return to Minister Lloyd for more juicy rewards.
***REWARD***
(For driving off the Orogs and saving Madulf)
EXP 21750
***REWARD***
(For saving Imnesvale from the Orogs)
EXP 25000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Another week will pass, and another danger will threaten Imnesvale.
Delon finds you again and asks you to return and talk to Minister Lloyd,
apparently Umar herself has decided to plague the town. Minister Lloyd
tells you that Umar-or at least a very convincing impersonator-showed up
and told the townsfolk to leave 'her lands'. The black balls of fire and
the demons she summoned were enough to convince shaky old Imnesvale,
but we... we... have seen some things, and if a city full of Drow
couldn't stop us, neither can some sleepy-town witch.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) So... let's return to the Ruined Temple and head over to the ruins
of the temple of Amaunator (x=4500, y=200)-you know, where the Shade
Lord and his minions were holed up? Near the stairs you'll find Mairyn,
who will add her pleas to those of the townsfolk-whatever this 'Umar'
is, it's poisoning the land around here, too. She will helpfully wait
outside, of course.
Restored Temple of Amaunator (AR1401)
o======================================================================o
13) Inside the ruined temple of Amaunator you'll find that it has been
repopulated with undead. Undead of a less shadowy, more corporeal
nature, but undead nonetheless. Within are also numerous fiery, demony
critters, which don't get along well with the undead. Near the entrance
you'll find Skeletons, Zombies, a Salamander, and in the room where we
found Amauna's Bones, a Glabrezu and a Spectre, the latter of which can
level drain. Head over to where we found Mazzy and sweep around until
you reach the room where we obtained the Sun Gem, exterminating Zombies,
Skeletons, a Skeleton warrior, another Spectre, and finally, an Imp
before reaching 'Umar' (x=740, y=1240). If you get too close, she'll
turn hostile and attack. She is, however, no ancient witch or Lich or
anything of the sort-she can't even keep her minions from fighting! She
starts out with Mislead and Stoneskin before she tries to go for a
Greater Malison/Chaos combo. Still, she's not nearly dangerous enough
to warrant any real worry. When dead, she'll volit a Mage Robe of Fire
Resistance, Bracers of Defense A.C. 6, Wand of Lightning, Dagger,
25 gold. When you leave the temple Mairyn will reward you with a rather
potent figurine that summons Cerebus, a powerful companion that can use
various abilities, including the Moon Dog Howl, a combination of Remove
Fear and Protection from Evil, Moon Dog Sight, a combination of True
Sight, Detect Traps, and Detect Evil, as well as more typical spells
like a Healing Lick (Cure Light Wounds), Improved Invisibility, and
Mirror Image. It might not be able to survive as well as, say, a Deva
or Elemental Prince, but it still is one of the more useful summons
around.
***REWARD***
(For dispatching 'Umar' and saving the forest)
EXP 26750
Item Moon Dog Figurine
Reputation +1
o======================================================================o
| Firkraag |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK040}
1) Firkraag's Offer
2) Monster Murder
3) Sanctuary
4) Iltha Abducted
5) Firkraag's Challenge
6) They Don't Need it Anymore...
7) Pack Attack
8) Ankhegs and Other Random Monsters
9) The Fairy Queen
10) Hobgoblin Assault
11) Vampiric Mist Cave
12) Lord Foreshadow
13) Kobold Kamikazes
14) Under a Hail of Arrows..
15) The Golem Engagement
16) Orcs of a Feather, Beg Together
17) The Culinary Arts
18) Undead Infestation
19) Teaming up with Samia
20) The First Guardian
21) The Director
22) Reassembling the Mask
23) Tools of the Trade
24) Treacherous Samia
25) Doggies
26) Dragon Helm
27) More Masquerading Mutts
28) Dissent
29) Golem Guardians
30) Orogs and.. Golems?
31) Tazok Returns
32) Iltha Imprisoned
33) Face to Face with Firkraag
34) Betraying Garren Windspear
35) Freeing Iltha
36) Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firkraag
37) Unconventional Armors
1) Okay, now we're ready to take on one of the signature quests in
Shadows of Amn. Head over to the Copper Coronet in the Slums District
of Athkatla and talk to Lord Jierdan Firkraag (x=720, y=1400). He's
been pestering us with floating text for a while now, but since he
wasn't nearly as annoying as Nalia (and because of this FAQ writer's
knowledge) we've been avoiding him. He'll tell you that he needs a
'creature' such as you to drive off some Ogres and Trolls that are
causing him trouble, and he'll offer you a whopping 10000 gold for the
task. His offer remains open for you to peruse at your leisure-hardly
seems like much of an emergency-and the Windspear Hills will be added
to your map. We shall all receive exactly what we deserve, indeed.
Windspear Hills (AR1200)
o======================================================================o
2) The Windspear Hills are east of Trademeet, and it'll probably be a
good idea to stop at Trademeet and rest before you head over to the
Windspear Hills.. oh, and you need to exit the side of an adjacent map
to travel to the Windspear Hills anyway, a la Baldur's Gate 1. Once you
arrive you'll find a curious group of monsters including a Gnoll Elite,
a pair of Ogres, an Ogre Mage, and a Baby Wyvern. We've seen stranger
things, though. Of course, one of the Ogres talks to you and seems to
think that YOU are the monsters... it doesn't matter what you do,
they'll attack and you'll be forced to put them down. Further evidence
that this is an unusual event will surface as you kill them and receive
an inordinately large experience reward, and the fact that they wear
metal armor. Once they're all dead a man named Garren Windspear will
show up and inquire as to who you are, and how you can change your form
from man to beast at will. Then the truth will become apparent-you've
killed some knights by accident! Garren suggests that you follow him to
his home until you can make sense of this-the Knights of Helm won't be
so forgiving.
Windspear Cabin (AR1204)
o======================================================================o
3) If you agree to go with Garren Windspear you'll appear outside of
his cabin. Enter at (x=800, y=3150) and talk to Garren... or rather, get
talked to by Garren. He'll tell you that he used to be the lord of this
land until he lost everything to Lord Jierdan Firkraag, the apparent
cause of our collective troubles. He'll leave to talk to the Most Noble
Order of the Radiant Heart on your behalf and his daughter-Iltha-will
show up and thank you for giving her father the chance to help somebody,
as if we had a choice.
Note: If you're playing a female protagonist, Garren will have a son
named Taar, who will take the place of Iltha in all things. Clearly,
they're trying to play into your sexual sympathies.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Your party will rest and a Halfling named Jum will show up and scream
bloody murder about some bandits approaching. Before you can deal with
them, they'll show up in the house and abduct Iltha/Taar before
attacking you. They're a motley bunch, led by a Mage named Plath
Rededge, who openly admits to working for Firkraag. Their intentions are
quite simple: they've abducted Iltha/Taar and plan to frame you for that
crime, doubtlessly an attempt to further your reputation as merciless
marauders. Whatever we did to Firkraag, he's got it in for us something
fierce. The only clue Plath gives us is that it's 'revenge against those
beyond reach, against friends of yours that were enemies long past.'
Which could really be anybody from Baldur's Gate 1. When she finally
shuts up, the bandits will attack, including Plath Rededge, a Dwarven
Bandit, and two Orcs. Needless to say I focus all my attention on Plath
and strike her down almost instantly, then it's just a matter of mopping
up the unfortunate melee enemies. When they're dead, loot Plath Rededge
for a Bloodstone Amulet, a Quarter Staff, and 20 gold. The Dwarf drops a
suit of Plate Mail Armor, a Helmet, a Large Shield, a Silver Necklace, a
Battle Axe, and 30 gold. The Orcs will typically drop some random gems,
jewelry, or gold, as well as a scroll.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) As can be expected, Garren Windspear shows up just after the last
enemy dies. He's distraught, but he just manages to avoid blaming you.
He'll tell you that despite your lackluster defense of Iltha/Taar, he
was successful with the Radiant Heart, and they have decided to pardon
you-so long as you seek out justice for the slain. As if we needed more
encouragement to go after Firkraag. Jum will show up and give you a
letter, and the very name, 'Firkraag's Challenge' is provocative enough.
Whoever this Firkraag is, he's at least arrogant enough to let you know
where he is, and has the gall to express his boredom with this little
'game' of his. Note the exaggeration on the word 'person' in his own
letter.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Garren and Firkraag's letter both suggested the ruins to the
north-east, but as is typical, I prefer to explore the area before
committing to a dungeon. Just north-west of the cabin you'll find a
crack in some rocks worth looting. If you want to loot the bodies of the
dead knights, they sure haven't gone anywhere. Head over to the
north-western corner of the map where you entered the level to score a
few suits of Plate Mail Armor to sell. Murder and robbing the dead?
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. You can also loot some nearby
bushes, for what it's worth..
***ITEMS***
(x=200, y=2075) Star Sapphire
(x=300, y=540) 63 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Just north of the center of the map you'll find a group of unarmored
Fighters killing some Gnolls. After all the Gnolls are dead they'll end
up chatting amongst themselves for a while, and the canine puns are
numerous and obvious enough that it should be no surprise when they tire
of their meaningless musing and turn into Werewolves. Unfortunately for
them, we fought through an entire island of Werewolves when we were
half the level we are now, these mangy critters don't stand a chance.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) East of Windspear Cabin I encountered an Ankheg, one of our long lost
friends from Baldur's Gate 1. Those things were everywhere before, but
now they're rare, and no real threat. If Taerom Fuiruim could make you a
suit of Ankheg Full Plate in the first game, it should be no surprise
that Cromwell can do the same in this one. Of course, we've long since
outgrown the need for such weak armor. In addition to the random Ankhegs
that'll pop up, you also might run across groups of Goblins,
Gibberlings, and other pointless encounters.
***ITEMS***
(x=2260, y=2690) 11 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) In the south-eastern corner of the map you'll find Vaelasa, the Fairy
Queen (x=4040, y=3050), who'll talk to you. You're supposed to give her
the Dryad acorns we found in Irenicus' Dungeon, all the way back near
the beginning of the game. If you do, you'll get a nice experience
reward for the trouble.
***REWARD***
(For giving Vaelasa the Acorns of her Dryad sisters)
EXP 32500
***REWARD***
(For freeing Elyme, Ulene, and Cania from Irenicus' clutches)
EXP 9750
Windspear Dungeon, Level 1 (AR1201)
o======================================================================o
10) After returning the Acorns, killing some Werewolves, and grabbing
an Ankheg Shell head to the north-eastern corner of the map and enter
the dungeon at (x=4400, y=500). When you get inside you'll be greeted
by an Orog named Chieftain DigDag, who orders his minions to attack,
then leaves. Dispatch his sorry collection of Hobgoblins in his absence,
which consist of a Hobgoblin Captain, a Hobgoblin Archer, two Hobgoblin
Elites, a Hobgoblin Wizard, and a Hobgoblin shaman. The Shaman will
drop some Potions of Healing and a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds. The
Archer will drop some Arrows +1, and the rest of the Hobgoblins will
drop useless gear and random loot. Continue to the north-east and
exterminate another group of Hobgoblins, which are just as unimpressive
as the last group was. I was also molested by some Vampiric Mists
between the two groups, which I dispatched by engaging them with my
main character in melee, and shooting at them with the rest of the
party. True Sight also helps for when they inevitably turn invisible and
attack less well protected party members.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Head to the north-west, where you'll find a group of weak humanoids-
either Orcs or Hobgoblins. If it's Orcs, you'll find Orcs and Orc
Archers. If it's Hobgoblins, it'll be an even more diverse group,
including spell-casters. They're pathetic opposition by now, dispatch
them however you wish. In a cavern to the south-west you'll find more
annoying enemies-Vampiric Mists. I tend to just send my Protagonist
down there alone, let them swarm around me, and use Daystar to cast
Sunray and hopefully dispatch as many of them as possible. If you go
fight them normally, they're fond of turning themselves invisible if
they're heavily injured.. and while invisible, they will-more often
than not-target party members that are not protected from their level
drain. Once they're all gone, search the cave the mists came from for
some minor loot.
***ITEMS***
(x=800, y=1600) The Protector +1, Aquamarine Gem, Horn Coral Gem x2
(x=770, y=1430) Waterstar Gem
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Head to the north-west (opposite the Vampiric Mist cave). Off to the
side will be a large chasm. Investigating it gives you the clue that a
large creature burned and dug its way down, forming the pit. If you
interact with the pit you'll knock a pebble down into the depths and
hear an indignant snort. Subtle, huh? You might also find more petty
humanoid foes over here.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) Continue on until you find a Ruhk Transmuter, who is surrounded by
several Kamikaze Kobolds. He'll sic them on you, then retreat. Be sure
to kill them with ranged weapons, as they explode into Fireballs when
slain. After that little threat has been neutralized, rush the Ruhk
Transmuter and cut him down. He'll be kind enough to leave behind a
Ring of Fire Resistance.. which will come in handy soon enough. Put it
on a character who doesn't yet have fire resistance, or easy access to
spells that grant fire resistance. Head through the door at
(x=2350, y=900) to reach the lower level of the dungeon.
Windspear Dungeon, Level 2 (AR1202)
o======================================================================o
14) When you arrive you'll be shot at by a bunch of butthole Orc
Archers. You can either shoot down the Orcs with counter-fire, barge in
on their positions via secret doors at (x=1600, y=2100), and
(x=1900, y=2350), or run through the middle door at (x=1880, y=2200).
If you kill them they'll each leave behind a suit of Plate Mail Armor,
some Arrows, and some Arrows of Fire. A second door awaits you at
(x=2250, y=1900). Note that all the doors mentioned above are locked,
so make good use of your Thief to get through them... or a Knock spell,
whichever.
Note from Lee:
A Fireball into each side chamber will severely injure, if not kill
outright, all the buttholes. Chaos is also interesting, as they don't
have a lot of room to move, and they continually run into each other
like bumper cars. Doesn't really hurt them, but it's fun to watch...
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) The hallway ahead of you is blocked by several Golems, and at this
point in the game, we've got to deal with an Adamantine Golem. It's
accompanied by two Stone Golems, but fortunately, only the latter can
fit through the small doorways to reach us. Lure the two Stone Golems
into the wider room and smite them. Adamantine Golems are immune to
anything less than +3 weapons, and take very little damage from weapons
regardless of their enchantment. Still, we can easily surround it with
competent melee Fighters and hack it to death, or attempt to cheap-shot
it with the Rod of Smiting, if you are so inclined. Of course, I was
just as inclined to have Jaheira kill it at a distance with her Fire
Tooth +3.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Go through the doors to the north-west at (x=2050, y=1660) and
(x=1950, y=1600) to find a room containing two rather pathetic Orcs.
Derg the Orc will beg for his life, and promise not to eat children or
kick old people anymore... at least not as a job.. as a hobby,
however... There's no good reason to let him live, and if you kill him
you'll get a suit of Leather Armor, an Angel Skin Ring, a Bloodstone
Ring, a Bastard Sword, and 47 gold. Then there's Flayan the Orc
(x=1660, y=1660) who is just as pathetic as Derg. He will, however,
offer you some information about the place, although it's nothing you
don't already know. Firkraag has Iltha/Taar with him, and wants you to
come to him. Oh, and Flayan has no confidence in your abilities when it
comes to Firkraag, who he seems to think is all-powerful.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) Now head through the doorway on the opposite end of the Golem
hallway (x=2660, y=2100), wherein you'll find a Troll Cook
(x=2880, y=2300), who will kindly ask you to 'jump onto that grill over
there.' He's a Troll Cook you see, and it would sure be helpful if you
got on the grill so he could, well, cook you. Don't want to be cooked?
Then you shouldn't have applied for the job. When the conversation ends
he'll summon some Hobgoblin buddies to try and apprehend you. Smite
them all (Jaheira's Fire Tooth +3 does wonders against Trolls). When
they're dead, loot the table in the middle of the room for an Orcish
Cookbook and some +2 ammunition, if you dare. The Orcish Cookbook is
more rambling musings, hints about monsters in the dungeon, and a
treasure guide, than an actual cookbook. Through another pair of doors
to the south (x=2520, y=2400) and (x=2450, y=2550) you'll find an
Otyugh, the typical, indispensable cleaning utility for dungeons
everywhere.
***ITEMS***
(x=2700, y=2330) Orcish Cookbook, Jade Ring, Bolts +2 x40, Arrows +2 x40
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
18) Return to the hallway where the Golems were and go through the door
at (x=2350, y=1800). Engage and exterminate another group of Orcs and
go through the door at (x=2700, y=1600). To the south-east I ran afoul
of a veritable horde of undead, including six Vampires, three Mummies,
and two Ghasts. I send in my spell-buffed protagonist-alone in the good
party, accompanied by Dorn in the evil party. If you've got the Mace of
Disruption +2, you can also safely send in Anomen/Viconia. and use
Daystar's Sunray power to thin the herd. The rest of the party can
(and probably should) assist with missile fire... or at least Imoen
with the Gesen Bow, Jaheira with Fire Tooth +3, and Keldorn with The
Guide +2. Before your buffs run out, head to the south-east and go
through a door (x=3450, y=2450) to reach a room full of Shadows, Shadow
Fiends, Wraiths, Greater Wraiths, and the like. They're not as numerous
or dangerous as the undead we just faced, but with the Wraiths some
caution is still called for. Make sure to grab the Chapel Key in the
Wraith room, if nothing else.
***ITEMS***
(x=3270, y=1750) Polymorph Other, Gold Ring, Dart of Wounding x20,
Arrows x120, Bolts x120
(x=3130, y=2620) Chapel Key, Bullets +2 x40, Dart of Stunning x20
***TRAPS***
(x=3270, y=1750)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) Head back north-west and go through the door at (x=2600, y=1400),
beyond which you'll find Samia. She's here looking for information about
the long-dead King Strohm III of Tethyr. The only problem is, she seems
to be unable to forge forward, which she blames on magic that prevents
her entry due to her heritage. Her plan? Make you do all the work and
compensate you for whatever you dig out. It's not like we have anywhere
else to go, so we might as well accept. You'll need to defeat seven
guardians, the last of which is invisible and protected from even the
strongest magics.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) First, go find the traps on the doors in the hallway where you met
Samia. Go through the one untrapped door at (x=2600, y=1300), then go
through another at (x=2700, y=1130), and finally through a door at
(x=2550, y=950) to find the first Guardian (x=2470, y=900), all of which
are Efreeti. This is a great opportunity to get some use out of the
Halberd +4: Wave, if you have anybody proficient in its use. Also, since
most of their attacks are fire-based, doubling up the Ring of Fire
Resistance and the Ring of Fire Control pretty much makes you immune to
everything they've got to throw at you. When it dies, loot its body for
a 'Piece of Burial Mask'. Also note that in the room with the lootable
stack of books, you may run across a Fell Ghast. I suppose it's the
Baldur's Gate 2 version of the suped-up Greater Ghouls from Durlag's
Tower in the first game... only a Ghast. Remember back then, when
enemies who could paralyze us were legitimate threats in their own
right? Yeah... not so much anymore.
***ITEMS***
(x=2650, y=920) Book of King Strohm III, Scroll of Wizard Eye,
Scroll of Stone to Flesh
***TRAPS***
(x=2150, y=1100)
(x=2350, y=1100)
(x=2450, y=1200)
(x=2880, y=1100)
(x=2400, y=850)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) Now have whichever character is protected by the Cloak of Mirroring
head through the door at door (x=2750, y=900) to reach another hallway
full of doors. Behind the locked door at (x=2880, y=800) you'll find the
Director, a Beholder who only seems to use the spell Slow as an eye ray
attack. Otherwise, it prefers to attack with Magic Missile, Burning
Hands, and Ice Storm, which are all deflected by the Cloak of Mirroring.
My protagonist easily smites the creature.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Let's get rid of the remaining Guardians now. Their locations are
listed below, as well as the locations of the doors beyond which they
lie. They're weak enough that we need not discuss any sort of strategy
about them, just smack them with the Halberd +4: Wave. Make sure to pick
up the 'Piece of Burial Mask' they drop, listen to their vague clues
when they talk, and keep an eye out for the trapped doors that lead to
nowhere. Avoid the door at (x=3250, y=550), as beyond it you'll find
the lead Guardian, which cannot be seen (and therefore, attacked) until
you have the rest of the mask assembled.
Guardian (x=3030, y=500), behind the door at (x=3100, y=550)
Guardian (x=3200, y=880), behind the door at (x=3300, y=950)
Guardian (x=2950, y=1330), behind the door at (x=3150, y=1200)
Guardian (x=3350, y=1470), behind the door at (x=3440, y=1400)
Guardian (x=3650, y=1250), behind the door at (x=3570, y=1300)
***TRAPS***
(x=2900, y=700)
(x=3070, y=950)
***REWARD***
(For reassembling the Mask of King Strohm III)
EXP 24550
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) When you obtain the 6th and final piece of the mask, it'll
automatically reassemble itself in your inventory. If you didn't gather
from the babbling Guardians, Strohm died fighting off Drow and their
pet Red Dragon. Now head through the door at (x=3250, y=550) and engage
the final Guardian with whatever character is most suited for the task.
