Act Four, Part II: Tusonite - Aielund Desert Battle, City of Myrfell

Part XXI of Aielund Saga Walkthrough Guide. Continuing from Part XX: Ironlord's Siege of Fort Highmarch. The Aielund Saga is a NWN Module for BioWare's Neverwinter Nights 1.

Tusonite Outpost

We've now come into Tusone from the west, avoiding the "heavily guarded against Aielund" eastern side.

This second military outpost consists of six Tusonite Footsoldiers, three Tusonite Chevaliers (mounted, unlike the last lot) and two Tusonite Clerics commanded by General Adroine.

A footsoldier refers us to the General. 

These hard-pressed Tusonite forces are attempting to repel Aielundian invaders. We strike a deal with the General: we help him fight off the Aielundian force and, in return, he takes us to meet the Tusonite King. Note: funny comment at bottom.

As the General and I come to an agreement, an Aielundian Knight-Commander trots over to parley.

There is mention here of the priesthood brainwashing Aielundians into thinking the Ironlord armor was gifted to King Seamus by God. I then fail my persuasion check against the knight, which means a diplomatic solution is now out of the question.

The Knight-Commander now confidently trots off to ready his force for what he's convinced will be an easy victory.

With battle imminent, the trio quickly scavenge for supplies stored behind the tents: Arrows of Impact (594), Armor-Piercing Bolt (495), Giant's Bane (18), Healer's Kit +6 (6), Healer's Kit +10 (4), scroll of Raise Dead (2) and various average and strong traps. Most important is the ammo for Nellise and Criosa's ranged weapons.

About one minute passes before the Aielundian force comes into view on the horizon.

Here they come... hold the line, for your King! - General.

The initial wave consists of three knights, three archers and one each of halberdier, war wizard and war cleric.

Nellise of course shines in the battle, casting an array of devastating AoEs over its course.

 

As the Aielundian units are defeated, they're quickly replaced by reinforcements...

 

We must have taken out seventeen knights (+12-60-121 EXP ea) and three or four Knight-Commanders (+380 EXP ea)...

Looted from corpses in the aftermath of the battle: Bolt +5 (198), Bolt +1 (a few hundred) Longsword +4 (2), Longsword +3 (3), Grey Wizard's Robe.

Victorious in repelling the Aielundians, we now return to General Adroine who is happy to fulfill his side of the bargain (+800 EXP, +5000 EXP).

The commander escorts you into the capital city and takes you directly to the palace. - DM.

City of Myrfell, capital of Tusone: Palace

  

General Adroine introduces us to the amusing King Osric Davignon whom I beseech to aid us in the removal of crazed King Seamus from the throne of Aielund (+800 EXP).

In this dialogue I finally max out my Lawful alignment to 100 (Good was maxed loooong ago), so I now earn the title of Crusader. I don't believe Aielund Saga reacts to this title, though.

I tell King Osric that in order to dethrone King Seamus we first need to acquire the Scepter of the Ages from Terinus, by means of an elite strike force assault on Castle Fairloch. However, in order for this to happen the King has to divert attention away from the castle by staging an attack on the city. 

The King now takes his leave to confer with his military advisors. In the meantime, we are invited to take a tour of the city of Myrfell, if we so desire. So, questing time!

 Level Up to 26!

(Epic Characters)

Lilura: Champion of Torm (10) / Paladin (12)/ Fighter (4), Epic Prowess, +2 to AB, saves, and "divine" dmg (damage increase) for reaching CoT 10. Nice!

Criosa: Rogue (14) / Wizard (12), Uncanny Dodge IV

Nellise: Cleric (24) / Paladin (2)

Myrfell: Government District

(Myrfell consists of three districts: Government, Commerce and Docks. There is an accessible sewer system beneath the Commerce District).

I have heard much of Myrfell, but have never seen it first-hand. It is smaller than I had imagined. - Nellise.

I had hoped we'd left the heat behind us! This place is an oven! - Criosa.