Since it's got the form of a Fire Elemental, you might as well put the
Halberd +4: wave to more good use. Just be sure that whomever is
engaging the beast is wearing the Mask of King Strohm III, or they won't
be able to strike it. When it's dead, go through the door at
(x=3530, y=350) and loot the... ground... to obtain some more tools of
the trade. The Dragon Scale Shield +2 has a respectable Armor Class
bonus of three, and the 25% resistance to fire, cold, and electricity is
welcome, if not overwhelming defense against the elements. Against
critters fond of using any of those elements, this shield might be more
worthwhile than the Shield of Harmony or the Fortress Shield, but as
a general-use shield, it's already been eclipsed. The Dragon Slayer
Sword is another weapon that may come in handy against Dragons. It
grants immunity to fear, regenerates Hit Points (even if it's at a
pathetic rate), and scores double damage against Dragons. It may be a
more worthy off-hand weapon for my protagonist when dealing with
Dragons, but since many Chromatic Dragons we'll be facing are Lawful
Evil or Chaotic Evil (if they follow the book rules, anyways) the
Equalizer will give a respectable +3 bonus to THAC0 and +6 damage...
and I shouldn't have to point out how the Flail of the Ages trumps the
Dragon slayer Sword.
***ITEMS***
(x=3400, y=100)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
24) Of course, shortly after claiming the loot Samia will show up with
a band of ne'er-do-wells. Her plan all along was to get you to do all
the work, then kill you and take all the treasure. Of course... dear
Samia... if we were competent enough to make it here, what makes you
think we're not up to the task of killing you, too? Samia is joined by
Akae, Chak, Legdoril, Ferric Ironblade, and a Mage named Kaol. Jaheira
shows off her Insect Plague spell, and Imoen/Edwin let loose a Chaos,
which by and large wins the fight by itself. Despite my rather
dismissive description of this group, they can be somewhat dangerous.
Just be sure to keep an eye on Kaol, as any Mage can cause trouble, and
Legdoril, who can harass you with spells of the Clerical variety. Still,
our party buster spells work fine, and Haste will speed up the
inevitable:
Akae: Katana and a Wakizashi (both unenchanted, despite his formidable
combat abilities), Silver Necklace, Potion of Extra Healing x2 and an
Oil of Speed.
Samia: Plate Mail +1, Medium Shield +1, Potion of Extra Healing x2, Iol
Gem and a Scimitar.
Kaol: Scroll of Infravision, Wand of Fear, Potion of Extra Healing and
a Quarterstaff.
Ferric Ironblade: Studded Leather Armor +2, Arrows x20, Potion of Extra
Healing x2, Potion of Frost Giant Strength, Long Sword, Shorbow and
50 gold.
Chak: Large Shield +2, Battle Axe +2, Bluestone Necklace and 40 gold.
Legdoril: Plate Mail Armor, Small Shield, Mace and 38 gold.
That's right, they dropped us nearly nothing of substance; they were
just well-leveled folks with crap gear.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
25) Return to the hallway where we met Samia and go through the door at
(x=2450, y=1400). Continue down the tunnel to the north-west, where
you'll encounter a group of Dread Wolves and Greater Wolfweres. They're
can be rough in melee if they gang up on a party member in an enclosed
space, but since we all have +3 weapons or better and are a much higher
level than we were in Spellhold, they're really just so much fodder.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
26) Go through another door at (x=1570, y=1150) and dispatch some Orogs.
At least we're finally back to killing Firkraag's minions. Investigate
the well at (x=1250, y=1250) and raise up the water pail to obtain the
Dragon Helm. You'll also be attacked by an Air Elemental for your
trouble, but such a creature is little more than free experience for us
by now. The helmet doesn't give a bonus to Armor Class, but it does
improve your resistance to fire, cold, and electricity by 25%. Combined
with the Dragon Scale Shield +2, that's 50% resistance to three of the
game's most common elements. Unfortunately, this helmet is slightly
out-competed by the Helmet of Defense. I'd take a +1 bonus to my saves
over 5% resistance to elements any day.
Note from Lee:
I usually see the Orogs and Golems from Step 30 show up here, but the
Adamantine Golem blocks their path across the bridge, so it's safe to
ignore them. Of couse, why do that when you can simply kill them and
clear the path for later...? Either way, I don't do those steps until
after 27-29, as listed in this guide.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
27) Head through a locked door across the stone bridge at
(x=1100, y=1450). Through another door (x=850, y=1630) you'll find a
warrior named Grancor, who attempts to lead you away to treat some
injured companions of his. Of course, if you doubt him his story doesn't
hold water, and he'll soon grow impatient, turn into a Greater Wolfwere,
and attack. Kill him and his companion and go through the door at
(x=1000, y=1850), where you'll find more Wolfweres in need of some
death. Loot the first room, and go through another door at
(x=1050, y=2000) and loot this room, too. The Horn of Blasting is a
decent area of effect item that does a bit of damage and has a chance
to stun creatures effected. Unfortunately, it always centers its blast
on the user, meaning you're going to harm yourself every time you use
it.
***ITEMS***
(x=800, y=1630) Scroll of Chaos, Dart of Wounding x20, 44 gold
(x=700, y=1700) Bloodstone Gem, Bolt of Lightning x20, Arrows of Ice x40
(x=900, y=2100) Scroll of Domination, Scroll of Hold Monster,
Bolt of Biting x40
(x=800, y=2000) Scroll of Hold Undead, Horn of Blasting, Bullet +2 x40,
Arrows of Piercing x40, Dart of Wounding x20, 2120 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
28) Return to the small room before you met Grancor and head north-west
through the hole in the wall to reach a cavern. Inside you'll spot a
'Captain' berating some critters for failing to clean 'the master's'
favorite Golems. The Captain will turn into a Wolfwere and attack the
servants-a Hobgoblin named Gerg and a Troll. If you kill the Captain,
the other two will leave, but helping out the Captain only earns you
his hostility, afterwards. The Captain drops a Silver Ring and a Silver
Necklace.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
29) Anyways, continue past them until you find a secret door
(x=500, y=1000) beyond which lies 'the master's' Golems, what else? This
is just another typical grouping of an Adamantite Golem and two Stone
Golems, the former of which can't squeeze out of the secret door, so
smite it at a distance like we did the first one and cut the Stone
Golems up in melee... or just shoot them all to death, if they crowd
around the secret door and the Adamantite Golem blocks the other Golems.
Why do more work than we have to? When they're all dead, head safely
into their cavern and loot the wall at (x=800, y=450) to claim the
Heartseeker +3, a Beljuril Gem, and a pair of Moonbar Gems.
***ITEMS***
(x=800, y=450) Heartseeker +3, Beljuril Gem, Moonbar Gem x2
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
30) Return to the stone bridge where we found the Dragon Helm and head
across the crude wooden bridge-the bridge upon a bridge, as it were-to
the north and up a corridor, where you'll find more Orogs to sate your
killing urges to the east. Sometimes a group of Golems (an Adamantite
Golem and two Stone Golems) showed up in the corridor leading to the
Orog room, other times, they did not. If you run afoul of some Golems,
just run back across the bridge, cut down the Stone Golems, and shoot
the Adamantite Golem (who can't cross the bridge) to death. If they
didn't show up the first time through, they'll certainly show up the
second.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
31) Go through the locked door (x=1600, y=750), and then through another
door (x=1950, y=850) to reach a prison. Inside is a very special friend
of ours-the Ogre Tazok-now in the employ of Firkraag. Apparently this
Firkraag sought out Tazok for his special relationship with us. Firkraag
resurrected him for the sole purpose of meeting us here, so for Kivan's
sake, let's give Tazok the warm welcome he deserves. Chieftain DigDag is
also there, but he seems rather... who cares, to me. I bottleneck them
at the doorway and cut them down. Not because of their fearsome might,
but just because it's good tactics. In fact, I have my protagonist
bottleneck them at the door and cut them all down himself. Tazok
deserves no less. Tazok might be a bit stronger in this game than he
was in the first, but I am much, much, stronger still. Chieftain DigDag
will leave behind Delver's Plate +2, a Helmet, a Large Shield, and a
Bastard Sword. Delver's Plate, despite being slightly lighter than Full
Plate Mail +1, it's not nearly as protective, so it serves us no purpose
at this point in the game. Tazok leaves behind a suit of Full Plate
Mail +1, two Potions of Extra Healing, a Sewer Key (with which we'll
finish off Athkatla), a Zircon Gem, a Flamedance Ring, a Two Handed
Sword +2, and 430 gold.
***ITEMS***
(x=2100, y=650) Fireshield (Red), Star Sapphire x2, Arrows x80,
Bolts x80, Bullets x80, Darts x80, 240 gold
(x=1950, y=650) Scroll of Minor Sequencer, Scroll of Teleport Field,
Rogue Stone x2, King's Tears, Laeral's Tear Necklace,
680 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
32) Over at (x=2370, y=700) you'll find Iltha/Taar, safely imprisoned
behind bars we don't have the key for. Talk to her/him and she/he will
tell you that the Mage who brought her/him here has the key, but she/he
has no idea how to get it. She/He begs you to not fight Firkraag-just
get the key and flee. Head to the next area by entering the cavern at
(x=1800, y=350).
Firkraag's Lair (AR1203)
o======================================================================o
33) Head down the overly large stairs and you'll find yourself in an
overly large chamber, where Firkraag lurks (x=1500, y=1500). It should
now become quite apparent why none of Firkraag's minions thought we'd
stand a chance, and why Firkraag so brazenly challenged us. Being a Red
Dragon should give one sufficient reason to be arrogant. His interest in
you was two-fold, powerful creatures seem to be drawn to you, being a
Bhaalspawn and all. On top of that, Gorion crossed him back in the day,
and since he can't do anything to Gorion, picking on his kid is the next
best thing. It turns out that Firkraag's reasons for troubling us aren't
so grand, just curiosity, boredom, and a bit of revenge. Of course, on
close examination we Bhaalspawn aren't significantly different from
other mortals, so Firkraag has decided to let us be so we can hunt down
Irenicus. Too bad for him, I don't intend to grant him the same leisure.
First, however, he'll allow you to attempt to save Iltha/Taar, as more
of a test for his minions than for any other reason. If you're feeling
evil, you can side with Firkraag and offer to go get him Garren
Windspear's deed. Both alternatives will be covered below.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
34) If you decide to betray Garren, Keldorn will leave your party-and
rightfully so. This is no more than an act of pure malice and greed.
Iltha/Taar will be slain by Conster on your way back to Windspear
Cabin. When you arrive, just kill Garren, don't bother talking to him or
he'll leave. Loot the 'Deed to the Windspear Hills' from his body and
return to Firkraag. He'll give you a single item from his horde-and not
surprisingly, one of the weakest. You will, however, get a pretty large
experience reward. Yep... that's all there is to it. Not very exciting,
right? Now, for the suggested anti-Firkraag route.
***REWARD***
(For bringing the Deed of the Windspear Hills to Firkraag)
EXP 40500 (each character)
Item Cloak of the Shield
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
35) Return to the previous level in your attempt to beat Conster to
Iltha/Taar. Conster will challenge you when you reach the prison. He
might be fanatically servile to Firkraag, but he's not terribly strong.
Hit him with a Dispel Magic or Breach to take down his obligatory
Stoneskin, then rush him and cut him down. Loot his body for the
Firkraag Prison Key, a Scroll of Magic Missile, a Quarter Staff, and
25 gold. Key in hand, open the door at (x=2350, y=700) to free
Iltha/Taar. She/He will tell you to meet her/him back at her/his
father's house and leave. Do as she/he suggests and you'll get another
experience reward. If you're a Paladin, Garren Windspear will suggest
that you return to the Most Noble order of the Radiant Heart. That's
right, it's another series of Stronghold quests coming up-but first,
let's see Firkraag off in fitting manner. Of course, if you're a Paladin
you should really do the Paladin Stronghold quests first, since dealing
with Firkraag is part of that string of quests. On the other hand, if
your protagonist isn't a Paladin, you have no reason to bother, just go
fight Firkraag now.
***REWARD***
(For freeing Iltha/Taar)
EXP 23750
***REWARD***
(For returning back to the Windspear Cabin after rescuing Iltha/Taar)
EXP 44500 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
36) Standard Dragon fight rules apply: spell buff to the max, and
include spells like Protection from Fire to your normal preparations.
Firkraag's breath is no laughing matter. Fireshield (Red) and Aura of
Flaming Death are also good defenses against this scourge. Other than
that.. summon whatever critters you have, the more targets, the better.
Edwin/Imoen equips the Ring of Fire Resistance or Ring of Fire Control
so there's at least a chance that they'll survive Firkraag's breath-but
they should be kept back, in any case. Surround Firkraag liberally, for
several reasons. First, he'll almost certainly use Remove Magic, and the
fewer characters this hits, the better off you'll be. Second, when
pressed he'll wing buffet, and the fewer characters knocked back, the
better off you'll be. Third, it'll keep him from hitting everybody with
his breath weapon, and the fewer... well, you know. Imoen/Edwin and my
main character start out with Lower Resistance, followed by Greater
Malison, hopefully making him more vulnerable to the Silver Sword,
Celestial Fury, Flail of the Ages, or Finger of Death. Unfortunately,
with such powerful summons, good start-up defenses, and Whirlwind
Attacks, Firkraag does little more than roll over and die.
When he falls, loot his carcass for some truly epic loot. He'll leave
behind some Red Dragon Scales, Carsomyr +5, a Holy Avenger that will
serve Keldorn for the rest of the game, a Cloak of the Shield, a Scroll
of Simulacrum, a Gold ring, and 1500 gold. Keldorn gleefully equips
Carsomyr +5 and gains a +50% bonus to his magic resistance. Re-equip his
amulet and it raises to its rightful 60%. Three more Dispel Magic spells
and the ability to Dispel a target every hit further enhances Keldorn's
innate Mage-killing powers, and the +5 damage against chaotic evil foes
helps him punish the baddest of baddies. As an added bonus, selling off
all the magical (but not useful) loot I found in this Sequence I earned
another 8000 gold.
***ENHANCED EDITION***
Firkraag, like most Enhanced Edition Dragons, is now much more fond of
Remove Magic and Dispel Magic than they were in the vanilla game. You
can also expect Enhanced Edition Dragons to buff themselves with Haste.
These tactics were employed in the vanilla game, but now pretty much
every Dragon will use them, and often. You can try to counter their
Haste, but your options are limited. If you try to use Remove Magic,
you'll have to contend with their caster level, which almost certainly
out-matches yours by enough to make the spell useless. Of all the
characters you have, Haer'Dalis might be the most likely to succeed at
it, considering how quickly a Bard levels. Edwin, Imoen, and my
protagonists, however, need to look towards other spells. Slow should
come to mind, but even at a -4 save, they're likely to make the save...
and that's if you get past their Magic Resistance. If you brought the
latter down with Lower Resistance, it might be worth the time, but
ultimately, this is better served for when you have plenty of prepared
Spell Triggers (two Lower Resistances and a Greater Malison) and
Spell Sequencers (three Slow spells), or you can cast Time Stop to cast
three spells in sequence. This takes time, however, and considering
that Dragons will constantly bring up Stoneskin and Protection From
Magic Weapon spells, you'll probably need to reserve your Mage's
precious time for repeated castings of Breach.
***VIDEO***
Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition -
Firkraag {VID006}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=245FC0J5C84
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
37) Before we run off and fight the good fight with the Paladins of the
Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart.. or do whatever else there is to
do if you're not a Paladin... let's pay Cromwell another visit. With the
Red Dragon Scales and 5000 gold, Cromwell will forge for you the Red
Dragon Scale Armor. With it's Armor Class of -1, and inherent 50%
resistance to fire, it's some of the better armor in the game. In
Shadows of Amn, it allowed you to wear another magical item with it-like
a Ring or Protection. However, in Throne of Bhaal the developers fixed
the oversight (after all, if the Shadow Dragon Scale Armor didn't allow
it, why should the Red Dragon Scale Armor?) I give this armor to
Korgan in the evil party, or Anomen in the good party. In the good
party, Keldorn doesn't need the fire resistance (due to his high
magic resistance) but he does need the armor class from the Armor of
the Hart +3. In the evil party, Viconia likewise doesn't need the fire
resistance, and in either case, I'm comfortable just leaving the
Gorgon Plate +4 on Jaheira. You can also turn your Ankheg Husk into
Ankheg Plate Mail for 5000 gold, although compared to the best armor in
Shadows of Amn, it's really lacking.
o======================================================================o
| Paladin Stronghold Quests |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK041}
1) Joining the Order
2) The Odd Couple
3) Saving the Knights
4) Publicity Stunt
5) Inconvenient Truth
6) Let Your 'Detect Evil' be Your Guide..
7) Last of the Morningales
8) An Imperfect Symbol
9) Reclaiming the Holy Avenger
High Hall of the Radiant Heart (AR0903)
o======================================================================o
1) Take Garren Windspear up on his offer and visit the High Hall of the
Radiant Heart (x=3300, y=3400) in the Temple District of Athkatla. Go
talk to Prelate Wessalen (x=350, y=590), who will direct you to one
William Reirrac (x=1180, y=1120). Your first task is actually quite
urgent, and he'll instruct you to leave within the hour. Ask about the
particulars and he'll talk about the conflict with the Sythillisian
Empire. Apparently all is not well, and one of the order outposts is
under attack. It's your job to go relieve the outpost and rescue the
Amnish garrison. You may have heard a bit about this war if you talked
to any Town Criers at any point. Of course, this is all meaningless
back-story if you're not a Paladin, but hey, if you are, it actually
has some bearing on the game. Who knew? Our destination is the Umar
Hills.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Note that on the way to or from the Order of the Radiant Heart you
may see the final segment of the Garrick-Lady Irlana romance if you've
experienced the two previous exchanges and haven't neglected to talk to
Cyrando when he was standing outside by himself. It seems that the
smooth gnome, Cyrando, has won Lady Irlana's heart. Garrick, according
to their accounts, got the consolation prize of one of the bridesmaids
at the wedding. Everybody wins!
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) When you arrive at the Umar Hills, you'll be greeted by one Sir
Alynar, who will take you to the site of the battle. The combatants
include two Ogre Mages, two Ettins, and several Orcs. Despite the
low-level spells of the Ogre Mages, you should attend to the Ettins,
first, as they are the greatest threat to your fellow Knights of the
Order. When all the baddies are dead Squire Elotte will speak to you
and thank you for your rescue, after which you'll get a small experience
reward.
***REWARD***
(For saving the garrison)
EXP 8000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Return to the High Hall of the Most Radiant Heart and report to Sir
William Reirrac. He'll be quite pleased with how things turned out
(provided you didn't let people die, that is) and will give you your
second mission. Some Baron Metrich wants some squatters removed from
his land, and it's our job to restore order. This is, of course, little
more than an over-glorified public relations stunt, but hey, a job's a
job.
***REWARD***
(For reporting your success to Sir William Reirrac)
EXP 10000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Now head back to the Umar Hills area again, where you'll find a man
named Crolus, who'll escort you to your meeting with Baron Metrich. He
points out that the Baron would rather you not talk to any of the
squatters along the way... which means that we probably should. Over at
(x=4150, y=2620) you'll find Moreno, who says that they did indeed
attack Metrich's men... after he burned their crops. He'll accuse
Metrich of being a newcomer, more interested with setting up private
hunting grounds than respecting the farmers of the land, and taxing,
burning, and raiding to get what he wants. Next talk to Brunson over at
(x=3950, y=2720) and Pardo over at (x=3900, y=2920). You'll get all
the points of view of the resistance, from the aggressive Moreno, the
moderate Brunson, and repentant Pardo.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) When you enter the bar, a lady named Lanka will speak to you, mostly
serving as a catalyst for the conversation with Metrich. Metrich will
demand that you remove the squatters, and if you decide to side with
him, they'll leave without a fight. This is one instance where there is
no moral ambiguity, however. Baron Metrich is evil, as a simple Detect
Evil will reveal, and siding with him will give you a sub-optimal
response from Sir William Reirrac. Confront him with the knowledge of
Metrich's antics, and Lanka will waver in her support of the Baron. As
you continue to press him, Metrich becomes more belligerent, and it's
obvious that he just wants to use the moral and military authority of
the order to effect the egress of the 'squatters' from lands he wants
to claim. When a fight breaks out, attack Sorcerous Amin, first. Being
the sole spellcaster in the enemy ranks, he's the obvious threat that
must be dealt with. I wonder if Sorcerous Amin is related to Sorcerous
Amon? Ah well, after he dies it becomes a straight melee, which is
just an unwinable situation for our foes. Sorcerous Amin will leave
behind a Scroll of Friends, Darts x20, a Quarter Staff, and 12 gold.
The Metrich Yeoman will leave behind some Arrows of Fire among other
junk, and Baron Metrich will leave behind a suit of Plate Mail Armor,
a Long Sword, and 7 gold. Yeah, yeah, our cup runneth over, right?
Return to Sir William Reirrac for the reward that you deserve.
***REWARD***
(For supporting Baron Metrich and running off the 'squatters')
EXP 15000
***REWARD***
(For supporting the 'squatters' and killing Baron Metrich)
EXP 25500
Note from Lee:
I just couldn't help but think of Cartman from South Park when Baron
Metrich exclaims "You will respect my authority!"
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Your next mission immediately follows. Sure, we get little time to
rest, but at least we don't have to wait a week between every mission
like those lazy Rangers. Anyways, the one decent family in Athkatla-the
Morningales-have paid a heavy price for opposing the slave trade that
runs rampant in the city: they've been murdered down to the last member.
The survivor, a shining bright example of her family's righteousness-
Tyrianna-is being put into your care until she can be smuggled from the
city. You need to go to the safehouse-a building in the Docks District
near the temple-and await her godparent, an upstanding man from Baldur's
Gate named Hurgis Baltezan.
Safehouse (AR0415)/(AR0416)
o======================================================================o
8) When you reach the Docks District, head into the house beside the
Temple of Oghma (x=3350, y=1050), where you'll be accosted by Franco,
the guy you're relieving. He'll hint at some problems with the job that
made him so edgy, but leave you to discover the particulars. When
Tyrianna shows up, she'll make the source of Franco's discomfort all too
clear. To put it simply, Tyrianna is a spoiled brat who has no business
being the symbol of morality she clearly doesn't embrace. After she bugs
you a second time, some Assassins will show up and attack, although
they're not very dangerous. After they're dead, Tyrianna has nothing
better to do but whine about the blood on the carpeting... and your lack
of cleanliness. She'll then try and leave, certain that her godparent is
outside. Send her upstairs and her godparent will show up, and you'll
find where she gets her brattiness from. Surely such an upstanding
figure wouldn't be so rude and confrontational? Of course, we have a way
to check if somebody is evil or not, don't we? Use Detect Evil and find
out if Hurgis Baltezan is, in fact, evil or not. If he is evil, don't
hand Tyrianna over to him, if he's not evil, hand her over, despite your
misgivings. You'll have to talk to Tyrianna, tell her either to stay
upstairs or go down to her godfather, then return downstairs and talk
to Hurgis one last time to either see them off (if he's not evil and
hence you sent Tyrianna down) or to tell him he's not getting Tyrianna
and thus provoke him to a fight (if he is evil). If you kill Hurgis
(the real one or the evil one), you'll get some experience for it when
you talk to Tyrianna and tell her, but if you killed the real (non-evil)
Hurgis you'll be expelled from the Order when you talk to Sir William.
Likewise if you give Tyrianna to an evil Hurgis, you'll find out that
he was an imposter and that Tyrianna was killed, and you'll be kicked
out of the Order. So let's not do that, hmm? Once you're done, return
to Sir William Reirrac, who will reward you with a Large Shield +2 and
the Pride of the Leigon +2, armor with a decent Armor Class of -1.
Still, it has no other redeeming qualities, and the Armor of the Hart,
the Red Dragon Scale, and the Gorgon Plate are all better than it. Note
that if you encountered an evil Hurgis, you'll get a better reward than
if you did not. It's not fair, and it's really just luck whether you get
the real Hurgis or an impersonator, but that's the way it is.
***ITEMS*** (AR0416)
(x=400, y=200) Mace, Potion of Heroism, Jasper Gem
***REWARD***
(For being paranoid and killing Hurgis Baltezan)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For delivering Tyrianna into Hurgis' care)
Item Pride of the Leigon +2
Item Large Shield +2
***REWARD***
(For exposing the Hurgis impersonator and protecting Tyrianna)
EXP 25000
Item Pride of the Leigon +2
Item Large Shield +2
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Now that you're such a well-respected and obviously potent Paladin,
Sir William Reirrac gives you one last task-the Red Dragon of the
Windspear Hills is an abomination that must be destroyed. Being evil is
bad enough, but the overgrown iguana also has a Holy Avenger as part of
his horde-and it's up to you to retrieve this priceless holy weapon.
For information on how to stomp Firkraag, see Step #36 in the previous
Sequence. when you return to Sir William Reirrac, he'll reward you by...
well, praising you and letting you keep the Holy Avenger, Carsomyr +5.
You'll also get some experience to sweeten the deal.
***REWARD***
(For recovering the Holy Avenger from Firkraag)
EXP 35000
o======================================================================o
| Illithids Under Athkatla |
| (Obtaining Crom Faeyr) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK042}
1) Who Dares Wins
2) Illithids Under Athkatla
3) Murdering Mind Flayers
4) Claiming the Prize
5) Crom Faeyr
Sewers (AR0701)
o======================================================================o
1) Now that we have the Sewer Key (which we obtained from Tazok) there
is another quest we can do in Athkatla. Head to the Temple District and
make your way down to the sewers. Way back in the FAQ we defeated a
group of adventurers down here. Near where they were you'll find a
secret door (x=1900, y=450) which can only be opened with this key.
It's kind of cryptic, and the game only tells you that the key opens
something in the sewers, so it's got to lead to good stuff, right?
Enter and head down a tunnel. The bodies along the way are a hopeful
sign, as is the 'psychic force' that blasts you. This is the game
warning you to tread lightly. After the Twisted Rune and Firkraag,
however, what do we really have to fear in Shadows of Amn? Head up the
stairs at (x=2600, y=200)
Illithid Stronghold (AR0711)
o======================================================================o
2) You'll arrive at an area that has some... unfortunately familiar
decoration. That's right, Illithids. Head through the door to the west
(x=2150, y=1100) to reach a room containing a number of baddies,
including some Adventurers (an Assassin, two Fighters, two Archers,
a Mage, and a Cleric), an Umber Hulk, and a Mind Flayer. I run up with
my protagonist, let them see me, and run back to the entrance. Protected
by Chaotic Commands, Stoneskin, and the Cloak of Mirroring, he really
doesn't have to worry about reprisal. My party waits for the enemies in
the first room and the enemies typically bottleneck themselves in the
hallway leading to it. An Insect Swarm largely settle matters, although
I'm not above using Chaos, as well, to ensure complete victory. When the
Illithid and Umber Hulk show themselves I hit them with a Death Spell
and hope for the best. If the Mind Flayer is still kicking, I have most
of my party shoot at it, while my protagonist casts Mirror Image and
engages in melee. When they're all dead, loot for some minor trinkets-
the Assassin has a Short Sword +1, and the Cleric will drop a suit of
Plate Mail Armor.
Note from Lee:
If you still have the Brine Potions from the Illithid City quest (in the
Underdark) they come in real handy here, and for the next few steps, as
do the Control Circlets. I render my whole party immune to psionics with
the potions, and my main character and Keldorn use the Control Circlets
on a couple of the Mind Flayers, turning them into allies. Makes this
entire section a cake-walk, and When you're done with your new allies,
you can simply kill them. I send my protagonist and Keldorn, immune to
the various psionics and other mind affecting magics, ahead alone to
kill off all the Mind Flyers, etc, then bring the rest of the party up
room by room.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Now go through the door at (x=1700, y=900) and continue down a tunnel
through another door at (x=950, y=950). Beyond the latter door you'll
find a large and imposing collection of Mind Flayers, Ulitharids, and
Umber Hulks. I hit them with a double shot of Death Spell (after all,
time isn't of the essence as much as it may have been back in the
Illithid City, I can rest as much as I damn well please) and lure them
back into the previous room. Fighting groups of Mind Flayers is always
tricky, but with the better ranged weapons we have now, it's less of
an ordeal for my protagonist to keep them occupied long enough to kill
them. With my evil protagonist, I can't avoid a good game of hit-and-
run, and Illithid lairs seem to be well-built for such endeavors. If
you're too timid for such fun, however, simply using defensive spells
and ranged weapons works fine for either party.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Another room, another pair of doors (x=600, y=1000), (x=450, y=650)
beyond which lie another group of Mind Flayers and Umber Hulks-this
time led by an Alhoon, and undead Illithid spellcaster. It'll spell-
buff itself before attacking, and that's about the only difference I
noticed. Again, I provoke them with my protagonist and run back to
the room where my party is entrenched, where they shoot anything that
moves. Imoen hits the Alhoon with a Breach, and I then proceed to shoot
it down as normal. Just because it's new doesn't mean it has to be
challenging, right? Ideally only a few creatures chase me at a time,
but even if they attack in a group, my protagonist can certainly block
them off at the doorway while my party shoots them down. I've always
got Blur, Mirror Image, and Improved Invisibility to help protect
against the Illithid Intelligence drain. When everything it dead, loot
the fountain in the middle of the room the Alhoon was in for some
choice gear. The note pretty much just says you've foiled whatever
plans the Illithids had, it doesn't lead us on another quest or
anything, so let's look at the loot. The Wand of Wonder is... well, the
game warns you that it's unpredictable in its description. I've tried
to determine what it does as best as my interest and patience would
allow, but the bottom line is, if you ever feel that you might need to
use the Wand of Wonder in a fight, all is not well, you may as well
just reload and try again. More information on it is in the Item
section of the FAQ [ITM006]. The best that can be said about it is the
fact that it sells for the absurd price of 15000 gold, making it one of
the more valuable items in the game. Of course, the price will drop
afterwards, making it a poor choice for the sell/steal exploit, but for
a one-time sell, it doesn't get much better than this. The Hammer of
Thunderbolts +3 is a +3 Warhammer that was meant to be used in tandem
with the Hands of Takkok and a girdle of giant Strength. With it in
hand, let's pay Cromwell another visit...
***ITEMS***
(x=400, y=350) Hammer of Thunderbolts +3, Wand of Wonder,
Illithid Correspondence, 8 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) With the Hammer of Thunderbolts, the Hands of Takkok, the Girdle of
Frost Giant Strength, and the Crom Faeyr Scroll, Cromwell can forge the
best hammer in the entire game-Crom Faeyr. Of course, you're sacrificing
two Strength-boosting items for a Hammer, but we'll find replacements in
time. This weapon instantly kills Stone Golems, Clay Golems, Ettins, and
Trolls in a single hit, and raises the wielder's Strength to 25-the
highest value in the game. For either Anomen or Korgan, it doesn't get
any better than this. Korgan now may as well switch to a two weapon
fighting style, if you've been making him proficient like I suggested-
the Strength boost far outweighs the Armor Class bonus he'd gain from a
shield... and Jaheira will have to wait a little before she gets another
Strength-boosting item. Anomen simply slips Crom Faeyr on and is set for
the rest of the game, and Keldorn is left without a Strength-boosting
item... although Keldorn in the good party, with his 17 Strength,
weathers it better than Jaheira in the evil party does, with her 15
Strength. Now that we're done with that, there are more quests we can
do-quests of a magical nature. Prepare Limited Wish and get ready to
have some more fun.
o======================================================================o
| Limited Wish Quests |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK043}
1) I Wish to be Rich
2) I Wish to be Anything I Desire
3) I Wish to be Prepared for Anything
4) I Wish to be More Experienced
5) I Wish for a Powerful Magical Item
6) I Wish that All My Enemies Will Die
7) I Wish to See All as it Really is
8) I Wish for Control Over Time
9) I Wish for an Adventure...
10) The Gong Dispute
11) Roger's Troll Trade
12) Roughing Up Grae
13) Bartering with Drush
14) ...Like None I've Ever Experienced Before
1) Calling these steps part of some 'quest' is largely inaccurate, but
it's something to do, and do it we shall. We all know and love Limited
Wish. It gives us Negative Plane Protection without being all arrogant
like Wish is. Cast it, and when the Dao appears, ask for a one-time
wish. Let's get the less interesting wishes out of the way first. If
you wish to be rich, the Dao will give you an Emerald, a Black Opal,
a Pearl, a Horn Coral gem and 2000 gold. Not bad.
Note: Some wish options require the caster to possess a certain Wisdom
score in order to select them... I assume because a less-wise caster
wouldn't have the common sense to ask for control over time? In any
event, of the Mages you have available for you, Nalia has the worst
Wisdom (with a score of 9), so I won't bother looking for Wisdom
requirements below that number... even this laughably low Wisdom score
allows you to make the first four wishes (steps 1-4), as well as the
quest-related wish (steps 9-14). If you find your Wisdom to be lacking,
quaff a Potion of Insight before casting Limited Wish... it'll give you
all the Wisdom you need, and then some.
Wisdom Requirement: 9+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) If you wish to be 'anything you desire', you'll get the ability to
shapechange into a Mind Flayer, an Iron Golem, a Giant Troll, a Greater
Wolfwere, a Fire Elemental, and an Earth Elemental. This will last
until the next time you rest... or at least for a span of several hours.
If anything, it's interesting to see the attributes and resistances of
various enemies, for what good it does you. This is just a replication
of the 9th-level spell, Shapechange. Using one-time wishes to duplicate
9th level spells will, unfortunately, be a common feature of this spell.
Wisdom Requirement: 9+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) If you wish to be prepared for anything, the Dao will just allow you
to cast another 9th-level spell, Chain Contingency. Excited? I didn't
think so. This must have been more interesting to players back before
Throne of Bhaal came out-when the only way you could cast 9th-level
spells was off a scroll, or via Limited Wish.
Wisdom Requirement: 9+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Before you wish to be more experienced, go somewhere with narrow
hallways, passages, or something similar. I prefer the roofs over
Mae'Var's Guildhall, personally. I separate Imoen/Edwin from the rest
of the party, use this wish while standing on the narrow walk-ways and
bridges on the roof of Mae'Var's Guildhall, then when the Dao summons
some Golems-a Sand Golem, an Adamantite Golem, and a Juggernaut Golem
at my level-I re-equip the Staff of the Magi to quickly become
invisible and rejoin the rest of the party. I then lure the two smaller
Golems to the party, where they are dispatched without much trouble.
Once the little ones are dead, I return with all my characters who have
a decent ranged weapon and easily dispatch the helpless Adamantite
Golem. Fight well and experience you will earn, indeed.
Wisdom Requirement: 9+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Continue to be greedy and wish for a powerful magical item with your
next wish. This time you'll gain a suit of Full Plate Mail +2, which is
nice, if not terribly useful anymore. Why didn't I tell you to do this
earlier? Even with a lot of questing prior to heading off to rescue
Imoen, I barely had more than 1,000,000 experience before heading off
to Spellhold. At that point in the game, we're imminently ready to
obtain the Drow arms and armor that will see us through most of the
Underdark. By the time we reached the surface, we had Gorgon Plate and
Armor of the Hart. By the time you have enough experience for this wish,
you're largely past needing it... unless, of course, you're an over-
achieving evil party.
Wisdom Requirement: 11+
Note from Lee:
What a piece of crap - this armor only sells for 30 gold.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) If you wish for all your enemies to die, the Dao will allow you to
cast Wail of the Banshee. Again, another one-time only 9th-level spell.
Next.
Wisdom Requirement: 12+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) And for a change of pace, if you wish to see all as it really is,
you'll be given another pair of Glasses of Identification. Easily the
best item you'll get from wishing, having a second pair is pretty
cool... Although it's a bit unnecessary to have another
infinitely-rechargable item. Still, if you don't mind the inventory
clutter, you'll really never need to bother with preparing another
Identify spell. Note that the game will only 'read' the charges of the
first set of Glasses of Identification in your inventory... the first
being those furthest to the left. After using three charges, the
'Scroll' option will be greyed out, as if you had no more charges to
use. Simply swap the spent set of glasses with the fresh ones to use
the other three charges.
Wisdom Requirement: 12+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) By wishing to have control over time the Dao will cast Time Stop.
It functions just like the 9th level spell we'll be abusing later.
Honestly, I never found a situation so dire that I needed to use a
one-time-only 7th-level spell to duplicate the effects of a 9th-level
spell.
Wisdom Requirement: 14+
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Now wish for 'an adventure like none I've ever experience before.'
Shortly after casting the spell, a glass bottle will roll into your
foot, and the note inside will give us our wished-for quest. Read the
note, from one Captain Dennis, which politely asks someone named
Vittorio to return some gong. Since the note names Delosar's Inn, we
might as well start our search there.
Wisdom Requirement: 9+
Delosar's Inn (AR0513)/(AR0514)/(AR0515)
o======================================================================o
10) Head over to the Bridge District, where you'll find Vittorio over
at (x=1820, y=2870). He'll ask you to shake down Captain Dennis, who
offered to pay off his bartap in return for gong lessons. Gong
lessons? Anyways, agree to help him and head into Delosar's Inn
(x=2050, y=3050). Inside you'll find out that Vittorio did indeed teach
Captain Dennis some of the finer points of... ah... gong playing, but
before finishing the lessons he ran off with Captain Dennis' mother's
gong-a valuable family heirloom, apparently-and traded it for booze
money. Vittorio meekly asks you to go find this gong and make things
even. He sold it to a fence named Roger, who hangs out in the sewers.
Don't worry about looting Delosar's Inn right now-seeing as how the
Mercenaries of Riatvin will go hostile and call the guards if they
catch you-but we can pick some locks for cheap experience.
***ITEMS***
(AR0513)
(x=100, y=650) Iol Gem
(AR0515)
(x=400, y=550) Scroll of Fireshield (Red)
(x=400, y=420) 9 gold
Sewers (AR0701)
o======================================================================o
11) Return to the Temple District and crawl back into the sewers
(x=2550, y=2620). Wait, weren't we just here? Ah well.. short-sighted
stupid FAQ-writer... anyways, go find our old pal Roger at his usual
spot (x=1690, y=2300). Since we already helped him with his Sea Troll,
Roger will readily tell us where the gong is-he sold it to a Troll
Shaman named Grae, who lives in the Troll Mound outside of Trademeet.
How...? Why...? Ah hell, nevermind. To the Druid Grove!
Druid Grove (AR1900)
o======================================================================o
12) At (x=1330, y=2200) you'll find Grae, and the fact that she starts
out hostile should clue you in to the fact that you're going to need to
beat the quest progress out of her. Do so, and she'll capitulate,
promising to tell you where the gong is. She'll tell you that she sold
it to an Ogre Magi named Drush, who lives in a tower to the north-east.
Note from Lee:
Make sure you don't accidentally kill Grae before she speaks again and
tells you where the gong is. If you do, then Drush will not be in the
tower, and you'll have no way to retrieve the gong.
Ogre Tower (AR1905)
o======================================================================o
13) Ever wonder why that place where we found Belm was called the
'Ogre's Tower'? Because of this little quest, of course. Head over to
the tower (x=4800, y=1200), inside of which you'll find Drush, who is
rather sensible and peaceful for an Ogre Mage. Be nice to him, and he'll
be nice in return. He wants a Wand of Frost in return for Dennis'
Mother's Gong, which he uses to shovel dung. If you have one, hand it
over for an experience reward, if not just kill him and take the gong.
He tends to drop some jewelry (I got a Laeral's Tear Necklace from him)
as well, making it worth your while. Of course, if it's still around you
can always trade that Wand of Frost we found in Irenicus' Dungeon, which
only has one charge left anyways. If you're extra stingy you can always
make the trade, then kill Drush, take your wand back, (and whatever loot
he has besides) and have the best of both worlds. He will mention
Adratha as a possible source for a wand of Frost if you don't have one,
but I have long since resolved that quest, and didn't care to postpone
it until I could cast this spell, in any case.
***REWARD***
(For trading a Wand of Frost to Drush for Dennis' Mother's Gong)
EXP 12250
Item Dennis' Mother's Gong
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Return to Delosar's Inn and give Captain Dennis back his... gently
used... gong. He'll be appreciative enough to drop his trouble with
Vittario, and pay off half of the drunkard's tab. Actually, that's
pretty nice of him, considering. You'll also get a decent reward,
including the Boomerang Dagger +2, which is a weaker substitute for the
Fire Tooth +3. If I have both Jaheira and Edwin in a party, I'm rather
disposed towards having him use this weapon, while Jaheira uses Fire
Tooth +3, which I consider to be the best weapon for her in Shadows of
Amn. If you don't have Edwin, or have already obtained the Crimson
Dart +3, then this weapon is completely useless. In any event, you can
now loot this level of Delosar's Inn.
***ITEMS**
(x=170, y=400) Scroll of Identify
(x=270, y=330) 8 gold
(x=400, y=500) War Hammer, Arrows x20, 91 gold
***REWARD***
(For reuniting Captain Dennis and his... gong)
EXP 16500 (each character)
Gold 1500
Item Boomerang Dagger +2
o======================================================================o
| Exploring Outside of Athkatla |
| (North Forest, Small Teeth Pass, Forest of Tethir) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK044}
1) Exploring the Forests of Amn
2) Genie Grave Guardians
3) The Best Defense is a Good Spell Rush
4) Other Beasties in the North Forest
5) Slaughter in Small Teeth Pass
6) More Mists
7) Tree Traveling
8) The Mana Bow
9) Wyvern Cultists
10) A Quest from the Past (That Doesn't Rhyme...)