We skip across the street to the Myrfell church where I spy a +4 WIS hood for Nellise. We can't afford it right now, though. Or anything, really. We need to do some quests!

Next up, we visit the impressive mage tower.

Inside, Archmage Michel Dupont explains his ice elemental-powered air conditioning system; then requests our services in destroying a massive ice elemental of which he lost control, currently residing in the sewers - to which he hands us the key.

Government District: Sewers

The sewers are bitterly cold, a sharp contrast from the sweltering streets above. - DM.

Frozen-solid rats, lol! They can be shattered for +12 EXP ea...

 

Frostillicus must be mighty indeed to have frozen this entire sewer system. - Nellise.

We track down the roaming elemental behemoth and throw everything we have at it (+380 EXP).

Frostillicus splits into two, not once...

... but twice... tough little blighters, these!

With Michel's rebel creation finally disposed of, we return to him and are rewarded with any one of these: Antique Armor +5 (DR 10/+3, Imm: Knockdown), Staff of the Archmagi (Haste, several spells with charges) or Epic Bracers of Archery (Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization: Longbow/Shortbow). 

I accept the bracers and gift them to Criosa for +6 bow damage.

 

Myrfell: Commerce District

We come across a man praying outside his home...

Charles Bodine's wife has been kidnapped by The Syndicate, organized criminals who control the Docks. We offer to find and return her, but not right now.

In the Myrfell smithy we agree to assist Gaston Case in clearing his debt with an underworld figure known as Rene who can be found just west of here, in the Business Club.

(Harbin - proprietor of The Long Shot Bowyer & Fletcher - does not offer a quest).

The Business Club

You be real nice or I'll rip your bloody arms off. - Half-orc bouncer.

Having given the Half-orc bouncer the password ("liberty"), he opens the door.

It seems every city has it's seemy side. I don't care for this place at all. - Nellise.

A pianist entertains the patrons as we ask the bartender to see "The Boss."

This reputable es-tab-lish-ment. Um, that mean you watch yourself or me thump you. - Half-orc bouncer.

Behind the common room stands Rene with his two uncouth associates.

Go away you annoying peasant. - Meram.

Get lost. - Nathell.

In order to cancel Gaston's debt, Rene requests that we procure three valuable portraits from Pascal Rousseau's estate in the Government District.

 

Hardly a paladinly action, but I receive +800 EXP for lawfully objecting to break n enter, after which Rene assures me Pascal is no angel. Oh well, whatevs. Let's do this.

Pascal Rousseau's estate

We arrive at the Pascal's estate under cover of darkness.

Criosa unlocks his front door (DC-45).

Startled out of gazing deeply into a portrait on the wall, Pascal Rousseau runs up and demands to know wtf we're doing in his home. Was ever a fairer question asked? Well, we're here for your "ladies", and we're not leaving without them.

*Pascal snaps*

Pascal is a rapier-wielding weapon master, and is the first whirlwind user I've encountered in this Saga. WW attack sounds great and the animation is showy, but it's utterly useless.

Needless to say, this pansy is roflstomped for +152 EXP and his corpse is looted for the Blademaster's Outfit (Haste, Bonus Feat: Defensive Roll, Piercing resist [10/-], Parry +12), Tactical Rapier +4 (Keen, magical +3, Mass crits: 2d6), Ring of Protection +5 and Belt of Agility +4.

Two Rousseau House Guards were owned on the side for +12 EXP ea and Falchion +2 (2).

Sitting on a bookshelf here is a copy of A Brief History of the Kingdom of Tusone. Since the author bothered to do lore write-ups, I should probably at least post a screen of the efforts he went to in fleshing out his world - it's good stuff!

Wall-mounted on this floor is one of the three priceless portraits by the artist Anatole Badeua: Angelique. We gently lift it from the wall and take possession of it.

Criosa unlocks the door to upstairs (DC-42), then unlocks/detraps the door to Pascal's bedroom (DC-42/45), wherein a rather odd enemy attacks us: The Luggage, an animated chest (+988 EXP).