11) Mist Cabin
12) Love Triangle
1) Now, as I'm sure you've already noticed, since we returned to the
surface there have been a few forest areas around Trademeet for us to
explore. Now's the time to go deal with these areas, and the order in
which I will cover them is the North Forest, Small Teeth Pass, and the
Forest of Tethir. We've postponed these areas for now mostly because...
well, generally they're not that interesting, with a few exceptions,
and they're certainly not nearly as lucrative as the quests that
earned us Carsomyr, the Red Dragon Scale Armor, and Crom Faeyr. I use
Imoen (safely rendered invisible by the Staff of the Magi) to explore.
My evil protagonist can, of course, do the job for her party.
North Forest (AR1800)
o======================================================================o
2) When you arrive in the North Forest, head south and you'll find an
Efreet and a Dao defending a sarcophagus. Kill them (yet another area
where the Wave +4 comes in handy) and loot the sarcophagus.
Alternatively, if you arrive here at night you could find a pair of
Vampires guarding the sarcophagus.
***ITEMS***
(x=1550, y=520) Skydrop Gem x2, Gold Necklace,
Scroll of Spell Sequencer, Scroll of Stone to Flesh,
Scroll of Protection from Undead, 73 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Just a short walk to the south-west you'll find an unsavory group of
adventurers including a Mage, a Priest of Cyric, an Orog Mercenary, an
Archer, a Duergar, a Thief (who starts out invisible, and is using the
'Detect Illusion' Thief skill to keep you honest), a Mist Mephit, and a
Skeleton Warrior. Even though they can technically see through
illusions, this doesn't stop us from getting a telling first-strike, as
we can safely target the ground near them, without bringing them into
view. We need to be careful of one thing with this fight-the Mage has
in his possession a Scroll of Time Stop, which he will use if given the
chance. While this probably won't lead to your defeat, it's bad enough
that this moron will waste such a valuable scroll. A simple solution?
By now, you should be able to cast Incendiary Cloud. Prepare one, and
equip the Staff of the Magi to turn your Mage invisible. Cast
Incendiary Cloud at the edge of your sight-radius, just without having
any of the enemies on the screen. Re-equip the Staff of the Magi to
go invisible again, and wait for the Incediary Cloud to do its work.
With any luck, none of the enemies will be able to detect you, and
they will all stand around stupidly in the middle of the spell and
die... save for the Skeleton Warrior, who will probably just be immune
to the spell. Their gear is as follows (allowing for discrepancies,
depending on how much ammunition they used and how many potions they
drank):
Archer: Hide Armor, Acid Arrows x6, Arrows +2 x20, Arrows of Ice x10,
Potion of Insight, Dagger, Shortbow and 1 gold.
Duergar: Splint Mail, Helmet, Medium Shield.
Mage: Mage Robe of Cold Resistance, Wand of Paralyzation,
Scroll of Time Stop and a Quarterstaff.
Mercenary: Full Plate Mail, Lynx Eye Gem, Two Handed Sword +2 and 20
gold.
Priest of Cyric: Plate Mail +1, Mace +1, Bullet x40, Mace and a Sling.
Thief: Leather Armor, Potion of Invisibility x3, Potion of Healing x3,
and a Dagger +2.
The big gain of this fight is the Scroll of Time Stop. You have now
obtained two-one for Edwin/Imoen, and one for your protagonist, if
applicable.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) On other playthroughs, I've found a Greater Wyvern to the south.
Also, east of that I've encountered a group of Trolls (two Trolls and
two Ice Trolls) or a pack of mists (including Vampiric Mists, Poison
Mists, and Crimson Deaths). Hooray for random encounters! Stupid
mists...
Small Teeth Pass (AR1700)
o======================================================================o
5) This area is just a collection of low-to-mid level encounters, none
of which give any noteworthy loot. I have encountered Wolfweres, groups
of mists (including Vampiric Mists, Crimson Death, and Mist Horrors), a
group of Shadows (including Wraiths, Shadows, and Shadow Fiends) and
Ankhegs. Explore as much as you care to, and kill whatever you find.
Forest of Tethir (AR2600)
o======================================================================o
6) You'll enter this area in the middle of the northern edge of the map.
Just south from where we start I encountered another group of damned
mists, including two Poison Mists, a Mist Horror, a Vampiric Mist, and
two Crimson Deaths. By now, we know how I'm going to deal with this-my
protagonist leads and smites them all... protected against their level
drain by the Amulet of Power.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) After that group is dead, note that the way to the east is blocked by
a giant tree. This is the case for much of the area, so head west from
where you found the mists to find another fallen tree blocking the way,
this one perpendicular to the one in the east. You can get on top of
this western tree, however, by walk up another, smaller tree. When all
else fails, just find accessible areas by moving your cursor around.
With any luck, just click on accessible areas and let pathfinding do
the work for you. (The tree-bridge you're looking for to get on top of
the larger tree to the west is at roughly (x=2400, y=1620). On top of
this tree you'll encounter more mists, and some local wildlife-for me
this was a Panther and some Spiders.)
Cave (AR2602)
o======================================================================o
8) If you go south along the trunk-then use a smaller fallen tree as a
bridge to the east-you'll reach the mysterious land beyond the large
fallen tree that blocked our passage to the east. Another pair of Mists
block my way, and a group of Orcs were milling around outside of a
shelter built into a hill (x=4500, y=2200). Head inside and loot the
pool (x=400, y=800) to obtain some loot including the Mana Bow +4, the
best Long Bow in Shadows of Amn.
***ITEMS***
(x=400, y=800) Bullets +2 x10, Darts of Wounding x10, Mana Bow +4
Note from Lee:
I found a group of about a half-dozen Kua-Toa in here, including a Mage
and a Shaman. The first group was in the north-east part of the area,
and the second appeared when I returned to the main chamber.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Return to the huge western tree that bisects the level. It is in
turn covered by smaller trees, which serve as bridges to the west. There
is one to the south (near the middle of the level) and one to the north.
The lower tree leads to more bridge-trees, which in turn leads to a lot
of dead ends, wasted time, and perhaps a few more mists. The only
notable encounter along the southern branch is a pair of Wyvern Cultists
(one warrior and one Mage) a Baby Wyvern, and one Greater Wyvern. The
Mage will drop a Quarter Staff +1, and 32 gold, while the warrior will
leave behind a suit of Studded Leather Armor +2, a Spear +2, and
30 gold.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) On the other hand, the northern-most tree-bridge to the west will
lead to a Cabin, near which we'll find our old friend Coran
(x=830, y=1130). He'll tell you that his love, Safana (remember her?)
was kidnapped by a pack of Wolfweres, and that he needs your help to
save her. Since Coran and Safana were some of the less useless NPCs in
Baldur's Gate 1, I'll oblige them.
Cabin (AR2603)
o======================================================================o
11) First, however, let's loot the Cabin he was near (x=600, y=900).
After all, I'm sure those Wolfweres are the patient sort of
lycanthropes. I only send my protagonist in (along with Dorn if you
have him, and perhaps Anomen/Viconia, if we got the Mace of
Disruption +2 earlier), because the Cabin is filled with Mists. Two Mist
Horrors, two Vampiric Mists, a Wandering Horror, and three Crimson
Deaths will greet you. My protagonist promptly uses Daystar to smite
them... or to smite some of them, and put many on the brink of smitten.
You could cast Limited Wish and get Negative Plane Protection for your
whole party before going in, but since some of the critters use Chaos
(not to mention fear, stun, and all the other effects that make us love
Mists), I find it less of a headache to just head in with my
protagonist, who-with a dose of Chaotic Commands-is immune to everything
they can throw at me... save physical damage, and there's always
Stoneskin. Loot the profitable Cabin, then leave. Note that you can
enter the Cabin individually, but to leave you have the bring the party
in. Weird.
***ITEMS*** (AR2600)
(x=370, y=1000) Jade Ring
(AR2601)
(x=150, y=350) Potion of Healing x3
(x=100, y=370) Bullet +1 x10, Bullet +2 x20
(x=500, y=150) Potion of Extra Healing x3, Potion of Healing x2
(x=200, y=170) Chain Mail +2, Wand of Lightning, Potion of Healing x2
Potion of Extra Healing x3, 75 gold
(x=250, y=150) Large Shield +1, Bolt +1 x10, Bolt +2 x20
(x=350, y=100) Long Bow +1, Arrows +2 x10, Arrow of Biting x3,
Arrow of Piercing x2, Arrows x20
***TRAPS***
(x=200, y=170)
(x=250, y=150)
(x=350, y=100)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Now we're ready to go rescue Safana. Head over to the area marked on
your map as the Wolfwere Camp... you know, where you entered the level.
You'll find the Wolfweres, who are lead by one Lanfear, and Safana is
indeed there, apparently their captive. Of course, Safana is only too
eager to see you... and not in a good way. Apparently she has made some
deal with a 'wizard' who will pay the pack dearly for our demise. At
this point in the game, I can only think of one wizard that would be
quite so eager for our demise... it seems Safana has thrown her hand
against us in a manner which historically leads to a swift and bloody
death. Coran, on the other hand, shows up and seems quite opposed to
the idea. Unfortunately for Safana, Lanfear has his own goals-he doesn't
care about us, only that Safana said that *Coran* would bring us. Things
proceed the only natural way: with the death of everything and everyone
opposed to us. Lanfear kills Safana, then makes a proposition to Coran
which is ultimately refused. Lanfear goes hostile and attacks Coran,
and if you're quick you can kill Lanfear and her Wolfweres before Coran
falls. This feat is much easier if you take the time between the
conversations (during Safana's death) to move up between Lanfear and
Coran. I also cast Improved Invisibility on Coran between the
conversations (or at least got the spell started), reducing his
likelihood to become a target. After the fight Coran will thank you,
and decide to drown his sorrows with wine and women. He'll be fine.
o======================================================================o
| Dorn's Bloody Path, Part I |
| (Secure Dorn) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK045}
1) Wedding Crashers
2) Butchering Bollard
3) Interrogating Guardian Telwyn
4) Sacking the Helmite Camp
5) Retribution
6) Summerhigh's Woes
7) Wildlife Eradication
8) Bridges Over the Gorge
9) Treadsoft and Yarrow
10) Sundered Summoning Circle
11) Winterbrook's Summoning Stone
12) Winterbrook's Cave
13) Magnificent Fil's Crystal Request
14) Killing Corrupted Ankhegs
15) Fil and Xachrimos' Summoning Stones
16) The Sacrifice
17) Power or Freedom?
High Hall of the Radiant Heart (OH5000)
o======================================================================o
1) Enter the High Hall of the Radiant Heart (x=3330, y=3400). Inside
you'll be harassed by a doorman-say you're with the bride to avoid
any trouble here. Beyond the door to the north-east awaits the 'Bride's
Brother', who is more difficult to fool. If you pick a fight, you'll
lose two points of reputation. If you capitulate and try to head through
the door to the north-east at (x=900, y=1300) you'll lose reputation.
Whatever you do, a fight, and reputation loss, is inevitable. Kill him
and the nearby Guards, which will help alleviate our reputation woes
by dropping suits of Plate Mail Armor, some gold, and Short Swords,
while the Bride's Brother will drop a Long Sword +1 and 15 gold.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Continue through the door to the north-east to reach the wedding
ceremony. Here you actually have some options-most of them lead to
Dorn and Bollard facing off. Options #1 and #1 will pit the wedding
party against itself before leading to the show-off, while other options
will just start a general melee... ultimately it doesn't really matter
what you do, because after defeating Bollard, Dorn'll direct the rest
of the party to continue the slaughter. So, you end up killing
everybody regardless, your dialogue options just determine how many
you fight at once. After the slaughter Dorn will talk to you-confirm
your desire to continue working together, then get to looting. Bollard
will drop a suit of Plate Mail Armor, a Mace +1 and 67 gold. Another
guest will drop a Flail +1, and others have Potions of Extra Healing,
Bottles of Wine, and gold.
After completing this quest, you should have bought yourself a good
deal of time as far as Dorn is concerned. For the sake of continuity
we'll continue with his quests in the next Step, but you should really
go complete other quests in the meantime. You'll need the experience and
gear. I had about three weeks in between Dorn's first murder and his
second, during which time I was able to complete everything up until
[WLK020].
Note: The High Hall of the Radiant Heart (OH5000) used in Dorn's first
quest is a different version than the normal area (AR0903) wherein
you'll be able to start some quests, not to mention where you'll be
able to find Keldorn if you don't take him along with you during the
Unseeing Eye quest. After crashing the wedding, the original area will
not be available until you start the next phase of Dorn's quest.
Up next is the Unseeing Eye quest, which is billed as a good party
quest, due to Keldorn's involvement. If you've been following along
chronologically, well, adjust your party as necessary. Good parties
who are following along should drop all the evil characters they've
picked up, since we don't need them at the present. On the other hand,
if you want to keep the party the way it is now or otherwise don't care
to get Anomen and Keldorn either tackle the Unseeing Eye quest without
them or skip ahead to the Astral Prison Quests [WLK013]. For an evil
party, it's a great time to deal with the Copper Coronet quests we've
ignored earlier [WLK036]. The gear and money earned from the Copper
Coronet will make the Unseeing Eye quest go by much easier, in any
event.
Temple of Helm (AR0901)
o======================================================================o
3) After a good long while Dorn'll bug you again. His patron wants
another goody freak dead, this time a Paladin named Terpfen. Sadly,
Dorn doesn't know where Terpfen is, but he knows who knows where he
is. Uh. Right. I typed that right. We need to talk to Guardian Telwyn
at the Temple of Helm, who is our knower. Head over to the Temple of
Helm, wherein you'll immediately find yourself talking to Dorn. Say
whatever and you'll find yourself in a room interrogating Guardian
Telwyn. It doesn't really matter what dialogue options you choose here-
the end is the same. You end up killing Guardian Telwyn. If he doesn't
end up talking beforehand, you can find the location of Terpfen from
Telwyn's Note, which he'll be kind enough to leave behind.
Note: You might want to avoid doing this quest until after The Unseeing
Eye [WLK009] and Clerical Competition [WLK037], as Guardian Telwyn will
be giving us a few tasks complete (if you're neutral-aligned)...
Something he obviously can't do if he's dead. If Dorn's questline has
progressed to this point, you can prevent him from confronting Telwyn by
simply not bringing him into the temple with you. After you've dealt
with the Dawn Ring quest, you should have no further use for Telwyn. If
you're not neutral-aligned, Telwyn won't be giving you these quests,
hence you need not worry about him.
Helmite Camp (OH5300)
o======================================================================o
4) Seems like our quarry can be found outside of Athkatla. To get out
of the city, in case you haven't done so before, you need to head to
the City Gates District (AR0020) and exit out the gate (x=1070, y=170).
Once done click on the 'Helmite Camp'. Once you arrive, rest, spell
buff, and head forward. You'll be challenged by a 'Helmite Sentry',
and Dorn will show off his great Half-Orc diplomacy. You'll be taken
into the camp, where you and Dorn will get to talk to the Helmite
Sentry, Hokkney of Tyr, and Guardian Terpfen. Seems Dorn's reputation
preceeded him, and Hokkney wants him dead. Terpfen, however, is the
voice of reason, or rather, obedience. Fortunately for Hokkney, however,
Dorn is dead-set on picking a fight, and so one ensues.
And what a fight it is-being fully buffed is not enough to win this
one, although it's a necessary step. You're surrounded by sixteen foes,
including Shield Knights, which are just melee brutes, Helmite Sentries
and a Priest of Helm, which cast Clerical spells, Squire Haldi, who...
well, he's just a squire and isn't much of a threat, Hokkney of Tyr,
who is another melee threat, and Guardian Terpfen, who can cast higher
level Clerical spells. Not only must you deal with heavily armed and
potent melee foes-and alot of them, at that-but you've got several
spell-casters who'll hit you with Flame Strikes and Hold Person spells.
The way to win? Massive magical retaliation. Have Jaheira drop an
Insect Plague while Edwin and my protagonist cast Chaos (Edwin casts
more, as he has more, and my protagonist is needed in combat). In
addition, consider throwing out a few Slow spells, as it'll have great
effect on the outcome, as they're primarily melee. Chuck out enough
debilitators, be ready with Heal and Remove Paralysis and you should
win.
Once you're done smiting, get to the looting. The Shield Knights all
have Plate Mail, Helmets, Large Shields, Bastard Swords, and two bits
of random loot-either coins, potions, scrolls, or jewelry. Squire Haldi
will leave behind a suit of Chain Mail and a Short Sword. Hokkney of
Tyr drops a suit of Full Plate Mail, a Cloak of Protection +1, a Two
Handed Sword +1, and 67 gold. Finally, there's Guardian Terpfen, who
will gift us with a suit of Full Plate Mail, a Medium Shield +1, a Helm
of the Noble +1, a Flail +2 and 1 gold. I won't insult you by pointing
out the Helm of the Noble +1 is the prize here... actually, I just did,
but that's why you're reading along, right? I put this little toy on
the party leader (if you didn't already get one from doing the cleric
quests in [WLK037]. If you did, give it to number two-Korgan or Anomen.
They don't need the Charisma, but the Armor Class is great for a
front-liner. As for Viconia/Jahiera, I prefer the save bonuses on the
Gift of Peace or the Helm of Balduran. Anyways, once everything is
dead Dorn will talk to you and voice his dislike of his current role.
Seems like something might need to be done about his master some day...
loot the area and leave-and try not to kill the Cook wandering around.
You already lost a point of reputation here, no need to lose more.
***ITEMS***
(x=880, y=900) 26 gold
(x=700, y=850) Mace, Mace, Large Shield, 9 gold
(x=900, y=1350) 16 gold
(x=1550, y=1270) Scroll of Color Spray, Jasper Gem
***REWARD***
(For killing Terpfen)
EXP 12000
Reputation -1
Wilderness (AR0024)
o======================================================================o
5) Head back to Athkatla... or rather, attempt to. Unfortunately you'll
be harassed by some goodly types before you get back to town. Led by
Traggor the Hammer, they include Wagner, Big Mordin, Simon, and
Garfunkle. Don't let their numbers fool you-they're each more potent
than the foes we just fought. Simon will start out the fight with some
buffs-which they really don't need-while Garfunkle will sit back and
blast the party with Clerical spells. Buff up quickly (if you're lucky
some buffs from the last fight should be in place, but at least recast
Haste) and throw out a Chaos or two, an Insect Plague, and later on,
a Slow spell or two. Dorn moves west to engage Big Mordin, while Korgan
moves south to occupy Traggor the Hammer. My protagonist attacks
Garfunkle, and hopefully disrupts his casting. After getting their
spells off, Jaheira and Viconia go help out Dorn and Korgan, while
Edwin keeps up the spell assault. It can be a rough fight, given their
high Hit Points, low Armor Class, and potency in melee combat... even
worse if you stumble into the fight early on in the game, but enough
spells can win it.
Once the fighting is done a witch named Azothet will show up and bother
you-promising vengeance and freedom for Dorn if he takes advantage of an
oh-so-convenient trap for Ur-Gothoz in 'Resurrection Gorge'. After she
leaves Ur-Gothoz will show up and complain about losing contact with
Dorn. If the name Azothet sounds familiar for some reason, you'll
remember that in the first game that Simmeon claimed to be a Blackguard,
and was joined by a pair of 'Thralls of Azothet' once hostilities
ensued. This Azothet, it seems, has crossed us before, at least by being
the infernal benefactor of Simmeon, and she can't be happy about losing
her Blackguard. Anyways, once they're gone, feel free to loot:
Traggor the Hammer: Full Plate Mail, Helm of Charm Protection, Potion
of Extra Healing x2, Potion of Fire Giant
Strength x1, Two Handed Sword +2 and 67 gold.
Big Mordin: Full Plate Mail, Helm of the Noble +1, Potion of Extra
Healing x1, Two Handed Sword +1 and 67 gold.
Simon: Full Plate Mail, Helm, Potion of Extra Healing x2, Mace +2 and
60 gold.
Wagner: Full Plate Mail, Helm of Charm Protection, Potion of Extra
Healing x2, Two Handed Sword +1, 67 gold.
Garfunkle: Full Plate Mail, Helmet, Potion of Extra Healing x2, Mace +1
and 10 gold.
More helmets than one could ever need! Honestly, however, it's getting
hard to place these Helms of the Noble on people. I suppose it rather
depends on whether you'd rather have the save bonus from the Gift of
Peace (which you'll find later in the guide-but we're not following
chronologically here, so I suspect most readers will have them already)
or the Armor Class bonus from the Helm of the Noble. Either way, Dorn's
next destination is Resurrection Gorge, to finally cut his ties to
Ur-Gothoz once and for all. It's worth noting that there doesn't seem
to be a time-limit for this next leg of the quest, so if you must delay
it, feel free to do so.
***REWARD***
(For defeating the ambushers)
EXP 24000
Resurrection Gorge, Exterior (OH5100)
o======================================================================o
6) When you arrive at Resurrection Gorge, Dorn'll speak a bit. Wee.
Head to the east to find the Druidess Summerhigh (x=750, y=3270), mother
of Vernus. She will, if you talk to her a few times, stop the animals
from attacking you and sell you some garbage. She'll also fill you in
about the area's backstory-her son Vernus' failure, the Dryad Yarrow's
attempts to keep the Abyss at bay, all that good stuff.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Once you're done wasting time with Summerhigh, continue to the east,
dispatching wildlife as you must if you didn't get Summerhigh to call
them off. Eventually you'll come across a Nymph and her animals minions,
which guard a fallen tree that serves as a bridge to the north. Kill if
you must, then cross the bridge. On the landing to the north you'll find
another tree-bridge continuing to the north. Take it, and on the next
platform you'll find a more conventional bridge running to the west.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) As you cross the rickety rope-and-wood construct, your party members
will complain. Apparently they're not fond of walking across some
incompetent Druid's bridge over some Abyssal gorge. Babies. Eventually
you'll reach a wooden platform built around a giant tree. You can
continue west, but it's a dead-end, so... take the bridge to the
north-west, instead.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) At the end of this last bridge you'll find a Halfling warrior named
'Treadsoft' (x=2130, y=500), who warns you to stay back. Yeah... that's
not happening. Advance and smack the wimp around for a bit. Yarrow will
show up to put a stop to the fight. You can talk to Yarrow and get her
to transport you down into the gorge, if you want, but she'll inform
you that it's a one-way trip-she won't bring you back while the demon
below remains. If you pick dialogue #3 as soon as you get a chance to
talk, you can finish off Treadsoft and kill Yarrow as well. It might
seem like a bad idea to kill the spirit of the tree that's keeping a
demon at bay, but she'll drop the 'Acorn of Yarrow', which, when
equipped as a quick item and used will allow you to teleport down to
the gorge and back as you see fit. Why be trapped down there if we don't
have to be? There's just no good reason to keep Yarrow alive. Her little
champion will leave behind a suit of Chain Mail Armor, a Helmet, and a
Morning Star, for what that's worth. Either get Yarrow to send you down
to the gorge, or kill her and take yourself there.
Resurrection Gorge, Interior (OH5200)
o======================================================================o
10) Down in the gorge, you'll notice that some creature called
'Xachrimos' is down here, spewing taunts, threats, and promises. At
least, his floating text does-where this creature actually is is another
story. We'll deal with it later. Head to the west to find a nereid named
'Winterbrook' (x=350, y=650). Ignore her for now-although she seems
like an obvious character to talk to, for the purpose of making sense
of what we're doing, we'll go elsewhere, first. Continue south along
the river, and when you run out of south, turn east and walk along some
giant roots, finally heading under the tree at (x=1200, y=1250). Once
inside Dorn's exaltation at finally reaching the summoning circle will
turn to anger as he realizes the circle isn't intact. Apparently some
of the local wild-life might have made off with some of the summoning
stones... and perhaps the demon who lurks down here, as well. We'll
just have to hunt them down, won't we?
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Now that we know what our goal is, head back outside and return to
Winterbrook (x=350, y=650). There's something not quite right with her,
but if you lived down in an abyssal pit with some wanker of a demon
shouting all the time, you'd probably be a bit off, too. There are two
ways to proceed-keep selecting dialogue option #1 to resolve this
peacefully, and Winterbrook will run off and retrieve the summoning
stone she took. You can also provoke Dorn into attacking her, or you
can simply force-attack her. When she falls, she'll leave behind a
Potion of Clairvoyance and a Pearl. Of course, that doesn't get us her
summoning stone, does it? The next step will cover Winterbrook's Cave,
which you'll need to search if you attacked her... and it's worth
searching if you didn't, since once cleared it'll provide a safe place
to rest... otherwise you'll have to fend off Ankhegs every time you try
to rest outside.
Winterbrook's Cave (OH5110)
o======================================================================o
12) If I were a stupid Nereid, where would I hide my summoning stone?
Probably somewhere wet. Head into the cave beyond the waterfall at
(x=300, y=600), wherein you'll find a tribe of Myconids, led by a
Myconid King. You are your own worst enemy in this fight, as the
Myconids can cause confusion. Korgan running amok is far more dangerous
than anything the Myconids could do. Fortunately, a Death spell works
well here, capable of winning the fight in one casting. If that fails,
well... just cross your fingers and hope the wrong person doesn't get
confused. Once you're done murdering mushrooms, search over at
(x=1020, y=550) to find Winterbrook's stash, including Winterbrook's
Summoning Stone, another Potion of Clairvoyance, and a Pearl.
***ITEMS***
(x=1020, y=550) Winterbrook's Summoning Stone, Potion of Clairvoyance,
Pearl
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) Leave the cave and return to the shore. From where Winterbrook
is/was, turn south and continue along the shore, stopping only long
enough to loot a camp for a Rogue Stone. Where you run out of south,
turn east and walk amidst the tree roots and giant mushrooms, this time
ignoring the summoning circle and continuing east. At (x=2300, y=1530)
you'll find a Faerie Dragon who insists on calling himself 'The
Magnificent Fil'. His buddies are rather shy and will vanish at your
approach, but Fil is most talkative. Dorn'll complain when you get
near, and his annoyance with Faerie Dragons seems to be well-founded,
in this case. Fil has one of the Summoning Stone we're after, and as
with Winterbrook, there are two ways to get it. First, you can just
smack him around until he hands it over. Simple enough. Second, you can
trade for it. He wants a crystal that can be found in the north-eastern
corner of the gorge. Crystals are apparently aphrodisiacs for Faerie
Dragons. Human women, too, as it turns out.
***ITEMS***
(x=770, y=950) Rogue Stone
***TRAPS***
(x=770, y=950)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Anywho, let's go get this stupid dragon its stupid crystal so it
can get stupid laid. Continue north and you'll encounter a nest of
'Corrupted Ankhegs' near an odd crystal formation (x=2200, y=620).
Corrupted they may be, but they're hardly any threat to us anymore.
Cut them down and loot the crystals for a Wand of Glitterdust and a
Purple Crystal. We'll be making use of both of these, shortly.
***REWARD***
(x=2200, y=620) Purple Crystal, Wand of Glitterdust
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Return to Fil and give him his Purple Crystal, and he'll hand over
'Fil's Summoning Stone'. Two down, one to go. Equip the new-found Wand
of Glitterdust and wander around the area. We're looking for Xachrimos
now. The bad news? He's invisible. The good news? He can't keep his
mouth shut. Find his floating text and cast the Wand of Glitterdust in
the area of the floating text, which should make Xachrimos appear. He's
none too happy about being spotted, and will attack. Fortunately, he's
a wuss. Somewhat strong in melee, he'll start out with Remove Magic
and Power Word: Stun. It took no great strategy for me to kill him, I
just jumped on him in melee and there was little he could do. After he
takes enough of a beating, he'll surrender-in that reluctant, demony
sort of way. He'll offer you treasure if you leave him alone, handing
over both the Abyssal Blade and Xachrimos' Summoning Stone. The Abyssal
Blade is a +3 Two-Handed Sword that give a bonus to Dexterity, a penalty
to Intelligence, +5 damage versus good-alinged foes and a bonus +1d4
fire damage. It's quite possibly a better weapon than whatever Dorn is
using, unless you're advanced enough to possess the Silver Sword. If you
are merciful to Xachrimos, you're only delaying the inevitable, as
Xachrimos will show up and attack the next time you rest. So... put the
demon down (twice, if need be) rest up, and get ready to enter the
summoning circle again, this time with purpose!
Vernus' Summoning Circle (OH5120)
o======================================================================o
16) When you enter this time, Dorn'll reveal that you'll need to
sacrifice a sapient creature to complete the ritual. He suggests one of
the party members... which is beyond stupid. Why would you kill one of
your allies right before confronting the creature that you're trying to
break free from? This is why Dorn isn't the decision-maker. Fortunately,
there are other, less strategically disruptive options. First, you can
just summon any old creature, even from some rechargeable summoning
device. Second, if you cast Raise Dead on Vernus (x=580, y=580) he'll
become a candidate, as well. Just move your victim onto the solid
circle in the middle of the summoning circle to get the prompt from
Dorn. Before you do this, however, be sure to spell-buff up. Summon
whatever beasts you can, use Remove Fear, Protection From Evil 10'
Radius, Haste, and whatever personal buffs are necessary. Include in
these Free Action (a 4th-level Cleric spell) on Dorn.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) After the sacrifice is made, you'll get a dialogue option, which
actually determines quite a bit about the upcoming events. Whichever
hellion's name you inscribe isn't going to be happy about being
summoned-whether it's Ur-Gothoz (dialogue option #2) or Azothet
(dialogue option #3).
Let Dorn run up and confront Ur-Gothoz or Azothet-whichever you
summoned. A fight will break out shortly. Azothet and Ur-Gothoz are
both fairly potent in melee. The latter will start out the fight
with Demon Fear and a rather potent Fireball before the demon finally
resorts to melee combat. Azothet is, if anything, even more dangerous
in melee combat, and she'll exacerbate things by starting out with
Symbol, Stun, followed by up to seven Paralyze effects. With Ur-Gothoz,
I delay long enough for him to take out his aggression on Dorn-no need
for my whole party to get hit by his Fireballs. After that, I rush him
and smite him in melee, withdrawing and healing wounded characters as
necessary. With Azothet, I engage her with my entire party save my
Cleric... after I let her toss as many of her paralytic effects at
Dorn as possible. If he's stunned or paralyzed, I'll attack with the
rest of my party and have my Cleric use a Remove Paralysis. If not, the
rest of my party will join the fray after she resorts to melee, to
prevent Dorn from being cut to shreds. In case you haven't figured it
out yet, Remove Paralysis is essential in this fight, as she can carve
up a stunned or paralyzed party member in seconds. As long as you
ensure your Cleric isn't one of the debilitated characters, you can
always set things right with a Remove Paralysis. Either way, against
a buff-up party, neither of them should prove much of a challenge.
Killing Ur-Gothoz will upgrade the Abyssal Blade, which gains a
+5 damage bonus vs. devils, whereas putting Azothet down will score the
weapon a +5 damage bonus vs. demons. Both these upgrades are nice...
but there are better two-handed swords for Dorn in Shadows of Amn,
upgrades or not. Soul Reaver +4 and the Silver Sword both come to mind.
As for the loot... Ur-Gothoz drops a heaping mound of nothing, while
Azothet at least has the decency to leave behind Water's Edge +3. This
mediocre Scimitar might seem like a fair weapon for Jaheira, but it will
be out-classed by a variety of weapons, including Fire Tooth +3,
Belm +2, or heck, even Blackblood +3.
Fortunately, our work isn't done yet. After slaying the first hellion,
the second will show up. Note that if you had the Abyssal Blade
equipped on Dorn, the game is fond of unequipping it (presumably because
of its upgrade?), so be sure to re-equip the weapon, unless you fancy
Dorn's pugilistic prowess. Ur-Gothoz will be suspicious of Dorn's
independence, although he's pleased with Azothet's demise. Stick to
dialogue option #1 and he'll reward Dorn's initiative with The Visage,
and promise to provide Dorn with more worthy tasks in the future.
Azothet tries to establish control over Dorn, promising more power and
freedom than he had under Ur-Gothoz... which is supposed to be a
reward in its own right, but it compares poorly to The Visage. You can,
of course, provoke either hellion into a fight, if you wish. Killing
them both will add their respective bonus to the Abyssal Blade (along
with the bonus you gained from killing the previous one) but... well,
without a patron Dorn'll lose all his Blackguard powers. Spells,
immunities, special abilities-the whole deal. He does, however, retain
the ability to obtain (or if already obtained, to use) the 'Summon
Fallen Deva' High Level Ability.
So... for all that, the most rewarding course of action is to kill
Azothet (who should be summoned initially), then play nice with
Ur-Gothoz. Seems like a lot of bother just to have Dorn remain
Ur-Gothoz's thrall, but that's evil for you. It's really all about The
Visage, which gives a +1 bonus to THAC0, a +1 bonus to Saving Throws,
immunity to feeblemind, confusion, fear, and charm... and two charge
abilities that nobody really cares about anyways. It can't be worn by
goodly folks, but in my evil party, that still allows... everybody who
can wear a helmet. Although obstensibly a prize for Dorn, it'll serve
Viconia or Jaheira better, what with its immunities and Saving Throw
bonus and all. It's a bit of a hard choice for me, considering that
Jaheira will make better use of the THAC0 (what with multiple attacks
per round and all), but she's a far less capable debuffer than
Viconia. If you go through the trouble to get this helmet with the
good party, I'd suggest putting it on Jaheira. For the evil party,
however, Viconia will put it to the best use. This allows her to hand
the Helm of Balduran to Jaheira, which isn't a bad deal-it's superior
to the Helm of the Noble +1, anyways.
In any event, that's the end of Dorn's questline in Shadows of Amn.
All in all, a rich treasure-trove of magical helmets.
***REWARD***
(For defeating Ur-Gothoz)
EXP 24000 (each character)
Misc Abyssal Blade upgrade: +5 slashing damage vs. devils
***REWARD***
(For defeating Azothet)
EXP 24000 (each character)
Misc Abyssal Blade Upgrade: +5 slashing damage vs. demons
Item The Visage
***REWARD***
(For defeating both Ur-Gothoz and Azothet)
EXP 24000 (each character)
Misc Abyssal Blade Upgrade: +5 slashing damage vs. demons
Misc Abyssal Blade upgrade: +5 slashing damage vs. devils
***VIDEO***
Haeravon Plays: Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition -
Ur-Gothoz and Azothet {VID007}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e06ekK6pBw
o======================================================================o
| Hexxat's Request, Part I |
| (Secure Hexxat) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK046}
1) Hexxabot
2) Shade Thief Slaughter
3) Slots and Scaling Shades
4) Tomb-Climbing
5) Butchering Burich
6) Insertion For Exploration
7) Dragomir the Red
8) Breaching the Barrier
9) Hexxat Snack
10) Inventory Win
11) First Mission for 'L'
12) The Lesser of Two Evils
13) Beating Brain-Eaters
14) Key of Scholars
15) The Direct Approach
16) Sarcophagi Looting
17) Greater Mummy Guardians
18) Ki Chin Sang's Challenge
19) Killing the Lieutenants
20) The Claw of the Black Leopard
21) Second Mission for 'L'
22) Potent Prophets
23) Bloated Spiders
24) Scimitar Statues
25) Furious Genie
26) Antagonistic Mages
27) Clear and Pristine
28) Hand-Hungry Face
29) The Shroud of the Unproved
30) 'L' Appeased
Dragomir's Tomb, Entrance (AR0811)
o======================================================================o
1) If you don't have Hexxat in your party yet/still, return to the
Copper Coronet and pick her up, then return to the Graveyard District.
Head over to the tomb at (x=2400, y=1850) and Hexxat will babble some
more. Get her to open the door and you'll be ambushed by two shade
Thieves that implore you to enter the tomb, while doing their best to
prevent you from doing so. They're push-overs. Kill them and enter the
tomb. Once inside Hexxat will speak again, then reveal a secret door
at (x=300, y=300). Before you drag your automaton down into the depths,
loot the Sarcophagus at (x=450, y=400). The Staff of Curing is a staff
which is poor in combat but it can in a pinch cure disease, poison and
heal for 3-18 +3 Hit Points.
***ITEMS***
(x=450, y=400) Lynx Eye Gem*, Staff of Curing
*Alternatively, I found a Scroll of True Sight here. Win.
Dragomir's Tomb (OH7000)
o======================================================================o
2) Watch a video that shows the best movie graphics of a decade ago,
which is actually a compliment compared to the crappy 'video' remakes
found in the first game. Seriously. Those were awful. Made me wish they
had the common sense to keep the ugly old videos from the original
game, which they did for this game. Once in the next level, Hexxat will
mutter some more and you'll encounter two more shade Thieves, who again
implore you to enter the tomb and 'Awake the Sleeper'. Fun. Kill them
and head west.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) At (x=1850, y=380) you'll find a slot begging for insertion. Don't
they all? Read the pop-up text informing you of its existence, then
turn south. Dispatch a Shade Wolf and diarm a trap before you enter
a curving east-west running tunnel. You should be wary of scaling
encounters here-if you come here at a later level, you could well find
Devil Shades here, along with the Shade Wolves. Devil Shades drain
levels, and fairly potent in melee, and when they die, spawn into two
Shadow Fiends.
***TRAPS***
(x=1700, y=700)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Ignore the east and continue west, disarming another trap as you go,
then head north when you run out of west. Disarm yet another trap to the
north, then find Dragomir's sarcophagus (x=1000, y=800). Hexxat will
implore you to climb in. Before you do so, however, loot another
sarcophagus to the north-east, then explore down the tunnel to the
south-west beyond Dragomir's sarcophagus. Disarm a trap just beyond
Dragomir's sarcophagus, kill three Shadow Fiends, and loot another
sarcophagus.
***ITEMS***
(x=1300, y=600) Zios Gem Studded Necklace, Silver Ring,
Incomplete Skeleton
(x=700, y=1000) Scroll of Protection From Undead, Incomplete Skeleton,
9 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=1600, y=800)
(x=1200, y=900)
(x=900, y=850)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) When you're ready, climb into Dragomir's sarcophagus. Only one
character can enter at a time, so choose your champion well. The foe
beyond can drain levels, if that helps with preparations any. I send
in Dorn, who-while lacking in Armor Class, is at least immune to level
drain. Beyond you'll find a shade warrior named Burich, who'll blather
on before attacking. He's not too hot in melee, and Dorn has no trouble
killing him. When he dies, loot his body for an 'Iron Rod', which Hexxat
implores you to use on the slot near the entrance to this tomb.
***TRAPS***
(x=1000, y=1250)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Climb back out of the sarcophagus, head back to the entrance and
insert your rod into the... slot. Jeeze, what am, a two year old?
Whatever. It's still funny. Once inserted you'll find that you're
locked in. Never fear, though, you can pull the rod back out anytime.
which seems kind of silly. Whatever, close the way back to open the way
forward. Return to the south and when you reach the east-west tunnel,
venture to the unexplored east. Loot two sarcophagi, and when you run
out of east, head south.
***ITEMS***
(x=2000, y=600) Incomplete Skeleton, 12 gold
(x=2200, y=600) Dagger +2, Incomplete Skeleton
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Make a long run to the south-west, looting a sarcophagus as you go
and disarming a trap at (x=2000, y=1020). Open a door at
(x=1550, y=1400) and go through to find Dragomir the Red. He'll talk to
you, but this is going to end in a fight whatever you say. The most
you can get out of him is the fact that Hexxat is apparently trying to
escape this tomb. Hmmm... Anyways, Dragomir is actually a pretty rough
foe, being mostly a melee bruiser. He can, however, cast Dire Charm, so
be wary for that. I prefer to lead with my spell-buffed protagonist, as
it's unlikely he'll live long enough to cut through a Mirror Image and
a Stoneskin. Once he falls, Hexxat will speak to you, commenting on the
obvious, and imploring you to keep moving. Such a charming, girl, no?
Loot Dragomir for the Cloak of Dragomir, which 'allows a vampire to
travel outside during the day and in full view of the sun. Hmm...
***ITEMS***
(x=1800, y=1000) Incomplete Skeleton, Angel Skin Ring, Antidote x2,
Scroll of Protection From Cold
***TRAPS***
(x=2000, y=1020)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) Whew. Almost done now. Head south, then turn down a hallway to the
west to find a gaudy purple light barrier. If you try to go through
with any character save Hexxat they'll be replused with the following
text:
"A wave of foul necrotic energy hits you-you withdraw immediately and
involuntarily. Only someone of single-minded purpose could overcome
this barrier."
Someone one single-minded purpose? Sounds like somebody we know. Send
Hexxat-bot through and once on the other side, the barrier will vanish.
Continue on to the other side and go near a sarcophagus to meet...
Hexxat.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Hexxat eats Hexxat and speaks to you. She is, obviously, a Vampire,
and the Hexxat we've been traveling around with was just a drone, a
charmed creature who served the purpose of getting past Dragomir and
reviving the real Hexxat. You can pick a fight with Hexxat, by why
bother going through all that work just to fisticuffs? Play nice-or at
least nice enough-and Hexxat will tell you to meet her in the Copper
Coronet in two hours. Follow her back east and she'll stop, asking for
the Cloak of Dragomir, a tool any enterprising Vampire would need.
She's not playing around-if you don't give it to her, she'll take it
by force. And no, she won't say the magic word for it, either. Evil
people are no damn fun, just like my girlfriend. After you hand it
over, you need only ask Hexxat to travel with you and she will. She'll
take care of that Copper coronet business on her own.