The two other portraits are found mounted on the walls of this room, opposite to each other: Susanne and Victoria. We now have possession of all three portraits.

Also looted in the bedroom is a Lesser Ioun Stone: Pink (CON +2), Expensive Dress (needed to be ID'd, sells for 1 GP...), Expensive Clothing (sells for 3 GP...), precious gems and jewellery etc.

The portraits are delivered to Rene back at the Business Club (+1000 EXP). The hard-to-please Rene now wishes us to procure for him the Valdelay gemstone, a Tusonite artefact. I am to assume the name of "Devereux" and meet Jimmy at the Dockside Arms tavern where I'll negotiate for the gemstone as a middleman.

Dockside Arms tavern

Upon entry we spot the shifty Halfing, Jimmy, looking over his shoulder at us.

I fail my persuade check, but it auto-succeeds and Jimmy flicks me the gemstone. How easy was that..?

Myrfell Docklands

... Too easy.

You catch a glimpse of Jimmy as he comes running out of the tavern. - DM.

Looks like he's running off to his ship.

In pursuit of Jimmy we enter the Scarlet Lady by means of the forward hatch.

Ah, crap. - Jimmy.

Jimmy now flicks us the real Valdelay Gemstone, and warns us of the Syndicate. We buff up before returning to the pier.

Sure enough, no sooner have we stepped off the Scarlet Lady, we're intercepted by the Syndicate.

Led by Devon, they demand the gemstone. We refuse to hand it over. A dance of death ensues.

Sneak attacking thugs now stubbornly train on their soft targets, inflicting deep cuts on both Nellise and Criosa, but their night out is ruined by four crits from me inflicting about 70 damage each (+60 EXP ea, Short Sword +3).

The cat-like Devon then moved in on Criosa to sink his dagger into soft royal flesh, but was ended soon after by a tremendous blow from a buffed holy warrior (+380 EXP, Dagger of Assassination +3 [on-hit DC-14 vorpal, Evil only]).

The cowardly bard-thug hangs back to sing and conjure a Dire Tiger with Summon Creature VI; then follows up with Darkness. His crow-like cry of death echoed throughout the Docks, and then all was silent but for the lapping of the waves (+121 EXP, Bardic Leather Armor [Bonus bard spell slots lvl 3/4]).

We now head back to the Business Club and deliver the real Valdelay Gemstone to Rene: +5000 EXP. He warns us never to return, or we'll be killed.

We inform Gaston that Rene has released him from debt: +1000 EXP, Gaston's Longsword +5 (Keen, Mass Crits 2d6, on-hit DC-14 Slow). Not bad, but a definite downgrade from my Angelfyre Holy Avenger.

 

Time to take out the Syndicate, after which we'll return to this district to take out Rene for threatening us.

The Northern Star - Syndicate vessel

You walk up the gangplank onto the ship. - DM.

My Lawful warning to the Syndicate Sailors yields +800 EXP, but doesn't stop the three fools from attacking us (+12 EXP ea, Scimitar +2 [2]).

Criosa unlocks the DC-45 door to belowdecks.

From the Captain's empty cabin, we duck down a stairway hatch to the deck below where we're caught off-guard by five Syndicate Thugs (+12 EXP ea, Short Sword +3 [5]).

(This is how wealth is built up, looting many corpses of enchanted weapons which then sell for a pretty penny).

We descend to the lowest deck whereon four more Syn-thugs assail us, but they are effortlessly dispatched and then looted (+12 EXP ea, Short Sword +3 [4]).

At one end of this deck we locate Elan Bodine and five other female slaves, whom we free from captivity (+200, +100 EXP [x5]).

Climbing back up to the middledeck...

There are the bastards who let my cargo free! Kill them! - Captain Edgar Vance.

My bitch-slapping of this Syndicate Wizard causes him to fizzle Horrid Wilting (+12 EXP, Greater Hood of Clarity [+4 INT, Conc +10, Bonus feat: Slippery Mind]).

Now I duel the despicable Vance, dual-wielder of whip and kukri (+684 EXP, Whip +3, Black Lotus +4 kukri (on-hit DC-16 poison -STR).

We return to the grateful Bodine couple for +5000 EXP and the Boots of Striding +6 (CON +6) which bestow a very welcome HP boost.

Thank you for freeing me, I can never repay you for your heroism. - Elan.

From here we now march over to the Business Club to wipe out Rene for daring to threaten our lives.

Oddly, the bouncer at the door isn't hostile, but everyone excluding the patrons inside are - including three Half-orc Bouncers, the Bartender and Rene himself.

An all-in brawl ensues in the common room.

The raging barbarian bartender (+12 EXP, Club +4) and bouncer trash is taken out first (+12 EXP ea, Dagger +2 [6]).

Rene foolishly leaves the backroom to wade into the fray, going straight for Nellise who pissed him off in conversation, coming so close to killing her it wasn't funny. Luckily I was flanking Rene here, otherwise he would have survived another round and Nellise would have been dead. From his corpse we loot: Dagger +4 (2), Amulet of Natural Armor +4, Armor of the Night (Haste, Hide/Move Silently +12, Imm: Darkness, Darkness [3] 5/day, Ultravision [6] 1/day). What a pity he didn't surrender so that we could force him to hand back the portraits and gemstone - the snob's tears would have been delicious.

We now sprint to the backroom, where Rene should have stayed hidden along with the much smarter Meram Ryskill and Nathell.

Meram casts Time Stop...

... followed by Greater Planar Binding (Death Slaad); then unleashes Meteor Swarm behind the slaad and Nathell, but I just bust Nathell's nose (+12 EXP, Sword of Many Blades [Blade Barrier (11) 1/day, Respectable Citizens Attire [DR 5/+4, SR 20]) to get to the Halfling wizard, who then joins him in the after-life one round later (+12 EXP, Bracers of Armor +5).

Back outside, the Half-orc door bouncer is now hostile. It would have been more amusing if he simply ran off, but wiping the floor with him as we left was also funny.

Having completed the jobs available to us in Myrfell, we now sell off all unneeded loot acquired during our questing, thereby amassing a tidy sum of about 300,000 GP. I now purchase for Nellise the Cleric's Hood (+4 WIS, Conc +10); for Criosa the Greater Amulet of Health (Imm: Disease, Level/Ability drain, poison, Regen +1); and for myself a Wooden Tower Shield - after which we're still sitting pretty on a mound of about 200,000 gold. 

Palace Revisited 

Our timing in returning to the palace is of course impeccable. Just as we enter, King Osric - flanked by his Master-At-Arms - strides out to the throne room, having finished conferring with his advisors. After he's done critiquing our escapades in his city (the Ice Elemental, Rene, the Syndicate), the King now announces that he wishes us to work together in our attempt to dethrone King Seamus. 

He now permits his Master-At-Arms to speak, which adviser presents a plan to hire mercenaries to attack Fairloch (since the Tusonite forces have been depleted by the war with Aielund). I Lawfully express concerns of mercenary loyalty (800 EXP), but King Osric assures me they'll be well-paid veterans who will see the campaign through to its conclusion. 

The mercs will be recruited from Trinity, a desert town bordering three nations, known for its neutrality and as a merc gathering point (we've been there - it was our hub for seeking two of the Scepter pieces, and where we first encountered the Ironlord). We must first head east to the marshlands near the Aielundian border, where General Duquesne will show us to a Tusonite representative who will oversee the merc transactions for us (500,000 GP is involved).

Fully prepped, we head immediately to the Eastern Front in the marshlands.

Next up: Act Four - Part III

Aielund Saga Act 1: Nature Abhors a Vacuum	Aielund Saga Act 3: Return of the Ironlord
Aielund Saga Act 2: Defender of the Crown	Aielund Saga Act 4: The Fall of Aielund