***REWARD***
(For recruiting Hexxat)
EXP 10000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) Hexxat is as good of a single-class Thief as you can get... at
least while indoors or during the night, when she can go without the
Cloak of Dragomir. Otherwise, she's pretty unexceptional. Her Hit Points
are laughable, but this problem will be alleviated somewhat the next
time you rest. When you wake up, Hexxat will ask you to hold something
for her-Dragomir's Respite. This is a Bag of Holding that contains a
coffin for Hexxat to use. Yeah, 2nd Edition Dungeon and Dragons stuck
to that stupid cliche. Why would a Vampire need to sleep? I can see
getting out of the sun, but sleep? Wouldn't it just be enough to find
a dark cave? Whatever, point is, with this device handy, Hexxat can
return to it when she is slain and heal. Essentially, this makes her
completely expendable in combat, which is a useful consideration for a
character with so few Hit Points. Best part about it, however, it
functions like a normal Bag of Holding, letting you store goodies
inside of it! You don't even have to keep Hexxat around to use it, just
boot her if you don't want her, and she'll return to her customary spot
in the Copper Coronet. Sadly, she'll also give you the Casque of
Dragomir, which is perma-locked into your inventory until you finish
Hexxat's questline. Overall, however, it's an inventory win. She'll
mention some job in the future, but you have a bit of free time before
it becomes a serious issue, so run off, tackle other quests, waste time.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Eventually Hexxat will initiate dialogue and tell you that during
some mysterious down-time she made contact with her old employer. Must
have been when we were eating, or pooping, or sleeping... you know,
things the game doesn't cover? Anyways, her old boss-'L'-will be sending
a contact eventually to provide Hexxat with more work. Yay. After more
time passes, a lady named Cabrina will come pay you a vist... but only
at night. She'll exchange friendly (flirty) banter with Hexxat. The
take-aways? It's been some time since Hexxat and Cabrina have seen each
other, Hexxat's master, 'L', isn't a fan of her undeath, and he sent her
into Dragomir's Tomb. Considering the relics within, this 'L' must have
more than a passing interest in the undead. Anyways, 'L' now has a new
job for Hexxat-and by extension, us. He wants a scepter once possessed
by one 'Nan Kung Chi', first high priest to the Cult of the Black
Leopard, aka 'the Claw'. This over-hyped stick now resides in the crypts
of Durkon, in a far away place called Shou Lung. The good news?
Apparently there's a magical tomb railway system throughout Faerun. The
ticket required is the Casque of Dragomir, which will allow us to
'Tombwalk' to our destination. How uncannily convenient. The bad news?
Our ticket is a one-way ticket. Until we get what 'L' wants, we won't
be able to return once we've departed, which, as dialogue option #2
succinctly suggests, is retarded from a tactical point of view... but,
hey, considering the predicament we found Hexxat in, we shouldn't be
surprised that 'L' needlessly endangers the lives of his minions.
Fortunately, this quest is very generous with the time. I rested 50
days without Hexxat whining, so don't feel compeled to run off before
you're ready. Be warned that this is a pretty rough quest, so you might
want to postpone it for a while-this leg of the quest is something
that ideally can wait until just before you complete Chapter 2, but it
should be completed before you go after Imoen, due to story conflicts
that might occur in the Graveyard District.
Crypt of Durkon (OH7100)
o======================================================================o
12) Reaching the Crypt of Durkon is pretty easy-just head over to the
Graveyard District and Hexxat'll start chatting. All you must do is
agree to go and you're gone. When you appear in the Tomb of Durkon,
hsead south, looting sarcophagi and disarming a rather huge trap until
you find a group of 'Ghostly Monks' led by one Keno (x=500, y=1020).
When they see you, one of the ghosts will cry havoc and let slip the
ghost-dogs of tomb-guardianship, only to be restrained by Keno.
Intruders you may be, but you're not the intruders that currently plague
this time. Apparently some creatures from the Underdark who 'consume
the preserved brains of our ancestors' broke in, and, well... you know,
they're probably not fans of the whole brain sucking thing. You can
pick a fight with them (Step #15), but they're actually quite tough (as
their experience rewards will show) and they drop crap loot. Agree to
help them and Keno will agree to allow you to plunder the rest of the
crypt. Well... they're not much for guardians, I guess, but I suppose
we're the lesser of the two evils right now.
***ITEMS***
(x=150, y=500) Skill, 1 gold
(x=450, y=450) Skull, Pearl
(x=200, y=700) Skull, Incomplete Skeleton
(x=650, y=900) Incomplete Skeleton, Broken Weapon, 9 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=400, y=600)
(x=650, y=900)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) When you agree to be helpful the ghosts will open the door at
(x=900, y=1100). Before going through, spell-buff up and cast Chaotic
Commands on whatever character you use for tanking. My protagonist is,
as usual, my prime candidate here. When ready, go through the door to
find a curving tunnel running to the north. In this tunnel you'll find
several Umber Hulks loitering around. Umber Hulks are often-but not
always-accompanied by Mind Flayers in Shadows of Amn, and unfortunately,
this is one of the instances in which they are. Umber Hulks are bad
enough, being pretty potent in melee combat and starting out fights with
a 'confusion gaze' that can confuse characters. Mind Flayers are even
worse, having psionic attacks that can stun several party members at
once. In addition they perform 'brain devouring' attacks in leiu of
normal melee attacks. Instead of dealing Hit Point damage, they drain
Intelligence-five points per hit. This is pretty nasty, considering that
most of your otherwise sturdy, front-line warriors only tend to have
around 10~ Intelligence, making them incredibly vulnerable to Mind
Flayers. Your Wizards won't fare much better, considering that their low
Armor Class will negate their high Intelligence. This is just another
situation where my chosen multi-class protagonists shine. Possessing
a high Intelligence (19), their spell-buffs can balance their poor
Armor Class and give them some semblance of survivability against
these foes... the best of a bad situation, to be sure, but better than
nothing.
In this instance, the Umber Hulks preceed the Mind Flayers by a bit.
There are four of the former, and three of the latter, including Goxxa
the Alhoon. I lead with my spell-buff protagonist, protected by
Chaotic Commands. The Umber Hulks will engage erratically, so keep an
eye on them to see who they're going after, in case they choose to pick
on Hexxat or Edwin. It's worth noting that one well-placed Death Spell
should kill off the Umber Hulks. Once they're dealt with, focus on
the Mind Flayers. An Alhoon, in case you're wondering, is an undead
Mind Flayer, sort of a lich/Illithid. Tactically, this just means that
the critter will protect itself with some spells before attacking, so
be sure to have a Breach ready if the wily Alhoon brings up a Stoneskin.
The one saving grace of this encounter that makes it manageable is the
fact that the ghostly guardians will aid you in this fight, usually
rushing past the Umber Hulks and engaging the Mind Flayers. They tend to
promptly get stunned, then brain-yummed... two things incoporeal undead
should, you know, be immune to.
***ITEMS***
(x=750, y=650) Pearl Necklace, Incomplete Skeleton, Iol Gem
(x=650, y=450) Bluestone Necklace, Scroll of Protection From Fire
***TRAPS***
(x=750, y=650)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) Depending on how the battle went, our circumstances will vary a
bit. If Keno lived, he'll give you the 'Key of Scholars' we need to
progress, as promised. His buddies will object, but Keno is an honorable
enough dude and keeps his underlings in line. If Keno died, but any of
his ghosts survived, they're not quite as generous, and you'll have to
put them down. Good thing you're spell-buffed, right? Just be wary of
their Quivering Palm, which is a death attack (it can be blocked by
a simple Death Ward spell) and their general prowess in melee. Be sure
to grab the 'Key of Scholars' off of Keno's ghost-corpse. Once done,
head into a small room to the east with Hexxat and she'll comment on a
mural, prompting her to muse about her mother. She won't let you dig too
deep into her past before deciding you need to get back to work,
however.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) If, on the other hand, you decide you don't take kindly to the
ghosts at all, well... be sure to have spell-buffed before provoking
them. The biggest thing to fear when fighting the Ghost Monks is their
Quivering Palm, which will kill a character outright if they fail to
Save vs. Death. Ideally you'll send a character ahead (protected by
Death Ward and either a high Armor Class or Stoneskin) to absord these
attacks, followed shortly by the rest of your party. Of less concern
is the 'Ghostly Priest' nearby. He'll cast Iron Skins and Hold Person,
as well as attack ineffectually in melee (ableit, with a chance to
paralyze each hit). I've even had one cast Finger of Death... on
himself. No joke. Anyways, they drop paltry loot-usually a crappy scroll
or a few coins. Keno, however, has the 'Key of Scholars' on him, which
you'll need to advance.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) After you've fought your way through ghosts, Mind Flayers, or both,
return to the western-most tunnel and follow it south, looting
sarcophagi and disarming traps as you go. Along the way you should score
the Periapt of Life Protection, which increases the wearer's Save vs.
Death by three. It's decent protection for characters who suffer in this
area, particularly Mages and Rogues. Stupidly enough, however, both
Hexxat and Edwin have amulets they refuse to take off. Oh well.
***ITEMS***
(x=1050, y=1300) Periapt of Life Protection, Incomplete Skeleton,
Silver Ring
(x=1300, y=1450) Incomplete Skeleton, 8 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=1050, y=1300)
(x=1300, y=1450)
(x=1400, y=1600)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
17) At (x=1900, y=1600) you'll find the door that fits your key... or
is it the other way around? Either way, it's gaurded by a Ghostly Monk
and a Ghostly Priest. They'll tell you not to trek mud all over the
place, or some such. You can provoke a fight, of promise to behave, as
it suits you. If you disobey and fondle the sarcophagi nearby, you'll
have to deal with five angry Greater Mummies. They're potent enough in
melee that they warrant a spell-buffing for a lower-level party,
otherwise, just watch out for the dieases they spread. Ultimately it's
worth picking a fight with these undead order to loot their sarcophagi,
as one contains the Jade Fang, a +3 dagger that heals its users one
Hit Point per hit and has a 5% chance to stun the target for three
seconds. A great weapon for Jaheira or Hexxat.
***ITEMS***
(x=2250, y=1450) Garnet Gem
(x=2100, y=1420) The Jade Fang, Jade Ring
(x=1800, y=1350) Bloodstone Ring
(x=1650, y=1300) Sphene Gem
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
18) Go through the doors at (x=1500, y=1150), head south-east down
another tunnel, then go north to find Ki Chin Sang (x=1900, y=820).
Apparently there's another key you'll need to get into 'the master's'
crypt-and you ain't got no key. Ki Chin Sang just so happens to have
this key, but he won't give it to you unless you defeat the master's
six 'most trusted lieutenants' in the hallway to the south. Hexxat will
suggest a simpler solution-simply steal the key from the stupid ghost.
Do ghosts have pockets? They must. This I was able to easily achieve
with a Pick Pockets score of 120%. You can also kill him-he's an easier
fight than the six lieutenants, at least. If you want to be sneaky, or
if you kill kill Ki Chin Sang, skip to Step #20. If you want to fight
the lieutenants, however, skip to Step #19.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
19) If you click on any of the sarcophagi to the south (you'll know
when you're over one because the cursor will change to the 'attack'
icon) the lieutenants will arrive. They consist of Jiang Dai, a Kensai
capable who'll use his Kai ability, then set upon you with a
Katana/Wakizashi combo, Yi Kwon, a Monk capable of Quivering Palm,
Ming-hua Dai, a Mage, Weimin Min, a priest who will cast Insect Plague,
Yi Niu, who'll cast Haste, then go to work with a bow, and Borok Tosst,
a Yuan-ti warrior. The key to winning this fight is, as with most fights
against groups of diverse foes, is preparation. In addition to your
normal buffs, add Remove Fear to the mix just in case Weimin Min gets
off an Insect Plague-if it can decimate our foes it can do the same to
us, after all. I have no intention of allowing him to cast the spell,
though. I assemble my party around where Weimin Min will appear
(x=1480, y=950) save my protagonist who, protected with Mage buffs and
Death Spell will wait near Ming-hua Dai (x=1620, y=1030). When they
appear, my party sets upon Weimin Min, hopefully killing him before
he casts his Insect Plague. My protagonist engages Ming-hua Dai,
scoring a backstab before he gets his buffs up if I'm lucky (if not,
Edwin contributes with a Breach). At the very least my protagonist will
lure Yi Kwon and absorb his Quivering Palm. Throwing out an Insect
Plague of you own won't hurt, either. With this set-up, I had no trouble
at all taking this bunch down. Afterwards Ki Chin Sang will come over
and, much humbler than before, hand you the 'Key of the Master's Crypt'.
Jiang Dai: Leather Armor +2, Katana +1, Wakizashi +1, 9 gold
Yi Kwon: 3 gold
Ming-hua Dai: Quarter Staff, Dart x20, 69 gold
Weimin Min: Platemail +1, Mace +2
Yi Niu: Splint Mail +1, Helmet, Acid Arrows x10, Arrows x20, Potion of
Superior Healing, Potion of Extra Healing, Composite Longbow +1,
Bastard Sword, 52 gold
Borok Tosst: Leather Armor +2, Katana +1, Wakizashi +1, Jasper Gem
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
20) However you manage it, once you have the 'Key of the Master's
Crypt' use it to open the doors at (x=1350, y=550) to gain access to
the burial chamber of Nan Kung Chi. Disarm some traps and continue to
the east to find your mummy (x=2170, y=550). Sadly he's in no mood to
just hand over one of his toys, and insists on fighting. He'll cast
some Clerical spells, starting off with Blade Barrier, but if you just
rush him, he should die before he causes too much trouble. When he
falls, loot his tomb at (x=2100, y=400). Once you possess the Claw of
the Black Leopard, Hexxat will chat at you again. You can try to pry
(unsuccessfully) into her motivations for stupidly serving 'L', and you
can also opt to go back to Athkatla. If you decide to stay and loot
around, just rest to get her to prompt you to go back again.
***ITEMS***
(x=2100, y=400) The Claw of the Black Leopard, Gold Necklace
***TRAPS***
(x=1500, y=500)
(x=1570, y=570)
***REWARD***
(For obtaining the Claw of the Black Leopard)
EXP 15000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) The waiting game begins again-after about a week you'll again be
pestered by Cabrina. She'll banter with Hexxat again, and ultimately
give Hexxat yet another job. This time 'L' wants 'The Shroud of the
Unproved', which lurks in another tomb, this one buried in the sands of
the Zakhara desert. All these exotic places look the same once they've
been buried for centuries. Anyways, listen to Cabrina's story, and
when she's done babbling, return to the Graveyard District, chat with
Hexxat, and teleport to this next tomb.
Tomb of the Unproved (OH7200)
o======================================================================o
22) When you arrive in this tomb, the first thing you'll notice are some
more ghosts standing to the north-east. Go over to them and talk to
Rabi'ah (x=700, y=340). Whatever you do, do not pick a fight with them,
for reasons that are discussed in the following paragraph. Lazy version?
They're super-strong. Rabiah will speak to you, and you'll be told to
'go through the webs', as you'll 'find everything you see within'. Yay.
Cryptic. Note the chest nearby (x=900, y=350). It contains a variety of
items, including a Scimitar +1, a Piece of Silk, a Gold Statue, and a
Lamp of Oil. These items serve to complicate our progress, but they will
also result in us scoring some loot and experience, so... do what you
will with them.
The folks at Overhaul Games were trying to be clever by putting a
group of over-powered 'invincible' foes here, and except for the
strongest, most-well equipped parties in Shadows of Amn, they might as
well be. Arainah and Bilqis will both go at you with bows (even though
Arainah doesn't actually drop any weapons) and I presume both are
Archers (Ranger kits). They've got plenty of enchanted arrows and
potions to pester you with and keep themselves in the fight,
respectively. The real pains in the ass are Sukayna and Rabi'ah, who
are both Mages who will start out with an absurd amount of defenses,
including Improved Mantle, Protection From Fire, Fire Shield (Red), and
Spell Turning, amongst other defenses. Down the line they're not afraid
of putting up a Stoneskin or Protection From Magic Weapons, either.
Their first move in combat will be to cast Time Stop and Horrid Wilting.
If the fight drags on they'll resort to Finger of Death, Flesh to Stone,
and a few summoning spells, including Gate and Summon Efreeti. Needless
to say, they can be a handful. Not only that, but Rabi'ah seems to have
superlative Magic Resistance that makes a Time Stop/Horrid Wilting
combo or Insect Plague your own unlikely to succeed... at least in
killing them outright. The only way I've beaten them without loss is by
equipping my protagonist with the Reflection Shield (which neutralizes
Bilquis) and using my Lich strategy against Sukayna and Rabi'ah...
namely protecting myself with Remove Fear, Death Ward, Chaotic Commands,
and three instances of Spell Immunity (Conjuration, Alteration and
Abjuration), which makes me immune to everything save summons, and their
melee attacks, which are stupidly good for Mages... but they look and
attack like Monks, so who knows?
I start the fight out by focusing on Arainah, who is quite competent in
melee and rather less willing to get himself killed by the Reflection
Shield than Bilqis. After that, I focus on Bilquis, and with him dead,
I turn my attentions on the Mages. I should be immune to most everything
they might cast, but my buffs won't last forever-they're just there to
get me through the initial onslaught of Time Stop combos and death
spells, but there's a chance they'll end before they're out of spells,
and getting polymorphed into a Squirrel is a good way to get a game
over. Edwin will tentatively aid in the fight from a distance at about
the time they start summoning Efreet, using Death Spell to clear
summons, Breach to drop their defenses, and whatever high-level damaging
spells he has to hopefully soften them up a bit-a Time Stop/Horrid
Wilting combo might just catch one of them off guard and penetrate their
Magic Resistance, especially if Edwin and my protagonist softens them up
with Pierce Magic or Lower Resistance. What really pisses me off is that
they're only worth 10000 EXP each and drop garbage loot.
Sukayna: Potion of Superior Healing x2, Potion of Invisibility
Bilqis: Fire Opal Ring, Acid Arrow x10, Arrow +2 x20, Arrow of
Biting x20, Potion of Superior Healing x2, Oil of Speed, Potion
of Invulnerability
Arainah: Ruby Ring, Acid Arrow x10, Arrow +2 x20, Arrow of Biting x20,
Potion of Superior Healing x5, Oil of Speed x5, Potion of
Invulnerability, Shortbow +3
Rabi'ah: Potion of Superior Healing x2, Potion of Invisibility
***ITEMS***
(x=900, y=350) Scimitar +1, Piece of Silk, Gold Statue, Lamp of Oil
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) So, ignore the stupidly over-powered prophets and go through the
door at (x=440, y=770). Send your Thief forward just enough to detect
two over-lapping traps at (x=450, y=1000). Disarm them and ignore the
two butthole Bloated Spiders that'll be spitting at you from a distance.
Once the traps are disarmed, charge the bugs and whup them. When they
die, they'll release several Small Spiders, which you'll have to mop up.
As with all spiders in these games, keep a Slow Poison or four handy.
Continue south and repeat the process with another pair of traps and
another two Bloated Spiders.
***TRAPS***
(x=450, y=1000)
(x=450, y=1000)
(x=450, y=1450)
(x=450, y=1500)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
24) Turn the corner and head east, going through the door at
(x=1070, y=1700). Beyond a statue-lined hallway curls north-east. If
you brought the Scimitar +1 from the prophet's chest the warrior statues
will animate and attack. They're not very tough, nor are they worth
much experience, but they do carry some decent loot, including a piece
of random loot (a scroll, some gold, a gem, some jewelry etc.) a suit of
Full Plate Mail and a Scimitar +1. There are six of these statues in
total, four to the west, and two further east. Their arms and armor
might not be worth wearing, but it'll sure sell for a pretty penny.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
25) Continue past a dummy chest to the north-east to find a series of
spike traps across the hallway. You can't dodge them, you can't disarm
them, and they'll constantly trigger as long as you're on them. The
only thing to do is man up and cross. If you took the Gold Statue, it
will suddenly gain a new property halfway across the spikes-it'll
suddenly weight 1000 pounds. That's not a typo. The purpose of this?
To force you to stop moving and take extra damage from the spikes. Drop
it, or chuck it into Dragomir's Respite, and carry on. Past the spike
pit you'll have to fight two more statue-warriors if you brought the
Scimitar +1 around. A new foe also awaits-if you have the Lamp of Oil
in your possession a 'Furious Genie' will show up and attack, starting
out with (or rather, as) a Fireball. He's moderately dangerous in melee
combat, but his spells are worse-nothing nearly as deadly as the
prophets, but his Flesh to Stone is pretty obnoxious. When he falls
he'll leave behind Rashad's Talon +2-a Scimitar +2 with a name.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
26) Go through the door at (x=2100, y=1100) to find a library, occupied
by three dingus Mages-Iqbal al-Din, Diya al-Hafiz, and Quir Ra'ul. These
pompous, deranged, and hostile guardians will talk to you for a bit,
and it doesn't really matter what you say, you're bound to provoke them.
Talk to Diya al-Hafiz (x=2320, y=850) to get things started-if you
mention the prophet at all, you'll be attacked as the tomb-robber and
defiler you are. You can also attempt to play them off each other, and
it'll become clear that their relationship is... antagonistic, to say
the least. Anyways, when the inevitable fight breaks out they'll start
out with Mirror Image and Spell Turning, followed by Power Word,
Silence, against you and each other, which they'll promptly counter
with Vocalize. They'll then proceed to cast Greater Malison, followed
by Chaos, then Power Word, Stun. Finally they'll begin with the brunt of
their offense-each will toss out several Lightning Bolts
indiscriminately. Once out of those, they'll finish up with Magic
Missiles, then resign to attacking in melee. A spell-buffed party of
any decent potency should be able simply rush in and cut them down,
but if you're more well-equipped, a Chaotic Commands and either the
Harper Pin or the Cloak of Mirroring (or Protection From Electricity or
Spell Immunity (Evocation) should be enough to weather their magical
onslaught). I'm fond of the latter approach-just send in one protected
character-either by the aforementioned items or buffs and let them
waste their magic on you. Once two of them are dead, the third will
stop attacking, apparently believing that you were just being the good
subordinate who was helping their better take down his rivals. This
conversation invariably ends in a fight, too, so put down the final
Mage, then turn your attentions to the library itself. There are a
number of bookshelves around, where you can find... well, books and
scrolls. What did you expect? The scrolls are obviously nice, but the
books have a value too-you'll need to read them to actually complete
this little tomb robbery. I mean, YOU don't actually have to read them,
of course, but you need to go through the motions-put them in your
inventory, right-click on the book, then discard it. Some give hints as
to the purpose behind some of the items stolen from the prophet's
chest, many are just unreadable junk, while the 'Tale of the Prophet
Unproved' over at (x=2000, y=500) is the key to advancing.
***ITEMS***
(x=2500, y=500) Scroll of Carrion Summons, Scroll of Summon Efreeti
(x=2270, y=670) Dusty Book, Dusty Book, Scroll of Summon Hakeashar
(x=2200, y=500) Dusty Book, Scroll of Summon Djinni
(x=2100, y=500) Dusty Book, Dusty Book
(x=2000, y=500) Tale of the Prophet Unproved, Dusty Book, Dusty Book
(x=1850, y=700) Scroll of Stone to Flesh
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
27) When you're done killing deranged Mages and reading books, bring the
whole party into the library (if you haven't already) then open the door
at (x=1800, y=950). When you head through the door, Hexxat will make her
way to your protagonist to initiate dialogue. Pick option #1 and Hexxat
will explain the area before you-avoid the webs and cracked stone tiles
and walk only on the pristine or clear ones. If you fail to do this,
the trespassing character will be teleported back to the north-eastern
end of the room and a spider (either a Small Spider, Giant Spider,
Sword Spider, or Phase Spider) will be summoned to deal with you. The
correct route is painfully obvious, so it's not much of a trap... I
suppose confounding only players who were short with Hexxat. It's a
straight shot down the center, save for one clear tile with a web over
it (x=1300, y=1300), which you'll have to go around. I even made a
little text image... not because one is needed here. I mean, I could go
on about how a good FAQ writer shouldn't make assumptions about his
readers and include as much information as possible, professionalism,
blah, blah, blah... but the truth is I was bored, and perhaps I was also
hoping that there was a 'most useless text map' award out there, and
that this would at least get me a nomination...
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
| X | | | | X | |
|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
<--- Stairs | | | X | | | | Library --->
|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
| | | X | | X | X |
|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
28) After you've navigated the painfully simple tile 'puzzle', go
through the door at (x=700, y=1350). In the room beyond is a chevron-
shaped trap at (x=750, y=1220), behind which lurks a Bloated Spider.
Yes, that old game again. Dispose of it, and its baby spiders, and
note the chatty, hand-hungry face over at (x=650, y=800). Get near it
and activate it to initiate dialogue. Lie about your identity or tell
the truth and it'll riddle you. If you read the 'Tale of the Prophet
Unproved' in the library, you should have no trouble answering its
questions correctly (dialogue options #1, #2, #1, #1, then any of the
three options for the final question). If you fail, it'll tell you to
'place your hand within my mouth', whereupon it'll administer some
punishment-several points of damage and you'll be teleported back to
the library, kind of as a hint-hint? You could always just refuse to
put your hand in its mouth (other riddle-statues in the game were at
least wise enough to force you to put your hand on the line before
asking the question, but this one's clearly not so bright) to avoid
punishment. Answer the questions correctly and the door at
(x=970, y=970) will open.
***TRAPS***
(x=750, y=12200
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
29) Head into the room you opened to encounter Raffiyah, who is
borrowing Centeol's situation, character sprite, and choices of pets and
habitat. Way to 'enhance' the sequel by wholesale borrowing elements
from the first game, Overhaul Games. I guess one cursed, bloated
spider-chick wasn't good enough. Anyways, she'll babble at you, Viconia
will whine about the situation, and Raffiyah will seem open to flattery,
but ultimately a fight ensues. Raffiyah is joined by two 'Spiders',
who somehow have the ability to speak. They're just fodder, though.
Raffiyah herself is more sturdy and somewhat more dangerous, being
capable of casting Clerical spells and all. She can cast Protection From
Good 10' Radius, Bolt of Glory, Finger of Death, Flame Strike, Doom,
Slay Living, Confusion, and Spider Spawn, seemingly at random. She has
Magic Resistance, too, so attempting to hit her with Silence or Insect
Plague might take a few tries. Ultimately, the best way to deal with
her is probably just brute force-buff up, rush her, ignore her minions,
and cut her down before she can cause too much mischief. Her spell
arsenal, although impressive, is finite, save the 'Spider Spawn' spell,
which she'll cast until she's got three Giant Spiders at his disposal.
When she dies she'll leave behind a Potion of Stone Form. Yay... the
cloak you're looking for is over in a huge sarcophagus (x=1500, y=400).
Seems a little extreme for a fetus, but hey. Grab the 'Shroud of the
Unproved' and Hexxat will prompt you to leave. With pleasure.
***ITEMS***
(x=1500, y=400) Shroud of the Unproved
***REWARD***
(For claiming the Shroud of the Unproved)
EXP 22000 (each character)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
30) When you return to Athkatla, Hexxat will inform you that she's going
to take the Shroud to Cabrina, over at the Copper Coronet. If you follow
her, you'll find out that this last mission concluded Hexxat's business
with 'L'. Cabrina will banter a bit before leaving, and Hexxat is now
finally free to focus solely on your own business. Her banters will
continue, as will her romance (if your protagonist is female), but
Hexxat's business is done... at least in Shadows of Amn.
o======================================================================o
| Neera's Hidden Refuge |
| (Recruit and Secure Neera) |
o======================================================================o
Sequence of Events: {WLK047}
1) Through the Wild Forest
2) Neera's Initial Equips
3) Illusionary Quaid
4) Uninteresting East
5) Speaking Snake
6) Unreliable Ettin
7) Crossing the Broken Bridge
8) The Hidden Refuge
9) The Useless People
10) Mironda's Beverage
11) Barad Ding's Missing Pests
12) Anger Management
13) Where's Wilson?
14) Mereth's Misplaced Hairband
15) Kirik's Missing!
16) Talisman of Hearthfire
17) Delivering Daxus
18) Red Wizards > Wild Mages
19) Blasting the Bouncer
20) Enclave Shopping!
21) Merchant Mage Murder
22) Unrest in the Enclave
23) Alcohol or Assault
24) Liberating Ghallus
25) Confronting Lanneth
26) Killing Lanneth
27) Looting Lanneth's Lair
28) Freeing the Wild Mages
29) Wild Mage Rewards
30) Hunting Hayes
Wild Forest (OH6000)
o======================================================================o
1) First thing you should notice when you get to the Wild Forest is
Neera, who stands at (x=1000, y=3530). Unfortunately for us, she's not
just waiting for us out here for the sake of civility. Apparently her
Wild Mage friends warded their camp, and she, due to her own unending
incompetence, needs your help to get to the camp safely. You don't need
to bring her along necessarily, but since you're doing her questline,
I'll just assume that you do. Two things to note, however-Edwin will
not, under any circumstances, remain in the same party as Neera. Also,
due to the presence of the stupid Wild Mages, this entire area is now a
Wild Magic zone, meaning every spell cast in this area will trigger a
Wild Surge, with the attendant random effects. Simply put, magic is
extremely unreliable here, so using it sparingly, if at all. At least
the Wild Magic here makes the loss of Edwin inconsequential, since he'd
be dead weight here, anyways.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) Our goal is to make it to the north-eastern corner of the map, but
there's no reason we shouldn't explore this place while we're at it.
I mean, we paid good money for this game, why skip one of the few new
areas in the 'Enhanced' Edition of Baldur's Gate 2? Besides, there's
all kinds of crazy stuff that's bound to happen here, what with wild
magic and all. First things first, Neera is equipped with a few items
from the first game. Neera's Staff +1 is just a +1 Quarter Staff that
has a 10% chance of harming either the weilder or the target for an
additional point of fire damage. We were selling better stuff right out
of Irenicus' Dungeon. Adoy's Belt is a little better-a nifty little
accessory that gives a +5 bonus to Saves vs. Petrification/Polymorph.
It's not something you'll wear forever, but it's better than having an
empty belt slot.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) Start out by following the road to the north-east until you find a
Gnome named Quaid (x=1620, y=2840). If you talk to him, you'll realize
something's not right when he babbles 'a fortnight' repeatedly. If you
press him too much, he'll explode into a Fireball... being part of this
area's defenses and all. You can dispel him by using True Sight, if you
can get it to work, or you can simply attack him. The cart behind the
illusion is more interesting however, containing some goodies for us to
loot.
***TRAPS***
(x=1650, y=2750)
***ITEMS***
(x=1650, y=2750) Diamond, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Mislead,
Potion of Mind Focusing, 233 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) Now continue east. This area-the entire eastern half of the level
south of the river, is actually pretty uninteresting. There are a few
traps to disarm (these tend to rearm, so will provide a constant menace
until they're removed), creepy swirling magical corruption, and a few
obsolete foes-I encountered a Wolf, a Giant Spider, and a Sword Spider.
Explore as you will, then turn your attentions to the west, starting at
the south and working up to the north.
***TRAPS***
(x=2060, y=2600)
(x=2100, y=3000)
(x=3400, y=3070)
(x=4700, y=2090)
(x=3270, y=1400)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) Explore north along the western end of the map, keeping an eye out
for traps as you go. North of where Quaid's cart is you'll find a
Speaking Snake (x=2150, y=1780), who is in many ways much like Quaid.
Both are verbal deterrants; the snake will babble about death and doom,
trying to scare off overly curious trespassers, whereas Quaid tried to
convice folks that there wasn't anything ahead worth seeing. Unlike
Quaid, however, the Speaking Snake isn't and illusion, and won't explode
if you talk to it too much-you can provoke it into fighting, for what
it's worth. It's certainly what Neera seems to desire.
***TRAPS***
(x=620, y=2600)
(x=1800, y=2100)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) Continue north to find an Ettin chasing a group of Gnolls. Neera will
point out that the Ettin is an illusion doing its job-scaring off the
wussy Gnolls. Unfortunately, Wild Mage incompetence shows itself again,
and the Ettin vanishes. The Gnolls, annoyed by the trick, turn on you
and get themselves massacred. The Gnoll Captain will drop some random
goodies and a Morning Star +1, which, apart from Neera's gear is the
best loot we'll find in this area.
***TRAPS***
(x=360, y=1360)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) Now head over to the bridge (x=4370, y=720), where you'll get the
following floating text:
"This bridge appears rotted and uncrossable. The water flowing beneath
is polluted with magic. It has an unwholesome, eerie look that is
distinctly unwelcoming.
In a ditch (x=4600, y=1100) you'll find 'A Pile of Gravel'. Pick it up
and head over to the bridge, where you can use the gravel to reveal that
the bridge's state of disrepair is only an illusion. Alternatively, if
you brought Neera along, just walk her over to the bridge and she'll
expose the illusion herself. Either way, you'll get an experience
reward and your world map will update. Cross the bridge and exit the
map and travel to the 'Hidden Refuge' area.
***REWARD***
(For discovering the Hidden Refuge)
EXP 2000 (each character)
Hidden Refuge (OH6100)
o======================================================================o
8) Explore to the north-east to discover the pallisade which surrounds
the Wild Mage haven. At the gate you'll meet Telana and Hayes, whom
Neera greets before getting down to business. The Thayans are still
after Wild Mages, save Neera's role has changed a bit. Instead of just
fending them off, she's be defending other, less capable Wild Mages
against the Thayan task force which has been abducting Wild Mages-the
Order of Eight Staves. Get some background information about Neera's
resistance movement, if you wish, before getting down to business.
Lanneth seems to be the leader of the Thayan Neera's opposed to, some
Elven Wild Mage named Daxus refused to join the other Wild Mages, and
their artificer, Knocktor, needs more materials to make their 'Talismans
of Hearthfire'-teleportation amulets.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) Before we follow up on any of these tasks, let's explore the Wild
Mage camp. This exploration might seem extraneous, but getting to know
these Mages actually is worth doing... even if it doesn't seem like it
at the time. There are quite a few stupid little quests for us to do
here, but first, the useless people. First up is Hayes (x=950, y=1300),
who is kind of a dick with very little to say. At (x=1290, y=600) is
"King" Gramm, who is just a bit crazier than the rest of the Wild Mages,
who aren't a terribly well-adjusted bunch as it is. He'll babble
nonesense before Neera interrupts and explains his condition. At
(x=1630, y=1030) you'll find Kirik, the son of nearby Amanis Khal
(x=1700, y=1000). He's more of a quest objective than a quest-giver, and
if you talk to him he'll quibble about your name being stupid. Now it's
time to deal with the quest-givers, and their quests.
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) A female Dwarven Wild Mage named Mironda waits over at
(x=1200, y=930). She's a dedicated alcoholic who wants you to get some
special exotic booze from Vyatri in Trademeet. I'll assume you're doing
this after formally exploring Trademeet [WLK022] so as to avoid
complicating matters with over-lapping quests. Once in Trademeet
(AR2000) head over to Vitari's Pub (x=2200, y=2350) and talk to Vytari
(x=770, y=400). Pick dialogue option #3 and pay 50 gold for the cask of
'Halfling's Help'-the beer we're after. Bring it back to Mironda and
you'll get a surprisingly decent reward-some meager experience and a
magical tankard named after your protagonist which heals the user for
2d8 Hit Points up to three times per day. 6-24 free Hit Points of
healing isn't game-breaking, but it's still a decent enough item to toss
in a quick item slot.
***REWARD***
EXP 3500
Item [Protagonist]'s Tankard
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
11) Over at (x=890, y=660) you'll find Barad Ding. Barad Ding's problem
seems more like a solution to me-his cats are missing, scattered in fear
after a wild surge. Offer to help and he'll give you ten servings of
'Cat Food' with which to lure the beasts back. This quest, as all things
involving cats, is pretty annoying. To complete it you'll need to go
back to the Wild Forest and equip the Cat Food, then wander around like
an idiot looking for Ding's eight cats wandering around. When you see
one, use the Cat Food as a quick item on the cat and it'll approach you
and enter your inventory. Good news-unlike real cats, these ones are
stackable. Bad news-like real cats, these ones are assholes and will
randomly escape your inventory (5% chance each two rounds). You'll have
to catch a few and return to the Hidden Refuge to make good on your
gains. If you run out of Cat Food, just talk to Ding for more. Since
they roam about, I can't give exact coordinates for them, so sadly,
you'll have to do a bit of walking around, returning as you must to
secure your felines and gather more food. Once you've captured eight of
the wretched animals return to Ding, who'll reward you with a 'Collar
Belt' that can wake up sleeping characters... an item that might have
been decent in the first game, where Sleep was an actually threatening
spell. He'll also offer to give you one of his cats, named 'Dings', a
gift you can try to opt out of, but hey... you might get hungry later.
Might as well keep the cat.
***ITEMS***
(x=1400, y=1070) Arrows +1 x5
(x=1220, y=880) Scroll of Identify, 1 gold
(x=1200, y=720) 19 gold
***REWARD***
(For returning Barad Ding's cats)
Item Collar Belt
Item Dings
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
12) Now to deal with an interesting character with a bit of height-
Reginald (x=1900, y=1000), is a banished Half-Orc who is none too
friendly. If you pester him too much, he'll fisticuffs with you. Being
a Mage, he's not too good at it, and therein lies the problem-you want
him to hit you. So remove your armor and make sure your AI is off.
Provoke him, let him attack (and hopefully hit) you without responding.
Once he's let out three attacks he'll stop fighting. Turn the proverbial
cheek and rest a distance away from him (just outside the palisade,
perhaps?) Return and talk to him, and he'll comment on your show of
restraint, and promise to learn from your example. We're good role
models!
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) Next up is Zaviak, who waits at (x=1550, y=480). He's an annoying
hippy burn-out veteran of the Black Pits and resident alchemist. He's
also missing his bear-buddy, Wilson. At least it's not cats. This quest
overlaps with Rasaad's questline [WLK048], and cannot be completed until
you've made progress in said questline. See Steps #10 and #11 in
[WLK048] for the encounter with Wilson... otherwise, put this quest on
the ol' back-burner for now.
How to get Wilson, in brief? Grab Rasaad from Trademeet, take him to the
City Gates District in Athkatla to meet a character who'll point us
towards the Abandoned Amphitheater (OH4000). Make your way through to
the north-eastern corner of the level to find Hammerhelm-stick to
dialogue option #1 to get the location of the Heretic Temple. On the
way there, you'll be ambushed by some Sun Soul Monks. Again stick to
dialogue option #1 to get past without violence (or fight, as you will).
In the Heretic Temple area (OH4100) make your way to to temple, where
you'll find a caged Grizzly Bear (x=3480, y=2920). Talk to the bear
and when you're interrupted by the beastmaster Jolstead (x=3580, y=3050)
deal with him by buying Wilson's freedom (1000 gold) or by just killing
the guy. After the fight, find Wilson at (x=440, y=400), who will now
join your party. Walk him back to the Hidden Refuge and talk to Zaviak
to get your... reward.
***REWARD***
(For reuniting Zaviak and Wilson)
Item Green Dragon Potion x5
***ITEMS***
(x=1350, y=480) Scroll of Spell Shield, 8 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
13) Now make your way to the afore-mentioned Amanis Khal
(x=1700, y=1000) and ask about her past (dialogue options #1 and #2),
before finally asking about Kirik's dad. Seems like a dead-end, so move
on to the little girl nearby. Mereth (x=1700, y=1050) is the girl we
saw Neera rescue back in the Bridge District. Unfortunately, she seems
to have misplaced her hairband-a gift from her late mother. You know
how orphans get about sentimental crap like that, so offer to help her
find it. She seems to have misplaced it around when the Thayan 'witch'
chased her around the Bridge District. So... return to the Bridge
District and explore near the northern end. Here you'll find a crate at
(x=3830, y=270) that contains the 'Hairband' we're after. Return it to
Mereth back at the Hidden Refuge for your reward-the Wooden Horse
Necklace. It functions like an Amulet of Protection +2 in that it gives
a +2 bonus to Armor Class or a +2 bonus to Saving Throws, which is cool
and all... if you can find somebody who can wear it, what with magical
armor and other protections.
***ENHANCED EDITION***
In the original release of the game, this item only had a +1 bonus to
Armor Class and Saves, but stacked with other magical protections,
making it vastly more useful than it is now. There are plenty of +2
protection items in the game that don't stack with other protections
that we'll discard as we get superior suits of armor... and now this is
one of them.
***REWARD***
(For recovering Mereth's Hairband)
Item Wooden Horse Necklace
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
14) If you talked to Amanis Khal and her son previously, the boy Kirik
should be missing now. Talk to Amanis Khal, who is understandably
upset, as well a bad mother should be. She'll fear the worst and tell
you that Hayes saw him near the edge of the camp. Interestingly enough,
nobody other than Amanis herself has any comment on this... buncha
irresponsible adults. Head back to the Wild Forest to find Kirik over
at (x=1580, y=330). Talk to him and he'll immediately beg to go home.
Agree to take him and you'll be whisked back to camp and into dialogue
with Amanis, who roundly scolds the boy and thanks you. You'll get an
experience reward for your trouble. When you get a chance to respond,
pick dialogue option #1 to convince her to allow Kirik to keep
practicing magic, then talk to Kirik, who'll give you the Wild Sling +1
as a reward for standing up for him. It's not really a game-changing
weapon, with its sorry enchantment bonus and its forgetable ability,
but it's better to have than not, I suppose.
***REWARD***
(For finding Kirik)
EXP 35000
***REWARD***
(For convincing Amanis into allowing Kirik to continue using Wild Magic)
Item Wild Sling +1
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
15) Okay, now we've obtained a healing cup, a collar and perhaps a cat
to accessorize it with, mention of some bear, a cruddy sling, and a
definitely not-cruddy amulet. we've also talked to a "King" and taught
a Half Orc that hitting is bad. How tedious. We are, however, now ready
to talk to some of the more important quest-givers here, ones who will
actually advance the story and all. Knocktor the Fizzled is over at
(x=1470, y=740), and he'll babble about his backstory if you let him.
What's important is that he needs some key components to make more of
those teleportation amulets-two Diamonds, a Silver Necklace, and 3000
gold. Ouch. Diamonds are fairly uncommon-after going through all of
Shadows of Amn up to this point, I only had eighteen. The gold and the
Silver Necklace are comparatively simple to get your hands on... but
it's not imperative that you create one of these amulets. If you do,
you'll get a small experience reward, and of course, the amulet.
***REWARD***
(For creating a Talisman of the Hearthfire)
EXP 3500
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
16) Finally, talk to Telana (x=1380, y=1080), who wants you to go to
the Bridge District in Athkatla and visit Delosar's Inn, wherein the
Wild Mage Daxus lurks. Telana is sure Daxus will attract the attention
of the Thayans soon, if he hasn't already, and we are to convince him
that he'd be better off at the Hidden Refuge. Apparently this Daxus
shouldn't be very hard to recognize, due to his healthy 'independent
streak'. Also, Hayes is heading to town for supplies at the same time,
and will take Daxus back with him if you don't have a Talisman of the
Hearthstone to provide. Almost seems like we should have went after
Mereth's Hairband at the same time to simplify things... never fear,
though, I have my reasons.
Desolar's Inn (AR0513)/(AR0514)/(AR0515)
o======================================================================o
17) Return to the Bridge District (AR0500) and head over to Desolar's
Inn (x=2050, y=3000). Along the way Hayes (x=1120, y=3460) will bother
you and work out the details of the plan-either tell him you're sending
Daxus back with him, or inform him you have a Talisman of the
Hearthfire, as your resources demand. You'll find Daxus on the bottom
floor of the Inn (AR0513) at (x=600, y=570), and being 'the famous
Blue Elf of Athkatla' he sure does stand out. As you approach he'll
begin talking, amusing the idiotic patrons nearby. Neera, too, with the
underdeveloped brain of a turnip, seems amused until he mentions the
Hidden Refuge, at which point she decides enough is enough.
Talk to him a bit and, despite his assumption that fame will protect
him, a group of bad ol' Red Wizards show up to apprehend him. The chief
threat here is the Red Wizard, who, as a spell-caster, should be your
primary target. I find a single Insect Plague wins this fight outright,
but it can't hurt to throw out a Chaos or two, if you feel it's
necessary. Once the Red Wizard dies, you just need to mop up his melee
cronies. Daxus will offer to help out before hostilities start, but for
my money, the fewer Wild Mages casting spells around, the better. If
you give him the Talisman of Hearthfire, he'll be able to just teleport
directly to camp, with no risk to himself at all... which is actually a
good thing, since bringing him back in one piece is more or less the
point of this whole quest. Once all the Thayans are dead, head outside
to confront a second, identical group. This bunch is far more likely to
actively target Daxus, but the same tactic prevails-Chaos and Insect
Plague are just more than they can handle. In both groups the melee
warriors will drop a suit of Plate Mail, a Helmet, a Two-Handed Sword,
and a Potion of Extra Healing. The archers will leave behind a suit of
Splint Mail, 20 Arrows +1, 80 Arrows, a Potion of Extra Healing, a
Composite Longbow, and a Spear. The Red Wizards will drop a Dagger +1
and 20 Darts +1. Not really an epic haul, but they weren't exactly that
strong, either. After the second group is dead Hayes will take Daxus
back (if he's still around) and Neera will suggest that we return to
the Hidden Refuge and inform Telana.
Note: If you gave Daxos a Talisman of the Hearthfire, you'll only have
to fight one group of Red Wizards.
Hidden Refuge (OH6200)
o======================================================================o
18) When you get back to the Hidden Refuge, you'll find it in a sorry
state, indeed. Telana will be here, as will Mereth and Kirik if you
completed their quests. Anywho, talk to Telana (x=1380, y=1080) and
she'll tell you a predictable story. It turns out that, despite Neera's
optimism, Red Wizards > Wild Mages. No surprise there. The Wild Mages
who aren't here were captured, and were taken to the Red Wizard's
enclave in Athkatla, which can be found in Waukeen's Promenade. Rest up,
prepare anti-mage spells, and head back to Athkatla.
Waukeen's Promenade (AR0700)
o======================================================================o
19) Return to Waukeen's Promenade and head over to the Red Wizard
Enclave (x=3200, y=900), helpfully marked on your map. Talk to the
Bouncer (x=3330, y=950) in front and Neera will end up blasting him
into pieces. Cool. He'll drop a Potion of Extra Healing, amongst some
other junk. Once done exchanging pleasantries with the hired help,
head inside.
Red Wizard Enclave (OH6300)
o======================================================================o
20) Now, I know we're here to smash things, and Telana said that the Red
Wizards ran this shop as a front to gain enough money to buy off the
Cowled Wizards so they could hunt the Wild Mages with impunity... but
dammit, there's shopping to be done here! If Gul Dukeem (x=970, y=1700)
starts talking to you, pick dialogue options #2, #2, #3, #2, #2 to
avoid a fight, something Neera tries to provoke. Gul Dukeem sells items
that are more interesting than useful, like a Robe of the Neutral
Archmagi, the Tunic of Blindeye, a Staff of Striking +3, the Heart of
the Golem +2, The Grave Binder +2, and the Dagger of Venom +2... alot of
old Baldur's Gate daggers that are obsolete now. The merchant at
(x=820, y=1580) sells a variety of wands, including the useful and
uncommon Wand of Spell Striking, which simultaneously casts Breach and
Pierce Magic on a target. Very nice. Also considering that his other
wands have an absurd 50 charges, they're worth grabbing. Another
merchant at (x=660, y=1620) sells potions, including Giant Strength and
Master Thievery ones. Finally, the merchant at (x=750, y=1670) sells a
small library's worth of spell scrolls. The best part is, the last three
merchants (the ones simply named 'merchant') can all be robbed, although
a Pick Pockets score of around 180% is suggested.
o===========o
|Mage Spells| Merchant
o===========o---------------------------------------------------------->
1st-Reflected Image
1st-Spook
---
2nd-Deafness
---
3rd-Detect Illusion
3rd-Hold Undead
3rd-Invisibility, 10' Radius
3rd-Non-Detection
3rd-Protection From Cold
3rd-Protection From Fire
3rd-Remove Magic
---
4th-Contagion
4th-Minor Sequencer
4th-Teleport Field
---
5th-Protection From Acid
5th-Protection From Electricity
5th-Spell Immunity
---
6th-Contingency
6th-Globe of Invulnerability
6th-Mislead
6th-Pierce Magic
6th-Protection From Magic Energy
6th-Spell Deflection
6th-Summon Nishruu
6th-True Sight
---
7th-Mantle
7th-Mordenkainen's Sword
7th-Ruby Ray of Reversal
7th-Summon Hakeashar
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
21) Now for the inevitable fight. If you talked Gul Dukeem into showing
you his wares, you can talk him into letting you into the back rooms if
you gave him an excuse-namely of wanting to purchase a Wild Mage slave.
Do this with dialogue options #2, #2, #1, #1, #1, and #1. He'll go to
let you through the door, and your plans will be thwarted by a Red
Wizard, whom you'll then have to fight, along with the Merchants and
the Guards, but not, importantly, Gul Dukeem, who'll surrender after
the fight is over and offer to stick around as a merchant. Then again,
you can just start a fight by talking to Gul Dukeem again and picking
dialogue options #2 and #4. Either way, it's a good idea to spell-buff
before talking to Gul Dukeem, and in the latter route, trying to score
a backstab against him will go far towards simplifying the fight.
Otherwise my tactics for this battle are... pretty much the same as
every other Mage fights-start out with Insect Plague and Chaos, then mop
up. Just be sure you wait long enough for the other Red Wizard to enter
the room via the northern door before casting Insect Plague. One of the
Merchants will leave behind a Quarter Staff, ten Darts of Stunning and
two gold, while another will drop a Wand of Monster Summoning (provided
he didn't use it) a Scroll of Infravision, a Scroll of Protection From
Cold, a Dagger +1, and ten Darts +1. The last merchant forfeits a Potion
of Insight, a Potion of Strength, a Potion of Invisibility, a Quarter
Staff, and twenty Darts of Wounding. The Red Wizard who joins the fight
via the door at (x=750, y=1450) will drop a Quarter Staff and twenty
Darts of Wounding. Both the Guards drop Plate Mail, a Helmet and a
Halberd, while Gul Dukeem will bestow upon us an Adventurer's Robe, a
Quarter Staff +2, twenty Darts of Stunning, and the Slave Pen Key. Once
the murder frenzy is done, turn your attention to the door at
(x=750, y=1450).
***ITEMS***
(x=650, y=1550) Potion of Insulation, Potion of Extra Healing,
Potion of Fire Breath, Potion of Hill Giant Strength
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
22) Beyond the door you'll find a tavern, which is obviously going to
be the most populated area in here. At the present there are no fewer
than seven Thayan Mercenaries, not including their leader Fadell
Ironeye, and three Red Wizards. There are more lurking in the
surrounding rooms, however, who'll join in if there's a ruckus. To the
north-west are three more Thayan Mercenaries and another Red Wizard,
while to the south-east are two more Red Wizards and a Thayan Knight.
That's a half-dozen Mages and a dozen warriors of vastly varying
quality to back them up-not exactly something you want to rush into.
Once you enter you'll be pestered by Fadell Ironeye. Play nice and
pick dialogue options #1, #1, and #2 to go about your business. In the
room to the north-west you'll see a Red Wizard hitting on a Mercenary,
offering to garnish her wages for a bit of extra service. To the
south-east are some slave pens, where two Red Wizards gloat over a
dumb Mercenary who agreed to fight a trained Minotaur gladiator named
Ghallus for some coin. Talk to Fadell and she'll complete the picture-
the mercenaries here are underpaid and poorly handled by the Red
Wizards, and it probably wouldn't take much to cause trouble between the
two. Ah, the classic battle of labor versus capital... The spark we can
use to ignite this powderkeg is equally reknown for its antiquity; good
old fashioned inebriation. First, however, I suggest you loot around
while it's still quiet.
***ITEMS***
(x=570, y=950) Composite Longbow, Arrows +1 x20
(x=500, y=1000) Splint Mail
(x=420, y=1050) Potion of Healing, 2 gold
(x=250, y=1270) Bastard Sword, Potion of Extra Healing,
The Journal of Fadell Ironeye, 65 gold
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
23) Once the looting is done, it's time for the bloody business at hand.
Here is where you'll start to see some benefit for completing the
various quests of the Wild Mages in the Hidden Refuge, earlier. If you
helped out Mironda she'll be behind the bar, working as a bartender. If
not, it'll just be a vanilla bartender. Both can suit our needs just as
well as the other. If you want to get out of this with a much less
difficult fight, talk to Mironda/the Bartender and buy three rounds of
hooch for everybody. Each round'll cost 50 gold, for a total cost of
150. After the third round has been consumed, Fadell will pick a fight
with her employers, and the mercenaries will turn on the Red Wizards.
The mercenaries are more than a match for the Red Wizards, and 150 gold
is a paltry price to bypass such a fight. If you had Mironda at hand,
she'll even give you your gold back after the battle is over, plus an
experience reward for saving her.
If, on the other hand, you want to fight it out, we still have options.
First is the run in and fight everybody all at once 'tactic', easier
done if you played nice at first so you could spell-buff and position
your party as you saw fit-perhaps all within the tavern room, so you
don't get bottle-necked at the door? Also, paying special attention to
Fedell early on is a very good idea, since she's probably the most
dangerous character there. Insect Plague, True Sight and Chaos are
mandatory for this fight, and slow won't hurt, either. There's also a
sneaky way we can handle things. For all their power here, there's not
a single Mage capable of casting True Sight in this fight. This allows
you to provoke the enemy, then either use an item or cast invisibility
on a character and use them to block the door, the idea being to catch
all the baddies in one room, while the party hides in another. This will
allow you to-with careful aim-cast some area-of-effect debilitative
spells into the room before commiting to melee, or perhaps to forgo
melee altogether in favor of ranged attacks, which you're certain to
out-class the enemy in. The Mages still can, and will, cast spells at
any characters they can see, so it's not a completely safe tactic. You
can, however, try to use summons to waste the spells of the Mages. Just
try to avoid casting any damaging spells if you don't want to hurt
Mironda. When everything hostile is dead, get to looting. Three of the
Red Wizards carry Potions of Extra Healing, a Quarter Staff, a random
scroll, and ten Darts of Stunning. Two others (the one in the room to
the north-west and one of the two Mages in the room to the south-east)
carries a Potion of Extra Healing and a Quarter Staff. The other Mage
from the room to the south-east will leave behind a Mage Robe of Fire
Resistance, a Potion of Extra Healing, a Quarter Staff, and a Slave Pen
Key. The Thayan Knight drops a suit of Full Plate Mail, a Helmet, a
Large Shield +1, a Potion of Extra Healing, and a Long Sword +1. Fadell
Ironeye gives up Plate of the Dark +1 (just Full Plate +1 with a name),
a Bastard Sword +2, a Large Shield +2, two Potions of Extra Healing, a
Potion of Fire Giant Strength, an Oil of Speed, a Helmet, and 478 gold.
The mercenaries vary quite a bit in quality and equipment, but aside
from a few suits of Plate Mail, it's nothing worth mentioning.
***REWARD***
(For freeing Mironda)
EXP 10000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
24) One more thing to do before we continue deeper into this area. Head
to the dungeon where we witnessed Ghallus at play. You have had two
chances to obtain a a Slave Pen Key-Gul Dukeem had one, as did one of
the Red Wizards in this prison. With the key, open the cage containing
Ghallus at (x=1300, y=1650) and the Minotaur will take his slave
buddies and leave. It's worth some experience, at least, and it might
just pay off shortly... before you continue on, make sure you're
rested and prepared. If at all possible, have a Death Spell ready, as
it'll be invaluable in the upcoming fight.
***REWARD***
(For freeing the slaves)
EXP 1500 (x5)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
25) Go through the door at (x=1220, y=1330), up a tunnel to the north-
west, then through another door at (x=1100, y=1000). In the room beyond
you'll find Lanneth (x=1480, y=800), along with a pair of Thayan
Fighters. More Fighters and Red Wizards lurk in the side rooms, where
it can be awfully cramped fighting. If you got Fadell drunk, she'll show
up and rant a bit before wandering out again. If you freed Ghallus,
he'll return along with several Amnian Legionaries to provide a bit of
muscle. In the latter case, you might be better off just walking out of
the room and letting them all sort it out. This will be condeming your
allies to death, sure, but it'll waste some of the enemy's spells and
potions. Lanneth, for her part, isn't really seeking a direct engagement
in this round of the fight-her tactics are to go invisible (using one of
her multiple Potions of Invisibility), walk into one of the side rooms,
and summon a pair of Mordekainen's Swords. A Death Spell will remove
them from the fight handily. Lanneth can be killed here, but you will
need to keep on top of her with Breach and True Sight. After she's
pressed a bit, she'll dimension door away, leaving you to clean up and
loot before chasing her.
***ITEMS***
(x=1450, y=1100) Scroll of Power Word, Sleep, Scroll of Deafness
(x=1550, y=1000) Cloak of Protection +1
(x=930, y=770) Moonbar Gem, Black Opal, Potion of Healing,
Greenstone Ring
(x=1080, y=680) Scroll of Ice Storm, Scroll of Color Spray, 3 gold
***TRAPS***
(x=1550, y=1000)
(x=930, y=770)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
26) Once you're ready to move on, go through the door at (x=1500, y=750)
to find Lanneth again. She'll try to buy herself some life by
threatening the life of "King" Gramm-it doesn't matter what you say,
however, a fight breaks out, either with you trying to save Gramm from
himself, or from Lanneth. She'll be joined by two more Thayan Fighters
and another Red Wizard. This fight shouldn't be too much trouble-just
use Breach on Lanneth when she uses Protection from Magical Weapons or
Stoneskin and pay her and her fellow Red Wizard special attention,
since the Fighters are far less dangerous. When she's dead, loot her
for The Protector +1, a Robe of Invocation, Bracers of Defense A.C. 6,
a Wand of Paralyzation, a Quarter Staff +2, Darts of Wounding x40,
three Potions of Extra Healing, three Potions of Invisibility, a Slave
Pen Key, a Laboratory Key, and 243 gold. Finally, talk to "King" Gramm
for an experience reward.
***REWARD***
(For freeing "King' Gramm)
EXP 5000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
27) You now have two doors beckoning you-go through the one to the
north-west at (x=1600, y=450). It's trapped, but you that shouldn't
bother you, right? Beyond is Lanneth's room, so you and rightfully
expect a good bit of loot in here. So it is. Not really enough of a
reward to make all this Wild Mage nonsense worthwhile, but at least
a bit of coin is involved. Be sure to grab Lanneth's Journal, as it
provides some information we'll need shortly.
***ITEMS***
(x=1620, y=250) Potion of Invisibility, Elixir of Health,
Pearl Necklace, Garnet Gem
(x=1380, y=300) Rogue Stone, Traveler's Robe, Wand of Frost, 750 gold
(x=1380, y=200) Scroll of Mordenkainen's Sword,
Scroll of Chain Lightning, 57 gold
(x=1500, y=150) Contract, Letter, Lanneth's Journal
***TRAPS***
(x=1600, y=450)
(x=1380, y=300)
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
28) And by shortly I mean now. Go through the door at (x=1980, y=700) to
find all of Neera's misfit Mage friends... or at least the ones who are
still alive. Simply put, if you did their quests, they'll be alive, if
not, they'll be dead, with the exceptions of Knocktor, Zaviak, Barad
Ding, and a random Wild Mage, although Barad Ding will kill himself if
you didn't rescue his cats. If you let Daxus walk away with Hayes, he'll
be dead, too. If you gave him a Talisman of the Hearthfire, he'll be
alive. Talk to Knocktor (x=2300, y=750) and he'll tell you that Lanneth
always opened the cages in a specific sequence. You'll have to do the
same, or else the Wild Mages will be electrocuted. Get them zapped too
much and they'll die. Kinda defeats the purpose of rescuing them.
Fortunately, Lanneth's Journal provides the information we need to free
these Mages-subjects 55, 13, 11, and 42, in order. You'll only see these
number mentioned when you activate a cage, but they correspond to Amanis
Khal's cage (x=2500, y=800), a random female Wild Mage's cage
(x=2200, y=900), Barad Ding's cage (x=2350, y=950) and finally Zaviak's
cage (x=2250, y=900). Once you've opened the last cage, you'll be able
to open the rest at will. Talk to the Wild Mage in an opened cage and
they'll depart, giving you an experience reward. Knocktor will inform
you that Hayes sold his fellows out, and that he's leading to Vyatri's
pub in Trademeet. See? He was mean to us, and he turned out to be a
traitor. Those two things are always correlated.
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Amanis Khal)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Barad Ding)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Daxus)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Knocktor)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For rescuing the female Wild Mage)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For rescuing Reginald)
EXP 5000
***REWARD***
(For resucing Zaviak)
EXP 5000
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
29) Return to the Hidden Refuge, as per Neera's whining, and when you
near the gates to the camp a conversation will strike up, and you'll
get another quest reward, as well as a... Mechanical Bird. It might look
like garbage, but hold onto it-you'll get pretty hefty reward if you
keep it with you into (and through much of) Throne of Bhaal. Telana will
also promise you a gift, and if you talk to her (x=1230, y=900) she'll
deliver, handing over the Robe of Goodman Hayes, which puts its wearer
under the permanent effects of the Chaos Shield spell, making Wild
Surges more likely to be less harmful. Since it can only be worn by Wild
Mages (who else would need it) it's probably something only Neera would
wear, and if she's your primary Mage, the Robe of Vecna is going to be
much more useful. Reginal (x=1900, y=800) also has a gift for you-the
Brick +2, a returning throwing War Hammer that has a chance to inflict
1d12 extra magical damage and cause 100% spell failure for a round. The
latter effect doesn't last long enough, and both are subject to a Save
vs. Spells, so, neither are great. It also has a 10% to cause anybody
within ten feet of the wielder to suffer a Wild Surge. Again, not too
desirable, but if you're chucking hammers at people, you probably aren't
slinging spells. It makes a decent ranged weapon for Anomen or Korgan.
Now, there's just one more thing to do before we wrap this quest up-
let's go find a certain traitor in Trademeet.
***REWARD***
(For defeating the Enclave)
EXP 10000 (each character)
Item Mechanical Bird
<---------------------------------------------------------------------->
30) Head back to Trademeet and enter Vyatri's Pub, where you'll find
Hayes drinking himself to death at (x=750, y=520). Talk to him and he
will, in his drunkedness, pretend not to care about his fate. Apparently
giving up the good life in the city was too much for him, and he was
only too happy to sell out his fellow Wild Mages (wife included) to get
away from the Hidden Refuge. You can kill him if you wish-he'll leave
behind a Quarter Staff +1, twenty Darts Stunning, and the Bloodied Tunic
of Hayes. If you take this soiled garment back to Telana... well, she'll
have mixed feelings about it. Pretty anti-climatic ending, all in all.
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